Money, money, money

The first official doctor pay-check was deposited into our accounts last week, incredibly anti-climactic, it seemed smaller than I had imagined. Quite funny, they calculate pay assuming you have worked 67.5 hours in two weeks. I kept on staring at the pay slip trying to figure out why it said 67.5 hours. Do normal people actually work that many hours? Isn't that part time work? I work more than that in one week. Oh, I wish I was normal! (Yes, go ahead and laugh). The calculation per hour, something I really shouldn't have done, works out to just under $9/hour. Which I believe is just under minimum wage in BC. Tim Horton's here I come!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly complaining about it, this is a 900% improvement from the $1/hour you get as a final year medical student (minus tuition of course), but I imagined I might actually be able to get out the the red. BC's standards are just too high. Lets review my recent costs:

My rent has doubled.
My car insurance has doubled (screw you ICBC!)
My blueberry addiction is costing me $2.96/day.
My car (which was serviced in June in Alberta) needed an inspection to get registered ($152), the tail light was burnt out ($28), the front brake pads were the wrong size and worn out ($190), the brake wheel cylinders were cracked and leaking ($90), and my brake fluid needed flushed ($10, optional). Total $950.
Sushi obsession ($8/call shift).
My stethoscope was stolen ($238 + tax).
Skinny-little textbook on how to dictate obstetrics and gynecology surgeries ($121).
Fenders for my bike ($15).
Did I mention blueberries ($2.96 daily)?

Okay, this is getting boring, but you get the picture. I'm hemorrhaging money faster than Lenny Kravitz in a guitar shop. I can't believe I spent over $1000 today, just on a car and a book!

So I came up with a plan (of sorts), okay, its not even really a plan, just some random ideas all in succession that will help me get out of debt, brainstorming shall we say.

1) Get my budget-minded sister to assess my finances and make a plan when she comes to visit.
2) Sell my car (its just too pricey), and buy a road bike AND a macro lens for my camera.
3) Cancel #2 since it cancels out the money I would have gained by selling my car.
4) Get a sugar-daddy.
5) Start a drug dealing business with my newly acquired prescription writing skills and easy access to the down town East-side.

Fine, I give up. I'll just keep working, the rest of the world has to do it to survive, why shouldn't I? Ultimately, life's not really about the money, I wouldn't trade the blueberries for cheaper rent anyway.