Where the money stands

as of May 5th


Debt
Mortgage - $21 010.74
**Total Debt - $21 010.74


Savings/Planned Spending
TFSA/EF - $5100
TFSA in waiting to be added - $1560
RESP - $16 500 (dropped!!)
RRSP - $10 186 
Grad 2015 - $800
Summer 2015 - $1000
**does not include the College  LOC which is in constant flux (up and down) but below $10 000

RESP has sure been interesting to watch this month. I see the balance when I log in to BMO each day. In just this past month it has gone as high as $17 200 and as low as $16 500. Something is definitely happening to make those bonds and dividends bounce up and down like that.

Assuming all goes according to plan I will go in to the bank in July to move the TFSA money from it's holding account to the actual TFSA account. Takes them a bit to do the paperwork.  Would be lovely to just take my income tax return and do my RRSP as well but I get the feeling that DS2's upcoming car repairs and goodness knows what else Murphy is giving me, will eat that away.

The mortgage of our little 2 bedroom (plus a tiny one in the basement) 860 square ft  house is on schedule to be under $20 000 for the first of September. I know so many of you are excited about this. I am too. I just wish it were for a house that wasn't so small.  My kids missed out on a lot not having anywhere to dine as a family.

Finding $180

I went to the bank this past weekend and put down the monthly amount I have budgeted towards the College LOC.  When I got home I dutifully opened up my spreadsheet and wrote that amount in.

Some quick math told me that at the end of May when I apply the monthly amount again, I am $180 away from bringing the total down under the next 'thousand'.  Now we all know there is not much of a difference between buying something at $9.99 or at $10.00, but psychologically, that $9.99 just feels so much better :-)   I find it's the same thing with my mortgage or my LOC.

So the quest for the rest of this month is to 'find' $180 so that I can make that possible.

Now I could take $180 out of my backpay and make it happen. Or I could take it out of my tax return when it comes. Or I could reduce the amount I tuck away each month for the boys for College, or my next savings goal....well you get the idea.

I don't want to do that.

Rather, I want to challenge myself to find that money to make it happen. I need that mental mind game to be a catalyst to getting that balance down, like I did with my vehicle loan or previous LOC amounts.

If  I don't touch those amounts, then the only spot I can really make this happen is in my variable spending aka The Jars, and any change I may acquire.

Gas. Groceries. Entertainment. Spending.

I have 3 weeks to do it before next pay period.

The whole thing may go out the window with a murphy visit. DS1 is also taking spring session at College while he is down there for spring training and I have no idea what that is going to cost. Money may end up GOING  on the loc.  He also has to move out of his dorm and into the house he and his fellow freshman are renting. That is all new territory for me and I have no clue about potential costs.

So all of these well laid plans could change and be moot.

But for right now I am living in the spirit of optimism and will hope for the best.

To start this off, I had $30 left from groceries last week and $10 left from spending money, so I have $40 in the kitty.

 $140 to go

A good weekend

I have to say that on Friday, I was giddy. Giddy that it was the weekend. It wasn't a bad week at school. I didn't have anything super exciting that was happening I was looking forward to.  Nevertheless, I was giddy.

It was just so good to know that I had 48 hours to do as I pleased and relax and just breathe.

What did I do? I put my jammies on as soon as I got home Friday. Such decadence.

I did laundry and watched hockey. I cleaned and read blogs. I went to the bank and put money into my 'high' interest savings and balanced my spreadsheets at home. I sat in my yard and just enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air.  I planned for the coming week (house wise). I did about 7 hours of marking for school.   I had supper at mom and dad's. I baked some cookies. And I netflixed.

Not high stress at all. Yet I got things done.

Am I ready for the school week? I don't think I ever am. Just so many details to balance and prep for.

But am I stressed for Monday?  No.

And as Martha Stewart said....It's a good thing.

Now I am curled up watching The Good Wife, with a glass of wine, and a cinnamon candle burning.

Thank you weekend, for all you have given me.

Passing on what you know

Anyone who has read me the past year has learned that I have had a steep learning curve with DS1 down in the US for hockey and college. Most of what I learned, I did through multiple costly phone calls (where are the 1 800 numbers??), often with conflicting information.

I had a couple people I could ask questions of, but most of it was learned on our own.

I was surprised Friday (and again today) to get a phone call from some folks we used to play hockey with a few years ago. I saw at lunch that the dad had called my cell four times between 9 and noon. When I called him back he said "you didn't answer your phone?"   Hello...I am teaching and don't have my phone on then, like many of you at work. Always surprises me how many people don't think of this.

Anyways, their son has been asked to join a Div 3 hockey team in Wisconsin and they had a boatload of questions about the whole process.

I can't tell you how good it felt to actually know answers and be able to pass on what we have learned, often the hard way.  Their main questions were about finances, choosing classes, health care and how do they know if the fit is the right fit.

My best advice for them  was to get a small notebook so they could document who all they talk to, their direct phone numbers and what they have learned.  I said the learning curve is a tough one that first year but after that it should be much smoother sailing. 

It felt GOOD to know some of the answers. Knowledge is empowering :-)

Much the same way I feel when I read your blogs or you comment on mine. I always learn more or new things, or a different perspective. I can then take that info and figure out how it applies to me.

Thanks everyone, for being part of my journey.

One third of the way through 2015

Hard to believe it's already May. It never ceases to amaze me how fast the months (or years) seem to fly by as one gets older.

The first third of the year has gone by and I would have to say that it has had a lot of rough patches. I thought I would do a quick glance at how things have gone.

Health

Well it could be worse, but it definitely hasn't been great. I finished off 2014 recovering from a big cold and flu and went pretty much straight into my neck being out and locked, which threw off about 2 weeks of my January.  Chiro visit and two ER visits.  I had about a month of decent health before my colitis symptoms started coming back until it hit full flare. This past week marked 2 months of my flare in all it's glory. I was off work for almost a month (including one week of non school over Easter). The steroids are reversing/keeping the symptoms at bay, but the side effects of the steroids are not fun: dry mouth, numb lips, chest pains, increasing bruising, tight joints and muscles, esp the knees, swollen /puffy face and feet and super dry skin. Oh and increased appetite. Good times :-)

I am hoping for a much better spring. It's finally nice outside and I want to be out walking and doing things.

Murphy and money

Murphy  has been a royal pain the ass this year, especially around vehicles. Oh the things I could have done with the cash I have had to put out for vehicles and mechanic inspections. At least I can say I am getting the value back on the warranty I was kicking myself for buying.

College costs continue to stress me out. Aside from going back in time and putting more money away, there isn't much that can be done but keep on keepin' on. I really wish DS1 had been eligible for Canada student loans, even to help out a bit. I have three years left with DS1 and 2-4 with DS2 so I need to find my stride and figure things out and keep myself as stress free as I can to avoid bringing Mr. Colitis back.

The backpay and income tax refund will definitely help. I appreciate those two amounts so much.

It could be worse. I could have never saw the light with budgeting and money and been up to my tonsils in stress and debt.

Family
Being sick has kept me from a few family functions. I don't like that, especially on missed moments with my great nieces and nephews. They are super fun and I would like to be doing things with them.

I am glad I gave DS2 that trip. I just see so much more maturity and confidence in him and that makes me smile to my soul. I miss DS1 so darn much. By the time he gets home in June, it will be 6 months since I've seen him. That is far far too long. I need to plan a trip down to him next Feb or March to break that up a bit. He needs it and so do I. He is really homesick at this point, especially with hockey done.

Goals

I have a couple of my 2015 goals in progress. My TFSA goal of $2000 is getting closer. I have the grad money saved and have started doling it out for a few things.  My summer planned spending money is close as well.  Still, a lot of goals not started.

It will be interesting to see what my second part of the year shows at the end of August.