I did something I loathe today... I added up the expenses, I subtracted the income and I felt my blood run cold at the results.
My income and expenses are so close they squeak. I guess that is waaaaay better than finding out they AREN'T close (think red), but still I was hoping I had more wiggle room than I do.
My inner dialogue is playing good cop bad cop inside my stomach right now....
"You idiot! How could you be so careless! Now you are going to have to buckle down and work harder girl!" one side says, then, "Hey now, don't be so hard on yourself! In your expenses you have included savings for long term, short term and a little extra for the mortgage once a year" my other side sooths
Its not fun being of 2 minds about so many things. Diet, Exercise, Housekeeping, Career, Parenting, Money. I come down hard on myself for not giving it 100% and then get lazy again with the placating phrase "It could be worse".
The good news is that with very little effort my budget could look better. A few more billable hours (not always within my control) and a few less trips out for lunch with my sister (definitely within my control) would make a world of difference. The important thing is that I know where I stand RIGHT NOW and that knowledge is power.
The bad news is that the numbers I was working from are from 2012, the reason that is bad is because of the gigantic, unusual expense of selling, buying and renovating. Also, while in the midst of the sale/move/reno I didn't get a whole lot of income. I tried to ignore all of the really specific expenses/income that relate to the transaction.... as a result I am not happy with the thoroughness of the numbers.
What did I learn from all this?
- We spend a crap load on vehicles (running, insuring, repairing)
- My kids go through clothes/shoes/food at an alarming rate
- Vet bills are devastating when budgeting
- Braces are devastating when budgeting too
- I won't be updating my work computer as soon as I was hoping to.
Showing posts with label money issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money issues. Show all posts
5.24.2013
7.31.2012
Something to walk on
Still NO floors in the living areas!
Our first option was a nice, bamboo strand clic down. Rated very high for durability and environmental renewability. Not the cheapest but not overly expensive, and the installatino was going to be quite reasonable.
I had the delivery timed quite a while before moving out of our old place so we could have it in before we got there. When it arrived, we hauled the 2 pallets of boxes into the house. We even had the installer lined up. BUT when he went to start installing it the proper Monday he found the "clic" part wasn't clicking and the milling was sloppy. AKA he couldn't put it in. There's a week of wasted time and half day's labour for squat.
It had to be returned. All loaded (by hand) back outside so they could pick it up.
We looked at replacements. Nothing in that product looked reliably consistant (I wanted to cry). We looked at laminate, but nothing held a candle to the real thing - not even the high end stuff. The engineered hardwood is not an option because of the dog, he'd ruin it in short time. So the only thing left to consider is the same stuff we have in the other house - maple/birch. Okay with me because its beautifully warm, but much pricier to install.
Meanwhile we have moved into the back yard with the furniture stacked up in one room, and a million boxes under the house waiting for floors. I thought we would just be waiting for kitchen cupboards... how naive of me.
We took our bamboo refund and applied it to the maple.
We found some cork at a different store for the bedrooms, we picked it up and had it installed 2 days later. Not bad, now we have bedroom floors! And they are looking good, 3 rooms that we don't need to wear shoes in!
They delivered the maple 3 days later... BUT they delivered 2 different kinds of flooring. Same hardwood, different manufacturer. Very sad. Ready to blow my top. The one I picked out at the store was fine, but only enough to do one of the rooms! The other manufacturer is not fine. Not at all.
They had delivered it at 4:30 on a Friday. Because the delivery guy had gone home for the whole weekend and we couldn't leave it outside over the weekend, our choice was to haul it all into the house and out again on Monday, OR we had to load it up box by box into our truck to take it back to the store. What a waste of time! T chose to drag it back to the store himself. The only positive part of that is that it was a good upper-body work out.
I was fed up, and I told my woahs to the store manager. He apologized and did the best he could to make it right. We got replacement (a slight upgrade) for a cheaper price and another delivery came Monday. It looks fine. FINALLY.
While this whole floor drama has gone on, the installer had been busy with the cork and setting some vinyl in the bathrooms. I'm sad to say, I could have done just as well with the vinyl. It's slightly crooked and not cut with precision enough for what I would call a "professional installation". This shakes my confidence in his abilities to install the hardwood.
He called this very morning to say he couldn't come in to start on the maple because of babysitter problems. He's a nice young man and loves to work... single dad with a toddler... not positive he has the skills is all that I'm worried about.
With that early orning call, I think the universe is telling me to look elsewhere. I called a reputable high-end hardwood seller and asked for a list of installers. I called 3 and one agreed to come out to look right away. He did! An older man with more than 20 years experience with hardwood floors and a thick eastern european accent. He recognized the dips and humps on the substrate before I even pointed them out (something the first guy didn't do) and had a plan with how to deal with them. A bit of surgery on the structure of the house, but he said it should only take him 3/4 of a day to fix it. I got a good solid quote from him, and we shook on it.
It will be 75 cents MORE per square foot than our original installer qoted, but experience can be expensive. I called my carpenter to tell him we were going with a different installer, and he said he understood.
That is the drama of looking for something to walk on.
I will let you know how it goes...
Our first option was a nice, bamboo strand clic down. Rated very high for durability and environmental renewability. Not the cheapest but not overly expensive, and the installatino was going to be quite reasonable.
I had the delivery timed quite a while before moving out of our old place so we could have it in before we got there. When it arrived, we hauled the 2 pallets of boxes into the house. We even had the installer lined up. BUT when he went to start installing it the proper Monday he found the "clic" part wasn't clicking and the milling was sloppy. AKA he couldn't put it in. There's a week of wasted time and half day's labour for squat.
It had to be returned. All loaded (by hand) back outside so they could pick it up.
We looked at replacements. Nothing in that product looked reliably consistant (I wanted to cry). We looked at laminate, but nothing held a candle to the real thing - not even the high end stuff. The engineered hardwood is not an option because of the dog, he'd ruin it in short time. So the only thing left to consider is the same stuff we have in the other house - maple/birch. Okay with me because its beautifully warm, but much pricier to install.
Meanwhile we have moved into the back yard with the furniture stacked up in one room, and a million boxes under the house waiting for floors. I thought we would just be waiting for kitchen cupboards... how naive of me.
We took our bamboo refund and applied it to the maple.
We found some cork at a different store for the bedrooms, we picked it up and had it installed 2 days later. Not bad, now we have bedroom floors! And they are looking good, 3 rooms that we don't need to wear shoes in!
They delivered the maple 3 days later... BUT they delivered 2 different kinds of flooring. Same hardwood, different manufacturer. Very sad. Ready to blow my top. The one I picked out at the store was fine, but only enough to do one of the rooms! The other manufacturer is not fine. Not at all.
They had delivered it at 4:30 on a Friday. Because the delivery guy had gone home for the whole weekend and we couldn't leave it outside over the weekend, our choice was to haul it all into the house and out again on Monday, OR we had to load it up box by box into our truck to take it back to the store. What a waste of time! T chose to drag it back to the store himself. The only positive part of that is that it was a good upper-body work out.
I was fed up, and I told my woahs to the store manager. He apologized and did the best he could to make it right. We got replacement (a slight upgrade) for a cheaper price and another delivery came Monday. It looks fine. FINALLY.
While this whole floor drama has gone on, the installer had been busy with the cork and setting some vinyl in the bathrooms. I'm sad to say, I could have done just as well with the vinyl. It's slightly crooked and not cut with precision enough for what I would call a "professional installation". This shakes my confidence in his abilities to install the hardwood.
He called this very morning to say he couldn't come in to start on the maple because of babysitter problems. He's a nice young man and loves to work... single dad with a toddler... not positive he has the skills is all that I'm worried about.
With that early orning call, I think the universe is telling me to look elsewhere. I called a reputable high-end hardwood seller and asked for a list of installers. I called 3 and one agreed to come out to look right away. He did! An older man with more than 20 years experience with hardwood floors and a thick eastern european accent. He recognized the dips and humps on the substrate before I even pointed them out (something the first guy didn't do) and had a plan with how to deal with them. A bit of surgery on the structure of the house, but he said it should only take him 3/4 of a day to fix it. I got a good solid quote from him, and we shook on it.
It will be 75 cents MORE per square foot than our original installer qoted, but experience can be expensive. I called my carpenter to tell him we were going with a different installer, and he said he understood.
That is the drama of looking for something to walk on.
I will let you know how it goes...
7.13.2012
DEMO DAY #2
And on day 2 the house begins to look more sane.
The rest of the cupboards are out! So is the terrible pink formica backsplash. And the vinyl and underlayment (and about a million super sized staples).
While removing the trim around a sliding glass door, I got quite close to the vertical blinds and nearly barfed from the overwhelming stale nicotine smell.... so immediately I got T to remove those from every window.
No carpet tack strips remain, and the glued down carpet from the front room is a pile of disgusting fibers on the back porch....(instead of a flat expanse of disgusting fibres in the front room)... too much glued foam is still on the subfloor, but I'm sure with more elbow grease it will be done tomorrow.
Sweet sweet generosity brought T's sister over to help, and while her 3 lovely children played with Cammy in the backyard, she washed every wall with TSP!!! Oh man, what a difference!
The home is becoming a clean slate:
The paint colours have been chosen (we had to go very very nearly white because the light is fairly limited). Painters are coming Monday.
The cabinets got ordered too (eek, I can't wait for the house money to finally come). They will take 3 weeks so we are (without a doubt) living in our trailer in the backyard for at least a week between the sale of the house we are in now and the new house having a kitchen.
The bamboo flooring is waiting for us at the warehouse (I need to pay for it by Tuesday). The carpenter is coming starting Thursday to start installing.
Tomorrow the plan is to clean the dickens out of the windows (and frames), get the last of the baseboards off, somehow remove the glued foam from the frontroom floor and remove the itty bitty nails from everywhere in preparation for the painters.
Lots of intense labour and soon it will be ready to start putting back together! (Except the cedar ceiling... we still aren't sure how to get the ugly nicotine off that).
The rest of the cupboards are out! So is the terrible pink formica backsplash. And the vinyl and underlayment (and about a million super sized staples).
While removing the trim around a sliding glass door, I got quite close to the vertical blinds and nearly barfed from the overwhelming stale nicotine smell.... so immediately I got T to remove those from every window.
No carpet tack strips remain, and the glued down carpet from the front room is a pile of disgusting fibers on the back porch....(instead of a flat expanse of disgusting fibres in the front room)... too much glued foam is still on the subfloor, but I'm sure with more elbow grease it will be done tomorrow.
Sweet sweet generosity brought T's sister over to help, and while her 3 lovely children played with Cammy in the backyard, she washed every wall with TSP!!! Oh man, what a difference!
The home is becoming a clean slate:
The paint colours have been chosen (we had to go very very nearly white because the light is fairly limited). Painters are coming Monday.
The cabinets got ordered too (eek, I can't wait for the house money to finally come). They will take 3 weeks so we are (without a doubt) living in our trailer in the backyard for at least a week between the sale of the house we are in now and the new house having a kitchen.
The bamboo flooring is waiting for us at the warehouse (I need to pay for it by Tuesday). The carpenter is coming starting Thursday to start installing.
Tomorrow the plan is to clean the dickens out of the windows (and frames), get the last of the baseboards off, somehow remove the glued foam from the frontroom floor and remove the itty bitty nails from everywhere in preparation for the painters.
Lots of intense labour and soon it will be ready to start putting back together! (Except the cedar ceiling... we still aren't sure how to get the ugly nicotine off that).
7.02.2012
We are really moving
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We finally got an offer... much lower than we had hoped for, but the conditions and possession date were PERFECT so we haggled briefly on the price and signed the papers. The inspection was Thursday and the conditions came off Friday!
Sure we took a beating compared to what we thought it was worth, but the truth is even with this dip in the market we sold for more than double what we bought it for 13 years ago. And I still think the other house's potential is worth the hassle.
So who is moving into this pretty home that I have so lovingly put money, time and caring into for 13 years? This house that has my beloved cat resting in the backyard, where uncounted numbers of BBQs happened on the back porch and dozens of big family dinners and where my youngest was born... ? Where most of my neighbours are really my friends and the sounds of the gazzillion field and marsh birds wake me up with the dawn? From what I can tell, they are first time buyers. 22 and 24 years old with a very young child. They must have family in town because the evening of the inspection they had about 6 cars in the driveway! I feel good that this young couple will be getting such a good house for a good price. (My first place was a dump!) And at least 3 of the neighbours are thrilled that there is a young kid moving in.
Now comes the fun part.... several fun parts in fact.
I have lined up the painter (coming July 16th) and carpenter (for the flooring and trim) for the other place. The kitchen cabinets and the majority of the flooring is being ordered on Wednesday. (!) Surprisingly stressful proccess designing a kitchen! There are too many things to get done in the time we have between the possession of the other place and the move-out date for this one!!!!
That's something too!
I have 24 days to purge, pack and move this household... even if we have no floors or kitchen on the 25th!
AND I still need to be able to continue working throughout this whole reno/move thing!
It's going to be hectic (but I still prefer this over the stress of WAITING.... by a lot)
5.09.2012
Rolling the dice
I don't play cards, I don't visit the casino, I only buy a lottery ticket when I remember to... but lately I have taken the big chance...When I gamble, I gamble BIG!
We just couldn't let the deal on the other house die. We defended our offer and solidified the financing. In short, we are now on the hook for a scary (make that terrifying) amount of debt if our home doesn't sell in time. EEEEEK!
Gasp wheeze (clutching chest).
We have a very long closing date so theoretically we can put our house at a price no sane person could refuse we have enough equity that we can play that game if we must. But I'm still panicing and the husband is spiralling fast with stress-related ailments (he doesn't deal with change well at all).
So, wish us luck, happy house-selling vibes and smooth transitions.... we are in for a big adventure, and FAST!
We just couldn't let the deal on the other house die. We defended our offer and solidified the financing. In short, we are now on the hook for a scary (make that terrifying) amount of debt if our home doesn't sell in time. EEEEEK!
Gasp wheeze (clutching chest).
We have a very long closing date so theoretically we can put our house at a price no sane person could refuse we have enough equity that we can play that game if we must. But I'm still panicing and the husband is spiralling fast with stress-related ailments (he doesn't deal with change well at all).
So, wish us luck, happy house-selling vibes and smooth transitions.... we are in for a big adventure, and FAST!
2.13.2012
The magic budget!
I suspected that if I did up my budget I would feel less like I was spiralling out of control -- and it worked!
My finances look clearer... not wonderful, but definitely clearer.
However teeth have taken a "bite" out of my confidence. The dog broke ANOTHER molar over Christmas (thanks to getting a nice meaty pork bone from a well-meaning relative) and it's stinking to high heaven so I guess I HAVE to get that taken care of (the last one he broke cost over $500). And Steve needs braces starting in June... it will be costing $7000 by the time that is done... (unfortunately, unless I want him to suffer the same narrow palate complications as I have, it has to be done while his skull is still young.) My teeth don't LOOK bad, but my bite is terrible and my jaw discomfort is chronic.... my lucky boy has the same mouth structure. I don't want to curse him to lifelong discomfort but I'm not happy about dishing out the $7G either.
The good news (awesome news actually) is that T's job looks secure and full time for the foreseeable future and he has been getting so much side-line mechanical work that I barely see him on weekends. I have told him to slow down because I can see it's burning him out but that's another story. He wants that cash, so I can't stop him -- he'd rather burn out than feel poor, what an amazing sense of responsibility that man has!
More good news, my business has finally picked up again too! Hooray! I have a list of 10 items for design work and 5+ HVAC schematics to do. AND I have an interview for a new bread-and-butter client tomorrow that I feel good about AND a potential part time job opportunity may exist to expand my skill list and reinforce my existing knowledge in a parallel field (but it would officially make me unavailable to my clients 2 days a week, so I have to think very seriously about that)
Call me superstitious, but I think all this good news is because I took the bull by the horns and did my budget. Nothing like seeing written down - exactly what you need - to let the universe know that you are ready to get it!
My finances look clearer... not wonderful, but definitely clearer.
However teeth have taken a "bite" out of my confidence. The dog broke ANOTHER molar over Christmas (thanks to getting a nice meaty pork bone from a well-meaning relative) and it's stinking to high heaven so I guess I HAVE to get that taken care of (the last one he broke cost over $500). And Steve needs braces starting in June... it will be costing $7000 by the time that is done... (unfortunately, unless I want him to suffer the same narrow palate complications as I have, it has to be done while his skull is still young.) My teeth don't LOOK bad, but my bite is terrible and my jaw discomfort is chronic.... my lucky boy has the same mouth structure. I don't want to curse him to lifelong discomfort but I'm not happy about dishing out the $7G either.
The good news (awesome news actually) is that T's job looks secure and full time for the foreseeable future and he has been getting so much side-line mechanical work that I barely see him on weekends. I have told him to slow down because I can see it's burning him out but that's another story. He wants that cash, so I can't stop him -- he'd rather burn out than feel poor, what an amazing sense of responsibility that man has!
More good news, my business has finally picked up again too! Hooray! I have a list of 10 items for design work and 5+ HVAC schematics to do. AND I have an interview for a new bread-and-butter client tomorrow that I feel good about AND a potential part time job opportunity may exist to expand my skill list and reinforce my existing knowledge in a parallel field (but it would officially make me unavailable to my clients 2 days a week, so I have to think very seriously about that)
Call me superstitious, but I think all this good news is because I took the bull by the horns and did my budget. Nothing like seeing written down - exactly what you need - to let the universe know that you are ready to get it!
1.23.2012
Knowing is Half the Battle
I did the budget.
I went over all of the expenses for 2011 (fixed, variable & "one-time")
I added up all the income for 2011 (steady, variable & unlikely-to-repeat)
I anticipated the monthly costs for fixed expenses based on past costs/increases
then I figured out how much was left for the variable.
The prognosis is not wonderful thanks to everything costing more this year! Medical went up, hydro went up, fuel went up, internet went up, house insurance went up, property taxes went up and food went WAAAAAY up thanks to a very hungry male teen in the house.
(Clothing and entertainment are costing no more than in the past, and phone, car insurance and home maintenance seem to be holding steady too.)
Unfortunately T's income did not go up, and I saw a slump last year.
The good news is that I do not have to bring in a whole heck of a lot to make ends meet even with these increases everywhere. Part time is still good enough, and I am appreciated so much at home that working away would be very very hard if it came to that.
I'll keep a close eye on things and campaign for more work so we can keep ahead of the game.... it's not a lost cause by any stretch... just walking an uncomfortably narrow path in increasingly deep woods.
My husband feels embarrassed that his income alone is not enough. (bless him for that). But he wants me at home as badly as I want to be here, and as much as the kids love having me here too. IT WILL WORK because I can work from home.
I feel more informed after this exercise. And knowledge is power, so I feel more powerful too!
I went over all of the expenses for 2011 (fixed, variable & "one-time")
I added up all the income for 2011 (steady, variable & unlikely-to-repeat)
I anticipated the monthly costs for fixed expenses based on past costs/increases
then I figured out how much was left for the variable.
The prognosis is not wonderful thanks to everything costing more this year! Medical went up, hydro went up, fuel went up, internet went up, house insurance went up, property taxes went up and food went WAAAAAY up thanks to a very hungry male teen in the house.
(Clothing and entertainment are costing no more than in the past, and phone, car insurance and home maintenance seem to be holding steady too.)
Unfortunately T's income did not go up, and I saw a slump last year.
The good news is that I do not have to bring in a whole heck of a lot to make ends meet even with these increases everywhere. Part time is still good enough, and I am appreciated so much at home that working away would be very very hard if it came to that.
I'll keep a close eye on things and campaign for more work so we can keep ahead of the game.... it's not a lost cause by any stretch... just walking an uncomfortably narrow path in increasingly deep woods.
My husband feels embarrassed that his income alone is not enough. (bless him for that). But he wants me at home as badly as I want to be here, and as much as the kids love having me here too. IT WILL WORK because I can work from home.
I feel more informed after this exercise. And knowledge is power, so I feel more powerful too!
1.18.2012
First Snow
Nothing like waking up to a pristine, sparkling, white landscape to put a new perspective on life!
With a winter wonderland gleaming outside I felt to courage to email past clients to let them know I was thinking of them... how do I let these precious people get out of touch in the first place?!
Now, I will sit cross-legged on the floor and sort my papers to get organized for my year end. Then budget to feel in control!
It's very pretty out there right now, and I am warm and cozy.
With a winter wonderland gleaming outside I felt to courage to email past clients to let them know I was thinking of them... how do I let these precious people get out of touch in the first place?!
Now, I will sit cross-legged on the floor and sort my papers to get organized for my year end. Then budget to feel in control!
It's very pretty out there right now, and I am warm and cozy.
1.17.2012
Something is amiss
I'm not sure what's going on, but I am experiencing a phase of acute distress.
I don't trust my body, I don't trust my income, I worry about my children's future and am sure my pretty little car is going to die any minute...
Is it because Steve is needing almost $7G of braces (we have to get started before the summer or we will miss a growth window)? Or maybe because I have NO work lined up right now?
Or maybe because yesterday during my easy yoga class, my stupid body wouldn't go into plank or downward dog.... my thigh muscles just wouldn't do it (so I dropped into child's and had a quiet cry while the class that had seniors and overweight mid-lifers happily posed without me). And my Achilles tendon screams at me even just walking up to the school (I went to see the doctor and should have the ultrasound results this week)
I have to be proactive and slap myself out of this funk.
First of all...I MUST BUDGET. Math always has a way of cheering me up with it's concrete reality.
What are my fixed expenses?
What are my necessary variable expenses?
What are my variable luxuries?
What is our reliable income?
What do I NEED to make to fill in the gap (if there is one)?
Where can I trim expenses?
What can I liquidate (if I must)?
Next.... I must campaign for work more aggressively. This is tricky because when I am feeling this down, I don't have the confidence to come across professionally nor do I feel like competing for contracts.... vicious circle.
And I must continue decluttering, continuing going to yoga, continuing campaigning for my children's education and most importantly be thankful for the things that I DO HAVE (love, home, family, friends, freedom.... etc etc)
I don't trust my body, I don't trust my income, I worry about my children's future and am sure my pretty little car is going to die any minute...
Is it because Steve is needing almost $7G of braces (we have to get started before the summer or we will miss a growth window)? Or maybe because I have NO work lined up right now?
Or maybe because yesterday during my easy yoga class, my stupid body wouldn't go into plank or downward dog.... my thigh muscles just wouldn't do it (so I dropped into child's and had a quiet cry while the class that had seniors and overweight mid-lifers happily posed without me). And my Achilles tendon screams at me even just walking up to the school (I went to see the doctor and should have the ultrasound results this week)
I have to be proactive and slap myself out of this funk.
First of all...I MUST BUDGET. Math always has a way of cheering me up with it's concrete reality.
What are my fixed expenses?
What are my necessary variable expenses?
What are my variable luxuries?
What is our reliable income?
What do I NEED to make to fill in the gap (if there is one)?
Where can I trim expenses?
What can I liquidate (if I must)?
Next.... I must campaign for work more aggressively. This is tricky because when I am feeling this down, I don't have the confidence to come across professionally nor do I feel like competing for contracts.... vicious circle.
And I must continue decluttering, continuing going to yoga, continuing campaigning for my children's education and most importantly be thankful for the things that I DO HAVE (love, home, family, friends, freedom.... etc etc)
11.03.2011
THI$ MEAN$ WAR
Financially we are still pinched... though the checks have started coming in from my mad torrent of jobs. :) It has eased my panic considerably, but I'm not out of the woods by any stretch.
I was laying in bed staring at the darkness the other night PANICKING about the money and the dark future. Wide-eyed horror about it (very unlike me) -- then I remembered -- I have the tools for success right here. I know how to make a budget (start with get Gail's budget Worksheet online) and implement it.
AND I am by nature a fairly frugal gal... I just need to ramp it up a notch. AND most valuable of all.... I believe in myself, my country, and my power to succeed if I only put my mind to it. I have forgotten that part, completely forgotten that I have the POWER to make my own future (with determination passion and the ability to open my mind to opportunities)! Of course the budget and the willingness to be frugal make all the positive thinking have genuine weight.
ENERGY FLOWS WHERE ATTENTION GOES
Focusing on the being broke is BAD. Focusing on the getting back to comfortable is GOOD
Some things are already coming together... upcoming gift-holiday headway....The secret Santa idea had mixed responses but in the end the "Yeahs" have it, so we are doing it!!!! WOOHOO! And I have enforced a $20-each limit to the niece's and nephew's presents (5 in all) if I am very careful and think hard about what I am getting, it shouldn't be too difficult. (After all they'll be getting loads of stuff, right?)
AND I have a brilliant plan for my step-dad's gift and my sister's gift....no hints here.... I don't want to spoil it.
ENERGY FLOWS WHERE ATTENTION GOES
My energy will be flowing towards gratitude for my blessings. I am blessed like crazy!
The money is a hiccup that will be conquered efficiently.
I was laying in bed staring at the darkness the other night PANICKING about the money and the dark future. Wide-eyed horror about it (very unlike me) -- then I remembered -- I have the tools for success right here. I know how to make a budget (start with get Gail's budget Worksheet online) and implement it.
AND I am by nature a fairly frugal gal... I just need to ramp it up a notch. AND most valuable of all.... I believe in myself, my country, and my power to succeed if I only put my mind to it. I have forgotten that part, completely forgotten that I have the POWER to make my own future (with determination passion and the ability to open my mind to opportunities)! Of course the budget and the willingness to be frugal make all the positive thinking have genuine weight.
ENERGY FLOWS WHERE ATTENTION GOES
Focusing on the being broke is BAD. Focusing on the getting back to comfortable is GOOD
Some things are already coming together... upcoming gift-holiday headway....The secret Santa idea had mixed responses but in the end the "Yeahs" have it, so we are doing it!!!! WOOHOO! And I have enforced a $20-each limit to the niece's and nephew's presents (5 in all) if I am very careful and think hard about what I am getting, it shouldn't be too difficult. (After all they'll be getting loads of stuff, right?)
AND I have a brilliant plan for my step-dad's gift and my sister's gift....no hints here.... I don't want to spoil it.
ENERGY FLOWS WHERE ATTENTION GOES
My energy will be flowing towards gratitude for my blessings. I am blessed like crazy!
The money is a hiccup that will be conquered efficiently.
9.16.2011
Murf
[ "murf" is the noise my cat makes when she's been interrupted at her nap. ]
The belt tightening has been going with mixed results. My mom and sister took me out to lunch (great), but then they also took me to a home-improvement place to shop for my sister's kitchen sink... however there was a clearance table that had a nice front door lock set (ours is functional but very thrashed) for 1/2 price. Even better the brushed nickel one that I preferred was also on clearance, but the display model was the last one... I waited 15 minutes for them to take it down and saved half off again. For $32 I got a really beautiful entry door lock set. Did I NEED it - absolutely not. Did I want it - yes. Was it a great price - you bet your sweet bippy it was... So I got some "house jewelry". Not clutter perse.
I don't regret buying it, but I do feel bad about spending even that small amount on an unplanned thing.
Otherwise pantry shopping has been a smashing success! I have spent next to nothing on groceries these past few days. Other than the fresh, perishable things that my garden is not providing, I have been putting together some great meals right from my own cupboards and freezer. We aren't getting weird at all yet! Boullinaise sauce from scratch, Chicken & bacon in Vodka Sauce, Tom Yum soup stuffed with veggies on farkay noodles, classic spaghetti meat sauce with garlic bread, roast chicken and spaghetti squash.... oh and there is lots more where that came from!
School is off to a great start with the boys (what a relief) ... 2 weeks down!
Steve made this AWESOME plant cell model out of green jello. The golgi apperatus was folded blue licorish, the chloroplasts were green scoth mints, the rough endoplasmic reticulum were cut straws standing on end, the vacoule was a little ziplock bag, the lysosomes were craisins and the nucleus was a plum... super-cute idea that he came up with on his own. It looked great with the little toothpick flag labels. I gave him a ride to school to protect his masterpiece from highschool bus ride mischief. (I wish I had remembered to take a picture). The best part was, after he got his grade, he and his buddies ATE it! That was so much better than trying to "keep" a paper mache model or something like that. No leftovers to clutter up the house. The whole thing cost about $5 worth of food, and he got it done in time too!
Another thing. I waged war on iTunes the last couple afternoons while waiting for clients to get me changes on things.... and I think I may have won! I went through every folder on my computer that was hiding music and consolidated it all into one massive folder on my external drive. I removed duplicates and back ups of my back ups and then went into itunes and deleted my library and started from scratch. Then I spent another couple hours selecting what I wanted on my ipod and finally synced. YAY! It fits! And I only cursed and swore a little bit because I expected it to be long and painful before I got going. Any onf you veteran i-folks are laughing at me right now, but this is a MAJOR thing for me. It's good to have that finally done... like going to the dentist.
The belt tightening has been going with mixed results. My mom and sister took me out to lunch (great), but then they also took me to a home-improvement place to shop for my sister's kitchen sink... however there was a clearance table that had a nice front door lock set (ours is functional but very thrashed) for 1/2 price. Even better the brushed nickel one that I preferred was also on clearance, but the display model was the last one... I waited 15 minutes for them to take it down and saved half off again. For $32 I got a really beautiful entry door lock set. Did I NEED it - absolutely not. Did I want it - yes. Was it a great price - you bet your sweet bippy it was... So I got some "house jewelry". Not clutter perse.
I don't regret buying it, but I do feel bad about spending even that small amount on an unplanned thing.
Otherwise pantry shopping has been a smashing success! I have spent next to nothing on groceries these past few days. Other than the fresh, perishable things that my garden is not providing, I have been putting together some great meals right from my own cupboards and freezer. We aren't getting weird at all yet! Boullinaise sauce from scratch, Chicken & bacon in Vodka Sauce, Tom Yum soup stuffed with veggies on farkay noodles, classic spaghetti meat sauce with garlic bread, roast chicken and spaghetti squash.... oh and there is lots more where that came from!
School is off to a great start with the boys (what a relief) ... 2 weeks down!
Steve made this AWESOME plant cell model out of green jello. The golgi apperatus was folded blue licorish, the chloroplasts were green scoth mints, the rough endoplasmic reticulum were cut straws standing on end, the vacoule was a little ziplock bag, the lysosomes were craisins and the nucleus was a plum... super-cute idea that he came up with on his own. It looked great with the little toothpick flag labels. I gave him a ride to school to protect his masterpiece from highschool bus ride mischief. (I wish I had remembered to take a picture). The best part was, after he got his grade, he and his buddies ATE it! That was so much better than trying to "keep" a paper mache model or something like that. No leftovers to clutter up the house. The whole thing cost about $5 worth of food, and he got it done in time too!
Another thing. I waged war on iTunes the last couple afternoons while waiting for clients to get me changes on things.... and I think I may have won! I went through every folder on my computer that was hiding music and consolidated it all into one massive folder on my external drive. I removed duplicates and back ups of my back ups and then went into itunes and deleted my library and started from scratch. Then I spent another couple hours selecting what I wanted on my ipod and finally synced. YAY! It fits! And I only cursed and swore a little bit because I expected it to be long and painful before I got going. Any onf you veteran i-folks are laughing at me right now, but this is a MAJOR thing for me. It's good to have that finally done... like going to the dentist.
9.09.2011
Belt Tightening Time!
Confession: The Slow spring for my income has finally caught up with me.
I am now Miss Frugal-Supreme until the Fall Graphics contracts begin (I have just confirmed 2 annual bread and butter October jobs back for another year)
The thing is I am kind of panicking.... I'm already pretty darned frugal!
No cable, ubber-cheap cellphone (that we all 4 share for emergencies), fairly local camping is our vacation of choice (and we pick low cost sites), we eat vegetarian several dinners a week, I grow as many veggies as I can fit in my little plot, I line dry the laundry, no car payments and T does all mechanic-ing here at home, we accept hand me downs for the kids and myself for clothes, I buy discount-near-expiry meat to freeze, no air conditioners, no booze, very little restaurant patronage (and then it's for lunch not dinner), no consumer debt to pay down, no student loans... where else can I cut? Where else can I scrimp while still feeding my growing family decently, and keeping house and home and body and soul together?
Seriously! I need tips and I need them fast for the next little while.
There are 2 options... find a way to trim expenses or find a way to boost income.
Two mom's at Steve's highschool suggested I tutor Math on the side. But I already have my side jobs... could I make the time I wonder?
Maybe I should flog my business harder? Now that school is back in I could do that more easily... but there is the immediate problem of cashflow to deal with there is the gap between NOW and the client building, new work and invoice payments received, y'know? AND I know October will see me SWAMPED already, so why pile more on and alienate my family?
Back to ideas for cutting costs.... anybody?
For the first time, I am SLIGHTLY relieved we didn't get the other house because moving costs money. Period.
I need to calm down, face my fears and find a solution PRONTO
I am now Miss Frugal-Supreme until the Fall Graphics contracts begin (I have just confirmed 2 annual bread and butter October jobs back for another year)
The thing is I am kind of panicking.... I'm already pretty darned frugal!
No cable, ubber-cheap cellphone (that we all 4 share for emergencies), fairly local camping is our vacation of choice (and we pick low cost sites), we eat vegetarian several dinners a week, I grow as many veggies as I can fit in my little plot, I line dry the laundry, no car payments and T does all mechanic-ing here at home, we accept hand me downs for the kids and myself for clothes, I buy discount-near-expiry meat to freeze, no air conditioners, no booze, very little restaurant patronage (and then it's for lunch not dinner), no consumer debt to pay down, no student loans... where else can I cut? Where else can I scrimp while still feeding my growing family decently, and keeping house and home and body and soul together?
Seriously! I need tips and I need them fast for the next little while.
There are 2 options... find a way to trim expenses or find a way to boost income.
Two mom's at Steve's highschool suggested I tutor Math on the side. But I already have my side jobs... could I make the time I wonder?
Maybe I should flog my business harder? Now that school is back in I could do that more easily... but there is the immediate problem of cashflow to deal with there is the gap between NOW and the client building, new work and invoice payments received, y'know? AND I know October will see me SWAMPED already, so why pile more on and alienate my family?
Back to ideas for cutting costs.... anybody?
For the first time, I am SLIGHTLY relieved we didn't get the other house because moving costs money. Period.
I need to calm down, face my fears and find a solution PRONTO
8.10.2011
Peace and Fear
Okay. I'm finally reaching some peace with the idea of staying (it's not hard really).
And I celebrated the idea with taking an uncharacteristic risk.
You know how the market is being "volatile" right now?
Well I decided it was time to get in on the action (on top of our very "conservative" investing we have done thus far). We never seem to have the money to do more than the token monthly RRSP thing... NEVER have maxed out the contribution room for any one year. Oh I'd love to, but there are always more pressing things to pay for. But yesterday I made a major contribution to our RRSP mutual funds. EEEEK it's so scary for me! We did what so many people do (and there is so much debate about) and borrowed it. [[[ gasp, wheeze, clutch chest]]] I'm frightened out of my skin, but still SURE that it had to be done --like ripping a band-aid off.
So if we can't have a yard with a shop, we CAN have more shares in a huge assortment of mysterious fluctuating numbers -- oh boy. They say the secret is NOT to look at the market and just keep it there for as long as you can. So that's what I'm going to do... I will have a look at it again on my 60th birthday to see if it needs to be moved somewhere more stable at that time... ya right. Okay, I'll watch it but not TOUCH it for a long long time....
I do feel better about our long term savings numbers now. Of course I feel worse about our debt load, but then again it's not as bad as starting from scratch with another 20 year mortgage either.... So I guess we could say that how I am feeling about it is fluctuating as wildly as the Dow Jones at the moment!
Temporary insanity?
Desperate need to make a change?
Or spark of inspiration?
I don't know, but it's done now.
And I celebrated the idea with taking an uncharacteristic risk.
You know how the market is being "volatile" right now?
Well I decided it was time to get in on the action (on top of our very "conservative" investing we have done thus far). We never seem to have the money to do more than the token monthly RRSP thing... NEVER have maxed out the contribution room for any one year. Oh I'd love to, but there are always more pressing things to pay for. But yesterday I made a major contribution to our RRSP mutual funds. EEEEK it's so scary for me! We did what so many people do (and there is so much debate about) and borrowed it. [[[ gasp, wheeze, clutch chest]]] I'm frightened out of my skin, but still SURE that it had to be done --like ripping a band-aid off.
So if we can't have a yard with a shop, we CAN have more shares in a huge assortment of mysterious fluctuating numbers -- oh boy. They say the secret is NOT to look at the market and just keep it there for as long as you can. So that's what I'm going to do... I will have a look at it again on my 60th birthday to see if it needs to be moved somewhere more stable at that time... ya right. Okay, I'll watch it but not TOUCH it for a long long time....
I do feel better about our long term savings numbers now. Of course I feel worse about our debt load, but then again it's not as bad as starting from scratch with another 20 year mortgage either.... So I guess we could say that how I am feeling about it is fluctuating as wildly as the Dow Jones at the moment!
Temporary insanity?
Desperate need to make a change?
Or spark of inspiration?
I don't know, but it's done now.
8.08.2011
Lakeside House is Gone
It's official, the Lakeside house is sold to the other people.
Now is a tricky thing.... do we continue to keep our house listed? It's really been no trouble at all (because nobody comes for viewings!) and the house is kept within 15 minutes of publicly presentable (which T is LOVING). Keeping the house listed just means keeping this up. It also means that digging into projects like painting the dented up foyer and finishing the retaining walls on the North side can't really be tackled.
And if by some miracle somebody wants to BUY the house, where do we go? There is nothing on the market in our neighbourhood that I would even consider.... makes the idea of moving kinda silly.
BUT if we take our place off the market and continue with "PLAN A" by continuing to live in this house with the intention of staying (finishing the side yard retaining walls, painting walls, maybe even finishing the laundryroom), then what if another great place comes up?! We may lose it again because of the "subject to sale" issue.... what am I saying? That's like living in fear, I can't let myself get paralyzed by the "what ifs". Really I should just NOT look until we are really ready to sell. HAHAHA I know I have to look, it's just who I am.
I need to follow my usual philosophy that things happen for a reason, then I shouldn't be concerned that the other house is gone. It's just that this time feels different. It feels WRONG losing that house. I am not feeling the usual relief that I won't have to pack... I just feel disappointment that I won't be moving my furniture into that house. It's silly really because that other house needed kitchen re-do, new windows and other changes to make it nice.
I have to relax and let it be.
I have to live in the moment by accepting that it's not an option anymore.
But that still leaves the decision.... do we stay "for sale" and roll the dice or do we just stay here? There is no obvious answer. And just being content here is getting harder with the garage stuffed to capacity, the driveway full of our trailer and my Mother in Law's MS making the stairs and steep driveway a serious obstacle for her visits.... in 2 short years Steve is going to likely be adding another car to the driveway, and I can almost guarantee that it will need work, but the garage is not set up for cars anymore (it hasn't been for years now because of all the 2 wheeled things in there).
It's natural to have life's changes change the requirements for a house... it may be time.
Now is a tricky thing.... do we continue to keep our house listed? It's really been no trouble at all (because nobody comes for viewings!) and the house is kept within 15 minutes of publicly presentable (which T is LOVING). Keeping the house listed just means keeping this up. It also means that digging into projects like painting the dented up foyer and finishing the retaining walls on the North side can't really be tackled.
And if by some miracle somebody wants to BUY the house, where do we go? There is nothing on the market in our neighbourhood that I would even consider.... makes the idea of moving kinda silly.
BUT if we take our place off the market and continue with "PLAN A" by continuing to live in this house with the intention of staying (finishing the side yard retaining walls, painting walls, maybe even finishing the laundryroom), then what if another great place comes up?! We may lose it again because of the "subject to sale" issue.... what am I saying? That's like living in fear, I can't let myself get paralyzed by the "what ifs". Really I should just NOT look until we are really ready to sell. HAHAHA I know I have to look, it's just who I am.
I need to follow my usual philosophy that things happen for a reason, then I shouldn't be concerned that the other house is gone. It's just that this time feels different. It feels WRONG losing that house. I am not feeling the usual relief that I won't have to pack... I just feel disappointment that I won't be moving my furniture into that house. It's silly really because that other house needed kitchen re-do, new windows and other changes to make it nice.
I have to relax and let it be.
I have to live in the moment by accepting that it's not an option anymore.
But that still leaves the decision.... do we stay "for sale" and roll the dice or do we just stay here? There is no obvious answer. And just being content here is getting harder with the garage stuffed to capacity, the driveway full of our trailer and my Mother in Law's MS making the stairs and steep driveway a serious obstacle for her visits.... in 2 short years Steve is going to likely be adding another car to the driveway, and I can almost guarantee that it will need work, but the garage is not set up for cars anymore (it hasn't been for years now because of all the 2 wheeled things in there).
It's natural to have life's changes change the requirements for a house... it may be time.
7.03.2011
I'm at it AGAIN...
We put an offer on a house this weekend... yes, that's right, I'm once again threatening to move from my cozy home of 12 years.
After the initial viewing, I got very excited about the location, layout and yard. So we arranged a 2nd viewing. The rose coloured glasses came off for that one, time to be practical.
CONS:
It was built 19 years before my home, so of course it will have more issues.
The house is cheaply done inside.
There is only one bathtub (and it's rough), the en suite is just a 2nd toilet and vanity really.
The kitchen is not only VERY ugly, but in poor shape (and grimy too).
I don't think the house was re-roofed very well because there are places I think should have flashing that don't (then again I am no pro).
It looks like a timber in the very low crawl was replaced, why?
BUT! PROS:
Great price
It's exactly the right size for us. and I could see it working even after the boys leave home -- grandkids could be visiting us in that place.
The floorplan has nice flow.
The kitchen is ugly, but the layout is good -- huge, bright eating area too.
There is a mudroom off the back door (oh how we would appreciate one!)Detached shop that is very nice actually, 6 years old, wired for everything, bright and insulated
Small 2 car garage attached to the house (my BMW and all the bicycles would LOVE to have a roof over them at night)Fairly level lot, fully fenced and backing onto a forest/lake area... the birds are amazing (I bet the deer and raccoons are too)
PRIVATE backyard, the neighbours on both sides have shops and there are lots of trees so I'm sure my T's tinkering would be acceptable there.
Still well within the kids' school's catchment area and near friends.Almost the end of the NO THRU road.
Rancher, so no stairs for my MS suffering MIL to navigate.
Enough usable land to plant things! (OMG I could have apples! plums! pears!)The CONS are fixable (pending inspection of course) the PROS in that combination are hard to find in this neighbourhood.... I know I put offers on places almost annually, but this one has the least compromises of them all -- amazing!
A SLEEPLESS night was spent weighing the paralyzing stress of moving away from our dear home against the elation at the thought moving to a place that suits our lifetsyle so very very well. Then we rose early and at 8:30 am we met the realtor and put in an offer.... BUT not only that, we also agreed to LIST OUR HOUSE (that's a step we have never gotten to before)!!!!
9.14.2010
What the Heck?!
Okay the faith in my mortgage broker has taken another hit.
Last year when we renegotiated out mortgage, our mortgage broker assured us that I could easily be put on title with my husband, just sign the deal for now and the lawyer would fix it for us. Uuuummmm.... nope. The lawyer didn't get the memo, and after the legal stuff was settled (as per what we signed), we were told that we'd have to RE-OPEN the deal and pay the $800 worth of fees over again to change it at that point.
We learned our lesson, and when the papers came around for the investment house I told the mortgage broker I would NOT sign it until it said what we meant as far as payment schedule, etc.... making extra work for the dude writing it up -- boohoo.
Today I have the papers with the terms I want, and I'm reading along, initialing the endless stupid pages of legal jargon, TRYING to make sense of it when a few words pop off the page at me....."does not finance private sales"
WHAT?!
This is a private sale, we said all along that it's a private sale, what's going on? I phone to complain and he says that company WILL finance private sales with high-volume brokers (which he is) so it's okay. I have to say I'm a little leary of this whole thing now.....
As I read farther in, I realize I can't provide all the documents that this contract is asking for, they simply don't exist!
BAAH!
Last year when we renegotiated out mortgage, our mortgage broker assured us that I could easily be put on title with my husband, just sign the deal for now and the lawyer would fix it for us. Uuuummmm.... nope. The lawyer didn't get the memo, and after the legal stuff was settled (as per what we signed), we were told that we'd have to RE-OPEN the deal and pay the $800 worth of fees over again to change it at that point.
We learned our lesson, and when the papers came around for the investment house I told the mortgage broker I would NOT sign it until it said what we meant as far as payment schedule, etc.... making extra work for the dude writing it up -- boohoo.
Today I have the papers with the terms I want, and I'm reading along, initialing the endless stupid pages of legal jargon, TRYING to make sense of it when a few words pop off the page at me....."does not finance private sales"
WHAT?!
This is a private sale, we said all along that it's a private sale, what's going on? I phone to complain and he says that company WILL finance private sales with high-volume brokers (which he is) so it's okay. I have to say I'm a little leary of this whole thing now.....
As I read farther in, I realize I can't provide all the documents that this contract is asking for, they simply don't exist!
BAAH!
9.09.2010
Amost a done deal
Not much to look at right now (terrible picture), but it's got potential for serious cute-ness.
I spent ALL day today throwing together the last minute subject removal crap. On the phone with lawyers, mortgage brokers, insurance providers, surveyors, roofers, the city, etc, etc, etc. And running out to the house to meet a roofer (and conveniently the surveyor at the same time) . While there I collected about 10 pounds of Gala Apples and some Seedless Green Grapes. My FIL doesn't believe in yard work, so these are going to go to waste otherwise. On my way home I stopped by the insurance place to make sure it really was insurable.... they said yes -- except the roof -- so if the roof leaks, we aren't covered for that until we prove that it's been replaced.
BUT I think (knock on wood) the whole thing is do-able for what my FIL wants to pay in rent! Hoorah!
8.24.2010
month to month
How do people live paycheck to paycheck?
I look at my bank statement and our debits vs withdrawals fluctuate by hundreds of dollars from month to month! If we didn't have a "float" to absorb the expensive months we would be in trouble! Is that it? Do people just get used to being in trouble on a regular basis?
And what about those folks that don't have overdraft protection as well as living close to the red every month? How do they handle the little things that insist on popping up? A kid's growth spurt (shoes/pants)? A car malfunction? An unexpected necessity to travel (like wedding or funeral)? A utility hike? or Birthdays & Christmas Season? School functions?
I guess these people need to rely on credit, and I also guess it makes it very difficult to get off of the interest payment treadmill.
It's funny, I have been there. Living below the zero balance from month to month, but I seem to have blocked out that very stressful time. It was after the mat leave ran out and my job had been "phased out" and T's job got cut to part time. The mortgage and utility payments still had to be made, and now there was the added expense of diapers and baby stuff. For me to look for a job, I also had to factor in FINDING childcare and finding alot of money for it too. Dark times.
Somehow we did it, pulled out the other side and learned some lessons on frugality, on doing without, waiting for things, making due, and being genuinely grateful for second hand items. Necessity is the mother of invention -- that is a true statement for me.
Now, 13 years later, we are in a better place. Literally and figuratively.
Money is placed very carefully into it's little categories. My income, flucuating as it does, is not factored into the survival budget. Basically I make that budget on T's income only. Anything I bring in covers the non-essentials... things like our cheap cellphone, internet, 2nd car, clothing , gifts and entertainment. So if my income should disapear, then these things would also be dropped or cut waaaay back. T also has a hobby fixing things that he sometimes gets a little dough for... and that money goes to our dirtbiking hobby. If he's doing a lot of it, then we see newer safety gear or maybe even save for a bike upgrade! He is very good about not dipping into the regular cash flow to buy for the hobby, thankfully.
I am the first to admit that I may worry too much about money. I do not want to spend more than I have to most of the time. And when I do "let myself go" and splurge a bit, the remorse can be physically sickening!
Those fluctuating monthly bank statements give me highs and lows along with the balances... its who I am.
But I guess I am worrying enough too, because there is money to pay the bills and enough left over to take Stevie to Van for the weekend, buy back to school shoes for the boys and keep my car fueled up with the good stuff... no creditors breathing down our necks, no lying in bed at night wondering which bills can be covered and which will have to wait. As an added bonus, my canned/dry goods pantry is full enough to live for WEEKS (if not months) out of and my garden is busting over the edges.
I am thankful for our current situation, and feel prepared for change if it is forced on me too... there is some peace of mind in my life, and I am thankful for that too!
I look at my bank statement and our debits vs withdrawals fluctuate by hundreds of dollars from month to month! If we didn't have a "float" to absorb the expensive months we would be in trouble! Is that it? Do people just get used to being in trouble on a regular basis?
And what about those folks that don't have overdraft protection as well as living close to the red every month? How do they handle the little things that insist on popping up? A kid's growth spurt (shoes/pants)? A car malfunction? An unexpected necessity to travel (like wedding or funeral)? A utility hike? or Birthdays & Christmas Season? School functions?
I guess these people need to rely on credit, and I also guess it makes it very difficult to get off of the interest payment treadmill.
It's funny, I have been there. Living below the zero balance from month to month, but I seem to have blocked out that very stressful time. It was after the mat leave ran out and my job had been "phased out" and T's job got cut to part time. The mortgage and utility payments still had to be made, and now there was the added expense of diapers and baby stuff. For me to look for a job, I also had to factor in FINDING childcare and finding alot of money for it too. Dark times.
Somehow we did it, pulled out the other side and learned some lessons on frugality, on doing without, waiting for things, making due, and being genuinely grateful for second hand items. Necessity is the mother of invention -- that is a true statement for me.
Now, 13 years later, we are in a better place. Literally and figuratively.
Money is placed very carefully into it's little categories. My income, flucuating as it does, is not factored into the survival budget. Basically I make that budget on T's income only. Anything I bring in covers the non-essentials... things like our cheap cellphone, internet, 2nd car, clothing , gifts and entertainment. So if my income should disapear, then these things would also be dropped or cut waaaay back. T also has a hobby fixing things that he sometimes gets a little dough for... and that money goes to our dirtbiking hobby. If he's doing a lot of it, then we see newer safety gear or maybe even save for a bike upgrade! He is very good about not dipping into the regular cash flow to buy for the hobby, thankfully.
I am the first to admit that I may worry too much about money. I do not want to spend more than I have to most of the time. And when I do "let myself go" and splurge a bit, the remorse can be physically sickening!
Those fluctuating monthly bank statements give me highs and lows along with the balances... its who I am.
But I guess I am worrying enough too, because there is money to pay the bills and enough left over to take Stevie to Van for the weekend, buy back to school shoes for the boys and keep my car fueled up with the good stuff... no creditors breathing down our necks, no lying in bed at night wondering which bills can be covered and which will have to wait. As an added bonus, my canned/dry goods pantry is full enough to live for WEEKS (if not months) out of and my garden is busting over the edges.
I am thankful for our current situation, and feel prepared for change if it is forced on me too... there is some peace of mind in my life, and I am thankful for that too!
6.22.2010
"Cheap and Cheery"
"Cheap and Cheery" Well, that pretty much sums me up!
Or, could I be so bold and say I'm "Frugal and Fabulous" or "Savvy and Sensational" ?
I'm getting carried away. I'm happy sitting and watching the bees in the flowers, listening to the birds or reading my thrift store novels in a quiet corner.... genuinely happy.
Or, could I be so bold and say I'm "Frugal and Fabulous" or "Savvy and Sensational" ?
I'm getting carried away. I'm happy sitting and watching the bees in the flowers, listening to the birds or reading my thrift store novels in a quiet corner.... genuinely happy.
Alas, sometimes I need to go shopping. When deciding to make a purchase, there are a few questions that run through my brain before I pull out my wallet:
1. Do I already have it? Or something that will do?
2. What will it contribute to my life/the life of my family?
3. Can I afford it?
4. Do I have room for it? Where will I keep it?
5. If I wait to get it later, will it matter?
6. Is it selfish, wasteful?
7. How long can I expect it to be a part of my life?
8. How much extra time do I have to work to justify this extra expense?
All this happens VERY quickly. If all the questions are answered favourably, then it's a no brainer and I buy it. If some of the answers are iffy but I really want it, then I'll likely buy it with only a little remorse. If I feel like I need to get it even if the answers are skewed or another family member pressures me, then I will likely have loads of remorse. That is life.
The truth of it is that I put a time/energy value on my money. I always have and probably always will. What this means is "just $20" for something had better give me something I value as much as about 4 hours of billable labour. If it does, then I will happily shell out the 20 bucks!
That's part of the reason the idea of moving is so PAINFUL for me. All the things I wish we had i our next house do not reasonably outweight the huge expenses, hassles and other losses that will happen if we move on. So we stay. Hating the driveway, living with the cliff, tolerating the grouchy neighbour, enduring the location that is not ideal for our lifestyle. When for a mere $20,000 or so out of pocket (realtor fees, mortgage fees, property transfer tax, moving expenses, inspection, lawyers, etc...) and perhaps a much bigger (or at least longer) mortgage we could move to a very different house that is older and not have the features we have learned to love here.... only with a better riding location and more space outside.
This frugalness also affects my social life. I don't see movies, I don't just "go out with the girls" order take out, or shop at the malls, go to sporting events, get my hair done or do the pedicure thing.... at least only once in a blue moon. I enjoy my life without these things, I don't feel deprived and the truth is my plate already feels very very full so I don't see how people even have the TIME for such things regularly!
I'm a happy person; my life is full of love, good food, warm hugs and decent second-hand purchases.
*** PS, I'm looking for a "mates/captains bed for Cami, does anyone know of where I can get one cheap? Or feel confident enough with carpentry to help me make one? Also we are selling the boys' BMX bicycles. Good quality, suitable for racing. ***
1. Do I already have it? Or something that will do?
2. What will it contribute to my life/the life of my family?
3. Can I afford it?
4. Do I have room for it? Where will I keep it?
5. If I wait to get it later, will it matter?
6. Is it selfish, wasteful?
7. How long can I expect it to be a part of my life?
8. How much extra time do I have to work to justify this extra expense?
All this happens VERY quickly. If all the questions are answered favourably, then it's a no brainer and I buy it. If some of the answers are iffy but I really want it, then I'll likely buy it with only a little remorse. If I feel like I need to get it even if the answers are skewed or another family member pressures me, then I will likely have loads of remorse. That is life.
The truth of it is that I put a time/energy value on my money. I always have and probably always will. What this means is "just $20" for something had better give me something I value as much as about 4 hours of billable labour. If it does, then I will happily shell out the 20 bucks!
That's part of the reason the idea of moving is so PAINFUL for me. All the things I wish we had i our next house do not reasonably outweight the huge expenses, hassles and other losses that will happen if we move on. So we stay. Hating the driveway, living with the cliff, tolerating the grouchy neighbour, enduring the location that is not ideal for our lifestyle. When for a mere $20,000 or so out of pocket (realtor fees, mortgage fees, property transfer tax, moving expenses, inspection, lawyers, etc...) and perhaps a much bigger (or at least longer) mortgage we could move to a very different house that is older and not have the features we have learned to love here.... only with a better riding location and more space outside.
This frugalness also affects my social life. I don't see movies, I don't just "go out with the girls" order take out, or shop at the malls, go to sporting events, get my hair done or do the pedicure thing.... at least only once in a blue moon. I enjoy my life without these things, I don't feel deprived and the truth is my plate already feels very very full so I don't see how people even have the TIME for such things regularly!
I'm a happy person; my life is full of love, good food, warm hugs and decent second-hand purchases.
*** PS, I'm looking for a "mates/captains bed for Cami, does anyone know of where I can get one cheap? Or feel confident enough with carpentry to help me make one? Also we are selling the boys' BMX bicycles. Good quality, suitable for racing. ***
6.02.2010
and the winner is....
Okay, there is no winner exactly. Or there IS a winner, but it was won through careful planning, intelligent decisions and calculated risk management -- NOT a lottery.
My family is OKAY on one solid income plus my dribs and drabs from home. We planned it that way -- very carefully -- by watching our ins and outs and planning ahead and being very picky consumers.
My worry is for the world (as well as my 13 year old son -- see this morning's post). The things we all are subjected to as "normal" financially is truly outrageous!
When did it become OKAY for people to get in debt for this season's latest fashions and 1st class vacations (even though you are lower middle class income)? Who was the brainiac that started giving credit cards to students that could barely pay for textbooks let alone 22+% interest on impulse shopping crap? How did this generation screw up so badly that their children feel they genuinely "deserve" a new car, stainless steel appliances and a huge NEW house before the age of 30 (Even though they haven't finished paying for their $25G+ wedding nor their $30G+ student loans yet)?
I am gobsmacked by it. And these flaky financial failures are all around us. Up to their eyeballs crying "I didn't know" or "I work hard so I deserve it" or "it was on sale" or "my friends all have one"!!! They are the decision makers in our society RIGHT NOW. It's no wonder the economy is flopping all over the planet. We are a society of spoiled brats, and somebody needs a good spanking and a sit in the corner for a time-out to grasp the seriousness of it all.
In protest I won't carry a balance on my credit cards! Wait -- I'm cheating, because I already don't carry a balance on my credit cards. Fine. Then I won't buy anything until I have the money saved up first! Oh ya, I already save before I buy. I'll stick it to the system by making sure our household expenses can't exceed our income -- that'll teach em! Well -- duuuh, that's common sense for surviving!!!!! (oh but it's not so "common" after all)
FINE.
THIS is how I am going to make my stand. RIGHT NOW I refuse to buy anything new if I can get it used. That's right. I am Reducing, Reusing and Recycling to my core. (I say this hot on the heals of my vacation -- but I did manage to couch surf for 70% of it!) No new clothes, no new gadgets, no new music, movies NOTHING NEW for one month.
Food and fuel have to be the exceptions... (((shudder))) second hand food is probably not a good idea.
Lets see how this goes with my son's 9th birthday this weekend (we already got him a top of the line consignment mountain bike -- it's just like new, very nice) and Father's day around the corner!!!!
I think this proclamation is in line with my 2010 resolution of "a place for everything and everything in it's place". Money and consumer consumption need to be a part of that.
My mini-protest will not do any more harm to our economy, but it will make me feel empowered in my own way.
Not quite winning the lottery, but I feel like I'm a winner anyways.
My family is OKAY on one solid income plus my dribs and drabs from home. We planned it that way -- very carefully -- by watching our ins and outs and planning ahead and being very picky consumers.
My worry is for the world (as well as my 13 year old son -- see this morning's post). The things we all are subjected to as "normal" financially is truly outrageous!
When did it become OKAY for people to get in debt for this season's latest fashions and 1st class vacations (even though you are lower middle class income)? Who was the brainiac that started giving credit cards to students that could barely pay for textbooks let alone 22+% interest on impulse shopping crap? How did this generation screw up so badly that their children feel they genuinely "deserve" a new car, stainless steel appliances and a huge NEW house before the age of 30 (Even though they haven't finished paying for their $25G+ wedding nor their $30G+ student loans yet)?
I am gobsmacked by it. And these flaky financial failures are all around us. Up to their eyeballs crying "I didn't know" or "I work hard so I deserve it" or "it was on sale" or "my friends all have one"!!! They are the decision makers in our society RIGHT NOW. It's no wonder the economy is flopping all over the planet. We are a society of spoiled brats, and somebody needs a good spanking and a sit in the corner for a time-out to grasp the seriousness of it all.
In protest I won't carry a balance on my credit cards! Wait -- I'm cheating, because I already don't carry a balance on my credit cards. Fine. Then I won't buy anything until I have the money saved up first! Oh ya, I already save before I buy. I'll stick it to the system by making sure our household expenses can't exceed our income -- that'll teach em! Well -- duuuh, that's common sense for surviving!!!!! (oh but it's not so "common" after all)
FINE.
THIS is how I am going to make my stand. RIGHT NOW I refuse to buy anything new if I can get it used. That's right. I am Reducing, Reusing and Recycling to my core. (I say this hot on the heals of my vacation -- but I did manage to couch surf for 70% of it!) No new clothes, no new gadgets, no new music, movies NOTHING NEW for one month.
Food and fuel have to be the exceptions... (((shudder))) second hand food is probably not a good idea.
Lets see how this goes with my son's 9th birthday this weekend (we already got him a top of the line consignment mountain bike -- it's just like new, very nice) and Father's day around the corner!!!!
I think this proclamation is in line with my 2010 resolution of "a place for everything and everything in it's place". Money and consumer consumption need to be a part of that.
My mini-protest will not do any more harm to our economy, but it will make me feel empowered in my own way.
Not quite winning the lottery, but I feel like I'm a winner anyways.
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