I think I need to stop categorizing everything I do as “adult points” now, because really, I’m an adult. As much as I hate to admit it. And, I still have no idea what I can cash my adult points in for. I hope it’s something nice. Or brownies.
This past weekend, I had a decision to make, and I was a little overwhelmed. I had to figure out the solution to my car problem, which really, when it came down to it, was all about money. I can always afford to pay my bills and rent, but I narrowly scoot by each month. I have a growing pot of “just in case” or “fun” money from my part-time work with the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus, but I never put rules down on when I can dip into it. I just let it sit there, which is nice, but doesn’t necessarily help my current situation.
There were a few different options for me. Fix up Hank and run him further into the ground; costing me approximately $1,700 out of pocket, fix him up for cheap and trade him in, purchasing a new car, or, maybe lease instead. Once I screwed my head on straight, I finally made a decision.
It was a weird one to make. I didn’t know what the right choice was, and really, I’ll never be able to tell. Do I try to push a few more years out of Hank? What happens if I have another $1,000 payment on him? I can’t plan for that, but I can plan for a consistent car payment each month, even if it is a little pricey. I opted to lease a car, simply because payments to own would be financially irresponsible for me to take on. Even though I paid off Hank years ago, it seemed to be the best choice for me.
So, put a few adult points on the board for me after that one. Now, it’s a matter of striking up a deal with a car salesman, and signing the paperwork. Bye, Hank. I’ll miss you.
Of course, thinking about car payments all weekend made me anxious. I know I can take on this payment, but it makes things a little tighter. I then realized I needed another form of income; just something enough to cover my car payment, or maybe even my cable bill, too. So, I did something I hadn’t done since high school and applied to waitress at a local bar/grill.
You’re probably rolling your eyes; three jobs? Really? Well, kinda, yeah, I guess. But really, the work I do for the chorus is part time and on my own time, and waitressing would take up two nights a week, maximum. It gives me something to do, and a way to rack up my FitBit steps. Oh, and make some quick money, which I need.
So now I’m moving forward into the adult world on very unsteady footing, but forward nonetheless. We’ll see where it all takes me.