Mapgirl’s Fiscal Challenge

Did you guys ever play Fortunately/Unfortunately when you were a kid? This was an imaginative story exercise I did in first or second grade. I had a lot of fun and I still remember it. You start a sentence “Fortunately” or “Unfortunately” and then write something to move the story along. For instance, “I was walking along the woods when fortunately I found a pretty looking egg. Unfortunately, it was a dragon egg. But fortunately, my dad is a dragon trainer. Unfortunately my mom didn’t want me to have a dragon, etc.”

You get the idea. Well here’s a fortunately-unfortunately story for you.

Unfortunately, my computer died.
Fortunately, I was planning on buying a laptop anyway.
Unfortunately, I won’t be getting it for a few weeks.
Fortunately, I’m not too computer ignorant and can do some repairs.
Unfortunately, I don’t have backups.
Fortunately, I will be getting an external hard drive for free or cheap soon from a friend.
Unfortunately, I may not be able to retrieve all my data.
Fortunately, I don’t consider photos to be irreplaceable.
Unfortunately, this is going to take a bit of time.
Fortunately, I still have computer access by other means.
Unfortunately, I cannot always control when I can use it.
Fortunately, this is all a temporary condition.
Unfortunately, I am impatient and wish it would resolve sooner.
Fortunately, I am determined to get through this.
Unfortunately, I have to take my car into the dealer for a check up and I think I will be spending a lot of money.
Fortunately, I have stopped the 401k contribution so I have extra cash each month.
Unfortunately, the extra money is budgeted for something else.
Fortunately, I have an emergency fund CD expiring in December.
Unfortunately, that’s far away from now and I am not sure this is a true emergency because it’s maintenance.
Fortunately, I have been trying to save money by dining out less.
Unfortunately, I made extra chicken stock but have been lazy and let it spoil.
Fortunately, it doesn’t really mean anything to my grocery budget to lose it.
Unfortunately, I committed to going to a yarn show in NY next weekend.
Fortunately, I know I am not allowed to buy anything but food, gas and hotel.
And even more fortunately, my friends and I are cool with taking lots of snacks and drinks for the hotel.
Unfortunately, there will be a lot of temptation to buy neat things.
Fortunately, I am taking a green shawl project of handspun wool to remind me I don’t need anything.
Unfortunately, it’s the second time I have tried a shawl out of this yarn, and I still don’t like it.
Fortunately, it’s for me and it doesn’t matter.
Unfortunately, this trip means I won’t be going grocery shopping the next few days.
Fortunately, I have stocked my shelves with food.
Unfortunately, I will still need to buy lunches to round out meals.
Fortunately, I have coupons I can use to buy food at the new office location.
Unfortunately, that means my old punchcards are useless because we’re too far from our old location.
Fortunately, the new cafeteria still has food by the pound.
Unfortunately, I can eat a lot and they have a wide-variety of juices and soft drinks.
Fortunately, I am committed to bringing my own drinks from home right now.
Unfortunately, I am a sucker for Tropicana orange juice.
Fortunately, my team still keeps a fridge hidden under our desk and I can buy half gallons if I want them.

And on that upbeat note, I’ll end this post because as you can see, it could go on endlessly in a silly fashion.