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Showing posts from April, 2009

A Frugal Holiday

Grace mentioned me in her blog last week, while talking about debt burnout and the need to take a holiday from frugal fretting for a day or so. I had been thinking of taking a day off from laundry and brooding to spend a day in the big city with good friends and nice weather, and Grace's mention gave me the kick in the butt I needed to just go and do it. I spent about $100 in total for my day of silliness in the city. That included 24-hour parking, some drinks, and cab fare. I also got a much-needed haircut and bought a couple of things for my kitchen that I had been eyeing up for awhile. My partner-in-crime for the day covered meals and some drinks, which was a nice treat. It's a busy week for me, with our final program meeting until September scheduled for tomorrow, a lunch planned for Wednesday for a friend and co-worker who is going on maternity leave in only a few days, and then on Thursday it is Bean's third birthday! Today I must get to the store to find a cake mix

My blog needs a kick in the butt

I no longer have access to someone's wireless connection at home, and I've been WAY too busy at work to blog from there. And I have lost my focus. I have to remember why I started this blog in the first place. Before I started here I enjoyed reading three kinds of blogs: self-help, single moms, and personal finance. The plethora of these blogs got me through some seriously dark days and some really lonely weekends. When I found myself ready and willing to start posting my own, I wanted to come up with a combination of the three. With a fourth element, the Canadian bias. Mostly, I was tired of trying to find inspiration in PF blogs written by one half of a couple. I don't have a problem with couples, but I can't tell you how many told me in their blogs, "WE paid off a $20 000 debt in just TWO years!" I'm on my own here, and no one is going to help me pay off my debt. As well I can't work more for extra income because I'm a single mom to a three-year

Fifty bucks

I have checked and double-checked, and I cannot figure out what I did wrong. Or should I say, what I did right? I have an extra fifty dollars in my bank account that will not reconcile with my budgeting spreadsheet, no matter how many times I add up the figures. Of course I would rather be fifty dollars OVER than under, but if this were someone else's books it would still be an error. I'm tempted to go to Winner's and buy myself a fifty dollar bag as a "treat" but I'm sure if I do that the answer will mystically appear and I will suddenly be fifty dollars UNDER. I'll sit with it for another week or so and make a decision next weekend. I don't have time to shop this weekend anyways because I am on the road visiting family for Easter. This is the first time I've had my laptop out in almost two weeks. Bean is in another room watching Dora so I have a few minutes to read and make a post. We're at my Dad's today which gives me a bit of a break.

Tax returns

So much is going on in my little life, and I have to start somewhere, so here's a list: - union issues bumped my good friend and co-worker out of our adjoining offices, so I'm dealing with the change of missing what was and getting used to what is - I'm thinking of taking a summer school course in first-year accounting, which can lead into a degree in Business, if I decide to go that route - the Bean is beautiful and challenging, just like life should be Finances: March spending was about the same as previous months, with a little overspending in the food/house category, and underspending in car fuel/oil. Debt payments are excitingly moving along (as you can see in the sidebars). I received my income tax refund today of $1687.49. I put $860 into an RRSP account, bringing it up to $2500 or so. I put $300 on my line of credit and $500 on my credit card. Financially I'm feeling good. As for the rest of it, I'm feeling a little low lately, which is why I'm having a

Hump Day already

How did it get to be Wednesday already? I do most of my posting in the middle of the night, and I've been sleeping all night lately (which is good). I also do a lot of posting on the weekend, and this weekend it is my turn with the Bean ... so I don't expect to be online much, if at all. I can't bring out my laptop without him freaking out about watching "little movies" (youtube) and I'm doing all I can to avoid fighting these days. I just don't have the energy. I hope to post about March spending tomorrow, or if I can get to it, later today. Seriously, Karissa