Well, we finally made it to the end of what is really the worst time of year for me. I know that nothing much will change in March. The extended forecast is full of snow and the temperature will stay below normal. But being a word person, I can mentally handle March better than I can January or February. I even flipped over my calendar at work early in the day, to give myself a mental boost. (It only sort of worked. The afternoon was interminable.)
The only bad thing about the fact that it's just hours until March is that I haven't made as much headway with the debt as I was hoping. My freelancing appears to be firmly on the quiet side, although I did get some news about a magazine piece that should be a go. I don't want to toot my own horn until I have a signed contract and assignment letter. I'm dedicating a few hours tomorrow to brainstorming and sending out some more queries. I really need to widen my circle of contacts.
One of the many hard parts about this time of year is that we generally are less active, meaning we have more time to dedicate to those pursuits that get lost in the spring and summer activity whirlpool, but we're also less motivated to do anything. Other than bake and wait for the thaw, that is. So I find myself spending hours contemplating all the things I should be doing.
I should be sending out more queries. I should be coming up with new and innovative ways to get rid of this debt. I should start writing that book I'm thinking about. I should be working out more, so that the great spring unveiling doesn't cause me to hide myself away. I should, I should, I should...
Thankfully it's the weekend. On Friday night there is a very real possibility that I will accomplish everything I hope to. Tonight I'm clinging to that hope. Tomorrow...we'll see.
Payday is a saving grace. At least there's a loan payment.
Total debt: $9850 plus a bit
Spent today: $47.15 (Groceries plus a chai latte and a cookie. Friday treat, don't ya know...)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
It's just lunch!
Do you ever feel like you're just limping to the end of the week? That was totally my day today. I had really active dreams all night, so I woke up bone tired. And then I had to venture out into the ridiculously arctic air, which didn't help at all.
I was also limping financially. You see, I bring my lunch to work about 98% of the time. Usually I save some of whatever we have for dinner the night before. But last night there were no leftovers except about a half cup of roasted veggies. And I didn't have any soup in the pantry, so I decided lunch would need to be purchased.
(Truth be told, there were lunch possibilities in my fridge and pantry, but I was a bit on the lazy side due to the exhaustion. Now you know.)
I checked my wallet. A single toonie was surrounded by a few odd dimes and pennies. Mmmmm... Not exactly a promising lunch fund. I suppose I could have gone and bought a can of soup and brought a few pieces of bread from home, but at this point the mere idea of getting to buy something for lunch was the only thing motivating me to get my butt out the door to work. So I did what any self-respecting budgeter would do.
I raided the laundry money.
It felt pretty pathetic and I'm sure I will regret it come laundry day, but I was able to scrounge up three loonies and five quarters. So with just under $7, I was ready to go!
I ended up at Dominion where I spent $5.64 on some sushi. Very yummy and not something I ever whip up at home, so it also felt like a treat. Trouble was, I still wanted a treat of the sweet variety as well... Thankfully, my favourite bakery in St. Lawrence Market has TO DIE FOR cookies that are chewy, sizable and only 75 cents. (Or 3 for $2, which is how I normally buy them. But I didn't have $2 left. Nor, for that matter, do I ever need to eat 3 of these cookies at once. It's kind of gross and I always regret it. But the joy is in the eating, my friends!) So across I went and shelled out the money for a delectable chocolate chip cookie.
Now, if this is where the tale ended, I would be well on my way to the budget hall of fame. But I made a stop on the way home. I knew there was no fro yo in the freezer, and the boyfriend and I pretty much view all the food that we eat during the day as a means to get to the fro yo. We are addicted.
I could have easily called the boyfriend and asked him to pick some up on his way home, but for some reason I went in and did it myself. I didn't have the cash - I was down to some pennies and a nickel in my wallet - and I didn't want to go into overdraft for fro yo. So I charged it. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I charged the fro yo.
And when the boyfriend found out, he said, "Why didn't you ask me to get it?"
I have no good answers.
But tomorrow is payday, so that credit card will be paid off.
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $5.64 (Plus I charged $6.11)
Weekly total: $91.32 cash and $78.11 charged
I was also limping financially. You see, I bring my lunch to work about 98% of the time. Usually I save some of whatever we have for dinner the night before. But last night there were no leftovers except about a half cup of roasted veggies. And I didn't have any soup in the pantry, so I decided lunch would need to be purchased.
(Truth be told, there were lunch possibilities in my fridge and pantry, but I was a bit on the lazy side due to the exhaustion. Now you know.)
I checked my wallet. A single toonie was surrounded by a few odd dimes and pennies. Mmmmm... Not exactly a promising lunch fund. I suppose I could have gone and bought a can of soup and brought a few pieces of bread from home, but at this point the mere idea of getting to buy something for lunch was the only thing motivating me to get my butt out the door to work. So I did what any self-respecting budgeter would do.
I raided the laundry money.
It felt pretty pathetic and I'm sure I will regret it come laundry day, but I was able to scrounge up three loonies and five quarters. So with just under $7, I was ready to go!
I ended up at Dominion where I spent $5.64 on some sushi. Very yummy and not something I ever whip up at home, so it also felt like a treat. Trouble was, I still wanted a treat of the sweet variety as well... Thankfully, my favourite bakery in St. Lawrence Market has TO DIE FOR cookies that are chewy, sizable and only 75 cents. (Or 3 for $2, which is how I normally buy them. But I didn't have $2 left. Nor, for that matter, do I ever need to eat 3 of these cookies at once. It's kind of gross and I always regret it. But the joy is in the eating, my friends!) So across I went and shelled out the money for a delectable chocolate chip cookie.
Now, if this is where the tale ended, I would be well on my way to the budget hall of fame. But I made a stop on the way home. I knew there was no fro yo in the freezer, and the boyfriend and I pretty much view all the food that we eat during the day as a means to get to the fro yo. We are addicted.
I could have easily called the boyfriend and asked him to pick some up on his way home, but for some reason I went in and did it myself. I didn't have the cash - I was down to some pennies and a nickel in my wallet - and I didn't want to go into overdraft for fro yo. So I charged it. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I charged the fro yo.
And when the boyfriend found out, he said, "Why didn't you ask me to get it?"
I have no good answers.
But tomorrow is payday, so that credit card will be paid off.
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $5.64 (Plus I charged $6.11)
Weekly total: $91.32 cash and $78.11 charged
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
You can't take it with you
I am so anxious to do my taxes. Have I mentioned that yet? Not that I'm expecting a big return or anything.
When I work freelance, taxes aren't taken off those cheques. However, I try to be a smarty pants and I put aside 20% of every cheque in my high interest savings account. So now there is a nice big chunk of money sitting there, waiting. And once I get my taxes all figured out, I'll know how much of it that I can put on my debt.
And I am really impatient to see that number go down further. But since I worked at two different full-time jobs during last year, plus I have the freelance stuff, plus I did a TV commercial, plus other stuff... it's taking forever to get everything in.
Please hurry up!!
Hang on. I just realized that I'm impatient to pay my taxes. I am seriously sick in the head.
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $3.25 (Toilet paper. You guys know far too much about my toilet paper consumption.)
When I work freelance, taxes aren't taken off those cheques. However, I try to be a smarty pants and I put aside 20% of every cheque in my high interest savings account. So now there is a nice big chunk of money sitting there, waiting. And once I get my taxes all figured out, I'll know how much of it that I can put on my debt.
And I am really impatient to see that number go down further. But since I worked at two different full-time jobs during last year, plus I have the freelance stuff, plus I did a TV commercial, plus other stuff... it's taking forever to get everything in.
Please hurry up!!
Hang on. I just realized that I'm impatient to pay my taxes. I am seriously sick in the head.
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $3.25 (Toilet paper. You guys know far too much about my toilet paper consumption.)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Wining and dining
Dinner out with a couple of girlfriends tonight. Well, it was going to be "drinks," but the apres work meeting time translated into dinner. (I really can't wait until 9pm to eat. I will get "the hunger," as the boyfriend calls it, and no one will be safe from my wrath.)
Luckily I still had some money, particularly since the groceries were so cheap this week. But I knew that I couldn't swing dinner and a drink. In the past I would have justified the extra expense to myself. I would have gone to the bank machine and withdrawn cash from my line of credit, so I could have both. But Budget Tammy has only the money in her wallet, so I drew a line in the sand.
And you know what one of my friends did? She bought me a glass of wine.
Sometimes I think I must be one of the luckiest people in the world. Merci beaucoup, mon amie!
(Please don't spellcheck my French...)
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $15
Luckily I still had some money, particularly since the groceries were so cheap this week. But I knew that I couldn't swing dinner and a drink. In the past I would have justified the extra expense to myself. I would have gone to the bank machine and withdrawn cash from my line of credit, so I could have both. But Budget Tammy has only the money in her wallet, so I drew a line in the sand.
And you know what one of my friends did? She bought me a glass of wine.
Sometimes I think I must be one of the luckiest people in the world. Merci beaucoup, mon amie!
(Please don't spellcheck my French...)
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $15
Monday, February 25, 2008
I got the student-loan-in-February blues
As if a Monday in February isn't bad enough, I spent a good part of my day reading up on a new account that I am just starting to work on. I have no idea how much of it is confidential, so I don't want to say too much, but I will tell you that my reading consisted of tales recounting idyllic living conditions and photographs that would take your breath away. All for pretty wealthy people.
My question is: How do you get to be that wealthy?
From our modest, albeit quite nice and perfectly located, apartment building, the boyfriend and I have a view that includes absolutely stunning condos across the way. They have huge terraces that are landscaped with potted trees and mini white lights. For city living, it's pretty nice. And yesterday, as we walked to the subway, I saw someone actually exiting one of the doors from the condo. I wanted to grab this woman and say, "How!? How do you afford to live there!? And can we be your friends, so you can invite us for BBQs and give us really expensive presents?" (I doubt that she would have gone for that last part, considering our extensive age difference and, you know, the fact that I had grabbed her and all.)
The streets in our neighborhood are a whole other dream world. Huge old stone homes. And a few blocks further, huge old stone mansions! It just doesn't compute in my little brain and even littler bank account.
Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and whisper a few things in my 12-year-old ear: "Study harder. Choose a career more wisely. Put some money in the bank and leave it there!" But then, I would probably change my whole path. Maybe I would have eschewed my unbelievably excellent high school experiences at an arts school for a miserable existence amid the jocks at a school closer to home. I probably would have stayed in BC with my family when we moved, maybe even attending university out there. It's a wonderful thought to think I'd still be close by them, but maybe I would never have developed my independence and become forever afraid of spreading my wings. I could have ended up in a great paying job when I was 23, but maybe I'd already be burnt out and spend every day wondering "what if I'd followed the music?" I'd never have sung on the radio, toured Canada and the Med performing, lived in PEI for a summer, received a fat, funny cat as a gift. I wouldn't have ended up doing a post-grad course at 29, meaning I never would have met my friend who encouraged me to give online dating one more try, so they boyfriend wouldn't be facing life by my side.
I'm sure in the alternate universe, the one where I made different decisions - some better and some worse - there are lots of wonderful things. But would I ever be willing to give up all the great stuff I've experienced and received in this life to see what that one has to offer? Just for a potentially financially wealthy life?
No. I guess not. I know not. I can see the wealth in my life, even it it doesn't come with mountain views or closets full of clothes or a house to call a home. And I'm going to hang on to what I've got.
But dammit, I'll be glad when February is over and this g-d debt is gone!!
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $2.50ish (Some groceries.)
My question is: How do you get to be that wealthy?
From our modest, albeit quite nice and perfectly located, apartment building, the boyfriend and I have a view that includes absolutely stunning condos across the way. They have huge terraces that are landscaped with potted trees and mini white lights. For city living, it's pretty nice. And yesterday, as we walked to the subway, I saw someone actually exiting one of the doors from the condo. I wanted to grab this woman and say, "How!? How do you afford to live there!? And can we be your friends, so you can invite us for BBQs and give us really expensive presents?" (I doubt that she would have gone for that last part, considering our extensive age difference and, you know, the fact that I had grabbed her and all.)
The streets in our neighborhood are a whole other dream world. Huge old stone homes. And a few blocks further, huge old stone mansions! It just doesn't compute in my little brain and even littler bank account.
Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and whisper a few things in my 12-year-old ear: "Study harder. Choose a career more wisely. Put some money in the bank and leave it there!" But then, I would probably change my whole path. Maybe I would have eschewed my unbelievably excellent high school experiences at an arts school for a miserable existence amid the jocks at a school closer to home. I probably would have stayed in BC with my family when we moved, maybe even attending university out there. It's a wonderful thought to think I'd still be close by them, but maybe I would never have developed my independence and become forever afraid of spreading my wings. I could have ended up in a great paying job when I was 23, but maybe I'd already be burnt out and spend every day wondering "what if I'd followed the music?" I'd never have sung on the radio, toured Canada and the Med performing, lived in PEI for a summer, received a fat, funny cat as a gift. I wouldn't have ended up doing a post-grad course at 29, meaning I never would have met my friend who encouraged me to give online dating one more try, so they boyfriend wouldn't be facing life by my side.
I'm sure in the alternate universe, the one where I made different decisions - some better and some worse - there are lots of wonderful things. But would I ever be willing to give up all the great stuff I've experienced and received in this life to see what that one has to offer? Just for a potentially financially wealthy life?
No. I guess not. I know not. I can see the wealth in my life, even it it doesn't come with mountain views or closets full of clothes or a house to call a home. And I'm going to hang on to what I've got.
But dammit, I'll be glad when February is over and this g-d debt is gone!!
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $2.50ish (Some groceries.)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Oh, the regret
I have been in a perma grump state today. I am really, really mad at myself for spending that extra $72 yesterday. (I'm also curious about how much I was charged for the one bottle of water that I purchased...) What was I thinking!? It was so unnecessary.
And this morning, when I put on a t-shirt with a chocolate sauce stain on it (All of my clothes have chocolate sauce stains on them. I'm fond of a little sauce with my fro yo.), I realized that I could have treated myself to a couple of new $8 t-shirts from Joe Fresh. Stain free. But no. I paid $65 to get my hair washed and get a little mud on my face. Stupid.
The poor boyfriend had to put up with my grump all day. He's a trouper.
On the bright side, it was a very good grocery shop today. I guess we didn't need a ton of stuff after our $160 shop last week! But first:
I am a big believer of points cards. I am more than happy to carry around a wallet stuffed full of frequent buyer cards if they eventually lead to free things. And I have no patience for waiting around until I have a HUGE amount of points. As soon as I have enough to get something free, I grab it! I could die tomorrow and I would hate to leave behind unused Optimum points.
All this to say that I cashed in my Air Miles for a $20 Dominion coupon.
(It takes me forever to rank up Air Miles of any significance, since I don't have a car and I'm at the liquor store maybe 6 or 7 times a year. My credit card is a PC one, so I earn free groceries anyway.)
**Side note. I just hit a few keys, because I'm totally multitasking as I type this, and thought I'd lost the post thus far! Oh, my grump would have taken on new stature.
So, back to groceries. Not only did I have a $20 coupon, but the boyfriend brought a big bag of his change to put in the change machine and we got another $26. So our grocery total was only $21 and change, making my portion just $10.50. Sweet!
You'd think that my grump would have gone away after that, but it hung on. I just felt crappy about my debt today. I haven't had much luck with freelancing lately, so I'm not getting to make the extra payments I was hoping for. Plus it's February. For a short month, it's taking forever to get through.
I'm really anxious to finish my taxes, because I have a nice big chunk of money put aside from my freelancing and I want to know how much of it needs to go to the government and how much I can put on the debt. But when you work in more than one place and you do stuff on the side, you have to wait for various T4s. I'm not so good at waiting. Particularly in February, when all my patience for waiting is taken up waiting for spring.
So, the grump stuck with me. Until the boyfriend and I took a later afternoon trip to our favourite mag store. And I got to see the Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair. (Great Hitchcock spread.) And the Elle with Amy Adams on the cover. (Cool "Sound of Music" fashion story.) And all sorts of others. Even though I couldn't bring one home, I still enjoyed the perusal.
Now I am finally grump free. Particularly since I'm watching the Oscars and messaging with my dear old friend in Montreal. (Our friendship is old and dear to me, she's a total hottie!) It's our tradition to either watch awards shows together, so we can discuss the dresses and jewels, or at least communicate continually throughout them. It's much fun. So far, this is our favourite:
I'm still sad about the debt, but tomorrow is a new day. You just never know when things will suddenly turn around. Besides, the boyfriend and I might go halfsies on a CNIB lottery ticket...
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $24.04 (Groceries and some drugstore stuff.)
I'll take "Life of Leisure" for $72, Alex
As promised, a tale about my day at the spa.
I'm not quite sure why I held on to a spa gift certificate for nearly six months before using it, but after all the sadness of the last couple weeks, the perfect time was suddenly nigh. I headed to Body Blitz.
My reminder message from them on Friday said they were expecting me to arrive at 1:45pm, even though my first treatment wasn't until 3:45pm. This time was so that I could use "the waters," which are a series of pools that are supposed to be healing, and, I assumed, have some kick back and relax at the spa sort of time. Sounded good to me.
As soon as I got past reception, I was in a tropical paradise. Not that the decor was lush, it was actually pretty streamlined and simple, but it was humid like an August long weekend in Ontario. Something I'm likely to complain about in August, but in the middle of February my only thought is, "Bring it on!"
In the pool area, which is the main part of the spa, they have a large sea salt pool, with soothing jets and little waterfalls, flanked on either end by a hot green tea pool and a cold plunging pool. There's also a steam room and a sauna, which are part of the water cycle. I spent the first hour doing the cycle, which was pretty cool. I felt like a limp noodle not even halfway through, which was exactly what I was going for. Plus I just felt so warm, from the inside out.
Then I was kind of done with the waters, so I settled on to a lounge chair around the pools. There was still 45 minutes before my first treatment, though, so I looked around for the stack of lovely, glossy mags. Nothing. Nothing!
(One of my favourite parts of my one visit to the ultra swanky Stillwater Spa was the hour I spent in a fuzzy robe, sitting by the gorgeous fish tank, reading Vogue while sipping cucumber water and eating biscotti.)
All there was for me to do during those 45 minutes was relax. That's a little too much time, if you ask me. Especially because it quickly became clear to me upon my arrival that almost nobody goes to this spa alone. There were groups of women everywhere. (Oh ya, it's a women only place.) It's one thing to strike up a conversation with someone else who is there alone, but breaking into the conversation a circle of women are having is much more difficult.
Did I mention that this place is clothing optional?
So not only am I trying not to stare at the women in their bathing suits, hoping that if I pay them this courtesy, they will not stare at me, I am really trying not to stare at all the flesh on display. Which leaves me with two options during my 45 minute rest period - close my eyes or look at the ceiling. (Thankfully it was an interesting ceiling, given that the spa is in a converted warehouse.) I exercised a bit of both.
Finally it was time for my massage! This was heavenly. The therapist didn't speak at all, except to ask me to turn over, so I nearly drifted off to sleep a few times. The only unfortunate part was the music. I am just not a fan of new-agey pan flutes and synthesizers. Or Enya. (Although my distaste for Enya is not nearly as strong as my irrational hatred of Shania Twain. Enya doesn't induce rage.)
And then - body bake time! I was having this mud treatment done, which was very different than anything I'd ever had done before. After I donned the oh-so-attractive paper thong, the treatment began with a full rinsing of my body with a portable shower head sort of thing. This was heavenly, since I was lying down. Nice warm water cascading over me while I was practically asleep. (Note to self: If I am ever disgustingly rich, hire someone to shower me while I am still sleeping.) But when she turned the water off, the heat lamp over top of me did not keep me sufficiently warm. So I was lying there naked, wet and chilly. Not such a good time.
Next she donned exfoliating gloves and sloughed off every bit of dead skin still clinging to my pasty winter body. (This required flipping over, which is surprisingly dangerous on a slick, plastic table.) There was more rinsing, drying off, mud application, rinsing, drying off and then lotion application.
Now, that was where my original reservation was supposed to end. However, I had been concerned about how I was going to wash my hair once my whole body had been expertly moisturized. So I asked at the front desk on my way in and they said I'd have to shower afterwards if I wanted to wash my hair and then reapply the lotion, some of which was available in the vanity area. But this didn't make sense to me! There was an upgrade available, which I knew about, that also involved a facial mud mask, a scalp tonic and a hair washing. For an extra $65. Before I knew what I had done, I upgraded, even though my gift certificate only covered my initial booking.
Anyway, the whole time I'm having my body mud stuff done, I'm wondering if I should try to get out before the upgrade. Try to cancel the head stuff. I was kind of feeling like I was done at that point. (It's was after 6pm already.) And I kind of had to pee. (A side effect of wearing a paper thong that is continually rinsed with warm water, no doubt.) But I couldn't figure out how to get out of it without insulting the woman doing the treatment, so I just lay there and let it happen.
It was the most thorough hair washing I have ever had. The salon times three, people!
All in all, it was a good treatment - and my body does feel remarkably smooth - but I wouldn't be rushing to do it again.
It was a great afternoon. The only other snag was when I tried to blow-dry my hair. I hadn't even thought to bring my diffuser, since I generally straighten my hair in the winter, so I can wear my hat easily. But I would never attempt to straighten my hair in the presence of serious humidity. Let's just say that I had some big, poufy hair when I met the boyfriend for dinner afterwards.
So, not counting the massage, which I will get back, I charged an extra $72 at the spa. To get my hair washed and have a little mud on my face. I'll admit, I regret the upgrade. That's money that could have gone towards my debt or into some spring clothes. And you can bet that I'm not washing my hair this morning. Not when I paid that much to have it cleaned last night!
More later, when I've lived this day.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Very sleepy
I spent the day at the spa. I want to tell you all about it, but I'm way too relaxed from it. Tomorrow I will tell the tale.
Okay, okay! I hear you shouting, "How is it possible that you were at the spa! Aren't you almost $10,000 in debt and don't we read this blog to support you while you pay it off!?"
Listen, I had a gift certificate that the boyfriend gave me last September. That paid for my main service. Then I also had a massage, but that I can claim through my insurance, so I'll be reimbursed. However, I may have inadvertently spent a bit more...
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $17.50 plus $72 on credit
Okay, okay! I hear you shouting, "How is it possible that you were at the spa! Aren't you almost $10,000 in debt and don't we read this blog to support you while you pay it off!?"
Listen, I had a gift certificate that the boyfriend gave me last September. That paid for my main service. Then I also had a massage, but that I can claim through my insurance, so I'll be reimbursed. However, I may have inadvertently spent a bit more...
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $17.50 plus $72 on credit
Friday, February 22, 2008
Your 9-in-a-row workday
Oh my friends, I fully believed that I had figured out my key to debt freedom this morning. And no, it had nothing to do with amateur night at the Brass Rail. (That is what the boyfriend suggests at least four times a week. I assume he's joking...) All I needed to do was win a radio contest!
Can you smell my desperation?
On Mix 99.9, they are giving away $10,000 to the 25th caller when they don't play 9 songs in a row during the workday. Doesn't $10,000 sounds like the perfect number? Just enough to pay off my debt and still afford a chai latte and a cookie at Starbucks. I was fully prepared to do whatever needed to be done.
So I arrived at work, plugged in my headphones and tuned in online. I wrote down the phone number I would need to call to collect... I mean win my $10,000. I kept track of how many songs they were playing while also trying to tune out the pop music so I could edit the advertorial I'm working on. Lo and behold, just before 11am, the commercials came on after only 7 songs!
I threw my work aside and dialed. Busy signal. I hit redial and crossed my fingers. Busy signal. I hit redial and crossed my legs. (I kind of had to pee.) Busy signal.
People, I must have dialed 40 times over. All the while trying not to look like an insane person trying to win a radio contest. Not only do I work in an open concept office, but I just moved to a new spot this week, so I don't really know all my neighbors. I sincerely hope they didn't spot my frantic dialling and assume the worst.
Well, of course I didn't win. And when I heard the woman that did win go crazy, I was sort of glad I hadn't won. Because radio stations that give you $10,000 just for counting and dialling don't appreciate polite, but subdued thank yous on the air. It's bad for business.
Do you think it's crazy that I thought I could leap out of my debt pit with a single phone call? Or is it just human nature to want the quick fix.
Also, do you think we only get one shot at winning something big in our lives? Because I won a red convertible in high school. Yep, it's true. I spent a lot of time hanging out at the DQ that my friend worked at, so I kept filling out ballots for a free car. Trouble was, I was only 17 at the time, so I kept answering all the questions about age range, credit cards and household income differently. When they called to confirm my information, I had no choice but to admit that I lied and that I was underage. So maybe I've blown my one big shot to win something.
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $23.39
Can you smell my desperation?
On Mix 99.9, they are giving away $10,000 to the 25th caller when they don't play 9 songs in a row during the workday. Doesn't $10,000 sounds like the perfect number? Just enough to pay off my debt and still afford a chai latte and a cookie at Starbucks. I was fully prepared to do whatever needed to be done.
So I arrived at work, plugged in my headphones and tuned in online. I wrote down the phone number I would need to call to collect... I mean win my $10,000. I kept track of how many songs they were playing while also trying to tune out the pop music so I could edit the advertorial I'm working on. Lo and behold, just before 11am, the commercials came on after only 7 songs!
I threw my work aside and dialed. Busy signal. I hit redial and crossed my fingers. Busy signal. I hit redial and crossed my legs. (I kind of had to pee.) Busy signal.
People, I must have dialed 40 times over. All the while trying not to look like an insane person trying to win a radio contest. Not only do I work in an open concept office, but I just moved to a new spot this week, so I don't really know all my neighbors. I sincerely hope they didn't spot my frantic dialling and assume the worst.
Well, of course I didn't win. And when I heard the woman that did win go crazy, I was sort of glad I hadn't won. Because radio stations that give you $10,000 just for counting and dialling don't appreciate polite, but subdued thank yous on the air. It's bad for business.
Do you think it's crazy that I thought I could leap out of my debt pit with a single phone call? Or is it just human nature to want the quick fix.
Also, do you think we only get one shot at winning something big in our lives? Because I won a red convertible in high school. Yep, it's true. I spent a lot of time hanging out at the DQ that my friend worked at, so I kept filling out ballots for a free car. Trouble was, I was only 17 at the time, so I kept answering all the questions about age range, credit cards and household income differently. When they called to confirm my information, I had no choice but to admit that I lied and that I was underage. So maybe I've blown my one big shot to win something.
Ah well, I am without a red convertible or $10,000. But what I do have is...hope? Sure. Hope that I will one day tell anecdotes at dinner parties about how I blogged to keep myself on track while paying off my heinous student loans. And then I'll raise a glass and toast all of you for coming along for the ride.
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $23.39
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The struggle within
Why does Winners inspire insanity in me? It's so weird.
I had a crazy day at work today, so I worked through lunch. However, I suddenly found there was a lull around 1:30pm, so I grabbed the opportunity to step away from my desk and venture out into the world. With my limited time, Winners seemed like the best option. I hadn't been there in at least a couple of weeks, so there was bound to be something pretty to look at.
And there were! Plenty of pretty things, actually. But I wisely do not bring my wallet with me when I go to this Winners.
(It's a pretty flimsy plan to stop me from spending, since the Winners is so ridiculously close to work that I could easily just go back down after work, when I am once again in possesion of my credit cards. and buy to my heart's content. Thankfully, I generally return to my senses at some point during the afternoon and abandon mission.)
Anyway, so I'm looking around and I spy a Calvin Klein dress for $69.99. And this is what happens in my brain:
Logical lobe - Cool! A Calvin Klein dress. And at such a great price.
Illogical lobe - CALVIN KLEIN! CALVIN KLEIN! CALVIN KLEIN! I HAVE TO HAVE IT!
LL - It's pretty, but that babydoll style would make me look pregnant. Not really what I'm going for.
IL - It's looks just like something Sabrina Vanderwoodsen would wear on Gossip Girl. She has the best hair. If I owned that dress, my hair would look like hers and my life would be better. I MUST HAVE IT!
LL - I hope some rail-thin 16 year-old snaps this up to wear to her prom. She'd certainly stand out from the frothy pink confections the other girls will wear.
IL - If I own this dress, the universe will provide me with a reason to wear it. Or maybe I can just dress it down with a pair of Old Navy flip flops and wear it around the house. The boyfriend was just complaining about my loungey pants... I can't not buy it. If I don't have this dress, the boyfriend will totally break up with me because he's tired of living with a "Before" from What not to Wear. I'l never meet another man who makes my heart skip a beat, and I will die alone. That's it. I'm buying the dress!
LL - Ah, but we don't have a wallet with us. Do you love it enough to start your life of crime by stuffing it under your puffy jacket?
IL - Well... we can just hide it on this rack over here and come back after work to get it! Problem solved.
And as soon as I tear myself away from the dress, I see something else.
LL - Oh, cute Matt and Nat purse! Red. Nice.
IL - MATT AND NAT PURSE! MATT AND NAT PURSE! MATT AND NAT PURSE! I have to have it.
LL - It's a pretty big purse. I do have a big purse. What I actually need is a smaller purse.
IL - I could fit everything in it! Including my gym stuff. If I had this purse, I would workout more. And then I'd be super hot. And healthy!
LL - Of course, my last Matt and Nat purse sort of fell apart. And I've heard the same thing from other people. Best to get something $40 less expensive.
IL - Nobody makes purses as cute as Matt and Nat. Without this Matt and Nat purse I will not only be unhealthy, but also un-cute.
I'm telling you, it's mentally tiring to be me at Winners. However, the logical lobe won and I made it through the day without spilling a single cent. Thank goodness.
Okay, everything resets tomorrow. It's a new week!
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $0
Weekly total: $106.48 plus another $40-ish, plus some credit card debt
I had a crazy day at work today, so I worked through lunch. However, I suddenly found there was a lull around 1:30pm, so I grabbed the opportunity to step away from my desk and venture out into the world. With my limited time, Winners seemed like the best option. I hadn't been there in at least a couple of weeks, so there was bound to be something pretty to look at.
And there were! Plenty of pretty things, actually. But I wisely do not bring my wallet with me when I go to this Winners.
(It's a pretty flimsy plan to stop me from spending, since the Winners is so ridiculously close to work that I could easily just go back down after work, when I am once again in possesion of my credit cards. and buy to my heart's content. Thankfully, I generally return to my senses at some point during the afternoon and abandon mission.)
Anyway, so I'm looking around and I spy a Calvin Klein dress for $69.99. And this is what happens in my brain:
Logical lobe - Cool! A Calvin Klein dress. And at such a great price.
Illogical lobe - CALVIN KLEIN! CALVIN KLEIN! CALVIN KLEIN! I HAVE TO HAVE IT!
LL - It's pretty, but that babydoll style would make me look pregnant. Not really what I'm going for.
IL - It's looks just like something Sabrina Vanderwoodsen would wear on Gossip Girl. She has the best hair. If I owned that dress, my hair would look like hers and my life would be better. I MUST HAVE IT!
LL - I hope some rail-thin 16 year-old snaps this up to wear to her prom. She'd certainly stand out from the frothy pink confections the other girls will wear.
IL - If I own this dress, the universe will provide me with a reason to wear it. Or maybe I can just dress it down with a pair of Old Navy flip flops and wear it around the house. The boyfriend was just complaining about my loungey pants... I can't not buy it. If I don't have this dress, the boyfriend will totally break up with me because he's tired of living with a "Before" from What not to Wear. I'l never meet another man who makes my heart skip a beat, and I will die alone. That's it. I'm buying the dress!
LL - Ah, but we don't have a wallet with us. Do you love it enough to start your life of crime by stuffing it under your puffy jacket?
IL - Well... we can just hide it on this rack over here and come back after work to get it! Problem solved.
And as soon as I tear myself away from the dress, I see something else.
LL - Oh, cute Matt and Nat purse! Red. Nice.
IL - MATT AND NAT PURSE! MATT AND NAT PURSE! MATT AND NAT PURSE! I have to have it.
LL - It's a pretty big purse. I do have a big purse. What I actually need is a smaller purse.
IL - I could fit everything in it! Including my gym stuff. If I had this purse, I would workout more. And then I'd be super hot. And healthy!
LL - Of course, my last Matt and Nat purse sort of fell apart. And I've heard the same thing from other people. Best to get something $40 less expensive.
IL - Nobody makes purses as cute as Matt and Nat. Without this Matt and Nat purse I will not only be unhealthy, but also un-cute.
I'm telling you, it's mentally tiring to be me at Winners. However, the logical lobe won and I made it through the day without spilling a single cent. Thank goodness.
Okay, everything resets tomorrow. It's a new week!
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $0
Weekly total: $106.48 plus another $40-ish, plus some credit card debt
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Back in business
My money lesson over the last couple of days is that sometimes you can't keep track of what's leaving your wallet... and that's okay.
As I've alluded to in some previous posts, I lost someone close to me last week. A generous, wonderful man who lived a long, full life. The kind of life we all hope to live. And as much as that's supposed to make you feel better when they pass away, it seems to have the opposite effect. It just seems so wrong that someone who is doing everything right doesn't get to live forever.
Anyway, the boyfriend and I needed to rent a car for a couple of days, to go to the services. We managed to spend almost $20 on parking overnight. (It was almost double that, because apparently the underground garage near us is two garages in one. The first level, which is where we purchased the time, belongs to one company, and the level we parked on belonged to another. It was weird and incredibly unclear. Thankfully the woman had the good sense to let it go, because I was on my way to a funeral and I was NOT going to be taken advantage of!) Plus there were meals to be bought, either on the go or just because we didn't have any energy left to actually prepare something. It just wasn't the time for blogging or counting my pennies.
So, I lied. I can't confess what I don't know!
But, I will say that I still had a $10 bill in my wallet this morning and I had to buy lunch. So sushi and some miso soup was purchased. (I've eaten so many little church sandwiches in the past couple of days that I was desperate for something unbuttered.)
Back on the budget bandwagon now. The saga continues...
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $6.31
As I've alluded to in some previous posts, I lost someone close to me last week. A generous, wonderful man who lived a long, full life. The kind of life we all hope to live. And as much as that's supposed to make you feel better when they pass away, it seems to have the opposite effect. It just seems so wrong that someone who is doing everything right doesn't get to live forever.
Anyway, the boyfriend and I needed to rent a car for a couple of days, to go to the services. We managed to spend almost $20 on parking overnight. (It was almost double that, because apparently the underground garage near us is two garages in one. The first level, which is where we purchased the time, belongs to one company, and the level we parked on belonged to another. It was weird and incredibly unclear. Thankfully the woman had the good sense to let it go, because I was on my way to a funeral and I was NOT going to be taken advantage of!) Plus there were meals to be bought, either on the go or just because we didn't have any energy left to actually prepare something. It just wasn't the time for blogging or counting my pennies.
So, I lied. I can't confess what I don't know!
But, I will say that I still had a $10 bill in my wallet this morning and I had to buy lunch. So sushi and some miso soup was purchased. (I've eaten so many little church sandwiches in the past couple of days that I was desperate for something unbuttered.)
Back on the budget bandwagon now. The saga continues...
Total debt: $9990 plus some more
Spent today: $6.31
Monday, February 18, 2008
Pardon me
You'll have to all forgive me, but there won't be another proper post until Wednesday. Real life is just too full at the moment to make time for my virtual one.
I promise I'm tracking the spending and will confess all when I can.
Total debt: $9900 plus some more
Spent today: ??
I promise I'm tracking the spending and will confess all when I can.
Total debt: $9900 plus some more
Spent today: ??
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A perfect 10
You know how I can tell I'm grown up? It's because I dream of having my very own washer and dryer. Isn't that sick?
When I was a kid, I had regular kids dreams. In fact, when I was about 13 years old, I was 100% convinced that I was going to be in the next Olympics as a gymnast. The truth of the matter was this: The next Olympics would have been 1992 and I would have been 17, which is virtually a senior citizen as far as gymnastics is concerned. Also, already at 13 I was at least 5'5" and over 100 pounds, therefore Brobdingnagian in the gymnastics world.
Oh, and most significantly, I couldn't really do anything backwards or anything really on the bars, balance beam or vault.
But I was going to rock the world with my floor routine consisting of front walkovers and aerials to the theme from "Top Gun." And Wide World of Sports would expand their special "Olga, Nadia and Mary Lou" episode to include me.
The power of imagination.
But you know what I can't do? I can't imagine our pile of dirty clothes clean! The laundry room in our building has been mysteriously locked for the past two days and the super isn't picking up her phone or her pages. So frustrating. Even more so, because when they finally do unlock the door, everyone in our 10-storey building is going to be standing there with their own basket of smelly laundry.
(The only person that must be happy for the locked door is the guy that lives in the one weird apartment that is in the basement. He must be grateful for the peace. Or maybe he's lulled by the hum of the dryer? I don't know, but it's really strange how he lives down there.)
I'm blogging early today, because I'm hosting a little reunion with my college roomies and one of them will be staying with us, so I might not get a chance to blog later. (Our office is also our guest room. It's multi-purpose!) I do plan on spending some money today, on kitty litter, toilet paper (I use a lot and I'm not going to apologize for that!) and a newspaper. That is, providing the boyfriend will run the errand for me...
Think clean thoughts!
Total debt: $9,900 plus some more.
Spent today: I'll fess up tomorrow
When I was a kid, I had regular kids dreams. In fact, when I was about 13 years old, I was 100% convinced that I was going to be in the next Olympics as a gymnast. The truth of the matter was this: The next Olympics would have been 1992 and I would have been 17, which is virtually a senior citizen as far as gymnastics is concerned. Also, already at 13 I was at least 5'5" and over 100 pounds, therefore Brobdingnagian in the gymnastics world.
Oh, and most significantly, I couldn't really do anything backwards or anything really on the bars, balance beam or vault.
But I was going to rock the world with my floor routine consisting of front walkovers and aerials to the theme from "Top Gun." And Wide World of Sports would expand their special "Olga, Nadia and Mary Lou" episode to include me.
The power of imagination.
But you know what I can't do? I can't imagine our pile of dirty clothes clean! The laundry room in our building has been mysteriously locked for the past two days and the super isn't picking up her phone or her pages. So frustrating. Even more so, because when they finally do unlock the door, everyone in our 10-storey building is going to be standing there with their own basket of smelly laundry.
(The only person that must be happy for the locked door is the guy that lives in the one weird apartment that is in the basement. He must be grateful for the peace. Or maybe he's lulled by the hum of the dryer? I don't know, but it's really strange how he lives down there.)
I'm blogging early today, because I'm hosting a little reunion with my college roomies and one of them will be staying with us, so I might not get a chance to blog later. (Our office is also our guest room. It's multi-purpose!) I do plan on spending some money today, on kitty litter, toilet paper (I use a lot and I'm not going to apologize for that!) and a newspaper. That is, providing the boyfriend will run the errand for me...
Think clean thoughts!
Total debt: $9,900 plus some more.
Spent today: I'll fess up tomorrow
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Food, glorious food
The boyfriend and I hit the grocery store today and somehow managed to spend a whopping $161.58 on food. Do you ever have those weeks? It doesn't seem like you're putting a lot of extra stuff in the cart, but then you get a new scrubber to wash dishes and a box of clementines and the huge econo bag of no name frozen berries (I'm going through a breakfast smoothie faze. Healthy - yes. Cheap - no. However, no more expensive than all that crazy cereal that people buy. That stuff is pricey!), and suddenly you've doubled your weekly allowance for groceries.
That's right. Normally we spend closer to $80 a week on food. Plus a bit more when you add in the extra bunch of bananas or whatever else we need to supplement throughout the week. I would consider that to be a very respectable food budget, except I know that one of my oldest friends can feed her family of four on about $40 a week. I just don't seem to have that gene!
Plus, we do shop at expensive supermarkets. Wait! Hear me out!! I love the idea of shopping at No Frills. I really do! But we are currently without transportation and there isn't a budget supermarket anywhere near us. Plus we are a little addicted to these awesome frozen chicken curry dumplings, which are both economical ($3.49 for not only dinner, but also two extra lunches for me.) and pretty damned healthy. And we've only ever found them at the big fancy Loblaws. So even if we did have a car, would it really be economical to drive around from grocery store to grocery store, getting different stuff at different places? What about the environment!?
And frankly, we just love the Loblaws. It's so bright and well laid-out. Not to mention the awesome President's Choice products. All good stuff! But are we shopping as if we're richer than we are?
Thankfully I scored on Craigslist again today! Sold a watch for $40. Yippee!! I stopped in at Joe Fresh on my way to get groceries, thinking that I might treat myself with the found money. But you know, I saw some okay things, but I couldn't bring myself to buy anything. It's a good thing, too, because after such an expensive shop, I need the extra cash in my wallet.
(I did buy the boyfriend two t-shirts, but he paid me back. It's fun to dress him up. Like my own life-sized Ken doll...but more anatomically correct!)
A big thank you today to a lovely friend who not only provided me with the third season of Veronica Mars on dvd (Cue the angels singing.), but also treated me to a fancy latte at a funky, independent coffee shop. She said it was to celebrate being in the four digits. I'm always amazed at the kindness that comes my way. Merci beaucoup.
So the boyfriend and I have spent our Saturday night with VMars (3 episodes thus far), baking about 8 dozen cookies. When bad things happen, you bring food. We're prepping for the next few days. Sadly, chocolate chunks cannot fill the unbelievable void left when you lose someone.
Total debt: $9900 plus some more.
Spent today: $91.04 (I bought some wine, too.)
That's right. Normally we spend closer to $80 a week on food. Plus a bit more when you add in the extra bunch of bananas or whatever else we need to supplement throughout the week. I would consider that to be a very respectable food budget, except I know that one of my oldest friends can feed her family of four on about $40 a week. I just don't seem to have that gene!
Plus, we do shop at expensive supermarkets. Wait! Hear me out!! I love the idea of shopping at No Frills. I really do! But we are currently without transportation and there isn't a budget supermarket anywhere near us. Plus we are a little addicted to these awesome frozen chicken curry dumplings, which are both economical ($3.49 for not only dinner, but also two extra lunches for me.) and pretty damned healthy. And we've only ever found them at the big fancy Loblaws. So even if we did have a car, would it really be economical to drive around from grocery store to grocery store, getting different stuff at different places? What about the environment!?
And frankly, we just love the Loblaws. It's so bright and well laid-out. Not to mention the awesome President's Choice products. All good stuff! But are we shopping as if we're richer than we are?
Thankfully I scored on Craigslist again today! Sold a watch for $40. Yippee!! I stopped in at Joe Fresh on my way to get groceries, thinking that I might treat myself with the found money. But you know, I saw some okay things, but I couldn't bring myself to buy anything. It's a good thing, too, because after such an expensive shop, I need the extra cash in my wallet.
(I did buy the boyfriend two t-shirts, but he paid me back. It's fun to dress him up. Like my own life-sized Ken doll...but more anatomically correct!)
A big thank you today to a lovely friend who not only provided me with the third season of Veronica Mars on dvd (Cue the angels singing.), but also treated me to a fancy latte at a funky, independent coffee shop. She said it was to celebrate being in the four digits. I'm always amazed at the kindness that comes my way. Merci beaucoup.
So the boyfriend and I have spent our Saturday night with VMars (3 episodes thus far), baking about 8 dozen cookies. When bad things happen, you bring food. We're prepping for the next few days. Sadly, chocolate chunks cannot fill the unbelievable void left when you lose someone.
Total debt: $9900 plus some more.
Spent today: $91.04 (I bought some wine, too.)
Friday, February 15, 2008
Down to four digits!
Payday today! And that means a nice big loan payment. Enough to bring me down to under $10,000! It's a nice feeling to see that number slowly come down, although it's never really fast enough.
However, it was also another sad, draining day. And that lead to a little bit of spending, namely on some dinner and a dvd. It was probably foolish of me to believe that dinner and a dvd could make me feel better than just making some eggs at home and watching the Friday night lineup on TLC, but even the illusion of happiness is welcome this particular weekend.
Listen - go hug everyone you love. Or at least call them and tell them you love them. Life is too short not to say it all the time.
Total debt: $9900 plus some more, but definitely under $10,000
Spent today: $15.44
However, it was also another sad, draining day. And that lead to a little bit of spending, namely on some dinner and a dvd. It was probably foolish of me to believe that dinner and a dvd could make me feel better than just making some eggs at home and watching the Friday night lineup on TLC, but even the illusion of happiness is welcome this particular weekend.
Listen - go hug everyone you love. Or at least call them and tell them you love them. Life is too short not to say it all the time.
Total debt: $9900 plus some more, but definitely under $10,000
Spent today: $15.44
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hey you, wanna buy a watch?
About a year ago, when I was starting to think about packing up my old place, it dawned on me that I could potentially make some money off of some of the things I no longer wanted. I mean, I had some good stuff. During my last job I got oodles of swag on a weekly basis. And when you first start getting a lot of swag, you want to keep it all. But then you start to give some away, because the amount of...stuff just gets overwhelming.
Enter Craigslist.
This is a wonderful invention. Mr. Craig, whoever you are, thank you sincerely!
I started off with some textbooks, including my Chicago Manual. (Forgive me fellow publishing professionals. I never used it. But I promise that I sold it to a good home.) Slowly I progressed to selling off the swag.
And today I earned $40 by selling a pair of designer sunglasses. Frankly, she got a great deal, considering that they sell in the store for $200+, but since I got them for free it was all profit.
(You may be asking yourself, "If this chick has so much 'want' for fancy things, why would she get rid of designer sunglasses?" People, I don't spend more than $12 on sunglasses, because I always sit on them or lose them. It's just not worth the heartache.)
I wish I could be very righteous and tell you all that I immediately put that $40 on my loan, but that would be a lie. Suddenly my budget for the week expanded a bit... I picked up a few extra groceries and we bought some wine and Thai food to celebrate this romantic day.
(I should have rescued my dress from the dry cleaners. Do you ever do that? Drop off a fancy dress that you only wear a couple of times a year, to weddings or dressy parties, and then leave it there for months? I'm so guilty of that. I'm surprised they don't call and tell me to come get my dress already, for Christ's sake!)
My sale today has inspired me to snap some more digital pics and move some more of this stuff on out the door. Lighten my load and my loan at the same time.
Stay tuned for tomorrow. It's that extra payday, so those loan numbers are coming down!
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $30-ish
Weekly total: $114-ish
Enter Craigslist.
This is a wonderful invention. Mr. Craig, whoever you are, thank you sincerely!
I started off with some textbooks, including my Chicago Manual. (Forgive me fellow publishing professionals. I never used it. But I promise that I sold it to a good home.) Slowly I progressed to selling off the swag.
And today I earned $40 by selling a pair of designer sunglasses. Frankly, she got a great deal, considering that they sell in the store for $200+, but since I got them for free it was all profit.
(You may be asking yourself, "If this chick has so much 'want' for fancy things, why would she get rid of designer sunglasses?" People, I don't spend more than $12 on sunglasses, because I always sit on them or lose them. It's just not worth the heartache.)
I wish I could be very righteous and tell you all that I immediately put that $40 on my loan, but that would be a lie. Suddenly my budget for the week expanded a bit... I picked up a few extra groceries and we bought some wine and Thai food to celebrate this romantic day.
(I should have rescued my dress from the dry cleaners. Do you ever do that? Drop off a fancy dress that you only wear a couple of times a year, to weddings or dressy parties, and then leave it there for months? I'm so guilty of that. I'm surprised they don't call and tell me to come get my dress already, for Christ's sake!)
My sale today has inspired me to snap some more digital pics and move some more of this stuff on out the door. Lighten my load and my loan at the same time.
Stay tuned for tomorrow. It's that extra payday, so those loan numbers are coming down!
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $30-ish
Weekly total: $114-ish
A little extra
I am totally becoming an Oprah pusher, but my dad just let me know that there's a free download on her site of Suze Orman's book "Women and Money." If you want to take control of your financial future, this could be some good reading!
Apparently the download is only available for a limited time, so check out www.oprah.com now!
Apparently the download is only available for a limited time, so check out www.oprah.com now!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Remembering what's important
There has been plenty of sad and tragic news around these parts lately. Reminders about the fragility of life and how we're all just borrowing a bit of time on this earth. Money starts to mean less, especially compared to what others are losing.
But this is a blog about my debt.
A debt that seems both insignificant in these moments and also more overwhelming than ever. Because it is preventing me from moving forward with my life. My short life is being made even shorter by the $10,000 albatross on my back.
And my vain desires for new things - clothes, shoes, books, purses, magazines - seem petty and ridiculous when held up against the things I truly desire - a family, a house, a fulfilling life.
But I will get there. I am on my way. And I thank you all for your help in this journey.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $5.49 (Groceries)
But this is a blog about my debt.
A debt that seems both insignificant in these moments and also more overwhelming than ever. Because it is preventing me from moving forward with my life. My short life is being made even shorter by the $10,000 albatross on my back.
And my vain desires for new things - clothes, shoes, books, purses, magazines - seem petty and ridiculous when held up against the things I truly desire - a family, a house, a fulfilling life.
But I will get there. I am on my way. And I thank you all for your help in this journey.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $5.49 (Groceries)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Dispatch from germ central
The sickness continues. The really annoying part is that my throat was feeling quite a bit better yesterday afternoon, but gradually got worse during the evening and then was the worst yet this morning. Frustrating. I don't deal well with viral infections, because I am a cause and effect sort of person. I can clearly identify what is wrong (sore throat) and so I want to know exactly what to do to make it go away.
I suppose the truth of the matter is that time, rest and gargling with salt water is the answer. And my inability to accept that really paints me as impatient more than anything. But I've been cooped up in my apartment since around 4pm on Sunday, so it's understandable that I'm going a bit mad.
I did, however, venture outdoors for about 20 minutes today. Luckily it was first thing, before the snow began. And yes, I did manage to spend money in those 20 minutes. I felt quite desperate for a "treat," simply because I'm feeling sorry for myself in my weakened state.
Anyway, today Oprah had the Cosby kids on. Fun! Little Rudy turned out to be a stunner, although her teeth look ridiculously fake, and Vanessa looked exactly the same. Hadn't changed at all. The eldest girl, Sandra, looked like she didn't have any makeup on. Maybe the makeup artist started with little Olivia (the chesty Raven) and ran out of makeup by the time she finished with Vanessa. Because Raven's makeup was spackled on, Rudy's looked great but quite heavy, Vanessa's looked great, Theo is a boy, and then poor Sandra looked kind of washed out and a bit homely.
I guess the hairdresser ran out of time, too.
Okay, I promise that I will return to the land of the living tomorrow and hopefully encounter something more exciting to write about than daily updates about Oprah!
May your health be with you.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $3.01
Monday, February 11, 2008
Spend nothing Monday
I've discovered the perfect way to spend nothing! Stay home sick with a wicked sore throat.
After a whole weekend of "I think my throat is sore," I woke up around 5am to some pretty significant pain and swollen glands. The weird thing was that I didn't have any other symptoms. So I put in a call to a lovely Telehealth nurse and she told me I was probably contagious, so I shouldn't venture out if I didn't have to. I have taken her advice and therefore not spent a single dime. Little does she know how she helped me make up for a rather spendy few days.
(She also told me to constantly drink water all day. Well, let me tell you, it was a good thing I was not at work. I became one with my WC today.)
Since I was home, I watched Oprah. (Sometimes I catch it in the evening, on time-shifting, but not often.) It was a "Extreme Home Makeover" episode, but not with Ty Pennington. And they took two weeks rather than one, but it was just like an episode of EHM. Although Nate didn't scream at the camera constantly, which I really appreciated. I don't know about you, but I cannot watch EHM without crying. I swear, I am way too emotional for my own good.
But these big home makeover shows leave so much unexplained. Like, how do these families afford property taxes on their new luxury homes? Or insurance? And how does the rest of the neighbourhood, which I'm assuming looks a lot like the "before" picture of the chosen house, react to a dream home in their midst? Does the jealousy make them crazy? Do people try to break in to steal all the flat-screened TVs? (There was one EHM where 8 siblings were living together after their parents had both died, and the show gave them a WALL of EIGHT flat-screened TVs, so everyone could have their own. A little overboard, no?)
The other problem with these shows is that they create the "want." Suddenly I find myself wondering why I don't have a double-sided fireplace that can be seen from inside or outside the house. And where is my family-sized bathtub? (Although, I haven't taken custody of my three nieces to save them from dirty hair and lack of schooling...)
It might be time to buy a lottery ticket and start praying. But first: saltwater gargle. Again.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a little bit more
Spent today: $0
After a whole weekend of "I think my throat is sore," I woke up around 5am to some pretty significant pain and swollen glands. The weird thing was that I didn't have any other symptoms. So I put in a call to a lovely Telehealth nurse and she told me I was probably contagious, so I shouldn't venture out if I didn't have to. I have taken her advice and therefore not spent a single dime. Little does she know how she helped me make up for a rather spendy few days.
(She also told me to constantly drink water all day. Well, let me tell you, it was a good thing I was not at work. I became one with my WC today.)
Since I was home, I watched Oprah. (Sometimes I catch it in the evening, on time-shifting, but not often.) It was a "Extreme Home Makeover" episode, but not with Ty Pennington. And they took two weeks rather than one, but it was just like an episode of EHM. Although Nate didn't scream at the camera constantly, which I really appreciated. I don't know about you, but I cannot watch EHM without crying. I swear, I am way too emotional for my own good.
But these big home makeover shows leave so much unexplained. Like, how do these families afford property taxes on their new luxury homes? Or insurance? And how does the rest of the neighbourhood, which I'm assuming looks a lot like the "before" picture of the chosen house, react to a dream home in their midst? Does the jealousy make them crazy? Do people try to break in to steal all the flat-screened TVs? (There was one EHM where 8 siblings were living together after their parents had both died, and the show gave them a WALL of EIGHT flat-screened TVs, so everyone could have their own. A little overboard, no?)
The other problem with these shows is that they create the "want." Suddenly I find myself wondering why I don't have a double-sided fireplace that can be seen from inside or outside the house. And where is my family-sized bathtub? (Although, I haven't taken custody of my three nieces to save them from dirty hair and lack of schooling...)
It might be time to buy a lottery ticket and start praying. But first: saltwater gargle. Again.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a little bit more
Spent today: $0
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Let's hear it for the boy
The boyfriend did a lovely thing for me today. We were out running errands and ended up at our favourite magazine store, browsing the racks. It's a good month for mags, because the March issues look big and healthy after anemic January and February issues. I was jonesing to give one a good home. Particularly since my early morning trip to the laundry room revealed a tragic turn of events - the free magazine table is GONE! So sad. I can only hope that people will just keep bringing them down and leave them IN the laundry room, rather than outside by the elevator.
Anyway, back to my longing.
We were just getting ready to go and the boyfriend says, "Not buying anything?" And I answered, "No, I'm going to be good. Besides it's just not in the budget this week." Well, he totally pulled out his wallet and handed me some money so I could make one the mags my very own. Isn't that sweet?
Some of you may not think this is a big deal. In fact, maybe some of you think he should buy me things, just because that's what boyfriends are supposed to do. I totally disagree. In fact, for the most part I try to keep things as even as possible. I don't want him to take me out on fancy, expensive dates, because I can't do the same in return for him. Of course, it can't help but get a little unbalanced at times, simply because his financial situation is healthier than mine, but in general I think we keep things in check.
My biggest fear is that he will in any way resent the amount of money he spends on me and feel that I'm not appreciative of it or that I expect it. That just creates tension, which can lead to a whole bunch of other problems. Besides, he's been so generous by giving me an interest-free loan to help me climb out of my own personal financial hell that I could never bear for him to feel like I'm treating him like a money tree.
I seem to recall chatting with a group of women once and I was lamenting about some dress that I couldn't afford. (Surprise, surprise!) And one of the women, someone I didn't know well, said, "Make your boyfriend buy it for you." I think my jaw hit the ground! Do people really feel this way? And do men actually date women that feel this way?
Rant over. I just wanted to tell you about how sweet the boyfriend is. It was a small thing that meant a great deal to me on this February afternoon.
Today's money was spent on a few more groceries, some insoles (The chewed up ones in my boots are getting uncomfortable to walk on.) and a cup of tea.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $7-ish
Anyway, back to my longing.
We were just getting ready to go and the boyfriend says, "Not buying anything?" And I answered, "No, I'm going to be good. Besides it's just not in the budget this week." Well, he totally pulled out his wallet and handed me some money so I could make one the mags my very own. Isn't that sweet?
Some of you may not think this is a big deal. In fact, maybe some of you think he should buy me things, just because that's what boyfriends are supposed to do. I totally disagree. In fact, for the most part I try to keep things as even as possible. I don't want him to take me out on fancy, expensive dates, because I can't do the same in return for him. Of course, it can't help but get a little unbalanced at times, simply because his financial situation is healthier than mine, but in general I think we keep things in check.
My biggest fear is that he will in any way resent the amount of money he spends on me and feel that I'm not appreciative of it or that I expect it. That just creates tension, which can lead to a whole bunch of other problems. Besides, he's been so generous by giving me an interest-free loan to help me climb out of my own personal financial hell that I could never bear for him to feel like I'm treating him like a money tree.
I seem to recall chatting with a group of women once and I was lamenting about some dress that I couldn't afford. (Surprise, surprise!) And one of the women, someone I didn't know well, said, "Make your boyfriend buy it for you." I think my jaw hit the ground! Do people really feel this way? And do men actually date women that feel this way?
Rant over. I just wanted to tell you about how sweet the boyfriend is. It was a small thing that meant a great deal to me on this February afternoon.
Today's money was spent on a few more groceries, some insoles (The chewed up ones in my boots are getting uncomfortable to walk on.) and a cup of tea.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $7-ish
Saturday, February 9, 2008
When I pulled out my credit card the other day, I seem to have broken some sort of seal... Let me explain.
During my run on the treadmill today, I could not ignore the bit of pain I was feeling in one of my knees, plus my back. A sure sign, my friends, that it's time for new sneakers. I've been wearing my current ones for just over a year now, which is really far too long. But since I haven't been doing a lot of running, but more cross-training with classes and things, I wasn't too worried. Besides, they still felt okay, despite the fact that they were not my normal Asics, but rather a pair of New Balance that I picked up really cheap in New York City last January.
(In a foolish attempt to pack lightly, I went to NYC with nary a pair of running shoes in sight. The blisters after my first full day of walking in my boots forced me to find a Footlocker. And fast!)
So I took a trip downtown to scope out some on-sale kicks. (This is what the "kids" call them, don't cha know.) Again, since I'm not running extensively, I was determined not to get sucked into the Running Room, but rather get a decent pair for a decent price.
Did you know that there aren't that many places to buy athletic shoes in the Eaton Centre? The department stores only seem to carry about five styles each, most of which are more suited to old lady stability than looking cool at the gym. Weird, for such a big mall.
While I did see some Reeboks and Sauconys in the $40-$60 range, I can't shake the feeling that that isn't expensive enough for a good pair of running shoes. Is that weird? Does anyone else feel that way? Or do you think we're just programmed to feel that way by greedy corporations? In the end I opted for a pair of my trusty Asics on sale from $129.99 to $89.99, bringing the total to $101.69. That went on the credit card. The credit card which is suddenly getting closer to $200...
Never mind, I do have that extra paycheck this coming week. And even after I pay off the credit card, plus make a loan payment to the boyfriend and put aside food money, I'll still be able to make a sizable extra payment on the big loan. Although, less than I had originally hoped for.
There were various other spendy moments in my day, starting with $4.52 for a VDay card for the boyfriend (When did cards become so pricey?), $8.39 at the drugstore for unavoidable womanly supplies (Not the good kind of supplies, either. Just the necessary. Ladies, don't you think we should get some sort of tax break from the government for tampons?) and two splurges: $6.09 for a dvd and $3.51 for a chai latte at Starbucks. Sigh. A fairly pricey day in the end. I'm going to have to have a few "spend nothing" days this week in order to make up for it.
Total debt: $10,500 and a bit more
Spent today: $22.51 (and the $101.69 on credit)
During my run on the treadmill today, I could not ignore the bit of pain I was feeling in one of my knees, plus my back. A sure sign, my friends, that it's time for new sneakers. I've been wearing my current ones for just over a year now, which is really far too long. But since I haven't been doing a lot of running, but more cross-training with classes and things, I wasn't too worried. Besides, they still felt okay, despite the fact that they were not my normal Asics, but rather a pair of New Balance that I picked up really cheap in New York City last January.
(In a foolish attempt to pack lightly, I went to NYC with nary a pair of running shoes in sight. The blisters after my first full day of walking in my boots forced me to find a Footlocker. And fast!)
So I took a trip downtown to scope out some on-sale kicks. (This is what the "kids" call them, don't cha know.) Again, since I'm not running extensively, I was determined not to get sucked into the Running Room, but rather get a decent pair for a decent price.
Did you know that there aren't that many places to buy athletic shoes in the Eaton Centre? The department stores only seem to carry about five styles each, most of which are more suited to old lady stability than looking cool at the gym. Weird, for such a big mall.
While I did see some Reeboks and Sauconys in the $40-$60 range, I can't shake the feeling that that isn't expensive enough for a good pair of running shoes. Is that weird? Does anyone else feel that way? Or do you think we're just programmed to feel that way by greedy corporations? In the end I opted for a pair of my trusty Asics on sale from $129.99 to $89.99, bringing the total to $101.69. That went on the credit card. The credit card which is suddenly getting closer to $200...
Never mind, I do have that extra paycheck this coming week. And even after I pay off the credit card, plus make a loan payment to the boyfriend and put aside food money, I'll still be able to make a sizable extra payment on the big loan. Although, less than I had originally hoped for.
There were various other spendy moments in my day, starting with $4.52 for a VDay card for the boyfriend (When did cards become so pricey?), $8.39 at the drugstore for unavoidable womanly supplies (Not the good kind of supplies, either. Just the necessary. Ladies, don't you think we should get some sort of tax break from the government for tampons?) and two splurges: $6.09 for a dvd and $3.51 for a chai latte at Starbucks. Sigh. A fairly pricey day in the end. I'm going to have to have a few "spend nothing" days this week in order to make up for it.
Total debt: $10,500 and a bit more
Spent today: $22.51 (and the $101.69 on credit)
Friday, February 8, 2008
Warning - boring post ahead
Guess what the boyfriend and I did tonight? (Okay, first of all get your mind out of the gutter. I wouldn't be blogging about that! Although that is free, so it fits into the budget very well.) Being the young, exciting couple that we are, unfettered by familial obligations... we went grocery shopping.
I know, right? Pretty damned lame.
But there is a definite advantage to grocery shopping on the day that my budget resets. It gives me a much clearer idea of how much money I have for the rest of the week. Of course, I can never make it through the week without having to buy some more food, but at least I've got a ballpark figure.
Ummmm... I was really hoping I could turn the grocery shopping into an entertaining post, but it's just not happening. So really readers, that's all I've got to say.
Oh, and now I'm watching the season premiere of "What Not to Wear" on TLC while the boyfriend hides in the office. This is life on a budget.
Total debt: $10,500 and a bit more
Spent today: $46-ish
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Charge it!
Guys, it finally happened. For the first time since I started this blog, I broke out the credit card. Wait! Hear me out!!
My lunch plans fell through. I was supposed to hang out with one of my friends at work who I don't get to see often enough anymore, but her morning commute was considerably longer than usual, due to the storm last night. So she needed to work through lunch. (Not that I'm blaming her!)
I didn't have my gym stuff with me, because why lug a big bag of stuff if it's not going to be used? So that was out of the question...
Yes. I ended up at the stores. The drugstore, in particular.
I love browsing through a drugstore. There's a bit of everything! The beauty department, the glossy mags, the seasonal aisle... Love it all. And, oh! I'm almost out of multi-vitamins. And this morning I read this. And even though I have no plans to get pregnant in the next year, it causes me to check the amount of folic acid in all of the regular multi-vitamins. And there's basically none. So then I consider buying a regular multi-vitamin plus a folic acid supplement, but that will be more expensive and will mean more pills to swallow every morning. The only budget-friendly thing to do is buy the pre-natal vitamins, which feels really weird. Seriously. When I took them to the cash, the woman in front of me actually looked at my belly! (Note to self - ixnay on the ookiecays.)
Now I have to explain my choice to the boyfriend...
Since I've already decided that I'm going to be charging the vitamins, I decide to look at the seasonal section. Next Thursday is that incredibly commercial day that celebrates love in all its forms. Not that I'm shitting on VDay! I am way too much of a romantic to do so. I am, however, shitting a little on all the CRAP that gets produced for this day. I mean, I know everyone is different and some people want 3-foot tall pink teddy bears holding crushed velvet roses, but I don't understand why. What do people do with the oversized stuffed animals on February 15th? I'll tell you. They put them in the basement until their next garage sale and then they sell them for 50 cents. It's just ridiculous.
I may have purchased a little treat for the boyfriend. I don't want to say too much, since he may read this before then, but I can assure you it was not a pink teddy bear.
But we had decided to give each other small gifts for VDay, so the treat led me to look for the gift. And I found what I wanted. So then I had to charge that.
All in all, not a great budget day. I did have $13 still in my account, so I made sure to put that right on my credit card when I got home. Plus that extra paycheck next week will allow me to pay off the $45-ish that I now owe on my credit card, without too much of a dent.
Ah well. I never said I was perfect! But tomorrow my budget resets at $90, so it's another chance to make you all proud.
Total debt: $10,500 and a bit more
Spent today: $44.94
Weekly total: $134.51
My lunch plans fell through. I was supposed to hang out with one of my friends at work who I don't get to see often enough anymore, but her morning commute was considerably longer than usual, due to the storm last night. So she needed to work through lunch. (Not that I'm blaming her!)
I didn't have my gym stuff with me, because why lug a big bag of stuff if it's not going to be used? So that was out of the question...
Yes. I ended up at the stores. The drugstore, in particular.
I love browsing through a drugstore. There's a bit of everything! The beauty department, the glossy mags, the seasonal aisle... Love it all. And, oh! I'm almost out of multi-vitamins. And this morning I read this. And even though I have no plans to get pregnant in the next year, it causes me to check the amount of folic acid in all of the regular multi-vitamins. And there's basically none. So then I consider buying a regular multi-vitamin plus a folic acid supplement, but that will be more expensive and will mean more pills to swallow every morning. The only budget-friendly thing to do is buy the pre-natal vitamins, which feels really weird. Seriously. When I took them to the cash, the woman in front of me actually looked at my belly! (Note to self - ixnay on the ookiecays.)
Now I have to explain my choice to the boyfriend...
Since I've already decided that I'm going to be charging the vitamins, I decide to look at the seasonal section. Next Thursday is that incredibly commercial day that celebrates love in all its forms. Not that I'm shitting on VDay! I am way too much of a romantic to do so. I am, however, shitting a little on all the CRAP that gets produced for this day. I mean, I know everyone is different and some people want 3-foot tall pink teddy bears holding crushed velvet roses, but I don't understand why. What do people do with the oversized stuffed animals on February 15th? I'll tell you. They put them in the basement until their next garage sale and then they sell them for 50 cents. It's just ridiculous.
I may have purchased a little treat for the boyfriend. I don't want to say too much, since he may read this before then, but I can assure you it was not a pink teddy bear.
But we had decided to give each other small gifts for VDay, so the treat led me to look for the gift. And I found what I wanted. So then I had to charge that.
All in all, not a great budget day. I did have $13 still in my account, so I made sure to put that right on my credit card when I got home. Plus that extra paycheck next week will allow me to pay off the $45-ish that I now owe on my credit card, without too much of a dent.
Ah well. I never said I was perfect! But tomorrow my budget resets at $90, so it's another chance to make you all proud.
Total debt: $10,500 and a bit more
Spent today: $44.94
Weekly total: $134.51
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The world wide want
Staying out of the stores hasn't been too hard. Going to the gym during lunch has helped, plus I've just been shopped out since the holidays. (And I have you, my lovely blog readers, to keep me on track!)
Now don't worry! I haven't given in and purchased any of the very cute spring clothes, even though the dollar is still strong. Even though I love to get mail, so cute clothes in the mail is kind of a perfect day for me. Honestly, these two sites are both too pricey for me, even when I'm off the budget. But I dream of the day I might be able to click and consume.
But the world wide web is a whole other story...
There are lots and lots and lots of really gorgeous clothes online. And sometimes I just can't stop myself from a little browsing. My two favourite spots:
Now don't worry! I haven't given in and purchased any of the very cute spring clothes, even though the dollar is still strong. Even though I love to get mail, so cute clothes in the mail is kind of a perfect day for me. Honestly, these two sites are both too pricey for me, even when I'm off the budget. But I dream of the day I might be able to click and consume. Plus spring is around the corner and I'm going to need a few things... First I'll have to do a good inventory of what I've got, so I can get some serious bang for my buck.
Tell me, do you feel that a new season calls for new clothes? Or do you just make do with what you wore last year? (And the year before...)
Went out for Shrove Wednesday with some dear old friends tonight. (They're not old, but our friendships are getting up there in age!) I realize that it's Ash Wednesday, but we couldn't get together for pancakes yesterday, so we did so tonight. Breakfast for dinner - my favourite!
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $17
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now
I popped into Shoppers Drug Mart on my lunch today, to pick up some trail mix to add to the salad that I brought for lunch. It already had chicken in it, but since I was just coming from the gym, I felt it needed a bit more oomph. (I was hungry, is what I'm trying to say. Hungrier than a salad seemed equipped to handle.)
Anyway, I ended up being served at SDM by this lovely cashier whose name, according to her name tag, is Bernice. Bernice, bless her heart, appeared to be approximately 100 years old. I mean, I have no idea how old a SDM employee can be, but I'm fairly certain that Bernice surpassed the age limit at least five years ago. And while she wasn't the fastest cashier I've ever encountered, she did have an infectious smile and an actual twinkle in her eye.
(She also had every fingernail painted a different colour, so I suspect she hangs out in the the beauty department when it's not busy.)
My few moments with her sort of reminded me to slow down a bit, because life just goes by way too fast.
My other thought was: I need to get rid of this debt and start building up some RRSPs, so that I don't have to work when I'm 100!
Oh, it's true. I am almost 32 and a half and have no RRSPs. I did have some at one point. My unionized jobs - both performing and at the arts organization - provided me with a good start, but I cashed them in a few years ago when I realized that I was paying far more interest on my debt than I was making on the investments.
And commercials touting RRSPs are designed to scare people like me by pointing out that no matter how many millions we contribute at this stage, we're still going to end up having to eat cat food to survive. I can't even think about it too much, since it keeps me up at night.
But I still liked Bernice. She brought a bit of personality into my day.
FYI, after all the bills were paid and the IOU to the boyfriend was repaid, I still found an extra $20 in the budget! So I had a bit of a splurge tonight, since I am home alone. I spent $6.09 on a DVD - The Jane Austen Book Club, which I enjoyed! I also picked up a few more groceries, since I can never do it all in one trip.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $18.71
Anyway, I ended up being served at SDM by this lovely cashier whose name, according to her name tag, is Bernice. Bernice, bless her heart, appeared to be approximately 100 years old. I mean, I have no idea how old a SDM employee can be, but I'm fairly certain that Bernice surpassed the age limit at least five years ago. And while she wasn't the fastest cashier I've ever encountered, she did have an infectious smile and an actual twinkle in her eye.
(She also had every fingernail painted a different colour, so I suspect she hangs out in the the beauty department when it's not busy.)
My few moments with her sort of reminded me to slow down a bit, because life just goes by way too fast.
My other thought was: I need to get rid of this debt and start building up some RRSPs, so that I don't have to work when I'm 100!
Oh, it's true. I am almost 32 and a half and have no RRSPs. I did have some at one point. My unionized jobs - both performing and at the arts organization - provided me with a good start, but I cashed them in a few years ago when I realized that I was paying far more interest on my debt than I was making on the investments.
And commercials touting RRSPs are designed to scare people like me by pointing out that no matter how many millions we contribute at this stage, we're still going to end up having to eat cat food to survive. I can't even think about it too much, since it keeps me up at night.
But I still liked Bernice. She brought a bit of personality into my day.
FYI, after all the bills were paid and the IOU to the boyfriend was repaid, I still found an extra $20 in the budget! So I had a bit of a splurge tonight, since I am home alone. I spent $6.09 on a DVD - The Jane Austen Book Club, which I enjoyed! I also picked up a few more groceries, since I can never do it all in one trip.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $18.71
Monday, February 4, 2008
The high cost of living
In case you hadn't already come to this conclusion yourself: Bills suck!
This is the one part about being a grown-up that they don't make a Fisher Price toy to replicate. They make toy cell phones and small plastic kitchens. You can create an entire grocery store and fill it with inedible food so children can take turns buying and charging each other for sustenance. There are even small motorized vehicles made for people who are too young to know how to spell their last name. (But don't get me started on those. The boyfriend likes to laugh at my rage during those segments on "America's Funniest Home Videos.")
But there are no toy creditors. You can't buy a set to play "corporation."
The hydro bill came in the mail. And I'm not upset because it's so astronomical, because it isn't. I'm upset because our experiment to cut down on our hydro use seems to have failed. After far too many years of having my computer on 24/7, I've finally taken to shutting it down at night. We also turn off both of the power bars in the office every evening, not turning them back on until we return home from work the following evening. I thought for sure that this would make a difference. But somehow we ended up using a tiny bit more hydro. I'm blaming it on Christmas lights and the fact that it's dark a lot this time of year, and I don't like to sit in a dark, or even dim, room. Maybe we'll see better results come spring.
The other bill that pissed us off today was from everyone's favourite evil telecommunications company - Bell. There was a mysterious new $8 charge on our bill for bandwidth usage, or something like that. The boyfriend called to find out what that is, and it's all about the amount of things we download or upload from our computers. (Maybe you already knew this, but we did not.) We only get a certain amount of stuff before they start charging. And apparently Facebook requires a lot of bandwidth, from looking at people's photos and videos, and uploading your own. I also love to watch movie trailers online, which apparently uses bandwidth.
Once you know what it is, it totally makes sense. But the boyfriend fought the charge on the grounds that we were not informed that we had to pay for such a thing. And the Bell guy happily removed it, which is good on one hand, but on the other hand it's like they're admitting that we caught them trying to be totally sneaky and underhanded. And then they used the opportunity to try to sell us more bandwidth per month. They're such crooks.
Can I just go back to playing house rather than keeping one?
Today was going to be a "Spend Nothing Monday," but then I remembered that we had to grocery shop. Oops.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $36.86
This is the one part about being a grown-up that they don't make a Fisher Price toy to replicate. They make toy cell phones and small plastic kitchens. You can create an entire grocery store and fill it with inedible food so children can take turns buying and charging each other for sustenance. There are even small motorized vehicles made for people who are too young to know how to spell their last name. (But don't get me started on those. The boyfriend likes to laugh at my rage during those segments on "America's Funniest Home Videos.")
But there are no toy creditors. You can't buy a set to play "corporation."
The hydro bill came in the mail. And I'm not upset because it's so astronomical, because it isn't. I'm upset because our experiment to cut down on our hydro use seems to have failed. After far too many years of having my computer on 24/7, I've finally taken to shutting it down at night. We also turn off both of the power bars in the office every evening, not turning them back on until we return home from work the following evening. I thought for sure that this would make a difference. But somehow we ended up using a tiny bit more hydro. I'm blaming it on Christmas lights and the fact that it's dark a lot this time of year, and I don't like to sit in a dark, or even dim, room. Maybe we'll see better results come spring.
The other bill that pissed us off today was from everyone's favourite evil telecommunications company - Bell. There was a mysterious new $8 charge on our bill for bandwidth usage, or something like that. The boyfriend called to find out what that is, and it's all about the amount of things we download or upload from our computers. (Maybe you already knew this, but we did not.) We only get a certain amount of stuff before they start charging. And apparently Facebook requires a lot of bandwidth, from looking at people's photos and videos, and uploading your own. I also love to watch movie trailers online, which apparently uses bandwidth.
Once you know what it is, it totally makes sense. But the boyfriend fought the charge on the grounds that we were not informed that we had to pay for such a thing. And the Bell guy happily removed it, which is good on one hand, but on the other hand it's like they're admitting that we caught them trying to be totally sneaky and underhanded. And then they used the opportunity to try to sell us more bandwidth per month. They're such crooks.
Can I just go back to playing house rather than keeping one?
Today was going to be a "Spend Nothing Monday," but then I remembered that we had to grocery shop. Oops.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $36.86
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Ikea: Swedish for "Holy shit that guy is taking our chair!"
As you can probably guess from the title of this missive, we took a trip to Ikea today. We went with a specific mission - to buy the Stockholm armchair (weird name, because it has no arms) in blad brown. We (and by "we," I mean "I") have had our eye on the chair ever since we got our couch back in the fall. I was sure it would add a much needed bit of pattern to our living room, elevating our expanse of blonde Ikea wood to a more stylish plane of, well, Ikea chic.
We got a very generous gift card from my father and stepmom for Christmas, so it was high time we made the trek and bought the chair.
Transit was our transportation of choice, because the boyfriend's car - I call it Chuck - has finally entered the last leg of its life. Like many old guys, it no longer has control of its bladder, preferring to leak coolant willy nilly rather than holding it in.
We head north and get off at Leslie Station to wait for the Ikea shuttle. This was annoying, because we could clearly see the entrance to Ikea in the not-too far distance, but rather than creating a path between the subway and the door, they've covered a small bus with giants ads. For Ikea. I was very surprised that the little TV inside the bus wasn't playing a loop of particle board porn.
(I was also concerned that we all acted like sheep and just got on this random bus covered with Ikea ads. Sometimes humans just don't seem the least bit wise to me. Myself included.)
We walked through the showroom, but tried not to linger, since we didn't want our entire day to be swallowed up with beautifully presented rooms that we cannot have. Sometimes I like to inhabit each room, imagining what the people who live there would be like, but then I get struck by "the want," which can take my mood from sunny to sad in about 10 seconds flat.
We located the chair and discovered it was a "Please talk to a sales associate" kind of purchase rather than a "locate aisle D-4, which will inexplicably be after F-2 and before B-7, and hope like hell you can find the box with the right Swedish-named bookshelf in the right shade of wood-colour" kind of purchase. So we find a guy who looks young enough that he probably doesn't understand more than 35% of what happens on "Family Guy." We point at the chair and he prints us off a purchase order for a total of $84.98.
People, the cost of the chair is $349. I point this out to him and he seems confused. He walks over to the chair to look at the tag, because apparently he has cause to believe that it could be $84.98. He's completely stumped! So then I suggest that maybe he's printed us out an order for just the chair cover, rather than the actual chair and the chair cover. Bingo! He prints a new order form for us and we go on our merry way, sincerely hoping that he's learning some sort of trade in school.
Ikea intermission! And you know what that means...lunch!
Yes, we make our way to the Ikea restaurant where we marvel over the fact that anyone would dare purchase a shrimp and egg sandwich from a warehouse selling mass-produced furniture.
A quick tour of the marketplace, including one impulse buy of a $5 package of wooden hangers, and we're ready to buy our chair! Now, there had been some discussion about how we were going to get it home. We planned to pay for delivery, but after seeing it on the floor, the boyfriend decides we can carry it on the subway. I'm not so confident about this plan, but agree to find out how big and how heavy the box is. (There's surprisingly little assembly work involved with this particular purchase.)
Thank goodness we asked the competent warehouse staff for help, because the boy genius in the showroom had given us a purchase order for the blad multicolour version of the chair. What an idiot.
So now we're approaching the cash, having agreed that a mini-van cab would be the most economical way to get our new chair home, when we take a little detour to the As Is section.
What's that? (Cue swelling music with triumphant horns.) It's our chair!!!
Seriously. Front and centre in the As Is section is our chair with a few dirty marks on it. Nothing heinous, but definitely not brand spanking new. We discuss. You see, the cover can come off and be dry cleaned.
What's the price? you ask. Drumroll please...
$226.95!! More than $100 off!!!
How can we not buy it? Not only is it a great deal, but I realize it will make a great story for this blog. Oh joy, oh rapture unforseen.
I head to the back of the section to procure some help. We need someone to explain how we remove the cover and provide us with the correct Allan key. While I'm waiting, I glance over and see the boyfriend chatting with some random dude who is turning our chair over. I assume the friendly stranger is trying to help the boyfriend figure out how to take the bottom off so the cover can be removed, so I look back to the As Is guy. I'm so naive. The next thing I hear is the boyfriend saying, "That's our chair!" Dude has picked up our chair and is trying to leave!
Everyone else flees the As Is section.
There is a brief confrontation where the dude tries employing the fifth-grade logic of "you weren't holding it," but the boyfriend counters with the much more rational "do you really want to make a scene?" and the very necessary "I'm not letting go." Thankfully the dude's wife came along and talked him down from his sale-induced mania. But it was very tense for a few minutes.
Anyway, long story a little less long, our chair arrived home in one piece. (Although the security footage of the two of us trying to wrap it at the paper and tape station may become a highlight of Ikea's annual "Customers are clueless" wine and cheese party.) The Tide-to-go pen has already erased a few of the marks and may be all we need for the rest of them. The gift certificate covered the ENTIRE cost of the chair, making this a very happy day for a in-debt blogger like myself.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $5 (On lunch. But I do have an IOU to the boyfriend for $30, covering some of the cab costs and some drugstore stuff we purchased today.)
We got a very generous gift card from my father and stepmom for Christmas, so it was high time we made the trek and bought the chair.
Transit was our transportation of choice, because the boyfriend's car - I call it Chuck - has finally entered the last leg of its life. Like many old guys, it no longer has control of its bladder, preferring to leak coolant willy nilly rather than holding it in.
We head north and get off at Leslie Station to wait for the Ikea shuttle. This was annoying, because we could clearly see the entrance to Ikea in the not-too far distance, but rather than creating a path between the subway and the door, they've covered a small bus with giants ads. For Ikea. I was very surprised that the little TV inside the bus wasn't playing a loop of particle board porn.
(I was also concerned that we all acted like sheep and just got on this random bus covered with Ikea ads. Sometimes humans just don't seem the least bit wise to me. Myself included.)
We walked through the showroom, but tried not to linger, since we didn't want our entire day to be swallowed up with beautifully presented rooms that we cannot have. Sometimes I like to inhabit each room, imagining what the people who live there would be like, but then I get struck by "the want," which can take my mood from sunny to sad in about 10 seconds flat.
We located the chair and discovered it was a "Please talk to a sales associate" kind of purchase rather than a "locate aisle D-4, which will inexplicably be after F-2 and before B-7, and hope like hell you can find the box with the right Swedish-named bookshelf in the right shade of wood-colour" kind of purchase. So we find a guy who looks young enough that he probably doesn't understand more than 35% of what happens on "Family Guy." We point at the chair and he prints us off a purchase order for a total of $84.98.
People, the cost of the chair is $349. I point this out to him and he seems confused. He walks over to the chair to look at the tag, because apparently he has cause to believe that it could be $84.98. He's completely stumped! So then I suggest that maybe he's printed us out an order for just the chair cover, rather than the actual chair and the chair cover. Bingo! He prints a new order form for us and we go on our merry way, sincerely hoping that he's learning some sort of trade in school.
Ikea intermission! And you know what that means...lunch!
Yes, we make our way to the Ikea restaurant where we marvel over the fact that anyone would dare purchase a shrimp and egg sandwich from a warehouse selling mass-produced furniture.
A quick tour of the marketplace, including one impulse buy of a $5 package of wooden hangers, and we're ready to buy our chair! Now, there had been some discussion about how we were going to get it home. We planned to pay for delivery, but after seeing it on the floor, the boyfriend decides we can carry it on the subway. I'm not so confident about this plan, but agree to find out how big and how heavy the box is. (There's surprisingly little assembly work involved with this particular purchase.)
Thank goodness we asked the competent warehouse staff for help, because the boy genius in the showroom had given us a purchase order for the blad multicolour version of the chair. What an idiot.
So now we're approaching the cash, having agreed that a mini-van cab would be the most economical way to get our new chair home, when we take a little detour to the As Is section.
What's that? (Cue swelling music with triumphant horns.) It's our chair!!!
Seriously. Front and centre in the As Is section is our chair with a few dirty marks on it. Nothing heinous, but definitely not brand spanking new. We discuss. You see, the cover can come off and be dry cleaned.
What's the price? you ask. Drumroll please...
$226.95!! More than $100 off!!!
How can we not buy it? Not only is it a great deal, but I realize it will make a great story for this blog. Oh joy, oh rapture unforseen.
I head to the back of the section to procure some help. We need someone to explain how we remove the cover and provide us with the correct Allan key. While I'm waiting, I glance over and see the boyfriend chatting with some random dude who is turning our chair over. I assume the friendly stranger is trying to help the boyfriend figure out how to take the bottom off so the cover can be removed, so I look back to the As Is guy. I'm so naive. The next thing I hear is the boyfriend saying, "That's our chair!" Dude has picked up our chair and is trying to leave!
Everyone else flees the As Is section.
There is a brief confrontation where the dude tries employing the fifth-grade logic of "you weren't holding it," but the boyfriend counters with the much more rational "do you really want to make a scene?" and the very necessary "I'm not letting go." Thankfully the dude's wife came along and talked him down from his sale-induced mania. But it was very tense for a few minutes.
Anyway, long story a little less long, our chair arrived home in one piece. (Although the security footage of the two of us trying to wrap it at the paper and tape station may become a highlight of Ikea's annual "Customers are clueless" wine and cheese party.) The Tide-to-go pen has already erased a few of the marks and may be all we need for the rest of them. The gift certificate covered the ENTIRE cost of the chair, making this a very happy day for a in-debt blogger like myself.
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more
Spent today: $5 (On lunch. But I do have an IOU to the boyfriend for $30, covering some of the cab costs and some drugstore stuff we purchased today.)
Saturday, February 2, 2008
It's a very nice beginning
I went to the theatre this evening, to see "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Gosh, it had been far too long since I'd seen a show. And money plays a big part of that.
Sure, this city offers a lot of pay-what-you-can performances, but they're not always the ones I want to see. And anything playing in the big theatres is so freaking expensive, even if you want to sit a block away from the stage.
So the thoughtful boyfriend (Same person as the other one I mention, just with a preceding adjective this time.) gave me a gift certificate towards this show at Christmas. (He didn't want to buy us tickets, because then he'd have to go and see the show. And while he has indulged my love of music theatre many times, this just wasn't going to be one of them.) I went with a friend, who is also an ex-theatre professional, and we laughed our asses off! It was very, very funny. They had four members of the audience in the show! Priceless. Sadly the theatre was a bit barren, which is such a shame, but we used it to our advantage and moved down into much more expensive seats than we'd paid for. Score!
I'm not good at breaking the law in any way, though, so I did worry the entire time that they were going to bust us.
They totally didn't.
Anyway, while I was getting ready this afternoon, I grabbed an old cast album to listen to. It was this show called "Once on this Island," which was on Broadway a couple of years after my love affair with the art form began. The first couple of numbers are really upbeat and fun, so I was putting on my makeup, feeling the joy of blasting my music. (The boyfriend was not at home. I try not to torture him with too much Broadway.) The third song caught me off guard. I mean, I know it's third on the CD and have known forever, but I just didn't think about it today.
It's called "Waiting for Life," and it was my song in 1994. I sang it for my theatre school audition and for my final recital in Ottawa. It's a big sing and has this optimistic message that perfectly fit who I was at 18. And this afternoon I felt like reliving it.
So I turned the volume up even higher, pushed thoughts of the neighbours right out of my head, and sang my heart out.
It was awesome.
For a moment or two, I could actually feel what it felt like 14 years ago. I could remember seeing my entire life ahead of me, full of possibilities. That's what I get out of music theatre. I can only hope that everyone in this world has a passion for something that can make them feel like that.
When all this is said and done, and I've finally paid everything off, I am going to become a theatre subscriber and see a whole bunch of shows. It's going to be great.
As for spending money, I wandered through Eaton Centre with the boyfriend, helping him pick out some new clothes, but I bought nothing. I can't say it was easy or that I didn't pity myself, but I stuck to my guns. We did, however, have dinner out before the show. But we shared, so it was pretty inexpensive. (Mmmmm...coconut shrimp...)
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more.
Spent today: $12
Sure, this city offers a lot of pay-what-you-can performances, but they're not always the ones I want to see. And anything playing in the big theatres is so freaking expensive, even if you want to sit a block away from the stage.
So the thoughtful boyfriend (Same person as the other one I mention, just with a preceding adjective this time.) gave me a gift certificate towards this show at Christmas. (He didn't want to buy us tickets, because then he'd have to go and see the show. And while he has indulged my love of music theatre many times, this just wasn't going to be one of them.) I went with a friend, who is also an ex-theatre professional, and we laughed our asses off! It was very, very funny. They had four members of the audience in the show! Priceless. Sadly the theatre was a bit barren, which is such a shame, but we used it to our advantage and moved down into much more expensive seats than we'd paid for. Score!
I'm not good at breaking the law in any way, though, so I did worry the entire time that they were going to bust us.
They totally didn't.
Anyway, while I was getting ready this afternoon, I grabbed an old cast album to listen to. It was this show called "Once on this Island," which was on Broadway a couple of years after my love affair with the art form began. The first couple of numbers are really upbeat and fun, so I was putting on my makeup, feeling the joy of blasting my music. (The boyfriend was not at home. I try not to torture him with too much Broadway.) The third song caught me off guard. I mean, I know it's third on the CD and have known forever, but I just didn't think about it today.
It's called "Waiting for Life," and it was my song in 1994. I sang it for my theatre school audition and for my final recital in Ottawa. It's a big sing and has this optimistic message that perfectly fit who I was at 18. And this afternoon I felt like reliving it.
So I turned the volume up even higher, pushed thoughts of the neighbours right out of my head, and sang my heart out.
It was awesome.
For a moment or two, I could actually feel what it felt like 14 years ago. I could remember seeing my entire life ahead of me, full of possibilities. That's what I get out of music theatre. I can only hope that everyone in this world has a passion for something that can make them feel like that.
When all this is said and done, and I've finally paid everything off, I am going to become a theatre subscriber and see a whole bunch of shows. It's going to be great.
As for spending money, I wandered through Eaton Centre with the boyfriend, helping him pick out some new clothes, but I bought nothing. I can't say it was easy or that I didn't pity myself, but I stuck to my guns. We did, however, have dinner out before the show. But we shared, so it was pretty inexpensive. (Mmmmm...coconut shrimp...)
Total debt: $10,500 plus a bit more.
Spent today: $12
Friday, February 1, 2008
Snow day
Payday! (The first of three this month. Ain't life grand.)
If you are reading this from the greater Toronto area, or if you've seen a national newscast in the last 24 hours, you are aware that the city has ushered in February with a big dump of snow. Enough that I chose not to wedge myself onto a subway, but rather stay cozy in my loungey pants, working remotely. Ah, working from home! It always seems like such a good idea...
And then the boyfriend leaves for work. And still it's okay for a bit. I make myself a cup of tea and think, "I'm drinking my tea in my loungey pants on a workday!" And I settle in to get started on things. I must admit, I am very productive when I work from home. Maybe it's because deep down I feel guilty that I'm not at the office with everyone else, so I work extra hard to compensate.
Anyway, suddenly noon will roll around and I'll realize that still being in my loungey pants with unbrushed teeth is starting to feel gross, so I'll shower and put on some real clothes. But then that always feels kind of weird, because I'm rarely dressed in real clothes at home. (Ask the boyfriend - he'll tell you.)
By early afternoon I start to feel despondent. I am a very social person (Growing up I never received a report card that DIDN'T say "social butterfly" on it.) I require interaction. By the time 5pm rolls around, I start counting down until the boyfriend comes home, because even phone calls aren't enough at this point. I need an audience! Sad, but true.
Only the boyfriend was heading out to a movie with a friend tonight - a movie I wasn't interested in spending any of my budget on - so I was doomed to spend many more hours alone before I could breathe the fresh air that interaction brings.
I decided that actual fresh air would have to do. And would likely be good for me. Besides, I was desperate to go to the grocery store, because my cookie-baking urge could not be squashed. So I bundled up and headed out into the winter wonderland. And it was really pretty outside. And I was really happy to be out of the apartment. And I was perhaps a little overly friendly with the cashier at the grocery store, because she was the only person-to-person contact I'd had since 8:30am this morning.
(You know, like many people who write for a living, I harbour a not-so-secret fantasy about writing full-time from home. Preferably witty novels that get optioned into Hollywood screenplays that all the young starlets fight over. How I would manage being alone all day every day with only my cat for company is beyond me. Particularly since my cat requires a lot of attention and isn't all that good at giving me the attention I need and deserve.)
(Maybe I shouldn't have children...)
Back at home, post-dinner, waiting for the butter to soften so I can fulfill my cookie baking and eating needs, I hear the key in the lock. It's the boyfriend!! He's home to drop his stuff off and brush his teeth before his outing, so I only get about 20 minutes tops. I am filled with glee and proceed to dance around the apartment like a maniac, releasing all my pent-up energy. He smiles nervously and runs away....I mean leaves...to see the movie.
I'm pretty sure I was one of those yappy lap-dogs in another life.
(I know a gym visit would have helped with all the energy, but the January blahs have easily transitioned into the February blahs, making excessive, organized motion nearly impossible.)
The good news of the day is that I made a nice big loan payment. Such a great feeling. Although a little less great when I noticed that my interest charge was added to my account. Interest sucks. But it could be worse. My loan could be with someone named Big Moe and my interest payments could involve broken arms and black eyes.
Money spent on a few groceries, including baking supplies.
Total debt: $10,000 and a bit more than a half (Soon it will be only four digits instead of five!)
Spent today: $12
If you are reading this from the greater Toronto area, or if you've seen a national newscast in the last 24 hours, you are aware that the city has ushered in February with a big dump of snow. Enough that I chose not to wedge myself onto a subway, but rather stay cozy in my loungey pants, working remotely. Ah, working from home! It always seems like such a good idea...
And then the boyfriend leaves for work. And still it's okay for a bit. I make myself a cup of tea and think, "I'm drinking my tea in my loungey pants on a workday!" And I settle in to get started on things. I must admit, I am very productive when I work from home. Maybe it's because deep down I feel guilty that I'm not at the office with everyone else, so I work extra hard to compensate.
Anyway, suddenly noon will roll around and I'll realize that still being in my loungey pants with unbrushed teeth is starting to feel gross, so I'll shower and put on some real clothes. But then that always feels kind of weird, because I'm rarely dressed in real clothes at home. (Ask the boyfriend - he'll tell you.)
By early afternoon I start to feel despondent. I am a very social person (Growing up I never received a report card that DIDN'T say "social butterfly" on it.) I require interaction. By the time 5pm rolls around, I start counting down until the boyfriend comes home, because even phone calls aren't enough at this point. I need an audience! Sad, but true.
Only the boyfriend was heading out to a movie with a friend tonight - a movie I wasn't interested in spending any of my budget on - so I was doomed to spend many more hours alone before I could breathe the fresh air that interaction brings.
I decided that actual fresh air would have to do. And would likely be good for me. Besides, I was desperate to go to the grocery store, because my cookie-baking urge could not be squashed. So I bundled up and headed out into the winter wonderland. And it was really pretty outside. And I was really happy to be out of the apartment. And I was perhaps a little overly friendly with the cashier at the grocery store, because she was the only person-to-person contact I'd had since 8:30am this morning.
(You know, like many people who write for a living, I harbour a not-so-secret fantasy about writing full-time from home. Preferably witty novels that get optioned into Hollywood screenplays that all the young starlets fight over. How I would manage being alone all day every day with only my cat for company is beyond me. Particularly since my cat requires a lot of attention and isn't all that good at giving me the attention I need and deserve.)
(Maybe I shouldn't have children...)
Back at home, post-dinner, waiting for the butter to soften so I can fulfill my cookie baking and eating needs, I hear the key in the lock. It's the boyfriend!! He's home to drop his stuff off and brush his teeth before his outing, so I only get about 20 minutes tops. I am filled with glee and proceed to dance around the apartment like a maniac, releasing all my pent-up energy. He smiles nervously and runs away....I mean leaves...to see the movie.
I'm pretty sure I was one of those yappy lap-dogs in another life.
(I know a gym visit would have helped with all the energy, but the January blahs have easily transitioned into the February blahs, making excessive, organized motion nearly impossible.)
The good news of the day is that I made a nice big loan payment. Such a great feeling. Although a little less great when I noticed that my interest charge was added to my account. Interest sucks. But it could be worse. My loan could be with someone named Big Moe and my interest payments could involve broken arms and black eyes.
Money spent on a few groceries, including baking supplies.
Total debt: $10,000 and a bit more than a half (Soon it will be only four digits instead of five!)
Spent today: $12
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