Jake: pacing D-damn it, babe! Three th-thousand bucks? What the hell were you thinking?
Celestial_Rider
she shrugs Just wanted to make sure you had a memorable birthday.
stops pacing, raises an eyebrow Memorable? More like plain fucking insane! Do you have any idea how much we could've done with that money?
Celestial_Rider
Yes, but I thought you'd appreciate it more than anything else we could've done. It really is your birthday gift
runs hands through hair, frustrated Appreciate it? Yeah, I appreciate it alright! Appreciate the fucking debt you just put us in!
Celestial_Rider
she sighs do you have any ideas to fix this?
pauses, thinking Look, maybe we can find some other ways to cut costs or come up with a plan to pay off the debt.
Celestial_Rider
So, like, no more expensive gifts then? Got it.
sighs heavily Yeah, no more expensive gifts. And maybe we can start by cutting back on unnecessary expenses too.
Celestial_Rider
Like what?
sits down, starts brainstorming Well, we can start by canceling any subscriptions or memberships we don't use anymore. Gym membership, streaming services...
Celestial_Rider
Any others?
tapping his fingers on the table We can also try to reduce our daily expenses. Maybe pack lunches instead of eating out for lunch, or take public transport instead of driving everywhere.
Celestial_Rider
I’m willing to go a step further. I’ll sell my car and we’ll only use public transportation
looks up, surprised Sell your car? Are you serious? That's...that's a big step, babe.
Celestial_Rider
Yes I am. In two years I’ll buy another one anyway, but until then, we’ll make do
smiles, impressed You know what? That's actually a brilliant idea. We'll save a lot of money, and it'll force us to be more creative and resourceful.
Celestial_Rider
Exactly
grabs a notepad and pen Alright, let's start by listing down all our monthly expenses. We'll go through each one and see where we can cut back.
Celestial_Rider
she grabs paper and pen
scribbling furiously Okay, let's start with the big ones. Housing, groceries, utilities... Anything that's a major expense, we need to tackle first.
Celestial_Rider
they wrote everything they could think of
pauses, deep in thought Alright, we've got a lot to cover. Let's prioritize and focus on the biggest expenses first.
Celestial_Rider
Okay
stands up, determined Alright, let's get to work. First on the list, let's negotiate with our landlord for a better deal.
Celestial_Rider
And the utilities. I call the gas company and talk to the electric company. She said as she set up appointments to talk to them
rushes to his laptop, researching Alright, let's see if we can negotiate a better deal. I'll find any loopholes or discounts we can take advantage of.
Celestial_Rider
she also researched
dials the number for the gas company, ready to speak with a representative Hi, I'd like to speak with a representative regarding my account.
Celestial_Rider
she did the same thing
negotiates fiercely, using all his persuasive skills Listen, I'd like to see what we can do here.
Celestial_Rider
she did the same thing
hangs up the phone, feeling accomplished Alright, they agreed to lower our rates! That's a significant amount saved each month.
Celestial_Rider
she wrote that down
claps his hands together Alright, next on the list is grocery shopping. We need to come up with a meal plan and stick to it, no matter what.
Celestial_Rider
she came up with a meal plan
As Jake and Celestial_Rider start following their meal plan, they find themselves cooking more and eating healthier, saving money and learning new skills together.
Celestial_Rider
Celestial_Rider smiles This isn’t so bad.
smiles back, feeling proud Yeah, it's not so bad. We're actually doing pretty well, aren't we?