financially onward and upward

I paid bills this morning, and discovered that yes, Virginia, I really can pay off the credit card in six months and still be solvent. That's a very happy thing. I'm perfectly capable of wanting things and saying "no, I can't afford that" and not buying them until I can afford them. The fun part is that the "until I can afford them" period has been getting shorter.

I think that most of what I don't understand about The American Public and money is how it can spend money it hasn't got on things it truly doesn't need, when it knows it hasn't got the money and doesn't expect it's going to get it. And then it's shocked and dismayed when it has to pay for things anyway. (And no, I am not referring to the military budget. I'm referring to the public that goes out and buys the newest thing just because it's new, and then goes home and watches reality TV all night and sees a zillion commercials for a newer new thing and then goes out and buys that too.)

I have no idea what my credit score is. Moreover, I don't care what my credit score is. I care about being able to pay bills, and I do that.