Feeling Guilty...

I've been missing in action, because I've been feeling guilty. I've been toying with the idea of getting a wig for some time - like 6 years! I have hair - but it's very thin and I don't have a lot of it, which means that I can't do the cute styles that I like. It also seems, in the last year - my hair is becoming more unpredictable in what it will do and it's just blah. So anyways, over the last couple of weeks, I've been to a place that specializes in just wigs - and tried some on and in different styles and colors. I narrowed it down to 2 that I really like and that look good on me. I went back on the weekend and bought 1 wig (at $300 they are not cheap!) but this is money that I had saved, so no going into debt over. The Hair kit I also bought, which includes the stand, wig shampoo, wig conditioner and wig hair spray and special brush, was an extra $45.

- I only plan on wearing the wig for now, on the weekends and vacation - not ready to wear it to work - as I don't want my co-workers to think I'm crazy.

- I love the color and style and feel great when I'm wearing it, but I'm feeling really guilty about spending the money, not only that, I want to get the other one also, down the road, as it's a different style and color to the one I just got and it will be nice to have the options of what I want to wear. I know it's frivolous spending and that is why I'm feeling super guilty.

Renovation Budget

This weekend Hubby re-insulated the front and back door and put new weather stripping around both doors, in hopes that it will help our heating costs going forward. The budget for this $150 - hopefully it works as even that, was a stretch for our budget. In true Murphy's fashion the drill's recharger also died - replacement cost - approx $80. That will have to wait until next month.

On the bright side, we didn't do anything else this long weekend, so we saved money by not going anywhere or eating out.

Fall is in the air..

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!!!!

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?

Scruffles - Our Little Dog

This is Scruffles, our adorable little 4 year old dog.

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 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.