Summer Goals

With the first full week of summer, it seems appropriate that I get some summer goals down before I find myself with a summer over and nothing done.

I suspect it has been a couple years since I have set summer goals. The past two, I have just been …….surviving.

They are not lofty goals. They are not travelling goals. They are more 'making the best use of the time I have' goals.

• determine new budget with LOC paid off. a planned spending focus on slowly repairing and replacing things here at the new house that were mom and dad's
• get estimates on a new furnace (current one is 1982) and a first time AC for this house. It will require a new breaker box. It's going to be expensive. I will be using the last of the bit of $ I got from the estate for this so it's already saved. Make a decision and install or not.
• decide what to do with my vehicle. It was new 2009 and the past three years had required work to wearing parts. Getting more expensive to keep it than not. Not really looking for a new vehicle loan so a lot of thinking will go into this.
• put up garden shed we bought. Our old house had 2. Can't move them without tearing down a mostly new fence so we got a little one for here.
• bring over everything from old house garage. It's full of tools and camping gear etc. DH hasn't really wanted to move anything since our Dec move to this house. It's time.
• bring over everything from under the stairs at the old house. A big storage spot with things we need to make a decision on.
• Unpack and find a place for everything we moved over
• Get up to visit my niece. She is one of the few who keep in regular contact with me. Would be nice to see her and the kids
• Read 5 personal books
• Lose 10 lbs

Work

• Read 10 school novels
• Read 2 professional books
• Get the online Professional Development done (about 20 hours left)
• Unpack my classroom and have it ready to go before the end of July. That gives me August to figure out this back to school Covid crisis stuff.

Where the money stands

as of July 3

Debt

Mortgage - $0 

College LOC - $0

Total Debt - Zero. Still feels weird to write it. Don't want to say it too loudly or Murphy will find me

Planned Savings

TFSA - $9900

RRSP - $14 262

TFSA 2020 - $600

Back to School - $500

Summer 2020 - $300 - 

Christmas 2020 - $500

I usually save $1000 for Summer fun money but I honestly don't think I will go past the $300 I have right now. Fewer places to go is part of it.

Honestly I think there are so many little jobs to do around the house this year. This will be my first summer since 2017 where I didn't have caregiver duties.  And I have a lot of work on me.

I need to get that TFSA done, Christmas, and start RRSP 2020 before I find it December.

Plots, plans and ponderings for 2018

You know, it's funny. Each year about this time I search online for an image that depicts my feelings about the coming year. Some years there are so many that fit my mood, it's hard to choose.

Yesterday I spent over an hour surfing the net and looking for the right one. Not only did I NOT find the right one, I didn't find ANY one that even remotely appealed to me. That gets me to wondering about my focus or lack of focus for the year.

The closest pic that matched my thoughts was what I posted last year:

Someone, more graphically orientated would be able to change it to 2018. That is definitely not in my wheelhouse.

Those are really the kinds of goals that will make me a happier person.



A lot of the money basics are hardwired into me now after almost 10 years of doing this:

1) RRSP - $1500

2) TFSA - $1000
This will come out of the change I roll each month after the Back to School goal has been met. I may have to top things off if I have low or no change months. I already have $400 of it ready to go since I didn't reach this goal in 2017

3) Summer 2018 - $1000
I have no set plans for summer. We did our last family camp last summer and that era is now over. I know DS1 plans to go back to the mountains but I think that is a non parent trip :-)

4) Back to School - $500
This will come out of my change each month from January to August, or earlier if that is how the change works out

5) XMAS - $1500

6) LOC - $1500 Bonus payments
I hope that nothing keeps me from my regular monthly payments on my LOC. I also hope that nothing happens that causes me to have to add to it. Life does its own thing sometimes. Beyond the regular payments I would like to try to get another $1500 in lump sum payments put down on it. This could come from $ not spent from my jar money each week. That would put my LOC balance at about $16 500.   I also have the option after DS is done college to direct some of that college savings money towards the LOC to get it lower yet.  We shall see how things unfold

7) Plates 2018 - $1200
Both boys' vehicle insurance is under my name. DS2 has started paying me $ each month to put towards his so that will save me $1200. DS1..... I have no idea where he will be in the fall. If he moves to the US permanently, we will have to figure out the proper paperwork to have it licensed wherever he ends up. If he ends up in Europe, we will have to figure out a different plan.  I won't know until at least July so there is no point worrying about it. I will save the $ and if  I don't need it, it definitely has other places to go.

8) the House -
I have been told that my parents wish to leave me their house when they are both gone. I very much hope that is a long long time in the future. I also know that the value of the house is more than what my value of their estate would be. Should this unfold in 2018, I will have some $ decisions about what to do and how to fund the balance of the $ to purchase it from the estate.

9) Reading
I have reset up my ABC book list to see if I can be a bit more motivated to read a little more voraciously.

10) Travel
I set aside a little bit of $ each month for travel. I will be headed down to DS1 for his last home game and Senior Parent Night. That will be a flight and hotel cost.

I also would like to go somewhere else this year. It doesn't have to be far. Just so I can live a little bit.

I guess that the most important part of 2018 will to appreciate the moments I have left with mom and dad as well as stay sane and balanced on my own home front as well as at work.  Nothing from the above list works if I am not healthy - mind or body.

A year of snowflakes

I love keeping track of the little ways money can add up. For me, there is no side hustle. During the school year there isn't enough energy to make it happen and during the summer I am recharging. I suppose I could find something in the summer if I REALLY wanted to.

Most of the money came from Tax returns. I was able to claim both boys this past year. For 2017 tax year I will just have the one, as DS2's tuition was all paid before the turn of the year.

The rest of the money came from my change jar, and the bits of money I was able to tuck away from jar money to repurpose for savings or debt goals.


In the past, this is how the snowflakes built up:

In 2016 the snowflakes were $5872
In 2015 the snowflakes were $8064
In 2014 the snowflakes were $3112
In 2013 the snowflakes were $3671
In 2012 the snowflakes were $3136
In 2011 the snowflakes were $4350
In 2010 the snowflakes were $5070
In 2009 the snowflakes were $4295

For 2017, my total was not the largest ever, nor was it the smallest. It floated in the middle.  $4770

My change jar for 2017

I do love my change jar.

Actually I have two of them. One is a piggy that used to sing when you put coins in. The toonies and loonies live in them. They other is a carafe of some sort. No clue where I got that from. All the other change lives in there.

I love putting my spending change in the jar and then counting it up at the end of the year. I still do it old school - hand roll and take into the bank. Love doing it that way.

For 6 months this year the change went towards the back to school planned spending. It seemed like an innocent and non threatening way to build up to that $500. After that, I put the jar money towards my 2018 TFSA, since I didn't make that goal this year.

Here are my ghosts of change jars past:

2012 -$549.50
2013 - $980
2014 - $512
2015 - $642
2016 - $825

Each year I think, hmmm I don't have that much. Especially when there are $0 months. then I do a tally and surprise myself.

January - $100
February  - $90
March - $0
April - $0
May - $100
June - $100
July - $50
August - $100
September - $100
October - $100
November - $100
December - $100

Actually this is spookily similar to last year's. Interesting.

For a grand total of $940

Not my highest ever but definitely up there.

I do recognize that if I spent less there would be less opportunity for change :-)

I plan to keep the same targets for next year - First $500 for Back to School and then TFSA.

If I were to have $100 per month (which I never do, then I would have a surplus of $100 to do go a third goal. We shall see.

Thank you change rolling for all those fun little memories.

a big Day, but a good one.

Today was the big day. The big shopping day before Xmas.

DS1 comes home later this week. It's time to get everything ready so I can enjoy his short visit home.

I have my Xmas money saved thanks to those planned savings goals. I also have been tucking $5 here and $10 there into a jar for the big grocery shop.

I made DH come with me. Someone to lift the heavy stuff, and since he isn't contributing, he can experience first hand how much it costs.

We headed to Walmart and got the cleaning supplies, a few last minute treats and all the food. Me and my list had a heck of a good time.

At one point DH says 'so where is all this money coming from?'  I respond and say "when you tuck $5 here and $10 there into a jar  all year long, the money is  here. Starting tomorrow I begin again for next year'. He gives me this look that is half skepticism and half processing the concept of planned savings.

We did a quick stop at Shoppers (again planned ) and got the 18 500 optimum points for the spend. Another quick stop at the LB (liquor board store) for a little wine and baileys, and then home to unpack it all.

I hadn't fully organized my cupboards before I left (I had done the fridge), so there was a lot of that while putting things away.

Sister 2 came for a visit and said that she had been over to mom and dad's and mom had started to share who gets what when she is gone. Those sorts of things are very important to her and that is one of the few things she can control, so that's the talk they had. I got a notebook out and showed Sister what it looked like and where I was going to put it at mom's so that we can start writing it down (we are their executors).

We have not told any of the kids yet. A couple still are in exam mode and there is no point disrupting that for them. Sister agreed that we would tell the kids before xmas regardless of whether we got the CT or not so they could make sure they took advantage of Christmas.

DH and I went over to their house and brought in Chinese at their request. Dad ate so much I am wondering how much he has been eating lately. I feel bad that I haven't been more on top of things.

We managed to get an HDMI cord hooked up to their TV which is bolted into their entertainment unit (it was made for a box tv and he got a flat screen but wouldn't get rid of the unit.) I managed to get the hockey feed  to load in their iffy wifi house and they got to see DS's game. It meant a lot to them.

The radio guy interviewed DS earlier in the week and played it after the first so they got to hear him being interviewed. My mom cried.  Then not long into the game DS scored (he is definitely not the highest scorer on the team).

It was a really good night.  I am going over tomorrow to take her for a bit of shopping if she is up to it and wrap up gifts for her. She only buys for the great grandkids now. There's just too many in the family otherwise.

RRSP and back to school

Yesterday was a super busy day, running around with last minute things to do before school starts today.

One of the stops was to the bank to sign papers for my RRSP. $1500 added to the tiny little pot.

The rest was buying groceries. I didn't realize how many things I was out of or super low on for back to school. TP, fruit, veggies.Cleaning products Bought new ice packs for my lunch bag. A few healthier choice snacks.

I made a stir fry for DS2 for supper and got ready for the work week.

Summer is over.

College, LOC and TFSA, oh my!

So most of my money goals for the year have been met. Plates (insurance), RRSP, Christmas is almost done, Summer etc.

The only goal I haven't started yet is my TFSA savings of $1000. Interest on this is paltry. Super paltry.

Interest on my college LOC however, is not paltry.

I was putting $500 a month down on the LOC, and saving a comparable amount for College. My LOC is close to being maxed out. Yes they would give me more, but I really don't want it to come to that.

This is DS1's last year of college. It will cost. Money will be needed. Usually I am putting  a chunk on my LOC and a chunk into college savings, along with a chunk that goes to my rotating money goals (see First paragraph).

I really really really want to avoid putting more money on the LOC. I would rather jiggle the amounts around to put a base amount on the LOC and a larger amount into College (and the dreaded Canadian to US dollar conversion).

The dollar is at about 77 cents right now which is not great but better than the 71 cents it was earlier this year.

I think I will drop the worry about the $1000 TFSA goal and focus instead on the college/LOC for the rest of 2017.

My change jar $ was going towards my Back to School fund and that is now met. Thank goodness. I start in 2 weeks.

For the rest of 2017 I will put my change jar $ towards TFSA 2018. This is a pretty low stress way of slowly building it.

I know...It's a lot of thinking out loud. But that's my plan for now. for now. Til Murphy or someone finds me and whaps me upside the head.

Modifying summer plans

Two more weeks until school is done. Both the students AND myself are ready for a break.

My usual plan (since I started planning for summer spending) is to set aside $1000 for the odds and ends of summer fun, plus the August long weekend with my family.

This summer seems to be taking a different path and it looks as though the traditional August long won't be happening.

DS2's park ranger job has him working every weekend all summer. He gets Monday and Tuesday off instead. So he won't be able to make it.

DS1's gf has a family reunion that weekend so they will be spending it with her side of the family.

DH's brother decided to help organize a family reunion on his mother's side. I know zero of these people and they weren't exactly the warm and fuzzy type so this should be interesting.

The reunion of course is August long so that means that we will not be going to our traditional long weekend.

I am bitter sweet about this. It's the only weekend all of my sisters and their families get together and I suspect this time may be at 'the end of an era'. It's a weekend full of lots of fishing and beach time and campfires and I am sad we won't be  a part of it.

On the flip side, the weekend is costly. Three tanks of gas, the cabin rental (super pricy for around here), groceries, beverages etc. It all adds up fast and that's where the bulk of my summer money went.

The reunion is a short drive 30 min drive from here. If DH wants to tent overnight so he can visit late, we can always take separate vehicles so I can come home when my exhaustion hits. The money for this is negligible so its less expensive option.

As such, I have set aside only $500 instead of the usual $1000 for summer.

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.  

Aspirations for 2016

I feel like for a New Year, there should be all sorts of new and different kinds of things one has goals or plans for. As I looked back over the previous year's goals/plans/aspirations (word choice depending on my mood :-) , I can see that there hasn't been a whole lot of change.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have been reasonably successful at most of my goals. They have provided me with focus, been achieved, and helped me be somewhat ready for the money issues that come my way.

So my aspirations for 2016, money, and otherwise, are not terribly earth shattering. Just a plan to follow... a path to lead me on my journey.



1) Summer 2016 - $1000
This lets me enjoy my time off, knowing there is money there for camping, and other things that may come my way

2) Back to School - $500
Just me...so this goes for my professional fees, some back to school clothes and maybe something for my classroom

3) Christmas - $1500
So nice to have this money saved and not be terrified of Christmas bills

4) Vehicle Plates - $1200
This is for DS's car. Once he is done school and working, this bill will be his, so in a couple years this won't be part of my planned spending (fingers crossed)

5) College LOC - Get it under $10 000
I will keep whittling at this. I save each month for college. Reality is that the costs, plus the US dollar, is a bit like trying to bail out a boat leak with a thimble. I will keep at it though. I hate that I pay interest on this each month.



Ok the following two I am not even sure about. Yes saving for retirement is super important. Is the bit that I get  in interest  or from the tax refund for the RRSP worth it? Or would I be better putting the money I would normally put towards TFSA and RRSP  do better if I slammed it on my college LOC?  or buying US dollars for DS1?

My mental jury is still out on these two.


6) RRSP - $1000

7) TFSA - $1000




And then the personal ones.

8) Lose 3 lbs per month
I am overweight obese. I have to move. I have to lose. I have to.

9) Do something outside of the box each month
I am in a rut. I work. I do my extra curricular. I come home, make supper, do dishes, mark and sit. Most of the time. ok. almost all the time. This is not how I want to spend my next forty years.

10) Read 20 books this year.
I really dropped off the reading in 2015. I honestly was just rereading old books, that I did not put on my reading list page. They were comforting. They were easy. They helped me through some quiet in the house months. I would love to pick this back up again. Maybe even challenge myself to some 'thinking' books.

11) Move at least 20 min x 6 days a week
This ties into #8. My treadmill is back up and running (will write about this in another post). It lets me walk at my own pace, in chunks if need be, and I don't have to leave the house. Time for it to be more than a place to dry my clothes.

That's it for me.  Bring on 2016. (be gentle with me 2016? ok?)

New mini goal

A few days ago Saskatchewan Savings asked what my next mini goal was going to be.

Excellent question

June is crazy busy with a ton of surprise expenses so I don't anticipate a whole lot of extra cash coming in.  Still, a goal gives one a bit of focus in the whirling chaos.

My next 2015 goal is the $1200 I will need for DS2's vehicle plates (insurance) which is due in... October I believe.

I have $210 currently saved for that. I have budgeted $500 from my end of June paycheque to go towards this. That brings me to $710. That's a deficit of $490.

Now I also have $500 budgeted at end of July to go towards this, but I am behind on my goals thanks to Murphy setting up roots in my home in Feb and March. 

IF I can get that $490 before the end of July then that my $500 can move on to the next goal.

So my next mini goal is $490 before end of July.

I already have $50 in that. My mom and dad insisted on repaying me for their tickets to the prom. They came to the grand march  and left after that part. I really really tried to not accept it, but my mother...............well..........she's insistent!

So $50/$490 is in the kitty.

A new mini snowflake goal

I am pleased with the success of my last snowflake goal of $180. The best part was this renewed focus and a bit of zip in my step. It was badly needed in the wake of all the unplanned expenses for DS2's car and the ' I don't even want to think about college money' mind phase.

My next goal is for $200 in snowflakes. Goal deadline is before the end of June.

At the end of May I will have $1800 set aside for my TFSA (EF). My goal for 2015 was $2000.

Each month I (try) to put $250 towards this goal.  I know that if I didn't make a mini goal, my money at the end of June paycheque would get me there.

There is just something, though, that wants me to try to get there before.

I know there are tons of other expenses, known to me and unknown, that will come my way in the next 7 weeks. I can't control those.

This little tiny mini, I can.

And I seem to need to feel like I have a bit of money control these days.

So mini goal it is :-)

Tomorrow is jar filling day, as I 'create' four paydays each month when I really only get paid once a month. Unless something comes up between now and tomorrow morning, or I lose total will power, I will have $50 in grocery snowflakes to go to that goal.

Let it snow! (figuratively, please.)

Financial Goals for 2015

These aren't all the much different than last year to be honest. The needs haven't changed a whole lot, nor the amounts. Some amounts are chosen by the 'This is how much I need" for the goal, and some are "this is probably all I can do" for others.

 

1) TFSA - $2000

I managed to get this amount last year. I divided the goal into two $1000 chunks to make it feel more manageable.  My TFSA is currently sitting at $5000 in contributions plus $120 ish in interest. I have tons of contribution room, but not tons to add.

 

2) RRSP - $1500

I am moving my goal BACK to $1500 as it was 2  years ago. I tried last year for $2000, but between DS2's car accident, DS1's colleege, and our trips down there, I failed to meet this goal.  I fell short of having $10 000 in contributions.  That would last about four months in my retirement, if I pulled it all out and paid the fees and taxes involved with it. Four months! ouch

 

3) RESP - is no longer a goal since DS2 has finished his contribution + grant contribution years. I will reallocate this money towards saving for college for two children.

 

4) Summer 2014 - $1000

I have no specific plans for this money. I am sure a chunk of it will go to our yearly August long camping trip. Beyond that, I am not sure.

 

5) Back to School - $500

I have cut this goal down by half. It's just for me now. My fees that are due right at the start of the year, plus coffee fund etc. There will be a little left for clothes. The boys' expenses will fall under 'college savings'

 

 6)Christmas 2014 - $1400

No change

 

7) Vehicle Plates - $1200

No change

 

8) Graduation Costs - $500

This amount is less than his brother. DS2 has no desire to go to prom. I may get him there for the Grand March, and he would leave after that. Dances and parties are just not his comfort zone. He may change his mind, but I don't think so. I will have a few prom tickets that have to be bought in order to attend the grand march.

This brings me to a grand total of $8100. This is $2000 less than what I set aside last year...however, I still have college to save towards.

Back to the $8100. Divided by 12 months shows me I need to have $675/month to put towards these savings goals. I have $700. Seems like it should be easy peasy right?

But we all know things happen and money has to get redirected elsewhere. I certainly had to do so last year.

Not counted in this planned spending and savings goal are the college costs. Those are too predictable, especially as DS2 is not gone yet.

And that's my money plan for 2015.

 

Reflecting on 2014 Aspirations

Well a year has passed since I created this list....a year ago when I was wide eyed with anticipation, hope and promise. A year where there was the possibility of everything going smoothly :-)

 

Here are my thoughts on 2014's goals.

 

2014 Aspirations - Planned Savings

 

1) TFSA - $2000. This was a success. This was the first time I had moved my goal from $1000 to $2000. I was a bit worried I was setting myself up for failure, but it was one of the first goals I tackled, and I was full of motivation and purpose.  My TFSA is sitting at $5100ish. The $100 being the sad tiny amount of interest that has accumulated over the years. 

 

2) RRSP - $2000. This was not a success. The expenses from over the year slowed this down considerably. Something had to give and it looks like this was what ...gave.  I managed to get to the bank just this week and put down $1200 in my RRSP. So not only did I not make my goal for 2014, I also put in less than I have the last two years.

 

3) RESP - $2400. Based on my numbers from Dec 1 to Dec 1.... I went from $15 800 to        $20 400. I put in $200 a month...hence my $2400 goal amount. This is a total difference of $4 600. So.....success.

 

 3) DS2's Trip - $2000. Success. I actually put in just over $2700 and paid off the last bit of the trip a couple weeks ago. I am so happy I can give DS2 his trip.

 

4) Summer 2014 - $1000. Success. I know I used a chunk of the money for our camping trip and the rest went towards our trip to the US to get DS settled.

 

5) Back to School - $1000. Success. I know I used some for DS2's back to school clothes, and a bit of it for my staff fees that are always due when we start the school year.

 

6) Christmas 2014 - $1400. Success. and spent. grateful I had it saved.

 

7) Vehicle Plates - $1200. Success. This was for DS2's plates which were due in October. I actually only needed $960 of it as his new vehicle was cheaper for insurance than his old one.

 

2014 Aspirations - Experiences

1) embrace the past at ancestry.ca. Semi success. I did bursts of exploration and found some new things. I realized I have little time to do it during the school year though.

 

2) feed your love of reading. total fail. I read less this year than I ever have. This bothers me.

 

3) move move move more to feel great. Sporadic success. I definitely move more in the summer and early fall months than I do in the winter. I need to figure out a plan to keep walking during our long snowy months.

 

4) get more weight off your body. Fail. I never seem to be successful at this. Will I ever value my health?

 

5) take a road trip to rediscover the past or explore the future. Success. We did the 17 hour drive to DS's new hometown. While my derriere did not appreciate sitting that long, I was pleased that DS2 and I navigated so well together. It was amazing to see a new place. I felt an instant kinship with DS1's new city.

 

6) work smarter, not harder. Semi success. I am more aware of how much time I do not use well, and I know that I can tap that resource to I don't feel so much pressure during high stress seasons.

 

7) make conscious efforts to focus on the positive. Despite my sadness with DS leaving, I honestly think I have done a better job of this, especially at work. Amazing how a change in your mood affects your day and the day of those around you.

 

8) notice the beauty of simple, small moments. Success. I find myself tearful at so many tiny moments. So appreciative of them. maybe almost too teary :-)

 

9) shut off the tv more and turn on the music. At home? fail. At school when I am working on weekends or evenings? Success.  Technically it is not so much actual TV but Netflix. Same things though :-)

 

 

2014 was a heck of a ride. 2015 will be even busier with  more new experiences. I need to practice patience and planning to cope with these changes.

 

2014 - a quick glance

Looking at the numbers, I have done the poorest job of debt reduction in 2014, out of the years I have been blogging.

And if we wanted to get technical, the debt is really up. Not included in that 2014 number is the LOC  for DS's college expenses, which is setting at a bit under $8 600. So technically, I am UP $5200ish.

It also doesn't include DH's truck loan, but I have never included it as I do not pay it off.

Debts December 2009 - $70 771.99
December 2010 - $52 410.25 (down $18 361.74)
December 2011 - $40 055.29 (down $12 354.96)
December 2012 - $35 921.04 (down $4 134.25)
December 2013 - $25 925.49 (down $9 995.55)
December 2014 - $22 494.06 (down $3431.43)

The only thing on the debt amount just above is the mortgage. I don't anticipate this  number will change a whole lot as I do not plan to put anything extra on it. I have one child in college now and as of the fall of  2015 I will have two. 

My focus must must must be on finding a way to reduce expenses to get through the next four college years.

Despite this doom and gloom prospect, I rejoice in the fact that I started this blog in 2008 and I started becoming money AWARE. I would not have had any of the successes or planning I have now, without that start then.

So if you are reading this, and just starting out, or just thinking about starting out, please DO. You will be so happy you did. I know I am.

Goal!!!

Ok I am tuning in to the Can/US women's hockey game shortly, but that isn't the goal I am cheering for.

I am happy to say that as of 30 minutes ago, I have now achieved my TFSA/EF goal of $2000.

I headed down to the bank to make the final deposit and have them do the paperwork to make it all official.

I have scrimped and skimmed, mostly from my grocery account (hello pantry and freezer cooking) and used most of my spending money each week ($20/week) and a bit from gas.

I now have $5000 in my TFSA account. I am excited about that but I also recognize that $5000 was the yearly allotment I could have put in for the first year of my TFSA, which was 2010 I believe. As of now I could, in theory, have $25 000+ in there.

But I must be happy for what I have done, and promise myself to keep at it each year. I have approximately 11 years of work left, so hopefully I can add at the very least $25 000 to it before R day.

For  those of you Canadians with a TFSA out there, do you have it in a regular savings account or do you have it in a fancier form of investment? 

Where the money stands

Well here we go for our first progress update of 2014. I am still filled with the hope and promise of the new year.  My goals are to snowflake my @ss off to meet my savings goals as fast as possible.

Debts
Mortgage - $25 646.27

Total Debt - $25 646.27


Savings/Planned Spending
TFSA/EF - $3075 in the plan and $500 ready to be added to the plan.
RESP - $16 200
RRSP - $7600 
DS2's trip -$1140
Plates 2014 - $800
College Savings - $900



It was a good month. I got a nice head start on my TFSA/EF and on the Vehicle Insurance (plates). It only takes one Murphy visit and things go astray. For all I know (or anyone else reading) Murphy could visit one of us tomorrow.

2014 Aspirations

I love the start of a new year. Resting before you is a meadow covered in freshly fallen snow. Untouched.  Limitless possibilities. Once you make a mark, it is there and cannot be erased without leaving a scuff mark...an impression that something was done there.

Each step is only one step. One piece of a journey. But together those steps show the canvas of your year showing a clear, determined path - or a wandering - or even a backtrack when one realizes they are not on the right path.

I found this website while looking for ideas for wall art and was amazed at the patterns this gentleman makes. Below is an example of his work along with a link to an article on his work. Simon definitely had to think of the big picture before he began. Plot and plan and visualize. This undoubtedly was not his first attempt at such art, and many a design had to lie in stasis until the winds blew across it, or fresh snow fell.

Simon Beck

 

I use this visual to draw a comparison to how I wish to spend this coming year. You definitely need to have a plan before you start. There is no delete button when walking through the snow, and while you CAN backtrack, it does leave the impressions of those journey experiences.

 

You can start out, thinking something is a great idea, a great piece to your journey, but when you actually begin, you find things hidden under the snow that force you to change your plans. And it's ok for plans to change. That is truly the way life evolves. 

 

So that is my mantra for 2014. Have a plan. Begin the journey. Expect to learn things along the way that alter your course for good or for bad. Refocus. Keep moving. Enjoy the moments of the walk.

 

 

2014 Aspirations - Planned Savings

 

TFSA - $2000

 

RRSP - $2000

 

RESP - $2400

 

DS2's Trip - $2000

 

Summer 2014 - $1000

 

Back to School - $1000

 

Christmas 2014 - $1400

 

Vehicle Plates - $1200

 

 

2014 Aspirations - Experiences

 

embrace the past at ancestry.ca

 

feed your love of reading

 

move move move more to feel great

 

get more weight off your body

 

take a road trip to rediscover the past or explore the future

 

work smarter, not harder

(use the time you are given)

 

make conscious efforts to focus on the positive

 

notice the beauty of simple, small moments

 

shut off the tv more and turn on the music

 

 

Here I come 2014!

(feel free to check out more details on my Goals 2014 page)



 

 

 



Review of 2013 Goals

I love the end of a year and the promise of a new one. It does for my goals and my budget thoughts as spring does for my emotions and my connection with nature.

As I look back on my goals this year (and the ones from years before) I can see that I have made some good changes. I think about money differently. I plan ahead for events. I recognize more how finite the money source is and I recognize that I have to make compromises or sacrifices.

So how did I do??

Goal 1 - Pay off Line of Credit - PASS
I got this paid off by the end of May thanks to paying down extra every month, using my true income tax return and using the money they gave me and then wanted back in December. I made mini goals so that I could feel the momentum as I paid it down.   So good to have this LOC gone.

Goal 2 - Celebrations Goal - PASS
I got this off my to do list right at the start of 2013. I was so glad I had this money ready for the weddings and for DS1's prom and grad. It made those events far less stressful knowing I didn't have to fret over $

Goal 3 - Summer 2013 - PASS
I had this goal met just in the nick of time, at the end of June. It was great to have that money for our camping time and to give the boys $ for different summer activities.

Goal 4 - Vehicle Plates - PASS
With a total of 4 vehicles in the family now, planning to pay for the insurance is KEY.

Goal 5 - Back to School - PASS
This was a smaller goal this year since DS1 was graduated. It gave me more money for DS2 for clothes, and I bought some things for my class since I was teaching a brand new grade.

Goal 6 - Save for DS2's trip - Half and half
DS decided he would not go on the trip in spring of Grade 11 (this coming spring) and would wait for spring of Grade 12. He hopes that trip will be Europe based, preferably Italy or Greece. I saved $1140 thus far for his trip. He has his spending money ready to go.

Goal 7 - Christmas 2013 - PASS
It made for a stress free Christmas. I did not get a fresh tree this year, so I saved $ there. With 5 great nieces/nephews now I had to cut the amount I gave for them. Added up very fast.

Goal 8 - TFSA - PASS
It felt so good to finally add to this after 2 years hiatus. I can't let that happen again.

Goal 9 - RRSP - PASS
My little portfolio is slowly growing. I try not to think about how little it actually would help for monthly expenses once I am retired and will just focus on continuing to add to this.

Goal 10 - Lose 20 lbs - Fail
I started off great. Then quit and gained. Then kept going strong over summer and early fall. Then quit and gained. Overall I lost (as of this morning) 11 pounds this year.

Goal 11 - Reading - Fail

But I am ok with this. I read in the summer and it was great, but with 35ish kids in my class this year, I don't have a lot of brain cells left to read while school is on.

My final sentence on my 2013 goal page is worth mentioning. It said "I hope 2013 is a year of DOING, rather than a year of just wishing I were doing something...anything"

Looking back, and reading what others have done, I realize that I have not DONE enough. I have thought, and wished, and dreamed and planned, but the actualization of it was insufficient. I need to get moving and get living and get ENJOYING life more.