I Guess I Kinda Like a Good Fight

Found a new blog this week. She seems really determined and I'm looking forward to keeping up on her journey.

This comment is from my fellow blogger:

I'm wondering if maybe $12 is TOO strict? I mean, if you're going over because of unnecessary purchases, that's one thing. But if you're going over just to meet every day needs, maybe you should consider upping it to $15 a day, which would still only be $105 per week (if it is in your budget, of course). It seems as though your $12 per day (and I apologize, because I've just started reading) covers groceries, as well? Have you considered making a separate grocery budget and leaving yourself the $10-$12 per day as an allowance?

I'm going over to meet everyday purchases because of "only $3" here and only "$1 there" unnecessary purchases. If that makes any sense.

We don't have a huge income. It's not awful but in terms of debt to income ratio, or even just money coming in as opposed to money that must go out (housing, electric, gasoline, minimum CC payments, insurance, oh how the list goes on) we are pretty tight. $12 a day is what we can afford and still make some sort of a dent in the CCs. I could up it to $15. We've finally dug far enough out of the hole so that I could set aside some spending money for little luxuries. But I don't want to. We need to get out of debt. I'm not doing an excellent job but I am enjoying the challenge.

This line from your blog (22 months) I love!!!

Do I deserve a cup of Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee on my way to work every morning? Of course I do! But, I also deserve that house I'd love to own when I'm 30. And when I look at those two things side-by-side... no number of Iced Coffees (even Dunkin Donuts!) could bring me as much happiness as owning a home will.

I'm trying to live within my means and honestly as long as we have debt we can't afford anything. Every penny I spend is a penny that is technically owed to a creditor. I just don't want to spend their pennies any more. I want to get out of this hole and stand on my own two feet on solid ground and if that means denying myself (or at least learning how to deny myself) all the littly itty bitty extras, well that's what I'm going to do. Yeah, the $12 a day covers basically EVERYTHING but the way I look at it, I'm allowing myself $12 a day to spend on whatever I want (ideally stuff we need) and there are billions of people who've nothing, no money, maybe $12 a month. I can handle this challenge : )  I guess I kinda like a good fight.

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can...