Sometimes I am such a ditz

I have personal loan that I reconsoliated last year. Renewed I guess it would be. I have been trying to determine when I will have this loan paid off by snowflaking bits here and there. Trouble is I cannot find my documents anywhere. Ok I was less organized then for sure. I have hunted through my filing cabinet downstairs. I found the original loan that I absorbed this one into but I can't find the darn papers.

Very frustrating. I have employed the 'contact us' at my bank's website to see if they can let me know. It was on my list to ask yesterday when I went TO the bank, but did I remember? noooooooo

Lesson learned: carefully store your documents!!

a wee snowflake

I made it to the bank yesterday to put a smallish snowflake down as a lump sum payment on my consolidated loan. It was only $72, but added with the $160 from earlier in the month, that gives me a $230 snowflake for the month.

It was interesting analyzing my feelings on that. I was excited to go and put that money in, but as I got to the till, I felt a bit silly putting such a small amount down. The teller didn't say anything or give off any body language that would support my feelings. I just had them.

It was very odd to say the least.

Then I came home and dutifully added it to my snowflake jar here on my blog and updated the amount so far this year. It was a pretty good feeling to see the $1500 plus that I have manged to snowflake in only six months. I guess $70 here and there, isn't so bad, afterall.

A CC annoyance

In April-ish I began using my Mastercard again, only with money already budgeted for, and to be paid off right away, just to get myself some more airmiles. There is no fee for the card so as long as I use it responsibly, it should be win win. So far so good and I'm pleased to see I have aquired a bit of restraint when it comes to exercising the plastic.

If I buy something that is normally budgeted out of the jars, I simply come home and move the money from that jar to a MC jar and then pay it once a week. If it comes out of another part of my budget, I just come home and immediately make that payment on the MC.

Here's the annoying part. Last Monday I gave myself a long earned and saved treat of a pedicure and a colour. I put it on the Mastercard and dutifully came home and paid it immediately out of that online savings account. The charge itself still hasn't shown up on my online MC statement. The payment is there. Other purchases made after it have shown up, but this one, which is now 7 days old, isn't there.

This is a new revelation for me as I used to just wait for the bill to come and see it then. How long does it take businesses to get their info in so it shows up online?

A lovely day

It was fantastic to sit back, relax and get my world organized again. I curled up with my 'bills in a box' organizer and sorted, stapled, organized and filed.

There is such a feeling of control or power when one is organized.

I also got in two lovely walks today despite the thick grey skies.

Now the fun part is over and duty calls. One more fundraiser evening and then I am DONE until fall. wheeee

A relaxing start to holidays

It feel so wonderfully naughty to sleep in until 9 AM this morning instead of getting up at 6:30. No place I have to go, til later (one last sports fundraiser obligation) and a day of possibilities.

I spent some time last night going through jars and envelopes and organized that part of my world. That felt good. After a whirling June I felt I was so far behind and out of touch with my finances. I hate that feeling. I know know me. Only a few months of letting that go and I'd be back to my old habits.

I reviewed my budget and decided that I will keep it status quo until the September check. September brings a small wage increase but it also means union fees etc so I won't know my take home salary's final mark til January of next year.

I know I will have to work hard this summer to spend as litttle as possible, especially in July. August brings big ticket weeks that will cost me for sure. I will need to set aside $ for fall school fees, school supplies, new clothes if the dratted kids keep growing as they have as well as start up fees for their teams and organizations. We're also away for a week at a training camp for the older so that one will cost too.

Worked into this is making sure I put every little bit extra down on Loan 1 so that I can pay that off sooner and then double whammy my new vehicle loan.

I've done an hour of curled up with a coffee reading blogs so I think it's time now for a lovely walk outside before it rains. Exercise and diet are tied for #1 priority with back on budget.

Have a great day all and thank you to those who visit my blog.

the end is here :-)

School's out!! School's out!!

I sound like a little kid...and I feel like a very very old lady.

We handed out report cards today and for awhile now, summer is here and I can relax for a bit. I've been going 18 hours a day for the past month, as I'm sure my blog readers have noticed, by my absence. June is crazy busy and I am absolutely exhausted.

I came home today to an empty house. The boys are somewhere with their father, but neither cell phone is on so I guess I will find out the details later.

My finances took a total hit this month. Budget was pretty much thrown out the window.

I have decided to just zero out the jars for the past month, pay off the MC debt, fill my tank with gas and buy groceries with anything left and LET GO of which jar it came from.

I will curl up and pretty up my storage envelopes and prepare them for July.

July HAS to be back on jars or I will be in very big trouble. I do not want to be in big trouble again. Not when I have done so well and when I have a new payment to make now.

New sidebar and a frustrating June

My documents came today for my loan for the new vehicle so it's officially official that I owe a huge chunk of cash. I added that sidebar and it's daunting to say the least; but self inflicted daunting. I WILL pay this off sooner than the 5 years/60 months period. I will :-)

June has been lousy for keeping track of money and spending. It's totally out of control. Besides the year end field trips and teacher gifts, a wee token for the bus driver who takes really good care of them, staff party, staff retirement gift, and the dvds I make for my students (hence purchase the dvds and cases for burning), I am wayyy over budget. Add to that my parents' 50th anniversary: decorations, gift and our restaurant supper.

YIKES

I can't wait for school to be done so I can get back on track and figure out how much damage I did. I do NOT want to be the old me.

working the snowflakes

I took the money I had set aside for snowflake this month and ran to the bank. Using it to put down as lump sum on my loan payment, I was able to get that amount jusssssst under $10,000. It was nice to see that again. Between the loan #1 and getting money set aside for RRSPs, I think I have my new targets chosen.

What I've taught my children

As I was driving DS2 to a birthday party Friday night in the new vehicle, we're ooing and awing over things it had that my 2000 van did not have. Then he says "Now I won't be embarrassed to drive around". He's 12. I honestly was floored.

Now there was nothing horridly awful about my old van. It did not have giant rust spots, nor dents. It did not belch smoke or make odd noises. It was just needing between $500 and$1000 in repairs a year and it was time to cut the strings because the van wasn't worth much more than that at a dealer.

This is the same son who has asked why he doesnt have a cell phone when all his classmates do. Why t heir houses are giant and ours isn't. Why they get to go to hawaii or mexico every year and we don't.

I am sure I perpetuated a big part of this with my own whining, which I've worked really hard on deleting. We had a big talk about money and debt and credit cards after he came home from the party. I am not sure if I got through to him, but it certainly was an eyeopener for me.

Our children really DO listen. One must be careful what one incidentally teaches them.

Money Jars - Month 5

Dining out - only 21.8% saved. I swear I eat out too much. sigh. I just love food.

Gas - 50% saved. no road trips so that helped. Every little bit I am saving to put towards my plates/insurance due at the end of August.

Household - 50% saved. I scoped out prices for a sectional for downstairs. Holy I'll be years saving if I just use this money.

May - 33% saved. It's not that I have bought anything special for myself. Just a high month replenishing make up, shampoo, hair products etc

Groceries - sadness. totally. 6% saved.

Monthly Progress

Where the money stands

June 1st

Debts
Mortgage - $39,269.58
Consolidated Loan - $10,157.05
Total Debt - $49,426.63

SavingsChristmas Savings - $1000
Emergency Fund - $1000
New Van Downpayment - $2500.00

This will totally be different for July 1st with the new vehicle purchase!

wheee

It's here it's here! my new vehicle is here! I feel so rich AND so poor. and paranoid I'll get hit.

The next step

I will seal the deal tomorrow on a brand new vehicle. I am very excited as I've never had a brand new vehicle. I am getting a Torrent so I am slowly moving away from the land of minivan :P It's a huge amount of money. I can afford the new payments and the old ones on a personal loan but you can bet your ass I will be putting every red cent down to pay off first the old loan, then snowball it onto the new vehicle loan.