Treasures in my Closet

Being a good little PF Blogger, I went to my walk-in closet and pulled everything out.  I found a box of socks and stuff that I'd put away because there just wasn't room in my draw for all the socks I have.  I have fuzzy ones, and work ones, skirt ones and exercise ones etc.  I'd keep a different sock for a bunch of different things.  Needing a pick-me-up, I pulled out some of my favourite socks - those fuzzy ones you put on when it's cold outside and you curl up with a soft fuzzy blanket by a window with a hot chocolate and a book.  Yep - I have 5 pairs of those suckers!  I thought to myself, I run through a bunch of socks every year, run out and buy new socks every year, and I have a bunch of socks I barely wear....

So since I've been feeling less like myself lately, I thought, why not give myself a small comfort every day that when I get to work I can slip out of my shoes and have fuzzy socks to wear.  And so - meet my second day on fuzzy socks!!  I tell ya, it really makes the day go great when you can move your toes around and feel the soft, velvetine fuzzy-ness of these suckers!  I have a pair in orange, black, white and these cookie monster ones. 

I shopped my closet so I wouldn't have to shop a store! 

And I'll tell ya, it goes a long way to making me feel better during the day to look down and giggle a little at these things...and to take a lunch in our boardroom with my feet up on a chair in my fuzzy relaxing socks!

Who cares if I'm weird?!!  I don't.  It makes me feel good, and a little silly all day long, changes my mood from melancoly to happy in about 2 seconds! 

Don't ya just wanna go find some soft awesome socks now?!

Drop in Pay and Insurance Check

Just a quick financial update today.  I have a partial check from mileage deposited - the reset is coming next pay day.  I received the money from insurance, and moved it all to my credit card.  I also paid $500 from my check towards it, so I've dropped $1,300 on that sucker and I'm feeling a little better about it.  Had a few things to take care of since the accident - not the least of which includes having to take cabs every where.  And since I needed receipts for insurance to make sure, I had been using that horrible credit card to track.  I'm happy to have those costs disappear from the card, and be back on track with my debt repayment. 

Next week is pay day again.  I'll have a bit more coming as I'm done paying for EI now.  I just have a couple more for CPP and that's done too.  The extra cash around Christmas is always a nice thing.

That's all for now. 

The Healing Process

This year has been quite a year for me.  I won't rehash everything but it's been a banner year.  Things just keep coming as well.

Today, I want to talk about healing.  It comes in many forms, and is the result of many things.  First there's the financial healing.  All of the PF bloggers out there are going through it, whether they know it or not.  This is the unconscious, semi-conscious or definitely conscious process of forgiving oneself of transgressions against oneself using finances.  In order to right the wrong, we must heal the hurt.  Through forgiveness, through reality, through someone being harsh and blunt with us, we need to heal what we broke.  Some of us use jars.  Some of us use budgets.  All of us have recognized something that needs to be healed with our finances and we set about healing it.  Others of us think we've gotten to the root of the issue but aren't willing to give both time and energy to heal.

When you are ill, you take time away from work or school to give your body the rest it needs to concentrate on making us better.  We feel aweful.  We vomit, or worse.  We can feel that something is wrong.  We have to shift out of auto pilot to get better and we become aware of what we feel like and when we feel better. 

If we get a cut we wash the wound, and apply ointment to help promote healing, cover it with a bandaid or larger bandage and let it heal for a few days.  Some of us have a habit of picking the scab to check for healing, breaking the wound open and prolonging the process.  The reason we do this is often slightly different for everyone, but the root of the reason everyone does this is because we are impatient at allowing ourselves the time to heal.  Secondarily, we pick because some of us are afraid to be healed.  Lots of times it's a combination of these two things that cause the behaviour of picking scabs.  Picking a scab reopens a wound, prolongs the healing process and almost guarantees you carry a scar from the event that caused the cut in the first place.  A scar becomes a battle wound of life, giving us pause to explain our "hard fight" with something, or re-tell a story about how you came by the wound that caused it in the first place.  It gives us a chance to relive something we aren't ready to let go of yet. 

Exercise time:

1)  How many of you out there have set a goal to be debt free?
2)  How many of you out there have been debt free but have fallen back down that slippery slope and off the wagon to healthy finances?
3)  How many of you still find excuses to use or have an emergency credit card, but it's not actually an emergency?  (Emergency - car accident, medical issues, death, job loss.  Emergency doesn't equal "I didn't plan for this", "The car needs a repair that I kinda of knew was coming but I did nothing about", etc.) 
4)  How many of you have just now realized that you are a scab picker - with your finances?????
5)  How many of you want to stop being a scab picker and let this financial wound heal for good?  (ME!!)


When we have injury, we have emotional ties to it, as well as physical ties to it.  When we have finances we have verbal and mental abuse of ourselves, much the same way a verbally abusive relationship is.  It doesn't leave physical evidence but the mental scars are raw and ragged. 

So, how many of you are truly ready to leave the abusive relationship you have with yourself behind, and move forward to take the steps to healing yourself from it?  I know I am.

I came to a place during a visit to my team of healing professionals (I have a chiropractor, physiotherapist, kinesiologist, occupational therapist, acupuncturist, massage therapist, general physician, life coach and I'm adding a psychologist to the mix), that I have been harming myself financially, the way I am harmed by grief and by car accident.  The difference is, I've done one myself, the others are results of actions I've been involved in.  Debt feels like self-depricating speak to me.

It feels like I don't value myself enough to properly manage my money.  It feels like retail-therapy gone wrong.  It feels like I continued to go back to that boyfriend that told me I was ugly and useless and made me feel so horrible about myself.  It feels like I'm back in high school trying to figure out who I am, and in the mean time trying to be what everyone wanted me to be instead of what I wanted to be. 

While I want to be financially free, debt free, I want to be able to heal myself too.  I want to heal the parts of me that feel broken enough to let myself off the hook with my goals and tell myself it's ok to not reach them. 

All of this I learned while lying on a table with needles stuck in my trauma points, feeling slightly like Stigmata, and knowing that it will help me heal my body, and help me heal my mind from everything that has gone on this year.  I was amazed at the level of pain my body is still handling, but thankful that after the treatment there would be more healing.  Sometimes a brief moment of pain can bring weeks of pleasure. 

So, today I head to the bank to deposit my paycheck and make a payment to my debt.  Slowly erasing the scar left from constantly picking a scab.  Reminding myself that I am healing myself from the financial damage I caused, and forgiving my past behaviour.  Each day I wake up and am faced with countless choices that if navigated with clarity, will bring me to my goal, and let me enjoy life at the same time. 

Today I do some more healing.  I hope you will take some time today to heal something within you.  Good Habit forming changes are the steps needed to heal your financial scars.  Sometimes you really need help digging into that scar tissue so you can begin breaking it down and removing it from your life - just like your body needs help with removing it from within. 

I wish you all a weekend of relaxation, joy, forgiveness and healing.

Life is still waiting for me

Had quite the day yesterday - went to classes, then went to check on the appointment for counseling.  I"ll be making phone calls until someone call me back I think - this place is disorganized!!

Good news - today is Wednesday that means tomorrow is Thursday and pay day.  That means I'll be paying a few bills, and making a contribution to the credit card company.  And will luck, that check from the insurance will be on it's way.  (Did everyone check their policies and make the upgrades necessary to cover yourselves?)  Good news all around

Life news - I got a text from le man explaining he was planning to have a conversation with his daughter (yes he has one, no he doesn't ever see her, long story not being told here).  He's super excited, as it's been a really really long time coming.  He texted for about an hour with her, and we're going to dinner with her and her father, le man and his brother, on Friday.  This is going to be interesting.  I know for le man this is a super big deal, so I want it to go smooth, and help him through this.  It seems life isn't quite finished throwing stuff our way this year.  I'm putting this in the good category, but being cautious with that - as these things have a tendency of being both good and bad.  So I'll reserve judgment on this for a while yet, just to make sure.

In other news, ladies and gentlemen, there are just a smidge over 3 months left in this year.  What can you do in the next three months to get a little closer to debt-free? 

I'm taking Baker's course on You vs Debt.  We start next Monday from what I can tell.  It should be helpful and provide a good source of motivation to keep me on track the rest of the year.  While I won't be making my original goal of Debt Free on December 31, 2011.  I know I can reach the goal of having a 4-figure debt by December 31, 2011!!!  Four figures is amazing!  Four Figures feels like I've done a good job with what I've been working with.  Four figures will give me a sense of accomplishment on this debt, when I do my year in review.  It'll provide a clear end point for this debt.  It'll provide more momentum to get me to the end.  It'll also feel like a large weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

3 months to go everyone!!1 Get 'er done!!

Goals for 2011

As you all know, I started this year, with the shocking goal of getting to debt free by the end of this year.  As you all know I ran into some serious life events that have slowed up my progress on this.  When I started this year I thought I was doing something crazy.....$25,000 worth of debt in one year, by one person?  Craziness!!

Well guess what - someone else has been working on a similar goal too.  Jen at She Bloggs has her debt down to $8,620.00.  You can read her post here.  It really brings home the debt fatigue issue.  She is working at least two jobs right now - one is her own business, and one is her full time job.  She's done an absolutely fantastic job of getting her debt down to four digits.  She started at around $34,000 of debt!

Two similar journeys, two distinctly different outcomes.  One full of things that could happen to people that fall into the emergency category, one what could happen to people if they pick up their socks, get a little creative with a talent they have, and are able to turn it into a money making business.

I'm envious of her ability to do this.  But I wouldn't trade my journey for hers.  Because it's a uniquely personal journey.  I was meant to deal with life.  She was meant to deal with debt.  While I've made good progress of my own, and am on track to getting into 4 digits on my debt, I'm a few more months away from having it completely gone.  I will prevail, it will just take a little while longer than I had wanted.

With any luck, Jen will be able to recharge her batteries and get her goal completed by year end.  In fact, I really really really really really hope that she does.  For me it will prove that my goals wasn't out of reach.  For me, it will prove that I could have been able to do so as well, if I'd been able to stay focused.  Plus, seriously now, who doesn't want to feel that accomplishment of being able to say that they dug themselves out of a $34,000 hole in one year?!?!?  I think I'm more envious of the fact that in 3.5 months she'll be able to have that bragging right!

On another note, I figured out today that my mileage check from last month wasn't correct so I have some more money coming to me that will be flipped right to my credit card.

What I know is this...

Pay Day is Thursday.  Even with the reduced amount I'm expecting, I will be able to move $500 from that check to debt.  I will be able to put another $300 towards the debt from my mileage, and reimburse myself from the insurance money that I will be receiving.  I will also be able to use the some of that money to pay for the cabs I'll still need to take, and when I can finally drive again, put whatever is left over onto my debt!  Either way, I've got just a bit more money to knock some more of that debt down.  Every single penny counts with this.

Oh.  In other news.  Man Vs. Debt is accepting applicants to his 6 week course to get yourself onto the path of debt free.  I'm enrolled in the class and will be starting soon.  I figure this is a good place to start getting myself back on track for this debt thing, provide a new support group for my journey, and help me iron out some of the bugs from the pat few months so I can get back on track with this.  I can't wait till that side bar starts reading more then 50% of my debt is gone!!

Need Versus Want

As you, my loyal readers, know I've been recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in a car accident a month ago.  It was not a great day, and I've had some pretty bad ones since. 

Since my injury, and with grieving from the death of my Grandfather, life has presented a lot of places where my resolve to carry on with my goals has been tested.  Never has it been more tested than now, since I am dependent on someone else driving me around where ever I need/want to be.

My transportation budget has been elevated in light of the fact that I am having to rely on assistance int he driving department.  It was elevated to include the cabs and trains I would be taking for various items this month, and next month.  I am not cleared to drive yet, and won't be until around October 20th or so. 

So, I bought my train tickets up to and including the Thanksgiving Weekend, with a good portion of my budget from September.  I still have $100 left of it to spend between now and October 6th.  I just found out that the insurance company will be sending me a check to cover my unique situation, so I'll be set for transportation money for the remainder of the year I think.  We'll see how this gets divided.  Because I need a receipt of all the travel I do for the insurance company, I have to use my credit card, so part of the reimbursement will be going straight to that card to pay all those items back.  Once that's covered, I'll take a look at what is left, and figure out what the best use of that money is. 

This is something that most, nearly all, insurance companies will not even entertain, so I am very fortunate that my medical team, and my broker team have both inquired and strongly advised that my situation be looked at and handled this way.  Any money helps with the current situation!

So let's look at Needs versus Wants. 

First, do I need a car of my own?  Well, not really.  I've been living with le man for 4 years now - two in our own place.  We drive similar routes to and from work.  We just do so at different times of day.  There are also times when le man works out of town.  But is having my own car a NEED or a WANT?

I have a social life, that doesn't always include le man.  That means there are nights when I'm out without him.  I have doctors appointments that are at different times than his, because of the time difference between when I get done work and when he does.  The busing system in my city isn't the greatest, and because I have a doctor in a neighbouring city, it means leaving three hours before an appointment just to make it there on time.  It isn't feasible for us both to take the day off when I have or he has an appointment.  We try to work them into the before and after hours but as you all know, there are doctors that don't have hours that early/late.

I can walk to a mall - it's inside 5 km from our current living space.  I can walk to a grocery store, but would have to cab it home sometimes, as often it's to purchase more than my bundle buggy can hold.  Or we go shopping together and one of us drives.

I travel to Toronto often, so my little car makes parking downtown easier than a huge truck.  But do I really need to use my car as often as I do?  Is it a NEED or a WANT?  I can get to work with a combination of my feet and a bus pass - but it would take an hour both ways.  And I'd still need to figure out how to get to and from curling (a want by the way, but one that I use as entertainment, a sense of community and belonging, a little exercise, and a vent for some frustrations), because games start at 5pm so the only way to get there by bus is to leave a 3pm.  Work is not so happy with that.

When the weather is nice I can ride my bicycle to work - it would take slightly less time than the bus, and only cost me some sweat equity, but that leaves me out in the cold (oh I'm punny!) in the colder months.  So I could do a combo of bus and bike through the year, but not be able to get to my curling club without the aid of a taxi.  Still not sure this is more economical.

For now it looks like my car was a need, then a want and is now firmly sitting on that fence dividing them with strong arguments for and against.

For now, I want my car back, I want my arm healed and I want to be able to get to where I'm going without it costing more than the gas money to fill the car each week!

Oh wait - was that need or a want?!

Thankful

I am thankful for so many things - great friends, a kind and caring fiance, and wonderful readers.  I am thankful for the blog writers out there, writing all kinds of interesting things.  I am thankful for my ability to heal from an injury and that although I have really bad days still, that I am able to grieve.

I am thankful for the health I have, the beauty of this world and the ability to manage and make choices in my life that bring joy to me.

I enjoyed some time with a great friend on Saturday.  We drove around the country side looking at quaint little towns and talking through some of my mental chatter.  We got our nails done, ate at a wonderful restaurant and watched SATC2.  It was a lovely day.

Today I've taxed myself completing dishes in my apartment that have built up over this week.  By taxed I mean that my arm is tired, and I got to a point that I was beginning to get the cold sweat of something in pain and being spent physically.  It took all afternoon. 

This morning I started by watching the mini Gail marathon of 'Til Debt Do Us Part, and was so thankful for the comfort it brings me to listen to Gail while I look at my jars for the week. 

This weekend was a reflecting, calm, naturally flowing weekend, allowing me to recover from the physical and mental noise of this week.  While this was a difficult week, in that I had a grief stricken section and a physically painful and exhausting section.

Returning to School

Yesterday was my first day back at school.  It was quit an experience.  I am still wearing a sling for my shoulder, so I was able to assess the accessibility of the campus.  What I noticed on my trek around campus yesterday is this...the campus really isn't as accessible as it thinks.

To start, I have a laptop bag/backpack with handle and rolling wheels that I was able to use.  It helped a lot since wearing a regular backpack requires the use of both shoulders - or you risk throwing your back out from the weird angle you walk at with only one strap on, and straining all of the shoulder muscles in both shoulders - and I'm not able to handle the weight on my shoulder at all.  First stop, a Tim Hortons at the central cafe.  First problem - where the line for this lines up, it's down stairs.  For a person requiring a ramp they have to walk all the way around the raised section that houses the cafe, the figure out how to line up in order at Tim Hortons while not being able to go downstairs.  I had to leave my bag at the bottom of the stairs while I lined up and got my bagel and juice.  Not ideal, but I managed. 

Second problem, the concrete beach on campus, has ramps for wheeled persons, but they go down, then you have to wheel back up them to get from one building to another, and the slope on that hill is such that you'd have to be an olympic caliber athlete to get yourself in wheel chair up it!

Finding elevators in some buildings was interesting, as they are out of the way, often on the other side of the building and require some sort of stair to get to.  Not exactly accessible I'd say. 

Next, let's talk about the buttons that open the doors for persons that can't simply walk up to a door and open it.  About half the doors I encountered didn't have them attached anymore.  Asking people to help you resulted in many people rolling their eyes, and reluctantly doing so, or them simply standing behind me watching me struggle to get through the doors with one arm pulling my bag behind me, causing a massive bottle neck and resulting in quite a few glares and exasperated teeth kissing sounds. 

The one time I found a door that had it's accessibility pad connected was on the Health Science Building, and the guy coming out of the door was so grateful that someone had seen him coming and opened the door for him he didn't immediately see the dual purpose of the door until he get almost past me, at which time we offered mutual sentiments to each other at the utter oblivion of our fellow classmates. 

Getting to computer lab was ironically funny.  First I had hiked across campus in good time (I thought) only to find out that I walked into class as the last arrival and had to disrupt someone so I could actually find a computer free, as all the aisle computers were taken.  Next, upon reading the screen I see that to get these things to go, you have to Control, Alt, Delete.  Anyone try that with just one hand????

I put my hand up, to ask the TA for the class to set up the first screen for me, in ligh tof having only one hand, and the girl sitting beside me, that I've visibly inconvenienced by asking her to move slightly so I could get past her to a computer, says jeeringly, "You could've asked me ya know".  To which I replied, "it appeared to be an inconvenience to ask you to shift your chair a bit so I could sit down, I felt it would have been too much to ask you to do this too." 

A total of 5 people held a door for me all day - I walked through 26 of them.  5 times I was able to use the button to mechanically open the door, only to have people both coming out of the building and walking into the building, assert themselves through the door first, while I waited for it to open. 

The remainder of the time, I opted for the right hand door, leaving the left hand door free for others to come and go, and all times received the exasperation of frustrated people that I was moving slowly and struggling to get my stuff through the door, never once opening the other side and walking through it without issue. 

Having not been impaired by anything before, I found that I was much more aware of my surroundings, and the limitations of accessibility to not only classrooms, but also buildings.  I was unhappy at the fact that this campus boasts about it's accessibility.  It has so much room to grow in this area!

A Reflecting Weekend

This past weekend saw the 10th anniversary of the collapse of the World Trade Center.  Everyone is posting about what they were doing when they heard the news.  It was a very emotionally charged weekend.  Though I wonder why we commemorate the day as we do.

I saw political figures and dignitaries speak about an event they were not, at times, directly involved in.  I learned some interesting cover-ups from Fahrenheit 9/11.  I saw many first responders left out of memorials and commemorations. 

While I think the act that occurred is absolutely an atrocity, I wonder why we put more emphasis, with bigger ceremonies, commemorations, dedications and memorials than all wars past put together.

We have solemn Rememberance Day ceremonies, poorly attended, and more of an inconvenience to most than anything, but it's like a party the week ahead of 9/11, and a cry/joy fest on the day.  I wonder why this is the case.

Without our veterans of WW1 and WW2 none of us would be around to attend what we attend now, or 10 years ago today.  We talk more of pre 9/11 and post 9/11.  While I understand it's fresh, it's the first time many generations have had to deal with anything like this, it is almost sensationalized.

I'm a big believer in "Do onto others as you would have done onto you".  And for the most part, I think it odd that we can say we live life this way, but when done onto "us" we feel the need to do worse back.

Historically, there have been some pretty interesting wars, and reasons to go to war.  For example, the U.S. entered the second world war only after being attacked at Pearl Harbour.  Canada was involved from the beginning.  There are other similar examples of things like this.  I'm not pointing them out to take away from the reason for war, or to take away from the important role of every veteran living or dead in any war, but to mention that from a North American point of view, it seems that one country extends itself to aid others in attaining their freedom, and the other needs a reason to go.  I mention this because I think the attacks on 9/11 were retaliatory for events from the past.  We often see fighting on the other side of the world.  This is only the third time it has hit North American soil (that I can readily remember from history.  I'm sure I'm slightly mislead, but this isn't really my point).  War of 1812, Second World War, 9/11.  Funny thing is, while nobody likes being attacked for any reason, this is exactly what happens in the rest of the world.  We are not immune, though until 9/11 we were enjoying a lovely hiatus from it.  Oft times being the attacker, makes it difficult to swallow when we are the attackee. 

Again, none of this is meant to be callous, condescending, crude or cruel, it is just my observation of the world right now.  And I still ponder why we make such a big deal about 9/11, when it looks just like any other war on the planet.  I'm not saying do nothing, I'm simply asking you to think abut why we do not honour the fallen from any other war the way we do 9/11.

Many historic buildings the world over have fallen.  There are many "ground zero's" the world over.  Why is this one so different?

Oh boy =(

Somewhere along the way I miscalculated something with my debt.  Or perhaps I used my credit card when I really didn't want to.  Either way, I'm able to contribute $1,200 to my debt this month.  By the time my next paycheck rolls around, I'll have dropped my debt to $13,800. 

I'm unhappy at this.  I'm even more unhappy that I really should be sitting at the $8,000 mark beginning this month - that was from the original plan at the start of the year.  Somehow I forgot a few items that landed on my card, and I know I've been in a assive fog for about 2 months now, so perhaps that it. 

Regardless, I've made a contribution that drops my debt to $13,800. 

That's $10,000 less of debt I had at the beginning of the year.  With everything that has happened, and everything I know of that is coming up, I'm not doing too badly I think.  I'm scheduled to be under $10,000 owing on December 31, 2011.  I would have liked to have made my goal this year, but sometimes life tosses so much at you, you get a bit overwhelmed!

I'm eager to see a four digit debt.  I haven't given up on my original goal though.  I have 4 months to pull a hail Mary out and pay this sucker off!  I am looking for ways to do this. 

Perhaps I'll try my hand at the Beat the Bank contests run on some of the radio stations around here.  I"ll be able to "find" some money that way!!

And who knows, maybe there's a windfall coming I can't see yet!

In any case, although, I'm way behind on my goal, I haven't given it up.  I'm still making great progress on becoming debt free!

September is Triumph Month

I've been a little discombobulated lately with postings and life.  Rightly so I suppose, since apparently it is my year to ride in the washing machine of life and see how I do. 

September - in my regular posting series - is for Triumph.  I'm just having a little difficulty figuring out what I've triumphed over.  My debt is reducing, my networth is increasing, but I feel like I could be doing better.

I start counseling and school next week.  I'm excited to be completing a few more courses, but I'm giving up some money to do it.  Perhaps it's because I'm trying to focus on more than one thing right now, so what I am really feeling is divided in my energy.  I'm able to continue dropping the debt, but I want to be moving faster, not slower.  Plus, with all that life has handed me since /June, I've figured I've lst the ball for a while, so the debt thing sort of stalled for a bit.

So, I sit in September, facing a pay cut that will be in effect for 6 pay periods.  My spending is increasing slightly during this time due to the inability to drive, and thus reliance on either bus or train to get me to and from class in another city.  My spending is offset by this since I am still unable to drive my car.  Make sense?  Nope - here's what is happening...I can't drive my car, therefore it isn't moving.  No kilometers are accumulating so no gas needs to be purchased.  The car just had it's 5,000km oil change, so that won't need to happen for months to come.  As long as I'm still not driving, I'm able to spend the money on the train tickets to get me to school. 

Having said that, I will be increasing my food expenditures, as I'm able to stay with a friend, I still have to spend some extra to feed myself while at school, and feed the couple I'm staying with as a return on the favour of staying.  It should be fun, and give me a new audience to work on my cooking skills.

This is going to a little tight for a while, just with all the various issues I'll be dealing with and the whole transportation thing, but I think I'm going to enjoy the last four months of this year.  I get to take a few steps closer to my debt free goal and my scholastic goal.  I get to see a friend regularly once a week.  I enjoy my time in the mornings with le man so much that I'm considering making the driving thing a habit, and I'll be able to work on myself.

Re-reading this, I think the triumph I'll be experiencing this month is making me a better me and taking the time I need for that. 

This weekend I'll be finishing a book as well, so I'll be posting a review for you all.  And setting up my schedule with myself too.  Since I'll be taking the train to and from school, I'll also have an hour and a bit of personal reading time I can use to read a few more things in leisure.  The train I'm taking is at night on Monday and returning the same time on Tuesday.  I can spend Tuesday evening completing homework since I'll have time after school, before dinner and the t rain.  This will make it that much easier to structure my time for my classes. 

Next week starts another adventure.  I'm actually a excited for this!

Getting comfortable with yourself

This past year has been a dewsey.  Lots of stuff has been going on in my life, all while I march purposefully towards debt freedom.

With only 4 months left in the year, I have been taking stock of me lately.

First, I've come to the realization that I have a lot of stuff.  The kind of stuff that takes up room in your life but doesn't necessarily add value to it.  I do not want for clothing or shoes, accessories or scarves, jackets or purses, makeup or scented things.  I have enough.  I have so much, that I can't justify buying anything else for quite a long while.  I also don't have a need for an more books or activities.  I could want some things, but I'm busy and don't find time to do or use what I already have. 

You probably don;t know this, since I haven't mentioned it before, but the only personal items I ever buy are shampoo, conditioner and feminine items.  I have been given so much bath and body stuff I'm still using it up.  Not to mention that it's often months before I need hair or feminine items.  I won at a bridal shower, last May, a HUGE bottle of shower gel, that can double as bubble bath.  I'm STILL using it...I'm down to a quarter bottle, which will probably last until Christmas.  I have 3 bubble baths I haven't opened, another shower gel and lotion set I got at Christmas, as well as an entire bathroom pack I haven't even opened!!  Not to mention the fact that I probably still have 3 Mary Kay sets left to use up.  I don't need any personal care items for a very long time!!

I just wore out another pair of shoes this weekend.  And by wore out, I actually mean wore out.  The soles are beyond repair, and the price of the shoes doesn't justify the price of having them re-soled.  Plus, they were really starting to hurt my feet.  So, on to another pair of shoes, to wear them until they bite the dust.  I have a lovely shoe collection.  I've realized though, that I don't really need another air of shoes until I wear out at least three more pairs.  The only ones I could possibly need are a versatile pair of black flats, since those were the ones that just bit the dust. 

Alas, I have a perfectly good pair of brown flats I don't wear enough of, so I'll be living in those as often as possible until they go.  I'll also be taking a good look at my heels.  It's time to pare those down to a bit more realistic level. 

The lesson the "stuff" doesn't make your life better has been much more acute as of late.  In saying that I'll be using up what I have so I can make more room in my life for more important things and experiences.  I feel bogged down by things right now.  My books will be staying though.  I read those over and over again.  As I get through some of these things, I'm alleviating the feeling of being bogged down.  There is also quite a bit of stuff that I am looking forward to purging once ,y degree is over.  I keep my notes, because often times I need to cross reference material in other classes as I go.  Once the degree is done, I'll be keeping my summary notes for a while, but I'll be dumping the rest of the notes when I'm done.  If I don't need my summary notes in the year after that, I'll dump those too and keep just my text books.

Keeping with this purge I'm in, I'll also be burning quite of lot of sensitive documents, that I just don't need to keep anymore.  This will free up some space in my apartment.

I think what's done this is having to clean up things after my grandfather passing, and understanding the he was sentimental about some things that don't mean the same things to us.  Having said that I have some pretty cool things that were his, and some other things that I'll be looking at the value of, to pass them on to others that will cherish the pieces, and turn them into the ultimate prize, and the reason he was keeping them all these years.

New Insurance Rules

So...a few of you left comments about my last post.  I'm sure more of you are thinking along similar lines.

I have what is considered a minor injury.  Tat being said, insurance rules changed last year.  If you haven't checked yet and you live in Ontario, Canada, have a look through your auto insurance and the bells and whistles that are now options on it.

Because I have a minor injury, I have a certain amount of money covered to help me recover and rehabilitate after my injury.  The only way to get it changed is to go see a bunch of people, have a bunch of tests and "pass" those.  I have the option of a rental car in my insurance.  I can not drive a car right now.  So, that option is no good to me.  With the money a minor injury covers, I'm able to see a small team of people to assess and provide care while I heal.  It, as yet, does not cover any extra expenses.  I am speaking to my insurance company now about covering the cost of a cab when I need to get to where I need to be so le man doesn't have to lose wages to run me to appointments.  However, I have no dependents.  We filed as  single this past year, so I'm only really responsible for myself.  I will be seeing an occupational therapist in another week or so, to determine what else I may need or need to modify for now.  My people are sending word to the insurance company that it would be a good idea to cover my transportation as I'm making an effort to get myself to work each day.  From what I can tell there is no line item that covers the cost of the help I get from others while I'm unable to drive myself. 

I'll be looking into things more in the mean time.  Because there could be, but we didn't ever think about going over the options with a fine toothed comb. 

As for now, there is no money to cover the cost of lifestyle amendments and things of this nature for a minor injury like mine.  If I was a category up, then there would be.  And more so as your injuries get worse.  It isn't like 2 years ago when things like that my have been covered by your insurance company.  Once I'm able to start doing things again, I'll be heading into my broker to ask some more pointed questions, and make sure I really a covered for as much as I can be. 

I'm thankful I have a partner to help me do things.  I'm also thankfully my injuries are more of a nuisance than severe.  I am healing.  Each day gets a little better.  Today, for instance, I can finally put my ring back on my finger!!.  The swelling hasn't totally gone away, but it's down enough that I could slide my ring on without discomfort!!!

Two weeks after the accident and the ring is back on for a bit is a nice little milestone I'd say.

Also - I'm a part-time student.  I have to get a travel card to prove I'm a full-time student to get the student rates with via rail.  It's how they check.   A card is not issued to part-time students.  So no student discount there.  At the rate I'm going, I will only need to take the train for the first 3 weeks anyways.  By then I should be able to start driving.   That means driving October, November and whatever is necessary in December. 

Today is the first day I actually feel better.  With my ring on, and feeling more myself, I think the healing will start going better too.