Graduating into adulthood... means you're broke.

I get paid every other Wednesday. It's a strange pay schedule, but I like that it's every two weeks – different from the 1st and 15th crapola I used to deal with.

Most people look forward to payday. I used to. Until I got a new (to me) car. And a car payment. And a new "real" car insurance policy (when you have a crap car you can have crap insurance). Now, I see an increasing amount of bills demolish my paycheck in less than 24 hours.

Today, for example, is payday. The first thing I do is hit the gas station. Fill 'er up. I land at work with the 90-calorie version of what amounts to a Gucci handbag to me (a skinny latte - I usually get an Americano, no calories and 1/3 the price). I plop down and pull out the bills, launch my browser and pick up the phone. I simultaneously schedule payments for my car on the Internet, pay my phone bill via cell phone, and make payments on my electric and cable bills on the land line. I check the autodrafts I already have set up for my car insurance and credit card payments.

Here's the part where I get nerdy. I open up an Excel template of my finances. I enter my direct deposit from work and the many, many payments I've just made, and factor in upcoming autodrafts that fall into this pay period.

I have $67.50. The same day I got paid.

The strange thing is the amount of relief and satisfaction I feel. It blows, but it feels good to know that all of my bills are caught up. And, while $67.50 ain't going to get me those new running shoes I so desperately need, it will get me groceries and one more tank of gas. And really, the next pay period is looking better. It always does.

So, what have I learned about budgets?

Autodraft, autodraft, autodraft.
Some people might tell you this is a bad idea because you can overdraft your account. I can see how that would happen, but the real danger for me is that I will put off what I can pay in advance to what I will try to pay late. And paying late is bad for your credit, which is my big concern these days.

Be a nerd. Use a spreadsheet.
My coworker showed me this archaic little piece of paper called a "check register." I stared at him blankly, blinked twice, and asked again, "A what?" I have online banking. Why do I need to keep a file on what my bank already posts online? While I can't fathom paper, my Excel spreadsheet keeps me from doing those lovely little calculations in my head where I inevitably find that I have just enough for whatever it is I'm trying to justify buying. It always turns out to be wishful math. By entering everything into my spreadsheet, I can see the payments that are scheduled or not yet posted, and I have a more accurate picture of what I have and haven't spent.

Give yourself a solid "extras" budget.
You ain't gonna rip me away from my coffee. Don't even try. It's not just the coffee; it's the café atmosphere. Call me conservative, but I don't feel right sitting in a café sipping on the free water. I know I'm going to Starbucks. It's gonna happen. So, I take $20 a month and put it on a pre-paid Starbucks card. Saying I'm only going to spend $20 this month doesn't work for me. I simply won't (or won't want to) remember that my coffee budget has dwindled. With the pre-paid option, I get a receipt every time I order a coffee that says how much is left on my card. So if it's halfway through the month and I only have $8 left then I know I only have four more trips left for the next two weeks and I need to spread them out. It works for me.

Trim the fat.
I spend so much time at work, cafés and friends' houses that I am rarely at my apartment. I sleep there. I shower and dress there. I store food there. So, someone tell me why I'm paying $80 a month for Internet and cable? Because god forbid I shouldn't get to listen to Headline News for 20 minutes while I'm getting ready for work, or be able to check weather.com to see if it's going to be cold or hot. This is no longer justifiable to me. Trimming the fat means weighing your priorities – how badly do I need Internet and basic cable versus how badly I need to pay off my car? The car wins. Fare-thee-well, ye bloodsucking communications company.

Accept the reality of your situation.
Hey, it sucks that my whole paycheck is gone the day I got it. But that's just how it is today. Wishing for things to be any way other than they are is only going to create suffering for me. I'm taking the steps I need to take to get what I deserve pay-wise, and I'm doing what I need to do to get my finances under control. Sucking it in a little tighter today will serve me well down the line when my good credit score and history will help me into a mortgage. It's worth it.