Where the money stands

as of Feb 7th

yes this one hurts a bit quite a bit with the added money on the LOC. I will whittle it away as I have done before while I make plans for the Summer School tuition and living expenses, the fall one and January of 2018.

Debt
Mortgage - $14 361.28
College LOC - $18 093

Total Debt - $32 454.28



Savings/Planned Spending
TFSA/EF - $8200
RRSP -$13 473
Back to School 2017 - $150
XMAS 2017 - $500
Plates 2017 - $1300

I also put away money every month towards flights, college, my annual fees (insurance, tax filing etc) my next trip to see DS...things like that

RRSP Update

When last we left off the tiny little RRSP engine that could, it was sitting at $13 473.14 after growing a bit from the previous quarter.

I have changed nothing in terms of where the money goes - ethical dividends and bonds.

My latest portfolio statement says I am at $13 925.48

That's a growth of just about $450.  Not phenomenal by any standard, but moving the tiniest bit in the right direction.

Now to get at saving for this year's contribution.

January Change

January was a good month for change. I spent cash for groc / gas etc exclusively so there was a lot of change.

• 1 roll toonies - $50
• 1 roll loonies - $25
• 2 rolls quarters - $20
• 1 roll dimes - $5

Total of $100.

As previously planned, I am using my rolled change to put towards my $500 goal for Back to School. This gives me a total of $150 towards that goal.

As an aside, I have 2 rolls of nickels sitting in a drawer. Something in my OCD just refuses to take $104 to the bank. $100 makes me feel calmer.

Since we don't have pennies anymore and I don't have a current trip to the US planned, I suspect those nickels will stay nested until they have 3 friends and I have a more 'balanced' $10. 

Yup, I am weird.  

Salary Change

As you know, I am a government employee. I don't get to negotiate my salary, except for every few  years when our contract is up. Then it becomes a big deal of being offered nothing, because the govt has nothing, while the ministers seem to get a raise.  I think this is the last year of our last, long debated contract. The last time it was close to sanctions. The time before we did a couple of planned short term walk outs, where everybody hated us and said that we should all be fired since anyone could teach.


Anyhoo, while the increment happens in September, it's really hard to tell how much the increase is when September is when I max out on CPP and EI etc.

Thus brings the purity of January cheques.

As I compare 2017 to 2017, my gross  monthly salary was $140.00 more. Sounds exciting. With the slight increases in each of my deductions though, this $140 slowly gets whittled away. A bit more for Federal and provincial taxes. A bit more for CPP and EI. A bit for the automatic pension contribution.

My net increase that comes home with me each month lands on a very exciting $35.

I am not complaining. I have a job that I enjoy 90% of the time. I have a wee home and  a warm place to lay my head. I have the dif benefits that come with the job.

I am not sure where I will direct that $35. As one of my colleagues said, last year she bought 60 boxes of Kleenex for her classroom and I bought 72. And that was just Kleenex. I wonder if our elected officials who decide school budgets have to pay for their own Kleenex for themselves and whoever else shares their space? :-)

 A pity we're not allowed to claim that kind of purchase for personal income tax deductions.

snowflakey January

For all the different good and bad that January brought, the snowflakes were the best.

January always brings that sense of renewed focus....of paying attention to the little things...of that drive to meet goals and make the best of the new year.

This January paid off in spades.

Grocery savings was my biggest friend. We  had stocked heavily for the boys return home... Freezer, pantry and fridge. Added to that was the wealth of leftovers that we got from both my mom and my sister after the Christmas meals. Mostly my sister. She continued to send over all the bits and pieces from her Christmas grocery purchases.

We had wonderful leftovers of turkey and ham that turned into soups and stews, quesadillas and 'ham'n'eggers. The wealth of fruit was devoured and then froze for smoothies. Veggies made their way as side dishes and salads and into omelets and more.

I was able to snowflake $300 of my grocery money during the month of January. I have it sitting right now in 3 pretty $100 bills, unsure right now of where to focus my effort. I won't spend them in that form, but if I had left them in my main account, or if I had gotten them in $20s they would have been siphoned away bit by bit.

Cooking for 2 really can get creative sometimes and we consciously work to repurpose leftovers in a way we aren't getting bored.

I hope the inertia of January pushes forward, for awhile.