Money

In English literature, there is a long series of articles written by writers about how poorly they have managed money and so don't have it. Herewith is the latest example. John Scalzi, a man good with money, discussed this some time ago. It's not a new phenomenon. In the 19th century, Sir Walter Scott and Alexandre Dumas were both chronically strapped financially. In truth and as Scalzi notes, it's not just writers. "Broke aristocrat" was a stereotype, and just plain ole' broke people aren't uncommon.

I may not live in a glass house in this regard, but I've got a lot of windows. (I just recently paid down some credit card debt.) In thinking about money management, there are a lot of reasons people don't have money. Sometimes it's a case of bad decisions. I know one person who quit their day job to be a writer before they had published anything. In my case, and I suspect a lot of people, financial trouble comes on more subtly.

For example, I eat out for lunch at least five times a week, sometimes six. (Sunday I don't eat lunch.) My lunch bill is $10 - $15, so at an average of $12.50 / day, that's $62 a week or $3,250 a year. I eat out for dinner at least 3 times a week, at an average of $30 a night. That's $90 a week or $4,680. Total restaurant tab = $7,980. That's serious money, coming out of my pocket a drip at a time.

How do you spend your money?