The Value of a Dollar.

I think I'm learning it. For the past 2 months I've been...um, I don't wanna say...well I guess it IS right...UNEMPLOYED. TECHNICALLY I have a job, but I haven't been on the schedule for 2 months. Every time I call, they're apparently real slow, and only 5 or so managers are even on clock. Now, at first, I wasn't phased. Hey, I had Friday nights to myself! I got to hang out with my friends, watch TV, and spend my Friday, (with the exception of school), however I wanted. That was all fine and dandy of course, until Saturday came-Mall day. I mean, who doesn't like to go to the mall on Saturday, whether it be with friends, or (dare I say) with family? But a problem soon began to emerge-I was on the road to becoming broke. That didn't feel good to me after over a year of having a reliable source of money in my pocket, and it still doesn't feel good. Saturdays come and go, and find me with little to no money. How am I supposed to enjoy a trip to the mall like that? Exactly, I don't. Now it's pretty much window-shopping for me. I pass the displays in the stores and press my face up against the window with the longing of a child at Christmas time. It's not fun-at all. But I can say that some good things seem to be coming out of it. For one, I appreciate what I already have, more so then I did before. I mean, yeah, I do still want stuff, but I can say that I'm more thankful for what I have NOW. Another plus, (and probably the only other positive to come out of this situation) is that I'm learning the value of a dollar. When I was regularly employed with a steady income, I'd throw away dollars like it was NOTHING. Urban Outfitters? Let's go! New sneakers? Why not? But I'm not in that state of abundance now, and sometimes I look back on how I use to spend money and I get a little upset at myself for not treasuring it, or SAVING any of it. But in the words of Alicia Keys, "..I call it a lesson learned." Now I know how NOT to handle money. I know how to be contempt with my funds and how to manage them in a way that will efficiently stretch every dollar. So now I'm determined. I've been filling out job applications EVERYWHERE for the past two months, and I know that it's gonna pay off VERY SOON. I'm ready to re-enter the job force with more knowledge of how it works. Jobs aren't always guaranteed folks. So cherish what you do have now, and remember..MANAGE YOUR MONEY WISELY!