For those who use Gail's Jar system....

What do you use your 'other' jar for?

She suggests allowance, pet food, bank fees etc. I have a separate category for allowance and pet food comes out of the food budget (They're ppl too LOL). The bank fees come straight out of my account each month so there is no point in putting $ in the jar for that.

I have never used an 'other' jar before but was changing budget for next month and FINALLY adding a clothing and gifts jar, and thought I should put in the 'other ' too but I have no clue what I'd really use it for. I tentatively have $20 a week going into it, but if I don't really need the jar, I sure have other places I could whap that $80 a month.

Thoughts? ideas? your experiences?

Weekly Menu

In an effort to get the grocery money under control, again, back come the menus.

Sunday - Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and peas 
             Pot Roast and fixings at my mom's
Monday - Homemade pizza (hawaiian and cheese methinks)
Tuesday - Creamy chicken and noddle casserole, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday - Grilled Pork Chops, rice, corn
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Note to self: Must buy chicken for Tuesday as roast chicken sunday did not happen to provide leftovers.

Saturday this and that

• it's raining here. Still. We had two days of  no rain in the past 8 days and we're due to get rain/snow until Monday. Oh boy. Everything here is saturated. Absolutely we needed rain, particulary the fields, but perhaps not quite so much  in such a short period of time. There is water lying everywhere. Friends of mine live just outside of Lethbridge, Alberta and they have been wetvaccing up water from their basement for the past three days.

• DS1 will be 16 this fall and the hunt is on for a small car for him. We debated over small truck and small car and he felt he was more comfortable with a car. It needs to be fantastic on gas and not outrageous to put plates (insurance) on. It doesn't matter if it is standard or automatic. My father is of firm belief that everyone needs to know how to drive both and when he was old enough to drive out on the fields and around the farm, he was driving dad's standard. I think his indoctrination started at about age 11 in large open areas on the farm where there was nothing to hit. His father and I disagree on the cost of it. His father seems to forget that there are plates to buy for it and taxes on prices and all of that needs to come into consideration before we buy.

• We are heading to a belated windup party for one of the boys' sports teams. We were supposed to go outdoor paintballing but this weather precludes it. Friends, laughter, games and pizza. Cost to me? ZERO. wheeeeee

• I have to get my hiney busy on a project for school. Deadline is Sunday night to get the document all typed out and all the reflections done. I am 75% done thank goodness. Nothing hard left to do. Just type and type and type.

• My bank statement came yesterday and showed my progress on the loan. Instead of 49 payments, it showed 47 regular payments plus a final one that is $210 less than full payment. That reflects the one month I've killed off the end of theloan through my lump sum payments, as well as some interest I've saved.  I knew I had the one month gone but seeing it in official writing is always a great feeling.  I can't wait to see those numbers keep on going down. My goal was to pay off at least 1 year early. So 11 months to go.

• I've been working on a baby sampler cross stitch for my niece's 'soon to be born' son. I only started it last Friday night but the rain last weekend and me avoiding some housework to work on the cross stitch instead has put me at about 3/4 finished. Of course it is all the small details of the last 1/4 that will take the most time lol

Month 2 on the jars

Well another month has come and gone. We've had blistering 30C heat ( for me more than 23 is blistering LOL) and cold rain and snow.


The jars continued along nicely this month though I have to say, I really don't like writing in the binder and documenting everything. I barely did it at all. Since I am not carrying over anything in them, perhaps the motivation to write things down  isn't quite there. I just tally up the total of what is in the jars at the end of each week, blog it on here and then stuff it in a holding jar to the end of the month.


I have one more month on this budget and then, as of the end of  June, I am tinkering with the numbers and making my jars align more with Gail's Magic Jars.


I may decide to keep the carry over in the jars as of the new budget and force myself to write in the blasted book  :-)


For this month, I was able to save $300 for the whole month, out of my jar allottment. That's a darn fine amount of snowflakes if I do say so myself. Here is what I plan to do with it:

• $80 was used as part of a lump sum payment earlier this month so I could check off one full month at the end of my loan being paid off
• $100 of it will go in my home 'stash' whose purpose I have yet to determine.
• the remaining $220 will be added to the next lump sum I make after my June loan payment.

How did I save so much? denial mostly. I really have done well narrowing down the fast food we consume. I am by no means cured, but it's a good start. I have cooked a lot out of my pantry and freezer. Now that can't continue on forever as they are the emptiest I have ever seen them. I will have to begin restocking and hopefully find  a few decent sales to help me on my way.


I recognize that with the upcoming budget change there will be fewer snowflakes. They are addictive lil suckers LOL

thank god for extended warranty

Last year with some money he got as 'early inheritance', my husband bought a new flatscreen Samsung TV. Not sure how many inches - that's more of a man thing....no inappropriate pun intended.

Today the picture tube went on it. It was not an inexpensive TV. It was $1000 plus taxes.

We took a minute to find our information on that. I found mine from when I blogged about it last May 18th (I think). He found his receipt and information.

Purchased on May 16th, 2009

I never buy extended warranty on appliances. Or the insurance thingie.

Fortunately, this was a purchase my husband actually made and he bought four year extended warranty for an extra $200 I think.

We called today and the store gave us the 1 800 number to contact the main company tomorrow (they are closed today). They have a repair service in our wee town that is under their warranty so they will make us an appointment there. If it is cheaper to fix, they will fix it. If it is more costly to fix than to replace, they will replace.

Given that the price of these TVs have come down a couple hundred since we bought, and given the cost of labour, I almost wonder if it will not be cheaper for them to replace?

I just wonder what will happen to the remaining 3 years on our warranty

It will be an interesting experience, but hopefully, not a saga!!

I will keep you updated.

Turn the beat around

Well it was an unproductive yet oddly restful day yesterday with movies and rain, homemade soup and big blankets. A fireplace would have pushed it from A to A+, but we don't have one. There is something quite therapeutic about the visual of a fireplace crackling away, as well as the smell.

Today there are tiny bits of sun peeking out of the myriad of clouds.

I had the opportunity to chat with my best friend last night. What started as a great chat turned, with just one brief sentence. It was meant to be helpful, with love from a friend. Remember tone in type doesn't always equal the tone and love coming from a friend. I was told "you are always so negative. you are the kind of person who'd win a lottery and complain they have to pay taxes on it'

I was a wee bit flabbergasted. My first instinct was to snap back "We don't have to pay taxes on lottery winnings in Canada, as they do in the states", but I did not.

It's probably true. While I don't walk around with a dark cloud of rain over my head all the time (glances out the window and laughs, seeing the clouds), but neither am I breathing out rainbows all the time. I thought I was a bit of a realist, tweaked with my own humours and energy and wit.

So perhaps it's true. It's something that resonated within me last night as I drifted off to sleep.

So I will work on having a few more rainbows and sunshine and less rain clouds. Work on appreciating things more.

After all, it doesn't cost a darn cent to do it!!
********************************************************************

This morning, I appreciate it being a holiday. I can wake up without the alarm (still was before 8 LOL), curl up with a coffee and watch the news.
Happy Memorial Day everyone!!

A day of snuggling and movies

Well May Long weekend is keeping it's traditional form here in SK. It's been raining since yesterday. Now Lord knows we need the moisture but it sure feels like every May long has inclement weather. We usually go camping and go, with poor weather in mind. One year when we went there was a lightning storm, a small tornado touch down and then snow......all in three days LOL

My niece will be giving me my first 'great nephew' at the end of summer. Friday night, I dug into my box of Cross Stitch patterns to find one that appealed  to me. I haven't cross stitched in about five years. After doing enough housework yesterday to appease my lazybug, I curled up to stitch my heart out. It was great!!

Given the weather today, I may well be doing a bit more of that today. The boys are going to go rent movies in a bit and we'll curl up and pop in a movie and have some snuggly family time.

I'm such a bad mother :-)

With a fridge full of leftovers and a tired mama, we decided it would be leftover night. DS1 comes up and begins his 'mannn I hate leftovers'. If you took it and froze it and brought it out a couple weeks later, he'd be fine with that. But from the fridge? whine whine whine.

I offered him sloppy joes as we'd had them a couple nights ago. He declined. As he went back downstairs grumbling, I got an idea. a wonderful awful idea. I dug out a can of beans and a bit of chili powder and mixed it all together and warmed it up. Voila! Chili!!

I called him up. He said 'mom you're the best!!!' and happily devoured it.

No wasted leftovers. happy son. Evil grin for mom. win win win

Another Milestone

I didn't realize it yesterday until it was almost over. Then I got quiet ( for me, a rarity) and thought 'well there goes another milestone I didn't even think of). DS2 had his track and field day. The last one of elementary school. He moves on to High School next year where he may or may not join the track team, but this is the end, my friend of Track and Field.

Memories of mine are strong. ICE cold bottles (yes real glass bottles) of coke in a big bin of slusky icy water. Big bags of chips that have more than air inside them. Soft and chewy shoestring licorice. My favourite was the green which had a mild minty taste to it.  All purchased for less than a dollar, and a whole pocket jingling with quarters. There  was just something about those memories and the carefreeness of it all.

When DS1 had his first 'playday' in Kindergarten I was there like a dirty shoe. Excited for him but also reliving my own memories. I was never the top athlete but never the weakest either. DS1 was a born athlete and cleaned up in all kinds of events except anything to do with throwing LOL. I snapped pictures like crazy and beamed like a proud mama.

Then DS2 hit school. He was not the athlete his brother was and there were lots of tears for a couple years over not getting any ribbons. Lots of talks of just enjoying the day and doing your best then didn't heal the crushed spirits of a little boy. He's growing up now and sprouted like crazy. He is just as uncoordinated as his brother in throwing events, but man that boy can run and jump. I was so pleased to be able to be there and watch him get firsts and seconds and share that experience with him.

And now that's the end of the road for him. High School next and a whole new world of choices out there for him.

Thankfully I am a teacher and I can relive Track and Field ever year with my students. The pop has been replaced by juice boxes, for a healthier choice. It wouldn't be the same though, without those icy cold glass bottles holding that sugary nectar inside. But the enthusiasm is still there...the ribbons...and the carefree days of childhood.

One bite at a time.

My vehicle loan is 60 payments long. I have almost finished year 1 and am at 11 down, 49 to go. Frightening. incredibly frightening.

My goal is to pay this off at minimum one year early . DS1 graduates from HS at the 'one year early' point and I will need this money for other things.

I have officially paid off one extra month off the end of my loan. It now is finished May 2014 instead of June 2014. Looking at that far off date seems ridiculous. Such a long ways away and so many payments to go.

I guess we eat an elephant one bite at a time. My consolidation loan wasn't this big when I started paying it off early so perhaps that is why the task didn't appear so Herculian.

Ah well, I shall keep pecking away at this and sooner or later than one extra payment done will become two, then three and perhaps then it will feel more like the ball is rolling on this.

Week 7 on the jars

It's been another of those running constantly at work and at with the kids kinda week. Maybe I should just accept that as 'normal' and then I might not feel to exhausted. I had 17% of my jar money left. It's great that there is money left but it's feeling like there are more and more places where that leftover money should be going.

Kids getting older may get them out of daycare/babysitting and reduce those costs, but twice as many costs take their place. It's really hard to find a balance.

Three more days and then it is the long weekend!!!

Please let today be less hot. I am not a 30 C girl and this is doing me in :-)

The accumulation of stuff

I would not call myself a minimalist. Nor would I call myself frugal. I would say, however, that I believe I have less 'stuff' in my house than I used to. This is partly because I have been spending wiser and not purchased new 'stuff'. This is partly because I realized I can't afford 'stuff''. It's also because with a tiny home, 'stuff' becomes more obvious, and quite frankly, there is not room to store it or display it.

Over the past three or so years, I have actively been involved in eliminating stuff from my life. I have donated and given away. I have had several garage sales. I do big drawer/closet purges three times a year for the boys and in the summer for me and the rest of the rooms of the house.

It's a great feeling to know I have rid myself of bags of clothes or boxes of things that were no longer, or perhaps, never, needed. It truly is a rush and I feel like I'm doing a good job of it.

Fast forward to this weekend. My oldest sister had a garage sale. She is the one with MS and just could not handle it all by herself. I was actually child free this weekend and could help her, which is a rarity.

She is the epitomy of a stuff collector. Since we grew up in the same 'not quite poor' household, it's strange that we are so different. If one wanted to go all psychological, one might say she is trying to fill some void by the accumulation of things. She's passed it on to her children, unfortunately.

She sold over $1300 worth of stuff at her garage sale. Much of it rarely, or never used. Kitchen gadgets that seemed like a good idea but never panned out. Seasonal decorations. Wall hangings etc from different redecorations. Gifts she gave the kids to 'fill out the stockings' that they never used.

She did well and sold a lot at hers. I also know that it is only a small portion of the extra stuff in her life and her house and closets are still full.

I think of her basement, with hundreds of VHS tapes she collected over the years that she wont' part with. Decorations all over, so quickly collected. She can't get down to the basement now as her legs won't let her work all those stairs. I wonder if just a tiny part of her is starting to see that the 'stuff' wasn't the life experiences she really needed or wanted.

Her house is neat, and clean. always, so not like one of the "hoarders" you see on TV, but that pyschological need to buy is still there. It's a shame it's a disease like MS that makes one think so very differently about 'stuff'

Week 6 Jars and some snowflakes

This was not as successful a week on the jars as others past. I spent all but 3%. There wasn't anything specific that burned the money away. If anything, I would blame it on my not menu planning and too much money going out for unplanned, last minute meals. I really need to get into regular menu planning, but our schedules just seem to fight against it. We have so many different after school activities going on. Scouts is wrapping up but there are a few things like tree planting and a weekend camp coming up. DS2 is playing school soccer so that is running two days a week except when they throw in an unexpected one. DS1 has evening soccer that sometimes runs at 6 and sometimes at 7:40. He begins with the trainer next week so that will be added to the schedule.

My sister was home for Mother's day and I had forgotten I had picked her a bunch of stuff up at Christmas. She repaid me $200. It was so long ago it isnt' part of my budget that needs to be made up anymore so I considered it a snowflake. I went to the city branch of my bank yesterday with it. The lady there didn't know what a lump sum was either or how to do it. I have come to the conclusion that people around here rarely pay things off early. S'ok I taught her how to do it LOL

Settings some goal for the loan

I had a bit of downtime Saturday morning and started to play with math. I wanted to see where my loan would be at by the end of December 2010, just to set myself a challenge goal.

I jotted down my regular payments and I jotted down the lump sum payments that will go regularly on starting the end of June. I did not play around with interest saved as that is unpredictable. I also did not add in any other snowflakes that came my way.

I am currently at 24 600 ish so I am down 7 x 100 incremements from when I started writing 'tale of 253' when I made my first lump sum payment on it. I will be somewhere in the 23 000 range when my first year of loan paying on it is completed. That means I will have paid just over $6000 on principal this first year.

Going as I predicted above, by December of 2010 I will be at $16 800, which brings me down a further $6200 in a half year. Just that bit of playing with a short term goal was enough to get my debt down juices flowing again. They had been stagnating a bit.

So my goal is to hit that $16 800 I mean, $17 800 (for she who did math poorly and miscounted by 10 LOL) and do even better if I can. Of course the Plan is assuming nothing happens to cause my budget to change in the next 6ish months LOL

We all know life is what happens while we are busy planning.

We shall see where this goes.

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing everyone out there a great mother's day. The boys and I are off to my mom and dad's. We are putting a new roof on their house. They started yesterday while we were at the memorial. When we came back in, we changed and off we went to go help. There were 8 grandchildren there yesterday (counting the girlfriends, who were up there too). We have a smaller crowd today but hopefully we can get it done before the looming rain.

Nothing my mother likes better than her family over, so this is better than any bouquet for her.

Have a great day all.

A conversation at the bank

Sorry it's been so quiet. It's been a crazy week at work this week. This weekend is the funeral of a good friend's father, as well as the memorial for my father in law. Let's hope the rain holds off.

I went  yesterday and put a $200 lump sum down on the vehicle loan. I ended up with the same teller who messed up my appointments for RRSPs in January. Makes me want to gnash my teeth.

Teller: How can I help you today?
Moi : I would like to put down $200 as a lump sum down on the principal of this loan (Hands her loan number, my ATM card etc)
Teller: I just need to verify your name (hands her my ID thinking yeah they must get a lot of strangers trying to pay lump sums down on other folks' loans. The nerve LOL)
Teller: So you are paying on your regular amount?
Moi: no, I said I am paying a lump sum on the principle. It's different.
Teller: Well you have  a regular payment coming out tomorrow. Are you sure you want to pay extra down?
Moi: No I had a regular payment come out on the Wed. (Well actually I checked the account repeatedly that day and it came out sometime early in the morning on the Thursday)
Teller: No it says here that you have one coming tomorrow.
Moi: No, my payment date is the  5th.
Teller: (getting annoyed with me) Yes and that is tomorrow!
Moi: No, the 5th was on Wednesday. Today is the 7th.
Teller: Eyes glaring, keyboard frantically clicking. Oh. I have my dates wrong.
Moi: (being generous)  yes well it is Friday
Teller: so why would someone want to put a lump sum down?????
Moi: So that the loan is paid off early.
Teller: Are you having trouble making your payments?
Moi: No, if I were having trouble making payments I probably wouldn't have extra money to pay down the loan. Paying it off even one year early saves me about $1500 to $1700 interest.
Teller: Oh, I didn't know that.

I did take the offered balance statement and I came home to check online that it was done correctly and not just prepaying part of next month's payment. I even kept a smile on my face and used my patient lil teacher voice with her when I really wanted to snap, just a lil LOL

Where the money stands

as of May 5th

Debts
Mortgage - $37 171. 20
Vehicle Loan - $24 895.21
Personal Consolidated Loan - $0

Total Debt - $62 066.4 1

Savings
EF - $1400
Summer 2010 - $1000
XMAS 2010  - $575
RRSP - 2010 - $640

Total Savings - $3615

Special Savings
RESPs - $820.00
RRSP 'portfolio' - $1000

It was great to write 0 for the consolidated loan. I think I'll keep that on this report for a few more months so I can write it over and over LOL

It's nice to see that targetted savings amount grow. What's even better is that I never consider that money I could use for other things. I think having it in a different bank helps achieve that.

Debt was lowered this month by $1674.75 which isn't all that much if you remove the $700 Income Tax I used to finish paying off loan. hmmmmm

Insurance update

For those who were interested, the posting for my regular vehicle payment finally came through on the online banking page this morning. The interest for the past month with regular payment plus $100 lump sum, was $152. That puts it around $8 less than usual if I base it on the closest month with comparable days.

Not that big a whoop de doo.

This month I can pop in $200. Will be a long wait to see if that changes anything next time LOL

Understanding my vehicle loan

I am almost at the end of Year 1 of my Vehicle Loan. I bought it at the beginning of last June. There was a 0% financing being offered across the car companies then but it was with the little hidden window that the loan must be paid off in 3 years or  you would have to pay interest for the whole time.

They also offered $7500 cashback with the then current rate of 7.29%

Well I knew I couldn't guarantee I could pay it off in 3 years. I asked my saleman (whom I also know via his wife) which was the better money deal: The Original price with the pay off in 3 years 0% or the cashback and then the 7.29%. We scratched out the math and the latter was the better option.

I asked which more ppl went with. He said most went with the 0 but most of those folk couldn't pay it off in the three years and interest was added.

So I went for the cashback, knowing that within a year I would be done my consolidated loan and I could start kicking extra on to the principal. I have only put one teeny lump sum payment down thus far and it was for this month so I will find out later today if that did anything beyond taking $100 off.

Here is my question to you smart folks. Be be kind and gentle with my lack of understanding :P

I understand that the interest amount should change over the period of the loan as the principal goes smaller and smaller. My interest rate is fixed. So why, in the past 10 months, has my interest moved both up and down so strangely? Again, just the basic payment was made for these. Here are the interest amounts for those months.

Interest has varied $177, $181, $178, 170, $173, $165, $168, $165, $147, $160

There is quite a range here. In particular, the $147 seems out of whack somehow.

I am curious what it will be later today when my regular monthly loan is processed and includes the extra $100 lump sum payment. (The killing off of interest fanscinates and really motivates me)

So I leave my 'why the heck does the interest go up and down like that' question for you all and I will tune back in later today when the loan goes through and I learn more new things.

April's Top Referrers

Just wanted to give a shout out to all those who wander by the Tree and give it a read now and again. Your visits, whether you are a regular or a now and then, are much appreciated.

A big thank you to April's top 5 referrers.

1) Saving for Later

2) Jessie's Money

3) Frugal Dreamer

4) An Ostrich Named Sam

5) Always the Planner

Week 5 on the Jars

ok this past week was pretty much hell in a handbasket money wise. I dutifully entered my 'new week money' in the budget binder at the start of Week 5. I withdrew the money. and that was the end of my organizational focus. I spent on fast food like crazy. I took money out that was geared to my lump sum payment and that got dipped into. Last night there was bits of cash everywhere and I had no clue how much I spent and how much I tapped into the lump sum money.

So I pulled out the jar money left, which was all mixed up and combined it with the money I took out for the lump sum and started pulling my finances together. This was only for one week. I can't imagine how hard it would be if chaos was left unattended for months or years. *shiversssss*

After counting it all out, I removed the money that was geared for the lump sum. Happily, there was still $115 there for that. I then counted out the bits that were left and I have about 20% of Week 5 money left. which is pretty darn good considering.

I went over my math about 5 times to be sure I did not miss anything. I took the balance of my chequing account and went through each of my untouched budget lines (boys allowance, phone bill, bank fees and the rest of the three weeks' jar money for this month. I haven't found errors.

So then where to put the money that was left since I didn't really keep track?? Well I know I didn't spend my transportation money so that amount goes back in the jars and the binder. The rest.... well I would say that the eating out used up my entertainment money, my spending money and a good part of my grocery.

I did NOT like this out of control feeling this week. I felt like I was using money targetted for other things. I've been out of control before with money,diet etc and I know that once I start, it is sooo easy to just keep riding down that path. I really do not want to go down that path.

So for today I need to get organized again and make sure I WRITE things down.

UPDATE: ok I did miss something. My gym membership. just under $50. I had it marked down on my budget sheet as already paid. When I logged on to my banking this morning and the number was different, I saw that it had just come off this morning. See my gut was right!! I did miss something.  I redid my numbers and I am right where I should be. whew. Glad I found it.

MS Walk here we come!!

It's a  sunny day out there thoughn only 4 C and it's time to get up and moving for the MS Walk for the Cure. This is the first year our family is participating as it was the beginning of June, last year, when we found out that my oldest sister was diagnosed with MS.

I've participated in Relay for Life before. We had a team for a coworker who passed away from a rapid bout of Lung Cancer. It was quite the experience, emotionally and physically.

This one, while a shorter walk, will be even more personal. My sister is going to try to walk some of it with us so I will probably walk with her and send the boys off with their cousins. This will be the first time the boys have participated in an event like this.

Have a happy day everyone. Find a cause near and dear to your heart, and find a way to support it, whether it be through a walk, through volunteerism or through donations. It puts life in a whole new perspective for you!

A catch up Saturday

Well the dismal weather has continued. I think we had our summer those four days it was 25C ish. Since then we've had rain and snow. It's supposed to snow tomorrow too which might mean they will cancel the MS walk. I guess we shall have to play that by ear.

Today DS1 and his father may head into the city to look for a car for him. His dad has been scouring kajiji and other such sites looking for quite sometime now. He's looking in particular for a little sunfire. So they may go off and do a bit of car hunting. He turns 16 in November and he'll need something good on gas to get him to and from his practices, perhaps to school, etc. It's really hard to believe the boy is going to be that kind of independent soon. I am getting old. sigh

Today I am at work catching up on marking and scoring tests. It's been a busy crazy two weeks at school. Anyone who says full moon doesn't affect students is welcome to come hang out for the next one. Hopefully I can be productive today and get lots of things off my  to do list. Finding my desk from under all the papers would be great too :-) I am optimistic lol

I have been spending money horridly this week. Not on any big purchases but a lot went out for grocery or fast food and I'm bleeding myself to death moneywise. I need to get back in control of my world and things will fall into place again.

I meant to go afterwork yesterday to the bank and put down a $200 lumpsum on the loan. The girls were going for a drink though and I NEVER go, so I went. Just one. It felt really good. My life is pretty dull if you subtract work, home and kids from the equation. I need to do more 'me' things or there will soon be no 'me' left.

Happy Saturday all.