Alrighty. Got home last night to find out that C had left his wallet at work. Joy.
That means groceries are on me - and I've officially spent more than what was budgeted. How much more you ask? $68.89 more than was budgeted. Yep that's right folks, over budget. I'm really disappointed by this. Really disappointed.
I'll post about my accounts on the weekend - have class tonight, curling starts tomorrow and then it's Friday.
I still have a week and a day on this first attempt at the new budget so there will be some serious analysis on the weekend about everything. Especially since I've not even budgeted for the Laundry yet! And C and I will have to have that discussion about the financial stuff again. Seems one of us is on one page and the other hasn't bothered to open the book since the last time we talked. This laundry thing is going to be interesting. I"ll update again after I've figured everything out with C.
A little vent....
See here's the thing, at the beginning of the month, he paid for the first shop at our new place, as well as the electrical things we fixed ourselves. Two days later I paid him back my half of each of those bills to the tune of $300. So there is no way he can say I paid for it all. And yet, last night i get, "Well I paid for the first big one, so you can take care of the rest for a while." Ah. and here is the issue. I paid him back - what he does with that money is his issue, not mine. But I've also paid for every grocery bill after that, alone. Yes we are keeping score, I suppose. but that's because I have a budget I want to stick to and he, so far, has not respected that. We are also keeping score because he has a propensity to assume I"ll take on a mothering role for him now that we are not at his mothers house. He prefers - strongly - to have me deal with the finances, the cleaning, the household duties, the reminding him of things he needs for work the next day, the laundry, etc. I, on the other hand, have told him repeatedly that I am not his mother, I am his girlfriend and I do not do his laundry for him, I do not clean up after him, I will not be the only one who knows about his finances, I do not interfere with his work stuff - because i am not employed to do so. So if he hasn't any clean clothes for work, forgets what he does everyday and can't fill in his time card properly, and decides to leave his clothes all over the house causing a mess, that is not my problem - except that I deal with it by listening to him bang and crash about the place because he is pissy that I didn't step in and take care of it for him and that he forgot about the stuff.
Anyways, there seems to a lot on my mind that we'll have to talk about this weekend.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A Storm brewing
Well today i managed to only spend on the chiro appointment, so that finishes off the medical budget for the month. it was definitely needed - I was feeling pain in the back of one shoulder - the chiro confirmed that I had a bit of a "stick" back there, small manipulation and *knock* it's back in place. Relief!
Today though is going to be interesting. A few days ago I posted a blog containing the shopping perils with C. So I said to him last night (so I could make sure to have a no-spend day today), I'd like to go grocery shopping tonight, would you like to come? He mumbles something about being tired and wanting to enjoy his first nearly-on-time evening in 3 months and asks if we can go tonight. I'm like fine whatever, all the while thinking yep if we go tonight you are getting it all buddy because I am having a no-spend day! The trouble is, when we go shopping together, he wants to wander all the inside aisles full of their sugary, fatty processed items that we really don't need to eat. He also buys everything from one place even though a second store (we had to drive buy) has half of the items we need on sale for a much better price. In case you are wondering it drives me nuts that he spends needless money on items we can get for a better price at a place we drive by anyways.
The storm that is brewing will be the battle I have with myself to not get incredibly agitated at C while shopping tonight. I find it difficult because I'm one of those, shop with a list, get in and get out type of people. Otherwise I get too tempted to pick up things I don't need to put in/on my body because they truly don't do a body good. The other reason all this bothers me, is that we sat down and did budgets for each of us, so I know that he doesn't have a lot of extra money outside of the regular fixed costs and variables we've planned for, yet he seems to think he's got tons and tons of money. This also drives me nuts because he's the one who squawked so bad about having to get an apartment instead of a house, and yet he doesn't even have "save for a house" anywhere on his priority list. There is the new computer because his is too slow for his game, there's the new tools we have no-where to store but he "needs" and by "needs" I mean wants but won't use but for one job a year, and there's the tires for his truck he needs, but is upset because he definitely needs them today, and now he can't get his computer just yet and that gets him all upset and angry, and I'm sitting here going WTF!
You NEED tires on your truck - yours can't even hold air anymore, and you are more upset because you can't get your computer right now. His priorities and his actions aren't speaking the same language. and he wonders why I get upset, tune out when he talks and don't have any real comments to say. Every time I say something about the order his priorities are in he freaks because I'm pointing out the important things before the toys. GRRR - yes storm is definitely brewing!
Point is, it'll be interesting this evening if we even get out, and then where we get too.
It's coming up to the last week on the jar budget. The weekend blew a hole into things that I was neglectful in budgeting, but the free services from Roger's and that fact that so far I've only owed them $2.50 will come in handy to take care of it all. It'll be interesting to see how this all works out in the wash. I also have now come to understand that C will do whatever he can to derail the plan because of his lack of following the spoken actions and leaving me to clean up the mess.
Apparently it's time to have a talk about this stuff again. I'm getting frustrated, and he jut doesn't seem to have the same priorities as me. Good thing we only got an apartment together. If this were a house I'd be having major MAJOR issues by now.
Today though is going to be interesting. A few days ago I posted a blog containing the shopping perils with C. So I said to him last night (so I could make sure to have a no-spend day today), I'd like to go grocery shopping tonight, would you like to come? He mumbles something about being tired and wanting to enjoy his first nearly-on-time evening in 3 months and asks if we can go tonight. I'm like fine whatever, all the while thinking yep if we go tonight you are getting it all buddy because I am having a no-spend day! The trouble is, when we go shopping together, he wants to wander all the inside aisles full of their sugary, fatty processed items that we really don't need to eat. He also buys everything from one place even though a second store (we had to drive buy) has half of the items we need on sale for a much better price. In case you are wondering it drives me nuts that he spends needless money on items we can get for a better price at a place we drive by anyways.
The storm that is brewing will be the battle I have with myself to not get incredibly agitated at C while shopping tonight. I find it difficult because I'm one of those, shop with a list, get in and get out type of people. Otherwise I get too tempted to pick up things I don't need to put in/on my body because they truly don't do a body good. The other reason all this bothers me, is that we sat down and did budgets for each of us, so I know that he doesn't have a lot of extra money outside of the regular fixed costs and variables we've planned for, yet he seems to think he's got tons and tons of money. This also drives me nuts because he's the one who squawked so bad about having to get an apartment instead of a house, and yet he doesn't even have "save for a house" anywhere on his priority list. There is the new computer because his is too slow for his game, there's the new tools we have no-where to store but he "needs" and by "needs" I mean wants but won't use but for one job a year, and there's the tires for his truck he needs, but is upset because he definitely needs them today, and now he can't get his computer just yet and that gets him all upset and angry, and I'm sitting here going WTF!
You NEED tires on your truck - yours can't even hold air anymore, and you are more upset because you can't get your computer right now. His priorities and his actions aren't speaking the same language. and he wonders why I get upset, tune out when he talks and don't have any real comments to say. Every time I say something about the order his priorities are in he freaks because I'm pointing out the important things before the toys. GRRR - yes storm is definitely brewing!
Point is, it'll be interesting this evening if we even get out, and then where we get too.
It's coming up to the last week on the jar budget. The weekend blew a hole into things that I was neglectful in budgeting, but the free services from Roger's and that fact that so far I've only owed them $2.50 will come in handy to take care of it all. It'll be interesting to see how this all works out in the wash. I also have now come to understand that C will do whatever he can to derail the plan because of his lack of following the spoken actions and leaving me to clean up the mess.
Apparently it's time to have a talk about this stuff again. I'm getting frustrated, and he jut doesn't seem to have the same priorities as me. Good thing we only got an apartment together. If this were a house I'd be having major MAJOR issues by now.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A Recap of the weekend
So - I think somewhere I've gone over in a couple of categories - but I was too tired yesterday to sit down and figure out which ones. The venue for the wedding was gorgeous. The bride looked elegant and seeing all my friends again was awesome!
The hotel cost us $93.50 with taxes for the evening - no cab required - the venue was someone's house so I didn't drink after all - no biggie. It cost me $13 for wrapping, decorations, and card for the bride and groom, breakfast on Saturday and Sunday were $13 a piece. Chris covered half of the hotel and filled my car up with gas, so I saved a bit there. I think that's all the costs from the weekend. Both days were spend days.
Spent Sunday driving home and picking up the computer from his mother's place. Then spent the afternoon on the couch with a kleenex box while my allergies ran rampant. Today will be another spend day - I'm going the chiropractor's tonight to hopefully fix the tweak behind my shoulder - it's really starting to hurt!
Nothing really huge, and feeling too foggy to think of what I really wanted to post about. It'll come back I guess.
The hotel cost us $93.50 with taxes for the evening - no cab required - the venue was someone's house so I didn't drink after all - no biggie. It cost me $13 for wrapping, decorations, and card for the bride and groom, breakfast on Saturday and Sunday were $13 a piece. Chris covered half of the hotel and filled my car up with gas, so I saved a bit there. I think that's all the costs from the weekend. Both days were spend days.
Spent Sunday driving home and picking up the computer from his mother's place. Then spent the afternoon on the couch with a kleenex box while my allergies ran rampant. Today will be another spend day - I'm going the chiropractor's tonight to hopefully fix the tweak behind my shoulder - it's really starting to hurt!
Nothing really huge, and feeling too foggy to think of what I really wanted to post about. It'll come back I guess.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Happy Saturday!
Happy Saturday! I write this while I wait for the shower. Yesterday was a no-spend day (that's 6 so far!). Today will definitely be a spend day - I have some kind of wrapping material to find, a card to get (I have one someone where but in this move I still haven't unearthed it.) WE are also travelling to the beautiful town (city?) of Aurora, ON for a wedding this afternoon. IT WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY!
Just a quick update as I'm proud of the no-spend day. I still have my entertainment budget to use (which I'm sure will take a dent today) and I have some money that I don't have to give to Roger's this month that I'll use to pay for the hotel, so I don't kill my bank account. And I'm sure C will do the man thing and take care of the bar costs here. Goal today is to actually get drunk. I say actually because I usually stop after two - I'm not really into the alcohol anymore, either as a social thing or a party thing, but that's his goal since it's been over three years and he and I have yet to try drinking together. Surrounded by almost all of my best friends in the world today may help that situation, but I"m a compassionate person, so the bride and at least one wife are pregnant. I can see myself baling ont he goal. We'll see!
Anyways, enjoy your Saturday everyone! Try to see if you can go the whole day without eating out, using your credit card or spending money.
Just a quick update as I'm proud of the no-spend day. I still have my entertainment budget to use (which I'm sure will take a dent today) and I have some money that I don't have to give to Roger's this month that I'll use to pay for the hotel, so I don't kill my bank account. And I'm sure C will do the man thing and take care of the bar costs here. Goal today is to actually get drunk. I say actually because I usually stop after two - I'm not really into the alcohol anymore, either as a social thing or a party thing, but that's his goal since it's been over three years and he and I have yet to try drinking together. Surrounded by almost all of my best friends in the world today may help that situation, but I"m a compassionate person, so the bride and at least one wife are pregnant. I can see myself baling ont he goal. We'll see!
Anyways, enjoy your Saturday everyone! Try to see if you can go the whole day without eating out, using your credit card or spending money.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The behind the scenes stuff for my budget.
A few of you have commented on such things as my interesting - and yes sad I suppose - excitement for payday and how I've set up my budgets.
I'll begin by addressing the fact that I believe there are more of us out there on the Personal Finance journey who get excited for pay day because it's a step closer to being where we want to be financially. Whether that's the little rush of relief and excitement knowing our bills are paid and we can forget them for another month. Whether that is because we can make a large payment to our creditor of choice and be happy t hat we won't be missing the payment deadline or having to speak to them this month. or whether that is because it means we can pay bills and allocate money to our spending jars so we know what we can spend on life items for the month, we are happy people on pay day! Some of us even count the number of pays it will take to have creditor A gone from our debt! (I think I'm into something like 45 pay days until I'm done with my debt!! But I'll check and get back to you!)
As for my jars...
The system that I used to determine what I needed for jar money was this:
Total income for the month: $2969
Subtract Fixed Non-Negotiable Expenses:
Car Insurance
Life Insurance
Critical Illness/Life Insurance
Savings
RRSP contribution
DEBT (minimum payment rounded to the nearest hundred and doubled - ish)
RENT
Subtotal of Remaining Money = $901.39
Subtract Variable Expenses:
Cable/Phone/Internet Bundle
Cell Phone
Subtotal of Remaining Money = $701.39
Food $225.00
Transportation $180.00
Entertainment $58.50
On-line Game $12
Clothing & Gifts $45.00
Medical $125.00
Other $22.50
Money remaining = $33.39
Keep in mind I have made a deal with C that he covers the Tenant Insurance since it's through his insurance company, and I pay the Bundle package. We decided this because he is prone to changing the bundle package to suit his laziness - like getting call waiting we don't need (I can only talk to one person at a time and don't need to be bothered by beeps - he doesn't talk on the phone but once a month usually), or getting a faster internet download/upload speed so his online game can have better and faster graphics. I consider this an unnecessary expense so I pay, it's in my name, he's not on the account and that way I'm not worried about it. Also his track record with making bill payments on time, while is getting better, has never been great. I dislike strongly (bordering hate) creditors calling looking for money so this works for us. And I don't want anything to happen to my credit rating. It's going up steadily and I won't have him ruining it. WE are both listed on the tenant insurance but it's an automatic withdrawl that he looks for each month before determining how much he can spend on whatever.
The money in my jars is MY spending and has nothing to do with him. $225 is my contribution to the food purchased each month - anything outside of that is his responsibility. We are working to get him looking at sale flyers and price tickets in the stores so he's truly getting the biggest bang for his buck. We are working on shopping with a list so he doesn't come home hundreds in the hole because he wanted chips and chocolate and salty snacks that he wouldn't normally eat, and because he went to the most expensive grocery store because he likes the way it looks.
My company has a reimbursement plan for our medical up to $1500 for the year, so I pay up front and then give me back most of the money. At least if I budget it in, I can make sure my account isn't dipping below the black line while I wait for the return check. At the end of the year, whatever extra I have here will probably get put on the debt, used for Christmas savings or a wedding that's appeared. it's like having a reverse Emergency fund each year. The trouble with this year is that I got very ill earlier so i've just about finished the allowed amount from the company, so it'll be a bit squewed this year. Ah well.
So that's how I break down my jars. I already knew how much I spend on average in a month on gas ($40 per trip, 4 trips per month) Then I added $20 extra for repairs and what not, so I start the planned spending portion of things so when it comes time for an oil change I have the money in cash ready and it's not going to cost me a bunch. I purchased winter tires last year, and had a major repair done back in July, so I don't anticipate too much more than the maintenance package the next time I go in. I get them done every 5,000 km as recommended by my manual. I need two months of "extra" to cover it where I go.
The last thing I have to let you in on, is that my phone bill was $2.50 this month. I have negotiated 3 months free from Rogers for all of our services. The money I owed them was for a long distance plan they tacked onto the phone portion so I could make long distance calls for next to nothing for those 3 months. The plan is $2 per month for a bunch of minutes, so with taxes it came out to $2.49. I always round up to the nearest zero. In this case that was $2.50.
For example, my cellphone bill this month was $34.37. I paid them $35 - nearest whole zero's. Roger's was the first time I didn't round to $3, since I get two more months of free, one penny extra was all I was willing to go.
Keep in mind that I'm still waiting to see if they even send me a bill for the other services I have, just to establish the billing prices and what not. And the $165 I have budgeted for this bundle, I will be moving to a planned spending jar for the future, so when that first bill comes in and there are extra activation charges - even though I shouldn't have to pay - that was also negotiated away - I'm not caught scrabbling and breaking the bank or my emergency savings money. and hey, if at the end of the year when I get my first bill I haven't spent that money, it'll go to Christmas presents or debt repayment =)
Gotta love that!!
So - some of you may be asking, what are you doing with the extra money in your jars at the end of the month (if there is any)? Well, since i like the term snowflakes - coined by Shaking the Money Tree, one of the bloggers i follow. I'll collect it all as an emergency fund for now, and twice a year if nothing is coming up or has come up that has required it's use (i.e. weddings or babies) snowflakes onto my debt they are! I really like the term snowflakes, as they are precious and interesting, calming and tranquill, and make me want to snuggle into the couch with a hot chocolate, great book and the comfiest pj's I own! And hey - why not put it towards that astronomical total over there ---------------------------------------------->
it's less I owe in the long run!!
anyone else have any questions about anything?
Also - a few things for those voyeurs out there! I'm working on a No-spend challenge of my own (thanks Saving4Later!), and after reading about Suze, let's see how this goes:
Everyone try these three things:
1. Spend NO money for one day
2. Spend nothing on your credit card for one week
3. Do not eat out for one month.
The first one I've done so far 5 times this month.
The second one I'm doing on a regular basis (except for this month - I've gone months without spending on those cards. I have to I"m in a huge debt!!)
The third one will be an interesting challenge to take on. Especially since C and I usually do this a couple of times a month, and I probably eat out every WEdnesday - with school and what not.
I'm going to take a look at everything for October and set out to accomplish it that month.
I'd love to hear how this goes for any of you out there!
I'll begin by addressing the fact that I believe there are more of us out there on the Personal Finance journey who get excited for pay day because it's a step closer to being where we want to be financially. Whether that's the little rush of relief and excitement knowing our bills are paid and we can forget them for another month. Whether that is because we can make a large payment to our creditor of choice and be happy t hat we won't be missing the payment deadline or having to speak to them this month. or whether that is because it means we can pay bills and allocate money to our spending jars so we know what we can spend on life items for the month, we are happy people on pay day! Some of us even count the number of pays it will take to have creditor A gone from our debt! (I think I'm into something like 45 pay days until I'm done with my debt!! But I'll check and get back to you!)
As for my jars...
The system that I used to determine what I needed for jar money was this:
Total income for the month: $2969
Subtract Fixed Non-Negotiable Expenses:
Car Insurance
Life Insurance
Critical Illness/Life Insurance
Savings
RRSP contribution
DEBT (minimum payment rounded to the nearest hundred and doubled - ish)
RENT
Subtotal of Remaining Money = $901.39
Subtract Variable Expenses:
Cable/Phone/Internet Bundle
Cell Phone
Subtotal of Remaining Money = $701.39
Food $225.00
Transportation $180.00
Entertainment $58.50
On-line Game $12
Clothing & Gifts $45.00
Medical $125.00
Other $22.50
Money remaining = $33.39
Keep in mind I have made a deal with C that he covers the Tenant Insurance since it's through his insurance company, and I pay the Bundle package. We decided this because he is prone to changing the bundle package to suit his laziness - like getting call waiting we don't need (I can only talk to one person at a time and don't need to be bothered by beeps - he doesn't talk on the phone but once a month usually), or getting a faster internet download/upload speed so his online game can have better and faster graphics. I consider this an unnecessary expense so I pay, it's in my name, he's not on the account and that way I'm not worried about it. Also his track record with making bill payments on time, while is getting better, has never been great. I dislike strongly (bordering hate) creditors calling looking for money so this works for us. And I don't want anything to happen to my credit rating. It's going up steadily and I won't have him ruining it. WE are both listed on the tenant insurance but it's an automatic withdrawl that he looks for each month before determining how much he can spend on whatever.
The money in my jars is MY spending and has nothing to do with him. $225 is my contribution to the food purchased each month - anything outside of that is his responsibility. We are working to get him looking at sale flyers and price tickets in the stores so he's truly getting the biggest bang for his buck. We are working on shopping with a list so he doesn't come home hundreds in the hole because he wanted chips and chocolate and salty snacks that he wouldn't normally eat, and because he went to the most expensive grocery store because he likes the way it looks.
My company has a reimbursement plan for our medical up to $1500 for the year, so I pay up front and then give me back most of the money. At least if I budget it in, I can make sure my account isn't dipping below the black line while I wait for the return check. At the end of the year, whatever extra I have here will probably get put on the debt, used for Christmas savings or a wedding that's appeared. it's like having a reverse Emergency fund each year. The trouble with this year is that I got very ill earlier so i've just about finished the allowed amount from the company, so it'll be a bit squewed this year. Ah well.
So that's how I break down my jars. I already knew how much I spend on average in a month on gas ($40 per trip, 4 trips per month) Then I added $20 extra for repairs and what not, so I start the planned spending portion of things so when it comes time for an oil change I have the money in cash ready and it's not going to cost me a bunch. I purchased winter tires last year, and had a major repair done back in July, so I don't anticipate too much more than the maintenance package the next time I go in. I get them done every 5,000 km as recommended by my manual. I need two months of "extra" to cover it where I go.
The last thing I have to let you in on, is that my phone bill was $2.50 this month. I have negotiated 3 months free from Rogers for all of our services. The money I owed them was for a long distance plan they tacked onto the phone portion so I could make long distance calls for next to nothing for those 3 months. The plan is $2 per month for a bunch of minutes, so with taxes it came out to $2.49. I always round up to the nearest zero. In this case that was $2.50.
For example, my cellphone bill this month was $34.37. I paid them $35 - nearest whole zero's. Roger's was the first time I didn't round to $3, since I get two more months of free, one penny extra was all I was willing to go.
Keep in mind that I'm still waiting to see if they even send me a bill for the other services I have, just to establish the billing prices and what not. And the $165 I have budgeted for this bundle, I will be moving to a planned spending jar for the future, so when that first bill comes in and there are extra activation charges - even though I shouldn't have to pay - that was also negotiated away - I'm not caught scrabbling and breaking the bank or my emergency savings money. and hey, if at the end of the year when I get my first bill I haven't spent that money, it'll go to Christmas presents or debt repayment =)
Gotta love that!!
So - some of you may be asking, what are you doing with the extra money in your jars at the end of the month (if there is any)? Well, since i like the term snowflakes - coined by Shaking the Money Tree, one of the bloggers i follow. I'll collect it all as an emergency fund for now, and twice a year if nothing is coming up or has come up that has required it's use (i.e. weddings or babies) snowflakes onto my debt they are! I really like the term snowflakes, as they are precious and interesting, calming and tranquill, and make me want to snuggle into the couch with a hot chocolate, great book and the comfiest pj's I own! And hey - why not put it towards that astronomical total over there ---------------------------------------------->
it's less I owe in the long run!!
anyone else have any questions about anything?
Also - a few things for those voyeurs out there! I'm working on a No-spend challenge of my own (thanks Saving4Later!), and after reading about Suze, let's see how this goes:
Everyone try these three things:
1. Spend NO money for one day
2. Spend nothing on your credit card for one week
3. Do not eat out for one month.
The first one I've done so far 5 times this month.
The second one I'm doing on a regular basis (except for this month - I've gone months without spending on those cards. I have to I"m in a huge debt!!)
The third one will be an interesting challenge to take on. Especially since C and I usually do this a couple of times a month, and I probably eat out every WEdnesday - with school and what not.
I'm going to take a look at everything for October and set out to accomplish it that month.
I'd love to hear how this goes for any of you out there!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ahhhh Pay Day!
Today is payday. I love payday - but not for the obvious reasons. I love payday because it means that jar money is available, a debt payment gets made, and bills get paid! I love payday not because I get the money but because I can give it to the people I owe and feel good that I've taken care of business.
Today was a spend day - and since I had class last night and was moving offices all day I didn't get a chance to update about yesterday either - which was a spend day, but I had not set out for it to be.
Yesterday's recap - Had a chili meal from T's for lunch - experiencing a headache all day that i didn't want to turn into a migraine, so I was eating and drinking more than usual. I think I strained something that caused it, but the eating and drinking frequently really helped me get through the day. the only time the headache went away was when I was eating. Weird ( and no there is no way I am pregnant.) I also had a Wendy's Number 2 combo on the way to class last night, then was fortunate enough to have a great friend who made a lovely chicken and mashed potato and fresh garden salad plate for me to eat with her and her husband upon arrival. Truly I have the best friends! And I spent about $37 on gas as well. So all in all about $48 spent yesterday.
Today, I've spent $500 on my debt, $2.50 on my Roger's telephone bill, and $35 on my Telus bill.
I've also taken out the rest of the money for the jars to get me through until Oct. 8. $154.60. Oh, and $49 on a gift for the wedding we are going to this weekend. I already had the rest - and I've overspent on the Clothing and Gifts allowance for this month. I neglected to budget in the wedding for the month so that's my bad.
Today was a spend day - and since I had class last night and was moving offices all day I didn't get a chance to update about yesterday either - which was a spend day, but I had not set out for it to be.
Yesterday's recap - Had a chili meal from T's for lunch - experiencing a headache all day that i didn't want to turn into a migraine, so I was eating and drinking more than usual. I think I strained something that caused it, but the eating and drinking frequently really helped me get through the day. the only time the headache went away was when I was eating. Weird ( and no there is no way I am pregnant.) I also had a Wendy's Number 2 combo on the way to class last night, then was fortunate enough to have a great friend who made a lovely chicken and mashed potato and fresh garden salad plate for me to eat with her and her husband upon arrival. Truly I have the best friends! And I spent about $37 on gas as well. So all in all about $48 spent yesterday.
Today, I've spent $500 on my debt, $2.50 on my Roger's telephone bill, and $35 on my Telus bill.
I've also taken out the rest of the money for the jars to get me through until Oct. 8. $154.60. Oh, and $49 on a gift for the wedding we are going to this weekend. I already had the rest - and I've overspent on the Clothing and Gifts allowance for this month. I neglected to budget in the wedding for the month so that's my bad.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
An Introspective look at 3 Leading Ladies of Finance
Today I got through the whole day without spending anything. There is no money in my wallet because I'm working on the Jar system by Gail. (Gosh it's time i learned how to add the links here!)
Today at my Gail Club Meeting our second installment of a Study of financial Faces occurred. It was my turn, and I discussed the advice by Gail, Suze Orman and Patricia Lovett-Reid. It was very interesting to go through books by these three ladies and turn out a comprehensive comparison. Each woman has a different money related background, and different spin on advice. Patricia is very much driven by TD Waterhouse in her writing and examples. Only fitting since she is the Vice President of TD Waterhouse Canada. The book was difficult to get through, and often I had to fit with myself to actually pay attention to the words she was using, fighting through the jargon and acronyms of the financial world. though I managed to get through most of hte book I was able to gleam more information from the stories of past clients than the advice she was attempting to give. I can attribute this difficulty to the fact that there were some many studies and statistics to walk through that oft times I gave up trying to find the point.
Gai, well is Gail. Host of 'Til Debt Do Us Part on Slice, matter-of-fact, no bones-about-it boisterous woman with the financial guts to tell you when you've messed up, tug your hair if you aren't gettin the point, or tweak your ear when your eyes glaze over. Her book A Woman of Independent Means is just the right amount of get-you-in-the-gut and wake-up-and-balance-those-finances. It mirrors her blog information beautifully, comes at very little cost to you and gives you are great reference book to areas of life that can be pertinent right from saving for post-secondary to divorce, to retirement. I find her approach to be the kick in the pants I need, as well as contain a personable touch enough that makes you hooked right from the get go. She uses many quotes and exerpts from well known works, and people to see that she did extensive research before delivering a very easy to read book on finances.
Suze Orman, host of her own show int he US, and frequent Oprah guest is a US oriented version of Gail. The advice she gives is essentially the same as Gail, however she has a slightly different twist and provides relevent and informative examples from the US finance sector. While I don't have a 401(k), my company pension plan is similar. While I don't have IRA's I have RRSP's. And while Gail says that if your budget doesn't balance either spend less or Make More Money, Suze is definitely a proponent for spending less - even if it means cutting out the gym, the sports, the shoes, the cable etc. I know Gail is the same but often she can be seen promoting the Make More Money options so you can have your life and be debt free too! Suze big thing in the 2009 Action Plan book she finished in Nov. 2008, is to Get Honest with yourself about your money. Honesty with the money is the biggest thing. she even gives a bit of a check list to see how honest you really are. Having Credit CArd balance that isn't paid off every month, she says, leads to dishonesty about your money and your situation. You are in debt. You owe someone something, and you are not being honest with yourself to think otherwise, or to act this way. It leaves things for your family to deal with, puts them in a bad place if something happens to you and often can snowball into their own debt problems when once they had none.
The three ladies are each unique in their own way, but provide the same information - though I had a hard time finding it in Patricia's work.
I myself began Gail's plan before I knew about Gail, and have been making very conscious efforts to continue to implement her advice. Though with an influence of honesty from Suze, it will help me get to my goal. The only debt i have left is my one Credit Card total. I paid off my car this year already. I've paid off three of my other credit cards in years previous to now - 2007 was the last card paid off after changing jobs and gaining more money.
It is time to put this baby to rest. Make an honest effort with my money, get my butt out of debt and get the emergency fund saved, a buffer set up and my RRSP contributions increased!
Thursday is pay day so another payment tot he credit debt is on tap!
How are you doing with your finances?
Today at my Gail Club Meeting our second installment of a Study of financial Faces occurred. It was my turn, and I discussed the advice by Gail, Suze Orman and Patricia Lovett-Reid. It was very interesting to go through books by these three ladies and turn out a comprehensive comparison. Each woman has a different money related background, and different spin on advice. Patricia is very much driven by TD Waterhouse in her writing and examples. Only fitting since she is the Vice President of TD Waterhouse Canada. The book was difficult to get through, and often I had to fit with myself to actually pay attention to the words she was using, fighting through the jargon and acronyms of the financial world. though I managed to get through most of hte book I was able to gleam more information from the stories of past clients than the advice she was attempting to give. I can attribute this difficulty to the fact that there were some many studies and statistics to walk through that oft times I gave up trying to find the point.
Gai, well is Gail. Host of 'Til Debt Do Us Part on Slice, matter-of-fact, no bones-about-it boisterous woman with the financial guts to tell you when you've messed up, tug your hair if you aren't gettin the point, or tweak your ear when your eyes glaze over. Her book A Woman of Independent Means is just the right amount of get-you-in-the-gut and wake-up-and-balance-those-finances. It mirrors her blog information beautifully, comes at very little cost to you and gives you are great reference book to areas of life that can be pertinent right from saving for post-secondary to divorce, to retirement. I find her approach to be the kick in the pants I need, as well as contain a personable touch enough that makes you hooked right from the get go. She uses many quotes and exerpts from well known works, and people to see that she did extensive research before delivering a very easy to read book on finances.
Suze Orman, host of her own show int he US, and frequent Oprah guest is a US oriented version of Gail. The advice she gives is essentially the same as Gail, however she has a slightly different twist and provides relevent and informative examples from the US finance sector. While I don't have a 401(k), my company pension plan is similar. While I don't have IRA's I have RRSP's. And while Gail says that if your budget doesn't balance either spend less or Make More Money, Suze is definitely a proponent for spending less - even if it means cutting out the gym, the sports, the shoes, the cable etc. I know Gail is the same but often she can be seen promoting the Make More Money options so you can have your life and be debt free too! Suze big thing in the 2009 Action Plan book she finished in Nov. 2008, is to Get Honest with yourself about your money. Honesty with the money is the biggest thing. she even gives a bit of a check list to see how honest you really are. Having Credit CArd balance that isn't paid off every month, she says, leads to dishonesty about your money and your situation. You are in debt. You owe someone something, and you are not being honest with yourself to think otherwise, or to act this way. It leaves things for your family to deal with, puts them in a bad place if something happens to you and often can snowball into their own debt problems when once they had none.
The three ladies are each unique in their own way, but provide the same information - though I had a hard time finding it in Patricia's work.
I myself began Gail's plan before I knew about Gail, and have been making very conscious efforts to continue to implement her advice. Though with an influence of honesty from Suze, it will help me get to my goal. The only debt i have left is my one Credit Card total. I paid off my car this year already. I've paid off three of my other credit cards in years previous to now - 2007 was the last card paid off after changing jobs and gaining more money.
It is time to put this baby to rest. Make an honest effort with my money, get my butt out of debt and get the emergency fund saved, a buffer set up and my RRSP contributions increased!
Thursday is pay day so another payment tot he credit debt is on tap!
How are you doing with your finances?
Monday, September 21, 2009
A Cold and a Train Wreck
It's Monday. I have a cold. So far this last two months my allergies have been running rampant and I thought that's what I had to deal with all weekend, but I definitely think I'm into cold territory now. Antihistamines are no longer working.
The Train wreck part happened yesterday. I've spent the entire weekend working on emptying boxes and organizing the lovely walk-in closet in my new apartment. I say the whole weekend but what actually happened was this. Woke up Saturday morning. Spent a bit of the morning with C watching cartoons, got dressed and accompanied C to the various hardware stores in our area in search of the rest of the closet configurations, a wedding present, and to return something that just doesn't fit in the kitchen like we thought. I had made it clear I did not want to be out all day doing these tasks. Apparently I was not clear enough. At the first store we made the return, double checked to see that they were indeed out of the other item we were looking for. When they were, I had thought "Ok onto the next place". C thinks, ok, well while we are here lets go up and down every aisle to see what they have on sale (i.e what can I buy that I really don't need but I'll tell you I can use at work and spend my paycheck). This I really can't stand because it takes him hours to do this. Again I've already said I don't want to be out all day. We left at 11:15, hit the first place by 11:30 and we leave at 1:30. So that's two hours of wasted time for me. Get to the next place, check to see if they have the gift i"m looking for, they dont' but call another one that dies and place it on hold for me. And we spend another hour and a half walking up and down aisles looking at the sales. Get to lace number 3 get what we are there for, leave, after a half hour of walking up and down aisles. Im getting ever more frustrated because this is why I don't go in those places with him. I can't stand the pace he walks, literally checking each and every thing on the shelves just in case. Get to place number four, take a look at some things we need to discuss, discuss them, then spend half an hour trying to convince him that we've made a decision on the item. Get to place number five and do the same thing. By the time we et back to the apartment and get everything unloaded and upstairs it's 5:30pm!!
5:30pm! WTF! I was very unhappy with him. We had to sit down and talk about how come I"m always pissy with him whenever we go shopping together. I have to tell him it's because no matter what we go for he has to walk slower than a tortoise, tell me that we are going for one thing then spend 2 hours looking at everything else in the store, and when I say I don't want to be out all afternoon that means i don't want ot be out all afternoon. I understand that he wants me to help hm make a decision, but once I've helped him he spends 2 hours asking me if I made the right decision and bombarding me with other options until I give in and get the one he wanted all along. Instead of saying I htink this is the best option because of 1., 2., 3. and then asking me what i think. It's a huge waste of my time, and I hate shopping for anything to begin with. He knows this!
Then he gets all mad and then starts asking when I'm going to clean up the mess in the living room. I'm looking at him going, well I wanted to do that 5 hours ago but you wanted to walk aimlessly up and down every aisle at each of the five stores we've been two (2 of which were a second location on one brand store! So, it'll start getting done after I eat dinner. And you'd be wise to not mention it again all weekend since i could have been done by the time you got back and still purchased the wedding present before you returned.
Train wreck!
In other news, I spent $33 on the gift instead of the original price of $65 (all prices include taxes) as it was on sale, and I have enough left to purchase one more thing from their registry. (This is only the second time I've used the registry for gifts as normally I have found something great for the bride and groom that they didn't ask for but wanted). And because I'd worked so hard yesterday and didn't get a chance to get out and do the grocery shop, I treated myself to some pizza. I shouldn't have asked C about what deal he wanted because it ultimately cost me $35 for 2 large pizza's! (OMG!) However, we both have lunch today and I had breakfast too - multigrain thin crust is such a nice change!
Train wreck number two is that I spent $35 on food last night and STILL have to grocery shop this week. ARGH to men who dont' pay attention to their budget and cause me to strain mine! GRR!
The Train wreck part happened yesterday. I've spent the entire weekend working on emptying boxes and organizing the lovely walk-in closet in my new apartment. I say the whole weekend but what actually happened was this. Woke up Saturday morning. Spent a bit of the morning with C watching cartoons, got dressed and accompanied C to the various hardware stores in our area in search of the rest of the closet configurations, a wedding present, and to return something that just doesn't fit in the kitchen like we thought. I had made it clear I did not want to be out all day doing these tasks. Apparently I was not clear enough. At the first store we made the return, double checked to see that they were indeed out of the other item we were looking for. When they were, I had thought "Ok onto the next place". C thinks, ok, well while we are here lets go up and down every aisle to see what they have on sale (i.e what can I buy that I really don't need but I'll tell you I can use at work and spend my paycheck). This I really can't stand because it takes him hours to do this. Again I've already said I don't want to be out all day. We left at 11:15, hit the first place by 11:30 and we leave at 1:30. So that's two hours of wasted time for me. Get to the next place, check to see if they have the gift i"m looking for, they dont' but call another one that dies and place it on hold for me. And we spend another hour and a half walking up and down aisles looking at the sales. Get to lace number 3 get what we are there for, leave, after a half hour of walking up and down aisles. Im getting ever more frustrated because this is why I don't go in those places with him. I can't stand the pace he walks, literally checking each and every thing on the shelves just in case. Get to place number four, take a look at some things we need to discuss, discuss them, then spend half an hour trying to convince him that we've made a decision on the item. Get to place number five and do the same thing. By the time we et back to the apartment and get everything unloaded and upstairs it's 5:30pm!!
5:30pm! WTF! I was very unhappy with him. We had to sit down and talk about how come I"m always pissy with him whenever we go shopping together. I have to tell him it's because no matter what we go for he has to walk slower than a tortoise, tell me that we are going for one thing then spend 2 hours looking at everything else in the store, and when I say I don't want to be out all afternoon that means i don't want ot be out all afternoon. I understand that he wants me to help hm make a decision, but once I've helped him he spends 2 hours asking me if I made the right decision and bombarding me with other options until I give in and get the one he wanted all along. Instead of saying I htink this is the best option because of 1., 2., 3. and then asking me what i think. It's a huge waste of my time, and I hate shopping for anything to begin with. He knows this!
Then he gets all mad and then starts asking when I'm going to clean up the mess in the living room. I'm looking at him going, well I wanted to do that 5 hours ago but you wanted to walk aimlessly up and down every aisle at each of the five stores we've been two (2 of which were a second location on one brand store! So, it'll start getting done after I eat dinner. And you'd be wise to not mention it again all weekend since i could have been done by the time you got back and still purchased the wedding present before you returned.
Train wreck!
In other news, I spent $33 on the gift instead of the original price of $65 (all prices include taxes) as it was on sale, and I have enough left to purchase one more thing from their registry. (This is only the second time I've used the registry for gifts as normally I have found something great for the bride and groom that they didn't ask for but wanted). And because I'd worked so hard yesterday and didn't get a chance to get out and do the grocery shop, I treated myself to some pizza. I shouldn't have asked C about what deal he wanted because it ultimately cost me $35 for 2 large pizza's! (OMG!) However, we both have lunch today and I had breakfast too - multigrain thin crust is such a nice change!
Train wreck number two is that I spent $35 on food last night and STILL have to grocery shop this week. ARGH to men who dont' pay attention to their budget and cause me to strain mine! GRR!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Clear Blue Skies, Singing Birds, and a new apartment.
What a Friday!
We had a little rain, but now the skies are clear and blue, the air smells clearer, the birds are singing outside my office window, and I am looking forward to the end of the work day! So far it has been another no-spend day for me. A lovely thing. I checked my bank account and my curling dues came out wednesday - so yesterday truly was a no-spend day.
It being Friday, I have written out a bit of a plan for the weekend. I have readings to do for the course I"m taking and have decided that tonight I have to write notes on the reading I finished at lunch, and read one more from the list of 5 for the first section of the course (broke into 3). I also have to make notes on both of these this evening and then get to finishing Gail's book A Woman of Independent Means. So far it is a nice reminder of things to be doing and checking out so you know the true cost of your working hours and what you really have left over at the end. I'm about half way through.
Next I have to start and finish Suze Orman's book - Action Plan 2009 (I think), and begin to compile my notes for my discussion on Tuesday. Also, I have to start and finish one of Patricia Lovett-Reid's books so a trip to the library is in order tomorrow I think.
Lastly and certainly not least, I plan on going through and organizing the stuff that we have left to unpack at the apartment. I've printed off some consignment stores to visit with some clothing I want to remove from my clothest - though some of it I'll get cleaned again just to be sure. These are things I have purchased in the last year and a bit and have not worn more than once, nor have I wanted to. Nice things, but just not stuff I should have purchased in the first place I think.
I also have gifts that need to be found and determine if anything I have in these mystery boxes can serve a purpose in my new place. Otherwise, gifting, donations and perhaps even a give-away is in order!
This weekend is going to be productive yet relaxing.
We had a little rain, but now the skies are clear and blue, the air smells clearer, the birds are singing outside my office window, and I am looking forward to the end of the work day! So far it has been another no-spend day for me. A lovely thing. I checked my bank account and my curling dues came out wednesday - so yesterday truly was a no-spend day.
It being Friday, I have written out a bit of a plan for the weekend. I have readings to do for the course I"m taking and have decided that tonight I have to write notes on the reading I finished at lunch, and read one more from the list of 5 for the first section of the course (broke into 3). I also have to make notes on both of these this evening and then get to finishing Gail's book A Woman of Independent Means. So far it is a nice reminder of things to be doing and checking out so you know the true cost of your working hours and what you really have left over at the end. I'm about half way through.
Next I have to start and finish Suze Orman's book - Action Plan 2009 (I think), and begin to compile my notes for my discussion on Tuesday. Also, I have to start and finish one of Patricia Lovett-Reid's books so a trip to the library is in order tomorrow I think.
Lastly and certainly not least, I plan on going through and organizing the stuff that we have left to unpack at the apartment. I've printed off some consignment stores to visit with some clothing I want to remove from my clothest - though some of it I'll get cleaned again just to be sure. These are things I have purchased in the last year and a bit and have not worn more than once, nor have I wanted to. Nice things, but just not stuff I should have purchased in the first place I think.
I also have gifts that need to be found and determine if anything I have in these mystery boxes can serve a purpose in my new place. Otherwise, gifting, donations and perhaps even a give-away is in order!
This weekend is going to be productive yet relaxing.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Thursday has been industrious.
It's 9:58pm and I"m waiting for my farmville crops to grow - what the????
Aside form the serious lack of wanting to do anything remotely appearing like work or any sort, I've logged on to highlight my day and wait for some crops to grow on Farmville. I've hit the ultimate in procrastination!!
However, it has been industrious at least. And to top that off I've had a no-spend day today!
Managed to file the piles on my desk - it looks so clean and inviting now. I've managed to read some of the first reading from yet another class I am doing in the pursuit of finishing my degree. The money for this came from my planned spending fund. I have organized my notes for this new class, downloaded all readings required for the class, printed them and hole-punched them into the binder they will stay in until I've completed my studies.
I have thought about what to do with some items I have around here. I have spoken to C about starting to finish some of the projects he's mentioned for the apartment as I'm in need of the items so i can put away some more of the 20+ boxes taking up residence in my apartment. I have enjoyed my first bubble bath in my new place For those who don't know me personally, you'll understand the impact a good bubble bath can have on my sanity and my stress levels. Think The Hulk meets Mary Poppins in an epic battle for supreme rule. After said bath time I'm Mary Poppins until I pass out. Before, depending on the day and week I've had, The Hulk rages on.
Last night's class was quite interesting, and to think it's only the first day. Some very interesting points were presented on the class as a whole, in that skipping is not an option if you expect to do well. The notes posted the day of class are merely a guideline of what we MAY cover in the evening, can be a source of topic for testable material, but often we end up on a tangent outside of the notes. The material covered in class is what we are tested on, and inevitably questions arise from those asked by classmates and cannot be found in any note anywhere, except that which you personally write on the subject. Basically a big don't skip class you lazy students. The class average over 24 separate classes taught over the past few years sits between a 72 and a 76. She always has at least 5 complete failures, and often gives out marks over 90. All in all this seems like one of those classes you can do very well in if you keep up with your work and stay up to date on current events in the media. A plus since I am not 19 anymore and so I understand the implication of staying current on world/local/regional events.
Ice cream with my Soon-to-Be-Doctor-Best-Friend and her husband was delightful. The adventure of the evening occurred after said ice cream though when it was time to return home and we found out that the lights switch was shorting out the battery and the car wouldn't start. The nice guy at the ice cream place kindly offered to boost the battery so we could get home. They are now looking more vigorously for a new car.
All in all a nice night. Ice cream and cookie cost $19.52 - out of my food budget, and I spent $37 on gas for the car yesterday.
A note on coming attractions - my Gail group is starting to study the financial gurus in the industry. Last meeting was a comparison of Jesse Mecham and Dave Ramsey. I am presenting a look at Gail Vaz Oxlade, Suze Orman and Patricia Lovett-Reid next Tuesday. I will be comparing their advice to that given the previous week and analyzing my own journey to Debt Free and the advice I've been following.
And, today a small frivolity for myself. Last month while purchasing the next 3 books in a series I've started my neice on, I found out that Dan Brown was getting set to release his newest book On Sept. 15, 2009. I naturally pre-ordered this as I love all his books and wanted to ensure I had a new copy of one of them in hard cover. I was able to pick it up today. So once I've read some required reading for both my class and my discussion, I will begin to read this for pleasure. I was very happy to pick it up today. Entertainment can be so cheap sometimes - since it was paid for last month, I do not need to use my entertainment budget this month for it.
Aside form the serious lack of wanting to do anything remotely appearing like work or any sort, I've logged on to highlight my day and wait for some crops to grow on Farmville. I've hit the ultimate in procrastination!!
However, it has been industrious at least. And to top that off I've had a no-spend day today!
Managed to file the piles on my desk - it looks so clean and inviting now. I've managed to read some of the first reading from yet another class I am doing in the pursuit of finishing my degree. The money for this came from my planned spending fund. I have organized my notes for this new class, downloaded all readings required for the class, printed them and hole-punched them into the binder they will stay in until I've completed my studies.
I have thought about what to do with some items I have around here. I have spoken to C about starting to finish some of the projects he's mentioned for the apartment as I'm in need of the items so i can put away some more of the 20+ boxes taking up residence in my apartment. I have enjoyed my first bubble bath in my new place For those who don't know me personally, you'll understand the impact a good bubble bath can have on my sanity and my stress levels. Think The Hulk meets Mary Poppins in an epic battle for supreme rule. After said bath time I'm Mary Poppins until I pass out. Before, depending on the day and week I've had, The Hulk rages on.
Last night's class was quite interesting, and to think it's only the first day. Some very interesting points were presented on the class as a whole, in that skipping is not an option if you expect to do well. The notes posted the day of class are merely a guideline of what we MAY cover in the evening, can be a source of topic for testable material, but often we end up on a tangent outside of the notes. The material covered in class is what we are tested on, and inevitably questions arise from those asked by classmates and cannot be found in any note anywhere, except that which you personally write on the subject. Basically a big don't skip class you lazy students. The class average over 24 separate classes taught over the past few years sits between a 72 and a 76. She always has at least 5 complete failures, and often gives out marks over 90. All in all this seems like one of those classes you can do very well in if you keep up with your work and stay up to date on current events in the media. A plus since I am not 19 anymore and so I understand the implication of staying current on world/local/regional events.
Ice cream with my Soon-to-Be-Doctor-Best-Friend and her husband was delightful. The adventure of the evening occurred after said ice cream though when it was time to return home and we found out that the lights switch was shorting out the battery and the car wouldn't start. The nice guy at the ice cream place kindly offered to boost the battery so we could get home. They are now looking more vigorously for a new car.
All in all a nice night. Ice cream and cookie cost $19.52 - out of my food budget, and I spent $37 on gas for the car yesterday.
A note on coming attractions - my Gail group is starting to study the financial gurus in the industry. Last meeting was a comparison of Jesse Mecham and Dave Ramsey. I am presenting a look at Gail Vaz Oxlade, Suze Orman and Patricia Lovett-Reid next Tuesday. I will be comparing their advice to that given the previous week and analyzing my own journey to Debt Free and the advice I've been following.
And, today a small frivolity for myself. Last month while purchasing the next 3 books in a series I've started my neice on, I found out that Dan Brown was getting set to release his newest book On Sept. 15, 2009. I naturally pre-ordered this as I love all his books and wanted to ensure I had a new copy of one of them in hard cover. I was able to pick it up today. So once I've read some required reading for both my class and my discussion, I will begin to read this for pleasure. I was very happy to pick it up today. Entertainment can be so cheap sometimes - since it was paid for last month, I do not need to use my entertainment budget this month for it.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Ahhh Wednesday!
it's Wednesday! the week is half over and I had a no-spend day yesterday!! Today I'll be paying for my curling fees for the year - and taking a friend for ice cream. I'm also starting night classes tonight so I"ll have to remember to start packing dinners for Wednesdays too so I can stay on budget. Tonight I'll probably grab something on the way into London so I can make it through the class. I'll be sure to fill up on water before leaving the office as well.
I"m happy the weekend is getting closer - I've been seriously exhausted this week so far and this morning was no different. I didn't even hear C's alarm go off, or him get up - it wasn't until he sneezed that I heard anything this morning, and then slept 10 extra minutes and put myself behind.
ice cream tonight should be great. First because I haven't had ice cream in a while and second because I haven't seen this friend in a while either. And since she's my best friend it should be amazing! I have class every Wednesday night from now until April, so I'll be able to see her once a week for the next 8 months =) Perfect considering we live in different cities and work schedules don't jive well when one of you works full-time at a job and the other works full-time in a lab finishing her PH.D. Soon she'll be Dr. Best Friend!!
*mental note: ;change sidebars to reflect no-spend days so far =)
The apartment is coming along. I unpacked three boxes of china last night, and the box containing my wine glasses, and put them into my retro yet perfect china buffet. This made me extremely happy to do. So far this week that makes 9 boxes unpacked!! Only about 20 or so to go now. We found that we need a second tall bookcase though - we have at least 3 more boxes of bookcase worthy items to unpack and put away. I"ll have to talk to C about finding a second one similar to the first - nothing expensive though. He's a cabinet maker/wood-worker and wants to make all these things for us...anyone know how to stretch the hours in a day so he can do this? I don't want to live with boxes everywhere so I'll probably just start checking places to see what they can offer.
the last bunch of items are bathroom, kitchen or accessory related. There are items I haven't seen in years, from my University days that I'll probably donate since I don't even want some of them anymore. Or better still use as gift ideas for people. I remember getting them long ago and putting them in the room I once had, but never actually using them other than fancy dust-collectors. so the use on them is negligible. At least I'll find a better use for them - and since money is budgeted right now, it'll save on Christmas gift ideas for some people also.
Woot to a good Wednesday!
I"m happy the weekend is getting closer - I've been seriously exhausted this week so far and this morning was no different. I didn't even hear C's alarm go off, or him get up - it wasn't until he sneezed that I heard anything this morning, and then slept 10 extra minutes and put myself behind.
ice cream tonight should be great. First because I haven't had ice cream in a while and second because I haven't seen this friend in a while either. And since she's my best friend it should be amazing! I have class every Wednesday night from now until April, so I'll be able to see her once a week for the next 8 months =) Perfect considering we live in different cities and work schedules don't jive well when one of you works full-time at a job and the other works full-time in a lab finishing her PH.D. Soon she'll be Dr. Best Friend!!
*mental note: ;change sidebars to reflect no-spend days so far =)
The apartment is coming along. I unpacked three boxes of china last night, and the box containing my wine glasses, and put them into my retro yet perfect china buffet. This made me extremely happy to do. So far this week that makes 9 boxes unpacked!! Only about 20 or so to go now. We found that we need a second tall bookcase though - we have at least 3 more boxes of bookcase worthy items to unpack and put away. I"ll have to talk to C about finding a second one similar to the first - nothing expensive though. He's a cabinet maker/wood-worker and wants to make all these things for us...anyone know how to stretch the hours in a day so he can do this? I don't want to live with boxes everywhere so I'll probably just start checking places to see what they can offer.
the last bunch of items are bathroom, kitchen or accessory related. There are items I haven't seen in years, from my University days that I'll probably donate since I don't even want some of them anymore. Or better still use as gift ideas for people. I remember getting them long ago and putting them in the room I once had, but never actually using them other than fancy dust-collectors. so the use on them is negligible. At least I'll find a better use for them - and since money is budgeted right now, it'll save on Christmas gift ideas for some people also.
Woot to a good Wednesday!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday's recap and Tuesday's trials
Yesterday I was experiencing a case of the Mondays. I felt exhausted, physically and mentally. I have bruises popping up everywhere - from the weekend move and shifting things around my mom's house. I had an interesting conversation with my mom, that I really was in no mood for and was so tired I didn't even say anything about it. Short version - moving I was frustrated to no end at my grandmother because she likes to tell you how you'll do everything but doesn't help and only gets in the way. You can't say anything to her because she won't talk to you for months afterward because she didn't like your tone/language/words etc. I'd had it. C arrived with van borrowed from work, says hello to her and asks how she has been. Her reply "Well we're waiting for you ya know." Implying he should have been there much sooner than his arrival time, even after I had repeatedly said I had not set a time with him to arrive, and was enjoying the fact that I was behind and he wasn't there yet. She leaves. then starts filtering through everything we are trying to pack in the van asking when this or that is going in and why didn't it go in already, then yells from the basement at me - I'm moving stuff to and from a van and I'm extra agitated by now. So I reply "What?" and she's like don't use that tone with me, your mother asked me to yell up and ask you when this is going in the van! (Oh lord shot me!) I'm like I"ll come and get it now then since it seems to be an issue for you. She gets upset and goes away (FINALLY!) We sit down to visit for a bit and have a rest (I've been going since 9am and it's now 4pm). And proceeds to tell us that we'll have to live in a very cramped place blah blah blah, like she's seen the apartment and knows everything about the space we have...tells C that he'll have to simply move all his stuff out of the apartment to the storage room having no idea what she's talking about and there is a bit of a heated exchange between C and she. They present us with a house warming gift - very nice one! We leave.
I get told by my mother that they get the feeling that C doesn't want anything to do with them and are upset that he would get heated over the fact that we'll have to live in cramped quarters with all the stuff and can't understand why. C and I have already talked by now and his opinion is that he loves my family, just not when they continue to not only impress their opinion of how we should be running our lives on him, but continue to very pointedly and matter-of-factly ram it down his/our throat. we understand that times were different when they were our age and living with family, but that's not how we want to live our lives and we've discussed it. the trouble is he gets frustrated because they are always telling us how we should do things when they've not as yet even been to our place or seen us work.
I've not spoken to my mother about everything - and probably wont' because when I do it'll start something that I'm done with dealing with and part of the reason I've moved out and don't visit much. GRRRRR.
Anyways, that wasn't the post I had intended this to be, but such as life.
Yesterday I went grocery shopping and spent $71.13. That's enough vegetables and fruit to last for about a week and a half, some other items to vary the dinners we are eating, cheese, bread, and some frozen lunches for me to take to work when I'm running late. I thought it was pretty good for the amount I actually purchased - Sobey's had some really good prices for things so we stocked up a bit. And covers the groceries for a while anyways. My budgeted amount for this month is $225 so I have 153.81 left for food for the month. I also went to the chiropractor last night - $34 for the adjustment. I really needed it too as part of my feeling out of sorts yesterday can be attributed to stress carried in my neck and shoulders. I was there for a half and hour while the chiro tried to stretch out some of the ropy muscles, do some relaxation pressure points and an actual adjustment. I felt so much better when I left. though I really wanted to go and go straight to bed, I went to kick box instead. Sweated out a bunch of frustration, had a great time with a friend and came home feeling the best I had all day. I slept like a rock last night - don't have a clue when C left for work, and am now at work. I'd be lying if I said I was really wanting to work today. Truthfully, I'm still tired and I really wanted to just curl up in bed and rest. Like truly rest for the day. Perhaps this weekend I"ll be able to do some of that.
I get told by my mother that they get the feeling that C doesn't want anything to do with them and are upset that he would get heated over the fact that we'll have to live in cramped quarters with all the stuff and can't understand why. C and I have already talked by now and his opinion is that he loves my family, just not when they continue to not only impress their opinion of how we should be running our lives on him, but continue to very pointedly and matter-of-factly ram it down his/our throat. we understand that times were different when they were our age and living with family, but that's not how we want to live our lives and we've discussed it. the trouble is he gets frustrated because they are always telling us how we should do things when they've not as yet even been to our place or seen us work.
I've not spoken to my mother about everything - and probably wont' because when I do it'll start something that I'm done with dealing with and part of the reason I've moved out and don't visit much. GRRRRR.
Anyways, that wasn't the post I had intended this to be, but such as life.
Yesterday I went grocery shopping and spent $71.13. That's enough vegetables and fruit to last for about a week and a half, some other items to vary the dinners we are eating, cheese, bread, and some frozen lunches for me to take to work when I'm running late. I thought it was pretty good for the amount I actually purchased - Sobey's had some really good prices for things so we stocked up a bit. And covers the groceries for a while anyways. My budgeted amount for this month is $225 so I have 153.81 left for food for the month. I also went to the chiropractor last night - $34 for the adjustment. I really needed it too as part of my feeling out of sorts yesterday can be attributed to stress carried in my neck and shoulders. I was there for a half and hour while the chiro tried to stretch out some of the ropy muscles, do some relaxation pressure points and an actual adjustment. I felt so much better when I left. though I really wanted to go and go straight to bed, I went to kick box instead. Sweated out a bunch of frustration, had a great time with a friend and came home feeling the best I had all day. I slept like a rock last night - don't have a clue when C left for work, and am now at work. I'd be lying if I said I was really wanting to work today. Truthfully, I'm still tired and I really wanted to just curl up in bed and rest. Like truly rest for the day. Perhaps this weekend I"ll be able to do some of that.
Monday, September 14, 2009
I have a case of the Mondays.
This weekend was pretty busy. Friday night was an engagement party for a very close friend of mine. I'm super excited for he and his girlfriend as I think they are a great match! Saturday I went with my family to the local farmer's market and local celebration day to see the sights. It was a nice reminder of the city that I grew up in and how it has an incredible sense of community. Saturday afternoon was a bridal shower for a friend of mine, and Saturday night my family had a rousing game of "She's moving so lets figure out what we can pack". Sunday was a very very busy day - lots of stairs and boxes and crawling around in the crawl space finding all the rest of the stuff I have stored at my mom's house from years gone by.
We finished moving all the rest of the stuff from my mom's place into the apartment on Sunday evening - set up the table, china buffet and chairs. Stored the table leaf and put the bookcase into place. We unloaded 5 boxes of binders and books into the sucker, and now we need to find a second one - or something else to unload the next 4 boxes of books. Most of which are for my schooling and things i"m going to need in the near future for said schooling. Also, they are comprised of a good mix of reference material and novels but still - there's more than this little case can hold.
I'm seriously exhausted and didn't want to work today. I contemplated staying at home to get some extra R&R - my body is exhausted, muscles hurt, I have interesting little bruises appearing hourly in places I can't remember bumping form all the stuff I've done this weekend. Truly I'd like nothing better than to have stayed at home today, slept in a little longer, and had a chance to start washing china to put away, to empty 3 more boxes from the apartment, and begin to reorganize my items.
I've kept a bunch of things I haven't looked for in years, and I"m thinking I'll make one very large run to the Goodwill to donate many of my items. I was thinking about consigning some of them, but I haven't been shopping in a very long time and they all have 3 year maxes on their timing of styles and what not. At least with the donation, I'll be able to move the items from my possession to someone who may be able to use them more than I., and free up some space to move and live. I love our place and would like to be abel to maintain the open feeling in it, by not hanging onto extra items that I've no use for any longer. Some of the items have a nostalgic feel to them, those I"ll probably keep a while longer - at least until I can bare to part with them, and others are left over from younger days when I was out on my own and liked them. I've outgrown some of those things now.
In other news - I had a no spend day on Friday. I spent $57 on gift and packaging for the bridal shower on Saturday, purchased gas for $39.09 on Saturday, and spent $6 on coffee, juice, muffin and bagel on Sunday for the drive home. Today I will be spending $34 at the chiropractor's - hopefully he'll be abel to reset me after this weekend. I have to do a bit of a grocery shop as we are running low on some items, so I"ll be spending there too. I'm hoping Tuesday will be a no-spend day again.
We finished moving all the rest of the stuff from my mom's place into the apartment on Sunday evening - set up the table, china buffet and chairs. Stored the table leaf and put the bookcase into place. We unloaded 5 boxes of binders and books into the sucker, and now we need to find a second one - or something else to unload the next 4 boxes of books. Most of which are for my schooling and things i"m going to need in the near future for said schooling. Also, they are comprised of a good mix of reference material and novels but still - there's more than this little case can hold.
I'm seriously exhausted and didn't want to work today. I contemplated staying at home to get some extra R&R - my body is exhausted, muscles hurt, I have interesting little bruises appearing hourly in places I can't remember bumping form all the stuff I've done this weekend. Truly I'd like nothing better than to have stayed at home today, slept in a little longer, and had a chance to start washing china to put away, to empty 3 more boxes from the apartment, and begin to reorganize my items.
I've kept a bunch of things I haven't looked for in years, and I"m thinking I'll make one very large run to the Goodwill to donate many of my items. I was thinking about consigning some of them, but I haven't been shopping in a very long time and they all have 3 year maxes on their timing of styles and what not. At least with the donation, I'll be able to move the items from my possession to someone who may be able to use them more than I., and free up some space to move and live. I love our place and would like to be abel to maintain the open feeling in it, by not hanging onto extra items that I've no use for any longer. Some of the items have a nostalgic feel to them, those I"ll probably keep a while longer - at least until I can bare to part with them, and others are left over from younger days when I was out on my own and liked them. I've outgrown some of those things now.
In other news - I had a no spend day on Friday. I spent $57 on gift and packaging for the bridal shower on Saturday, purchased gas for $39.09 on Saturday, and spent $6 on coffee, juice, muffin and bagel on Sunday for the drive home. Today I will be spending $34 at the chiropractor's - hopefully he'll be abel to reset me after this weekend. I have to do a bit of a grocery shop as we are running low on some items, so I"ll be spending there too. I'm hoping Tuesday will be a no-spend day again.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
1st day of the new budget.
Today is the first day of the new budget. Everything has been revamped and updated.
Today I deposited my paycheck, as well as my mileage, expense and medical reimbursement checks. I was able to give back half of the moving costs to C from my mileage check, take out the money i owe my mother from a book purchase she made for me, and take back $50 to have on had for the weekend when I'm attending an engagement party, and bridal shower.
Also, I've moved $550 to pay down my debt and taken 75% of the jar money for this month out. I went shopping for the last of the ingredients I needed for a lovely mushroom crostini dish C and I love - and used cash that was still in my wallet from last week =) So while today was a spend day, it was surplus money not in the budget that I used. And Life INsurance Policy 1 payment came out today.
So fixed expenses spent = $550 + $12.37
Surplus expenses spent = $15.92
Debt to C paid in full
Debt to mom paid in full
75% of jar money is sitting in them and I still have $17.76 of surplus cash + the $50 I took out for me in my wallet. Not at all bad I'd say. I'm calling this a spend day regardless of the shop or not. Since I have debt still and I have automated payments for many of my bills, the money is moving and thusly I'm spending. If only to pay back what is owed people =)
After last night's Gail meeting, I have learned that it is time to stop living paycheck to paycheck and to build an emergency buffer directly into my chequing account. This will have two benefits. The first, I will begin to build the buffer so I can stop living paycheck to paycheck, and second build up the balance so I can eliminate banking fees soon!
That's $15.95 less that I'll be giving to someone!
I checked into my progress on my debt and have found my debt free date to be Apr 2012 (I'll double check this tomorrow and post it in my bars). Just under 3 years!! Tomorrow is looking like it'll be a no-spend day also!
Today I deposited my paycheck, as well as my mileage, expense and medical reimbursement checks. I was able to give back half of the moving costs to C from my mileage check, take out the money i owe my mother from a book purchase she made for me, and take back $50 to have on had for the weekend when I'm attending an engagement party, and bridal shower.
Also, I've moved $550 to pay down my debt and taken 75% of the jar money for this month out. I went shopping for the last of the ingredients I needed for a lovely mushroom crostini dish C and I love - and used cash that was still in my wallet from last week =) So while today was a spend day, it was surplus money not in the budget that I used. And Life INsurance Policy 1 payment came out today.
So fixed expenses spent = $550 + $12.37
Surplus expenses spent = $15.92
Debt to C paid in full
Debt to mom paid in full
75% of jar money is sitting in them and I still have $17.76 of surplus cash + the $50 I took out for me in my wallet. Not at all bad I'd say. I'm calling this a spend day regardless of the shop or not. Since I have debt still and I have automated payments for many of my bills, the money is moving and thusly I'm spending. If only to pay back what is owed people =)
After last night's Gail meeting, I have learned that it is time to stop living paycheck to paycheck and to build an emergency buffer directly into my chequing account. This will have two benefits. The first, I will begin to build the buffer so I can stop living paycheck to paycheck, and second build up the balance so I can eliminate banking fees soon!
That's $15.95 less that I'll be giving to someone!
I checked into my progress on my debt and have found my debt free date to be Apr 2012 (I'll double check this tomorrow and post it in my bars). Just under 3 years!! Tomorrow is looking like it'll be a no-spend day also!
First No Spend Day!!
YAY! So I hit my first no spend day! It feels great!! I was hoping to have a second one today, but I realized that I am missing a few ingredients to a dish I'm making for an engagement party I'm attending on Friday, so I know today will be a small spend day. It's also pay day - so if I include the payments I'm making to my debt, ,the life insurance coming out of my account today and the small shopping trip I need to make, that'll be a chunk of money headed in the out direction.
I need to brush up on the rules for the No Spend Challenge so I can clarify whether days you are making automated payments count as spend days. In my opinion they do count as spending even though it's from the fixed expense column of things. Since I know what days these payments come out of my accounts, I can simply adjust my other spending to coincide with these days and then I'm only spending on those. It will have to added bonus of allowing me to ensure I have more than 32 No spend days by the end of this year!!
An update on payments made will come later this afternoon.
A note - this weekend I have an engagement party, and bridal shower to attend - both in Toronto, and I will be at my mom's in Brampton packing up my room and the rest of my stuff to complete my move into the apartment. This will also give a great idea of the items I can remove from my life for good to make it less cluttered and more free! and with the added bonus of perhaps attaining a small stipend for them from a garage sale. The money from which I have yet to decide whether I'm applying to my debt, or I'm applying to build my account buffer. (other wise known as an emergency fund.) This emergency fund will exist in my chequing account and help towards the goal of having no bank fees ever again. Once I've reached my wave-the-fees balance I will also remove the $500 overdraft protection I have on the account. This overdraft is equal to just a smidge more than one month's rent, and has been on my account since I was away from home the first time, to protect against any over spenditures I may have had, and the time between paychecks back then. I am super eager to have this removed from my account also!!
YAY TO MY FIRST NO SPEND DAY!!
I need to brush up on the rules for the No Spend Challenge so I can clarify whether days you are making automated payments count as spend days. In my opinion they do count as spending even though it's from the fixed expense column of things. Since I know what days these payments come out of my accounts, I can simply adjust my other spending to coincide with these days and then I'm only spending on those. It will have to added bonus of allowing me to ensure I have more than 32 No spend days by the end of this year!!
An update on payments made will come later this afternoon.
A note - this weekend I have an engagement party, and bridal shower to attend - both in Toronto, and I will be at my mom's in Brampton packing up my room and the rest of my stuff to complete my move into the apartment. This will also give a great idea of the items I can remove from my life for good to make it less cluttered and more free! and with the added bonus of perhaps attaining a small stipend for them from a garage sale. The money from which I have yet to decide whether I'm applying to my debt, or I'm applying to build my account buffer. (other wise known as an emergency fund.) This emergency fund will exist in my chequing account and help towards the goal of having no bank fees ever again. Once I've reached my wave-the-fees balance I will also remove the $500 overdraft protection I have on the account. This overdraft is equal to just a smidge more than one month's rent, and has been on my account since I was away from home the first time, to protect against any over spenditures I may have had, and the time between paychecks back then. I am super eager to have this removed from my account also!!
YAY TO MY FIRST NO SPEND DAY!!
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
The new budget!
First pay of the month occurs on Thursday, so I thought I'd post my new budget and begin hard-core tracking this thing to actually meant my debt free date!!
INCOME $2,969.64
FIXED EXPENSES
RENT $457.50
CAR INSURANCE $131.50
LIFE INSURANCE $29.22
TENANT INSURANCE $45.00
DEBT REPAYMENT $1,050.00
VARIABLE EXPENSES
FOOD $225.00
TRANSPORTATION $180.00
ENTERTAINMENT $58.50
CLOTHING & GIFTS $45.00
MEDICAL $125.00
OTHER $22.50
CELL PHONE $45.00
CABLE/INTERNET/PHONE $85.00
SAVINGS $300.00
RRSP $100.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $2,899.22
(OVER)/SHORT $70.42
Some notes to mention:
1. The amount in the cable/internet/telephone bundle is my half of the bill.
2. Tenant insurance is built into my budget even though it's under my boyfriend's company and is coming from his account because I'm pretty sure if we check his I can handle the payment but his budget gets tight with it.
3. Saving sis split between an emergency fund and planned spending for my part-time courses to finish my degree with. At $535 a pop I have to plan this money. properly.
4. I'm starting the first day I get paid with the budget because that's how I've got things. There is some interesting advice out there that can be contradictory depending on the advice given you follow, so for now I'm using the money I make in a month to plan my budget with. In December I'll be receiving an extra paycheck that will be used as a buffer in my account to cover some more easily accessible emergency money. And bump up the buffer in the account. My goal is to cut out my bank fees by getting the required amount in my account to curb these!
This is my starting point. I know I'll be recovering some medical fees (we pay up front, the company covers up to $1500 for a year) to put back into my account for a buffer, as well as I'll be receiving a mileage check to help offset some of the move costs that my boyfriend covered - so his accounts are put to rights again.
I"ll post again once I've taken a look at my goals in my side bars to update where I'm at with those.
It's September, I go back to school and thusly it's time for the first step on the road to financial freedom. No masks, no cloaks, no hiding what I'm spending. I will be posting daily from today on to update what I've spent, or not spent, where the money came from and is going to and how the picture is looking. Today is the first day of the No-Spend challenge - that's Saving4Later and everyone else doing it. I think it's time I do this too!!
INCOME $2,969.64
FIXED EXPENSES
RENT $457.50
CAR INSURANCE $131.50
LIFE INSURANCE $29.22
TENANT INSURANCE $45.00
DEBT REPAYMENT $1,050.00
VARIABLE EXPENSES
FOOD $225.00
TRANSPORTATION $180.00
ENTERTAINMENT $58.50
CLOTHING & GIFTS $45.00
MEDICAL $125.00
OTHER $22.50
CELL PHONE $45.00
CABLE/INTERNET/PHONE $85.00
SAVINGS $300.00
RRSP $100.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $2,899.22
(OVER)/SHORT $70.42
Some notes to mention:
1. The amount in the cable/internet/telephone bundle is my half of the bill.
2. Tenant insurance is built into my budget even though it's under my boyfriend's company and is coming from his account because I'm pretty sure if we check his I can handle the payment but his budget gets tight with it.
3. Saving sis split between an emergency fund and planned spending for my part-time courses to finish my degree with. At $535 a pop I have to plan this money. properly.
4. I'm starting the first day I get paid with the budget because that's how I've got things. There is some interesting advice out there that can be contradictory depending on the advice given you follow, so for now I'm using the money I make in a month to plan my budget with. In December I'll be receiving an extra paycheck that will be used as a buffer in my account to cover some more easily accessible emergency money. And bump up the buffer in the account. My goal is to cut out my bank fees by getting the required amount in my account to curb these!
This is my starting point. I know I'll be recovering some medical fees (we pay up front, the company covers up to $1500 for a year) to put back into my account for a buffer, as well as I'll be receiving a mileage check to help offset some of the move costs that my boyfriend covered - so his accounts are put to rights again.
I"ll post again once I've taken a look at my goals in my side bars to update where I'm at with those.
It's September, I go back to school and thusly it's time for the first step on the road to financial freedom. No masks, no cloaks, no hiding what I'm spending. I will be posting daily from today on to update what I've spent, or not spent, where the money came from and is going to and how the picture is looking. Today is the first day of the No-Spend challenge - that's Saving4Later and everyone else doing it. I think it's time I do this too!!
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
A move!!
This past weekend my bf C and I moved from his mom's place to our very own 2 bedroom apartment! It was actually gloriously exhausting! Sleeping in our own place, the quiet, newly carpeted, no one but s place is amazing. The stress of life has been lifted from our shoulders and we are over the moon about this new step in our lives together.
We've moved (just about) everything from his mom's place, and this weekend we'll be traveling to my mom's house to relief her of most of my things. I say most because our place is a modest 1000 sq. ft. with surprising little storage room, and I have a great many more clothes than I thought, and far too many shoes for any one person.
Before you remark that perhaps I should stop shopping - the newest thing I have purchased is a summer dress this year for myself. Previously I hadn't purchased anything for myself in about 2 years - perhaps longer. The shoes I've accumulated over time and still have ones I wore in high school that haven't worn out yet (I'm 30 now). It's not a shopping bug I have, but I definitely need to purge some of the items I've got in both places to make my new living space seem comfortable and not crowded.
I have also found that I've collected an over abundance of Winnie the Pooh items, that I'd like to bundle together and pass on through garage sale to those who could use them more - many of the items I've been given and haven't even been opened yet!!
Ah the trials of a new start to a shared life!
any thought on how best to go about relieving myself of some of these items? Kijiji or Craigslist - any preferences - or perhaps good ole' fashioned garage sale??
We've moved (just about) everything from his mom's place, and this weekend we'll be traveling to my mom's house to relief her of most of my things. I say most because our place is a modest 1000 sq. ft. with surprising little storage room, and I have a great many more clothes than I thought, and far too many shoes for any one person.
Before you remark that perhaps I should stop shopping - the newest thing I have purchased is a summer dress this year for myself. Previously I hadn't purchased anything for myself in about 2 years - perhaps longer. The shoes I've accumulated over time and still have ones I wore in high school that haven't worn out yet (I'm 30 now). It's not a shopping bug I have, but I definitely need to purge some of the items I've got in both places to make my new living space seem comfortable and not crowded.
I have also found that I've collected an over abundance of Winnie the Pooh items, that I'd like to bundle together and pass on through garage sale to those who could use them more - many of the items I've been given and haven't even been opened yet!!
Ah the trials of a new start to a shared life!
any thought on how best to go about relieving myself of some of these items? Kijiji or Craigslist - any preferences - or perhaps good ole' fashioned garage sale??
Thursday, September 03, 2009
It's Thursday Sept. 3, 2009 and I feel like I'm going back to school!
Well it's not that far off anyways. I start another course on my long-time goal of finishing my degree. Only 9 more courses to go. (Those are half courses too, no full-year things). But that's not what I mean.
C and I took possession of our apartment on the 28th of August - officially it's Sept. 1, 2009 but the super was kind enough to give it to us the weekend before to facilitate moving our stuff. We have taken a load of items to the apartment everyday this week so far. It's getting close to just being the big ticket items - bed, dressers, table, tv, couch, oversized-chair, dining table and china buffet. These will be moving on Saturday. It's nice to be able to start moving the boxes, but I'm getting flashbacks of my Uni days moving in just before school starts for a little R & R from summer work, and a little party time before school starts. Only thins time it feels like i"m dragging those memories with me into our place and I'm a little older now so I don't want a place that makes me feel I'm 20 again. By this I mean, I still have a lot of my books from my college and university time, that I still need/use today, I still have notes from classes I took back then that I will need to help complete the background knowledge for courses I still have to take. I still have those cutesy items accumulated while it was cool to like certain things that no matured 30-year-old should have in their place anymore.
The problem with this is that although I understand that that's why I still have this stuff - it's being resurrected after 5 years of being packed away - we just don't have the money yet to upgrade from my previous life to our current life. A vow to not use the credit card EVER, save for emergencies, and to book a hotel room here or there for out of town commitments, has been doing wonders for us for months now. And will continue. And though there is nothing overly wrong with the items I'm talking about, they are from a era gone by and really should stay gone.
I've toyed with a few ideas about this stuff. Some of it I'd like to have if/when we have children in the next 5 years. But that's a loooong time to keep something that may not even get used then. I've thought about putting they like items into a lot and selling them together, as a child's package for those parents looking at decorating their kids rooms/bathrooms. This seems to be the bests option I can come up with for the items I've got, using the money to then purchase a more up-to-date decor. Something more in line with the professional life I'm growing into. Save for a small stain on one item, thanks to some hairdye, the items have been cleaned, well kept, and would be a great addition to a child's room and bedroom.
This move has really made me take a look at the items I've been accumulating over the years. I've come to realize that some of the nick-nacky items were given to me by well-meaning people, but aren't items I want to keep on display or even keep at this stage. My family was very good about giving my sister and I the same things, so as to curb any fighting that might break-out over things, but at 30, as I transition into a new stage in my life, these items are more geared to my past life than my future life. The trouble is, they are things that could come around again during my child-rearing days, but for now seem a shame to pack in a box, never to see the light of day again. I have the ability to leave a few at my mom's place, held until such time as we get house and have a spare room for a child and a guest. then I'll have space to place these display things - or room enough for a curio display cabinet in a living room somewhere.
Alas, I have amassed a huge amount of stuff, and am looking to lighten my load a little, make some money in the process, and pas son the happiness I felt in these items to others. Once we've completed the move I'll be able to assess the things all at the same time, and determine how best to purge this life. With Christmas just around the corner, now is the best time to start this process. Perhaps I'll have a Christmas get-to-know the neighbours sale and post on Craig's list or something. Then I can freecycle the rest of the items, or turn them into a give-away for this blog.
Your comments are appreciated here. Direction is needed =)
C and I took possession of our apartment on the 28th of August - officially it's Sept. 1, 2009 but the super was kind enough to give it to us the weekend before to facilitate moving our stuff. We have taken a load of items to the apartment everyday this week so far. It's getting close to just being the big ticket items - bed, dressers, table, tv, couch, oversized-chair, dining table and china buffet. These will be moving on Saturday. It's nice to be able to start moving the boxes, but I'm getting flashbacks of my Uni days moving in just before school starts for a little R & R from summer work, and a little party time before school starts. Only thins time it feels like i"m dragging those memories with me into our place and I'm a little older now so I don't want a place that makes me feel I'm 20 again. By this I mean, I still have a lot of my books from my college and university time, that I still need/use today, I still have notes from classes I took back then that I will need to help complete the background knowledge for courses I still have to take. I still have those cutesy items accumulated while it was cool to like certain things that no matured 30-year-old should have in their place anymore.
The problem with this is that although I understand that that's why I still have this stuff - it's being resurrected after 5 years of being packed away - we just don't have the money yet to upgrade from my previous life to our current life. A vow to not use the credit card EVER, save for emergencies, and to book a hotel room here or there for out of town commitments, has been doing wonders for us for months now. And will continue. And though there is nothing overly wrong with the items I'm talking about, they are from a era gone by and really should stay gone.
I've toyed with a few ideas about this stuff. Some of it I'd like to have if/when we have children in the next 5 years. But that's a loooong time to keep something that may not even get used then. I've thought about putting they like items into a lot and selling them together, as a child's package for those parents looking at decorating their kids rooms/bathrooms. This seems to be the bests option I can come up with for the items I've got, using the money to then purchase a more up-to-date decor. Something more in line with the professional life I'm growing into. Save for a small stain on one item, thanks to some hairdye, the items have been cleaned, well kept, and would be a great addition to a child's room and bedroom.
This move has really made me take a look at the items I've been accumulating over the years. I've come to realize that some of the nick-nacky items were given to me by well-meaning people, but aren't items I want to keep on display or even keep at this stage. My family was very good about giving my sister and I the same things, so as to curb any fighting that might break-out over things, but at 30, as I transition into a new stage in my life, these items are more geared to my past life than my future life. The trouble is, they are things that could come around again during my child-rearing days, but for now seem a shame to pack in a box, never to see the light of day again. I have the ability to leave a few at my mom's place, held until such time as we get house and have a spare room for a child and a guest. then I'll have space to place these display things - or room enough for a curio display cabinet in a living room somewhere.
Alas, I have amassed a huge amount of stuff, and am looking to lighten my load a little, make some money in the process, and pas son the happiness I felt in these items to others. Once we've completed the move I'll be able to assess the things all at the same time, and determine how best to purge this life. With Christmas just around the corner, now is the best time to start this process. Perhaps I'll have a Christmas get-to-know the neighbours sale and post on Craig's list or something. Then I can freecycle the rest of the items, or turn them into a give-away for this blog.
Your comments are appreciated here. Direction is needed =)
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