October already!

Where does the time go? I’m sure I didn’t accomplish much this month; it certainly doesn’t feel like it. My goals were:

1) Finish my 101 Things in 1001 Days list - NO (this is hard...)
2) Save all my change, including my toonies to roll and put in the bank (need loonies for laundry) – YES and continuing!
3) Read "Smart Women Finish Rich" and do the accompanying exercises – Need to do exercises
4) Ensure that my overtime and my travel reimbursements are designated to both debt and my savings accounts as equally as possible. - YES
5) Get a copy of my Canada Pension Plan update - NO
6) Ask financial advisor about "pre-tax" investing and whether this is realistic – NOT DONE

Definitely not great, but I DID conquer a couple, so that’s a start. Whatever I didn’t do last month will just get rolled over into this month anyway.

I’ve decided to make a list of both short-term (monthly) and long-term goals that I can plug away at, mostly so I don’t stress myself out and beat myself up if I don’t accomplish something I wanted to right away. We all understand that life gets in the way of plans as well as our own human foibles, so as long as I’m consistently managing my monthly goals, focusing on changing old habits and being conscious of my spending, I think I’ll consider myself “on track.”

I know I have receipts somewhere for what I spent during the last couple of days of September (I’m at work at the moment and am going mostly by memory…which isn’t that great at the best of times!). I had a biggish dental bill for a cleaning - $117 – but that’s important because that’s a matter of my health and overall well-being. Besides, I love that clean feeling on my teeth afterwards. It makes me reluctant to eat again…

And I spent $28.65 on groceries and sundry (which, er, includes the ever-popular Tim Horton’s).

Apart from that, I managed quite well. I made an error on my calculations for reimbursement for my Dawson travel, but that’s okay: I’ll be getting back a total of $377.30, part of which will be applied to my December rent, the rest into my various savings accounts.

Today I went up to the HR HQ at work and picked up a Canada Savings Bond application form. The rate is far from what it was in the 70’s & 80’s (hovering this year at around the 3% mark), but it’s “out of sight, out of mind” opportunity to save some of what I make. It comes directly off my paycheque (and it’s $10 per pay…not even noticeable) and is therefore painless. So, a goal I hadn’t written down, yet accomplished anyway.

I am officially on holiday for 16 days as of tomorrow (!!!) – all of it unpaid. However, I did pick up two extra shifts at the hotel over the weekend, which I’m regretting a bit now, because all I really want to do over the next three days is relax and get myself organized before I head down south…but I’ve committed myself now, and my shifts finish early enough (3 pm) that I can get a few things done after work if I have to.

So without further ado, these are my lists of goals, short- and long-term

October goals:

1) Start paying cash for everything – when it’s gone, too bad!
2) Two no-spend days a week
3) Start keeping track of my spending, down to the last penny (something I needed to have been doing for months already)
4) Start shopping “at home” before going to the grocery store
5) Delete World of Warcraft from my computer - Done Oct 2
6) Hang plastic in my windows before I leave for Victoria on Wednesday
7) Finish my 101 Things & my 50x50 list
8) Get to bed by 9:30 p.m. every night
9) Get snow tires on the truck before I leave for holiday (we had snow on Monday! It didn’t stick, but still…and I’d rather miss the rush)
10) Find out what I currently owe on my student loan
11) Start Christmas shopping in Victoria
12) ENJOY MY TIME OFF! J

Long-Term Goals

1) Read 2 – 3 books a month (totally do-able)
2) Floss daily (I really like my teeth where they are!)
3) Find and use wheat/gluten-free/low sugar/organic alternatives whenever possible (snacks, regular use items, etc)
4) No book purchase until the end of December! (I work at the library for crying out loud – this shouldn’t be difficult…)
5) Keep, roll and deposit change regularly
6) Meal plan and cook weekly
7) Reach $2K in emergency fund, then halve my contribution and put half towards my outstanding student loan

I don’t think any of this is unrealistic, but I have to remember not to beat myself up about things if they don’t happen “in order” so to speak, and also to try not to do everything at once, because that will guarantee that most of that stuff simply will not get done!

I may or may not post while I’m gone, but I will certainly read when I’m able to. Have a great two weeks everyone – I’m looking forward to following everyone’s journey…