The Money Tree

A few years ago I was heavily in debt and this was a constant source of stress for me, as it is for many people, of course. I spent $7 a month on caller id so I could see if the ringing phone was a friend or a bill collector. My student loans were adding up to about $700 a month, my rent was almost half my take home pay, my credit card debt was holding firm and never going down, because I could pay only the minimum amount, my car insurance was costing me more each month than my car payments because I was parking in a public lot in an "Urban" area, and I never had enough money. I was stressed opening the mail.

And then....I moved. I left the SLC, and got two months worth of unused vacation time paid to me. I was able to pay off my credit card. Then I consolidated my loans and started paying $140 a month instead of $700. Then my car was paid for and moving to a place with a driveway decreased my car insurance by an insane amount. And soon, even with the neary 20k pay cut I took when I moved I had more disposable income than ever before. I actually was able to take control over my money. And it has been incredibly freeing. And somewhere along the line something incredible started happening: whenever I needed more money, something would happen that would get me the money I needed. Bill would get a $250 tip. Someone would send us a gift of money. I would receive a long awaited travel reimbursement check. So now when I need money, I just sort of ask the universe for it. And it comes, in one way or another.

And it just happened again. I was stressing about our school taxes and was going to need to take money from savings to pay them. (It sucks to own two properties in september!!) At the last minute yesterday I decided against going to the bank to make the transfer. Instead I went to the Post Office. Where there was a package waiting for me filled with things for Eva (and for her cousin Amy, since some if it was too small.) And at the bottom of the package was a card. And in the card? Just about enough to cover the school tax. It was sent by a couple I have NEVER met, old friends of my mother-in-law.

It's not that I never had gifts or small windfalls before I got my financial house in order....it just was that everything was so confused and overdue that a few hundred bucks wouldn't really make a difference. But now, when money comes in, I know exactly where it should go for the most benefit.

So thanks, Universe and Mr and Mrs F. My ulcer has now shrunk back to normal size!

And also...I lost a pound and a half in the last week!