Award

My pal over at The Quest to be Financially Abundant listed my wee little blog in her list of 10 blogs that she loves. Thanks P! :)

I thought I would join along as it has felt like ages since I've posted. (No need to worry, just life getting busy on us.) So without any further ado, here is me playing along, for the fun of it.



10 Blogs that I love:

1. Gail Vaz-Oxlade. Just like I can't imagine starting my morning without a cuppa, I also can't imagine starting a day without a daily dose of Gail wisdom.
2. My Half Dozen Daily is the second blog I read daily. She's a SAHM who homeschools, and is currently trying to sell a chameleon so her teenaged daughter will come home, lol!
3. Over at When I get to Where I am Going , J udy is an avid knitter, who attends school, is paying off her debt, all while running a household of adult and teenaged kids, a husband, and her mother. Update: Judy has taken down her blog. I'll miss her posts. :(
4. Saving for Travel or SFT for short, keeps us up to date on her travel around the globe (I'm so jealous!) and is our gracious host for The Sealed Pot Challenge 2013. She hosts weekly updates on this for those who are interested.
5. Sharon at MidLifeMomMusings just recently moved to her own domain and Wordpress after deciding to commit to blogging. She always has something good to share.
6. The Warm Hands Network is a charity knitting blog that chronicles the yearly shipments of knitted good to some needy children right here in Canada. Not only do they take knitted items from a specific list, they also accept Canadian Tire money toward the purchase of boots for folks who live in an area where the temp can drop to -40 C (that's the same as -40 F).
7. $lay the Monster  is B-Kat's blog. She paid off her $148,000 mortgage  in ten years. Nowadays, she works diligently to keep out of the clutches of the Debt-Monster.
8. Jolie writes Shaking the Money Tree, and I love reading about her life.
9. I love to read alottastitches where Linda crochets one child sized blanket per week for children entering foster care. That on top of the knitting, sewing and other crochet projects she has going.
10. Sass writes about her life with Princess Penelope (her daughter) and her two pups, Thing 1 and Thing 2 over at Getting Us There. I love her pictures of her shopping trips.

7 Things about me:

1. I love to observe people. By nature, I'm kind of quiet, a little bit shy, and would much rather sit and watch people at a party or gathering than getting involved in conversations.
2. I am a member of the Bear Clan of the Oneida First Nation people. To me, this means that I have a strong connection to family (by birth or by choice) and will do most anything I can for them. It also makes me want to sleep a lot in the winter time.
3. My self-esteem has bipolar disorder, I think. I either have all the confidence in the world in my strengths and abilities, or I have the worst self-esteem in the world. Depends on the day, I guess.
4. I do have a strong personality with some very strong opinions on things. I find that people either really, really like me or they absolutely hate me. I have learned to live with this and not to worry about those who don't like me.
5. I'm learning a lot about myself through knitting. I used to think knitting was all about the end result, the item I made, but it's become more about me just doing the knitting and what occurs in my head while I'm doing so.
6. Some of my favourite music is fairly heavy. Like heavy metal heavy. I don't seem the type at all, lol.
7. I want to get a dog in the worst way, but until we are in an actual house and not an apartment, I won't do it. It wouldn't be fair to the dog.

Rules if you want to play.

1. post awards on blog
2. thank person that nominated you, that would be me, but your blog is thanks enough!
3. List 10 blogs you love
4. list 7 things about you
5. List these rules
6. tell people you nominated by posting on their blog

Pennies for Thought

A Penny for your Thoughts

Today marks the first official day without our beloved Canadian penny. As of today, stores will be allowed to round up, or down, for your cash purchases that have any number other than zero that is two spots to the right of the decimal point.

The Royal Canadian Mint will no longer distribute pennies as of February 4, 2013. In phasing out this coin, it is estimated that the taxpayers will save$11 million dollars per year.

Pennies can still be used in cash transactions however only with businesses that choose to accept them. Yep, that means if you want to buy something from your local store, they do not have to take your pennies as partial payment for your cup of coffee or whatever it is that you are purchasing.

 

The Rounding Guideline

The Canadian Government is adopting a rounding guideline that has been used successfully by other countries that have chosen to phase out their one cent coin. Final prices that end in a 1, 2, 6 or 7 should be rounded down to the nearest 5 cents. Prices ending in 3, 4, 8 or 9 should be rounded up.

But here’s the kicker: retailers do not have to follow this guideline that is supposed to make things fair for consumers. When you head off to your local coffee shop or hair salon, they can choose to always round up if they want. Want to bet most retailers will do just that?

 

Other methods of payment

When you are using a cheque, debit card or credit card – any form of payment other than cash – the transaction will not be subject to rounding guidelines. These types of payments can be settled to the exact amount and do not need to be rounded.

As a consumer, I suggest that we all need to be vigilant over the next little while. If you don’t normally pay attention at the cash register when you are making purchases, now is the time to start. Make sure that all items are being rung in correctly, and when your final total is presented to you, ensure that the retailer is not trying to get you to pay more than you need to. Make a little card to carry in your coin purse or wallet so you know that totals ending with 1, 2, 6, and 7 round down; totals with 3, 4, 8, and 9 round up. Then write CASH TRANSACTIONS ONLY along the bottom.

How Can This Save Me Money?

If, in a typical month, you make a total of 75 transactions total, either using cash or another method of payment, you could be paying 0.01 to 0.04 more per purchase if the retailer you deal with always chooses to round up. Potentially, that could be $3 more out of your budget than you are used to spending. If your monthly transactions total more than 75, this dollar amount could be much higher. Now $3 per month doesn’t seem like a lot, but that is $36 dollars per year. Over time, that adds up to a lot of money that was unnecessarily spent. Wouldn’t you rather keep that money in your pocket?

 

Putting the Plan Into Action

Now that I've had some time to internalise everything that has happened last week, I'm ready to start putting our Action Plan into place. Hubby and I have talked and talked about what we can do to keep things on an even keel around here until I find somthing else to bring in an income. The way I figure it, we will have a reduced income until February 28th, and then after that, who knows? There is so much that is unknown and to tell you the truth, I'm a little bit scared. But now is the time to really prioritise what is important to us and what is just 'nice to have'. Even when we had gobs and gobs of debt, I wasn't as willing to let go of things as I am now. Knowing that there is *some* money in the bank to see us through is certainly helping me to sleep at night.

Here's a list of actions I'll be taking to reduce our expenditures:

• go to the bank and temporarily stop RRSP, RESP and House downpayment contributions.
• calling cellphone provider and reducing plans to something more affordable.
• make a freezer and cupboard inventory; we need to eat what we have to reduce grocery costs.
• inventory items that can be sold to list on Kijijii and other sites.
• list items on Kijijii; have already started with two.

As for looking for other work, I have an appointment on Wednesday to get some help from an employment counsellor. Also, I had an unexpected tip on a possible job lead kind of within my field, but not quite. However, I will be in contact with them to see if they are interested in hiring me. Fingers crossed.

I'll be going over my invoicing tomorrow to see how much money that I am owed from various companies, as well as making sure that I pay any outstanding invoices from my business. I'd like to get as close to a clean slate as I can, before we start feeling the pinch of living on one income.

Unit Pricing

When you are shopping for the best deals, do you use unit pricing as part of your expense reducing strategy? If not, maybe you should consider it. This strategy alone could save you tons of cash.

What is unit pricing?
When you purchase a case of individual drinks, like a case of pop, or a multi-pack of dry goods, like six boxes of facial tissues, the entire package is a certain price. The cost of one individual can, bottle or tissue would be the unit price.

If a case of 12 boxes of macaroni & cheese is $6.88, the unit price would be ($6.88 / 12 =) $0.573 each. If you are paying $1.25 per single box, you could potentially save $8.12 ( or $0.68 per box).

This type of price comparison is more important when you have two like products but different packaging standards. An example of this would be bottled water. If you want to compare product A which sells water in a case of 15 X 500mL bottles for $0.88 and product B which sells water in a case of 24 (with a bonus of 4 bottles for a total of 28) X 500mL bottles at $2.44.

An individual bottle of Product A would be $0.88 / 15 = $0.058 per 500 mL.

An individual bottle of Product B would be $2.44 / 28 = $0.087 per 500 mL.

Where this really becomes important is when you have coupons. Lets say you had a coupon for Product B, for $1 off the purchase of a case of 24. Firstly, the coupon qualifies for the purchase because the additional four bottles are a bonus from the manufacturer, if they typically do not sell the product in packaging of 28. You would then be purchasing 28 X 500mL bottles for $0.051 each.

Here's the math:
$2.44 - $1 Manufacturer coupon = $1.44 / 28 = $0.051 per 500mL bottle.

When shopping for items that you buy regularly, you should be inputting the Unit Price into your Price Book (you do have a Price Book, don't you) so that you can compare at a glance what seems like a good deal while you're at the store. If the unit price isn't below or near your set point for cost, you know that it's not as good a deal as it is advertised to be.

Over time, using this tool can really help you to reduce your spending. Just remember to actually 'save' your savings. Put the money you don't spend in your savings account, or RRSP where it can actually do some good, instead of just spending that money on something else.

A Drive and A Good Talk

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?

Frugal Cooking

Hubby came home from work today, not feeling so well. I think it may be the dreaded flu that's going around and kicking everyone in the butt! I don't really want to spend a whole lot of money these days (the CRA thing has got me terrified) so I thought I should be a good girl, and make something yummy for dinner.

Enter Club House Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Starter. I have several of these in the cupboard that I bought on sale last month. I wish I could upload a picture of the package, or even find one online to show you, but alas, I cannot. Try googling it. It comes in a pretty blue package.

I had some leftover chicken breast in the fridge, so I chopped that up. I had to purchase some veggies for the soup, but I did manage to snag 2 celery bunches (heads? stalks? ribs? WTH is the correct terminology anyway?) for 99 cents on the reduced rack, and a package of baby carrots for another 99 cents. I also had to buy egg noodles which was on sale for $1.47. Between the celery, carrots and noodles, I should be able to get another 3 or 4 batches of soup out of what I have. :) I'll be chopping the remaining veg, cooked chicken thighs (I already had theses in the fridge) and putting one cup of each into freezer bags, so when I want to make more, I can just dump it, with the seasoning package and water,  into the crock pot and I'm set for the day.

Now, let's see if I'm any good at math:

~ package of chicken thighs (on sale) : $ 4.07
~ celery: $ 0.99
~ baby carrots: $ 0.99
~ onions (on hand)
~ egg noodles: $ 1.47
~ seasoning package: $ 1.25 each, so $ 3.75

$11.27 for three batches of Crock pot Chicken Noodle soup. Give or take. I had onions already and one cooked chicken breast, so add another $3 onto the total. About $15 for several meals.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

They also have a Vegetable Beef Soup Starter for the crock pot that I will be trying out sometime this month. I'd love to try lots of different kinds of recipes for my crock, but I live with some really picky eaters. I am on the hunt for good crock pot meal recipes, so if you have a favourite, please share with me.

Now if I could only find the Crock pot cooking liners in any store around here. Maybe I could get a friend from the US to send me a pack?

Women's Money Week, 2013

Attention Bloggers!

Remember last year when Women's Money Week posted the Ultimate List of Women Money Bloggers?

Some of us had to send them an email, or something to get added to that list, and others were just automatically on it. I still use that list to find good things to read on the Interwebs, written by fabulous women who write about money. To see my wee blog on the same list with Gail Vaz - Oxlade and Krystal of Give Me Back My Five Bucks was certainly exciting to say the least.

How many of you have stayed with Women's Money Week and been following the Weekly Resource designed to help you take action each week? Did you even know that there are weekly articles and way to hold yourself accountable for the week's action item? The whole blog/site is geared to help those who want to reshape their financial future, and will hold you accountable should you need that too.

You can also sign up now to be a part of Women's Money Week 2013 which will run from March 4 - 8, 2013. Their site says, "It will be a great chance to connect with other bloggers and get incoming links." More information will be available in January.

I like the idea of having some new people popping in to read my wee blog, so I signed up. Perhaps, given a bit of time to write, I'll be able to write a marvy-fab article that will get featured during WMW2013.

Anyone else interested in taking part in this?

Coming Back and New Goals

I have missed the blogging community greatly. I felt like I was part of something, and then I was missing out on the friendship and sharing. But it had to be done. I had so much to say, but I was under wraps for awhile (self-imposed). I know me. I have trouble keeping my mouth shut, lol. But now, I can talk a little more freely about what has been happening.

The big news is that the company I work for has opened an office location right here in London. I'm still working part-time hours, and if all goes well, I should be out from under my probationary period in the next week or so. This will enable me to serve my client families more efficiently.

My goals for working with this company are to become a full-time employee, to gain status as a managing director, and eventually be able to 'buy-in' as silent ( Ha- who am I kidding? I'm never silent!) partner for this location.

In anticipation of major changes ahead in the next few years, I'm forging forward with personal and financial goals also.

Toward the beginning of the year, I opened yet another RRSP account at my bank. I put a small deposit in, and left it be. No further deposits to date. After thinking about it for a time, I realised that I could use this account as my 'Home Down payment Fund'. Using  the Home Buyers Plan, I can 'borrow' my own money from my RRSP, up to $25,000 toward the purchase of a home. Meanwhile, any deposits I make will count toward my RRSP contributions for that year, giving me a small break on the amount of tax I will owe.

Still with me this far? Good.

I will still have to 'pay that money back', but since it's mine, there won't be any outrageous interest fees associated with it (at least none that I am aware of). Just a repayment schedule that the government defines.

So off to the bank I went, and signed a paper to say that they could take $25 per pay out of my chequing and put into the 'House RRSP Fund'. I know it will take me a hundred years or so to save up a down payment at that rate, but it's a starting point, ya know?

Seeing as I've hit the big 4-0, I've been thinking lots and lots about where my life is headed, where I am right now, and where I want to be in the future. I want to have a home of our very own, however modest it may be. I want to have money in the bank should the day ever come that I want to semi-retire. (I'm pretty sure if I ever fully retire, it will be due to health reasons only.) I'm putting away money to help partially pay for my kids post-secondary educations. Our debt is almost gone...Can you say U-RAH to that!!!! We've finally gotten that consumer debt monster down to something manageable.

On the other side of the coin, it looks like we will be shopping for a newer vehicle this year. Well, we have been looking for awhile, and I have absolutely nothing saved up for a new van, but we will need to replace it I think. A van is vital to my employment, so hopefully we can get a good deal on a 1 or 2 year old used one. I'm hoping for a Dodge Grand Caravan with Stow-N-Go seating, but we will see. I will not be taking out another 7 year long, $28,000 car loan, that's for sure.

One of these days, I will get around to updating my reading list. I've read a ton of books over the last little while, which has certainly helped my keep my shopping habit under control. Speaking of shopping, I'm working at the couponing again to keep our grocery costs down with budget limits. I think this is the first May in the last 5 years that we have stuff in the pantry, cupboards and freezer and I don't feel like an unfit parent. I'm anticipating what we will need over a given period and stocking up (not extreme couponer style) some of the things that we regularly use when its on sale.
I'm feeling good about life these days. I hope it lasts.

What are you feeling good about today?

iCreate

Now that the worst of the cold weather is behind us, I'm finding myself more able to knit when I have some spare time. I've imposed a due date for two items that I have been working on for a bit. One is a blanket for my daughter's 13th birthday, and the other item is a blanket I have been working on for my MIL since August of last year. I want to give it to her for her birthday in June.

So when I'm not working, I'm knitting.  Both of these projects are simply me creating. No pattern to follow, no wrong way to do it. I add yarns that I like the look and feel of, and away I go.

I'm also working on a pair of socks for Hubby (still) and various items for Keeping Kids Warm. I've made some neck warmers, or neck cowls; like a scarf but totally round with no ends to get caught on anything.

This is the blanket I'm working on for DD2. Do you think I can get it done by Friday?

This is sock number 2 of the pair for Hubby.

This is the multi-coloured blanket for my MIL, using worsted weight, 4 ply variegated yarns.

A closer pic so you can see the rainbow of colours.

The sized 6.0 mm bamboo circular needle(s) I'm using to make MIL's blanket. Probably part of the reason why it is taking me forever to finish it!



I'm thinking of starting a collective project of blankets to be made of squares kitted by volunteers, and having them mailed to me from knitters wherever they may be. Are you a knitter? Do you know a knitter? Think you might like to get involved in this project? Email me, and share this idea with others. If I can get 5 knitters to commit to making 2 ten inch squares, I'll do a giveaway. Let me know what you think.



The First Steps Are Always The Hardest

When taking any type of journey, the first steps are always the hardest to take. It doesn't make a difference if your journey is a physical one, a financial one or a spiritual one. The path to change begins with a single step.

I took my first steps on a new journey today.

Several weeks ago, I made a promise to myself and to Little Lamb over at Little Lamb wants to be Debt Free that I would help her celebrate her Freedom From Debt by taking a walk of a paltry 3 kilometres. Other folks committed to helping her celebrate by jogging, running, biking, skipping, climbing flights of stairs, or swimming laps. I truly feel that my celebratory task pales in comparison to what others are doing for this Debt Free Dash, but it is what I know I can accomplish yet is definitely outside of my normal amount of physical activity.

I like to think of myself as an opportunist, and today I was fortunate enough through some rather strange circumstances to see an opportunity for me to get some walking in. Cub managed to lock the doors on the car while I was dropping him off at daycare. Then I realised that I grabbed the wrong keys to put in my pocket - the car keys were still in the ignition!

I'd like to say that I walked home, got the spare set of keys, and walked back to retrieve my car, but I can't. I got a ride home from another parent. While at home, I thought I would check, out of curiosity, what the walking distance was from my apartment building to the care provider house was. Enter Google Maps. It has a great feature that I use all the time for driving directions, giving a reasonably accurate distance calculation. Not only does it give you directions for driving, but it will also give you directions and distance for walking or biking. Squee!

The total walking distance from my place to hers is exactly 1 kilometre.

I already had some track suit type apparel on (because I didn't feel like putting on a suit just yet), so I grabbed the spare keys and headed down the stairs and into the crisp, fresh air. I had a song going in my head to help with my pace, and just started walking. I began thinking about all the episodes of The Biggest Loser that I've watched in recent memory. For some reason, Bob Harper's voice popped into my head. I heard him saying, "Remember to engage your core." So I did. Then I thought about all those times he had those very large people running on a treadmill, in bursts of 30 seconds to a minute. OK, so if a 400 pound man can run for 30 seconds, so can I. I started to jog. Not that I timed it or anything, but I'm fairly certain I jogged for about 2 minutes before I needed to stop and walk again.


I want to set the record straight here. I'm not going to win any fancy awards for my physical activity today. Nor am I going to lose the 40 pounds by age 40 that I once dreamed about doing. (That milestone birthday is only about 23 days away or so.) What I am going to do is to start taking steps again, toward a healthier, slimmer me. Yes, I could stand to lose 40 - 50 pounds of excess weight. But if I never lose all that excess, then I'm ok with who I am regardless. I only want to incorporate better choices into my daily life, including better eating choices and doing some physical activity.

I walked a single lone kilometre today. I even jogged a little, tiny bit of the way. My hope is that as the weather turns nicer, I will continue to want to walk toward a healthier me, either alone, or with my family as company.

Baby steps aren't just for the Dave Ramsey financial plan. :)

My Hands Have Not Been Idle

Cub modeling a 'hat'. It isn't a hat really, but it sure looked like it at the time.

Shortly after our trip to visit with Gail Vaz-Oxlade , she posted about her love for knitting. This is something that we definitely have in common. Gail doesn't use patterns, instead changing up the yarns and needle sizes to create as she goes along.

I, too, am a renegade knitter at heart. I despise following even the simplest pattern. But I will use one until I am understanding how a piece is put together (like the Swiffer cloths) and then recreate it with my own imagination and creativity.

2012 is the year I decided to work through my enormous stash of yarn and crafting supplies. I promised Hubby I would not buy any more yarn until I got rid of what I already have. (This may have been a mistake, but oh well.) I got the idea from Creating A Family Home who is, for various reasons, trying to work down her stash.

The 'hat' that Cub is wearing above, is one of those stash busting projects. The charity I work with, Keeping Kids Warm is often gifted the stashes of family members of the donors. This often includes lots of little balls of leftovers from long ago finished projects. Not wanting these little bits to go to waste, I have gathered bags and bags of them to make something with. Some of it will be for using with plastic canvas. Some bits are so small though, it's difficult to figure out the perfect project for them.

Enter the "Rainbow Snake' idea.

Some time ago, the volunteer knitters at KKW used several balls of yarn in varying colours and textures, knitting in the round, to create a yarn snake that grew several feet long. To complete it, it was stuffed with batting, and sealed on both ends. The flexible finished product called the Rainbow Snake, was then donated to a children's facility where it has been laid upon, jumped on, sat on, twisted into varying configurations and loved fiercely by many a baby and toddler. So much so that the facility has requested another one as it is getting worn from so much love.

I started working on a new snake, when DD2 took a keen interest in what I was making. I explained how it would be stuffed and sewn up as a plaything for some babies. She mentioned that if it was the appropriate size, even a young lady such as herself would like a 'pillow' made in a similar manner. She thought that lots of folks might like to have such a creation as well. My biggest worry was what to call it. A Pillow-something? Rainbow something?

We went to the park during some really nice weather the other day. I was thinking about our family, and all of the great-nieces and great-nephews I have. I've tried to give them all a special nickname from Auntie, and I started thinking about those nicknames. One jumped out at me....Inchworm. That's the special name I have for my great-niece whose name is Alaska. Her and Cub are only a few months apart in age. Inchworm Pillows. They grow inch by inch on my needles, made with only a few inches of yarn at a time. How fitting.

I'll post pics when I have one or two finished. I think the first one should go to DD2 and the second to Inchworm - as thank you for their inspiration.

Are your hands creating anything these days?

Lose 10 Pounds in a Month!!! (yeah, right)

Lots of people have a New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get healthy. I prefer to set actual goals, with a plan of action. Step by step, I can follow my plan, and achieve the goals I set for myself. Here are some tips to start a weight loss journey.

1.       Increase water intake and cut out salt. This one is going to be tough for me, because I love me some salt. There are varying opinions on how much water a person should be drinking per day, but if it’s more than you typically drink, it’s a good way to start. Salt intake leads to bloating, which is counterproductive to weight/size loss.

2.       Start exercising. If you are a couch potato, start small. Take a brisk walk that will elevate your heart rate for at least 10 minutes per day. You will want to work yourself up to one hour of exercise per day, and include strength training.

3.       Record what you eat. Much like tracking your daily spending to see where your money leaks are, recording what you eat will give you an accurate picture of your eating habits, good and bad.

4.       Cut out fried foods and fat. Replace them with fruits and vegetables. Think about snacking on baby carrots instead of chips. Put two vegetables on your lunch time sandwich. Add fruit to your morning oatmeal or cereal.

5.       Limit caffeine, chocolate and sugars. This will be tough, but if you want to lose weight, you just have to do it.

6.       Record your exercise. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your day whenever possible, like using stairs, getting off the bus a couple of stops early and walking, Take every opportunity you can to burn off those calories.

7.       Write down your goals and your weight on specific days. Put it somewhere highly visible for you so that you can see if often. It will help to keep you motivated.

8.       Don’t give up, and don’t take a day off, if you want to lose weight. Don’t overdo it, but challenge yourself daily. You will be amazed at what you can do if you put your mind to it.

9.       Make sure you are getting enough rest. A full eight hours of sleep will do more for you than only getting 6 hours of sleep per night.

These are the guidelines that I will be following for the next month. My goal is to lose 10 pounds in  30 days. Seeing as I am going from no exercise at all to doing anything, I think that this should be relatively easy, but we shall see.

I know that there are some folks who are joining in some ‘Weight Loss Challenge’ hosted by a blogger.  I am  taking part in this challenge, and am actually challenging myself, so I’ll be doing this right along with you (Jane).

What other tips do you have for trying to lose some weight?

Are You Talking To Me?

" You cannot save $10,000 until you have $1,000. You cannot save $1,000 until you save $100. You cannot save $100 until you save $10. Getting from where you are now to where you want to be requires that you do something differently. Do you have the guts to change?" - Gail Vaz - Oxlade

I was flipping through Debt Free Forever to find the answer to a question posed by Sam. In just reading a couple of paragraphs, I was amazed at the amount of inspiration I was getting by reading just a wee little bit. I always hear her voice in my head when I'm reading something she has written, so that part didn't surprise me.

What did surprise me was that it felt like an epiphany. Gail was reaching through the internet, via Sam's question, that made me grab her book so she could speak directly to me.

And I hear you loud and clear, Gail!

In two days time, I will begin a new chapter of my Life Journey, that starts with some of my most ambitious savings and financials goals of my life. (See page entitled 2012 financial Goals.) To truly focus on putting together all the skills I have acquired in the past couple of years, and to focus on attaining my goals. To have some money to retire on one day. To have some money to give my kids when they venture off to college. To find some balance in my life, financial and otherwise.

Here's to the first $1 of the first $10 of the first $100 of the second $1,000 of my first $10,000. Here's to taking control of my money and my life.

My Focus in 2012: Living Within Our Means

Gail posted a great article found here that can help you determine if you are living within your means. Some of her benchmarks are as follows:

• Are you saving 10% of your net income?
• Are the balances on your credit cards or lines of credit rising?
• Are you missing payments on bills?
• Are you taking cash advances on your credit cards?

I know what my answers are to these questions, and it ain't pretty. We still have two cancelled credit cards with balances that we are paying down. Then there is the enormous tax bill I owe to Revenue Canada. That pesky overdraft has got to stop also.

For the most part, I'd like to think that we live within our means, but when gauged by someone else's measuring stick, maybe not so much. So I think what I need to do is to define 'Living Within Our Means' for our family. You know, the personal in personal finance.

I've set some financial goals for 2012. I would love to be completely out of debt in the next 12 months, but that is highly unlikely. I'd love to have saved up enough to buy a newer used vehicle, and to take my family to Disney World next winter, but I'm pretty sure that's out of reach too. Maybe if I can just make through to next Christmas with having put some money in my RRSP and being able to keep current on our bills, that will have made me feel like I've accomplished something.

My RRSP Strategy for 2012

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I was looking at the idea of a RRSP Catch up Loan to assist me with some tax benefits. I received a comment that they were a very, very bad idea. I'm not one to jump to conclusions, so I took this under advisement and did some research. Of course, I turned to Gail's blog.

Borrowing more money while you still have debt is never a good idea. Borrowing money to invest for the long term has some benefits, but not enough for me to consider it at this point.

Borrowing to contribute to an RRSP only makes sense if you’re in the highest tax bracket AND you can pay off the loan within one year WHILE making monthly contributions to your current year’s RRSP. ~ Gail

So what's a gal to do? I get that borrowing the twenty something thousand dollars in contribution room I have available is not really an option for. Sure, I could borrow it and pay it back within a year, but my cash flow will take a huge hit, and I just can't live like that, nor can I expect my family to.

Taking on too much debt for the sake of some other objective is a sure way to mess up your cash flow and rob you of sleep. ~ Gail

I value my sleep too much. I don't do enough of it as it is. The sense of peace I have knowing that I am doing the best I can financially is not something I'm willing to give up either.

The most important part of my financial well being is to find balance. Saving for the long term takes time and discipline. Time I have. Discipline, not so much. But I'm getting better.

If you want to catch up your RRSP unused contribution room, trim back on your expenses or make enough extra money to sock away what you want. Don’t borrow it. ~ Gail

Oddly enough, I can hear her voice saying this directly to me. It's like she's right here in the room with me, telling me not to be a dummy, and that there is a better way to do this.

On Gail's advice, I will not be taking out an RRSP loan, catch-up or otherwise. My goal for 2012 will be to put $2500 into my RRSP, or $208 per month. That's the maximum amount of loan repayment monthly that I would be comfortable making. OK, maybe a little outside my comfort zone, but whatever. If for some crazy reason I am unable to make that 'loan' payment in a given month, my credit history won't go to hell in a hand basket and I won't be getting any nasty phone calls from the bank. It would mean that I would just have to deposit that much more the following month. I'll have no interest costs with this method, and all my money will be working for me right from the get go.

I feel like I'm behind the eight ball with my retirement contributions. I may very well be. But if I don't start somewhere, I will never be able to retire, and that is just not an option. With how much I've contributed to CPP as a self-employed person, and no pension to speak of, when I'm 65, I'll be eligible for about $32 per month. Lol!

Aim to set aside 10% of your net income every year until you retire. ~ Gail

The thing with RRSPs is that they market them to make you feel like you aren't contributing enough, and that without the help of financial institutions, you have no hope in hell of ever accumulating the astronomical cash projections that they say you need to have. This puts people in one of two mindsets. They either fall for the hype and take out 20 year RRSP loans without ever really getting ahead, or they give up hope of ever retiring comfortably, and choose to ignore the situation.

I'm choosing neither. I will forge my own path, by making contributions on my own schedule that will take into account that my income fluctuates greatly. I have goal number in mind for 2012, and I will make sure I hit that goal at all costs. I'm working on all our financial goals for 2012, so adding this in will be another part of the budgeting process for us.

What's your retirement savings strategy? Do you have RRSPs or have you ever used a RRSP catch up loan? I'd love to hear about your experiences with this.

The $100 Challenge, The Second Year

Last year, Hubby & I participated in the $100 Challenge. Don't know what that is? Read the Story that started it all here.  Basically, Andrew, a Londoner, gave a man in need $100. And felt good about it. It got him thinking about how such an amount could do some good for another human being.

I wrote about the $100 Challenge last year, found here. What I didn't tell anyone really was some of the follow-up to what happened that day.

Last year, Keeping Kids Warm collected gently used coats and clothing for those in need. After our giveaway of well over $100 worth of coffee and cookies, the clothing items were gathered and dropped off at various agencies so that folks who needed them could get access to them. At one of the places, a man asked one of the volunteers if we had any dress shirts as he had a job interview the following Monday.

With donated money, and some of her own, that volunteer drove the man to a thrift store, and let him pick out a dress shirt, pants and shoes so that he would look presentable for his interview. He was truly grateful, and it made the volunteer feel wonderful to help someone who truly needed a hand up.

Well, the man in this tale got the job he interviewed for. The agency has since told us that he is now doing well, has an apartment of his own, and has become a volunteer to help others who were once where he was. When he speaks of the events that helped him turn his life around, he always starts the story with a lady who was dropping off coats and how kind she was to him.

It doesn't take $100 to help another fellow Londoner, but imagine what we all could accomplish if we just try to make a little corner of the world a better place?

I urge you to join dozens of other Londoners and give a little something to someone else. You don't even have to be in London! The $100 Challenge has people registered as far away as Australia who will be taking part on Saturday, December 3, 2011.

If you have $100 to give, or only $10, use it to make soneone's day. Buy a coffee for the person in line behind you at Timmie's. Offer to pay for someone's groceries. Approach a stranger, and give them $20. It doesn't matter how you do something, just do it on that day. Please. It can make a world of difference.

Challenge Anyone?

Monday, I stepped out of my comfort zone a little bit and did something I have never done before. I volunteered at The Soup Kitchen. Together with customer service associates and other residents of Boardwalk Properties, we served breakfast and lunch to over 300 people.  I spent over four hours making and serving trays of hot food and beverages for people.

There are many programs that are in need of volunteers to help out. I'd like you all to consider giving some of your time and of yourself to those less fortunate. Call your local Soup Kitchen or Food Bank. They always need volunteers. The Salvation Army also needs volunteers to assist with their Christmas Hamper program, sorting and packing donated items and foodstuffs (although their volunteer program is a little tougher to get into).

How about spending some time with an elder person to assist with household tasks or running errands for them? With winter coming shortly, there will be lots of older folks who will need someone to shovel and salt their sidewalks for them.

Here's my challenge to you.

Give some of your time to give a hand up to someone else. Even for a couple of hours. It will help you keep your life in perspective, I promise.

What other great ideas can you all come up with to give of yourself to those who are in need?



http://www.info.london.on.ca/docs/HardTimes.pdf

My Top 10 Checklist

Thanks to Carla over at My Half Dozen Daily ( who attributes her post to Momof2 at Abundance: Frugality, Food, Fitness and Fun ), I have also decided to make my own Top 10 Checklist.

The idea is to make a list of ten things that are important for you to do every day. Write them down, and then check them off as you go along.

At first I thought, "Oh, I'll just write down the top ten things I need to do today" and then I realised after rereading both articles, that the list should be things you need or want to do everyday. Thinking about it while writing my list really shows what I value and where my priorities are.

My Top Ten Checklist

1. Write a blog post, a letter, a thank you note, or a section of my story. Writing everyday is something I love doing.
2. Have my 5-A-Day. Smoothies make this much easier but I need to keep this a priority if I ever expect to lose any weight.
3. Clean for 1/2 hour. I can break this into two fifteen minute intervals if need be.
4. Do 1 load of laundry. We go through lots of clothing, and the mountain never seems to get any smaller. I have to keep up on this, and this is a good way to do so.
5. Spend 1 hour a day making or creating something. (Knitting, plastic canvas, candles, etc.)
6. Spend 1 hour daily on business paperwork. This should keep me caught up.
7. Make dinner from scratch.
8. Exercise for 1/2 hour; Walking outside in nice weather or doing at least one circuit of my DVD.
9. Spend 1/2 hour on budget/spending or finances. Must. keep. costs. down.
10. Spend time with members of my family, either individually or together. I love spending time with these people, so I will continue to show them that they are a huge priority in my life.

So, that's my 10.

And this post means I can cross off one thing on that list today. ;)

Some Great Christmas Gift Ideas

I check out lots of links to thing I find interesting. I'd like to share some of them with you, perhaps maybe to inspire you to have a homemade Christmas this year or maybe to give new life to those things with which would otherwise end up in the landfill.

This Oven Rack Jewellery Organizer is a perfect example of re purposing stuff we no longer use.

For those who want indoor herbs over the winter, why not have a Mason Jar Wall Planter ? this would also be a great gift for a foodie or plant lover.

Here is a game that you could make for the kiddies on your list, using some recycled materials. Come Together Kids tells you how to make the game, and to play it.

Why not bake a batch of Emoticon Cookies for your favourite tweenager?

Need different sized boxes for your gifts this year? Why not make you own out of diaper boxes ?

You can use those leftover bits of wrapping paper to make Wrapping paper Baskets to put all the things in that you make for Christmas.

For that person who has everything, and when you ask what they want and say nothing, this craft idea could be the perfect match!

Have you seen any great crafty gift ideas that you would like to share?

Points On Purpose

Gail on Reward Program savings ( from Moneysense.ca article):
Don’t forget the next important step: For every dollar you save by using your points, open up a “points savings” account and deposit the money. Now each time you use your points for anything—groceries, gas, travel, whatever—deposit the equivalent amount in real dollars into this savings account. Now you’re really saving with those points!

This is something that has been on my mind the last couple of weeks.

We have 2 Petro Points cards with the points going to one account. I never though much about the points until the other day. We had enough points to get not one but two Fuel Savings cards. By cashing in 15,000 points, we are entitled to save 5 cents per litre of fuel purchased, to a maximum of 200 litres. Times 2, that's 400 litres of fuel savings. (5 cents X 400 litres = $20)
When we've used all 400 litres of fuel savings, I will be making an additional $20 to my RRSP account.

We also have a Shopper's Optimum account, again with 2 cards. I usually wait until around the holidays to make use of those points. With some good luck with timing, if I hit a sale on staples like sugar, flour, etc., I can stock up for free, lol! I'm no extreme couponer, but I do love me some points cards. The next time I cash those out, it should be around the $60 mark, so I can drop $60 into our Car Fund. :)

The other 'savings points' program that I use is PC points. I have cashed out 20,000 points before for $20 worth of free groceries. I bank with PC Financial, so I deposit the grocery amount to the account, and pay with debit. I get points for spending amounts and extra points for bringing my own bags to the store. I won't likely have enough to cash out again on this one for awhile, but when I do, I will be sure to transfer $20 over to one of our long-term savings accounts.

How about you? Do you really save the money you 'saved' with your points programs, or does it just get funnelled back into your spending?