Ugh.

I have friends that blog about how fun it is to clip coupons, shop discounts and get things for much cheaper than the sticker price. I have a sister who thinks that buying a McDonald's ice cream cone is splurging. And many, many people know how to live without because they can't afford it. I have another friend who seems to be making a boatload of money, which is probably true - but the reason he can drop hundreds of dollars on new furniture all within a week is because he is the master at budgeting.

I am not these people.

I need to be these people. It would be much better if any one of these hijacked my account and made sure I couldn't get my grimy hands on my own money. Mostly because 1) I don't have money and 2) I still spend like I do have money. Which leads to very stressful situations, or what I think of as dire situations. And I have to start thinking about getting a second job. Or planning my future.  Because anyone who knows me knows that I am not meant to live a poor life. Partly because I don't know how to say "no" to things that I want or go without what I need.

(And if anyone mentions a particular $450.00 ticket to Ohio... leave your argument at the door.)

The most recent problem came (not because of the aforementioned plane ticket) but because I had to pay first and last month's rent, on top of a deposit that was supposed to be paid by the girl I bought my contract from, and on top of all of that, rent that I didn't know I owed. Which depleted my savings. Completely.

So basically the money that I have been saving for months and months to go to London has been wiped out entirely. And what little I had left in my savings account has had to transfer over to cover basic bills. I am waiting for my deposit from the other apartment and the deposit from this girl - though I am doubting that she is really going to pay up.

So how do you turn $0 into money for a trip to New York, Scotland, Ohio and Ohio again and still afford groceries, bills, bills and more bills, gas money and frequent dining out.

You can't. And that's soooooooooooo depressing.