Haha, oh me

Well, someone has not been very successful at belt-tightening during the first week of May, and that someone is me.

My new job is going to be tough - I can feel myself burning to spend spend spend as I look through all the stuff in the store. I bought lunch at Tim's yesterday because I hadn't brought anything with me, and then on the way home I needed new mascara because I had accidentally left mine at a stranger's house when I was trying on jeans...and then somehow that turned into ice cream and popcorn and also Claritin for my sinuses...

To sum up, I have $88 in my bank account and about $60 in cash to last to the end of the month.

That's just discretionary spending, I don't want anyone to panic. I have accounted for all the other money that comes in, so I'm not in danger of missing my mortgage payment or pad rent. But I'm probably going to be eating out of the freezer a lot this month. And I really need to get off my butt and take photos of the stuff I am trying to sell on the Buy & Sell. Nothing like getting paid to declutter :P

Curveballs

Well, the victory of the mortgage payment was countered with the less-than-victory of expenses exceeding income this month. The Truck expenses (tires and oil changed, service, replacement of a burnt out indicator) came from the Truck account, so that was okay. But there was no account to cover the cost of having a small piece of my washing machine replaced.

I suppose I could have taken it from my Heating account, but that doesn't sit right with me. I think I might need a third account for Home Maintenance.

The expenses didn't put me in the hole, exactly, but they ate into my buffer money, and that is irritating. May is going to be a month of belt tightening, I think. I need to plug up the leaks in my wallet (fast food/junk food is the #1 wallet-leak that I can see), and get that money flowing into my savings.

Finances, wooo!

Small Victories

I increased my mortgage payment by 10% starting with yesterday's payment. I'm allowed to do that once a year, in addition to making Double-Up payments (haven't done that yet) and paying an annual lump sum of up to 10% of the entire mortgage (hahaha, it's a lovely dream).

Yesterday's payment took the mortgage down to just under $83K, and I'm now on track to have that sucker paid off in 18.5 years instead of 24. And it only costs me about $20 more per payment. Yay!!

I may have done a few shimmies in the file room to celebrate :)

You don't realize how useless most of the stuff you buy is until you try to sell it and no one wants to buy :P

Ah well, live and learn. Stop buying DVDs.

Home again, home again

The trip I just took to Europe with my youngest sister was incredible. Meeting my nephew, spending time with both my sisters and brother-in-law, eating and drinking great food and wine...makes me wish I could be on vacation all the time.

But I can't, so it's back to work for this gal. It's a good thing that I like my job as much as I do, even though it turns my hands into sandpaper.

Ugh

I'm reminded that I don't fit in a really good niche in the personal finance sphere.

Most of the advice geared towards people looking to save money involves basic suggestions like 'cut cable,' 'brown bag your lunch a couple times a week,' and 'stop buying fancy coffees every day.'

It's a tad harder to find ways to save money when you already pack your own lunch every day (made from leftovers you cooked the night before, with ingredients as basic as you can get), haven't had cable in 10 years, don't have a cell phone, and basically already do all the stuff financial gurus tell you will make a difference.

Like, I'm not going to start smoking again just so I can quit again and save money that way.

I want to be able to pre-pay big chunks against my mortgage every year. I want to maximize my TFSA and RSP every year. I want to live free, under my own steam, knowing I've got something put away for tomorrow but also having enough to enjoy today.

Something tells me I might have to become my own personal finance blog - I'm not going to find the right fit for a thrifty Northern life in PF blog from someone living in TO. I have to figure this stuff out on my own :P

Avoidance

I have stayed away from here for a very long time.

I made excuses (I'm on too many platforms, I don't have anything to say, I don't have time) and I dithered.

The truth is, I needed to go away to begin to heal. My transition from life in Faro to life in WH has been tumultuous. If one were to look at the graph of my life since I moved, the general trend is upward, but it's been full of many ups and downs.

I have needed time away to start to find myself again. I recently mentioned to someone that I don't think there's anywhere I am or anyone to whom I am completely honest. I'm constantly putting on different outfits, being different people, editing what I say and what I do depending on who I am with.

It's fucking exhausting.

So, now I get to decide if the exhaustion of being so many different people is more overwhelming than letting some of those people go. I don't know the answer. I may not know the answer in a few weeks. I may not update for another year.

But I'm still here, and I'm getting better.