Everything is fine as long as I stick to budget.

So it begins. For budgeting purposes, this is the start of the summer season, even though it doesn't really kick in until later in June. I budget from Wednesday to Tuesday each week.

I spent years trying to figure out how to handle cash flow. It was a hard term to understand--no one actually explained it to me in clear terms. One of the reasons I stopped reading any business books is because they couldn't describe the simplest things well, so I didn't trust them on the complex things either. Basically most "small" businesses they are describing aren't Mom and Pop stores, which have a different dynamic. 

Anyway, I used to be mystified by how I could be earning a profit every month and still have several weeks where I couldn't pay the bills. I mean, it seems clear to me now, but for some reason I couldn't figure out a way to handle it. Partly this was because we were mostly getting time sensitive material that I was ordering far in advance but had no control over when it would show up.

So things are easier these days; other than the weekly comics, which are a smaller part of the budget (instead of the biggest part of the budget,) and card games, (which come in big chunks), most of our product I can now order when we need it and can afford it. 

Every Tuesday, I figure out how whether the inflow covered the outflow and make adjustments. Seems simple now.  

My problem is that I always service the store above all other things. It's very difficult for me to let any holes develop in the inventory. Over the years, I've prioritized the health of the business. 

Since we're in our 44th year, this has probably been the right strategy overall, but it certainly can be very stressful in trying to juggle the other bills, including the money I pay myself. 

The last three years saw a tremendous surge in business. At first, it caught me by surprise, which was a good thing for once: it meant we were actually saving money. Unheard of! As the surge continued, I ramped up the spending to keep up. I got kind of spoiled in being able to order everything we needed and still saving money.

Things have started to revert to normal. There's a bit of a slowdown, which I expected. We're still far above where we were pre-Covid, but the time has come when I truly need to stick to budget.  

And I'm finding that a challenge. 

I just need to get back to being more careful again.