A good day for organizing.

The sun is finally shining here and while it's still -5C, there's a good chance it may get above zero today and do some much needed melting.

With no firm committments for the day, it's a great day to take care of paperwork, clean, do some laundry and maybe bake a bit. After the busy month, this home can definitely use some tidying and it's such an empowering feeling.

Also on the to do list is to get the boys' summer camp forms and cheque to the post office, along with an insurance form for reimbursement for some vision care.

I need to write a summary of my three months on the jars as well for the blog and get down in concrete some plans for the future.

Happy Sunday all.

Month 3 Money Jars

Ok so for my third and final of the experimental months, I was the least successful. Why oh why is that????

Well primarily it is due to lack of organization, using the debit card for groceries and eating out and a bleh attitude that often hits in March.

Valid excuses? Heck no!!! The money wasted was primarily groceries and dining out, followed by spending. The %s below tell the sad sad tale.

Groceries - 8.6% was saved and that is only because I gave myself a mental shake in the last week. It hits home as this is the money that provides me with the bulk of my snowflakes. Bad jolie

Spending - equally sad at 7% saved. Granted I needed moisturizer and foundation and even the drugstore brands cost the earth. Those two little darlings cost me about $42 for Olay daily wear moisturizer and covergirl foundation. In my next life I'm going back in time to be the founder of one of those companies :P

Dining Out - I saved 11%. I gave in far too often to the 'eh just get take out' and boy that comes around to bite ya in the butt later on.

Household - was more successful, perhaps because I kept saying "NO! don't fritter this away!!!!". I saved 42% of my money set aside from household.

Gas - is the most successful and I think it's the jar I enjoy the most. I saved 60% of my budget and thank god for that!!! My extended package policy is due this month!! $300. I never really had a good read on how much I spent driving here and there and I NEVER had money set aside for routine oil changes, insurance or mechanical repairs. The last two come in large chunks and I always seem surprised to see bills. Who knew insurance was a YEARLY thing???? gasp!! lol

All in all, I was able to 'save' $361 in the various categories. Not bad at all but I kick myself that it could have been better. AND....*insert dramatic music here* the new budget cut $200 out of these jars to put towards accelerated debt payment.

This.........will be interesting!!

Sidebar Changes

I added on a new sidebar for RRSPs. *whispers*...I don't have any yet and I'm old old old. I need to get on that, both for income tax purposes and for old age purposes.

I have my new sidebar for Down Payment for a new vehicle. I am setting a starting target of $2500 which is do-able before the end of the calendar year barring crazy unforseen things. I paid down $350 today and the sidebar looks so pretty with that green showing on it.

I added a new sidebar for Extra Lump sum payments on my loan and I paid $350 on that as well. Yeah more green.

And..........
most exciting of all........

The Christmas sidebar is all green!!! I have the $1000 I planned for next year all done. It's very exciting to see that progress.

Sidebarss rule!!!!!
such great motivation.

Oh the hardships of being a countess

Ok I ran across thislink at cnn.com last night. This lovely divorcee is requesting $53 000 a WEEK from her husband as alimony/settlement. Ok I get that I am far from rich and money means something different when one is a kabillionaire but holy wow.

She is saying she needs:

• $4500 a week for clothing
• $1000 a week for skin/hair care etc

He is hardly one to talk as he says he needs $200 000 a week just to survive.

It's just hard to wrap my peasant brain around this one. I HAVE to show this to my students LOL

On the bright note, it's payday for me. NO no not $53 000, not even $5300 but a decent amount, in middle class peasant world LOL

Budget Tweaking and a Decision

I mulled over my options for my next target and while having the cash to pay for my van plates/insurance in August is very enticing, I think I will do the 'split the difference' between my new vehicle savings and my lump sum payments. I think this choice will keep me more on track.

Will I stay on the jars? Yes. I honestly did a really crappy job of jars in March and used my debit more than I should have. Simply a case of not being organized and committed. So yes I am going to do my jars again for March, April and May. I need to see what recommittment to the philosophy will get me.

I was peeking at my budget and I THINK I can tweak it a bit to give me more $ for the divided extra cash. It seems do-able on paper anyways but whether it is or not in the real world remains to be seen. I am trying this modification for one month and will re-evaluate that. I am able to trim $200 from here or there (I think). What it means is my snowflaking will be far smaller as that is where that cash really went. It is worth a try.

Next Target

While I don't think I have acheived the 300 snowflakes I needed to fully fund the Christmas account, I am not far off so new plans must be in place.

Here are my options with the about $500 a month I have to play with:

• devote all spare $ to save for my yearly van plates (insurance) which will be due in August. I will need about $800 so that would take March's money and most of April's. Pros: I am currently paying on a monthly basis about $70 so it would free up that money each month as of end of August. Cons: It would delay other targets until May.
• Put the $500 a month towards a target of $3000 towards a new vehicle downpayment for early 2010
• Put the $500 a month towards a lump sum payment on my personal loan to get rid of it sooner.
• Divide my spare $ each month to cover both the new vehicle down payment AND lump sum
• other

Until this morning I was leaning towards the dividing one but the vehicle plates flittered into my brain this morning and I will have to mull that over.

I get to go to CATS!!!!

I am so excited. I have wanted to go to this since I was a teen and sang MEMORY for the first time in a local festival. Tickets went on sale this morning and we picked up some not bad seats. This will be my son's birthday present as it's right before the show and he'll love it. I took the boys to Phantom last year and they both had a blast.

I'll take the money I had set aside for his gift and some enterainment money I have left. I will have to save a bit between now and then.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Spring MUST be coming

It's been a heck of a winter, almost all of it bitterly cold. We have had a nice day here and there the past couple weeks, but March is still hanging on strong 'like a lion' and there is snow alll over.

Still, I know spring must be on the way. We're finished hockey. We've made it through music festival and report card #2.

The sign up for spring soccer season is here and $185 the boys are signed up and ready to go. The older LOVES it and the younger is not athletic and really wants/needs the socialization and physical activity. So a cheque I write. The money is there, having been tucked away throughout the past few months.

Two days ago in the mail, the registration forms for summer camp came as well and I need to fill those in and send off a cheque for those this coming week or the spots will be filled. They each get a 6 day camp and they both absolutely love it and it's the highlight of their summer. It's been really good for them spiritually, socially and as part of the growing up and being away from mom and dad process. So a cheque for $450 I will write for that too.

That 'spring is here ' joy just isn't the same for grownups sometimes. I have no camps or groups I have been waiting for. No woo hoo time with my friends at the lake with no responsibilities. Mostly I have, 'will my spring clothes fit me because I don't want to put out $ to buy bigger ones'. I will have to find a way to make spring fun for me again.

Three month test almost over

So when next Wednesday hits, my three month experiment on budgeting and jars will be over. I need to sit down this weekend and see how it went; strengths, weaknesses etc. It's been an interesting ride and there have been a lot of lessons I've learned along the way.

I'll have to decide if I am going to continue with the jars or try an alternative plan. If I push ahead with the jars, I will need a plan for the next three months and see if I need to tweak anything on my budget to meet my goals.

What I see when I am out and about

Granted I haven't been anywhere exciting or ritzy, but I'm noticing things as I go out. Perhaps those things have already been there and I've been so wrapped up in my own world that I don't see outside of it.

• twice, ppl on their cell phone saying that the product on sale they wanted was sold out, and what other sale product should they get instead
• lists. lots and lots of lists
• coupons. I see a lot of folk with coupons shopping
• I saw my husband go over the grocery receipt, which he never does, and realizing how much things cost. He also noticed I was charged for three cans of something and only bought two. but that was the next day so a little late.
• I saw people saying 'such and such is on sale here. don't go there'
• I saw people comparing prices between name brand products

It was interesting and reassuring to know I'm not the only one using their eyes more.

Dead Stores

I ran across a link today showing empty store after empty store. Dead stores. It is a compilation of photos of stores no longer functioning. It really hit home for me. I'm in small town Canada and I don't see the tons of for sale/foreclosure signs. I just can't imagine whole giant stores or malls sitting there, abandoned.

From there I found deadmalls.com which has a huge giant list of malls across US and Canada which are empty or nearly. sadness.

And that lead me to think of all the other empty things; houses, schools, churches, factories.

The only realistic frame of reference I have are the small towns that dot the prairies, which slowly, house by house, become a shell of their former selves. THAT makes me sad.

That busy time

Ok I am pretty much drowning in work and obligation. Report cards, hockey, a lovely chest cold, fundraising obligations for hockey and band. oh yeah, and work LOL

I have GOT to use my time better so I am not like this every report card period. I have really let things slide this term and I am far too far behind.

On the bright note, I hit save.ca last week and ordered some coupons. My first time doing this. They came today and by selecting them myself, they are all product I use and buy. Now let's see if I use them :-) It will be an interesting experiment.

I'll write when the tornado has lifted.

Counting 300 snowflakes.

Ok so the next goal I'm working on is to max out my $1000 Christmas Fund. I decided that a dibble of money going here, and a dibble to five other 'theres' would get me nowhere fast. So everything is going towards the Christmas Fund so I can move on. With the money I had before, and what I added at the end of February, I now have $700.

So my goal is to do everything I can to find $300 to finish this baby off and move on! I already have $165 as I took what was left of my grocery money last month and added it to the bits of snowflake I have. I am hoping that anything I can tuck aside this month, plus whatever is left from groceries by end of March, will give me enough so that I can be officially done BEFORE next pay day.

That would be very exciting and then I could plan my next goal(s).

I could take the $300 from our tax return but since we both agreed the return would go to mortgage and I am thrilled we are wanting the same thing for once LOL

Oh those parents!!

I know, I know, I really shouldn't complain about the supports I have but man!! lol

I didnt' get a chance last week to run that money to Mom for the Bank of Mom loan. I had it all tucked away in a wallet for her. I went over tonight as the battery in my van was nearly dead so my dad had picked up a used one for me and wanted to install it.

So off we went to mom and dad's. When I had mom alone I handed her the wallet with $1500. I have to say it felt VERY good to be able to give that to her and know I had paid her back. She was incredibly reluctant to take it. "Take it!!" I said. "I feel guilty" she said.

pfft Guilty??? for what, I said....for taking back money that you paid out of your own pocket last year for my bathroom and living room???? Don't be silly I said. I'm almost 40 and it's time I grow up.

She says "I'm going to buy you a range hood/microwave unit" which is something we don't have currently. There's been a hole in the wall covered up with a towel there for.......ohh about 2 years.

NO! I said. She look surprised. I said "husband got a mess of $ at Christmas (which she knew about) and it's about time he purchases SOMETHING for this house. Feel free to look for deals as you have more time than us but do NOT buy it".

She reluctantly agreed. It is rare I win a battle with my mom LOL

However when it came time to leave with my van, I gave my dad the $40 for the used battery (which I had out of my 'gas savings', which he promptly said NO. grrrr. So as I was backing out of the garage, I tossed it out the window so it would land on the floor. Yanno...for a 73 year old, he's pretty damn spry. He had it back inside my van as I pulled away. I knew I wouldn' t win this one but it was a smaller amount so I guess I have to let this go and get him again next time.

I couldn't resist, as I pulled away, yelling out the window "you're never going to let me grow up!!!" and then I stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed.

It's nice to bond with dad. We never got to do nearly enough of that when I was younger as he worked 24/7.

Where the money stands as of March 1st

Debts

Mortgage - $43 622.50
Consolidated Loan - $12 002.19
Bank of Mom – Paid in Full ~~whee~~

Total Debt - $55,624.60

Savings

Christmas Savings - $700
Emergency Fund - $1000

I decided to add the savings part because that is important as well. It's something I've never had before. Also, I am in a position now to put lump sums down on my consolidated loan and get rid of it.

It is just sadness to see how little actually comes off the mortgage each month. The interest is killing us. totally. We need a plan of attack for that as well. Perhaps the spouse will actually help with that????

Money Jars - Month 2

Ok I forced myself to sit down and be productive so I tabulated what was left in my month's envelopes and did the math. Here is how month 2 went.

Gas (Fuel) - I was able to save 50% of the money for gas this month. There were a few out of town trips so that upped how much I spent, but a few days off and not driving perhaps balanced it out a bit. Anything leftover goes in a lil envelope to be tucked away for insurance, licence plates and mechanical needs. My package policy is due in March sometime and was in the $300s last year, so hopefully by the March 25th payday, I can save enough to have money for this.

Spending - I was able to save 50% of this. I use this money for my mad money, or pharmacy stuff, etc. My make up etc is slowly needing replacing so this will continue to take a hit though I am being FAR more frugal with how much I apply than I have ever been. I have not allowed myself to buy any magazines or books and that has helped me a lot.

Household - I needed a few thing more things this month, including a few rubbermaid tubs for storage in my quest to be better organized. I saved 67% of my envelope. This goes into it's own envelope for months where we need to stock up, or to buy something larger for the house. I'd love to save enough to buy a sectional for downstairs later this year perhaps and get rid of the one that has zero springs left LOL

Dining Out - This continues to be a difficult category to control. I saved 29% of this budget line. This is being tucked into an envelope until I hit $200 'savings' and then the rest will get snowflaked into my debt. It will be nice if we have an away weekend, that I will have that money to pay for meals out.

Groceries - I hate how fast the money goes with groceries. I struggle with this far too much. I was only able to save 13% of this to count towards "March snowflake" and put it towards debt. I really need to work on that.

I was able to save a total of $432 which goes towards it's own savings category or the debt. Still better than I was doing this time last year, but I find myself very frustrated with how fast the money goes.

This and That

First off thank you to everyone for your positive energy and comments. As I wrote the last post I knew 'this too shall pass' and it will.

Second, thanks Chicky for letting me back in the loop. Good luck on your debt journey. I totally respect your reasons for going private.

I made significant progess on my marking yesterday and need to get back at it today again.

I also need to get my updates posted and do the math to see the amount (litte) that I saved from my jars and plot my next action plan.

Happy March 1st.