I love to travel. I hate to pack and unpack. It feels that I've spent most of my life packing or unpacking a suitcase.
My parents separated when I was young, so I went back and forth between them. I left a lot of items at my dad's, but not clothes. I'd pack Friday evening, unpack Friday evening, repack on Sunday and unpack again Sunday. Twice a month.
Through high school and cégep, I packed and unpacked to go to dad's, to work (where I often would spend the weekend), to travel.
In university and college, I'd pack and unpack to visit my folks and my friends. Same thing since I started to work full-time.
Then I started to travel again.
Pack. Unpack. Repack. Reunpack.
I always check my packing list, but it's a crutch. I don't need one, just reminders of unusual items I need to bring.
It will be so nice to have a house on wheels, to be at home wherever I go, to put away the suitcase and bags for a while, to spend more time seeing and doing than sitting on a suitcase filled with all the stuff I might or might not need for the traveling I'm doing while praying that it'll zip shut without bursting.
Tired of packing, but oh-so-not tired of traveling.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Must Be Something In the Air
Moments ago, I stepped out to return an empty 12-pack of beer. No less than four of my neighbours stepped out the door at the same time to do the same thing. The dépanneur clerk was a bit dazed.
When my turn came, I handed over the 12-pack and a snack cake and got back 50 cents. Drinking beer might not actually save me money, but it supports my brownie habit since I'd drink beer even if I didn't eat the brownies, but I wouldn't pay for the brownies. Works out well. :-)
When my turn came, I handed over the 12-pack and a snack cake and got back 50 cents. Drinking beer might not actually save me money, but it supports my brownie habit since I'd drink beer even if I didn't eat the brownies, but I wouldn't pay for the brownies. Works out well. :-)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Gift On My Organizing Site
I'm offering a free password organizing template on my site organizing-ideas.com.
Please visit the page for instructions on how to get this file.
Please visit the page for instructions on how to get this file.
Monday, March 17, 2008
First Dinner, Then a Rice Tip
I was in the mood for shrimp tonight and had fresh ginger on hand, so I googled 'shrimp soy sauce fresh ginger' (or something to that effect) and found a recipe called Spring Peas and Shrimp Stir-Fry with Ginger-Soy Glaze that sounded good.
I didn't have any rice vinegar or sesame oil on hand, so I knew that I wouldn't get the full effect of the glaze, but decided that the ginger alone would give me a bit of a tastebud shocker. Instead of peas, I used frozen veggies I had on hand. Frankly, I think my medley was more inspiring than just the peas. I like peas, but I also think that you can't have a soy sauce dish without red peppers!
Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written, which is rare for me. I had so many little bowls of sauces and ingredients on the counters it made me look like a food network chef! I should have taken a picture of that. I actually filled up the dishwasher with this meal alone!
The end result was very good! It was a tad salty (my fault: too much soy sauce and should have nixed the veggie broth), but since I served the shrimp and veggies over very bland rice, the flavour evened out. I'd make this again, but would make it a point to get the rice vinegar to add a bit more sweetness.
Of course, I have a picture. :-) My shrimp look darker than the ones in the picture on the recipe site because I only had regular soy sauce, not light.
And, now, for a rice tip. I got this tip from my grand-mother who also lives alone. I can't believe I never thought to do this and have been eating a lot more rice since I have. We make a big batch of rice (one cup uncooked), eat a portion with our meal for that evening, then freeze the rest in small bowls (I use glass ones and she uses ramekins):
Each one of my bowls has a plastic lid for an airtight seal.
When I want rice, I just dump it out onto my plate and nuke it for 2 minutes. It comes out fluffy and fresh.
I didn't have any rice vinegar or sesame oil on hand, so I knew that I wouldn't get the full effect of the glaze, but decided that the ginger alone would give me a bit of a tastebud shocker. Instead of peas, I used frozen veggies I had on hand. Frankly, I think my medley was more inspiring than just the peas. I like peas, but I also think that you can't have a soy sauce dish without red peppers!
Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written, which is rare for me. I had so many little bowls of sauces and ingredients on the counters it made me look like a food network chef! I should have taken a picture of that. I actually filled up the dishwasher with this meal alone!
The end result was very good! It was a tad salty (my fault: too much soy sauce and should have nixed the veggie broth), but since I served the shrimp and veggies over very bland rice, the flavour evened out. I'd make this again, but would make it a point to get the rice vinegar to add a bit more sweetness.
Of course, I have a picture. :-) My shrimp look darker than the ones in the picture on the recipe site because I only had regular soy sauce, not light.
And, now, for a rice tip. I got this tip from my grand-mother who also lives alone. I can't believe I never thought to do this and have been eating a lot more rice since I have. We make a big batch of rice (one cup uncooked), eat a portion with our meal for that evening, then freeze the rest in small bowls (I use glass ones and she uses ramekins):
Each one of my bowls has a plastic lid for an airtight seal.
When I want rice, I just dump it out onto my plate and nuke it for 2 minutes. It comes out fluffy and fresh.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Why I've Been So Quiet
I've been building a business.
My financial adviser finally drilled it into my head that I need to focus on making more money, not saving more money. So, I bit the bullet and spent the money for a SBI! site.
A couple of weeks in, I can already tell that, if I keep on following their hand-holding process, I'll be making my money back, and maybe even more.
I've had a lot of ideas for making money with a website and/or blog for some time now, but no notion of how to go about it. SBI! does all the techie stuff for you. It truly works with mathematical precision.
Of course, I did a lot of research on this system before buying into the hype.
I know that organizing is too broad a niche for me to corner the market and retire on the proceeds of a website. But it's a topic that interests me and for which there is a lot to write about. I wanted to cut my proverbial teeth with SBI! on a subject that I knew would give me back my initial investment if I put time and energy into it. Once I've mastered the basics and manage to actually monetize this site, I'll reinvest the proceeds into a tighter niche.
Another reason that I picked organizing is that I've had an idea for an e-book and had absolutely no idea how to market it. I knew this blog would give me only minimal opportunity. The SBI! site is going to provide me with the perfect vehicle.
I'm ultra focussed on this project because I want to start monetizing the website by June so that I can know by the end of the summer if I can count on any revenue from it for my fall projects. I'm in a time crunch to put together my motorhome plan, but this actually works in my favour. The more rushed I am, the more focussed I am. I do wish I'd begun months ago since postponing the move isn't an option. At any rate, I'll see how it goes.
My financial adviser finally drilled it into my head that I need to focus on making more money, not saving more money. So, I bit the bullet and spent the money for a SBI! site.
A couple of weeks in, I can already tell that, if I keep on following their hand-holding process, I'll be making my money back, and maybe even more.
I've had a lot of ideas for making money with a website and/or blog for some time now, but no notion of how to go about it. SBI! does all the techie stuff for you. It truly works with mathematical precision.
Of course, I did a lot of research on this system before buying into the hype.
I know that organizing is too broad a niche for me to corner the market and retire on the proceeds of a website. But it's a topic that interests me and for which there is a lot to write about. I wanted to cut my proverbial teeth with SBI! on a subject that I knew would give me back my initial investment if I put time and energy into it. Once I've mastered the basics and manage to actually monetize this site, I'll reinvest the proceeds into a tighter niche.
Another reason that I picked organizing is that I've had an idea for an e-book and had absolutely no idea how to market it. I knew this blog would give me only minimal opportunity. The SBI! site is going to provide me with the perfect vehicle.
I'm ultra focussed on this project because I want to start monetizing the website by June so that I can know by the end of the summer if I can count on any revenue from it for my fall projects. I'm in a time crunch to put together my motorhome plan, but this actually works in my favour. The more rushed I am, the more focussed I am. I do wish I'd begun months ago since postponing the move isn't an option. At any rate, I'll see how it goes.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Reading Labels
I've had a craving for grilled cheese sandwiches for days now. Must be the (insane) weather. Yeah, that's it.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are a treat since they're made with ingredients that have almost no redeeming nutritional value--real butter, commercial sliced white bread (CSWB) and fake cheese slices (FCS).
Tonight, I decided it was time to indulge, so I headed to GT. They had the CSWB I favour (Weston), but not the FCW. I usually buy Kraft 'real cheddar' slices. I don't care what anyone says, processed cheese is processed cheese, but these slices have a less 'plastic' feel to them. GT offered two options, both containing 24 slices. The first was by Black Diamond (maker of the some of the best sharp cheddar in the whole world) for 4.99$. The second was a brand I'd never heard of, for 88 cents.
I looked at the ingredient labels for each. Black Diamond's first ingredient was cheese. The other had oil and starch as its first ingredients and didn't even have the words 'cheese' or 'milk' anywhere in them. You can guess what I bought.
The resulting sandwiches were very, very good. :-) I've got lots of FCS and CSWB left, so I can have a few more sandwiches over the next week until I'm all grilled cheesed out, and then I'll be good for several months.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are a treat since they're made with ingredients that have almost no redeeming nutritional value--real butter, commercial sliced white bread (CSWB) and fake cheese slices (FCS).
Tonight, I decided it was time to indulge, so I headed to GT. They had the CSWB I favour (Weston), but not the FCW. I usually buy Kraft 'real cheddar' slices. I don't care what anyone says, processed cheese is processed cheese, but these slices have a less 'plastic' feel to them. GT offered two options, both containing 24 slices. The first was by Black Diamond (maker of the some of the best sharp cheddar in the whole world) for 4.99$. The second was a brand I'd never heard of, for 88 cents.
I looked at the ingredient labels for each. Black Diamond's first ingredient was cheese. The other had oil and starch as its first ingredients and didn't even have the words 'cheese' or 'milk' anywhere in them. You can guess what I bought.
The resulting sandwiches were very, very good. :-) I've got lots of FCS and CSWB left, so I can have a few more sandwiches over the next week until I'm all grilled cheesed out, and then I'll be good for several months.
Financial Advice
I met with my financial planner yesterday. It was our first meeting in six months. I just wanted to reevaluate where things stood and discuss a few options I'm looking at. When I pulled out my hairbrained idea and asked him what he thought of it, he shrugged and said "Why not?"
He then continued with words that just about gobsmacked me:
"You have no dependents and your financial future is assured. Why, then, would it matter if you piss away everything else you make doing things or buying things that make you happy?"
He brought up the following points:
-there's no point in depriving myself today so that I can live super well tomorrow. Instead, I should be puting money aside to live well tomorrow so that I can live well today;
-I don't realise it, but I'm one of his best off clients. Yes, my portfolio is worth very little today, but I'm starting at a young age, understand the magic of compound interest, and already know how to pay myself first and then live within my means with whatever's left over.
The only reason he said that I should be tracking every penny is to ensure that I have a good balance in my life between consumables (food, clothes) and durables (life experience like trips and entertainment). He's the only other person besides me I've ever seen sort expenses that way.
I am under strict orders to reach a certain salary level within the next five years. My eyes must have bugged out when he told me the figure and he smiled. "It'll be easier than you think now that you know you're free to take the necessary risks."
I've never had such amazing financial advice that is perfectly tailored to my lifestyle, values, dreams, and goals. Last night confirmed that he is the perfect financial planner for me at this time of my life and he assured me that he'll be there as I take the first steps into my new and very unpredictable life, providing me with at least one measure of security and stability.
He then continued with words that just about gobsmacked me:
"You have no dependents and your financial future is assured. Why, then, would it matter if you piss away everything else you make doing things or buying things that make you happy?"
He brought up the following points:
-there's no point in depriving myself today so that I can live super well tomorrow. Instead, I should be puting money aside to live well tomorrow so that I can live well today;
-I don't realise it, but I'm one of his best off clients. Yes, my portfolio is worth very little today, but I'm starting at a young age, understand the magic of compound interest, and already know how to pay myself first and then live within my means with whatever's left over.
The only reason he said that I should be tracking every penny is to ensure that I have a good balance in my life between consumables (food, clothes) and durables (life experience like trips and entertainment). He's the only other person besides me I've ever seen sort expenses that way.
I am under strict orders to reach a certain salary level within the next five years. My eyes must have bugged out when he told me the figure and he smiled. "It'll be easier than you think now that you know you're free to take the necessary risks."
I've never had such amazing financial advice that is perfectly tailored to my lifestyle, values, dreams, and goals. Last night confirmed that he is the perfect financial planner for me at this time of my life and he assured me that he'll be there as I take the first steps into my new and very unpredictable life, providing me with at least one measure of security and stability.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Little Things That Irk Me
(very little)
1) Unexplained Mini-Windfalls
There was a small deposit made into my chequing account two days ago. It's described as a 'branch deposit.' I wasn't expecting anything payments for anything, so I have no idea where this money comes from or even if the deposit was made in error. The bank was of no help ("According to our files, ma'am, that entry was a branch deposit." (Ma'am?!)) How long am I expected to leave that money in my account before I can do something with it, like move it to my high interest savings account? Money appearing from nowhere might sound great in theory, but it's annoying for someone who tracks such matters. I won't get into what happened the last time this happened, other than to say that the bank (not the bank I'm currently with) charged me interest for a five figure deposit they accidentally made into my account....
2) Changed Packaging
Like many eaters of tofu, I have a favourite brand because one curdled soy bean is not the same as another. I've been eating this brand for about fifteen years. I can't even tell you the name of it!!! I just grab the beige package for a full-sized brick, or the pink box for half a brick. Well, now they put their flavoured varieties (YUCK) in the same-colour packaging!!!!!!!!!! It wasn't until I'd ripped open the pink box today that I realised that I was holding herb-flavoured tofu that is normally sold in yellow packaging! Thankfully, this wasn't dramatic for the meal I was preparing and worked out fine, but what if I hadn't been planning to make something savoury with it (thyme tofu uncheese cake anyone)? Very, very annoying. If a gal can't count on her tofu, what, if anything, in the universe can she count on? There was also an announcement on the box for new 'feta-flavoured' tofu. Oh, brother. Let me guess, they're going to jack up the price, too?
*takes a deep breath*
I love my life!!! I mean, these (and having a hard time getting out of my parking spot because of the snow) are the most annoying things that happen in it!!!!
1) Unexplained Mini-Windfalls
There was a small deposit made into my chequing account two days ago. It's described as a 'branch deposit.' I wasn't expecting anything payments for anything, so I have no idea where this money comes from or even if the deposit was made in error. The bank was of no help ("According to our files, ma'am, that entry was a branch deposit." (Ma'am?!)) How long am I expected to leave that money in my account before I can do something with it, like move it to my high interest savings account? Money appearing from nowhere might sound great in theory, but it's annoying for someone who tracks such matters. I won't get into what happened the last time this happened, other than to say that the bank (not the bank I'm currently with) charged me interest for a five figure deposit they accidentally made into my account....
2) Changed Packaging
Like many eaters of tofu, I have a favourite brand because one curdled soy bean is not the same as another. I've been eating this brand for about fifteen years. I can't even tell you the name of it!!! I just grab the beige package for a full-sized brick, or the pink box for half a brick. Well, now they put their flavoured varieties (YUCK) in the same-colour packaging!!!!!!!!!! It wasn't until I'd ripped open the pink box today that I realised that I was holding herb-flavoured tofu that is normally sold in yellow packaging! Thankfully, this wasn't dramatic for the meal I was preparing and worked out fine, but what if I hadn't been planning to make something savoury with it (thyme tofu uncheese cake anyone)? Very, very annoying. If a gal can't count on her tofu, what, if anything, in the universe can she count on? There was also an announcement on the box for new 'feta-flavoured' tofu. Oh, brother. Let me guess, they're going to jack up the price, too?
*takes a deep breath*
I love my life!!! I mean, these (and having a hard time getting out of my parking spot because of the snow) are the most annoying things that happen in it!!!!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Jim Karter Contest
Jim Karter is having a contest whereby you can win 500$ by subscribing to his feed and/or blogging about the contest. Pretty sweet!
Beautiful, Unique, and Functional
I try to bring into my life things that are beautiful, unique, and functional and I pay attention to detail. Whenever I have my own home again, I'd like to have a 100% personalized house, down to the toilet flusher (cue in laughter). One thing I never considered was mailboxes.
My first thought when I came to this site was to roll my eyes as I thought "Yay, more junk for the rich crowd." But, I still gave the site a perusal and decided that I like the offerings. Seattleluxe.com sells a wide variety of mailboxes for both residential and commercial uses. Custom, anti-theft, multiple unit and unique mailboxes are a few of the thousands of varieties of mailboxes that Seattleluxe.com sells. The right mailboxes can both beautify your home and protect your identity from mail theft.
Seattle Luxe sells a variety of other products ranging from butcher blocks to mirrors, and just about everything is beautiful, unique, and functional. It's definitely one to bookmark if only for inspiration in outfitting a home.
My first thought when I came to this site was to roll my eyes as I thought "Yay, more junk for the rich crowd." But, I still gave the site a perusal and decided that I like the offerings. Seattleluxe.com sells a wide variety of mailboxes for both residential and commercial uses. Custom, anti-theft, multiple unit and unique mailboxes are a few of the thousands of varieties of mailboxes that Seattleluxe.com sells. The right mailboxes can both beautify your home and protect your identity from mail theft.
Seattle Luxe sells a variety of other products ranging from butcher blocks to mirrors, and just about everything is beautiful, unique, and functional. It's definitely one to bookmark if only for inspiration in outfitting a home.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Did Some More Research...
And discovered that my new Matt and Nat bag is considered eco and vegan friendly and the profits go to a local company in Montreal.
There's a really nice message in the bag:
chose life choose positivity chose the golden rule choose to be at peace with yourself choose salvation scegliete di fare una differenza choose to make a difference choisissez de faire une différence choose to be different choose to be a rebel choose to be funky choose to be yourself choose to create a fashion statement
There's a really nice message in the bag:
chose life choose positivity chose the golden rule choose to be at peace with yourself choose salvation scegliete di fare una differenza choose to make a difference choisissez de faire une différence choose to be different choose to be a rebel choose to be funky choose to be yourself choose to create a fashion statement
Feeling Extremely Sheepish
One shopping tip I find very useful is to make a list of things you need and/or want with dimensions, reasons, and other info. It's wonderful for those situations where you're at a flea market or garage sale and something catches your eye, but you're sure if that something would be of benefit to you.
The most important thing is to carry the list with you.
Had I been carrying my list on Tuesday I would have realised that the wonderful purse actually fits the description of an item on my 'needed and/or wanted' list. I've been looking for a large purse to use as a day bag while traveling. It would have to be large enough to carry a wallet, guide book, notebook, lunch, snacks, water bottle, camera, and a change of clothes and toiletries when just popping into a motel for one night while on the road, but not be so big that I would be tempted to stuff the kitchen sink into it. I also wouldn't want it to look like a travel bag.
So, two days later, after obsessing over the darn thing, I went back to the store, looked the wonderful purse over, checked off all the requirements, and bought the darn thing!
The most important thing is to carry the list with you.
Had I been carrying my list on Tuesday I would have realised that the wonderful purse actually fits the description of an item on my 'needed and/or wanted' list. I've been looking for a large purse to use as a day bag while traveling. It would have to be large enough to carry a wallet, guide book, notebook, lunch, snacks, water bottle, camera, and a change of clothes and toiletries when just popping into a motel for one night while on the road, but not be so big that I would be tempted to stuff the kitchen sink into it. I also wouldn't want it to look like a travel bag.
So, two days later, after obsessing over the darn thing, I went back to the store, looked the wonderful purse over, checked off all the requirements, and bought the darn thing!
Contest Results
Dum, da dum, dum.
I have used the Random Number Generator to select the winner of the Kassett Box Contest. The winner has been alerted by email and will be announced upon reply to my email.
I have used the Random Number Generator to select the winner of the Kassett Box Contest. The winner has been alerted by email and will be announced upon reply to my email.
Ikea 'Kassett' Box Contest
***this is a static post, please scroll down for the latest news***
Get all the details here.
The short of it is:
-Ikea 'Kassett' boxes are great for organizing DVDs;
-My blog's first anniversary is February 28th, 2008;
-I have a set of two 'Kassett' boxes available and they're up for grabs to commemorate this illustrious event;
-I will ship anywhere, so this contest is open to all;
-Get an entry by posting a comment to either this post or the original post;
-Get one extra entry for each of the following:
*blogging about this contest
*subscribing to my feed (points to Bloglines icon at the top left)
Get all the details here.
The short of it is:
-Ikea 'Kassett' boxes are great for organizing DVDs;
-My blog's first anniversary is February 28th, 2008;
-I have a set of two 'Kassett' boxes available and they're up for grabs to commemorate this illustrious event;
-I will ship anywhere, so this contest is open to all;
-Get an entry by posting a comment to either this post or the original post;
-Get one extra entry for each of the following:
*blogging about this contest
*subscribing to my feed (points to Bloglines icon at the top left)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Musing, Dreaming, Scheming, and Planning
My big move is coming up in about seven months and I keep on imagining potential scenarios and numbers to go with those scenarios. There are just so many 'whatifs' when you're planning a cross-country move with no guarantee of finding a job before you go. Ah, I do so love adventures!
At any rate, I finished my taxes yesterday and am doing some research today and finally, finally am beginning to really understand the retirement plan my financial adviser came up with. It all has to do with the power of an RRSP.
One tidbit of financial advice I'd held onto since starting my career as a civil servant is that RRSPs are not the best savings vehicle for us since we have an amazing pension plan. That changes, though, when you're a civil servant who wants to retire before her 30 years are up.
So, my planner had me take all my money out of my emergency fund and put it into an RRSP. I balked, but ponied up the money. Then, I did my tax return. Where I discovered that my RRSP contribution meant a refund of just about the same amount. Waitaminute. I put money in an RRSP and the government pays me for it? Okay, the catch is that I have to pay taxes at withdrawal but until that day, the government is giving me money for my retirement.
Yes, that's probably a bit oversimplified, but it's not insignificant. The obvious thing to do with my refund is add it to my RRSP for next year. And so on. Until I reach the one million dollar mark my adviser says is realistically within my reach in the timeframe I'm looking at and which I'll be able to combine with my partial pension to have enough to live without working full time.
I'm going back to my move, hold your horses.
So, I finally understand why savvy people move heaven and earth to max out their RRSP contributions every year.
Okay, how can I do that myself?
I've come to the conclusion that housing is the expense I need to drastically reduce for a few years. Sure, I could buy a house cheaply in Manitoba, but when I factor in repairs and whatnot, owning a house is not cheap. I can't wait to own a house again, but I'm beginning to accept that doing so at this stage of my life would be a mistake for more than just financial reasons.
You see, I haven't been 'free' in ten years. I've been encumbered with a household and debt and studies and work and whatnot since the end of my teens. I never had/took the chance to do something cool like travel around the world for a year. Wouldn't it be nice for just a few years to be in a position to 'just go' whenever I want?
So, why not take this move as an opportunity for a fairly radical, but temporary, downsize?
My cats make some potential scenarios tricky and unlikely, but I am exploring all options. One that I really like for its whimsy is to rent a room with kitchen privileges for the winter months and then tent-camp all summer. I'm sure my cats would have a blast. :-)
But the more serious idea I'm entertaining is to move this fall to a room with kitchen privileges so that I can research two purchases in the spring: a small piece of land on which I could later build my dream home and a gently used motorhome (both paid for with cash).
My expenses when 'at home' would be land taxes and propane (or whatever I use to heat and power the RV). I have yet to explore the centre and north western halves of this continent and could do so in my own home with my own cats at my leisure.
I'm learning that I can have everything I want, but not at the same time, and not if I order them incorrectly.
At any rate, I finished my taxes yesterday and am doing some research today and finally, finally am beginning to really understand the retirement plan my financial adviser came up with. It all has to do with the power of an RRSP.
One tidbit of financial advice I'd held onto since starting my career as a civil servant is that RRSPs are not the best savings vehicle for us since we have an amazing pension plan. That changes, though, when you're a civil servant who wants to retire before her 30 years are up.
So, my planner had me take all my money out of my emergency fund and put it into an RRSP. I balked, but ponied up the money. Then, I did my tax return. Where I discovered that my RRSP contribution meant a refund of just about the same amount. Waitaminute. I put money in an RRSP and the government pays me for it? Okay, the catch is that I have to pay taxes at withdrawal but until that day, the government is giving me money for my retirement.
Yes, that's probably a bit oversimplified, but it's not insignificant. The obvious thing to do with my refund is add it to my RRSP for next year. And so on. Until I reach the one million dollar mark my adviser says is realistically within my reach in the timeframe I'm looking at and which I'll be able to combine with my partial pension to have enough to live without working full time.
I'm going back to my move, hold your horses.
So, I finally understand why savvy people move heaven and earth to max out their RRSP contributions every year.
Okay, how can I do that myself?
I've come to the conclusion that housing is the expense I need to drastically reduce for a few years. Sure, I could buy a house cheaply in Manitoba, but when I factor in repairs and whatnot, owning a house is not cheap. I can't wait to own a house again, but I'm beginning to accept that doing so at this stage of my life would be a mistake for more than just financial reasons.
You see, I haven't been 'free' in ten years. I've been encumbered with a household and debt and studies and work and whatnot since the end of my teens. I never had/took the chance to do something cool like travel around the world for a year. Wouldn't it be nice for just a few years to be in a position to 'just go' whenever I want?
So, why not take this move as an opportunity for a fairly radical, but temporary, downsize?
My cats make some potential scenarios tricky and unlikely, but I am exploring all options. One that I really like for its whimsy is to rent a room with kitchen privileges for the winter months and then tent-camp all summer. I'm sure my cats would have a blast. :-)
But the more serious idea I'm entertaining is to move this fall to a room with kitchen privileges so that I can research two purchases in the spring: a small piece of land on which I could later build my dream home and a gently used motorhome (both paid for with cash).
My expenses when 'at home' would be land taxes and propane (or whatever I use to heat and power the RV). I have yet to explore the centre and north western halves of this continent and could do so in my own home with my own cats at my leisure.
I'm learning that I can have everything I want, but not at the same time, and not if I order them incorrectly.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Curbing Impulse Spending With Standards
Today, I found an amazing purse. It was love at first sight. I have a weakness for unique handbags, but I rarely do anything stupid and I'm not one of those gals who accumulates purses. I try to buy them inexpensively so I can rotate them out of my closet within a year.
Today, I came very, very close to being stupid, however.
The purse was 70$, marked down from 140$. For that price, I assumed that it was leather and, thus, worth buying. I'd made a decision a while back to not buy vinyl/PVC purses any more unless they're practically being given away since they simply don't last.
I grabbed the purse, but slowed down enough to thoroughly search it for confirmation that it was indeed leather. Instead, I found a label that said '100% PVC.' Obviously, the price tag was for the designer name, another pet peeve of mine. Back on the shelf it went. Phew.
But now I want that same purse. In leather. Oh, what a beauty.
Did I mention that it's orange?
Today, I came very, very close to being stupid, however.
The purse was 70$, marked down from 140$. For that price, I assumed that it was leather and, thus, worth buying. I'd made a decision a while back to not buy vinyl/PVC purses any more unless they're practically being given away since they simply don't last.
I grabbed the purse, but slowed down enough to thoroughly search it for confirmation that it was indeed leather. Instead, I found a label that said '100% PVC.' Obviously, the price tag was for the designer name, another pet peeve of mine. Back on the shelf it went. Phew.
But now I want that same purse. In leather. Oh, what a beauty.
Did I mention that it's orange?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
In Need of a Bigger Freezer
Whew, I sure did a lot of cooking in the past few days. There isn't a smidgen of space left in the freezer!
Thursday last, I made a bizarrely edible concoction vaguely reminiscent of shepherd's pie. I mixed Ethiopian spiced lentils with veggies and half a can of cream of celery soup. I topped that with rice mixed with the other half of the soup, and then sprinkled cheese over the top. I know it sounds revolting, but it was a culinary experiment that worked. It's not gourmet, but it's definitely good. I put two portions in the freezer.
On Saturday, I made a huge batch of baked farfelle with tomato sauce and cheese and froze one portion. I then made pancakes in the evening so I wouldn't have to in the morning.
Today, I made a big pot of caramelized leek and Yukon gold potato soup and froze three portions. I made a beer bread to go with it.
Add to the freezer a loaf of commercial bread, tons of trout (on sale this week for half price!), shrimp, frozen pizzas (3$ each), and several bags of fruits and veggies as well as more Ethiopian spiced lentils and I can barely close the freezer door!
A full larder is most definitely a Good Thing. :-)
Thursday last, I made a bizarrely edible concoction vaguely reminiscent of shepherd's pie. I mixed Ethiopian spiced lentils with veggies and half a can of cream of celery soup. I topped that with rice mixed with the other half of the soup, and then sprinkled cheese over the top. I know it sounds revolting, but it was a culinary experiment that worked. It's not gourmet, but it's definitely good. I put two portions in the freezer.
On Saturday, I made a huge batch of baked farfelle with tomato sauce and cheese and froze one portion. I then made pancakes in the evening so I wouldn't have to in the morning.
Today, I made a big pot of caramelized leek and Yukon gold potato soup and froze three portions. I made a beer bread to go with it.
Add to the freezer a loaf of commercial bread, tons of trout (on sale this week for half price!), shrimp, frozen pizzas (3$ each), and several bags of fruits and veggies as well as more Ethiopian spiced lentils and I can barely close the freezer door!
A full larder is most definitely a Good Thing. :-)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Question
How can you know if what you think god wants for you is what god wants for you and not what you hope god wants for you because it's what you want?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Brr
I'm sitting here looking at my almost 170$ gas bill for the past month which I received this morning (and promptly paid in full, thank you kindly).
The bill is 50$ more than last month. We've had a proper winter with lots of deep colds.
I decided this year that I wasn't going to cheap out on heat. I've had it with that. I vowed that I would never again go through winter having to wear a coat and mitts indoors.
While the upper floor of the house remains positively chilly and uninviting, I've managed to be comfortable on the main floor, provided I wear thick socks and a warm sweater, all of which is quite reasonable. I've been cranking the heat up to 19 or even 20 some evenings. It's still chilly in here, though, and I have to hike the temp up even higher when I have guests, as well as run a space heater upstairs. So I'm guessing that I'm not being completely unreasonable.
The furnace has a programmable thermostat, so at least I'm only heating when I'm home, and that only when I'm awake. I've also programmed it to go up a few degrees before I get home or rise in the morning so that I don't end up cranking it up from 15 or 16 degrees straight to 20. At night, the temperature goes down to 17, which is just perfect for my outfit of flannel pjs with thick socks and a bed dressed with flannel sheets, a thick blanket, and a down comforter. I tried 16 for a while and that didn't work; I'd wake up in the middle of the night because I was too cold to sleep. It's amazing the difference a degree makes.
So far for the year, my heating bills average out to 50$ per month if I were to spread them out over 12 equal payments. Add to that the 50$ hydro is costing me thanks to the price hike and energy costs for this house average out to about 100$ per month. That's fifty dollars less per month than I was paying at my old house and could explain why I've been positively non-frugal about using electricity and gas here. Run the dishwasher? Sure! Have a fifteen minute boiling hot shower? Why not!
Eventually, I will return to more frugal and energy-wise ways, but that won't be for a while yet since I still associate those things with poverty. I can't wait to associate them with a new, energy-efficient, off-the-grid house of my very own. :-)
The bill is 50$ more than last month. We've had a proper winter with lots of deep colds.
I decided this year that I wasn't going to cheap out on heat. I've had it with that. I vowed that I would never again go through winter having to wear a coat and mitts indoors.
While the upper floor of the house remains positively chilly and uninviting, I've managed to be comfortable on the main floor, provided I wear thick socks and a warm sweater, all of which is quite reasonable. I've been cranking the heat up to 19 or even 20 some evenings. It's still chilly in here, though, and I have to hike the temp up even higher when I have guests, as well as run a space heater upstairs. So I'm guessing that I'm not being completely unreasonable.
The furnace has a programmable thermostat, so at least I'm only heating when I'm home, and that only when I'm awake. I've also programmed it to go up a few degrees before I get home or rise in the morning so that I don't end up cranking it up from 15 or 16 degrees straight to 20. At night, the temperature goes down to 17, which is just perfect for my outfit of flannel pjs with thick socks and a bed dressed with flannel sheets, a thick blanket, and a down comforter. I tried 16 for a while and that didn't work; I'd wake up in the middle of the night because I was too cold to sleep. It's amazing the difference a degree makes.
So far for the year, my heating bills average out to 50$ per month if I were to spread them out over 12 equal payments. Add to that the 50$ hydro is costing me thanks to the price hike and energy costs for this house average out to about 100$ per month. That's fifty dollars less per month than I was paying at my old house and could explain why I've been positively non-frugal about using electricity and gas here. Run the dishwasher? Sure! Have a fifteen minute boiling hot shower? Why not!
Eventually, I will return to more frugal and energy-wise ways, but that won't be for a while yet since I still associate those things with poverty. I can't wait to associate them with a new, energy-efficient, off-the-grid house of my very own. :-)
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