The piece of pie I have never seems to be enough.

My appetite seems to grow with the more pie there is on the table.

And afterward, I feel like an unwelcome guest at the table did most of the eating, not my family.

Where did it all go?

I started living from paying cheques to paying cheques.

As hard as it gets, and as much as I want to do things differently, the “I deserve this”, demon chats away on my shoulder.

I heard a funny joke one time.

A preacher’s wife comes home with a new dress, and the preacher finds the price tag in the rubbish.

“This dress cost $300 dollars; what were you thinking?” The preacher asks.

“The devil made me do it,” the preacher’s wife replies.

“Didn’t you remember my sermon from the other week, that when the devil temps you, you say to him, ‘Get behind me satan.'”

“I did,” the preacher’s wife said, “and the devil said, “My, this looks very nice on you from back here as well.'”

We will always find a good reason to have the things that our eye has become attracted to.

But I don’t think this is boring.

I see debt as being like the boss at the end of a level in a video game—something to our smart, out-fighting.

While people are not my enemies, I see people in many places being used to try and defeat me, get my money, and rip me off, even while they do not know they are doing it.

I have had car salesmen act like this.

I have letters in the mail offering me loans for my business, up to $100,000. You have got to be kidding me.

It does not matter if it is an impulse purchase at the grocery shop or the truck lift kit.

You have to ask what has been programming me to think “getting that” is a good idea.

So here is the dirty word.

Budget.

Before you can budget, you have to know where the money has already been going.

Here is another dirty word.

Balance

Balance your chequebook.

I do think there are forces out there trying to get us too comfortable with credit and debit cards so they can then take away our cash. But I am going to use a debit card to my advantage.

All my money goes into my bank account.

I only carry $50.00 cash for emergencies.

All my spending is done from my debit card.

I put my spending into a spreadsheet so I know what I have been spending on.

This is work, and it can be very hard to see $50, $150 a week going out on coffee and lunch.

When I find a trip to the movies is getting close to $200, it gives me pause.

A final dirty word.

Plan