Money Matters

I finally had time to do our bills and balance the checkbook. I haven't done it in a little over a month because I just didn't have the time. This is one thing that I have to do without interruption. Sweet Cheeks is usually hanging around my legs and the other kids are constantly needing something so while they were at Bible school and Sweets was asleep I took the opportunity to get this horrible job accomplished. This is almost always assuredly a fight waiting to happen because once I see all the money that is being spent at gas stations and the like I freak out because we are on a very limited income and with the new car we have no extra. It wasn't as bad as it typically is so I didn't feel the need to tear into Mr Railroad this time lol. I am sure he'll get it next month :) We are officially in the red by 60 bucks this month. Sooo if Mr Railroad gets any overtime that would be great... we'll have to see what happens. Otherwise, we will have to pay the ones that are necessary and hold of on less important bills. I am so sick of living this way, but it seems no matter how much money we make we always tend to overspend. This is a really bad habit we started when we moved in together right after high school and have never seemed to be able to break. I have heard that you are to pay off the lowest bill first and work your way up to the biggest ones so that is what the plan is for now. I have a few really low credit card bills that we could get paid off and then not be in the red, but would at least break even. I try to avoid thinking about the bills because it greatly stresses me out and Mr Railroad just avoids them altogether (besides racking them up of course- isn't that supposed to be the woman's job!). I am hoping to be debt free by 2013 (except the new car). If we buy nothing else and control ourselves at Christmas we will have a pretty good chance. So off to the store I go for the necessities (I always say a prayer before I shop that I will control my urges and only buy the items that we are in great need off and try to remind myself that we have 5 kids that will need to go to college- they usually go something like this: 

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for your many blessings upon our lives. Please help us to remember how blessed we are and how much you care for us as we go about our everyday lives. Let us use that knowledge to praise you and to do the things in our lives that will reflect your light. Please give me the wisdom that I so desparately need to use our money in the best way that I know how. Watch over my children and bless them and help me to be the best parent that I can. Thank you, again! In Jesus Precious name, Amen

He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a broken down city without a wall. Proverbs 25:28