Had to Google It.

Daily writing prompt

Write about your approach to budgeting.

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I usually approach Budget online first to see what kind of cars they have to rent and what they charge. Sometimes I want luxury. Other times more utility.

Seriously. Since I earned my first paycheck at 18, I’ve never had a budget. I pay bills I owe. I spent most of the rest on nonsense that will never produce a ROI or retirement benefit.

I didn’t even know what a budget was until much later in life. I was taught to live paycheck to paycheck. Hell, for the first 10 years of adulting, I saw the money I had remaining right before the day I got paid as “extra”. I’d go buy something with all that extra loot.

Even back when checks were highly utilized, I never kept the balance booklet inside my check wallet. I just kept a rough estimate inside my head as to what remained after the checks cleared. It didn’t work too well at first, but I eventually got the hang of it.

Even all these years later, I keep an idea of what’s in my account and what my bills are -but do not maintain an active ledger. I did stop spending everything the day before payday -so there’s a positive.

Basically, I was never taught this life skill and by the time I figured it out, I had come up with my own coping mechanisms which I have no desire to alter at this point in my life. Retirement? Yeah, I don’t see me making that far down the road based on where I’ve come from.