Being out of debt has been somewhat anticlimactic so far. I feel as if I enjoyed the feeling for less than a week before new, stupid financial burdens are back on my back.

I got pulled over by a cop yesterday for not having a current registration sticker. I haven't gotten the sticker yet, though I paid the registration fees before the due date. This same crappy scenario happened to me last year, and I had to go to the DMV to pick up the sticker. The DMV is a huge pain in the ass, as I'm sure you know.

Anyhow, the cop didn't feel like letting me go with just a fix-it citation. He gave my car a once-over and dropped two more citations on me. One is for not having a front license plate. The other one is for having only one working "rear-view mirror" while having tinted back windows. The right-side mirror would be considered a second working rear-view mirror if mine was working. I have no idea why the left-side mirror is not also considered a rear-view mirror.

I'd been waiting to get out of debt so that I could get a new laptop, and then get all the damages on my car fixed. But now I'll have to prioritize fixing the car, which I can only hope will be less than $1200. And I have no idea how much the citiations are going to cost me.

Well, unexpected expenses happen to everyone. I'm opting to continue living as if I still have a huge debt on my back, and put all the money that was once going to creditors into savings and/or investments... instead of buying a laptop and new clothing and planning trips to Hawaii and Europe right away. I think I'm actually more comfortable with the "I am poor and must pinch pennies" mentality than the "I am out of debt and can afford better" mentality at this time... ironically.