Purse Party

I don't know how many of you have heard of this but it is a little 'home party' sensation happening around here. Ladies gather, drinks and a lil bite to each and then the chaos begins. A couple hundred lovely new purses (from this home company) are gently tossed onto the floor and it's no holds barred.

It might be through this company, but honestly I am not sure. At any rate , it is similar for sure. I have seen purses from folks who have been to them and they are quite nice (in my inexperienced eyes) and they have nothing but good things to say about the workmanship of them. It is highly unlikely they are anything namebrand though. I read some interesting articles on them, including one on wikipedia.

I haven't had a a real purse in forever. I've never had one that costs more than $25. When I was in Toronto we went by Coach and Chanel and I oogled the lovely bags that cost more than I could ever justify spending for an accessory. Ohhh but how I oogled.

I'm picky when it comes to purses. It has to be large enough to hold my things...not a giant pouch type bag but one with sections inside to help keep things arranged. I friend gave me a lovely weaved purse from Arizona a few years ago with the little iconic dancing figures (absolutely I forget their names) on it. I loved it as it was a gift from her from where she was from but it was a one pouch kinda of purse and everything got jumbled up.

My sister gave me in inexpensive black one last year for my birthday. It had the softest leather but had no substance to it and had the lil magnet clips to hold it together. Whenever I set it down it would splay open and everything would tumble out.

I prefer ones with a long strap but I'm willing to try the short handled ones.

I absolutely admit to knowing NOTHING about purses, styles, brand names and such. I've read blogs by others and have been in absolute awe of their knowledge of clothes and fashion. I think secretly I wish I had pots of money, a figure to die for and the fashion sense they have lol

Alas I do not. Will I go to the party? yes. I promised myself I would get to more than a couple 'ladies' kinds of things this year. I tend to be too much of a hermit. I'll take a lil platter of something to share and I will look and see.

I have some of my spending money saved up. While it is not always hard for me to spend money on things like that, it is definitely hard to live with my conscience and guilt afterwards. Will I buy....probably not.

It certainly will be an adventure.

I WILL make a menu plan

Honestly, it's hard. The schedule changes on a daily basis with meetings and extra curricular. Still, I know I need to. It's a way to help alleive stress on 'what to make' and a way to plan better and perhaps spend more wisely on groceries.

Sunday - Potroast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and biscuits

Monday - Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, garlic bread

Tuesday - Baked chicken, rice and veggies

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Chili with homemade buns, salad

Friday - Chicken fingers and fries.

Achieved another goal or two

One of my goals to cross of my Fall 'to do' list was to snowflake $600 (just slightly over the equivalent of one payment) towards my consolidated loan. With the $ left over from my jars, along with a few other sources, I have acheived that. I needed $152 and I made it with $160.

I had planned to keep $50 or 25%, whichever was lowest, from my jar leftovers, to tuck into a little home emergency fund. Having a very heavy back to school expense month, I was not able to do this AND achieve the goal, so it is all going to the consolidated loan. I will take that in, Monday at noon, to the bank. BMO does not allow one to transfer $ online as a lump sum to a loan, which is a pity. With the bank only open til 4 PM Mon to Thurs, and being busy most noons and after school, getting there takes a bit of organizing and patience.

The other goal I accomplished was to get $400 aside for my new targets (Xmas2010, RRSP 2010, Summer 2010 and up my EF) As I have now maxed out on pension contributions for the year via work, I have the money to do this. wheee. I can take that in to my second bank next week sometime, or I can simply deposit in via the ATM as all those items go in one savings account, and I just mentally keep track of how much each category has.

I have only to decide if I am going to put $100 in each of the four categories, or wriggle it around. I will have to play with those numbers today.

I love the feeling of payday when I can distribute money to my different spots. It is rather empowering.

With these two goals done, what is next.....another $600 lump sum towards the consolidated loan! Bring it on!!!!

Payday!!!

I love payday. I wish it came more than once a month...with the same cheque I get now...but more than once a month LOL

I am gone with my class on outdoor adventures all day so I had to take care of a couple things last night. Since my vehicle loan comes out of a dif bank than where my paycheque is deposited, I wrote a lil cheque to myself from Account A and took it over to Account B to deposit in the ATM (no late open banks here). I wanted to be sure the $ was there for the 26th auto withdrawl as I am not totally when it comes out should the 26th fall on a weekend.

I also got the cheque from work yesterday to pay off the $ on my Mastercard that the laptop purchase put on there. No balance on the CCs again this month. wheeeee.

We get in late tonight so there will not be time for me to get my $ out for my jars until perhaps tomorrow, although that day is crazy busy too. I keep waiting for the treadmill to stop but it does not seem to.

Happy Friday Everyone.

feeling a bit of a hypocrite

I have been blogging for over a year now and working my butt off to pay down debt and just learn to live, spend and save smarter. I am working fiercely to get the consolidated loan paid down. I am frugal with 'most' everything, except perhaps groceries/dining out.

Yet I sit here with my brand new vehicle (57 more payments and it's mine) and my brand new laptop (20 months @$50 through work). I have renos in my home and new furniture over the past 18 months, almost bought and paid for (some of it is on the consolidated loan I am working on). I have the new desktop computer bought and paid for over the past school year.

What triggered the guilt the most was that my spouse, who never buys me anything, bought me an itouch for my bday last week. I feel like 'how can I be frugal if I have all this fancy stuff'?????

It's an interesting and rather disturbing mindset to be in.

Looking over my Fall Goals

In August, I revamped my goals to meet my changing needs. The previous ones weren't fitting my comfort level and were causing me great stress.

To date, I have several of them completed, which is a great feeling.

a) Pay off the MC/Visa for this summer, the T trip and this current (and costly) week away in hotel for sports camp (Done)
b) Pay off all the back to school bills such as supplies, a few new clothes, school fees, and start up costs for their extra curricular activities (Done)
c) Max out my first ever RRSP, which is small, but a start. (Done)
d) Make the equivalent of one month's lump sum payment to Loan #1. ($448 done, $152 to go)
e) Put some money in each of the new target bars
f) If there is anything left 'extra' by the end of December then put it towards more lump sum payments.
g) newly added: set aside $200 for new clothes purchase about end of Oct. (Done)

I am close to finishing d) so that is good. It would be nice if I had that much left when I finish my 'month' this Thursday night but I have to accept that may not happen.

New Goals:

• save $1000 for XMAS 2010
• save $1000 for summer 2010
• save $1500 for RRSP 2010
• save $500 more for my Emergency Fund

I am hoping to put a total of $800 towards my new goals by Christmas. I have not yet decided if I will distribute the money equally, or if I will allocate by time deadline. Obviously the summer 2010 will have to come first.

For paycheques September to December I have $125 to play with. My two options are to put it all towards summer 2010 or to put $75 to Summer and $50 to EF.

Once January comes, I 'think' I will have about $225 to use (raise). I honestly won't know how much until that cheque comes. Then I will be dividing up the $ between all four of the targets.

I will still be whapping as much extra as I can on the lump sum payments for the consolidated loan. I positively ACHE for that one to be finished.

I miss my old one

lol I know, but I do. The keyboard on this laptop is very different. It is bigger and has the number pad down the side. The shift buttons are in farther spots and I keep typing the wrong things. There are mysterious accents I keep making appear even though I am typing in English. I am apparently hitting combinations that make odd things go on the screen. The VISTA is going to drive me insane. All these popups for this and that lol

I am sure I will get used to it and I do enjoy having a new one that actually can be turned on. Yeah i am picky that way. I like my laptop to turn on. lol

I am grateful I have the finances through work and that I can pay this off, interest free.

Now I just have to figure out how to make a capital I without having to look for the shift key. And now I`ve just hit something that made the window stay the same but my blog page is teeny in one corner of a large white screen. llordy lol

Well it's official

I will be purchasing my new Toshiba after school today. We shall see after if anything is salvageable from the old laptop. This will cost me just under $1000 with taxes. Through my employer I get reimbursed, and then pay THEM back interest free. I am choosing the 20 month option. I just can't swing an extra $100 a month right now (for the one year plan). $50 for 2 years is far more reasonable and if the day arrives when the bits of money I tuck away can equal what I have left, I can write them a check for the final remaining amount anytime and we're even.

This means I will have to redo my entire budget. Not only will I be taking the laptop sidebar off, but I have to jiggle things around to see where that $50 is going to come from.

I will have to do that this weekend as my next paycheque is next Friday.

When you turn 40 everything falls apart

Seriously!!

My phone charger (aged 6 months) had to be replaced today. The charger usb thingie that goes into the phone was mashed for whatever reason.... $20 got me one for my vehicle. They did not have any house chargers in stock for my phone. It would have been $40.

I took my laptop in as well to see if it was once again the cord. The gentleman, having learned my replacement over the past three years story...said maybe, but the lil metal nodule IN the laptop is loose. It MIGHT be fixable, but it might not. It would cost me $70 plus tax for them to just crack it open to see. If it was fixable, that would be another $100 to $200 depending on this and that. So that is just under $300 for that to be fixed. grrrr

The laptop is 3 years old and already slowing down so I am guessing that it has maybe another year left tops.

I am debating now and think it might just be best to get a new laptop for $900 instead of paying potentially $300 for a fix that will last for X period of time. sighhhhh

I can get the loan through my work so it would mean taking so much off my cheque for the next 10 months (school year) or for the next 20 months (2 years).

Do NOT turn 40 :P

Let it snow!!

I spent last night rolling some change and gathering up the bits of money I'd snowflaked the past 3 weeks. There is far more of it right now as I had a bit more extra money for Aug paycheck.

I went to the bank today and happily deposited $290 towards my personal loan. Together with the $158 I did at the end of August, that brings my snowflakes on the loan to $448! wheeee

On my goal list, my next item was to make $600 snowflakes towards my loan, so that means I have only $152 to go to acheive this. I don't think I'll get that much before my next payday on the 25th, but I sure will try.

My $18 000 loan is now under $8000 and it is a glorious feeling!

a 'green' gift

September is my birthday month. It's a milestone birthday. sigh. Just another day right?

Anyhoo, my spouse actually got me a gift this year, which is a huge change (don't ask...won't comment). He got me a new line for my clothesline. I know...not romantic in the least but it fits our status (dont' ask..won't comment :P) I adore my clothesline outside and the only sad part about the arrival of fall is that my days of using it are over and I'm back inside using the dryer for many things and hanging the shrinkables.

We've lived in the house for 13 years and other than an occasional 'air this thing out', the line remained unused, unless you count when my older son and I pretended it was a badminton net. About three years ago, I started getting serious about it. I have no clue what prompted the change. I am far from Suzy Homemaker. I have to say, though, I love it. In good weather, almost everything goes out there. The only exceptions are undies, socks, and tea towels.

The line was ragged. The plastic casing was broken in chunks with the bare wire showing.

I love how smooth looking the new one is. Even goes through the wheels quieter. Keep here oh hot weather you!! I want to use my new line.

dratted laptop

I feel like I've written this post before. In fact, I have LOL

I came home tonight to find my laptop cord 'fried' again. This would be the third powercord I'd have to buy at about $80 a shot. Or else it's the receptor in the laptop and that is kaput. I bought one after year one of the laptop's life was over. They said the wires just after the receptor nub frey and stop allowing the laptop to charge. I bought one. It lasted until the end of year 2. same story. another cord purchased.

I knew it was going again. It would start flickering that it was using the battery. You'd jiggle it and it would be fine again for awhile. Soon it was flickering more and more. Tonight it just won't read that it's charging at all.

Sigh.

This is absolutely like clockwork. I bought the laptop Sept 2006. bought the first replacement cord sept 2007 and the second sept 2008.

And now that sept 2009 is here, it's gone again.

I wonder if this is a common problem for laptops or if this is a Toshiba problem??

There is a Toshiba in the Staples flyer that is pretty much what I have for $879. I could get that and my problems would be over for awhile...hopefully.

I will take my laptop in to Office Plus where I've gotten the other power cords from. (Staples wanted $150 for the same cord set that OP had). I will get them to see if the part IN the laptop is OK or if it is the problem.

If it is just the powercord then I will bite the bullet and get a new one for just under $100 and start saving liked mad for a new laptop. If it is the laptop then I guess I will have to go through the 'buy from work plan'. It would mean about $90 off my cheque each month for a year, which isn't too bad either.

Part of me wants the new laptop. The other part of me just doesnt want that kind of $ going out the window so fast.

A glimmer of an end in sight...

...ok to be fair the glimmer is really dim and a long way off in the future. Dec 2010 in the future to be precise...but there's a method to my madness.

I've been going over the stats for my personal loan. This is my thrice expanded consolidated loan that was used for a vehicle purchase, a trip and consolidating some CC debt. It is due to mature in March 2011.

My payments are $580 a month. Currently about $515 of the payment goes to the acutal loan and the $65 left goes to interest. That's a long ways from the early days when just a lil over $400 went to the principal.

Based on this $515 a month, this loan, without any extra help, will be paid off by Dec 25th, 2010. Three months ahead of schedule.

Of course now that I've discovered the joy of snowflakes, I can see how this can be sped up.

At the end of July I was running these numbers over and over until I was stressing myself out. I had realllly wanted to have this loan paid off my June 2010 so that I could start the second year of my VehicleLoan making extra payments every month. I drove myself crazy so I backed off.

Knowing that just the payments alone will get me done early inspires me to snowflake more. It's being paid off early so every lil bit that pays it off even earlier, is just gravy IMHO. Sure it would be great to have it done reallly early. We shall see what I can accomplish.

Freeing up almost $600 a month when this is done, will be fantastic! Oh the things I can do.

Opinions Requested

One of the sidebars reflects a savings (that I haven't started yet) towards a new laptop. The laptop I currently have is having it's third bday this week and is starting to show signs that it has less life left than more.

There is a program through my employer that would allow me to purchase a computer with my own money, get reimbursed through the employer, and then they take x $ off for the next 10 months or 20 months, depending on how long I wish to stretch it out. It's great because it is interest free and then only a smaller amount comes off each cheque. This window is only open in September and October.

I currently have a Toshiba which, aside from where the powercord attaches, has been very good.

My options are to
a) Save $1000 ish dollars and when I have the money, and this one goes kaput, buy a new one.
b) Purchase now through employer in preparation for 'the end ' of this one
c) Hope to heck this one lasts and buy through employer NEXT Sept/Oct
d) Save up $ now and if I need to buy one during the year, I have some cash and will figure out how to pay for the rest.

thoughts?

Updated sidebars and links

Hey all. Happy Tuesday. Today just FLEW by at work today. Am curled up for a bit waiting for the chicken strips in the oven to be done and thought I'd update a few things.

Firstly I updated my links. I've added a few that I've been secretly spying on for awhile. I've also deleted a couple that hadn't been written on for ages. If I've deleted you by accident or if you were there and are becoming reactive again, please drop me a line at joliereves at yahoo dot com and I can fix that right up.

I also updated my vehicle loan bar. After three payments thus far (57 to go) I am at a whopping 4 % paid off. I can't wait for my first loan to be paid off so I can target extra money to this one and get it paid off faster.

Happy Day all

Where the money stands

As of September 1st

Debt
Mortgage - $38,726.13
Consolidated Loan - $8245.67
Vehicle Loan - $28,424.45

Total Debt - $75,396.25

Savings
Emergency Fund - $1000
Christmas Fund - $1000
RRSP 2009 - $1000

Total Savings - $3000

so a small reduction in debt. A bit over $1300. pretty sad if one considers that on those three things, the payments total about $1800, plus a bit extra ($158) I whapped down on the consolidated loan. That interest really kills you !

Camping Thoughts

Camping was great. It was a good get away for the boys and our last shot at the great outdoors, probably, until next year. The weather was pretty amazing. We've gone Sept long weekends before and it's been raining the whole time or snowy. It's a whole different kind of camping then.

This weekend was HOT. Unusually hot. There was also a lot of wind where we were, particularly yesterday, and some rain yest AM and again last night. The boys had fun. Two rounds of golf, some fishing...their cousins came out Saturday with their seadoos and they each got a couple turns on that. They got to play with the cousins' dogs.

Not to be overlooked are the quiet camping moments. Chopping wood for the fire. Both boys are good at it now. Quiet moments just watching the mesmerizing glow of a contained campfire. The addition of copper pipe with old garden hose in it gave the beautiful 'magic campfire' colours of greens, blues and purples and are far more effective than the powers one can buy. A few games of cribbage where their mother beat them quite soundly. Peaceful moments.

We certainly ate well. Steak and veggies one night. BBQ chicken and potatoe salad another. A crockpot of chili and homemade buns was a great treat. Included in that are the usuals...hotdogs roasted over the fire...burgers on the grill. One of our favourites is the 'brunch'. Nothing beats the smell of bacon cooking outside and eggs done in a castiron pan over the fire. Pancakes and fruit to top it off with homemade chokecherry jelly.

I sure do appreciate my parents. My dad is in his seventies and mom is having her 67th bday this week. They used to camp for themselves. Now they go to give their grandkids the experiences They hold out in the fifth wheel and we go in the tent. They are pretty amazing folks and despite the annoyances my mom offers up from time to time, she truly does give from the heart and does EVERYTHING for her family. We are lucky to have them.

The costs?
camping site and pass for the weekend $90
gas to and from $60
golf was $14 per person a round
a bit for gas for the boat and some bait
the rest was munchies, as mom and dad insisted on bringing the food.

The memories?
cliche though it may be...priceless.

gone camping

After a crazy, hectic first week back, we're off to go camping for the long weekend. Fishing and golf, campfire and too much food. Tents and snuggling in. Have a great weekend all.

Snowflakes

Boy being back to school is exhausting, and busy. The days are run run run and the evenings are time on my on preparations and my kids' activities and homework. Craziness!

This month I am focusing heavily on snowflakes. The $ left over in the categories I usually tuck away and use later, like I did in July and August. I am going to attempt to take every dime not spent out of my jars and put it as a lump sum on my consolidated loan. As part of my most recent set of goals, the first thing to do is save all snowflakes and put $600 towards this loan. I also will have some extra cash on my Sept to Dec cheques as I have maxed out on my EI and CPP payments so that will help too.

Today I am running $88 to the bank to put down as a lump sum. This is from people paying me back for things I picked up for them on my most recent Costco trip. Only $512 to go on the first goal LOL.