The thing about salaries...

It's funny going from inconsistent money to a salary. Although my salary isn't massive, the simple fact that there is regular amounts of money being placed in my bank account twice a month is incredible, especially for someone who has always worked either hourly or by contract. The temptations which, only a few months ago, I could avoid because I couldn't justifiably afford them, are now within my grasp, and it has taken me a few months to properly adapt to my newfound "wealth".

The pay schedule in most companies in Canada is really quite fantastic. We get paid twice per month, as opposed to monthly in the UK. This allows me to more effectively budget my finances: my rent comes out of one paycheque, my credit card bill from the other.

The issue is, though my base expenses are significantly lower than my monthly pay, I had two months of large required expenses (furniture and a plane ticket), and one month of splurges which I shouldn't really have done but I don't regret (a show ticket, sporty clothing, and a reunion). In theory, I should be able to put aside nearly $600 per month. In reality, I've been managing about $250. Because I have no debt to pay off, this all goes into a savings account with the highest rate of interest I can find.

Now, you might be a bit confused as to why I'm not using my newfound wealth to it's full extent. When I explain to people that I have a salary but not a car, that equation doesn't always compute.

But here's a question: What if I lose my job? What if I encounter a major expense which I need to cover? If I had a car, if I spent my full wage each month, the answers to these questions would be financial destitution. I am not prepared to put myself in that situation, especially since I can take measures to avoid it at this point.

And I'm glad I have. This past weekend, a small part of my dental work fell out, leaving a small but noticeable gap in my teeth. A friend reckons this will cost around $300 to fix. Four months ago, this would be an expense I couldn't cover. Now I can. And it won't make my day-to-day won't be adversely affected.