August is three-paycheck-month!

It's kind of like Christmas, although Christmas only comes once a year. So maybe it's a second and a third Christmas because it's exciting, you look forward to it, it falls on a different day each year and, if all goes right, you come out on top.

But this August marks for the second time this year (the first was March, I think) that I'll be received three modest direct deposits from my employer. There won't be any big hurrah, there's no advanced notice, but I'll be getting money on the 3rd, 17th and 31st.

This is all a mere by-product of having 52 weeks in the year, meaning you get 26 paychecks spread out over 12 months. But it feels like a bonus!

I budget. I have to - I don't make enough money to spend freely, without a care to where it goes. I live comfortably, sure (much more so than my first job out of college, for example). But, still, I got bills to pay and rent to make. So, each paycheck is allotted and divided, with little slices of the pay pie headed to different place (landlady, savings, dealer, rash ointment - you know, the usual).

But that budget only takes into account getting paid twice a month. Not THREE times. Whooo! So this means my pockes will overflow with cash and little ol' Mike is gonna have himself a reg-u-lar spending spree.

I've been eying, of course, the gorgeous iPhone. I could use some new shoes (well, maybe that's not a need, but I heart shoes). There are restaurants to visit, books to buy and concerts to attend!

Alas, there is also my credit card to pay off as well as savings to lay aside. You know, those stupid things that come with being an adult. Also, my car broke down yesterday, so in all likelihood, that's going to cost me, too. As if sitting by the side of the road for an hour on a 95-degree day in a metal box wasn't payment enough...

Whatever happened to the joyous days of being a kid where, when you got some extra money for a birthday, holiday, report card or not telling mommy about daddy's magazines? There were no bills to think about! No, there was only the difficult decision in the Toys R Us aisle of whether to buy a bunch of GI Joe men or blow all your loot in one go on a tank or a new base or whatever.

Getting old sucks. And it costs more.

But still, at least I'll get a little thrill from that extra deposit... before I send it off to pay down my debts.

I'm Mike and my card is American Express.