I have been whining at DF that we need a filing cabinet. There are piles of paperwork on my desk and it annoyes me to put them back in archive boxes, only to get it all out again when I need something.

So a few weeks ago we went and looked at Officeworks, and I was put off by the price. $170 for a two-drawer one (with smooth flowing drawers - I am not going to pay money for crap) and $400 for a four-drawer one.

We decided to wait a while. DF went back this week and there was a four-drawer one on special for $200, which was a good quality one, and the last one in stock - and postbox red. Hmmm. I wasn't that keen on the colour, or the fact that it was 4 drawers either. It would mean we were paying an extra $30 for something we don't need anyway. Too big.

So I told DF not to buy it. Yesterday he called me and said he was in an op-shop, and there was a 2 drawer filing cabinet for $40. He bought it and now it's in our office!

How is that for a stroke of luck?!

There are two people in my life who are dear to me, who both live exactly the same way.

The first is my closest friend T, and the second is my mother.

They both smoke and drink heavily, and buy impulsively. They both have been/are bankrupt. And they both live paycheck to paycheck.

I admit there have been a few times where I have had to 'wait' until my next wage payment to buy something, or have had a feeling of relief when payday rolled around - but all those times, I have had money aside that I could use if I wanted to, I just chose not to.

There are many of you on this website who do live this way currently because of past choices, but are trying extremely hard to turn the cycle around, and many of you who have overcome this and no longer live this way.

I am worried about my friend as she is only 24 but I can see her staying the exact same way for the rest of her life - and turning out like my mother.

I guess I am wondering, how do you help someone who lives like this? How do you make them realise you don't have to live this way?
T does not seem to have a problem with it. When we meet for coffee on Wednesday, I cannot meet her before 3pm because her wages go in at 3pm. She cannot even afford a drink. I don't want to harp on it too much to her - but I am still unable to understand how she can think this is normal? And my mum too - but she has been like this her whole life, I can't try to help her any more than I already have. I guess I have kind of shifted my energy onto someone that might actually change. They are just so similar it scares me.

And they buy items that are totally unecesary. Atleast, to me I think that. Maybe, well, obviously, they are very much necesary to them. Like a sewing machine (to make curtains), or a surf board because suddenly T is interested in surfing lessons, and 'needs' a surfboard. They both have these obsessions that last about a month, spend a ton of money on and then aren't interested in them anymore.

And I think it's crazy.

Personally it would stress me out too much to live this way. I know it's not an 'ideal' situation, but aren't you meant to live like that temporarily? Aren't you meant to strive toward NOT being broke every payday?

I am very pleased with our efforts for November in regards to spending!

Even though DF's earnings have been considerably less for October and November, we FINALLY were able to put an extra payment into the mortgage!

Here are our totals:

Mortgage Payments: $1765.84
Groceries: $549.16
Petrol: $208.34
Phone & Internet: $77.20
Electricity: $564.80
House Insurance: $69.39
Life Insurance: $53.67
Personal Loan Payment: $221.35
Pet Supplies: $132.35
House Repairs/Maintenance: $49.95
Work Expenses: $382.79
DF Fun $: $154.30
My Fun $: $136.66
Clothes: $69.95
Dining Out: $33.90
Entertainment: $10.00
Misc: $93.44
Charity/Donations: $30.00
Bank Fees: $2.20
Health/Grooming: $82.95
TOTAL EXPENDITURE: $4688.24

Extra Mortgage Payment: $594.64
Added To Emergency Fund: $945.81

*Whew* I feel like we had a good month over all. Our personal expenditure is down a lot, and so is a lot of other categories. Groceries are higher, which I am going to work at over the next few months. I just need to figure out some cheap, healthy meals.

Next month any leftover money from my personal stash will go toward my personal loan.

Well, I am trying to keep my expenses to a minimum because I know that this weekend's spending will be quite high.
Yesterday, however, I spent $8.50 on lunch with a friend plus $3 on a drink at work. (usually my drinks at work cost 50c as we get cheap cans of coke for the staff - but we had run out! so i bought a can of mother for $3)
I used my free coffee card for a coffee, even though my friend was very adamant that she wanted to pay (I snuck in before her though). Normally I would let people pay if they insisted - but she is very generous, and unfortunately I know how much she earns and I feel really bad when she wants to pay for me. She is an apprentice, earning a third of what I do (for the same job!). Would anyone else feel this way? The reason I know how much she earns is because I have helped her with her budget. Am I being a bad person by not letting her pay for me?

Last week I transferred another $100 into my savings - so for the month of September I saved $200 more (in my home loan account) than my 'normal' automatic deductions.

Today I have to get petrol and a couple of grocery items. I need: chickpeas, coriander, yoghurt, cheese and some kind of dessert for BF.

Tonight for dinner we are having a chickpea and cauliflower curry I found in a recipe book.

And I haven't forgotten that Homebody asked for the recipe for the lentil dal I made last week - I will post it soon!