I want to ride a bus to Seattle on a regular basis to do some meetups.

[Metalhead]

Alas, the budgeting part for it may be a problem for a while. I just got the bills for my recent hospitalization. I applied for some financial aid, but this is still going to hurt my wallet a bit. Staying two nights in a hospital is expensive.

Of course, I could always stop buying movies and use that money for trips to meetups instead. Movie buying, and games buying, are addictions in themselves. I removed my cards from all of those marketplaces recently, which was a great start.

Of course, I can make this happen. I just have to tighten my fiscal belt a bit more. Stop buying expensive drinks at the grocery store such as those Liquid Death sparkling waters, for starters.

I really need to get out more and make more friends. Anybody here want to visit my house on a weekend and watch movies with me?

 

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"Shopping as therapy" is a truly disgusting phrase put out there by marketing companies and for people like yourself with an addictive personality (poor self discipline) it leaves you broke which makes you depressed. Some therapy huh!

You need to fight that addiction the same as you did your other. None of us are immune to this but most of us are able to talk sense to ourselves the majority of the time. I have a problem with wanting fast food all the time and argue with myself constantly over it.

Try to get some savings behind you, easier said than done but once you've got your first $1000 in the bank it begins to look like something worth doing. Once you have a couple of thou in the bank you have a decent "float" there, that will mean you never again feel the pinch when bills roll in.

This is even more important when you get older in the US, health problems become a more common issue.