We have been given an assignment to make ourselves a budget. I’m working on it and I’m getting a bit sick.  I recognize the feeling as being the same one I get at income tax time, even when it’s not my job to file. Just the thought of having to come up with any given figure, or produce pieces of paper that prove I’ve earned something, or spent something starts a nervous reaction in my whole person. Headache, anxious stomach, inability to concentrate, irritability and dread hit me with a vengeance. 
To make a budget I have to figure out how much we earned and how much we spent over a period of time (I chose the last six months). I spent the last six hours going through bank statements, credit card statements, and pay stubs.  I put it all on a nice little spreadsheet. Unfortunately it shows that we spent more each month than we earned. How can this be? It’s very interesting. It’s very confusing. It’s very alarming.  My head hurts.