Every once in awhile, I have the pleasure of being able to bring Hubby with me to work. I especially love it when we have to go out of town, so I have his undivided attention for a few hours. We usually take this time to reconnect through conversation, and the other day was no different.
I was finally able to tell him my concerns about a work situation. I know that no one has any true security in their job anymore, and I am no exception. Thinking about the very real possibility of job loss, I wanted to talk about what we could and would do if one or both of us were to lose our jobs through no fault of our own.
As much as I love my Hubby, I know that he is a typically pessimistic person and that he usually brings my optimism down a notch or three. So for this conversation, I was not particularly looking forward to having it, nor was I thinking it would be a good one.
I was wrong. (And that does not happen very often.)
Hubby talked about the situations going on at his place of employment, and how it could possibly end up with him having a job loss. Please understand, that since he was 16 years old, Hubby has never been without work for more than a week, so unemployment for any length of time would be a whole different thing for him.
We talked about his options: going back to school for trade specific training, or for a whole new line of work altogether. He said he was willing to take almost any job that paid more than minimum wage, and if necessary, would take a min. wage job too.
We also talked about my options should I become unemployed. I offered a few suggestions of where I might also apply to work to stay in the same field, along with what I could do to increase business should I decide to stay self-employed. If worse came to worse, I would take whatever job I could in order to keep our family afloat.
Things that we could do financially to keep us going were a big part of the conversation. We talked about reducing cable, cellphones, and other variable expenses would be our first line of defense. Preparation was also a main point in the conversation. We agreed that we have been lax in the area of saving up enough money to see us through a rough patch, and have resolved to fix this as best as we can. So on Sunday, I sat down with the budget and financial plan and re prioritised our 2013 goals page. I will sleep better at night once we have at least $1000 each in our Emergency Fund and Emergency Essential Expenses accounts. As for the taxes owing, well, the sooner I get that paid off, the better we will be all the way around. I will be posting occasionally about how we are bumping up these funds and paying off the tax man.
We are no longer burying our heads in the sand. We're thinking like optimists but planning like pessimists.
Have you put any thought into how your family budget would survive a job loss or god forbid, a double job loss? What would you do?
Showing posts with label Sunday Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunday Thoughts. Show all posts
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sunday, December 9, 2012
About the New Van
If you read my December mini-goals post, you'll have noticed that we bought a new van. Brand new. Less than 50 km on the odometer when we drove it off the lot. The 2013 model. Really, really new.
So here's the breakdown.
The total price of the van before financing, but after trade-in allowance, deposit and discounts, including taxes and assorted fees, was $31,775.25.
It is financed at 4.9% per annum over a period of 96 months. The total cost to borrow is $6104.43.
That leaves the total amount to be paid as $37,880.64.
We had to sign that we would be making monthly payments of just under $400 ($394.59 to be exact) but really want to split that into bi-weekly payments of $200. We can do this, but have to wait until after the first monthly payment has been made.
The good news is, the loan agreement does not have any sort of penalty for paying the loan off early or for making any additional payments over the life of the loan.
With the current/original repayment schedule, it will be fully paid for in November of the year 2020. I'm so not OK with that.
If we put an extra $600 per year (that's $50 per month) toward the loan, we can have it paid off in November of 2019, which is 12 months early.
If we pay an extra $1200 per year (or $100 per month) toward the loan, we can have it paid off in February of 2019, which is 22 months early.
Hubby and I will be spending the next couple of weeks figuring out how and when we will be paying down the loan faster than the original schedule. I know that paying it bi-weekly will also pay it down faster, but I'm not sure how to calculate that. Can some one recommend an online calculator that can do that? Now that I've had a taste of being consumer debt-free, I want to be back there.
My reasoning for incurring new debt is because a van is necessary for producing an income for me. My justification (rightfully or wrongly) is that the difference in fuel costs alone should be enough to meet the new payments. I still have to find out what the difference in insurance costs will be.
After the end of this month, I will be setting aside $1000 (already budgeted for) as a buffer in the account that the payment will be coming out of. That way, if we are having a difficult month (or two) we have enough already set aside to meet our obligation. I cannot see this happening, but one never knows, right?
So here's the breakdown.
The total price of the van before financing, but after trade-in allowance, deposit and discounts, including taxes and assorted fees, was $31,775.25.
It is financed at 4.9% per annum over a period of 96 months. The total cost to borrow is $6104.43.
That leaves the total amount to be paid as $37,880.64.
We had to sign that we would be making monthly payments of just under $400 ($394.59 to be exact) but really want to split that into bi-weekly payments of $200. We can do this, but have to wait until after the first monthly payment has been made.
The good news is, the loan agreement does not have any sort of penalty for paying the loan off early or for making any additional payments over the life of the loan.
With the current/original repayment schedule, it will be fully paid for in November of the year 2020. I'm so not OK with that.
If we put an extra $600 per year (that's $50 per month) toward the loan, we can have it paid off in November of 2019, which is 12 months early.
If we pay an extra $1200 per year (or $100 per month) toward the loan, we can have it paid off in February of 2019, which is 22 months early.
Hubby and I will be spending the next couple of weeks figuring out how and when we will be paying down the loan faster than the original schedule. I know that paying it bi-weekly will also pay it down faster, but I'm not sure how to calculate that. Can some one recommend an online calculator that can do that? Now that I've had a taste of being consumer debt-free, I want to be back there.
My reasoning for incurring new debt is because a van is necessary for producing an income for me. My justification (rightfully or wrongly) is that the difference in fuel costs alone should be enough to meet the new payments. I still have to find out what the difference in insurance costs will be.
After the end of this month, I will be setting aside $1000 (already budgeted for) as a buffer in the account that the payment will be coming out of. That way, if we are having a difficult month (or two) we have enough already set aside to meet our obligation. I cannot see this happening, but one never knows, right?
Sunday, November 18, 2012
We're getting there!
Today, we reached a milestone.
I came home from working, and Hubby asked me to see what he had written down. It was a list of the bills that he had paid.
Added to the list of bills I had paid off Friday.
We hugged and cried together.
We are CONSUMER DEBT FREE!!!!!!
Wow, does that feel good to say.
We're not done yet, but we are making progress.
In 2008, we were approximately $60,000 in debt.
Today, that total is approximately $15,000.
We've paid off two vehicle loans.
We've paid off three extremely large (for us) credit card balances.
We've paid off two store credit cards.
We pay our bills monthly, and on time.
We have money in our savings accounts.
We are setting some money aside for retirement and our children's post-secondary educations.
We are saving for a down payment for our forever home.
What a great day.
Thanks to all of you who are sharing in our success.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Murphy Strikes Again!
I knew that our van wasn't feeling so well. She'd had a few hiccups over the last little while, so I knew that I had to take care of some things sooner rather than later. While working yesterday, she suddenly and unexpectedly stopped working altogether. Darn you Murphy! This was going to be the month of putting away extra savings toward our goals, not shelling out every bit of money I have on repairs and a rental!
I have no idea what's wrong with the van. It just won't start. Insert key, turn, and hear awful clicking sound. I'm no expert, but I'm fairly certain it's not a battery thing. Nothing that simple ever happens. At least not to me. Call a tow truck. $60 - something just to tow the thing to the mechanic who won't be in until Tuesday morning. Give me strength.
I call the car rental place. I need a mini van, and I need it now. Preferably a Dodge with Stow 'N' Go seating. All the locations are already closed ( it was Sunday afternoon already) and only one is opening on the holiday Monday. I book a rental (it better be the one I want) for three days. Cross my fingers that it long enough to repair my poor van. The agent tells me I will have to give a $750 deposit and bring in my insurance paperwork, not just my pink slip, otherwise I'll be paying an additional 25% for insurance. I can already hear my bank card crying.
We beg a ride from our MIL back to our place to get our working vehicle, drive to home of colleague who has allowed us to borrow his van for a couple of hours. Take borrowed van to do work, and then drive it back. I'm already 4 hours behind schedule now. Please pass the Advil.
Needing to start the next part of work, I realise I need to eat something or I'm going to be sick. The burgers we had at this little pub on Richmond Street was the highlight of my day. They were delicious!
I finished up working somewhere around 10 o'clock last night. But there is more to be done over the next couple of days, and I have to go pick up a rental.
Towing costs, rental vehicle costs, and likely a hefty repair bill. Thanks Murphy. Just thanks.
Who wants him next?
I have no idea what's wrong with the van. It just won't start. Insert key, turn, and hear awful clicking sound. I'm no expert, but I'm fairly certain it's not a battery thing. Nothing that simple ever happens. At least not to me. Call a tow truck. $60 - something just to tow the thing to the mechanic who won't be in until Tuesday morning. Give me strength.
I call the car rental place. I need a mini van, and I need it now. Preferably a Dodge with Stow 'N' Go seating. All the locations are already closed ( it was Sunday afternoon already) and only one is opening on the holiday Monday. I book a rental (it better be the one I want) for three days. Cross my fingers that it long enough to repair my poor van. The agent tells me I will have to give a $750 deposit and bring in my insurance paperwork, not just my pink slip, otherwise I'll be paying an additional 25% for insurance. I can already hear my bank card crying.
We beg a ride from our MIL back to our place to get our working vehicle, drive to home of colleague who has allowed us to borrow his van for a couple of hours. Take borrowed van to do work, and then drive it back. I'm already 4 hours behind schedule now. Please pass the Advil.
Needing to start the next part of work, I realise I need to eat something or I'm going to be sick. The burgers we had at this little pub on Richmond Street was the highlight of my day. They were delicious!
I finished up working somewhere around 10 o'clock last night. But there is more to be done over the next couple of days, and I have to go pick up a rental.
Towing costs, rental vehicle costs, and likely a hefty repair bill. Thanks Murphy. Just thanks.
Who wants him next?
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sunday Night Chit Chat
Linking up with Carla over at My Half Dozen Daily for some Sunday Night Chit Chat. This is my first time, so I hope I do it ok.
Watching/Reading… I'm hoping to catch Stephen King's Bag of Bones on t.v tonight. Hopefully, I can do some knitting while it's on.
Listening To… The Big Bang Theory is on the t.v. while I'm writing this post.
Looking Forward to this week… Getting thestoopid artificial Christmas tree up. A girl can hope, right?
Happy You Accomplished this Weekend… I got some nicey nice things for my Bloggy Secret Santa recipient. I hope she likes them, cuz I know I love what I got from my Secret Santa! Also glad that we held my Uncle's 75th Birthday party yesterday. He is the last of his sibling group, and we wanted as many family to show up as possible. Here's to another 20 years of a great life lived Uncle!
How has your weekend been?
Mittens. Something that is prominent on my mind today. Knitting them, getting them, donating them to those in need. Keeping Kids Warm was contacted by a First Nation up north who are looking for hats, mitts and scarves for the children of their community. I am one of several people who are trying to gather as many items as possible to give to these folks.
Cooking/Baking…I spent the day working at The Met so I popped a store bought pizza in the oven for dinner. However, I did make Creamy Potato Soup in the crock pot this week.Watching/Reading… I'm hoping to catch Stephen King's Bag of Bones on t.v tonight. Hopefully, I can do some knitting while it's on.
Listening To… The Big Bang Theory is on the t.v. while I'm writing this post.
Looking Forward to this week… Getting the
Happy You Accomplished this Weekend… I got some nicey nice things for my Bloggy Secret Santa recipient. I hope she likes them, cuz I know I love what I got from my Secret Santa! Also glad that we held my Uncle's 75th Birthday party yesterday. He is the last of his sibling group, and we wanted as many family to show up as possible. Here's to another 20 years of a great life lived Uncle!
How has your weekend been?
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sunday Thoughts
I'm stressing myself out about money again, even though I am trying to relax a bit about it. I always have this feeling of dread, like something bad is going to happen, and we're going to end up homeless or something. Not that that would likely happen, but it's how I get when I am stressed out about money. I really can't change what is, but I am striving to spend less and earn more to reduce my stress.
I've had a toothache since Friday, and I know it won't be good when I finally do go to the dentist. I have an exposed broken molar, and the molar beside it is cracked, almost in half. For the most part they don't bother me, but it will be an expensive fix. $1200 that I just don't have right now. And that's the amount I will have to pay after insurance. Grr.
I did pick up some extra work from the 20th - 28th, and am looking forward to it. I pray that I can earn enough money that week to pay the rent for a month. :)
I've been reading and knitting lots this week. Sometimes it's easier for me to escape reality inside a good book than to worry about things that I can't really do anything about right now. I'm making progress on an afghan that I am working on. Hopefully I can have it done by Christmas.
Cub's sitter wants to start potty training this week, which ought to be interesting. He has no interest in using the potty whatsoever. I've cut down his liquid intake in the evenings so he won't wake up soaked in the middle of the night anymore. I've never trained a boy before. Any method suggestions that have worked for you?
DD1, her BF and grandcub are coming over today for Indian Tacos and watching the Season 2 premiere of The Walking Dead. I miss having all my family together and it will be nice to have a crowded, noisy apartment for the evening.
I haven't been focusing on my Top Ten daily, and the house is definitely reflecting that. I have got to get doing the laundry, or we'll all be wearing shorts and tank tops this week. :( I just have no motivation to get things done.
I have got to go to the grocery store today. It's not going to be a fun trip at all. Wish me luck.
P.S. Hubby owes me a million dollars. This morning when Cub came into our room at an ungodly hour, I thought "Yay! It's my day to sleep in!" After prompting Hubby to get up, he rolled over and said, "I'll give you a million dollars if you get up with him". I waited thinking that he would still get up, but instead it was me givng cub breakfast before 7 a.m. I'll take a money order, please.
I've had a toothache since Friday, and I know it won't be good when I finally do go to the dentist. I have an exposed broken molar, and the molar beside it is cracked, almost in half. For the most part they don't bother me, but it will be an expensive fix. $1200 that I just don't have right now. And that's the amount I will have to pay after insurance. Grr.
I did pick up some extra work from the 20th - 28th, and am looking forward to it. I pray that I can earn enough money that week to pay the rent for a month. :)
I've been reading and knitting lots this week. Sometimes it's easier for me to escape reality inside a good book than to worry about things that I can't really do anything about right now. I'm making progress on an afghan that I am working on. Hopefully I can have it done by Christmas.
Cub's sitter wants to start potty training this week, which ought to be interesting. He has no interest in using the potty whatsoever. I've cut down his liquid intake in the evenings so he won't wake up soaked in the middle of the night anymore. I've never trained a boy before. Any method suggestions that have worked for you?
DD1, her BF and grandcub are coming over today for Indian Tacos and watching the Season 2 premiere of The Walking Dead. I miss having all my family together and it will be nice to have a crowded, noisy apartment for the evening.
I haven't been focusing on my Top Ten daily, and the house is definitely reflecting that. I have got to get doing the laundry, or we'll all be wearing shorts and tank tops this week. :( I just have no motivation to get things done.
I have got to go to the grocery store today. It's not going to be a fun trip at all. Wish me luck.
P.S. Hubby owes me a million dollars. This morning when Cub came into our room at an ungodly hour, I thought "Yay! It's my day to sleep in!" After prompting Hubby to get up, he rolled over and said, "I'll give you a million dollars if you get up with him". I waited thinking that he would still get up, but instead it was me givng cub breakfast before 7 a.m. I'll take a money order, please.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday Ramblings
Hubby got up with Cub this morning and let me sleep in. He is such a wonderful Hubby. I love him to pieces. While I was still sleeping, he got down to work and started pulling apart the furniture and cleaning out DD2s room. She lives with us every other week, so it will make our surprise that much easier.
The lady that babysits Cub was looking for a Diaper Genie, cheap. Seems that stinky diapers from Cub and his daycare friend are not what a house full of adults really want to smell in the basement bathroom. she had found one on Kijiji for 5 bucks, but I told her I would bring her Cubs old one, for free.
We got to talking, and since they are in their new house, they went to Ikea to do some shopping. She had a coffee table and end table that they were just going to throw in the garbage. I asked if I could have them for DD1s apartment. Of course she let us take them off her hands. Score 1 for us. Then she told Hubby and I about the bedroom set.
She has her daughters bedroom set up for sale on Kijiji, with no bites on it. The set includes: mates bed with headboard and 3 drawers, 5 drawer dresser (tall), 6 drawer dresser with mirror (short), and nightstand, all matching. The mattress for this bed was just purchased in July. Hubby offered her $300 for the whole set. Score 2 for us!
We are now cleaning out all the crap from DD2s room, and will be bringing in the new furniture today. Sometime during the week, we will go to Mall-Mart, and buy a Bed-In-A-Bag with new sheets and comforter, and some new pillows. We've decided to take this out of the Christmas money, as we were going to buy her new bedding for Christmas anyway. The $300 will come out of Hubby's next pay cheque.
I sold $10 worth of candles yesterday to an family friend. I think I'll be putting that $10 in the new work equipment fund. I have to come up with $900 as a down payment on the new equipment, and they will allow me some time to pay off the remaining $900. This is an amazing deal, and I can't pass it up.
Next weekend, my sister and I will be setting up a sales booth at Gibraltar Weekend Market, also known as Gibraltar Trade Centre. We have committed to one month of weekends at the market to sell our wares. I have a small stockpile of candles ready to go, and she has an entire line of bath and beauty type products to sell. We are going to be focusing mostly on items for Christmas gifts. I;m just hoping we can make enough sales to warrant the rental of the booth. After the month of October, we will reevaluate and decide then if we should stay there for another month.
I will also be looking after my friends business for a week in the month of October, while he is on vacation. Which means I'll have an office to go to everyday, if I so choose. I am going to dedicate any money from this job to paying for the insurances that will be coming due in the next couple of months. I know I had set aside money for the insurances, but with paying off other things, overspending and paying a $2800 bill in June that I hadn't expected, funds are getting short again. Must tighten belt.
On another note, I got a communication from my divorce lawyer. My ex is wanting to reach an out of court settlement that would finalize any equalization of assets, and free him from ever paying spousal or child support in the future. In exchange, my ex wants to give me the house that we bought together. This may sound like a fairly good deal, but I am pretty leery. This exchange would benefit him because I know he doesn't want to give full disclosure as to all the assets he has, including the ones we had together. It would also benefit him because he would be free to purchase and RV and travel throughout North America, like he has planned. Which means I would have DD2 full time, with out child support payments coming in. Fortunately, my lawyer has already asked for the complete financial disclosure anyway, so that we can figure out if I would be better off financially to take the house, or to get payments from him. Funny thing is, I knew nothing about his plans to 'give' me the house, but both of our daughters did. :/
The little plants out on my balcony that I have been attending to since spring are finally giving me something back. My onion plants all died, but the cherry tomato plants are bearing some fruit. I should be able to can 1 or 2 jars of tomatoes (lol) this year. The most surprising plant has been the single surviving pepper plant. It had flowered several times, but no peppers. Today, when I went to water them, there it was. One single lonely pepper on the plant. It is big enough to let me know that it's been there awhile, but hiding from me. I'm thinking next year I may try different types of vegetables, because I've had next to no luck with the tomatoes and peppers.
I have cleaning, laundry and knitting to attend to, so I should get going.
By the way, if there is anyone out there who reads this who would like to do some trading/bartering for scented candles as Christmas gifts, please send me an e-mail. If you make anything that we could exchange, it could help us both to keep our budgets down for the holidays.
The lady that babysits Cub was looking for a Diaper Genie, cheap. Seems that stinky diapers from Cub and his daycare friend are not what a house full of adults really want to smell in the basement bathroom. she had found one on Kijiji for 5 bucks, but I told her I would bring her Cubs old one, for free.
We got to talking, and since they are in their new house, they went to Ikea to do some shopping. She had a coffee table and end table that they were just going to throw in the garbage. I asked if I could have them for DD1s apartment. Of course she let us take them off her hands. Score 1 for us. Then she told Hubby and I about the bedroom set.
She has her daughters bedroom set up for sale on Kijiji, with no bites on it. The set includes: mates bed with headboard and 3 drawers, 5 drawer dresser (tall), 6 drawer dresser with mirror (short), and nightstand, all matching. The mattress for this bed was just purchased in July. Hubby offered her $300 for the whole set. Score 2 for us!
We are now cleaning out all the crap from DD2s room, and will be bringing in the new furniture today. Sometime during the week, we will go to Mall-Mart, and buy a Bed-In-A-Bag with new sheets and comforter, and some new pillows. We've decided to take this out of the Christmas money, as we were going to buy her new bedding for Christmas anyway. The $300 will come out of Hubby's next pay cheque.
I sold $10 worth of candles yesterday to an family friend. I think I'll be putting that $10 in the new work equipment fund. I have to come up with $900 as a down payment on the new equipment, and they will allow me some time to pay off the remaining $900. This is an amazing deal, and I can't pass it up.
Next weekend, my sister and I will be setting up a sales booth at Gibraltar Weekend Market, also known as Gibraltar Trade Centre. We have committed to one month of weekends at the market to sell our wares. I have a small stockpile of candles ready to go, and she has an entire line of bath and beauty type products to sell. We are going to be focusing mostly on items for Christmas gifts. I;m just hoping we can make enough sales to warrant the rental of the booth. After the month of October, we will reevaluate and decide then if we should stay there for another month.
I will also be looking after my friends business for a week in the month of October, while he is on vacation. Which means I'll have an office to go to everyday, if I so choose. I am going to dedicate any money from this job to paying for the insurances that will be coming due in the next couple of months. I know I had set aside money for the insurances, but with paying off other things, overspending and paying a $2800 bill in June that I hadn't expected, funds are getting short again. Must tighten belt.
On another note, I got a communication from my divorce lawyer. My ex is wanting to reach an out of court settlement that would finalize any equalization of assets, and free him from ever paying spousal or child support in the future. In exchange, my ex wants to give me the house that we bought together. This may sound like a fairly good deal, but I am pretty leery. This exchange would benefit him because I know he doesn't want to give full disclosure as to all the assets he has, including the ones we had together. It would also benefit him because he would be free to purchase and RV and travel throughout North America, like he has planned. Which means I would have DD2 full time, with out child support payments coming in. Fortunately, my lawyer has already asked for the complete financial disclosure anyway, so that we can figure out if I would be better off financially to take the house, or to get payments from him. Funny thing is, I knew nothing about his plans to 'give' me the house, but both of our daughters did. :/
The little plants out on my balcony that I have been attending to since spring are finally giving me something back. My onion plants all died, but the cherry tomato plants are bearing some fruit. I should be able to can 1 or 2 jars of tomatoes (lol) this year. The most surprising plant has been the single surviving pepper plant. It had flowered several times, but no peppers. Today, when I went to water them, there it was. One single lonely pepper on the plant. It is big enough to let me know that it's been there awhile, but hiding from me. I'm thinking next year I may try different types of vegetables, because I've had next to no luck with the tomatoes and peppers.
I have cleaning, laundry and knitting to attend to, so I should get going.
By the way, if there is anyone out there who reads this who would like to do some trading/bartering for scented candles as Christmas gifts, please send me an e-mail. If you make anything that we could exchange, it could help us both to keep our budgets down for the holidays.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday Thoughts
This past week, I challenged myself to: 1) 1 week financial fast and 2) 5 - a - day servings of fruits and veggies. The bigger challenge for my overall health and wellness is to lose 40 pounds by my birthday (seven months from now).
The fiscal fast didn't end up being quite what I wanted it to, but it did keep me thinking about where my money was going. Friday I did spend about $6 on chocolate bars and soft drinks for Bug (DD2) and myself. We both were having a 'difficult' woman day, so I feel it was justified. Saturday ended up being a no spend success because of work and not feeling well. The kids have each had the 24 hour flu, and I think they shared with me. :( However today, we had to head to Shopper's for some ginger ale for the sick people in the house. There were things on sale, and a promotion for a bonus 18,500 points if you bought $75 or more in the store. Because pull-ups were one of the things on sale, we definitely hit the $75 mark, got the bonus points and stocked up on something we will use.
The 5 -a- day challenge was easy when I put my mind to it. I realised it was easier to get my 5 servings in first thing in the morning by having a smoothie. Friday brought it to an abrupt halt when Cub started to vomit. I couldn't drink a green looking smoothie after just having cleaned something similar looking off the carpet. The rest of the day I did munch on veggies, but I couldn't tell you if it was enough. I did not get in 5 servings yesterday because by that time, my own tummy wasn't doing so well. Even though I am still not feeling great today, I am making myself eat and drink, but I may be shy of 5 servings again today. Overall, I think I did well, because this challenge made me stop and think about what I was putting in my body, and that was the whole point. :)
Exercise didn't make a prominent appearance in my schedule this week either. I did however manage to lose 1 pound, likely due to all the fruits and veggies earlier on in the week. I am still having my struggle with the salt shaker, but I'm winning a little more each day.
Trent over at The simple dollar wrote a post entitled "The Resistance Fighter Inside Of You". It's a good piece, and it made me think. My resistance fighter inside of me is more of a scared little girl who whines a lot, but that's because she's used to getting her own way.
I, like Judy at We May Be Poor, But We Are Happy am going to put on my big girl panties this week, and fight that little b*tch, ahem, girl inside of me who is whining to beat the band today. Every day I will do my best to continue to make changes in my lifestyle and finances.
This morning I was blessed with time to sit, relax and knit while watching a mini-marathon of Gail and Til Debt Do Us Part. Hubby and I got to talking, and I challenged him to open a RRSP account now that his car is paid off. I reminded him we're not getting any younger, and we need to save for retirement. I made all the points about tax savings, tax deferred growth, tax deferred income, etc. He mentioned that if all we have to live on after retirement is from his pension from his workplace, we're in deep ca-ca. Indeed, we will be in deep ca-ca if we don't start somewhere. We'll have to see if he'll do it on his own, or if I need to hold his hand to get it done.
I am emotionally in a good place today. We don't feel like the sky is falling (financially speaking) anymore. It's been a tough road to here, and we're ready to fight this through to the end. You hear that, MBNA and Capital One credit cards? Your days are numbered!
The fiscal fast didn't end up being quite what I wanted it to, but it did keep me thinking about where my money was going. Friday I did spend about $6 on chocolate bars and soft drinks for Bug (DD2) and myself. We both were having a 'difficult' woman day, so I feel it was justified. Saturday ended up being a no spend success because of work and not feeling well. The kids have each had the 24 hour flu, and I think they shared with me. :( However today, we had to head to Shopper's for some ginger ale for the sick people in the house. There were things on sale, and a promotion for a bonus 18,500 points if you bought $75 or more in the store. Because pull-ups were one of the things on sale, we definitely hit the $75 mark, got the bonus points and stocked up on something we will use.
The 5 -a- day challenge was easy when I put my mind to it. I realised it was easier to get my 5 servings in first thing in the morning by having a smoothie. Friday brought it to an abrupt halt when Cub started to vomit. I couldn't drink a green looking smoothie after just having cleaned something similar looking off the carpet. The rest of the day I did munch on veggies, but I couldn't tell you if it was enough. I did not get in 5 servings yesterday because by that time, my own tummy wasn't doing so well. Even though I am still not feeling great today, I am making myself eat and drink, but I may be shy of 5 servings again today. Overall, I think I did well, because this challenge made me stop and think about what I was putting in my body, and that was the whole point. :)
Exercise didn't make a prominent appearance in my schedule this week either. I did however manage to lose 1 pound, likely due to all the fruits and veggies earlier on in the week. I am still having my struggle with the salt shaker, but I'm winning a little more each day.
Trent over at The simple dollar wrote a post entitled "The Resistance Fighter Inside Of You". It's a good piece, and it made me think. My resistance fighter inside of me is more of a scared little girl who whines a lot, but that's because she's used to getting her own way.
I, like Judy at We May Be Poor, But We Are Happy am going to put on my big girl panties this week, and fight that little b*tch, ahem, girl inside of me who is whining to beat the band today. Every day I will do my best to continue to make changes in my lifestyle and finances.
This morning I was blessed with time to sit, relax and knit while watching a mini-marathon of Gail and Til Debt Do Us Part. Hubby and I got to talking, and I challenged him to open a RRSP account now that his car is paid off. I reminded him we're not getting any younger, and we need to save for retirement. I made all the points about tax savings, tax deferred growth, tax deferred income, etc. He mentioned that if all we have to live on after retirement is from his pension from his workplace, we're in deep ca-ca. Indeed, we will be in deep ca-ca if we don't start somewhere. We'll have to see if he'll do it on his own, or if I need to hold his hand to get it done.
I am emotionally in a good place today. We don't feel like the sky is falling (financially speaking) anymore. It's been a tough road to here, and we're ready to fight this through to the end. You hear that, MBNA and Capital One credit cards? Your days are numbered!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sunday Ramblings
A couple of great things have happened this week.
Hubby's car loan is under $200. It will be paid off in the middle of September. His credit card, which is at a ridiculous rate of 27.98%, is down under $1500. Those are two wonderful numbers!
By my calculations, when the car is paid for, if he adds that $50/week payment to his credit card, he can have that paid off by the end of January, instead of the end of May 2012 (which is what the current end date should be).
After that point, $400 would be freed up from debt repayment and could be reallocated to other debts to snowball the heck out of them. If the $400 was added to the $150 that is currently being paid on my credit card, it would wipe out the balance in a mere 6 months. That is exciting!
We haven't yet decided exactly where the payments will be going, but I have a feeling that we're going to have to re-jig the budget anyway. I know we still have to take childcare expenses into account. Cub will be going to a child care provider full-time to the tune of $150 per week.
In other news, our Cub is now sleeping in a Big Boy bed! OK, it's a toddler bed, still using his crib mattress, but it's more like a real bed than a crib. This is a hand constructed bed that I bought at a yard sale a couple of years ago for $20. My sister refinished it, and carved a car into the headboard. The pieces all fit together without screws, and is made of solid wood. When it's time, this will be passed down to Grand Cub.
DD2 is excited to be heading back to school in a couple of weeks. I still have no idea what she needs for supplies, so I'll just kind of wing it.
Hubby heads back to his day job on Monday, and I have been working this past week on side gig #'s 1 & 2. Financially, we're on track, but because I know we've overspent, I'm starting to get anxiety over it. Our rent account is much lower than it should be, and it bothers me greatly. The insurance renewals are starting to come in, so that account will be taking a big hit soon.
Our meal plan for the week is pretty much set, and I shopped for those meals, and added veggies, potatoes and rice to the meals. We *should* be able to get to Thursday before we will start looking at eating out, hopefully.
Today, I'm going to attempt a Watermelon and Blueberry Salad to have with dinner. wish me luck!
Hubby's car loan is under $200. It will be paid off in the middle of September. His credit card, which is at a ridiculous rate of 27.98%, is down under $1500. Those are two wonderful numbers!
By my calculations, when the car is paid for, if he adds that $50/week payment to his credit card, he can have that paid off by the end of January, instead of the end of May 2012 (which is what the current end date should be).
After that point, $400 would be freed up from debt repayment and could be reallocated to other debts to snowball the heck out of them. If the $400 was added to the $150 that is currently being paid on my credit card, it would wipe out the balance in a mere 6 months. That is exciting!
We haven't yet decided exactly where the payments will be going, but I have a feeling that we're going to have to re-jig the budget anyway. I know we still have to take childcare expenses into account. Cub will be going to a child care provider full-time to the tune of $150 per week.
In other news, our Cub is now sleeping in a Big Boy bed! OK, it's a toddler bed, still using his crib mattress, but it's more like a real bed than a crib. This is a hand constructed bed that I bought at a yard sale a couple of years ago for $20. My sister refinished it, and carved a car into the headboard. The pieces all fit together without screws, and is made of solid wood. When it's time, this will be passed down to Grand Cub.
DD2 is excited to be heading back to school in a couple of weeks. I still have no idea what she needs for supplies, so I'll just kind of wing it.
Hubby heads back to his day job on Monday, and I have been working this past week on side gig #'s 1 & 2. Financially, we're on track, but because I know we've overspent, I'm starting to get anxiety over it. Our rent account is much lower than it should be, and it bothers me greatly. The insurance renewals are starting to come in, so that account will be taking a big hit soon.
Our meal plan for the week is pretty much set, and I shopped for those meals, and added veggies, potatoes and rice to the meals. We *should* be able to get to Thursday before we will start looking at eating out, hopefully.
Today, I'm going to attempt a Watermelon and Blueberry Salad to have with dinner. wish me luck!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Month End Report - July 2011
TFSA/ EEE Account $336.84 (up $50.60)
Xmas Fund $1553.62 (down $96.40)
RRSP Savings Acct. $57.11 ( up $25.04)
Vacations Account $20.85 (down $729.21)
RRSP MF Acct. $1,758.92 (down $7.87)
RESP MF Acct. $1364.10 (up $176.17)
Emergency Fund Acct. $652.71 (up $361.61)
House Fund $95.01 (up $32.01)
Biz Savings/5 Categories $7,742.08 (down $3872.93)
Canada Savings Bonds $1325.00 (up $140.00)
B's Savings Acct. $225.01 (up $70.01)
HBC Card (28.8%): Overpaid, credit of $31.00
Personal Loan: $5895.50, down $160.00
MBNA Card (27.98%): $1,647.75, down $157.03
Capital One Card (19.8%): $3215.08, down $54.46
Overdraft 1: $446.40, up $69.41
Auto Loan: $ 305.26, down $251.10
Tax Owing: $3591.41, down $470.35
Our current total Debt owing: $15,101.40
Total Debt owed January 1, 2011: $23,861.01
Difference since January 1, 2011: $ 8,759.61
Difference since last month: $ 1,023.53
Our Net Worth this month is only a mere $29.85, but we could effectively be out of debt if we were to deplete all of our savings, which of course we are not willing to do.
The vacations account is down so much, because I have taken the money out of the account for our trip to the cottage. We will need to buy some food and drinks, so that will come from this money. We also have to pay for the cottage rental in cash the day we arrive, so I want to be sure I have the cash available.
The business account took a couple of big hits with paying off the amount owing for Small Claims Court settlement, as well as some spending. However, we are back on track for putting money back into this account to take care of future obligations.
The Xmas/Car fund account looks a little weird. I put money in to start saving for the lawyer retainer, then changed my mind about how I would deal with it. So I took the money back out. Then I put money in to start saving up for a newer vehicle. It's going to take some time to save up enough, but at least we have started.
As for the credit cards...well, at least we haven't used them. With the postal strike, and the weird cycle that both cards are on, it looks like we didn't make much headway even though we paid $200 on each card last month. Interest charges are another culprit, I'm sure.
I should probably add another column to our debt, even though it's only a debt to ourselves. We 'borrowed' $4000 from our rent account to pay the lawyer's retainer fee for my divorce application. But that will come after that emergency Fund Account gets back up to $1000. We're almost there.
How did you do with your finances this month? Is everything going according to plan?
Xmas Fund $1553.62 (down $96.40)
RRSP Savings Acct. $57.11 ( up $25.04)
Vacations Account $20.85 (down $729.21)
RRSP MF Acct. $1,758.92 (down $7.87)
RESP MF Acct. $1364.10 (up $176.17)
Emergency Fund Acct. $652.71 (up $361.61)
House Fund $95.01 (up $32.01)
Biz Savings/5 Categories $7,742.08 (down $3872.93)
Canada Savings Bonds $1325.00 (up $140.00)
B's Savings Acct. $225.01 (up $70.01)
HBC Card (28.8%): Overpaid, credit of $31.00
Personal Loan: $5895.50, down $160.00
MBNA Card (27.98%): $1,647.75, down $157.03
Capital One Card (19.8%): $3215.08, down $54.46
Overdraft 1: $446.40, up $69.41
Auto Loan: $ 305.26, down $251.10
Tax Owing: $3591.41, down $470.35
Our current total Debt owing: $15,101.40
Total Debt owed January 1, 2011: $23,861.01
Difference since January 1, 2011: $ 8,759.61
Difference since last month: $ 1,023.53
Our Net Worth this month is only a mere $29.85, but we could effectively be out of debt if we were to deplete all of our savings, which of course we are not willing to do.
The vacations account is down so much, because I have taken the money out of the account for our trip to the cottage. We will need to buy some food and drinks, so that will come from this money. We also have to pay for the cottage rental in cash the day we arrive, so I want to be sure I have the cash available.
The business account took a couple of big hits with paying off the amount owing for Small Claims Court settlement, as well as some spending. However, we are back on track for putting money back into this account to take care of future obligations.
The Xmas/Car fund account looks a little weird. I put money in to start saving for the lawyer retainer, then changed my mind about how I would deal with it. So I took the money back out. Then I put money in to start saving up for a newer vehicle. It's going to take some time to save up enough, but at least we have started.
As for the credit cards...well, at least we haven't used them. With the postal strike, and the weird cycle that both cards are on, it looks like we didn't make much headway even though we paid $200 on each card last month. Interest charges are another culprit, I'm sure.
I should probably add another column to our debt, even though it's only a debt to ourselves. We 'borrowed' $4000 from our rent account to pay the lawyer's retainer fee for my divorce application. But that will come after that emergency Fund Account gets back up to $1000. We're almost there.
How did you do with your finances this month? Is everything going according to plan?
Monday, July 4, 2011
July 3rd/4th
July 3rd: $10/$800
Happy Independence Day to all American readers!
We purchased a barbecue for $275.72, tax included. Way under the $300 budget I had set for us. Hubby spent most of the day putting it together, and we had hot dogs cooked on it for dinner tonight. We plan on using this wonderful new contraption a lot, and therefore reducing our 'dining out' expenditures, which were way too high anyway.
I bought a prepaid credit card at Shopper's yesterday so that I could order some things online. The 'fee' charged works out to be about 4.3% of the cards value. Better than incurring an interest charge, I think.
I spent several hours today making more candles. On a side note, candle making makes my apartment smell soooo nice. I also managed to put fertilizer spikes in the house plants and our balcony pots that have our veggie plants in them. I can't wait to eat peppers that I grew my self. Two loads of laundry got done today, which is also good. I feel like I actually accomplished stuff this weekend.
I'm going to put the $5 bill for July 4th in the envelope before I go to bed, so I won't have to think about it tomorrow.
have a happy Monday everyone. :)
Happy Independence Day to all American readers!
We purchased a barbecue for $275.72, tax included. Way under the $300 budget I had set for us. Hubby spent most of the day putting it together, and we had hot dogs cooked on it for dinner tonight. We plan on using this wonderful new contraption a lot, and therefore reducing our 'dining out' expenditures, which were way too high anyway.
I bought a prepaid credit card at Shopper's yesterday so that I could order some things online. The 'fee' charged works out to be about 4.3% of the cards value. Better than incurring an interest charge, I think.
I spent several hours today making more candles. On a side note, candle making makes my apartment smell soooo nice. I also managed to put fertilizer spikes in the house plants and our balcony pots that have our veggie plants in them. I can't wait to eat peppers that I grew my self. Two loads of laundry got done today, which is also good. I feel like I actually accomplished stuff this weekend.
I'm going to put the $5 bill for July 4th in the envelope before I go to bed, so I won't have to think about it tomorrow.
have a happy Monday everyone. :)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
I'm Really NOT Ignoring Everyone
Here's a bit of a mishmash of things I wanted to blog about. A bunch of little things to make one whole post. :)
I'm having issues with Blogger not allowing me to comment on some other blogs. I don't understand it at all. I can comment on one blog I read regularly, and not on others. It's annoying and bothersome.
Sarah and Jenny: I am reading your blog every day, but cannot comment at all for some reason. Please know that I am still here cheering you on from the sidelines.
I bought a camera. It's a Kodak EasyShare C182. It's digital and very easy to use. Maybe one day I'll be grown-up enough to handle a real camera, lol! I got it at Shopper's Drug Mart for $139.99. It wasn't even on sale! *gasp* The day I bought it, they were having a 20X the points event. Purchase of camera and corresponding memory card equalled an additional 21,000 points on my Optimum card. I'm so close to the $60 in free stuff, I can almost taste it!
Here's a little picture I took.
I found this bottle of laundry detergent at my local No Frills for $3.47. With my new found Extreme Couponing skills, and a $3.00 off coupon, I got this baby for only 47 cents!!! Combined with other coupons for other products, I shaved $5.75 off my grocery bill that day. I'm not likely to get on that crazy show anytime soon, but I'm reducing my spending when and where I can.
Have you seen the changes on my Financial Goals Page? Out of our 21 goals, we have made movement or progress on 14 of them. From this point on, we are looking to have the $1000 Emergency fund in Hubby's account, wipe out hubby's overdraft and build a positive balance in that account, and build up a separate fund for the lawyer's retainer. I'm going to hold these funds in the Xmas Fund account, which already has enough money in it.
When we started out on this journey some years ago, I was the one doing all the numbers and making all the decisions. Hubby eventually came around and started helping work toward the big goal of becoming debt free. He is now on board completely and totally! I still run all the numbers, because it's easier for me to do, but we're talking about all aspects of our finances and working toward common goals.
We are going to try to have the retainer fee by the end of August. $3500 in 85 days. Wish us luck!
I'm having issues with Blogger not allowing me to comment on some other blogs. I don't understand it at all. I can comment on one blog I read regularly, and not on others. It's annoying and bothersome.
Sarah and Jenny: I am reading your blog every day, but cannot comment at all for some reason. Please know that I am still here cheering you on from the sidelines.
I bought a camera. It's a Kodak EasyShare C182. It's digital and very easy to use. Maybe one day I'll be grown-up enough to handle a real camera, lol! I got it at Shopper's Drug Mart for $139.99. It wasn't even on sale! *gasp* The day I bought it, they were having a 20X the points event. Purchase of camera and corresponding memory card equalled an additional 21,000 points on my Optimum card. I'm so close to the $60 in free stuff, I can almost taste it!
Here's a little picture I took.
I found this bottle of laundry detergent at my local No Frills for $3.47. With my new found Extreme Couponing skills, and a $3.00 off coupon, I got this baby for only 47 cents!!! Combined with other coupons for other products, I shaved $5.75 off my grocery bill that day. I'm not likely to get on that crazy show anytime soon, but I'm reducing my spending when and where I can.
Have you seen the changes on my Financial Goals Page? Out of our 21 goals, we have made movement or progress on 14 of them. From this point on, we are looking to have the $1000 Emergency fund in Hubby's account, wipe out hubby's overdraft and build a positive balance in that account, and build up a separate fund for the lawyer's retainer. I'm going to hold these funds in the Xmas Fund account, which already has enough money in it.
When we started out on this journey some years ago, I was the one doing all the numbers and making all the decisions. Hubby eventually came around and started helping work toward the big goal of becoming debt free. He is now on board completely and totally! I still run all the numbers, because it's easier for me to do, but we're talking about all aspects of our finances and working toward common goals.
We are going to try to have the retainer fee by the end of August. $3500 in 85 days. Wish us luck!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday Thoughts
In keeping with my idea of writing everyday, I created an account with 750words.com . The idea is to get my brain functioning in the morning, and helping me to get my creative juices flowing. I don't have to worry about what I type in for my words, as no one can see it. Whatever enters my sleep clouded, not yet caffienated brain gets typed out through my keyboard. I've done this only for a couple of days now, but it's all a part of my grandiose plans to make writing every single day a habit. Otherwise, how in the world would I ever find the time to write my stories?
My wee little cherry tomato seedlings have sprouted, and are growing right along well. They haven't yet sprouted their first set of true leaves, but I'm hoping that it will happen this week. I can't wait to plant them in the hanging bag and pot I have waiting for them. Cub will love picking the baby tomatoes from the plant just for something to munch on.
We're heading over to Great-Grandma's house today to celebrate Cub's birthday with B's extended family. Gramma is making pork roast and we will be having a cake as well. I love getting together with his family. Not all of his extended family meet there every week, but at least one part of the family always shows up. I love that everybody in the family pitches in somewhat to assist great-grandma to continue living in her own home at the tender age of 91. They have a rotating list of B's aunts and uncles who provide a supper meal for g.g. at least every other day. It's their own version of Meals On Wheels. Someone from the family comes once a week to clean the house for her, and help with laundry, grocery shopping, and whatever other errands that g.g. has. We should all be so lucky in our golden years.
I had the opportunity to sit and do some knitting and reading yesterday. I started and finished a short book called "Blockade Billy" written by Stephen King. There were actually two short stories in the thin volume, but I'm only going to count it as one book, seeing as it was small. We found this book at a bookstore in Toronto several months ago when we took a evening trip there. It wasn't one that I had in my collection yet, and hadn't even heard of it. It's been difficult keeping up with the books he writes, and harder still to find older books that were published decades ago.
My prized possession in the Stephen King collection is a pop-up book version of "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". I don't know how many collectors have this version of the story in their collections, but I do know that it is much more rare than I could imagine. Most have never heard the name of the story or have a copy, let alone the pop-up one. Now if I could keep Cub's hands off it, it may be worth something in a hundred years. Lol!
Well, I'm off to get some more knitting done. I'm aiming to have 4 dishcloths done for the Made With Love Swap. Have a happy Sunday!
My wee little cherry tomato seedlings have sprouted, and are growing right along well. They haven't yet sprouted their first set of true leaves, but I'm hoping that it will happen this week. I can't wait to plant them in the hanging bag and pot I have waiting for them. Cub will love picking the baby tomatoes from the plant just for something to munch on.
We're heading over to Great-Grandma's house today to celebrate Cub's birthday with B's extended family. Gramma is making pork roast and we will be having a cake as well. I love getting together with his family. Not all of his extended family meet there every week, but at least one part of the family always shows up. I love that everybody in the family pitches in somewhat to assist great-grandma to continue living in her own home at the tender age of 91. They have a rotating list of B's aunts and uncles who provide a supper meal for g.g. at least every other day. It's their own version of Meals On Wheels. Someone from the family comes once a week to clean the house for her, and help with laundry, grocery shopping, and whatever other errands that g.g. has. We should all be so lucky in our golden years.
I had the opportunity to sit and do some knitting and reading yesterday. I started and finished a short book called "Blockade Billy" written by Stephen King. There were actually two short stories in the thin volume, but I'm only going to count it as one book, seeing as it was small. We found this book at a bookstore in Toronto several months ago when we took a evening trip there. It wasn't one that I had in my collection yet, and hadn't even heard of it. It's been difficult keeping up with the books he writes, and harder still to find older books that were published decades ago.
My prized possession in the Stephen King collection is a pop-up book version of "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". I don't know how many collectors have this version of the story in their collections, but I do know that it is much more rare than I could imagine. Most have never heard the name of the story or have a copy, let alone the pop-up one. Now if I could keep Cub's hands off it, it may be worth something in a hundred years. Lol!
Well, I'm off to get some more knitting done. I'm aiming to have 4 dishcloths done for the Made With Love Swap. Have a happy Sunday!
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