The Upside of Fuzzy Budgeting

The hubster and I don't really budget. We should. We need to. But we don't. Our salaries keep changing, we have separate checking accounts, we both have direct deposit, and we don't always know what's going on in the money department. We're a bit vague about it all.

In the fall, we were both on reduced salaries (me because of sabbatical, him because of furlough), and that made things tough--especially since we didn't properly budget for the combined 30% salary reduction. We just felt kind of broke.

Well. A couple of weeks ago, I came home to this:

Hubs: Want to hear something exciting?
Me: Yes! Yes, I do!
Hubs: Well, I kept being amazed at how much less I was making each month, and then I just realized that the bank has been taking nearly double payments for my car since last fall.
Me: What? Really?
Hubs: Yes, and if they keep doing it, my car will be paid off in about six months.
Me: No. WAY.
Hubs: Totally!
Me: So you're saying that you actually make about $400 more a month than you thought you were making, and the car will be paid off a year sooner than we thought?
Hubs: Yes! Exactly!
Me: We're RICH!

It was kind of like finding $20 in his pockets while doing laundry, but way better.

So we allowed ourselves some room service and another nice family dinner while we were in LA, which is exactly why we aren't really rich and is further evidence that we should, in fact, make a detailed budget and stick to it.