Stuff Happens

There are so many cliches I could start with that I don't even know what to type.  Life works in mysterious ways.  Sh*t happens.  Best laid plans. . . .

None of us planned to be broke.  Nor do I think we "failed to plan" to be rich.  We all know what we're going to spend our money on, if only we had enough of it.  We are all planning on having enough of it.

But stuff happens.

Stuff.

I was a certain person, for 25 years of my life.  Good times, bad times, weird times, fun times.  I was a certain person.

When I started going in to debt, I saw myself doing it.  Clearly.  Every day I KNEW that whatever I was doing wasn't making it better and was, in fact, making it worse.  To this day I envision myself standing on a muddy hill and sliding backward with every step.  Only it was less funny at the time.   I won't get into all of what I was thinking today, but lets just say I thought I could somehow out-smart and out-work debt.  But things happened.  And no one is smarter then debt.

I've changed a lot, but maybe not all that much.  I still don't like emergency funds because I think "what could happen that would REALLY be an emergency?"  

Some part of me still thinks if I lost my job, I would "just go get another". . . despite jobless rates and news that the average span on unemployment has now stretched to a year.  Despite knowing personally multiple well-qualified and capable individuals who are not employed.  

I think if my car were to die, then we would be a one-car household for a while, as if that would put no strain on our lives. 

I laugh in the face of medical bills ~ Hit me with your best shot, I have seen it all before!   Even though I have learned that hard way that hospitals and doctors don't put off their bills because you are paying another bill.  They all hit you at the same time.

I look around this comfortable home and nice things, of which few are MINE, and I think if we break up, I would miss none of it. . .I've lived without it all before. 

So I don't like emergency funds, which is why I trick myself into saving for other things the way I do.  I might say I will never randomly need $1000 for anything, but I can save $1000 for a new wardrobe shopping spree and if something else happens to come up the money is there.

Every so often though, you hear something or you read something that reminds you just how absurd life is.

Like this article about a high school wrestling tournament in North Dakota  

Not to give away the ending, but the reigning champions were disqualified.
Why?
Because there was a raccoon on their bus during the trip there and it got away before it was tested for rabies.

Some contingencies just can't be planned for.   I think this week the pickle money is going into SAVINGS!