Fall is in the air, and I'm determined to not turn on the heat - In August (even if it is the last day of August). We have been unseasonably cool this year in our part of the world. Last night was very cool - was great while I was on the treadmill - but not so great later in the evening. So we lit a fire and watched TV wrapped in blankets. I was really hoping on not turning on the heat until at least the middle of September - but that might be wishful thinking. I am toughing it out for now - this from someone who is usually cold at the best of times and loves warmth. I really want to keep the heat budget to a minimum right now, as our Alberta winters are dreadful and the heating cost will likely triple (at a minimum) from Nov - March.
On a happier note - Christmas is not too far away and I love Christmas!!!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Staying the course - but frustated
It seems that we aren't getting into debt, but we aren't getting any further ahead with our savings either - We seem to be just rolling along on a straight course and it's frustrating. Does anyone else ever feel like this? Maybe I'm just having one of those days (or weeks, months, etc). I often wonder about people around us who say they are buying this, going there, doing this, blah, blah and secretly wonder what their financial situation is really like. Do they have Credit Card debt? Do they have any Retirement Savings? Do they have any type of Emergency Fund?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Wedding To Attend On The Weekend
We have a wedding to attend, on Saturday. We've decided to set the budget at $50 for a gift. It seems years will go by and no one we know is getting married and now in the past few months, we have been invited to 3 weddings. One wedding is in October and the other wedding is next August in Jasper, AB. We haven't decided whether we will be giving cash or a purchased gift on Saturday. I like that the option is open, we once went to a wedding and the invitation clearly stated that in lieu of gifts, they would like cash. Maybe I'm old fashioned, and I'm sure cash would be what most people would like, but I personally would never state that, I would be appreciative with whatever I received as a gift.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday Ramblings...
Our "Time Off" has come to an end and today we were back to work. When hubby arrived at work today, he was informed that his workplace ended up having a meeting on Friday and bonus' were given out - Yay!!, so he received his this morning. He called me at work to let me know and what do you know - it will just cover the cost of the lawn mower we needed to buy. We are thankful for this bonus. So even though we are not able to split it between the Vacation Fund and the Emergency Fund, we don't need to use vacation money to cover the cost of the lawn mower.
Our BBQ is on it's last legs - we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will last as long as possible. The starter switch no longer works and it has to be lit with a lighter once the propane is on.
We also have a pressure washer, that is not working now either, so Hubby ended up washing the vehicles with the hose.
Some good news from our time off, was that the fact that we went to 2 different Farmers' Markets in our city and did not spend $122 - that before, we probably would have spent, without a second thought. So I'm really proud of ourselves for resisting the urge to purchase - just because - none of this stuff we really needed - sure it would have been nice to have these things, but there was no way we needed them. So a pat on the back to us.
We were also fortunate, in the fact that Hubby's parents brought over some vegetables from their garden for us - beans, potatoes, carrots and onions, when they came over for a BBQ on Thursday night.
Our BBQ is on it's last legs - we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will last as long as possible. The starter switch no longer works and it has to be lit with a lighter once the propane is on.
We also have a pressure washer, that is not working now either, so Hubby ended up washing the vehicles with the hose.
Some good news from our time off, was that the fact that we went to 2 different Farmers' Markets in our city and did not spend $122 - that before, we probably would have spent, without a second thought. So I'm really proud of ourselves for resisting the urge to purchase - just because - none of this stuff we really needed - sure it would have been nice to have these things, but there was no way we needed them. So a pat on the back to us.
We were also fortunate, in the fact that Hubby's parents brought over some vegetables from their garden for us - beans, potatoes, carrots and onions, when they came over for a BBQ on Thursday night.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Week So Far
So, this was supposed to be our "staycation" week off from work, which it has been - though I did have to attend an 8 hour work course (which was insanely boring) yesterday, on the opposite side of the city. We knew staying home and not going on "vacation" would save us some money. But... I ended up going shopping (to the tune of $270) as I needed to get some clothes, as a lot of my stuff no longer fits as it's too big (I've lost approx 80 lbs) so I've been rotating what I have had in my closet. Hubby did not get the bonus that was promised - at the end of July - no one at his work got one, though his boss didn't even give an excuse or reason, he did provide a BBQ lunch for the workers, so at least they got a free lunch, but moral is not the greatest at his work right now.
Hubby went to mow the lawn today - and the lawn mower has finally died - it is about 20 years old, I believe, as we've had it for 8 years and it was my parents before that, and I believe they had it for a long time. So it is something we knew we would have to replace - but of course, we were wanting it to be, at least next year. So we bought a 3-in-1 cordless, battery operated mulching lawn mower. This cost us $660.
Just when we think we are getting ahead of the game - there's a wrench thrown in to our plans to try to derail us - but we are staying the course - trying to remain positive (that's what we'll keep telling ourselves anyway)
Hubby went to mow the lawn today - and the lawn mower has finally died - it is about 20 years old, I believe, as we've had it for 8 years and it was my parents before that, and I believe they had it for a long time. So it is something we knew we would have to replace - but of course, we were wanting it to be, at least next year. So we bought a 3-in-1 cordless, battery operated mulching lawn mower. This cost us $660.
Just when we think we are getting ahead of the game - there's a wrench thrown in to our plans to try to derail us - but we are staying the course - trying to remain positive (that's what we'll keep telling ourselves anyway)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)