Today was my day off (the managers at work rotate Sunday shifts, so every 4 weeks we work an extra day in our shifts, and get a day off in lieu; as Oct 26 was my Sunday, I got today off) and I lazed in bed until almost 9a.m. I was reluctant to haul myself out of bed until it got light out, but I eventually had to - the sun officially rose today at 9:24 - and I had a few things I needed to do.
The number one item on my "To Do" list was grocery shopping. I've not done it since I got back - I really hate going right after work, because it gets crazy busy at Superstore, and I usually end up walking right back out. This morning I was there before 10:00, and spent my time poking around. I really do love to grocery shop, I just hate having to fight traffic to get to the cucumbers!
So I filled my cupboards and fridge today with the following:
fresh pineapple (sm) $3.19
1% cottage cheese (750 g) $3.98
Ground Round (the soy stuff, 1248 g) $8.69
10 lb bag of Gala apples $7.98
Bottle of Coke $1.75 (inc recycle fee)
Ice cream (splurge #1) $5.49
Red pepper #1 $2.13 (these cost $9.68 kg!)
Granny Smith apples $5.60 (1.215 kg @ $4.61 kg)
pasta sauce $4.39
Tikka Masala sauce $4.99
Pesto $2.89
Korma sauce $4.99
Red pepper #2 $2.37
Lemon #1 $1.29
Lemon #2 $1.09 (2 for $2.38)
Gr peppers $2.11 ($5.49 kg)
10 lb russet potatoes $4.29
red onion $.90
pasta sauce $2.89
2 x gr onions $1.00
bananas $1.99 ($1.72 kg)
2 x mandarins $5.96
4L skim milk $4.69
radishes $.85
yogurt (750 g) $3.99
tapioca pudding (splurge #2) $2.98
turkey breat (frozen) $16.99
eggs, free run lg $4.39
cucumber $1.99
soy cheese $4.98
turkey sausages $5.99
raspberries $3.29
veggie slices 2 @ $3.99 ea
organic spinach $3.29
tuna steak (frozen) 2 @ $7.99 ea
cat food $4.38 (6 @ 0.73)
cat litter $3.58
Scary total: $166.64
After superbucks: $163.03
Then I went to a second store:
turkey fillets $6.56
turkey sausages $3.28
chicken breasts $15.77 (this was the cheapest family pack I could find)
egg nog (splurge #3)
tomato soup $1.54 (2 @ 0.77 ea)
cr of chicken soup $3.18 (2 @ $1.59 ea)
half a ham $8.38 (I SWEAR it was the smallest one available!)
Grand total: $48.06
Total groceries: $211.09
I made a big quinoa salad when I got home, cut up the pineapple and have put some of the raspeberries and yogurt into a container for breakfast tomorrow. The salad should last me at least three days, and I'm hoping that I can stretch out the rest to last at least three weeks which will bring my total weekly grocery spending to $70.00 per week. Lots of pasta, rice, chicken, etc. in my future, and I'll most likely have to refresh the veggies at some point, but I think I'm good to go. I love having food in the house, and have hated paying for lunch every day the past couple of weeks. OUCH!
I also managed to finish off two more books this month, which brings my total to 5! That's quite a lot, but I keep taking them out of the library for some reason...And I DID return that book I was reconsidering as well.
I've made my list of November goals as well. There are kind of a lot, but I think I can manage most of them without too much trouble.
1) Poke through my closets again and donate more stuff to charity now that I have so much NEW stuff
2) Take the old pots & pans to charity; I bought a new set on sale
3) 10 No Spend days
4) Send overseas Christmas cards
5) No more credit card spending
6) Start Christmas shopping
7) Look into satellite vs. cable costs
8) Pay the car insurance in full $496.12 is what remains after the Oct payment
9) Create a 6-mth & a 5-yr plan
10) Finish my 101 Things & 50x50 list...ongoing (it's hard)
I'm also going to continue putting 18% of my pay into my RRSP, which I started doing in September. It's growing very well with the added 8%, and I have to decide if I want to put it into ING or into Scotiabank once it reaches $3500. I think ING is more stable at this point, as I'd put it into the mutual fund option with Scotiabank, however, it's such a little amount (comparatively) that I don't think the fluctuations of the market at the moment would affect it too badly.
I signed up for Savings Bonds before I left on holiday as well - I've chosen $10 per pay at this point, but can always adjust it, depending on what happens with my job. I also opened one of the new Tax Free Savings Accounts at ING. They give you a bonus at the moment if you open one (although they aren't "official" until Jan 1), so I thought that sounded like a good idea. I put $1000 from my EF into it, leaving me just over $500 in my EF, which at this point is fine. I've adjusted the amount I transfer into the EF each month as well, from $250 to $100 (split equally between my EF and my new Tax Free Svgs). After reading Frugal Dreamer's concerns about her debt and savings, I decided to cut back on what I was saving, too, and I'm not willing or comfortable to cut it entirely at this point. But this does give me an extra $150 a month to put towards my debt!
And if anyone's interested, gas has fallen below $120.0! It's currently $117.9 p/L.
Friday, 31 October 2008
Buttterfly award!
![[butterfly_award_jpg1.jpg]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5nbsLsmh7lc/SQoZ8wNm4qI/AAAAAAAAALM/6JweXqs_0qM/s1600/butterfly_award_jpg1.jpg)
I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to Frugal Dreamer for giving me a Butterfly Award! How fabulous... :-) I wonder sometimes if my blogs are personally financial enough, so this is a nice reward for carrying on.
Until that point, however, I need to nominate some recipients myself, a difficult thing to do. So many fabulous blogs, so little time to read them all...
But here's my list, nonetheless:
Notes From the Frugal Trenches: a young woman who honestly "gets it"; how to save, live frugally, true to herself and still have an enriching, fulfilled life. a truly inspiring role-model and enthusiastic supporter to all of us on this journey.
Sharon-Rose: Is able to keep smiling, supporting others and lookin' great on a budget! :-)
Making Up for Past Mistakes: A new blogger who has already made huge strides in her journey. Baby steps, remember! Keep up the great work.
Saving4Later: A Canadian PF blogger who's an inspiration to me. I love to read her weekly menu plans!
Frugal Dreamer: Another Canadian blogger who has knocked big holes in her debt! I visit daily, as she's one of my favourites, and is always coming up with new ways to save and shave :-)
Pass it along everyone!
Thursday, 30 October 2008
First, the Victoria photos
Strait of Juan de Fuca.
St John's, NF - 4393 km east.
Robbie and Sparky playing with rocks (Sparky LOVES to chase them...)
Sweetie Pie. My sister's neighbour's cat.
A grand old Victorian in James Bay.
Another James Bay home - actually my sister's place (there are 4 apartments in it).
The Legislature buildings.
The grand old lady Empress.
Miniature horse at Beacon Hill Petting Zoo.
The happy couple.
Wedding roses.
Sunrise near Crofton, BC.
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Spendspendspendspendspendspend, etc.
Right. Well, I can't say that my spending this month was anywhere close to "frugal", more like "How much can one woman actually spend?"
As it's basically the end of October, I thought I'd review how I did/am doing on my goals.
1) Start paying cash for everything – when it’s gone, too bad!
- This definitely needs work.
2) Two no-spend days a week
- Again, something to focus on
3) Start keeping track of my spending, down to the last penny (something I needed to have been doing for months already)
- This I've started!
4) Start shopping “at home” before going to the grocery store
- will be doing this this week, before I go shopping
5) Delete World of Warcraft from my computer
- Done!
6) Hang plastic in my windows before I leave for Victoria on Wednesday
- Three out of four done; last window to be done in the next couple of weeks
7) Finish my 101 Things & my 50x50 list
- No
8) Get to bed by 9:30 p.m. every night
- Most nights I have, despite visiting friends on holiday, etc.
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)
- Did this on Oct 7; very glad I did, as we now actually have snow to stay
10) Find out what I currently owe on my student loan
- $3395.20 as of Oct 23/08
11) Start Christmas shopping in Victoria
- No
12) ENJOY MY TIME OFF!
- Absolutely did!!
Long-Term Goals
1) Read 2 – 3 books a month (totally do-able)
- Three this month:
"A is for Alibi" by Sue Grafton; "The Case of the Missing Library Books" & "Mr Dixon Disappears" by Ian Sansome)
2) Floss daily (I really like my teeth where they are!)
- 10/31 days so far
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…)
- have bought 4, but will most likely return one
5) Keep, roll and deposit change regularly
- on track
6) Meal plan and cook weekly
7) Reach $2K in emergency fund, then halve my contribution and put half towards my outstanding student loan
- EF is just over $1500; in the meantime I'm going to put $10 p/wk extra onto my loan
Better than I thought, but still not fully completed. The long-term goals, obviously, are a constant work in progress, but a decent start on them is promising.
My holiday, while welcome, relaxing, very enjoyable and warm, was also quite horrifying with respect to spending. It turns out that being "stuck" in the North, with limited access to all the wants of the Outside is a very good thing for me, apparently.
I went down with a list of needs:
New jeans (Warehouse One is not an option, I'm afraid - I'm TOO OLD to buy pants there)
Underwear (because I refuse to shop at Wally World)
Decent gloves (more competition=better prices)
Body Shop items
A wedding present for my sister and new BIL
And ended up with a LOT of wants:
Furniture
Fabulous beeswax candles
A Bodytalk session
Museum/IMAX visit
Various soaps
And of course the dinners and lunches that I shared with my friends. And the little "things" I picked up: Gel Gems, slippers, table settings (for my new table), books, funny magnets, mailing a pkg of "things" home, some T-shirts...
Yes, it was, essentially, sheer and utter madness. I don't even want to add up the numbers because I'd probably fall over. However, I will say again that it has been over two years since I've been Outside, I put money straight into all my savings accounts first (in most cases a little more than I normally do), and I received an extra $1000 on my regular paycheque. Excuses all, I know, but I'm set for a very long time now, and the next few months will just have to be extreme belt-tightening ones.
I realize that furniture is not usually something that you'd buy while on holiday, but I love what I bought. My sister's partner is an artist and he and his ex-wife used to have a business, part of which was reclaiming second-hand furniture. David would carve the hard edges off the pieces and add images into the wood - stars and moons, for example - and his ex would paint them these wild, bright, funky colours. I think David is happy to have that final tie broken with his ex, as he wants nothing to do with her, yet is also glad the pieces are going to someone who will really appreciate them. The price they gave me for 7 items is excellent ($400), plus I will pay for the shipping. The only catch is that I have no idea when I'll be getting the pieces, as they're making plans to move to Cambridge (UK) for my sister's PhD, but as nothing's definite yet, it could be 3 months, it could be more like a year. Regardless, I will at last be able to get rid of my garage sale/college dorm collection!
The trip itself was great. I didn't realize how much I actually needed a holiday until I was on it! The first day I arrived, taking the ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo, on the Island, I saw a pod of killer whales and a pod of porpoises! I've never seen the porpoises before, so I was thrilled, to say the least. I also saw a little group of 4 porpoises from the ferry on the way back to Vancouver! I visited with two friends up-island and then headed down into Victoria, where I stayed with my sister in James Bay, the oldest residential area in Victoria. Beautiful old Victorian-era buildings and a 20-minute walk from town, so I was back and forth daily, as well as making visits to the beach and ocean, which is a block from my sister's place.
I'd forgotten how damp it was there, and I plumped up like a plum! It was great - my hair curled up, my skin was lovely and smooth and soft...but it was difficult to sleep sometimes simply because it was also quite warm. Not complaining (!), just making a point. :-P My sister and her boyfriend had a commitment ceremony the weekend I got to town (basically they got married, just without the fuss and muss and bother of a "legal" wedding and a third party officiating), then it was Thanksgiving and then I only had 4 days to see my friends! I couldn't see everyone, unfortunately, but I saw the people I really, really wanted to see. It was a little overwhelming, as I had to work around their work schedules obviously, but we picked up basically right where we left off, which was, I admit, a relief to me. Distance shouldn't change the basics of good friendship, but it can, and I think I was worried about that.
All in all, a wonderful break, although I was a little melancholy on my return last week, mainly because there are aspects I really do miss, but I know that moving back would be a mistake as it was a "grass is greener" moment. I've decided that perhaps I just need to visit a little more often, instead.
And try to convince my friends to visit ME instead! :-)
I do have some photos, but I've been a little unmotivated since I've been back, so haven't downloaded them yet. I will post some when I get organized and share a little of Victoria with you.
As it's basically the end of October, I thought I'd review how I did/am doing on my goals.
1) Start paying cash for everything – when it’s gone, too bad!
- This definitely needs work.
2) Two no-spend days a week
- Again, something to focus on
3) Start keeping track of my spending, down to the last penny (something I needed to have been doing for months already)
- This I've started!
4) Start shopping “at home” before going to the grocery store
- will be doing this this week, before I go shopping
5) Delete World of Warcraft from my computer
- Done!
6) Hang plastic in my windows before I leave for Victoria on Wednesday
- Three out of four done; last window to be done in the next couple of weeks
7) Finish my 101 Things & my 50x50 list
- No
8) Get to bed by 9:30 p.m. every night
- Most nights I have, despite visiting friends on holiday, etc.
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)
- Did this on Oct 7; very glad I did, as we now actually have snow to stay
10) Find out what I currently owe on my student loan
- $3395.20 as of Oct 23/08
11) Start Christmas shopping in Victoria
- No
12) ENJOY MY TIME OFF!
- Absolutely did!!
Long-Term Goals
1) Read 2 – 3 books a month (totally do-able)
- Three this month:
"A is for Alibi" by Sue Grafton; "The Case of the Missing Library Books" & "Mr Dixon Disappears" by Ian Sansome)
2) Floss daily (I really like my teeth where they are!)
- 10/31 days so far
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…)
- have bought 4, but will most likely return one
5) Keep, roll and deposit change regularly
- on track
6) Meal plan and cook weekly
7) Reach $2K in emergency fund, then halve my contribution and put half towards my outstanding student loan
- EF is just over $1500; in the meantime I'm going to put $10 p/wk extra onto my loan
Better than I thought, but still not fully completed. The long-term goals, obviously, are a constant work in progress, but a decent start on them is promising.
My holiday, while welcome, relaxing, very enjoyable and warm, was also quite horrifying with respect to spending. It turns out that being "stuck" in the North, with limited access to all the wants of the Outside is a very good thing for me, apparently.
I went down with a list of needs:
New jeans (Warehouse One is not an option, I'm afraid - I'm TOO OLD to buy pants there)
Underwear (because I refuse to shop at Wally World)
Decent gloves (more competition=better prices)
Body Shop items
A wedding present for my sister and new BIL
And ended up with a LOT of wants:
Furniture
Fabulous beeswax candles
A Bodytalk session
Museum/IMAX visit
Various soaps
And of course the dinners and lunches that I shared with my friends. And the little "things" I picked up: Gel Gems, slippers, table settings (for my new table), books, funny magnets, mailing a pkg of "things" home, some T-shirts...
Yes, it was, essentially, sheer and utter madness. I don't even want to add up the numbers because I'd probably fall over. However, I will say again that it has been over two years since I've been Outside, I put money straight into all my savings accounts first (in most cases a little more than I normally do), and I received an extra $1000 on my regular paycheque. Excuses all, I know, but I'm set for a very long time now, and the next few months will just have to be extreme belt-tightening ones.
I realize that furniture is not usually something that you'd buy while on holiday, but I love what I bought. My sister's partner is an artist and he and his ex-wife used to have a business, part of which was reclaiming second-hand furniture. David would carve the hard edges off the pieces and add images into the wood - stars and moons, for example - and his ex would paint them these wild, bright, funky colours. I think David is happy to have that final tie broken with his ex, as he wants nothing to do with her, yet is also glad the pieces are going to someone who will really appreciate them. The price they gave me for 7 items is excellent ($400), plus I will pay for the shipping. The only catch is that I have no idea when I'll be getting the pieces, as they're making plans to move to Cambridge (UK) for my sister's PhD, but as nothing's definite yet, it could be 3 months, it could be more like a year. Regardless, I will at last be able to get rid of my garage sale/college dorm collection!
The trip itself was great. I didn't realize how much I actually needed a holiday until I was on it! The first day I arrived, taking the ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo, on the Island, I saw a pod of killer whales and a pod of porpoises! I've never seen the porpoises before, so I was thrilled, to say the least. I also saw a little group of 4 porpoises from the ferry on the way back to Vancouver! I visited with two friends up-island and then headed down into Victoria, where I stayed with my sister in James Bay, the oldest residential area in Victoria. Beautiful old Victorian-era buildings and a 20-minute walk from town, so I was back and forth daily, as well as making visits to the beach and ocean, which is a block from my sister's place.
I'd forgotten how damp it was there, and I plumped up like a plum! It was great - my hair curled up, my skin was lovely and smooth and soft...but it was difficult to sleep sometimes simply because it was also quite warm. Not complaining (!), just making a point. :-P My sister and her boyfriend had a commitment ceremony the weekend I got to town (basically they got married, just without the fuss and muss and bother of a "legal" wedding and a third party officiating), then it was Thanksgiving and then I only had 4 days to see my friends! I couldn't see everyone, unfortunately, but I saw the people I really, really wanted to see. It was a little overwhelming, as I had to work around their work schedules obviously, but we picked up basically right where we left off, which was, I admit, a relief to me. Distance shouldn't change the basics of good friendship, but it can, and I think I was worried about that.
All in all, a wonderful break, although I was a little melancholy on my return last week, mainly because there are aspects I really do miss, but I know that moving back would be a mistake as it was a "grass is greener" moment. I've decided that perhaps I just need to visit a little more often, instead.
And try to convince my friends to visit ME instead! :-)
I do have some photos, but I've been a little unmotivated since I've been back, so haven't downloaded them yet. I will post some when I get organized and share a little of Victoria with you.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Taking Stock
My "to do" list is pretty much done! I am really pleased that I actually managed to get so much done in such a short period of time - I generally procrastinate like crazy, so apparently the impending travel is quite a motivator!
1) Do the recycling - DONE
2) Buy sealant and seal window frames - DONE
3) Put plastic up over windows - Three done; left the bedroom window undone so as not to deprive my Princess's viewing public of her pretty self (will do it when I get back)
4) Get snow tires on truck - DONE
5) Dinner with my friend tonight - DONE
6) Clean my apartment - Bathroom, vacuuming & dishes DONE
7) Sort my winter/summer clothes - DONE
8) Take older/non-fitting stuff to charity - DONE
9) Take unwanted DVDs to store for trade-in - DONE (+$7)
10) Laundry - DONE
11) Make sure my garbage cans are emptied (so no stinky surprises when I get home!) - DONE
12) Rinse and recycle all my plastic containers - NOT DONE
13) PACK! - DONE
So all in all, I did pretty well. I also returned two pairs of pants and exchanged another. I've taken $100 out of the bank so that I have some cash to travel with tomorrow as I know there will be some costs involved in getting myself to the Island. I'm getting SO excited! :-) I can't believe it's been over two years already. I am splurging somewhat and renting a car for two days to visit some friends while I'm on the island, so I'm going to have to make sure I'm careful not to get carried away the rest of the trip.
I am a little concerned about my little girl cat, Dinah; of course just as I'm heading out of Territory for an extended period of time, it appears she's got a bit of an infection in her lower lip. It doesn't seem to be bothering her at all (unless I fuss with it), so I suppose all I can do is ask my friend to keep an eye on it while he's here. I've learned that tea tree oil is toxic to cats, so I can't put that on it, but I did try a little antiseptic cream which might help a little bit. Regardless, it will require a vet visitThere's always something!
My spending hasn't been TOO bad over the past couple of days. This is how it breaks down:
Oct 5/08
Dinner $45.90 (that was just mine...ouch)
Oct 6/08
Tim Hortons: $6.58 (2 teas, 2 cinnamon buns)
Returns: $28.35 & $33.60 = +$61.95
Oct 7/08
Starbucks $4.28 (hot chocolate, chocolate croissant; and I'm sure that's not quite right because a venti costs $4.75...)
Snow Tires $100.80 (from car account which is suddenly very low).
Although I'm not really a Starbuck's fan, I had a nice couple of hours sitting there with my book, just relaxing and waiting for my truck to be ready. I haven't ever really done that before.
It's a cup of tea and an early night for me. I have to be up early to catch a plane! :-)
1) Do the recycling - DONE
2) Buy sealant and seal window frames - DONE
3) Put plastic up over windows - Three done; left the bedroom window undone so as not to deprive my Princess's viewing public of her pretty self (will do it when I get back)
4) Get snow tires on truck - DONE
5) Dinner with my friend tonight - DONE
6) Clean my apartment - Bathroom, vacuuming & dishes DONE
7) Sort my winter/summer clothes - DONE
8) Take older/non-fitting stuff to charity - DONE
9) Take unwanted DVDs to store for trade-in - DONE (+$7)
10) Laundry - DONE
11) Make sure my garbage cans are emptied (so no stinky surprises when I get home!) - DONE
12) Rinse and recycle all my plastic containers - NOT DONE
13) PACK! - DONE
So all in all, I did pretty well. I also returned two pairs of pants and exchanged another. I've taken $100 out of the bank so that I have some cash to travel with tomorrow as I know there will be some costs involved in getting myself to the Island. I'm getting SO excited! :-) I can't believe it's been over two years already. I am splurging somewhat and renting a car for two days to visit some friends while I'm on the island, so I'm going to have to make sure I'm careful not to get carried away the rest of the trip.
I am a little concerned about my little girl cat, Dinah; of course just as I'm heading out of Territory for an extended period of time, it appears she's got a bit of an infection in her lower lip. It doesn't seem to be bothering her at all (unless I fuss with it), so I suppose all I can do is ask my friend to keep an eye on it while he's here. I've learned that tea tree oil is toxic to cats, so I can't put that on it, but I did try a little antiseptic cream which might help a little bit. Regardless, it will require a vet visitThere's always something!
My spending hasn't been TOO bad over the past couple of days. This is how it breaks down:
Oct 5/08
Dinner $45.90 (that was just mine...ouch)
Oct 6/08
Tim Hortons: $6.58 (2 teas, 2 cinnamon buns)
Returns: $28.35 & $33.60 = +$61.95
Oct 7/08
Starbucks $4.28 (hot chocolate, chocolate croissant; and I'm sure that's not quite right because a venti costs $4.75...)
Snow Tires $100.80 (from car account which is suddenly very low).
Although I'm not really a Starbuck's fan, I had a nice couple of hours sitting there with my book, just relaxing and waiting for my truck to be ready. I haven't ever really done that before.
It's a cup of tea and an early night for me. I have to be up early to catch a plane! :-)
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Weekend Round-Up
I figure I might as well update while I can. I'm "in between" things on my big to do list and as I just want to sit and have a cup of tea for a few minutes while I try to re-organize my thoughts.
My list for the next three days (pre-travel) looks like this:
1) Do the recycling
2) Buy sealant and seal window frames - DONE, Oct 4
3) Put plastic up over windows - TWO DONE; need more plastic :\
4) Get snow tires on truck
5) Dinner with my friend tonight
6) Clean my apartment
7) Sort my winter/summer clothes - DONE
8) Take older/non-fitting stuff to charity - DONE
9) Take unwanted DVDs to store for trade-in
10) Laundry - DONE
11) Make sure my garbage cans are emptied (so no stinky surprises when I get home!)
12) Rinse and recycle all my plastic containers
13) PACK!
I saw my friend who'll be taking care of my cats last night, and gave him a run-down of what/how much they eat and when, but I'll leave notes anyway (Okay, so I worry about my cats...) and I also have to call the friend who is being really great and picking me up on Wednesday morning to take me to the airport.
My spending yesterday looks like this:
Breakfast $5.41
Gas $50 ($132.9/L) - I won't be driving for 10 days or so, so this is for the month
Canadian Tire $17.01 (water, sticky tape & silicone for my windows)
I also used my LOC to pay off my credit cards in full and I used the justification that the LOC interest rate is half the interest rate of one card and a THIRD of the second card. The total amount for the two was $624.95. Not quite getting myself out of debt, but like I said, I justify the decision simply because of the low(er) interest rate of the LOC.
Okay! Time to get myself going again, or I'll lose my momentum!
My list for the next three days (pre-travel) looks like this:
1) Do the recycling
2) Buy sealant and seal window frames - DONE, Oct 4
3) Put plastic up over windows - TWO DONE; need more plastic :\
4) Get snow tires on truck
5) Dinner with my friend tonight
6) Clean my apartment
7) Sort my winter/summer clothes - DONE
8) Take older/non-fitting stuff to charity - DONE
9) Take unwanted DVDs to store for trade-in
10) Laundry - DONE
11) Make sure my garbage cans are emptied (so no stinky surprises when I get home!)
12) Rinse and recycle all my plastic containers
13) PACK!
I saw my friend who'll be taking care of my cats last night, and gave him a run-down of what/how much they eat and when, but I'll leave notes anyway (Okay, so I worry about my cats...) and I also have to call the friend who is being really great and picking me up on Wednesday morning to take me to the airport.
My spending yesterday looks like this:
Breakfast $5.41
Gas $50 ($132.9/L) - I won't be driving for 10 days or so, so this is for the month
Canadian Tire $17.01 (water, sticky tape & silicone for my windows)
I also used my LOC to pay off my credit cards in full and I used the justification that the LOC interest rate is half the interest rate of one card and a THIRD of the second card. The total amount for the two was $624.95. Not quite getting myself out of debt, but like I said, I justify the decision simply because of the low(er) interest rate of the LOC.
Okay! Time to get myself going again, or I'll lose my momentum!
Thursday, 2 October 2008
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…
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…
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