September 15, 2016

Greetings My Friend I just finished looking at the bills, made a bill pay change and transferred money all on my own. I feel a routine starting and a handle on the money we have in our lives. I was not sure I wanted to go back to this but today I feel the old familiar comfort of being in control again. I am grateful for the years Junior did the bills, he has taught me to relax and even a few ways to pay bills better. I am grateful to be behind the wheel once more though. When I was growing up Mom let Dad pay the bills so he felt a sense of being needed after he had polio. When Dad died Mom took over and she managed to live within her income fairly well. The strange thing is Mom had a degree in accounting and ran the accounting area of a nursing home. Dad paid bills and was not as on top of their finances as Mom was. She said what I am thinking about Junior, if it were her she would never have gotten what Dad got us, like a home on her income, paying for her to go to college so they had a better life etc. On the other hand my mother in law never paid bills the whole time her husband was alive. When he died she could not get it as hard as her one son tried to teach her. I believe he wound up paying her bills until she died. I think I would have been happy not paying bills until I was forced to do so. Junior seemed to see that I needed to relearn how to once more make a budget and work with it. Junior has a spending problem and he needed to face that demon. I am thankful that Junior understands his struggle now because he will not feel like I am being a tightwad for the sake of it like he did when I did the bills before. We also learned through our re-married ministry that it is important for each of us to have money to blow. He gave us between 10 - 20 dollars a week. This is the money where no accountability is necessary. We also have a limit that we set if we spend beyond a certain amount we need to talk about the purchase. For now anyway Junior handed me all his cards including his debit card. I accepted them and I do not know how long I will keep his debit card, maybe until he wants it back, I am not sure. The nice thing about having a quiet rest time because it works out for me to look at the checking account and bills. God is wonderful and He will guide me in this endeavor as He has in everything else in my life. I will not panic as I once did. I have learned that God will always give me what I need so I will not be in want for basic things in life. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet