Happy Blogoversary to me

Somehow my fifth anniversary got away from me last year, but I remembered this year.

It's my blogoversary!! Six years ago I started on this amazing journey of money awareness. It has brought me untold wealth of the non monetary kind.

I had spent 6 months getting ready for this, maybe even 8. Reading blog after blog, books, watching Til Debt Do Us Part before I took this leap.

The Money Tree blog was not created to become a big money making, internationally known venue. That is great for some but it wasn't the path I wanted. It was just for me to start to organize my thoughts, to plan, to become visually accountable.

My first comment on here made me silly giddy. I have to admit it was a bit of a rush. I was so honoured that someone with an established blog, deigned to notice mine.

My journey has been a process of learning experiences and awarenesses. 

I undoubtedly made choices that others would not, but that is where the personalization comes from.
 
My visits to others blogs have opened me up to so many different lifestyles and viewpoints on money. Thank you for writing.

Those who visit my site and comment have given me gifts of their time and insights and supports, or things to ponder. Thank you for reading.

One of my favourite posts from that first month of blogging is This One.  It wasn't my very first, but it was an important step in my journey. It was where I really started to look at things: bills, money, distribution......and start to become aware of how much I had, and where I needed/wanted that money to go.

Starting is the biggest step for most of us. It moves us from wishing or hoping or dreaming, to actuality...to the learning. It's a scary step because we are going to learn things about ourselves and our lives, that we may not be ready to learn.

My first year blogoversary post really showed the evolution of my thoughts. Feel free to read it Here, if you like. If you are beginning your money awareness journey, the collection of my thoughts may help you frame your own path. Or not :-)

While I am not American, I see July 4th as my own Independence Day. It reminds me of the day I started to believe I have a lot of control over my money destiny.

I hope you all have a wonderful day. Thank you for being a part of my journey.

Tiny packages of richness

That's how I think of today. There was nothing fancy about it. Nothing spectacular happened.

But I have this overwhelming feeling of being at peace.... of appreciating the minutiae of the day.

I did a great long walk this morning. Over 5K. I walked part of it with an old friend who had a few minutes for a 'walking coffee break' as she likes to call it. We used to teach together but are in different buildings now. She is heading to Uganda in 2 weeks on a Gorilla expedition. She is excited about shooting them.....with her camera :-) Such a brave and adventurous lady.

I decided today I was going to dye my hair. I can't justify the salon expense this round. I explored online and found a few colours that might work. The few times I dyed my hair myself it went very very dark when I was shooting for reddish brown. I wished I had kept the top of the box so I would know the colour. I know I blogged about it on here  but darned if I could find the entry.  I walked, yes walked, down to our little local drugstore. My top choice was not there, but my second one was.

It even ended up being free. One of my students had given me a lotto 6/49 ticket in my year end thank you card and I won! $10. The dye was $8.88 plus tax. Thank you student!!

It turned out pretty well. Not as reddish was I was hoping but not as dark as I feared. I may have to try that other choice next time. $8.88 is much better than the $80+ it would cost me at the salon, though I know they would have done a fantastic job.

I spent the afternoon outside on my little patio. It is now  1 year and a few days old. It was such richness to be able to be out there, the wind blowing gently and just....be at peace...read...rest. I didn't want to come in (and I am not a stay outside for hours and hours kind of girl)

On the reading list was a WW magazine, a Good  Housekeeping magazine and Phillipa Gregory's The White Princess.

Here is a shot of my little oasis. Not fancy, but mine.

We bbq'd for supper. Pork chops and corn on the cob and ate outside. DS1 was home although DS2 was not. It was nice to just be together.

After supper I went for another walk. It was warmer than I thought. 25C. too hot for me but hey, a little sweating helps the body burn fat right?

I came home to curl up again outside, where I am, still. I don't seem to want to come in even though it's getting chilly out with this wind and some rain's coming. It is as though I am trying to freeze time by staying out here.

Such simplicity, but such incredible wealth.

CC problems? again?

It seems like we just nicely sorted out DS1's MasterCard issues from April. It took hours on the phone, mostly on hold, multiple calls, visits to the bank and documents to sign, and after 8 weeks, it was finally sorted out.

His new BMO MasterCard arrived the night before he left for the US. His BMO US$ MasterCard never did, despite a fee for having it rushed.

He is home now and brought his online statement to me Tuesday, showing me that there was a credit from the online company the thief brought from. We had already been credited for those purchases so this set off alarm bells. The last time this happened the credit showed first on  his account and then a purchase. I was worried this would be the case again.

We called the BMO line immediately and only had a 7 min wait to talk to a rep. That was a nice change. She said that the fraud department had put an alert on this transaction the day it went through and that we would need to talk to them to find out the details. Of course it was July 1 and they were not open that day. She gave us the direct number to call the next morning.

So yesterday we called. It was a 62 min wait on hold. Still better than the almost 5 hours I did in early May, but still unacceptable IMHO.

The fraud department checked this and that and concluded that bmo did a second recredit on this transaction for some mysterious reason. I asked him to double check that bmo did it and not the company. He did, and assured me the card had not been compromised. 

What a relief.

As for the US $ MasterCard...after 8 weeks it never did arrive. He went to the branch and the staff there were astounded. They called for him and we are assured it will arrive this week. We shall see.

While on the topic of CCs, I made him phone Delta airlines yesterday. When he was flying to come home, his first flight was delayed and delayed and then cancelled. Electrical troubles they said. When he checked his luggage he had to pay a $60USD fee for oversized bagged (all the equipment he got from the team). When it was cancelled, the passengers all retrieved their luggage. The airline assured said he would have to pay the fee again when he flew out the next day, and the first fee would be cancelled.

It never was. So he called  yesterday and explained to them and it sounds like we will get the first fee credited back. I will be watching to see.

DS  said to me 'They said they would credit I back. I just trusted they would"

Powerful life lesson, mama said. No one has your back except you and you have to be on top of things yourself and speak up.

We shall see if this lesson works.

Ahhh growing up in the world of invisible money :-)

He had a wonderful time there. Loves the team, the community, everything. He laughed when they said he has an accent.

Update: The BMO  US mastercard arrived today in the mail. 62 days after we requested it.
But it's here :-)

It all began with a shower curtain

Those of you who are long time readers of my blog will know I live in a ridiculously tiny house. This decision was (lack of) income based at the time. I honestly feel like the tiny spaces contributed to this becoming a home where I am not terribly comfortable having people gather.  Self created paranoia? probably a good part of it.

After visiting the girlfriend's parents' house last weekend, I am even more aware of how tiny mine is. Theirs is by no means a McMansion. Probably 1300-1500 square feet. But it's well laid out for a house built in the mid 80s.

I can't wave a magic wand and make mine bigger. I could buy lotto tickets til I am blue in the face and I am not going to win :-)

I haven't done any renovations/redecorating since DS was in Grade 7. We did major updating then on things that had been around since the 1950s.  That cost a boatload of  cash and that was some of the first debt I paid off when I started this blog.

So after a day of feeling down and my I am in charge of my life awakening yesterday, I decided to do some little bits.

Off to Walmart I went, which is the least expensive shopping option here in town. I have to say there wasn't a whole lot of colour variety  available. The browns are still in. I chuckled to see that my current 7 year old one and all it's accessories is still there and a good seller. Most of my house has that nutmeg brown that is just a shade or two darker than neutral. It was a big switch from a house of only white walls everywhere.  I found one I liked that added a couple pops of colour in, but let me keep all my accessories and towels etc. There are blues and greens in with this, in case you can't tell from my too dark photo.

I could have chosen new accessories but doing the math, I was nauseated at how quickly it added up.  So one shower curtain and it's cute little rings was all I got for the bathroom.

Exiting that section of the store, I came across the little mats that go in front of doors. I have needed one for inside my front door since before Christmas when the last one died. I spotted one that has so many of my favourite colours in it, and after a good long look, it went into the cart too.

The total for the two items came to about $45 with taxes. I have been tucking a small amount money away each cheque for 'things for the house' and I dipped into that fund to make it happen. I started with $400 and that brings me down to $355

I saw a few others things I would like to get to freshen up things but I need to have a long think before I just start spending money willy nilly. It took me too long to save up that money.

Bringing it home, I was really quite amazed at how those things lifted my spirits. All those TV shows of women who shop for that quick rush every day came flashing into my head and I laughed aloud when hanging up the curtain. DH was confused and I tried to explain it to him, but I don't think he got it.

While I am not likely to become a shop a holic, I can see the draw for pretty things. I have to be satisfied with this for now and plan. It did prompt me to do a ton of cleaning and tidying yesterday though. Lots left to do in a neglected house but it will happen.

I went for another walk last night and we BBQ'd the steak I bought the other day and did a few ribs. DS1 graced us with his presence.  We ended the night with a little fire in the firepit and drove to watch the Canada Day fireworks.

All in all it was a good day, and a MUCH better one than the day before.

A focus for July

This summer, even more than others, I am realizing how much of a different phase of life I am in right now.

DS2 left yesterday for his camp. He will be home in 2 weeks for a wedding, and then gone again until August long weekend.

DS1 is still with his gf's family and I 'think' is coming home today. Not sure

DH hurt his back in June and hasn't moved much from his chair in weeks.

So it's me...to spend my time as I wish and make use of it or waste it. It's a lot of just me time to fill. The majority of my friends are my work friends and while we are close during the school year, we use the summer to take a break and be with our families.

The potential for alone-ness is huge. Not searching for  a poor me pity party and I am trying not to give one for myself.

So with a lot of alone time to fill, and a desire to not spend it all watching tv/Netflix or reading, a plan must be created.

It must be something I can do alone. It must have the potential to fill a lot of time. It must not cost anything, or very little. It must rejuvenate my soul and make me feel like I have done something of value this summer.

The answer is quite obvious - move more and lose weight.

I always start July exhausted and feeling bloaty and blimpy from a poorly managed June.  I am incredibly overweight. I feel like crap.

 I am not starting this month quite as high as I have in many Julys of the past but it's still in the clinically obese realm.

Voila! A focus.

I have my WW membership that is alternatively a blessing or a money waste. I will turn it into a blessing. A $22/month blessing.

I have my Nike Walk/run app on my phone. I think it cost me $4.99 a couple years ago. While I don't run, it still gives me times and a tally and is a motivator.

So the  first goal is 10 lbs for July.

Even more important, is to MOVE.

Walking helps me connect to the community, to nature. It makes me feel alive and purposeful. Moving makes my old and overweight body feel good.

My colitis is manageable. As long as I am aware of when I ate I can time when it is relatively safe for me to walk without getting into an emergency situation.

Goal number 2 is to walk a total of 90 KM in July. That breaks it down to about 3 km a day, and when I walk, I generally walk twice a day.

It is do-able. and motivating

And so, this morning I threw my hair up into an unflattering bun, tossed on my shoes and headed out.

I will report  my progress on Tuesdays, as that is my Weigh In day as well. I am hoping blogging about it will keep me focused and accountable.

Here is my first screen shot of my walking 'total'.

Wish me luck?