I have this completely irrational habit of checking my banking app over and over again right before payday. As if somehow, between breakfast and lunch, a few extra dollars are going to magically appear. Deep down I know it won't happen, but apparently hope is stronger than logic.
The few days before payday always feel like a financial reality show. Suddenly I'm calculating every purchase I've made that week and wondering if buying an iced coffee was really the best decision. It's amazing how quickly twenty dollars starts feeling like a life changing amount of money.
Being an adult is funny because your relationship with money changes constantly. One minute you're feeling responsible for sticking to your budget, and the next you're staring at your grocery receipt wondering how you spent that much on things you actually needed.
Social media makes it look like everyone is constantly travelling, buying new clothes, and eating at trendy restaurants. Meanwhile, the rest of us are moving money between accounts and convincing ourselves that waiting until Friday is a personality trait.
The funny thing is that almost everyone has been there. We just don't talk about it very often. Financial stress has a way of making people feel like they're the only one refreshing their banking app every few hours.
Eventually payday arrives, and for one glorious afternoon, everything feels possible again. Then rent comes out, one unexpected bill appears, and the cycle quietly begins all over again.