The Power of 7

*sorry for the late post... I ment to post this yesterday and forgot.

7 Things I have done this year:

1. Got a car

2. Eliminated my visa debt

3. Completed my Duke of Ed

4. Got my LoC under $25,000.00

5. Build and completely funded Christmas fund 3 months before Christmas

6. Went to Cuba

7. Started French lessons

7 things I have left to do this year:

1. Make a Christmas list and star shopping before the rush

2. Change from paying down my LoC to OSAP and get 2500$ of it paid off before the end of the year

3. Continue to be vigilant in stopping the leaks in my budget

4. Pass French class not just in mark but be able to speak the language

5. Sort out vacation stuff

6. Figure out how to put money in to Shirli’s credit card

7. Start referring

7. Things to achieve in 2012

1. Pay off OSAP completely

2. De-clutter my life more

3. Decide about moving in with BF

4. Get LoC under $17,000

 5. Get cost for braces assessed and decided on doing them

6. Continue taking French and consider an upholstery course

7. Take 2 amazing vacations maybe Texas road trip and Japan or Israel

Automation and Money

I have a confession. I have been neglecting my snowflaking account. I know I know... you all though I was going to say I racked up debt!! Trust, I'd very upset if that was the case. I just thought I would shame myself to get back on track. Because I know I have let the money slip off my accounting system.

 Another thing was unknowingly happening over the summer and I just didn't realize it. My base income went up over the summer and it went down and it went up and then it went down... yup you heard that right, 5 different base pay amounts.  All though my take home pay never went down enough for me to realize it. Which basically means that a couple hundred dollars was spend and not completely accounted for. I say that because I can account for it in my budget when I go back and see but I wish I had been more on top of it. For example I got a raise at work for getting my license I thought that I wouldn't get it on my pay until all of them had come in so not for another month. Turns out they added it in August. basically it works out to be about 50 dollars extra on my pay. Now because my base pay has gone up so has amount I get taken off to buy company stock. I want to make sure that the automatic savings got a boost too but since I don't know how everything will be effected I didn't boost it up to much. ING use to take out 50$ each pay, 25$ for retirement and 25$ for my emergency fund. Starting next pay they will be taking $60 off. $30 for my retirement fund and $30 for my emergency fund. Which works out to be an extra $20 off each month. I think with this and my stock increase I won't even notice that I am not 'spending' the pay increase. 

I think that's the best way to make savings painless. If you get a yearly raise, raise your automatic deductions. 

Spending Re-Cap September 19-25

September 19
$4.07  Macdonald's food

September 20
No Spend Day

September 21
$7 cover a bar

September 22
$45.95 for Avon facial products

September 23
No Spend Day

September 24
No Spend Day

September 25
No Spend Day

Other then the spending this week I have only paid bills which aren't included in this Re-cap. I have paid my visa, OSAP, LoC and car insurance. And the best part... is that I have a full tank of gas in my car I bought last week!

I have net!!!

Isn't this exciting I have internet  at home again!!! I have updated my side bars to the best of my ability until the end of the month. Its so exciting to  have the net at home... only no one has posted anything... its so sad.

Well in my life nothing has been happening.  I work, eat and sleep. Nothing exciting.

I hope everyone is having a good Saturday!

Ponderings on Pay Day

Well its payday today. I felt so ‘up beat’ about my budget. Than a friend of mine called to confirm what it would cost to get my leaking window fixed, $100-200. Because he quoted me less he offered to help cover the cost if I made him pre-packaged dinners for a week or something. To be honest he’s in worse shape then I am, by his own choice but even so I would never ask him to cover me that way. I’ll likely make him some meals just as a thank you. Do you have any recipes for hearty meals that freeze well and can be easily heated up? The whole thing is just frustrating I feel like I will never get my Car fund complete. Especially with winter on its way, my car will need a winter tune up and an oil change.

On another note, I have been thinking of switching things up. I am thinking of moving to Word Press because the format is easier to work with. Every time I try to change anything on blogspot I get very frustrated. But this is the real question. If I switch over, I am thinking I will buy the site that is paying for my own web page. I have already looked into it CommonCents is already taken. So I need to find either a variation of my name or a completely different one. Any ideas?

PS the net should be back up and running at home by Tuesday of next week. I am so looking forward to having the net back… I have come to realize that I can live completely happy with out phone and cable but not so happy with out the net.

Weekly Spending Recap September 11-18th AND Weekly Money Checkup!!

September 11
No Spend day

September 12
$4.51 Shoppers Drug mart (toothpaste)

September 13
$180 dentist (out of pocket $18)

September 14
$37.51~ gas
$39.51~ gas
$6.80~ gas
$12.18~ bungee cords at Can. Tire

September 15
$7.06~ food at work caf

September 16
No Spending Day

September 17
No Spending day

September 18
21.50~paid for a parking ticket with Bday money, not sure if it should count

Weekly Money check up!
1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on gas but in my defense I have a full tank of gas sitting in my garage and ½ in my car. And Thursday is payday so I am not really worried.

2. Today I am thankful for options. I have the option of changing around how I much I can put towards certain things and despite being in debt I also have savings. I like have the options that that buffer provides me.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was I went to see my BF he makes me happy.

4. I will consider this week a success if I get my car window fixed (its raining as I type this and I am thankful for underground parking at work). Also if I get all my TODO’s done tomorrow.

5. If I could have coffee with one blogger, I would choose Upendilife, I was watching The Lion King the other night and I was thinking about him while I was watching it… is that weird? But I want to come see him bc how cool would it be to give the lowdown on a country by a local! I would love to meet Towards Retirement with Debt, she was the first person to welcome me into the blogging world and she’s dropped off it now… I miss her. Oh who am I kidding I want to meet everyone!! Because I feel like your all such good friends.  Actually Little lamb and I talked about getting together… what ever happened to that idea?

Oh PS: Eboo I might have baskets for you. I just have to check I am not sure if we got rid of them last year or not.

No spend days: 142 + 3 (this week)= 145

The Ponderings of a working Girl and The Finances of Others

IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: This year, you smile more often because of an ability to see past the obvious and detach. You feel less like you have to be right or prove your point. Optimism surrounds growth and mental breakthroughs. You could travel, or perhaps go back to school. Some of you might choose to visualize in order to add to your potential at the workplace. If you are single, you’ll meet someone through your circle of friends. This person could be a foreigner or just very different. Proceed with care, as a different lifestyle comes with this person. If you are attached, the two of you need to work on the innate camaraderie that exists between you. Focus on a mutual life goal. TAURUS points to possibilities. ~Toronto Star~

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You are far more precise than you realize. Follow your intuition — you are unusually grounded at this point. Remain sensitive to a child or new friend. Absorb new insights, try applying his or her view, and speak of your thoughts later. Tonight: Take off ASAP.

I am not a big birthday person, at least when it comes to my one. This past week I had my birthday. The above are my horoscope for the day as I am a Virgo and because it was my birthday. I never give much stock to this stuff and didn’t even bother to read it on the day of. But anyways that’s the ‘forecast’ for the coming year.

I mentioned to my mom that I though my BF was going to get me an iphone for my Bday. Mom got upset because she wanted to get me one but can’t afford it and I know she can’t, which is why I told her flat out that she wasn’t allowed to. She was also upset that I seamed ok with letting my BF buy me one. I explained to her that I was not ok with him doing it either. You see my mom has a habit of over stretching herself financially at the sake of her own wellbeing. Example on Christmases she told us would be lean because of a trip we were taking early in the New Year she still went out and bought my sister a laptop. That’s not a lean Christmas. It was a strange experience to tell my mom on my birthday that at 57, retirement was starting her in the face and she had to look after her financial house before she could line the pockets of others. She agreed with me but didn’t like hearing it.  My BF is very similar he will put his own fiscal house at risk to give someone else something (iphone). I would be very upset with him if buying me a phone meant he could not buy food or pay rent.  I think in many ways we balance each other out. I am hoping that this will be one of the ways we can balance each other out. You see sometimes buying a new TV isn’t a bad thing but buying a new one every year is. 

On the topic of tuition costs, Stats Can has just released date indicating that tuition costs are raising higher then cost of living and inflation. According to the article “Statistics Canada on Friday said the average annual tuition fee for undergraduate students is $5,366 for 2011-12, up 4.3 per cent from last year. That follows a four per cent rise in tuition in the 2010-11 school year. The federal agency pointed out the annual rate of inflation was running at 2.7 per cent in July.” It’s nice to know that what students have been screaming about and raising awareness too is now being backed up by Stats Can.

The only problem:  too little to late.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Tuition+hikes+outpacing+rise+living+costs+StatsCan/5418710/story.html#ixzz1YExBAHmO