I wasn't able to see the apartment last night, but the manager is coming over tonight to show it to me. I don't mind, since it gave me a chance to come off my high (the kind of high that makes you think every problem in your life will be solved because OMG U HAZ NU KICHEN!), and sit down with a budget. I tentatively planned out the next four years, month by month, just to see this if is possible without living in a constant state of financial ruin. My main concern is the utilities bill, because there's really no way of accurately predicting how high it'll run in the winter (heat!) or the summer (air conditioner!). But I budgeted a fairly high amount each month, and even with that taking a chunk out of my salary, I'll still be able to pay the higher rent and all my bills, and have a bit left over to go into savings.

However, I'm still going to have significantly less each month for that savings account than before, which means if I want to do "extra" things like go to conventions or do any kind of traveling, I'm going to have to look elsewhere for the money. I know I can't rely on writing as a steady income, and expect "x" amount of money to come to me every month or even year. Yet at the same time, I think it's possible for me to expect to make an annual sale or two, if I start taking writing a bit more seriously. By seriously, I mean more along the lines of a true second job, not just something I cram into the spare hours of my day. It also means setting goals that go beyond "getting short work into market x", and gearing up to write novels on a regular basis. A better apartment and a real office should help - yes, I can write at my kitchen table or in my living room, but for me it's not the same as having a space that's dedicated solely to writing. Even when all my rooms are my own, I still need a room of my own - you know what I mean? Ok, wait, that made no sense at all. Time for more coffee.