Okie dokie, with one day left in this month, I thought a brief post on the goals for the month would be nice. Then I remembered something...I still have one more day and a couple of things I think I can get done!!
One book completed and a second one started! So I smashed this goal completely!!
I have tomorrow to finish the craft project I'm working on., I have found a troubling occurrence in the new apartment though. three large gorgeous windows int he living room does let in enough light to play video games, watch tv and read, but not enough light to properly see the tiny holes in the cross-stitch fabric, or tell the difference between dark salmon, light salmon and dark and light pick, not to mention taupe and gold. if you are a cross-stitcher you'll understand this dilemma - just because the colours seem straight forward does not mean the pattern colour translator picked distinctly obviously different colours for their work. Taupe and gold - like a flashlights shade different from each other. The salmons and the pinks, when lined up get incrementally lighter, but still doesn't give you a good enough judge to determine the difference. Good thing I left myself a note long ago when i faced the problem the first time. I have about 1/4 of this thing left to go, and all the outlining. this will get done tomorrow in the bright bedroom light - it's supposed to rain all day here so although light in the living room, we do not have a reading light that will swing over my work to properly illuminate it.
Wouldn't you know I've pretty much forgotten the other goals - the test I wrote won't be given back until Wednesday coming so I can cross that one off yet either. The TA has been ill and the Professor has yet to receive them all for final checks. Alas I have no idea if I made the 85% goal or not. Though from her comment I'm going to guess it's more like a 75% boo.
My budget - a problem to sort out, but will happen tomorrow also (or perhaps this evening still while I watch Gail's Friday night marathon) I will also set my November goals and post them on Sunday, so I have a clean start to the month.
I have to submit expenses today at work too, so on the next cheque I'll have all the mileage and expense recovers that will go back into the back to right the budget again. Gosh this gets tricky. I think in the new year I'll have to set up a work account for myself to keep it separate from my budget and regular account. This way I have somewhere to pull the money for extra gas and unexpected meals and a place to redeposit the recovered amounts and keep them separate from my day to day personal stuff. December is a three pay month for me so perhaps I'll use part of the additional pay, as well as Christmas bonus for this. Or maybe set up an other jar for it instead so I'm not tempted to carry a card that I could mix things up with easily. This jar thing for medical is working out well. I have a monthly budget for that amount already so I can keep things straight.
Ok - so first thing, post this and check to see what is left on the goals for this month that I can smash out this evening or tomorrow!
Oh ya! I blogged about a nice deal I found from DoubleDay books back in Sept. I finally received the order yesterday! I have three more finance books, and a metabolism book to red, combined with the first two books in the Twilight Series, The Weather Maker, and The World Without Us, yet to get through. I'm pretty sure there are two others in the pile too but I can't remember their titles right now. So the reading goal will be continued for the rest of this year. Once my class is over with, I'll be able to complete a few more of these titles faster than one month per book. I'm usually book every 5 days or so, but with school and curling, kickbox, Gail Clubs, work and time with C, my reading time is truly only when I decide to have a long hot bath, and the occasional lunch time.
Ok - last 38 hours here I come!!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
How are your eyes?
I've just received one of those emails you open and think "Oh boy". It is one of those things that gives your heart a little tug, and gently reminds you there could be a situation far worse than your own. So, given that I'm inspired by this email, I've included it here:
This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born
with 2 legs - He of course could not walk when he was born. Even
his mother did not want him.
His first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was
thinking of 'putting him to sleep'. But then, his present owner, Jude
Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She became
determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself.
She named him 'Faith'.
In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard to let him feel the
movement. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure
and reward for him for standing up and jumping around.
Even the other dog at home encouraged him to walk.
Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance
on his hind legs and to jump to move forward. After further training in
the snow, he could now walk like a human being.
Faith loves to walk around now.
No matter where he goes, he attracts people to him.
He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and
has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows.
There is now a book entitled 'With a Little Faith' being published about him.
He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.
His present owner Jude Stringfellew has given up her teaching post and
plans to take him around the world to preach that even without a perfect body,
one can have a perfect soul'.
In life there are always undesirable things, so in order to feel better
you just need to look at life from another direction.
I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone
and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day.
Faith is the continual demonstration of the strength and wonder of life.
So, I ask you this, what in your life have you been holding onto that you can look at in a new perspective to help change your life for the better? Perhaps it is something dark and hurtful, like a death or disease, perhaps it was something that was physical, like an appearance difference that caused teasing, or an act of violence. I have been seeing this a lot as of late - people who have taken their given situation and changed it from negative to immensely positive.
Perhaps you have a financial problem that you can't see the positive in and it is beginning to drag you down. What in your life can you look at differently to bring light for yourself and for others? Are you drowning in debt and are so overwhelmed you don't know where to start? This is a greta place to find your beginning. Perhaps you want to speak to someone who's been in your shoes - check out a Gail Club in your area for support, encouragement, and a place to be open about your situation, ask for help freely, and truly start to heal from the issues on your mind. It's free, it's fun, it's a night out with like-minded people who do not judge you for the situation you are in, because we've all been there before. Think of these as a self-help group full of intelligent people who have made or are making the same mistakes you are, only there is no psycho-babble, there is no judging, there is only sound advice, support and a source of many outlets, minds and thoughts that can help you bring yourself out of your situation.
Perhaps you've been having some non-financial issues in your life - Gail Groups are great for that kind of support also. You know why? Because life isn't neat and tidy. it doesn't limit itself to one aspect. Everything is connected - so you feeling despair over a list relationship could be translating into a shopping habit, or eating habit, or drinking habit, that will be affecting your debt, your budget and the rest of your life.
Truly I want everyone to sit down with themselves and find something that they can change their outlook on, make a giant positive in their life and come out shining brighter for. Perhaps you've already done this - Fabulous!!
Here's the thing - life is what you make it. Nobody can change the path you want to be on if you want to be on it. I've been through some things in my life that tried to derail me, that could have hurt me further, but I didn't let them. I knew I was strong, I found an inspiring set of songs so when I needed them I'd turn them on, blast them at top volume, sing my heart out, cry if I had to, but really used those to get me through those days when emotion and thought threatened to turn me into a crying, blubbering mess, wallowing in the darkness and forgetting the light. I actually burned through a section of a CD because I played one song over and over and over again.
So I ask you - how are your eyes? Or more specifically, how is your outlook today? Are you seeing light or dark? Are you allowing your thoughts to dwell on negative or positive? Need help finding a positive - call a friend, talk to a neighbour, blog about it, or simply take a walk in your neighbourhood and really see the leaves in all their glory. Maybe a warm bath, good book and glass of your favourite wine are enough to get you into a more positive place, maybe a hot chocolate and your favourite movie are what you need, maybe a good physical workout will get you out of the funk you are in, and into a better state of mind. Perhaps a craft, some paint, or even throwing a dish on the floor is what you need to snap your brain out of the place it is in. A good cry can often help, a day off works magic, a trip to the mall to buy one killer outfit may be all it takes. Find that thing you've been holding onto and change how you view it. Take that horrible thing in your life and find the lesson. Make this realization the first step in not letting that affect you any more. Make your second step a commitment to yourself to use that horrible thing to fuel the direction YOU want in life. Make your third step the attempt to have purpose in everything you do. To act with intention continually, to act with purpose always, to truly be what you want to be, or begin to take those steps with purpose and meaning. Keep in mind this is not easy - your own mind will drift back to try to bring you down - don't let it. Recognize the feeling, put in that power song and really belt out the words.
So, how are you eyes?
This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born
with 2 legs - He of course could not walk when he was born. Even
his mother did not want him.
His first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was
thinking of 'putting him to sleep'. But then, his present owner, Jude
Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She became
determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself.
She named him 'Faith'.
In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfboard to let him feel the
movement. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure
and reward for him for standing up and jumping around.
Even the other dog at home encouraged him to walk.
Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance
on his hind legs and to jump to move forward. After further training in
the snow, he could now walk like a human being.
Faith loves to walk around now.
No matter where he goes, he attracts people to him.
He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and
has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows.
There is now a book entitled 'With a Little Faith' being published about him.
He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.
His present owner Jude Stringfellew has given up her teaching post and
plans to take him around the world to preach that even without a perfect body,
one can have a perfect soul'.
In life there are always undesirable things, so in order to feel better
you just need to look at life from another direction.
I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone
and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day.
Faith is the continual demonstration of the strength and wonder of life.
So, I ask you this, what in your life have you been holding onto that you can look at in a new perspective to help change your life for the better? Perhaps it is something dark and hurtful, like a death or disease, perhaps it was something that was physical, like an appearance difference that caused teasing, or an act of violence. I have been seeing this a lot as of late - people who have taken their given situation and changed it from negative to immensely positive.
Perhaps you have a financial problem that you can't see the positive in and it is beginning to drag you down. What in your life can you look at differently to bring light for yourself and for others? Are you drowning in debt and are so overwhelmed you don't know where to start? This is a greta place to find your beginning. Perhaps you want to speak to someone who's been in your shoes - check out a Gail Club in your area for support, encouragement, and a place to be open about your situation, ask for help freely, and truly start to heal from the issues on your mind. It's free, it's fun, it's a night out with like-minded people who do not judge you for the situation you are in, because we've all been there before. Think of these as a self-help group full of intelligent people who have made or are making the same mistakes you are, only there is no psycho-babble, there is no judging, there is only sound advice, support and a source of many outlets, minds and thoughts that can help you bring yourself out of your situation.
Perhaps you've been having some non-financial issues in your life - Gail Groups are great for that kind of support also. You know why? Because life isn't neat and tidy. it doesn't limit itself to one aspect. Everything is connected - so you feeling despair over a list relationship could be translating into a shopping habit, or eating habit, or drinking habit, that will be affecting your debt, your budget and the rest of your life.
Truly I want everyone to sit down with themselves and find something that they can change their outlook on, make a giant positive in their life and come out shining brighter for. Perhaps you've already done this - Fabulous!!
Here's the thing - life is what you make it. Nobody can change the path you want to be on if you want to be on it. I've been through some things in my life that tried to derail me, that could have hurt me further, but I didn't let them. I knew I was strong, I found an inspiring set of songs so when I needed them I'd turn them on, blast them at top volume, sing my heart out, cry if I had to, but really used those to get me through those days when emotion and thought threatened to turn me into a crying, blubbering mess, wallowing in the darkness and forgetting the light. I actually burned through a section of a CD because I played one song over and over and over again.
So I ask you - how are your eyes? Or more specifically, how is your outlook today? Are you seeing light or dark? Are you allowing your thoughts to dwell on negative or positive? Need help finding a positive - call a friend, talk to a neighbour, blog about it, or simply take a walk in your neighbourhood and really see the leaves in all their glory. Maybe a warm bath, good book and glass of your favourite wine are enough to get you into a more positive place, maybe a hot chocolate and your favourite movie are what you need, maybe a good physical workout will get you out of the funk you are in, and into a better state of mind. Perhaps a craft, some paint, or even throwing a dish on the floor is what you need to snap your brain out of the place it is in. A good cry can often help, a day off works magic, a trip to the mall to buy one killer outfit may be all it takes. Find that thing you've been holding onto and change how you view it. Take that horrible thing in your life and find the lesson. Make this realization the first step in not letting that affect you any more. Make your second step a commitment to yourself to use that horrible thing to fuel the direction YOU want in life. Make your third step the attempt to have purpose in everything you do. To act with intention continually, to act with purpose always, to truly be what you want to be, or begin to take those steps with purpose and meaning. Keep in mind this is not easy - your own mind will drift back to try to bring you down - don't let it. Recognize the feeling, put in that power song and really belt out the words.
So, how are you eyes?
Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol Reviewed
I finished the book yesterday, and took the rest of the day to contemplate about it.
In review, for those who liked Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, even Digital Fortress and Deception Point, you will also be very pleased with this book. There is quite the plot to drive you through this book. Oft times when I'd start reading I would want to keep going. He writes in short chapters, and I"m sure there's a hidden code amongst these pages also, but I have yet to sit down and attempt a decipher. It is set in Washington D.C. due to the well-known secret society of the Freemason's influence in this city. It is quite the eye opener, with all the little treasures he leads you to find. Also introduced in this book is the concept of Noetic Science. The Institute of Noetic Science (IONS) does exist. Essentially it is the study of the measurable influence of human thought on the outside world. This is paralleled in the The Secret, and was a nice reminder that people actually do study it, and there have been completed studies to show that what we think actually does influence what happens.
The book itself is a very detailed description of one night in Robert Langdon's life. Dan does enough to twist the story and through enough directional changes to keep the reader interested, though the one major twist I had figured out earlier in the book and was intrigued at how the rest was written once having figured it out. I often wonder where the emotional side of the story comes from. Many of the symbols, myths, legends, truths and what not can be searched out to give the reader a better understanding of the history in this story. Dan definitely did his research, though I wonder if he too is a Freemason. Having always been interested in Freemasonry, it was interesting to read the passages that detailed rites of passage among the group. My grandfather was a Freemason, though I'm not sure what order he reached, but I remember asking him about it and being told he was unable to speak of it. At that time the female arm was very very new, and the happenings inside the meetings were not for young women to know, let alone anyone else.
I really enjoyed the read, the tempo, the tone and the inflection presented here, though I suppose I'm a bit biased to Dan's style as I've also really enjoyed his four previous works.
If anyone has read or followed the Secret, you can appreciate the power of concentrated, purposeful, positive thought, and will find the furtherance of the science behind it interesting. For those who have been with me since the first quest, you'll understand that I began reading and following some of the advice in the Secret to aid me in my quest to find a good man. Having since completed that quest, I changed the blog name and have been working on my financial quest for the better part of 3 years now. I have a debt free date of April 2011.
If you were a fan of Da Vinci Code, this will get your fix of Robert Langdon, conspiracies and secret messages. There is a game on line for the Lost Symbol I found quite intriguing and fun to do - with some help. Also, once you've read the book you should understand why the author chose to wait specifically for 9/15/09 for the release. Currently I'm working on deciphering the codes on the book jacket. See if you can too!
In review, for those who liked Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, even Digital Fortress and Deception Point, you will also be very pleased with this book. There is quite the plot to drive you through this book. Oft times when I'd start reading I would want to keep going. He writes in short chapters, and I"m sure there's a hidden code amongst these pages also, but I have yet to sit down and attempt a decipher. It is set in Washington D.C. due to the well-known secret society of the Freemason's influence in this city. It is quite the eye opener, with all the little treasures he leads you to find. Also introduced in this book is the concept of Noetic Science. The Institute of Noetic Science (IONS) does exist. Essentially it is the study of the measurable influence of human thought on the outside world. This is paralleled in the The Secret, and was a nice reminder that people actually do study it, and there have been completed studies to show that what we think actually does influence what happens.
The book itself is a very detailed description of one night in Robert Langdon's life. Dan does enough to twist the story and through enough directional changes to keep the reader interested, though the one major twist I had figured out earlier in the book and was intrigued at how the rest was written once having figured it out. I often wonder where the emotional side of the story comes from. Many of the symbols, myths, legends, truths and what not can be searched out to give the reader a better understanding of the history in this story. Dan definitely did his research, though I wonder if he too is a Freemason. Having always been interested in Freemasonry, it was interesting to read the passages that detailed rites of passage among the group. My grandfather was a Freemason, though I'm not sure what order he reached, but I remember asking him about it and being told he was unable to speak of it. At that time the female arm was very very new, and the happenings inside the meetings were not for young women to know, let alone anyone else.
I really enjoyed the read, the tempo, the tone and the inflection presented here, though I suppose I'm a bit biased to Dan's style as I've also really enjoyed his four previous works.
If anyone has read or followed the Secret, you can appreciate the power of concentrated, purposeful, positive thought, and will find the furtherance of the science behind it interesting. For those who have been with me since the first quest, you'll understand that I began reading and following some of the advice in the Secret to aid me in my quest to find a good man. Having since completed that quest, I changed the blog name and have been working on my financial quest for the better part of 3 years now. I have a debt free date of April 2011.
If you were a fan of Da Vinci Code, this will get your fix of Robert Langdon, conspiracies and secret messages. There is a game on line for the Lost Symbol I found quite intriguing and fun to do - with some help. Also, once you've read the book you should understand why the author chose to wait specifically for 9/15/09 for the release. Currently I'm working on deciphering the codes on the book jacket. See if you can too!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Planning for unexpected things
I've had a bit of time to reflect on things since last week's utter chaos. In this I have been looking at my jars and realizing I've eaten through my budget, my reserve buffer, and apparently some overdraft. My first reaction was "Hell lady, what did you do?" Then I realized, my job has been changing at work due to a reshuffling at the top. What this means is, I'm back to handling the work of one partner as well as everything else I do for the company. Though this has been happening since July, it is beginning to show up in my spending habits and budget, since it is apparent that we need to re-establish contact with our clients, and this is now apparently my job.
Glad to have a job, believe me, but we are back to getting stressed out because there aren't enough hours, and driving all over Southern Ontario to see people. What this means is, I'm eating through gas faster than anticipated, I'm putting huge km's on the car, I'm getting lazier because I'm getting driving tired, and thus eating out more, and I'm quickly getting swallowed by the ever-growing client demand on me. We are not in a position as yet to hire someone to help me out, and it isn't just me feeling this strain.
So here's the thing - having put over 1000 km's on the car, I will be recovering this in payment from my company. I'm anticipating a cheque for about $500 (yes that's the right math) up until now I've been using this "bonus" money to build my Christmas fund, and replenish the buffer in my account. This time however, I'll be using more than I had anticipated to return the money I used up already. Incidently I don't get paid again until the 5th of November, so the money took out at the first pay of October was to last until then. Of the $500 I'll be getting back, I plan on using about $200 to put back into the account to act as the buffer, and the other $300 will go into the Christmas fund - and help me take care of my mom, gramma, and poppa's presents this year. I've already completed my sister's, leaving C's and my sister's fiance, and a couple of friends.
Evidently I can roll with the punches pretty well, but I'm fearful of a time when I'm unable to do this as well as I have been. Other things that have been on my mind are perhaps I could ask for a raise, or an expense account for work to take care of travel expenses and client expenses and the like. After the year I've had I feel I'm deserving of a raise. I know I have a meeting coming up with the partners about my current duties, or in my case, other duties as arise - because I haven't been assigned work as yet. Everything I do has come from a need of a client or the business. The trouble is that I'm the only one doing these things so when I go away they aren't taken care of.
Obtaining a raise would be ideal, and I would like to negotiate my holidays, an expense account and the percentage of the raise with the partners. I have an ideal situation, a bottom line, and a non-negotiable line on a few of my items. I'd just like to know if this is even a possibility. It was 10 years for some before they saw the raise.
So here's the thing I'd like to know for all of you reading this - how do you plan for unexpected items, do you have a buffer, emergency fund, or room in your current budget to shift as things come up? Is a derailment like this last two weeks something that will completely compromise your system or can you handle things?
Also, what are your thoughts on negotiating a raise at work, or another week of holidays, or an expense account? How do you handle yourself in these types of situations?
I would love to hear from the masses on these things!
Glad to have a job, believe me, but we are back to getting stressed out because there aren't enough hours, and driving all over Southern Ontario to see people. What this means is, I'm eating through gas faster than anticipated, I'm putting huge km's on the car, I'm getting lazier because I'm getting driving tired, and thus eating out more, and I'm quickly getting swallowed by the ever-growing client demand on me. We are not in a position as yet to hire someone to help me out, and it isn't just me feeling this strain.
So here's the thing - having put over 1000 km's on the car, I will be recovering this in payment from my company. I'm anticipating a cheque for about $500 (yes that's the right math) up until now I've been using this "bonus" money to build my Christmas fund, and replenish the buffer in my account. This time however, I'll be using more than I had anticipated to return the money I used up already. Incidently I don't get paid again until the 5th of November, so the money took out at the first pay of October was to last until then. Of the $500 I'll be getting back, I plan on using about $200 to put back into the account to act as the buffer, and the other $300 will go into the Christmas fund - and help me take care of my mom, gramma, and poppa's presents this year. I've already completed my sister's, leaving C's and my sister's fiance, and a couple of friends.
Evidently I can roll with the punches pretty well, but I'm fearful of a time when I'm unable to do this as well as I have been. Other things that have been on my mind are perhaps I could ask for a raise, or an expense account for work to take care of travel expenses and client expenses and the like. After the year I've had I feel I'm deserving of a raise. I know I have a meeting coming up with the partners about my current duties, or in my case, other duties as arise - because I haven't been assigned work as yet. Everything I do has come from a need of a client or the business. The trouble is that I'm the only one doing these things so when I go away they aren't taken care of.
Obtaining a raise would be ideal, and I would like to negotiate my holidays, an expense account and the percentage of the raise with the partners. I have an ideal situation, a bottom line, and a non-negotiable line on a few of my items. I'd just like to know if this is even a possibility. It was 10 years for some before they saw the raise.
So here's the thing I'd like to know for all of you reading this - how do you plan for unexpected items, do you have a buffer, emergency fund, or room in your current budget to shift as things come up? Is a derailment like this last two weeks something that will completely compromise your system or can you handle things?
Also, what are your thoughts on negotiating a raise at work, or another week of holidays, or an expense account? How do you handle yourself in these types of situations?
I would love to hear from the masses on these things!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Phew! I made it!
Wow what a week that was! Super exhausted, travelled all over Southern Ontario and have definitely not fulfilled my attempt at not eating out for a month.
Things that were accomplished - had some good meetings with some potential clients, picked up bunches of money for work to take care of receivables, very nearly done my book goal for this month, curled at Regionals.
Things that can be filed in the not-so-good pile - blown my budget right out of the water, did not qualify for Provincials in curling, still have some diliquent accounts I'm chasing, have been exhausted so my time when not at work or completing my commitments has been spent sleeping.
Budgeting money is great. This month I learned what happens when work decides to send you on unexpected meetings in far away places that mess up your travel and eating budget. Most of these meetings required some kind of food option, and since we are the ones looking for the business it was up to me to purchase the meals for these meetings. I will be reimbursed for these later, but it kills the budget when you have to pay up front. it also hurts your budget when you have a reasonable expectation of having food options at a curling tournament that 95% of the time has them, and thus you are then required to purchase and pay (ridiculously) for the available food option instead. I did bring breakfast and what not, but it is customary that when curling you purchase a drink for the other team. I prefer hot meals during these things as do most others, because the temperature is seriously cold, and you can work up quite the sweat if you are working hard, thus a hot meal helps the body refuel, and keeps you healthy, and helps you regulate your inner temperatures again. Normally these things are either included with the entrance fees or reasonable to purchase - $12 for a sandwich and small side salad was quite pricy. The soup was the same as it came with salad or sandwich options.
Needless to say, my budget is done, I've overspent everywhere, and have even spent the buffer in my account I was leaving.
I should have been more disciplined in my efforts this month as there were opportunities to not spend money that I did not take full advantage of. Plus I will admit that as I got more tired I also became increasingly lazy with this.
Have you been derailed on your budget lately due to laziness, or improper planning for things? What did you do to correct this?
I will be recovering some costs from all this - as mileage and expenses that I will put back into the bank to cover off all the overages, but it's difficult when we pay first and the company pays you back.
Some new topics will be coming up, and you'll be seeing my book review soon also. I hope everyone is hanging in there and doing well with their efforts =)
Oh - a side note - I have made all required payments to all debt places and bill people, as well as paid myself for the month, and have rent ready for the 1st of November. I did not pull any money from any of these payments, so the over spending was from money I had given the job of sitting in my account and my budgeted amounts for all categories.
Things that were accomplished - had some good meetings with some potential clients, picked up bunches of money for work to take care of receivables, very nearly done my book goal for this month, curled at Regionals.
Things that can be filed in the not-so-good pile - blown my budget right out of the water, did not qualify for Provincials in curling, still have some diliquent accounts I'm chasing, have been exhausted so my time when not at work or completing my commitments has been spent sleeping.
Budgeting money is great. This month I learned what happens when work decides to send you on unexpected meetings in far away places that mess up your travel and eating budget. Most of these meetings required some kind of food option, and since we are the ones looking for the business it was up to me to purchase the meals for these meetings. I will be reimbursed for these later, but it kills the budget when you have to pay up front. it also hurts your budget when you have a reasonable expectation of having food options at a curling tournament that 95% of the time has them, and thus you are then required to purchase and pay (ridiculously) for the available food option instead. I did bring breakfast and what not, but it is customary that when curling you purchase a drink for the other team. I prefer hot meals during these things as do most others, because the temperature is seriously cold, and you can work up quite the sweat if you are working hard, thus a hot meal helps the body refuel, and keeps you healthy, and helps you regulate your inner temperatures again. Normally these things are either included with the entrance fees or reasonable to purchase - $12 for a sandwich and small side salad was quite pricy. The soup was the same as it came with salad or sandwich options.
Needless to say, my budget is done, I've overspent everywhere, and have even spent the buffer in my account I was leaving.
I should have been more disciplined in my efforts this month as there were opportunities to not spend money that I did not take full advantage of. Plus I will admit that as I got more tired I also became increasingly lazy with this.
Have you been derailed on your budget lately due to laziness, or improper planning for things? What did you do to correct this?
I will be recovering some costs from all this - as mileage and expenses that I will put back into the bank to cover off all the overages, but it's difficult when we pay first and the company pays you back.
Some new topics will be coming up, and you'll be seeing my book review soon also. I hope everyone is hanging in there and doing well with their efforts =)
Oh - a side note - I have made all required payments to all debt places and bill people, as well as paid myself for the month, and have rent ready for the 1st of November. I did not pull any money from any of these payments, so the over spending was from money I had given the job of sitting in my account and my budgeted amounts for all categories.
Friday, October 23, 2009
A Dynamic Leader in the making...
Because I needed something to distract me for a little while this week, I took the DNA test that seems to be going around - Ginger, Give me Back my Five Bucks, and the Asian Pear have all completed it so I thought let's give it a try.
My personalDNA Report
This is the result I came up with. Sounds like me!
If you want to take the test go Here
I'll update when I get a chance - this week has been extremely busy and I'm feeling exhausted. it's not over yet as we head to REgionals tomorrow for curling! Wish me luck!!
My personalDNA Report
This is the result I came up with. Sounds like me!
If you want to take the test go Here
I'll update when I get a chance - this week has been extremely busy and I'm feeling exhausted. it's not over yet as we head to REgionals tomorrow for curling! Wish me luck!!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Busy Weekend
Just a quick update on the financial and personal front - this weekend I decided to get up and tackle some more of the boxes of stuff sitting in my living room. I've labelled the side of the remaining boxes so you can see what is in them. This has the added bonus of being able to see what you can go through and toss and what is officially waiting for a new home. Saturday's box removal total is a lovely 4 boxes of stuff either condensed or removed from the apartment! I was feeling especially domestic this weekend. Spent the day 9 yes it took the day - thanks to Ginger for the reminder of the hoarders show and what it does to us regular people when we watch it. I was having a case of 'I"m a secret hoarder" on Saturday which began my purgefest.
Sunday I spent doing 4 loads of laundry, vacuuming the living room (now that there was space to vacuum) and the bedroom (it carried over to other rooms on Sunday!), having a well deserved bubble bath, reading some more of the book I'll be reviewing soon, and having unearthed a cross-stitch project I had started but never finished, I actually made headway towards finishing it. Oh ya, I also watched the Tom Hanks movie marathon on Diva this weekend as my cleaning noise.
Some of you must have noticed by now that I said that I got all this accomplished. C did not help, but did spend some well deserved down time with his bestie on WoW. What they do there I do not know, but he likes it and it kept him out of the way so I'm all for it!
Ah and I found a small file box (think large recipe card size) that I used to organize my coupons in order by product name. It worked pretty nicely as I was able to test it during my 1 hour grocery shop Sunday evening! A lovely thing this was as I could find what I needed on the shelf, then find the appropriate coupon to give the cashier.
Saturday was a no spend day. Sunday i spent about $78 on groceries to get us through until almost the end of the month. Most of the list was not necessarily stuff we absolutely needed though. MOre like filling in some blanks so I can begin cooking and baking - things like a spice or two, some cheese that was needed for a recipe I want to try, bleach because we didn't have any yet, vinegar for souring milk and cleaning things, Tide was on sale and I had a good coupon, two more things of crackers that were on sale and I had a coupon for each, and febreeze. I usually don't get it, but C requested it for deodorizing purposes. (bathroom and kitchen are both windowless so sometimes the food gets cooked and it lingers.)
So this month I can add a project to my to-do list. I have a book and a project, and I'm feeling slightly more like myself now that I have those going. It's amazing how out of sorts you can get if you don't have a craft project or a book on the go. I'm on track with most of the categories in my budget. Transportation is going to be over the budgeted amount.
I already know this because I was foolish and went to Mr. Lube (no appointment necessary) for my oil change and fluid check. I left there having dropped a whopping $93 (gah!!). Truly I should have gone to Meinke which had oil changes on at $19.99 and they would have checked the fluids anyways. Plus I could have had a few other things checked and seen what they were doing while it was being done too - total cost would have only be something like $50 which was what I was expecting to pay. An expensive lesson to learn for convenience. A mistake I will not make again. On top of that I won't be going back to these Mr. Lube guys - they tried to talk me into having the transmission looked at while I waited because of the km's on my car and told me I needed to replace my fuel filter. Funny how the dealer did that when I was in last - and how since i couldn't produce the invoice saying that they pushed and pushed and pushed for it to be done. Interesting though that he said they could just pop it out and put a new one in in about 5 minutes - not knowing that he had to take my back panel off my hatchback to do most of the work and that it took the last guys a good 20 minutes plus some time to fight to get the panel back on. Needless to say I didn't have it done because it knew it had already been done and I didn't really appreciate the pushing from these guys that get it done. Point being - unless it's absolutely necessary do not use Mr. Lube for your vehicle servicing when there are other reputable people out there who won't charge you a first born for their service. Incidentally, they filled my tires to 40PSI when it clearly states 36PSI is the optimal fill mark. When i went back and told them about it the guy said it would cost me $19 to have them fix their mistake. Um no, it will cost me nothing since your people can't read. I did it myself in the end.
And I"m pretty sure I went over in food this month too - I ended up eating out On Wed. Oct 14 - so I've negated my challenge for this month. It was exam day, some pretty heavy stuff went down at school (that was the day the officers were arresting the gentlemen and it made youtube - yes I go to UWO), I was nearly late for work, then was late for a client appointment - didn't feel well to begin with and then had to deal with the arrest RIGHT before writing my exam. Needless to say there was some junk food consumption happening and some sugary treats happening, and at the end of the day I'd eaten out three times in one day and blown my challenge. This is what put me over. I'll have the monthly update in two weeks though, so we'll see how bad the damage was then. I don't think it's too bad right now though.
On tap for this week - Chiro tonight, kickboxing tonight. I'm curling for someone tomorrow night, class on Wednesday, regular game on Thursday, get ready for Regionals on Friday and then actually play them on Saturday and Sunday. Particularly busy week this week, I'd say.
It's nearly 3pm adn I want to be done work already. I've had a case of the Mondays all day today.
Sunday I spent doing 4 loads of laundry, vacuuming the living room (now that there was space to vacuum) and the bedroom (it carried over to other rooms on Sunday!), having a well deserved bubble bath, reading some more of the book I'll be reviewing soon, and having unearthed a cross-stitch project I had started but never finished, I actually made headway towards finishing it. Oh ya, I also watched the Tom Hanks movie marathon on Diva this weekend as my cleaning noise.
Some of you must have noticed by now that I said that I got all this accomplished. C did not help, but did spend some well deserved down time with his bestie on WoW. What they do there I do not know, but he likes it and it kept him out of the way so I'm all for it!
Ah and I found a small file box (think large recipe card size) that I used to organize my coupons in order by product name. It worked pretty nicely as I was able to test it during my 1 hour grocery shop Sunday evening! A lovely thing this was as I could find what I needed on the shelf, then find the appropriate coupon to give the cashier.
Saturday was a no spend day. Sunday i spent about $78 on groceries to get us through until almost the end of the month. Most of the list was not necessarily stuff we absolutely needed though. MOre like filling in some blanks so I can begin cooking and baking - things like a spice or two, some cheese that was needed for a recipe I want to try, bleach because we didn't have any yet, vinegar for souring milk and cleaning things, Tide was on sale and I had a good coupon, two more things of crackers that were on sale and I had a coupon for each, and febreeze. I usually don't get it, but C requested it for deodorizing purposes. (bathroom and kitchen are both windowless so sometimes the food gets cooked and it lingers.)
So this month I can add a project to my to-do list. I have a book and a project, and I'm feeling slightly more like myself now that I have those going. It's amazing how out of sorts you can get if you don't have a craft project or a book on the go. I'm on track with most of the categories in my budget. Transportation is going to be over the budgeted amount.
I already know this because I was foolish and went to Mr. Lube (no appointment necessary) for my oil change and fluid check. I left there having dropped a whopping $93 (gah!!). Truly I should have gone to Meinke which had oil changes on at $19.99 and they would have checked the fluids anyways. Plus I could have had a few other things checked and seen what they were doing while it was being done too - total cost would have only be something like $50 which was what I was expecting to pay. An expensive lesson to learn for convenience. A mistake I will not make again. On top of that I won't be going back to these Mr. Lube guys - they tried to talk me into having the transmission looked at while I waited because of the km's on my car and told me I needed to replace my fuel filter. Funny how the dealer did that when I was in last - and how since i couldn't produce the invoice saying that they pushed and pushed and pushed for it to be done. Interesting though that he said they could just pop it out and put a new one in in about 5 minutes - not knowing that he had to take my back panel off my hatchback to do most of the work and that it took the last guys a good 20 minutes plus some time to fight to get the panel back on. Needless to say I didn't have it done because it knew it had already been done and I didn't really appreciate the pushing from these guys that get it done. Point being - unless it's absolutely necessary do not use Mr. Lube for your vehicle servicing when there are other reputable people out there who won't charge you a first born for their service. Incidentally, they filled my tires to 40PSI when it clearly states 36PSI is the optimal fill mark. When i went back and told them about it the guy said it would cost me $19 to have them fix their mistake. Um no, it will cost me nothing since your people can't read. I did it myself in the end.
And I"m pretty sure I went over in food this month too - I ended up eating out On Wed. Oct 14 - so I've negated my challenge for this month. It was exam day, some pretty heavy stuff went down at school (that was the day the officers were arresting the gentlemen and it made youtube - yes I go to UWO), I was nearly late for work, then was late for a client appointment - didn't feel well to begin with and then had to deal with the arrest RIGHT before writing my exam. Needless to say there was some junk food consumption happening and some sugary treats happening, and at the end of the day I'd eaten out three times in one day and blown my challenge. This is what put me over. I'll have the monthly update in two weeks though, so we'll see how bad the damage was then. I don't think it's too bad right now though.
On tap for this week - Chiro tonight, kickboxing tonight. I'm curling for someone tomorrow night, class on Wednesday, regular game on Thursday, get ready for Regionals on Friday and then actually play them on Saturday and Sunday. Particularly busy week this week, I'd say.
It's nearly 3pm adn I want to be done work already. I've had a case of the Mondays all day today.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
What to look for in a Debt Consolidation Service
Hi All! Today I have a guest post for you. If you are thinking about Debt Freedom and feel you need some help, checking into Debt Consolidators can be one step you might try. Please read this post, by Diana Perkins, as she has some good advice for what to look for in a debt consolidator.
Ladies and Gentlemen - Diana Perkins:
Title : What to Look For in a Debt Consolidation Service
Debt consolidation is a popular technique to attain debt freedom. Majority of the debt consolidation services providers essentially provide similar types of services. They either come with debt consolidation programs or debt consolidation loans. Nevertheless, a debt consolidation program or a debt consolidation loan offers plenty of flexibility to the consumers. These options are tailored in such a way so that they work for their best interest. A trustworthy debt consolidation service is one that understands that every consumer is unique and knows what their requirements are. This is one of the significant reasons why more and more people are opting for debt consolidation services.
The goal of the debt consolidation companies is to solve your debt problems through adopting means that make it simpler for you to pay down your debts. These services give you the opportunity to reduce your interest rates and monthly payments, eliminate over the limit fees and late fees and reduce your debt to a controllable level. Almost all of these services ask for a fee, but shopping around can help you locate the most suitable service at the most affordable rate. A debt consolidation company wishes to be competitive hence provides attractive deals on fees to draw consumers.
Benefits Offered By a Debt Consolidation Service
Debt consolidation comes with a slew of benefits. You can prevent creditor harassment. You just have one low payment to make every month that simplifies your budget. You can be debt free within a stipulated time frame rather than suffer from debt for the remaining part of your life. Your credit rating gets a boost. People struggling with debt can always get relief from this kind of services. But you must not forget to explore a company prior to making any commitment to them. Just ensure theyÃre reliable.
What Should You Look For in a Debt Consolidation Company
You must always be careful regarding working with a consolidation company. Check their background at the very beginning. Refer to the Better Business Bureau of their state. Talk to the consumer protection agency. See whether they are a for profit or non profit company. A non profit company does not always assure that they are dependable. There are various supervisory bodies that release company reviews. You should go through them. In this way, you can choose a company that is right for you.
so - for those who are wondering where to get started - this is a great thing to look into. Watch their costs, make sure you truly "date" your debt consolidator and choose the right option for you.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday recap
Spent half a day driving to Woodbridge to see a client and puck up a cheque.
Had Life insurance come from my account $12.37 and paid $1.89 for two donuts for C last night. Was trying for a no spend day - but forgot that the holidays mess up when things come from the account. On a side note - the $1.89 was paid for from the money I found laying about my car and thus was not from any of the budgeted money for the month.
Today I write an exam. I'm going for an 85% on this exam - as per one of my goals on the side. I'm hoping this is doable. The course does not post previous exams so I'm a little worried about what to expect, thought he professor did say to me after, given the field I'm in I shouldn't have an trouble with the exam and she's looking forward to my answers. Gosh no pressure!!
Alas, I will have something new this week - just not today!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Wonderfully Thankful Weekend
It is the end of the 3-day holiday weekend here. Thanksgiving is a time for family at my house - we gather at my mom's and cook out little butts off.
This year was wonderful and relaxing. C and I were able to enjoy our weekend in our new apartment, putting up pictures and retrieving more boxes to sort through. Saturday was a bit of trying day, but with all it was expected and accepted. I made my very first pumpkin pies on Friday evening and they turned out fantastically. Gramma and Mom were both impressed with it, dinner was scrumptious, and being able to enjoy my family with less stress this year was so wonderful. Today I was able to lounge, study, enjoy some friendly gaming with C and do most of the day in my pajama's. I truly cherish these days now, as someday i'd like to have children and understand it will be a loooooong time before I can enjoy these days again.
I hope you all had a great weekend. And I wish you all a prosperous and joyous year ahead. I have been so thankful for so many things this year, and truly truly thank each of you for touching my life in your own way.
To wrap up the weekend, I have had 3 no-spend days in a row! A lovely little addition to everything this weekend - oh - and thus far I have achieved 12 days of no-eating out!!
This year was wonderful and relaxing. C and I were able to enjoy our weekend in our new apartment, putting up pictures and retrieving more boxes to sort through. Saturday was a bit of trying day, but with all it was expected and accepted. I made my very first pumpkin pies on Friday evening and they turned out fantastically. Gramma and Mom were both impressed with it, dinner was scrumptious, and being able to enjoy my family with less stress this year was so wonderful. Today I was able to lounge, study, enjoy some friendly gaming with C and do most of the day in my pajama's. I truly cherish these days now, as someday i'd like to have children and understand it will be a loooooong time before I can enjoy these days again.
I hope you all had a great weekend. And I wish you all a prosperous and joyous year ahead. I have been so thankful for so many things this year, and truly truly thank each of you for touching my life in your own way.
To wrap up the weekend, I have had 3 no-spend days in a row! A lovely little addition to everything this weekend - oh - and thus far I have achieved 12 days of no-eating out!!
Friday, October 09, 2009
Giving Thanks
This weekend is the end of harvest celebration we, in Canada, call Thanksgiving. We celebrate it on a different day the the US - there's a history lesson here but I"m not going to get into that.
Thanks giving has always been a time of brilliant colours, plentiful harvest, and family time. Traditionally, or shall I say, when I was still living at home, we would go pick a bushel of apples, pick out the squash we want, gather some fresh farm veggies, a handful of flowers, and the brilliantly coloured fallen leaves from our and the neighbours Maple Trees. We'd find a farmer selling pie and carving pumpkins - yes there is a difference - and indulge in whatever other produce they had for offer. Sometimes we'd grab some brown eggs, and fresh milk too. We'd spend the afternoon of one day gathering and preparing the center piece for dinner the next day, and if we managed to everything in the morning, we'd bake and enjoy whatever football was offered.
Our family is very set in tradition - like it's tradition for us to pick apples, and visit the local farms for our food rather than the supermarket. It's tradition that we go for a walk in the neighbourhood to collect our center piece flora, that we rake the leaves, and we let the dogs run around at the local school field. This year we have no dogs, I officially don't live at home anymore, and won't be around to pick apples at the regular places. This year my grandparents are older and slowing down more, my mom is growing more tired and I'll be visiting my family for the day instead of spending the whole weekend at home.
This year I'll be bringing a contribution to dinner instead of being at the house to prepare the whole meal. There will be minimal baking, and probably minimal flora on the table. it is a transition year for us. Once that has been coming for a while now, and one that will see rooted new traditions, or lack of because next year I'll be hosting Thanksgiving instead.
We are thankful that we still have farmers we can go for our produce - though that won't last much longer - development has finally bought the land. We are thankful we are all healthy and able to make it to dinner. We are thankful we have been blessed to miss the brunt of the recession. We are thankful that my mom's illness is on a steady decline and she gets better and better each day. We are thankful my grandfather is still with us and that so far his illness has been in remission. I am thankful I have a close family, that my sister and I are best friends, and that we are still welcomed home like we never left. we will be more thankful if the carpet would arrive from New Zealand and we can have the house back in order. (my mom's, not mine). I am thankful for the small things I've seen and will see - the dogs playing, the squirrels playing, the leaves turning, the family I'll spend time with, the laughter that will be and the love that is.
What are you thankful for?
Thanks giving has always been a time of brilliant colours, plentiful harvest, and family time. Traditionally, or shall I say, when I was still living at home, we would go pick a bushel of apples, pick out the squash we want, gather some fresh farm veggies, a handful of flowers, and the brilliantly coloured fallen leaves from our and the neighbours Maple Trees. We'd find a farmer selling pie and carving pumpkins - yes there is a difference - and indulge in whatever other produce they had for offer. Sometimes we'd grab some brown eggs, and fresh milk too. We'd spend the afternoon of one day gathering and preparing the center piece for dinner the next day, and if we managed to everything in the morning, we'd bake and enjoy whatever football was offered.
Our family is very set in tradition - like it's tradition for us to pick apples, and visit the local farms for our food rather than the supermarket. It's tradition that we go for a walk in the neighbourhood to collect our center piece flora, that we rake the leaves, and we let the dogs run around at the local school field. This year we have no dogs, I officially don't live at home anymore, and won't be around to pick apples at the regular places. This year my grandparents are older and slowing down more, my mom is growing more tired and I'll be visiting my family for the day instead of spending the whole weekend at home.
This year I'll be bringing a contribution to dinner instead of being at the house to prepare the whole meal. There will be minimal baking, and probably minimal flora on the table. it is a transition year for us. Once that has been coming for a while now, and one that will see rooted new traditions, or lack of because next year I'll be hosting Thanksgiving instead.
We are thankful that we still have farmers we can go for our produce - though that won't last much longer - development has finally bought the land. We are thankful we are all healthy and able to make it to dinner. We are thankful we have been blessed to miss the brunt of the recession. We are thankful that my mom's illness is on a steady decline and she gets better and better each day. We are thankful my grandfather is still with us and that so far his illness has been in remission. I am thankful I have a close family, that my sister and I are best friends, and that we are still welcomed home like we never left. we will be more thankful if the carpet would arrive from New Zealand and we can have the house back in order. (my mom's, not mine). I am thankful for the small things I've seen and will see - the dogs playing, the squirrels playing, the leaves turning, the family I'll spend time with, the laughter that will be and the love that is.
What are you thankful for?
Christmas is Coming!!
Hi All!
It's Thanksgiving weekend so I"m starting to think of Christmas. Truthfully I'm a little late with my shopping. Heh. Today I'll be posting a couple of times I think. This post will actually speak to my financially minded people and how to best use your holidays and birthdays.
BACKGROUND
First this is obvious for some, but those of you out there who are struggling to have balance in life while paying off your debts may find this post helpful.
I grew up in a family that was considered middle class. We didn't have a lot of money, but we have a great family structure and my mom was very good at budgeting so we didn't ever notice too much that we didn't have a lot of extra money. From a very small age my mother got us on a system whereby, for any gift opportunity we were only ever allowed to ask for 3 items. At Birthdays this was fine because there were parties and fun to be had so we weren't paying so much attention to the gifts as we were the people attending the parties. Parents were thing 1, Grandparents were thing 2, Family members were thing 3. ( Felling a little bit like Dr. Seuss!) At christmas though, when you are young this poses are tremendous problem. 3 Things you could write Santa about in your letter....but what 3 things? My sister and I had different approaches on this. I would work, and fret all year long over my three things to write Santa about. Knowing that this decision was not one to be taken lightly, it often took me days to write the letter, as I would weigh the merit of each item and often determine that I wouldn't want the doll next year or that object the year after. These 3 things had to be something I truly didn't think I could be a kid without!
My sister would watch TV for a day, pay attention to the commercials and write down any old thing. being younger than I, she didn't see the purpose for the stress in figuring out the merit of each item and thus asked for whatever she saw.
My strategy often worked out well - as it had the added bonus of keeping two kids happy for a long long time. see the thing is my sister always felt that whatever I asked for was obviously a huge deal and thus probably something truly worth having, and she knew that being younger I'd have to share with her. She evidently had the strategy working in her favour. She'd let me ask for the great stuff and she'd get three additional things after that! Oh to be a younger sibling!
The point in my background is to give you a baseline for why I handle things the way I do today.
Plus we would always end up with a stocking stuffed with great things too - and more times than not THIS was the goldmine of wanted items you wondered how anyone knew about. Mom later told me it was from all the lists I had made when I was little - she'd use the leftovers to fill in the stocking and watch every year as I'd wonder how Santa could still end up bringing me something I always wanted but though unworthy of writing to him about. Mom's are the best!
My grandparents would send through gifts of play tickets for the family outing, savings bonds, hand-knit sweaters and the like. We'd get items from their worldy travels, things that instilled the family dynamic and togetherness or items that we'd save until we had children because of their quality, craftmenship or sheer difference of the item that we'd regret giving it away later. Truthfully as I look back on life now, those are the gifts I most remember.
As we grew up a bit - homemade items were part of the gifts we gave and received. It was important to have something homemade for everyone - the cost effectiveness of this was an added bonus, and truly left us in awe each year. We never saw how tight money was because we were spending time to make something rather than dollars to buy it. Schools are great sources for homemade gift ideas. I still have the angel I coloured in Kindergarden, and my mother and grandmother still put the ornaments out we made when we were young - pipecleaners, coloured construction paper and some crayons did the trick back then! Not to mention egg cartons and coloured tin foil and yarn. I can't tell you how many times our homemade bells are the talk of the evening during the holidays - they still look great! And the pride that comes with being able to say "I made that" each year is still the best!
PRESENT DAY
For a number of years now I've been fortunate enough to not really have a need for anything. In that I haven't had to use my gift opportunities to ask for things like kitchen ware, school books, help with bills or money to go to them, school clothes or anything else a kid would actually need. For a number of years I've been able to use these gift chances to give a list of items that I've always wanted but couldn't really bring myself to get. Mom asked me this year for my 30th birthday what I wanted. The only thing I truly wanted for this birthday - besides dinner at home - was a Royal Doulton Figurine with my name on it. I told her to tell the rest of the family - that everyone was to go together on it, because that's truly the only thing I've wanted for a long time, and 30 was the year for it I thought. I received a few other gifts this year too, but that was the only one I wanted (and truthfully, I'm having a hard time recalling the other gifts that came with it).
My point in all this, is for those of you working on your financial status, when people ask you what you want for Christmas or birthday or what you need. Use this time to fill in a much needed item, or a deeply desired one. Use this time to truly get that thing you haven't been able to justify purchasing on your own because of cost or whatever.
I can hear some of you know saying "that's taking advantage." I promise you it isn't. If the item is truly pricey, ask for a gift card to the place it comes from and put that away until you can fill in the rest of the needed money. Gift cards no longer have expiry dates so you can save them for longer now. My boyfriend C really wanted a router - when asked for his list, a gift certificate to put towards it purchase was top of the list. It took a little while but 2 years later he was able to take all the gift cards with him, and birthday/christmas money he was given and get himself that gift. Each person contributing knew that this was something he truly, deeply wanted and were all over the moon when he called them up to thank them for their part in him being able to get it. Their joy is often the added bonus in all this. You get something you truly need/want, and the people giving it know it's not something you are "just asking for because they bugged you". You stop unnecessary returns and regifting this way.
Have you always wanted a lovely pair of leather gloves for the winter because you can drive in with them, and they have the added bonus of not making you feel like you have kid mitt on? Great, ask your family to get them for you - then make sure that they understand you know that they are pricy and would love them to go together on the gift. Hosting a party and want to avoid that dreaded hostess regift gift? Let the people attending know that gifts aren't necessary, but if they still feel inclined, they could bring something to add to the dinner, or make a donation in your name to a local food bank, with the money they would have spent, or ask them to bring something that would benefit the household in some way - coasters, a tea cozy, a nice bottle opener. Aren't sure what to get that teacher and feel like you should get them something at the end of the year? Why not give her an experience instead - a complimentary service from your local Mary Kay person, a nice hand lotion or bubble bath - something completely consumable that won't get regifted.
What about the person "who has everything"? Why not send them on an experience?!! There's a play in town you thought they'd enjoy, a restaurant that you enjoy and have mentioned before - then send a gift card, are they outdoorsy - send them for a white water rafting adventure, to a tree-top hike, or to some local caves. These gifts show more that you know them as a person and understand their likes then that you spent *gasp* $75 dollars on a pot pourri set for them! I hate to tell you but that pot pourri set is going to be regifted. Better still, why not make them something. Homemade preserves, a wonderful lasagna recipe they enjoyed at your house, a tin of assorted cookies, ornaments for their tree, an angel tree topper, a lovely piece of art inspired by them, a stuffed animal, blanket or table dressing are all items that people love to get - because it was made by your blood, sweat and tears. It shows thoughtfulness, and is often more appreciated than a store bought gift.
Truly you have to get creative with gift ideas, understand that you are asking for things that you need and that will be used, that you truly deeply want and will charish, and that each time that person comes back and sees that their gift is being used, that they get a small welling of pride and love from you knowing that you truly do love it.
Nobody needs to know you can't afford something you are asking for. That's between you and the gate post. The only thing the person doing the giving needs to know is that you truly need/want that item, and will think of them each time you use it. THAT is the point of a gift. THAT is the point of giving. THAT is the point behind all of these things. We don't want to know that you secretly re-gifted that to someone else because it was hideous, or that you returned it for something you wanted/could use more. Nobody wants to know that you ended up donating it after 2 uses because it really wasn't what you wanted in the first place.
So this year - figure out what you can use most as a family, what you want most as a person, and what you've always always always wanted but never allowed yourself to get it. Ask for those things instead. Or, if you are like me - ask for an outing somewhere you'll enjoy. Like a play - that way you know you have an outing planned for sometime later - a double gift that one. Nice that someone else got it for you, and gives you a date night with your spouse later on in the year. Plus you'll have that memory around much longer than that purse you thought you couldn't live without sitting in the back of your closet, or that tool you already had four of but couldn't find and thought you'd lost only to find it in the abyss of a garage next spring when you finally clean it out!
Go for an experience, over a material item. Ask for something homemade that you can enjoy and make again and again. Or simply ask that that person come and spend time with you for the afternoon wandering around a small town, having great conversation and actually visiting. Be choosy on purpose this year. Be mindful of why you are actually asking for that item. Know yourself and truly think about what you want. Don't be afraid to make it know what you DO NOT want because you have 5 already. Enjoy the people and the experience more than the object. Or make this year the year that you do random acts of kindness because you truly know you don't need/want anything. Adopt and animal, support a favourite charity, give your time more than you give your money. But use your gift opportunities wisely.
Of note - this is the first year I gave my mom a list of stuff to NOT get me. Even in my stocking! Her reactions was, what will I fill your stocking with then. My response was one gift certificate, some hot chocolate and a magazine - though you can probably skip the magazine! Then she said, what does that leave me in terms of presents then? I said, send me to a play, a spa, the ROM, Science Center or something like that. Better yet, let's you and I go somewhere for a day or weekend, wander, window shop and spend some time together.
It's funny because I'm heading to her house for Thanksgiving, and taking a list of stuff I've found that she can do for me for Christmas - frame a wonderful butterfly poster I picked up at the Conservatory, get me admission to the Royal Botanical Gardens, take me out and help me pick out a nice pair of black slacks and age-appropriate white blouse, or a lovely pair of proper leather gloves lined for winter to go with my fancy winter coat. Or lets do Tea at the King Edward! Or lunch in St. Jacobs at the Stonecrock! Or head up to Deerhurst for a relaxation weekend in the summer. Or something that would be together time for us. What about a flower arranging course? Or cake baking course? Or a Hot Air balloon ride and champagne breakfast?
I am truly thankful that at the ripe-age of 30, I have reached a point in my life that I don't want for anything and I don't need anything. I'm got no room in my apartment to put anything else. I have boxes of stuff I need to use up from all these years of getting the same old thing. I have more pj's than one person should ever have, and more clothes and shoes than any woman needs. What I don't have right now is time to spend with family experiencing life. i have weekends when I go visit but we often just spend it talking, watching a movie and not really doing anything. I'd love to start having experiences I've always wanted to do and have them be a part of that. This year I want it to be less about what I "got" and more about what I "did"/will be doing.
Have a great weekend everyone - and have a thought or two about this.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Happiness is...
...when you come home early from class in London to find that your bf has done the grocery shop for this week - and unless you really need something you don't have to add to it!!
Happiness is also:
1) having a great conversation with a good friend over a tasty chicken dinner
2) watching a new puppy learn for the first time that he must sit and wait for traffic at a crosswalk
3) watching squirrels play tag all over lawns dotted with turning leaves
4) realizing when you get to class after driving all that way, that you only have one hour and can then ask all the questions you have before the exam next week
5) watching a new environmental person really latch onto wanting to do something about the current state of things
6) a tasty apple spice loaf modified from an Amisch Friendship bread recipe that is so tasty you can't stop eating it
7) a long hug that says I'm so happy you are finally home and I can stop worrying about you, I love you, and I missed you all at once.
These are the things that I was blessed with seeing yesterday on my way to and from class last night. I'm so glad I took my time getting there!
Also today is PAY DAY!! I opened my check this morning, took a quick look at the expense checks included, and glanced at my paycheck...then did a double take!
Wait a second!! that's more than it should be....hrmmm.
After careful inspection I have found the following changes...
CPP contribution is the same
EI contribution is $13.40 LESS than usual
Tax contribution is $1.39 MORE than usual
The total result is I have $12.01 MORE than usual on my take-home pay this time. Now I know that this happens usually around this time every year, but I still have yet to figure out why these change now and what the payroll/accounting clerk is doing the rest of the year that causes this to change!
Apparently I'm approaching my max-out level on my EI for the year so it's been recalculated to reflect the remaining space I have left. I''m told I'll get to the same place with my CPP soon as well. It's a nice little treat at the end of year coming into Christmas time, and will help with the Christmas fund building - or the debt snowflaking. The problem, as the partners pointed out, is that you get used to seeing this new number and at the start of the next year, you start again with the original number you had.
Basically what this amounts to is that when I go to deposit my check today I'll have to make sure to move the extra money on the check to a jar for Christmas. If I leave it in the account I'll find something mysterious to spend it on and we don't want that. Also, the expense checks I have been reimbursed for will have to go somewhere also - one will be funding my Medical jar for the month, as well as give a sizable contribution to the Christmas fund. The other will pay for the oil change and maintenance package I need to get done this weekend. I know I have some serious traveling to do this month for work as well, so that mileage check will be a nice addition to the Christmas fund too.
At the end of the year I know I have an extra check coming, as well as Christmas bonus. I am FOR SURE dropping the bonus onto the debt as an extra payment, but the extra paycheck I want to use as a buffer in the account to help me get to my account minimum so I can stop paying service fees - and be able to remove the overdraft protection I have on the account.
A word on the overdraft I have. It is equal to slightly more than one months' rent and has been in place as a "just in case" measure since my college days. It got me through with peace of mind that in case the paychecks don't overlap correctly I have the rent money in "emergency" to make sure it's paid. When I started working full time it also helped when I actually had an emergency and need to stress my budget out large.
Now it's been a personal unwritten goal of both mine and C's, to stay out of the overdraft until the end of the year, when we will be removing that protection from our accounts. No more fake emergency funds!!
Today will be a spend day - Gas, jar money, debt payment, Shopper's Drug Mart for kleenex and toilet tissue, and allergy drugs. I think there is something else I'm missing to - I'll figure it out.
Yesterday was a no spend day!
Happiness is also:
1) having a great conversation with a good friend over a tasty chicken dinner
2) watching a new puppy learn for the first time that he must sit and wait for traffic at a crosswalk
3) watching squirrels play tag all over lawns dotted with turning leaves
4) realizing when you get to class after driving all that way, that you only have one hour and can then ask all the questions you have before the exam next week
5) watching a new environmental person really latch onto wanting to do something about the current state of things
6) a tasty apple spice loaf modified from an Amisch Friendship bread recipe that is so tasty you can't stop eating it
7) a long hug that says I'm so happy you are finally home and I can stop worrying about you, I love you, and I missed you all at once.
These are the things that I was blessed with seeing yesterday on my way to and from class last night. I'm so glad I took my time getting there!
Also today is PAY DAY!! I opened my check this morning, took a quick look at the expense checks included, and glanced at my paycheck...then did a double take!
Wait a second!! that's more than it should be....hrmmm.
After careful inspection I have found the following changes...
CPP contribution is the same
EI contribution is $13.40 LESS than usual
Tax contribution is $1.39 MORE than usual
The total result is I have $12.01 MORE than usual on my take-home pay this time. Now I know that this happens usually around this time every year, but I still have yet to figure out why these change now and what the payroll/accounting clerk is doing the rest of the year that causes this to change!
Apparently I'm approaching my max-out level on my EI for the year so it's been recalculated to reflect the remaining space I have left. I''m told I'll get to the same place with my CPP soon as well. It's a nice little treat at the end of year coming into Christmas time, and will help with the Christmas fund building - or the debt snowflaking. The problem, as the partners pointed out, is that you get used to seeing this new number and at the start of the next year, you start again with the original number you had.
Basically what this amounts to is that when I go to deposit my check today I'll have to make sure to move the extra money on the check to a jar for Christmas. If I leave it in the account I'll find something mysterious to spend it on and we don't want that. Also, the expense checks I have been reimbursed for will have to go somewhere also - one will be funding my Medical jar for the month, as well as give a sizable contribution to the Christmas fund. The other will pay for the oil change and maintenance package I need to get done this weekend. I know I have some serious traveling to do this month for work as well, so that mileage check will be a nice addition to the Christmas fund too.
At the end of the year I know I have an extra check coming, as well as Christmas bonus. I am FOR SURE dropping the bonus onto the debt as an extra payment, but the extra paycheck I want to use as a buffer in the account to help me get to my account minimum so I can stop paying service fees - and be able to remove the overdraft protection I have on the account.
A word on the overdraft I have. It is equal to slightly more than one months' rent and has been in place as a "just in case" measure since my college days. It got me through with peace of mind that in case the paychecks don't overlap correctly I have the rent money in "emergency" to make sure it's paid. When I started working full time it also helped when I actually had an emergency and need to stress my budget out large.
Now it's been a personal unwritten goal of both mine and C's, to stay out of the overdraft until the end of the year, when we will be removing that protection from our accounts. No more fake emergency funds!!
Today will be a spend day - Gas, jar money, debt payment, Shopper's Drug Mart for kleenex and toilet tissue, and allergy drugs. I think there is something else I'm missing to - I'll figure it out.
Yesterday was a no spend day!
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Safety first!
Alrighty! A few things to clean up first - yesterday was a no-spend day. I managed 3 of the five goals from yesterday, and one I didn't even list - I went through my files (all of them) and organized and filed in one place everything I had in three previously. That managed to remove one ore box of items from the apartment, and build one heck of a burn pile. C also worked on his stuff too - I think we have a burn box now! We still have a pile of boxed things to get through, but most of it is waiting for the storage units to get built. I can handle this because I know once those are assembled and brought home, we'll be very nearly completely box free! (I have 3 boxes of overflow, miscellaneous stuff, extra bath and beauty products and miscellaneous stuff I have no idea what yet to do with in my closet - If I have touched anything in those boxes by Christmas I'll be donating the items.
Today is Wednesday.
Today I'd like to talk about the apartment check list every new renter should be checking.
This stems from what we found when we moved into our place.
1. Before you rent, check all faucets to see what their condition is, if they work, how they work, and for any leaks.
We checked this and were told that the kitchen sink had been leaking and it was being replaced before we moved in. We found though that the bathroom faucet leaked a bit, that it had not been chalked and that the tiles near the tub were hap-hazardly replaced. we made sure this was noted on our inspection sheet for later when they fall off again.
2. Check that all light switches work.
This is difficult if there aren't lights plugged into everything but keep a list once you get things plugged in. Our unit has had nearly all the light switch plates and electrical plates replaced since move-in because of faulty, scary things happening.
3. If your unit has a fuse panel that controls your unit only, check that the fuses are the correct type in the panel.
Ours was painted shut by the painters. We asked the super to open it for us, and we found that he had not checked the panel prior to move in. 15amp panel actually had 20amp fuses plugged in. These were replaced - and we are waiting for a rebate cheque on our cost to do so.
4. Check all existing light fixtures to ensure the correct bulbs are in them.
For those of you at home you should be doing this too. All of our fixtures said maximum 60 watt bulbs on them, and we found 100 and 120 watt bulbs in them. This along with the above can lead to an electrical issue later that your insurance company won't cover you for. They won't cover you because of your inability to correctly read the safety stickers on the fixtures and have overloaded them.
5. Open all the closets, cupboards, doors etc. to every place in your unit and check things out.
We found a space between the bathroom cupboard and the wall, on the inside of the cupboard where many an interesting item had fallen from the last tenants that the super had neglected to check. We left him all the goodies before move-in so he could see what was there. We also found items from the trades he had hired to freshen the unit down there. And in the kitchen found a nearly unusable cupboard because the bottom had bowed and rotted. We'll be replacing this ourselves, since it'll take a few months for the super to get authorization for it. Sometimes it's just easier too.
6. Go over your place with a fine toothed comb once you've taken possession of it, make a list and copy the super on it. Often you find more issues than were originally there.
Our flooring is coming loose due to the type and the weather - we now have many a tile we can pick up and throw around the room. We were told there were only one or two tiles loose. We've found 14 already and we are still finding them. We'll be putting in for next year, new flooring in the bedrooms and hall.
7. If any work is being done prior to your move-in make sure nothing is damaged after that work.
Adding carpet to our front hall resulted in the installers breaking the track of the hall closet. Also when they replaced the carpet in the main room, they fed it up into the heater and didn't bother cutting it off. We've since done that and cleaned out the heaters in the entire place.
8. Wash the windows and vacuum out the heaters in your place.
Tedious work, but gives you more sunlight, ensures when you turn those heaters on in the winter you don't get dusty smell, and scrubs off the previous tenant.
9. Make sure you get all the keys to storage rooms, and make sure you know where you storage room is - most places come with these now.
10. Check to make sure you appliances are working.
Seems obvious, but often can't be fully inspected until you have something cooking in the oven, or cooling in the fridge.
11. Know your emergency escape routes, and make a plan if you haven't got one.
Comes in handy if the lights ever go out.
12. Invest in a few more smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector.
The one we had in the unit was working fine. We've added 2 more of different types to be sure we capture any possibility. Photoionization for the kitchen - picks up flame and not smoke that could come from toaster or general cooking activities, and 2 smoke detectors in addition to the one that is required in the unit. These have gone close to the bedroom, outside the kitchen, at the place where the front hall meets the living room. We have yet to get our carbon monoxide detector but it will be purchased this month. We may get two - one for the bedroom, one for the living room.
13. Start Apartment Therapy right away. This is the act of actually making your space reflect you.
Check on the painting policy in you building. Purge what you haven't used in over 3 years - or less if you see fit. Decorate to make the space reflect you and make it zen for living. This is the fun part!
14. Lastly, take a look at each fixture to make sure it is connect correctly.
Often it isn't an electrician who has hooked these up but a superintendent or property manager who may not have read the instructions carefully, or thought they knew what they were doing. Check them all to make sure there aren't any issues or any kind - like extra unattached wiring, the type of wiring you have in the place - outlets meant for copper wiring will give you an electrical fire with aluminum wiring.
Some of you may be saying, well that's pretty standard when you move in to a place, but believe me when I tell you this isn't always the case. We've already had some interesting issues in our place and have only been there a month. We changed the fixture in the dining area to a chandelier that I fell in love with. Upon removing the existing fixture we found out what type of wiring we had, that the person who had put up the existing fixture had done so incorrectly leaving us with an interesting yet scary black circle on the ceiling from the heat of the incorrectly attached fixture. We also found that we had to replace an outlet and switch because it was meant for copper wiring and we have aluminum. Our bath tub faucet has not bee caulked and there is a water leak that has been going on for some time back there behind some tiles. Fine for now, but notes were made that when the unit below starts experiencing a leaky ceiling, it isn't from our current use.
Ladies, I suggest you learn a bit about electrical. Perhaps not how to install or change out a light fixture, but if you have a handy guy, get him to show you what is behind (under) it so you can know what shouldn't be there. Also get him to explain why you have to use one kind of meret over another. it's based on the wiring you have. and you can use a screwdriver to take of the electrical plate covers and check to see what they say. We found the aluminum wiring in the ceiling from the chandelier change, and then checked the boxes on all the rest to make sure they were right. they say right on them stamp moulded right in the plastic, for copper wiring or for aluminum wiring. It was a pretty neat thing to be able to know enough to do.
And yes you do have to check each one. those people doing the maintenance want to get in and out as fast as they can and a lot of stuff slips through because no one watches them do everything. In the end we've spent a bit to update some things in our unit, but in doing so have become safer for it!
Gentlemen, if you are handy, give your lady a lesson on some of these things. If you aren't this is a great exercise for you to do. Find a friend who is electrically inclined to come for an afternoon to explain some of these things if you aren't sure. All in all this is an important weekend chore that should be done at move in or there abouts, but can be done anytime if it hasn't already.
Today is Wednesday.
Today I'd like to talk about the apartment check list every new renter should be checking.
This stems from what we found when we moved into our place.
1. Before you rent, check all faucets to see what their condition is, if they work, how they work, and for any leaks.
We checked this and were told that the kitchen sink had been leaking and it was being replaced before we moved in. We found though that the bathroom faucet leaked a bit, that it had not been chalked and that the tiles near the tub were hap-hazardly replaced. we made sure this was noted on our inspection sheet for later when they fall off again.
2. Check that all light switches work.
This is difficult if there aren't lights plugged into everything but keep a list once you get things plugged in. Our unit has had nearly all the light switch plates and electrical plates replaced since move-in because of faulty, scary things happening.
3. If your unit has a fuse panel that controls your unit only, check that the fuses are the correct type in the panel.
Ours was painted shut by the painters. We asked the super to open it for us, and we found that he had not checked the panel prior to move in. 15amp panel actually had 20amp fuses plugged in. These were replaced - and we are waiting for a rebate cheque on our cost to do so.
4. Check all existing light fixtures to ensure the correct bulbs are in them.
For those of you at home you should be doing this too. All of our fixtures said maximum 60 watt bulbs on them, and we found 100 and 120 watt bulbs in them. This along with the above can lead to an electrical issue later that your insurance company won't cover you for. They won't cover you because of your inability to correctly read the safety stickers on the fixtures and have overloaded them.
5. Open all the closets, cupboards, doors etc. to every place in your unit and check things out.
We found a space between the bathroom cupboard and the wall, on the inside of the cupboard where many an interesting item had fallen from the last tenants that the super had neglected to check. We left him all the goodies before move-in so he could see what was there. We also found items from the trades he had hired to freshen the unit down there. And in the kitchen found a nearly unusable cupboard because the bottom had bowed and rotted. We'll be replacing this ourselves, since it'll take a few months for the super to get authorization for it. Sometimes it's just easier too.
6. Go over your place with a fine toothed comb once you've taken possession of it, make a list and copy the super on it. Often you find more issues than were originally there.
Our flooring is coming loose due to the type and the weather - we now have many a tile we can pick up and throw around the room. We were told there were only one or two tiles loose. We've found 14 already and we are still finding them. We'll be putting in for next year, new flooring in the bedrooms and hall.
7. If any work is being done prior to your move-in make sure nothing is damaged after that work.
Adding carpet to our front hall resulted in the installers breaking the track of the hall closet. Also when they replaced the carpet in the main room, they fed it up into the heater and didn't bother cutting it off. We've since done that and cleaned out the heaters in the entire place.
8. Wash the windows and vacuum out the heaters in your place.
Tedious work, but gives you more sunlight, ensures when you turn those heaters on in the winter you don't get dusty smell, and scrubs off the previous tenant.
9. Make sure you get all the keys to storage rooms, and make sure you know where you storage room is - most places come with these now.
10. Check to make sure you appliances are working.
Seems obvious, but often can't be fully inspected until you have something cooking in the oven, or cooling in the fridge.
11. Know your emergency escape routes, and make a plan if you haven't got one.
Comes in handy if the lights ever go out.
12. Invest in a few more smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector.
The one we had in the unit was working fine. We've added 2 more of different types to be sure we capture any possibility. Photoionization for the kitchen - picks up flame and not smoke that could come from toaster or general cooking activities, and 2 smoke detectors in addition to the one that is required in the unit. These have gone close to the bedroom, outside the kitchen, at the place where the front hall meets the living room. We have yet to get our carbon monoxide detector but it will be purchased this month. We may get two - one for the bedroom, one for the living room.
13. Start Apartment Therapy right away. This is the act of actually making your space reflect you.
Check on the painting policy in you building. Purge what you haven't used in over 3 years - or less if you see fit. Decorate to make the space reflect you and make it zen for living. This is the fun part!
14. Lastly, take a look at each fixture to make sure it is connect correctly.
Often it isn't an electrician who has hooked these up but a superintendent or property manager who may not have read the instructions carefully, or thought they knew what they were doing. Check them all to make sure there aren't any issues or any kind - like extra unattached wiring, the type of wiring you have in the place - outlets meant for copper wiring will give you an electrical fire with aluminum wiring.
Some of you may be saying, well that's pretty standard when you move in to a place, but believe me when I tell you this isn't always the case. We've already had some interesting issues in our place and have only been there a month. We changed the fixture in the dining area to a chandelier that I fell in love with. Upon removing the existing fixture we found out what type of wiring we had, that the person who had put up the existing fixture had done so incorrectly leaving us with an interesting yet scary black circle on the ceiling from the heat of the incorrectly attached fixture. We also found that we had to replace an outlet and switch because it was meant for copper wiring and we have aluminum. Our bath tub faucet has not bee caulked and there is a water leak that has been going on for some time back there behind some tiles. Fine for now, but notes were made that when the unit below starts experiencing a leaky ceiling, it isn't from our current use.
Ladies, I suggest you learn a bit about electrical. Perhaps not how to install or change out a light fixture, but if you have a handy guy, get him to show you what is behind (under) it so you can know what shouldn't be there. Also get him to explain why you have to use one kind of meret over another. it's based on the wiring you have. and you can use a screwdriver to take of the electrical plate covers and check to see what they say. We found the aluminum wiring in the ceiling from the chandelier change, and then checked the boxes on all the rest to make sure they were right. they say right on them stamp moulded right in the plastic, for copper wiring or for aluminum wiring. It was a pretty neat thing to be able to know enough to do.
And yes you do have to check each one. those people doing the maintenance want to get in and out as fast as they can and a lot of stuff slips through because no one watches them do everything. In the end we've spent a bit to update some things in our unit, but in doing so have become safer for it!
Gentlemen, if you are handy, give your lady a lesson on some of these things. If you aren't this is a great exercise for you to do. Find a friend who is electrically inclined to come for an afternoon to explain some of these things if you aren't sure. All in all this is an important weekend chore that should be done at move in or there abouts, but can be done anytime if it hasn't already.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Remiss in my no-spend days
Ah-ha! I've forgotten something as we go along here! and I've checked all accounts to make sure - I'm up to 9 no-spend days so far! That's just over a quarter ways to my goal of 32 no-spend days. Today I'm determined to have another no spend day.
For those of you who are wondering - I'm only counting days when no money moves anywhere. That means that days I have automatic withdrawls coming out don't count for me. Otherwise I'd be much closer to this goal than I had thought. 9 complete no spend days is good, but not great.
I can improve these by making sure I have tagged the posts. I can also help myself by carrying a list of when each automatic withdrawl is made, and coordinating things like gas and groceries to a day when money is moving anyways.
My list looks like this:
Rent = 1st
TD Life = 10th
Unity Life = 15th
Savings = 15th
Car Insurance = 23rd
RRSP = last day (this gets tricky as the payments get shifted to the next available business day)
Savings = last day (same as above)
Debt Repayment 1 = First paycheck
Debt Repayment 2 = second paycheck
Jar money comes out on payday(s)
This leaves Telus and Rogers - both have due dates but I pay those on the closest payday to the payment being due. So those are already shifted.
I'm not sure I can work it to have everything going on in my life land on one of those 6 days, but it'll be an interesting experiment to try. I think this will help me with the spending overall as well - and have an added bonus of money still in the jars at the end of each month?
An average month has 30 days in it. If I know that 6 of them will definitely be spend days, that leaves me with 24 potential no-spend days per month. I have chiropractors appointments on mondays when I make them - so that's one more day I can spend. I know I need a bit of a life, and to have some fun and what not, but I think it would be interesting to see if I can stick to the days I already have money moving and truly maximize this no-spend thing to MY fullest potential. So I have a potential of having 10 spend days per month. That leaves me with approximately 20 days I could potentially not spend anything. So I think the maximum I can have in one month is 20 no-spend days. My goal right now is to make 32 before the end of the year. I have 9 so far. Sept 8 is when I started, December 31 is when I'm to finish. This is a total of 113 days. My goal is just shy of 30% of the total number of days remaining in the year on the day I started (113).
This will be a very interesting study into myself to see if I can stick to my plan of only spending on days when money is already moving.
For those of you who are wondering - I'm only counting days when no money moves anywhere. That means that days I have automatic withdrawls coming out don't count for me. Otherwise I'd be much closer to this goal than I had thought. 9 complete no spend days is good, but not great.
I can improve these by making sure I have tagged the posts. I can also help myself by carrying a list of when each automatic withdrawl is made, and coordinating things like gas and groceries to a day when money is moving anyways.
My list looks like this:
Rent = 1st
TD Life = 10th
Unity Life = 15th
Savings = 15th
Car Insurance = 23rd
RRSP = last day (this gets tricky as the payments get shifted to the next available business day)
Savings = last day (same as above)
Debt Repayment 1 = First paycheck
Debt Repayment 2 = second paycheck
Jar money comes out on payday(s)
This leaves Telus and Rogers - both have due dates but I pay those on the closest payday to the payment being due. So those are already shifted.
I'm not sure I can work it to have everything going on in my life land on one of those 6 days, but it'll be an interesting experiment to try. I think this will help me with the spending overall as well - and have an added bonus of money still in the jars at the end of each month?
An average month has 30 days in it. If I know that 6 of them will definitely be spend days, that leaves me with 24 potential no-spend days per month. I have chiropractors appointments on mondays when I make them - so that's one more day I can spend. I know I need a bit of a life, and to have some fun and what not, but I think it would be interesting to see if I can stick to the days I already have money moving and truly maximize this no-spend thing to MY fullest potential. So I have a potential of having 10 spend days per month. That leaves me with approximately 20 days I could potentially not spend anything. So I think the maximum I can have in one month is 20 no-spend days. My goal right now is to make 32 before the end of the year. I have 9 so far. Sept 8 is when I started, December 31 is when I'm to finish. This is a total of 113 days. My goal is just shy of 30% of the total number of days remaining in the year on the day I started (113).
This will be a very interesting study into myself to see if I can stick to my plan of only spending on days when money is already moving.
Tuesday's are together days
Briefly, yesterday was a no-spend day.
Tuesday's, unless I have a Gail Club Meeting, are the evening that C and I plan to sit down together and just be. There is a TV series that airs on Tuesdays that we both really love, and I usually cook something tasty for dinner on Tuesdays. It's a night that we enjoy each other's company, discuss the nuiances of N.C.I.S team and how the show is giving some humour back to it's dynamic, and we sit down to discuss what we'd like to do in the apartment, what needs to get done versus what we want to get done, how we'd like it to look, and tackle something else from our project corner.
Since moving into the place at the beginning of last month we've tackled quite a few little projects that you don't really plan for. Coming soon I'll be posting a checklist for new tenants, and current tenants, to take with them when looking at a place to buy/rent/live. I've been in an apartment before and these weren't things that we even considered back then, ,but now I think everyone should take some time to make sure of. These can even translate into things in your own house to look for and become familiar with. I'll probably post that sometime this weekend, as we get three days of weekend due to Thanksgiving, and I'll have some time to really flesh-out the important points and be concise.
This week is shaping up to be calm, yet hectic. I have an exam next wednesday that I need to start studying for this evening. I"ll use my lunch hour to go through some of the residual readings I have left for this one - I think there's only one but I'll have to check my list. I usually have about 2 hours of "me" time after work before C gets home so this will be a great time to start this process and continue the notes I've been making.
Today's To Do list looks like this though...
1. Dishes
2. Study Notes on Readings
3. Sort through MK binders and purge that which I have not looked at in the past year(s)
4. Decide where to hang some of the Art/Pictures I have
5. Hang at least two pieces
This sounds like a lot of stuff to do and study and watch N.C.I.S. but we are pretty good at using our time effectively - those commercial breaks are enough to get up, hold something to a wall and decide. I've also got something for my Christmas list this year!
I'll do another post about Christmas either today if I decide or this week definitely. Those of you who read Gail's blog may have noticed a response a while ago (I"ll reference it in the next post) about what happens at Christmas in my family and about this year. I'd like to elaborate on it, with regards to the financial side of things and the reasoning behind how I work those things now.
I wish you a Merry Tuesday Everyone!
Tuesday's, unless I have a Gail Club Meeting, are the evening that C and I plan to sit down together and just be. There is a TV series that airs on Tuesdays that we both really love, and I usually cook something tasty for dinner on Tuesdays. It's a night that we enjoy each other's company, discuss the nuiances of N.C.I.S team and how the show is giving some humour back to it's dynamic, and we sit down to discuss what we'd like to do in the apartment, what needs to get done versus what we want to get done, how we'd like it to look, and tackle something else from our project corner.
Since moving into the place at the beginning of last month we've tackled quite a few little projects that you don't really plan for. Coming soon I'll be posting a checklist for new tenants, and current tenants, to take with them when looking at a place to buy/rent/live. I've been in an apartment before and these weren't things that we even considered back then, ,but now I think everyone should take some time to make sure of. These can even translate into things in your own house to look for and become familiar with. I'll probably post that sometime this weekend, as we get three days of weekend due to Thanksgiving, and I'll have some time to really flesh-out the important points and be concise.
This week is shaping up to be calm, yet hectic. I have an exam next wednesday that I need to start studying for this evening. I"ll use my lunch hour to go through some of the residual readings I have left for this one - I think there's only one but I'll have to check my list. I usually have about 2 hours of "me" time after work before C gets home so this will be a great time to start this process and continue the notes I've been making.
Today's To Do list looks like this though...
1. Dishes
2. Study Notes on Readings
3. Sort through MK binders and purge that which I have not looked at in the past year(s)
4. Decide where to hang some of the Art/Pictures I have
5. Hang at least two pieces
This sounds like a lot of stuff to do and study and watch N.C.I.S. but we are pretty good at using our time effectively - those commercial breaks are enough to get up, hold something to a wall and decide. I've also got something for my Christmas list this year!
I'll do another post about Christmas either today if I decide or this week definitely. Those of you who read Gail's blog may have noticed a response a while ago (I"ll reference it in the next post) about what happens at Christmas in my family and about this year. I'd like to elaborate on it, with regards to the financial side of things and the reasoning behind how I work those things now.
I wish you a Merry Tuesday Everyone!
Monday, October 05, 2009
October 5th Update on goals
A few days ago I posted my goals for the MOnth but neglected to transfer those to my goals listed on the side. I'll have to do this.
An update on everything. It's been 5 days and I have yet to eat Out. Out for me is any regular place we could all potential walk into. it does not include my mom's house, or anyone else's for that matter where in I am asked to enjoy a meal. =) it's been five days so far - I have about 26 to go though.
Also I've started Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. I'll probably read some more this evening.
And I'll be updating my side section to include the goals for this month and the progress I make on them.
An update on everything. It's been 5 days and I have yet to eat Out. Out for me is any regular place we could all potential walk into. it does not include my mom's house, or anyone else's for that matter where in I am asked to enjoy a meal. =) it's been five days so far - I have about 26 to go though.
Also I've started Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. I'll probably read some more this evening.
And I'll be updating my side section to include the goals for this month and the progress I make on them.
No-Spend Day Sunday
So this weekend was nice all-round. Had a great afternoon on Saturday! The drive home was nice and calm. The drive there, was definitely at speeds I care not divulge, so we weren't too late, and started off with me taking what I thought was a shortcut, only to find out I missed the turn and took the long way - 15 minutes late to start. Then there's an accident on the only route I know to get to where we are supposed to be. We called the place we were headed to give them some heads up as to the situation - about a half hour before appointment to let them know we'd be there at between 2:15 and 2:30 and they freaked out that they'd been at work since 7:30am and that we'd have to reschedule if that was the case, and the woman has a son at home who can't be alone that long, and all kinds of other stuff. What they had neglected to say when I booked the appointment was that 2pm was the last appointment they take and then the place closes as soon as that person has arrived. Should have mentioned that when I asked about 3pm the first time, and then moved it back to 2pm. Nobody mentioned they close then. Otherwise we'd have changed how the weekend started and the plans to go along with that!
Needless to say there were speeds I care not to divulge happening after that, and we got to the place at 2:04pm. Everything after this went smoothly and the afternoon turned into quite a lovely one. I drove home at about 2 over the acceptable limit because of the harry drive there. and allowed everyone to pass me by!
Sunday I spent with C doing chores at the apartment. Dishes, cleaning the bathroom - scrubbing the tiles and cleaning up my hair, cleaning and vacuuming the bedrooms, cleaning out the heating vents in the living room, and vacuuming everything. I dusted it all also. We changed the fixtures in the hall to nice ones form the 70's retro ones that were there - 2/$18 was a great deal! the wall plates have been changed out so the switches now work instead of buzzing and clicking when we turn lights on! We even set up our wireless stuff from Rogers and have wireless running my laptop, the computer and the Wii! WEEEE!! At about 3pm I left to go to mom's house to grab the remaining items I'd left there, and go through some of my children's stuff that I'm not taking as yet (when we have kids I'll get that stuff, not until!). It was a pretty busy weekend in terms of working around the house and stuff, but a great one all around because now we both feel like it's neat and tidy and we can invite people over feeling proud of our place. Just don't look in the spare bedroom!
We'll set out the projects we have left to tackle - like the book case, the microwave stand, the DVD/CD stand and the stereo cabinet. Once these are complete we'll be able to take-back our spare bedroom and FINALLY empty the remaining boxes.
Sunday was a no spend day. Saturday was a $20 day! Not a bad afternoon I'd say!!
Needless to say there were speeds I care not to divulge happening after that, and we got to the place at 2:04pm. Everything after this went smoothly and the afternoon turned into quite a lovely one. I drove home at about 2 over the acceptable limit because of the harry drive there. and allowed everyone to pass me by!
Sunday I spent with C doing chores at the apartment. Dishes, cleaning the bathroom - scrubbing the tiles and cleaning up my hair, cleaning and vacuuming the bedrooms, cleaning out the heating vents in the living room, and vacuuming everything. I dusted it all also. We changed the fixtures in the hall to nice ones form the 70's retro ones that were there - 2/$18 was a great deal! the wall plates have been changed out so the switches now work instead of buzzing and clicking when we turn lights on! We even set up our wireless stuff from Rogers and have wireless running my laptop, the computer and the Wii! WEEEE!! At about 3pm I left to go to mom's house to grab the remaining items I'd left there, and go through some of my children's stuff that I'm not taking as yet (when we have kids I'll get that stuff, not until!). It was a pretty busy weekend in terms of working around the house and stuff, but a great one all around because now we both feel like it's neat and tidy and we can invite people over feeling proud of our place. Just don't look in the spare bedroom!
We'll set out the projects we have left to tackle - like the book case, the microwave stand, the DVD/CD stand and the stereo cabinet. Once these are complete we'll be able to take-back our spare bedroom and FINALLY empty the remaining boxes.
Sunday was a no spend day. Saturday was a $20 day! Not a bad afternoon I'd say!!
A Reflexion on Times gone By
After reading some excellent posts on lower incomes from Canadian Savings and others, it got me thinking to times gone by.
When I was in school I was one of those students who had to work. My parents split when I was 15, and my father weaseled out of a clause in the divorce agreement that effectively meant that we saw no help from him even through post-secondary school.
That being said, I worked hard for the things I had when I was younger. My parents, when they were together, didn't have a lot of money. Mom always had a stable job, but Dad was a wanderer. My mom started teaching us early - more for necessity than anything I think, about how to handle our money. We started delivering the Pennysaver, and saved all that money in our cool little OWL accounts from a local bank. We thought we were pretty grown up back then. It gave my mom an out when we asked for something that she couldn't afford to give us by saying, you may purchase it with your own money. See the thing was we like the numbers getting bigger in our accounts but thought it abominable when we had to take the money out. Needless to say we didn't end up with a lot of those "Mom can we have..." items. When I was 10 I started filling in for a friend on his paper route, making $40 per day i filled in. I thought that was HUGE money back then. The next summer because of the experience I had, I was able to pick up my own paper route, fill in for his when he was away and start really pulling in the cash (so I thought).
That paper route was an amazing thing! I was able to pay for a band trip to New York City in Grade 8, the trips to the plays during school, a stay at Fort York, my school clothes and a smattering of items I've long forgotten. I was the only 13 year old to pay for their trip and spending money entirely by themselves (truth of it was my parents couldn't afford for me to go if they paid) it felt great. I saved a ton from that route, that later helped pay for my University First Year.
In Grade 10, I landed my first "real" part-time job, and passed the paper routes over to my sister to help her do the same thing. that part-time job paid for band trips to Florida and a bunch of other things, I saved and saved for school, added two more part time jobs my last year at high school to ramp up what I had saved for University and to take care of whatever I could need for school in the mean time. Basically paying for most of everything on my own. This really helped mom out since money got really tight around then. After being accepted to University, my mom and I sat down with all my savings, my accounts and all the school bills to figure out how much I had managed to put together. The amount covered my residence fees, meal plan, almost all of the tuition, and some money for books. We had applied to OSAP and gotten a full ride that year, $9,000 was a full ride then. So I was able to leave some of the savings in their vehicles until the next year, because I paid all of tuition from the first installment of OSAP.
Mom had a rule though - no matter what they give you, 1/5 of it gets saved for later. In that I can't spend it all that year.
Okie dokie mom! You are still the boss! Needless to say that first year I saw more money than I knew what to do with come and go, my bank account looked better than it ever had for a while, and I opened savings bonds and GIC's with the 1/5 of the OSAP money I had been given. That year went by really nicely, I still had money on my meal plan that I got back $250, I sold some books by the end of that summer at the book store and at the residence sale ($600 in total) so I was recovering costs nicely.
the second year when I didn't live in Res was the first time I had to do it all alone. Got OSAP again, left a bunch of money in a savings account for school and tuition and stuff, and was well on my way...
My Expenses Looked like this:
Rent $290
Telephone $30
Cable $10
Internet $10
Heat, Hydro, Gas $50
Food $150
Via Rail passes $90
Fun $60
Total = $700.00 per month I would need - books and tuition were taken care of early and by OSAP
I lived in a house with two roommates and we split all base costs, paid for our long distance based on what we used, and shopped together as much as possible. Some of the totals are a bit out but that's about average from what I can remember. I was able to also go out twice a month, spent every other weekend at home - taking the train, mom would send me home with things she knew I would need, and sent care packages twice a year.
So my expenses for the school year plus one month would cost me about $6,300 (9 months x $700) I always used 9 months just to make sure I had it all covered. Most of the time we didn't go out but spent many nights at home doing things, having people over, visiting people. You'll notice above no transportation is included - the cost of a bus pass at the school i went to was a perk for being a full-time student. So tuition would run you about $4500, living was $6,300, books would be about $700, so total cost for second year was about $11,500. This still seemed huge back then.
So that brings me to this question. Can I live on one paycheck a month?
My pay checks come by-weekly, and I get $1484.44 per check.
My budget looks like this right now:
INCOME $2,969.64
FIXED EXPENSES
RENT $457.50
CAR INSURANCE $131.50
LIFE INSURANCE $29.22
TENANT INSURANCE CHRIS
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
ONLINE GAME $12.00
CELL PHONE $40.00
CABLE/INTERNET/PHONE $165.00
BANK FEES $20.00
SAVINGS $300.00
RRSP $100.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $2,961.22
DIFFERENCE $8.42
What must happen before I can start living on one check?
First I have to be out of debt - that would automatically take out the $1050 of debt repayment from above. Second I'd have to reduce the amount of bank fees I'm paying. Third, I'd have to lower my car insurance, and remove one of the life insurance policies. RRSP and Savings would be taken care of by the second paycheck, so those would come out of the budget - $400 And since i have a land line again in my name I'd get rid of the cell phone. I have one from work, and I barely use my personal one but I locked into a contract for 2 more years, so I have to keep paying this - I think the contract breaking fee is like $500 or something...more than one year on my plan with them. Perhaps I should look into this though since for two more years I'd owe them $840...
the budget would look like this then:
INCOME $2,969.64
FIXED EXPENSES
RENT $457.50
CAR INSURANCE $131.50
LIFE INSURANCE $29.22
TENANT INSURANCE CHRIS
DEBT REPAYMENT $0
VARIABLE EXPENSES
FOOD $225.00
TRANSPORTATION $180.00
ENTERTAINMENT $58.50
CLOTHING & GIFTS $45.00
MEDICAL $125.00
OTHER $22.50
ONLINE GAME $12.00
CABLE/INTERNET/PHONE $165.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $1,451.22
DIFFERENCE $33.22
Second paycheck would be contributed to Savings and RRSP - that's $1484.44 towards these ventures - and would be distributed to the house fund, a larger RRSP contribution, the emergency fund, and if there are any classes I have left to take, towards this planned spending.
So I CAN live on one paycheck and use the other to get my savings goals taken care of - but only AFTER I become debt free. What a great incentive to get this thing done - as if I needed any more! If I looked into a few more things I'm sure I could even live on less than this!
When I was in school I was one of those students who had to work. My parents split when I was 15, and my father weaseled out of a clause in the divorce agreement that effectively meant that we saw no help from him even through post-secondary school.
That being said, I worked hard for the things I had when I was younger. My parents, when they were together, didn't have a lot of money. Mom always had a stable job, but Dad was a wanderer. My mom started teaching us early - more for necessity than anything I think, about how to handle our money. We started delivering the Pennysaver, and saved all that money in our cool little OWL accounts from a local bank. We thought we were pretty grown up back then. It gave my mom an out when we asked for something that she couldn't afford to give us by saying, you may purchase it with your own money. See the thing was we like the numbers getting bigger in our accounts but thought it abominable when we had to take the money out. Needless to say we didn't end up with a lot of those "Mom can we have..." items. When I was 10 I started filling in for a friend on his paper route, making $40 per day i filled in. I thought that was HUGE money back then. The next summer because of the experience I had, I was able to pick up my own paper route, fill in for his when he was away and start really pulling in the cash (so I thought).
That paper route was an amazing thing! I was able to pay for a band trip to New York City in Grade 8, the trips to the plays during school, a stay at Fort York, my school clothes and a smattering of items I've long forgotten. I was the only 13 year old to pay for their trip and spending money entirely by themselves (truth of it was my parents couldn't afford for me to go if they paid) it felt great. I saved a ton from that route, that later helped pay for my University First Year.
In Grade 10, I landed my first "real" part-time job, and passed the paper routes over to my sister to help her do the same thing. that part-time job paid for band trips to Florida and a bunch of other things, I saved and saved for school, added two more part time jobs my last year at high school to ramp up what I had saved for University and to take care of whatever I could need for school in the mean time. Basically paying for most of everything on my own. This really helped mom out since money got really tight around then. After being accepted to University, my mom and I sat down with all my savings, my accounts and all the school bills to figure out how much I had managed to put together. The amount covered my residence fees, meal plan, almost all of the tuition, and some money for books. We had applied to OSAP and gotten a full ride that year, $9,000 was a full ride then. So I was able to leave some of the savings in their vehicles until the next year, because I paid all of tuition from the first installment of OSAP.
Mom had a rule though - no matter what they give you, 1/5 of it gets saved for later. In that I can't spend it all that year.
Okie dokie mom! You are still the boss! Needless to say that first year I saw more money than I knew what to do with come and go, my bank account looked better than it ever had for a while, and I opened savings bonds and GIC's with the 1/5 of the OSAP money I had been given. That year went by really nicely, I still had money on my meal plan that I got back $250, I sold some books by the end of that summer at the book store and at the residence sale ($600 in total) so I was recovering costs nicely.
the second year when I didn't live in Res was the first time I had to do it all alone. Got OSAP again, left a bunch of money in a savings account for school and tuition and stuff, and was well on my way...
My Expenses Looked like this:
Rent $290
Telephone $30
Cable $10
Internet $10
Heat, Hydro, Gas $50
Food $150
Via Rail passes $90
Fun $60
Total = $700.00 per month I would need - books and tuition were taken care of early and by OSAP
I lived in a house with two roommates and we split all base costs, paid for our long distance based on what we used, and shopped together as much as possible. Some of the totals are a bit out but that's about average from what I can remember. I was able to also go out twice a month, spent every other weekend at home - taking the train, mom would send me home with things she knew I would need, and sent care packages twice a year.
So my expenses for the school year plus one month would cost me about $6,300 (9 months x $700) I always used 9 months just to make sure I had it all covered. Most of the time we didn't go out but spent many nights at home doing things, having people over, visiting people. You'll notice above no transportation is included - the cost of a bus pass at the school i went to was a perk for being a full-time student. So tuition would run you about $4500, living was $6,300, books would be about $700, so total cost for second year was about $11,500. This still seemed huge back then.
So that brings me to this question. Can I live on one paycheck a month?
My pay checks come by-weekly, and I get $1484.44 per check.
My budget looks like this right now:
INCOME $2,969.64
FIXED EXPENSES
RENT $457.50
CAR INSURANCE $131.50
LIFE INSURANCE $29.22
TENANT INSURANCE CHRIS
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
ONLINE GAME $12.00
CELL PHONE $40.00
CABLE/INTERNET/PHONE $165.00
BANK FEES $20.00
SAVINGS $300.00
RRSP $100.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $2,961.22
DIFFERENCE $8.42
What must happen before I can start living on one check?
First I have to be out of debt - that would automatically take out the $1050 of debt repayment from above. Second I'd have to reduce the amount of bank fees I'm paying. Third, I'd have to lower my car insurance, and remove one of the life insurance policies. RRSP and Savings would be taken care of by the second paycheck, so those would come out of the budget - $400 And since i have a land line again in my name I'd get rid of the cell phone. I have one from work, and I barely use my personal one but I locked into a contract for 2 more years, so I have to keep paying this - I think the contract breaking fee is like $500 or something...more than one year on my plan with them. Perhaps I should look into this though since for two more years I'd owe them $840...
the budget would look like this then:
INCOME $2,969.64
FIXED EXPENSES
RENT $457.50
CAR INSURANCE $131.50
LIFE INSURANCE $29.22
TENANT INSURANCE CHRIS
DEBT REPAYMENT $0
VARIABLE EXPENSES
FOOD $225.00
TRANSPORTATION $180.00
ENTERTAINMENT $58.50
CLOTHING & GIFTS $45.00
MEDICAL $125.00
OTHER $22.50
ONLINE GAME $12.00
CABLE/INTERNET/PHONE $165.00
TOTAL EXPENSES $1,451.22
DIFFERENCE $33.22
Second paycheck would be contributed to Savings and RRSP - that's $1484.44 towards these ventures - and would be distributed to the house fund, a larger RRSP contribution, the emergency fund, and if there are any classes I have left to take, towards this planned spending.
So I CAN live on one paycheck and use the other to get my savings goals taken care of - but only AFTER I become debt free. What a great incentive to get this thing done - as if I needed any more! If I looked into a few more things I'm sure I could even live on less than this!
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Saturdays are my all-time favourites!
Saturday's are the best! I love them now because I do not have children yet and I have the time to do what I want with them. This may change later...
I like Saturdays because I do not have to work. If I choose to work, that's one thing, but otherwise the work I do on Saturdays is for me, by me, because of me. What I mean by that is that I choose what I do that day, and I"m not driven by customers, employers, potentials, a telephone or anything else. So I've been searching lately for sites that offer free samples of products I use, coupons for items I buy and ways to find things and save money doing it. This morning I was on a site that playing a game I like and came across things I can do to increase the points I have in the game. In doing this I came across the doubleday book site and an offer that was GREAT! Doubleday is a subsidiary of Random House publishing and located in Toronto Ontario. This is great because I read a lot of stuff published by doubleday books. I ended up kicking myself this morning though because I found on there a book I purchased in august that I could have gotten for $2. The offer I found was you get 4 books for $4, plus shipping and handling of $14.95, and one book completely for free. If you do the math that's 5 books for about $20. I was able to choose some books I'd been thinking of reading - a couple of financial books, one I'd seen before but wasn't willing to pay full price, and a children's book by an author I love - to save for a baby gift, or my own children.
I was kicking myself because I could have chosen Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol as one of my choices! Ah well. The books will arrive in about 4 weeks, and I'll be able to pay for them then - $20 for enough entertainment for a few weeks/months and the ability to re-read them again and again is a great deal I'd say!
After that I met with some really great people for a really cool afternoon, a few great surprises for them and a nice drive in the country!
Once I'm done with The Lost Symbol review, I'll be getting into a finance book I've been meaning/wanting to read for a while. This will make a great continuation from something the Kitchener/Waterloo/Guelph Gail Club started - look for us here those of you out there who have time and an inclination to meet new people and develop a support group foryour money goals, should take a look at that board and see if there is one in your area. For those in the KW/Guelph or surrounding areas, please come out and join us at our little meeting. Canadian Savings and I are in the same group - he's doing a review of another finance book in a four part series. The group has really been helping me stay the course for my plan and my goals. We are trying to look at the advice that has been guiding us and sort of learn more about those people. the next meeting will have a presentation on the author of The WEalthy Barber, by a member of the group. The meetings give us a chance to discuss ways to ave in our budget, discuss the advice that guides us, get out to meet some people in the area - many of us are young and new to the area so this gives us a way to get out and learn about out region.
I"ll be doing homework and reading some more this weekend. Sunday is personal work day for me on my school stuff.
Oh - the other reason I love Saturdays - my man C gets out his tool belt and tackles something around the apartment. And for all you ladies out there - a man in a tool belt is definitely something to watch!
Happy weekend everyone!!!
I like Saturdays because I do not have to work. If I choose to work, that's one thing, but otherwise the work I do on Saturdays is for me, by me, because of me. What I mean by that is that I choose what I do that day, and I"m not driven by customers, employers, potentials, a telephone or anything else. So I've been searching lately for sites that offer free samples of products I use, coupons for items I buy and ways to find things and save money doing it. This morning I was on a site that playing a game I like and came across things I can do to increase the points I have in the game. In doing this I came across the doubleday book site and an offer that was GREAT! Doubleday is a subsidiary of Random House publishing and located in Toronto Ontario. This is great because I read a lot of stuff published by doubleday books. I ended up kicking myself this morning though because I found on there a book I purchased in august that I could have gotten for $2. The offer I found was you get 4 books for $4, plus shipping and handling of $14.95, and one book completely for free. If you do the math that's 5 books for about $20. I was able to choose some books I'd been thinking of reading - a couple of financial books, one I'd seen before but wasn't willing to pay full price, and a children's book by an author I love - to save for a baby gift, or my own children.
I was kicking myself because I could have chosen Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol as one of my choices! Ah well. The books will arrive in about 4 weeks, and I'll be able to pay for them then - $20 for enough entertainment for a few weeks/months and the ability to re-read them again and again is a great deal I'd say!
After that I met with some really great people for a really cool afternoon, a few great surprises for them and a nice drive in the country!
Once I'm done with The Lost Symbol review, I'll be getting into a finance book I've been meaning/wanting to read for a while. This will make a great continuation from something the Kitchener/Waterloo/Guelph Gail Club started - look for us here those of you out there who have time and an inclination to meet new people and develop a support group foryour money goals, should take a look at that board and see if there is one in your area. For those in the KW/Guelph or surrounding areas, please come out and join us at our little meeting. Canadian Savings and I are in the same group - he's doing a review of another finance book in a four part series. The group has really been helping me stay the course for my plan and my goals. We are trying to look at the advice that has been guiding us and sort of learn more about those people. the next meeting will have a presentation on the author of The WEalthy Barber, by a member of the group. The meetings give us a chance to discuss ways to ave in our budget, discuss the advice that guides us, get out to meet some people in the area - many of us are young and new to the area so this gives us a way to get out and learn about out region.
I"ll be doing homework and reading some more this weekend. Sunday is personal work day for me on my school stuff.
Oh - the other reason I love Saturdays - my man C gets out his tool belt and tackles something around the apartment. And for all you ladies out there - a man in a tool belt is definitely something to watch!
Happy weekend everyone!!!
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