Lately, I’ve been experiencing what I have now dubbed as “The Money Chase.”  I wish I literally meant that someone had a sack of money for me, and all I had to do was chase after it a little (wait, I might have just invented the best reason to work out ever).  But no.

The Money Chase for me represents a cycle.  I make $50 doing something. I feel good about bringing money into the house.  I mentally high-five myself for my efforts. Twenty minutes later the universe takes note of my new found “wealth.” BAM—I promptly crack a tooth and look at a couple hundred dollars in dental work. So, now I need to make more money. I bring in another $50 doing something else. Before the check is even cashed, a new, unanticipated bill arrives. And the cycle of the unexpected obligation finding my newly earned money continues.

It feels impossible to get ahead of the universe’s entertainment, and it seems to be a particularly vicious chase when I’ve made some sort of “I’ve got to save money” declaration. I have no immediate answers for how to fix this problem. Obviously, I’m not going to stop earning money. I’m not even going to stop hoping for a big lottery win (though I shudder to think what the universe would come up with then).

Whether it’s following the $5 savings plan, or making sure those pennies get turned back into the bank, I have to keep trying. I just have to hope that the universe will need to rest a bit before picking up the chase.