Recap: Spending and saving in November 2014

So November thankfully didn't end up being as expensive as I was bracing for it to be. This was mostly due to me being allowed to delay the payment of my G2 test in addition to me delaying the purchase of my glasses briefly in order to allow me to shop around.

All of this really changed everything for me in terms of money saved and money spent. But most importantly, I allowed for me to stay under budget this month!

DEBT REPAYMENT: I got charged one cent of interest on my Mastercard this month and it's made me more a little angry! Seriously, it raised my hate for credit cards just a little bit!

And it could have been avoided too. Mostly because while I know the settlement date for the card happens on the 20th, but I made the mistake in assuming that payment is based on the transaction date and not the posting date... which came down the following day.

So the lesson here is... I need to more regularly pay off the balance in order to keep that from happening again. Oh and keep that credit card clear well before the settlement date.

Anyway on to actual debt repayment news...

This month saw me resume the habit of throwing an extra $50 on top of my required $479.83 monthly student loan payment as a means to get the total amount paid (before interest) to the principle over the $500 mark, with this payment happily putting me below the 33K mark, which means I have paid back close to $10,000 since first going into repayment!

I also ended up tossing another $20 extra into my payment as well. Why? Because it was the difference between me owing over $33,700 and me owing under $33,700 in student loans. And because forced perspective is important to me. And this is one way that helps encourage me in making extra payments.


EXPENSES: I did it!!!

I STAYED UNDER MY FOOD BUDGET THIS MONTH!

And that's even with the $51 dollars I spent on dinner with friends going towards food and not what I classified as entertainment! Which meant I was more or less $50 below my actual food budget which makes me super excited about the accomplishment.

Now there were a few overages in the certain categories, namely my clothing and make-up category which was over by about $8 due to an unplanned $31 splurge on my very expensive, but beloved and increasingly necessary brand of facial cleanser. But overall, I still fell below my discretionary budget limit of $400 and not just a little below like last month, but a sizable chunk below it. Which is a solid win in my short-lived budgeting life.

It also bodes well for the upcoming month as well, given that I am fully expecting to run up various costs and ultimately spend quite a lot more money than I have been lately. This includes the delayed but still looming costs of new glasses (a cost that I don't have cash dedicated to at the moment, so will require some scrimping, freelance pay and saving on my part) and my scheduled G2 test (which does have some money earmarked towards it). Also, there's the money I need to spend on gifts, of which I have some amount earmarked but haven't yet had a clear idea how much I may actually need for it.


INCOME: With salary deductions towards various wealth accumulation programs at work becoming a real reality for me this month, money was really tight for me, at least it certainly felt that way. Not that I didn't have enough money for my expenses or struggled to pay bills. I have enough to currently avoid living paycheque to paycheque right now. But it did feel as if I had to account for just about every penny I earned from my regular income in order not to go over or go under my intended spending anywhere.

Thankfully I did manage to receive some money from some freelance work from the previous month which gave me a much needed boost and allowed me to close a bit of a gap I was dealing with as far as paying for my eye doctor appointment and extra driving lessons.

Add in an upcoming holiday payout from Thanksgiving and being able to accept a few more freelance shifts this month than the previous month of which I won't see the payoff until next month, hoping I have some extra cash to play with for next month in order to cover what needs to be covered for the holiday season.


SAVINGS: I was this close to posting a negative growth in my savings this month due to having to pull money from my everyday savings account to pay for my G2 test. This would have therefore cut into the net gains I made in paying down my student loans and therefore shrunk my net worth increase by quite a bit.

But thankfully I didn't and the account was able to expand a healthy $200 for November, give or take a dollar or two, putting me pretty close to the $1,000 mark for the first time since probably May in my savings account.

Granted, the negative balance is still forthcoming what with the G2 test still be an upcoming expense as well as the money I set aside for gifts in that account being something else that will likely have to come out of my savings account. But with extra money on the horizon for December and January thanks to some work during the holidays as well as extra freelance work, if there is any impact, I feel it will be far more minor and feel less impactful in the long and short term.

As for my wealth accumulation accounts, there isn't near enough money there for my investments to make even a nominal impact on my net worth at the moment that would be more than a few cents either way. Plus, it is only a few months into a really long term process either way.

Current Net Worth: -$32,235.79 (+2.3%)

I got only 75% of the way to making a $1,000 positive impact on my net worth this month, which while wasn't an explicit goal in any case, was something I was keeping an eye on as far as what's possible when it comes to me and my money. The conclusion was that I really like earning extra cash from something. A lot.

Why I splurged on... $30 facial soap

In some ways, I understand the general reticence of some of the more frugal people in this world in having to spend any amount of money on things that are essentially meant to be thrown away or sloughed down a drain. And I can see why they may rather opt to limit the money spent on such purchases. Hey, sometimes I feel the same way.

So for them, me spending $30 dollars on just facial soap would be a huge sin, especially given that I already owned facial washes I haven't yet finished with when I bought it. Which I also understand, sentiment-wise.

But they don't live in my skin. I do.

And let me tell you, my skin in any weather but especially in winter without the right care is a downright nightmare to live with.

I'm allergic to everything. Well no, I'm not actually allergic to everything, but with allergies to dust, trees, ragweed and grasses, we may as well say I'm just about allergic to everything. (I'm not allergic to mold however, which is about the only widely available spore I am not reactive to) Most of the time, it just sneezing and a stuffy nose, something easily managed with but for the last two years, it's culminated into something far less manageable in the winter.

I've been dealing with hives. And not just a little rash either. It's all up and down both my arms and legs, spreads like nobody's business and haunts me for weeks on end. And it is really very expensive to get this problem under control given the prescriptions, the over-the-counter allergy medicine and other products I need to deal with it.

It sucks, and it affects everything in my life when I have it.

So what does this have to do with expensive facial soap? Well... everything. 

Have you ever used a face wash or soap that dries out your skin? I have and it wasn't caused by cheap products either. I've used face washes from Sheishido and Simple and even Clinique and they all caused some level of dryness on my face. And the discomfort it was causing was coming to a head over the summer. 

So in June, after looking over a few suggestions online of different kinds of products, I bought a sample bottle of purity by philosophy for around $13, wondering if it would solve my face wash worries. And it was amazing. Not only was it amazingly gentle on my skin, my face come out soft and smooth and it didn't feel dry or cracked at any point, even after my sometimes inhumanly warm showers.

But as with all good things went, it came to an end some time in late September and I ran out of the product. But instead of running out and buying a new one, I made the decision to try and go back to my other cleansers, at least until they run out. And once they do, I can justify buying and sticking with my one true product afterward.

I survived oh... about two months. That is to say, I survived only so long for the temperature to drop dramatically and the cold air making my skin begin to dry. And as it went, at some point a week ago, I began to break out. And my resolve vanished.

Because zits are not fun, and dry skin leads to hives.

I look at it as a means to help me maintain the health of my skin, and by extension my overall health. And given that we're expected to have an especially cold winter again this year, I need every weapon I can get to combat dry skin in order to stop hives before they start.

As for the other cleansers I own? I will try and mix them in here and there when I can on certain days as a means to try and work through the leftover product I have. Because I hate wasting money and usable items like that... though in the same breath, am none to keen in letting it pile up either. So hopefully they'll get used up over time. If maybe far longer than I originally intended it to last.

The Bookworm's Review: The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller

This review was crossposted from Goodreads.

There was something about this book. Even a month after the fact, I still couldn't tell you entirely what it was that made it appeal to me.

But it did more than simply appeal to me when I read it. I actually really, really enjoyed this book.

When I originally bought The Innocent Mage at a second-hand book store, I didn't think much of it other than the fact that I had seen it on my recommended list for awhile now.

And to be honest, I had bought it under some duress because I needed a second book purchase in order to up the cost of my actual desired purchase to a point when I could pay for my items with a debit card.

I could not even tell you why I would later pick up to read this book over the many, many others that I still needed to read on my bookshelf at the time. But I did, and when I finished, I'm glad I did. But it certainly didn't feel that way when I started.

I found the beginnings to be a bit odious as far as how it seemed to rely heavily on overused and tired fantasy tropes. "The young adventurer leaves home to find glory elsewhere, but little does he know he's actually a special snowflake." Something along those lines. Add in the somewhat juvenile and annoyingly emphasized accent and it certainly didn't do much to win me over in its first few chapters.

And then... I don't know, something changed the deeper into the story I got. I think it was the point that it moved away from the tropes and became less a story about an adventure and more a story about the people in the story, particularly the main characters and especially Asher. Miller did a great job demonstrating personal growth, growing relationships both in love and in hate and the decisions that leads to actions and how actions leads to various consequences. And somehow kept all that from feeling overly wrought and painfully dramatic (well... most of the time).

With that said, this story is heavily dependent on the reader engaging with the characters of whom you interact with the most, whether it is Asher, Prince Gar, Dathne or Matt, but most especially Asher. It is easy to see how people will not enjoy the book if they don't enjoy Asher, and I can certainly see some people finding his personality a little bit arrogant.

But such wasn't the case for me. I really really enjoyed his up-front and sometimes abrasive personality nearly to a fault and as a result, the story soared by rather quickly for me.

Which brings me to my final point, one that is a matter of major annoyance with me when I finished and also one that involves a bit of a spoiler so let this be your warning if you have not yet read this book and are exploring it as an option.

It is not so much that the book ended in a massive cliffhanger (literally) that bothered me at the end, but we never quite got to the point where the title of the book "The Innocent Mage" was explained or revealed at all. Sure there were hints in the form of a prophecy, such that I will allow, but the main character remains in the dark of said prophesy still!

Basically you read this whole novel about a character's personal growth - while hinting at a huge moment where he does more than just grow, he becomes a hero - and... nope. No big moment for you!

I mean, really?

Oh and as for the big bad, it took the author nearly the whole book to introduce him and ultimately while the plot can be called compelling, the big bad remains highly underwhelming in the early parts.

With that said, I should also allow that maybe Miller was hit with the same syndrome as J.R.R. Tolkien and was made to split what was supposed to be a single tome into separate parts - Tolkien into a trilogy, Miller's into a duology. Which in this case, I retract all the criticism above as it's hardly her fault.

Regardless, I still enjoyed the book. Actually, I enjoyed the book a lot. And I certainly do look forward to eventually reading the second part of this duology and discover how this book finally resolves itself. The anticipation and the enjoyment therefore is enough for me to give this fun read four stars.

Oh and the fifth? Well... let's just say, like my teachers in high school, I'm deducting marks for what felt like an incomplete piece.

Getting organized with my finances, one sheet of paper at a time

When it comes to my finances, most of it lives and is actively kept track of and maintained on some kind of electronic device. It just makes transactions move that much faster when paying bills and acts as great reminders for me to constantly check in on my money in my accounts.

Not to mention, it's easy to keep the files organized. And they are really very organized on there.

But there remains a part of my finances that still lives on paper. Whether it's credit card agreements, information I'm accruing for tax season or really anything else that requires filing for financial purposes, these are the things in my physical life that needs a similar system as my online financial life.

Easier said than done.

That's the thing with paper in your physical world that can't be thrown out. It actually takes up physical space, meaning you need to find a place for it to physically live in your own living quarters. No it's not a LOT of space, but recall that I kind of live life like a student, which means I live life within the physical confines of a student. Meaning I don't have much desk space and there are no real concepts of shelves in my home that I rent with two others.

So what happens to paper that has no place to go? They kind of end up everywhere. On my desk, on my shelf, in books and binders and plastic folders. 

Finally, after losing the paper that had my dental claim on it to the nameless piles on my desk, I had enough of the headache. I decided to take a leaf from the book of Gail Vaz-Oxlade. I got a goddamn box and a bunch of file folders and began trying to follow through her 12 step program of getting organized.

It worked! Well... kind of. 

Don't get me wrong, that 12 step process is a great resource as far as getting on top of your finances and having a clearer picture of your money and your life is like. And is good for people who has similar paper issues as I did.

It's just everyone's finances are different and how they need to be organized can vary widely as well. Gail's system may be mostly encompassing, but it really doesn't fully apply to my general needs or life. For instances, I don't own a mortgage or have a personal line of credit with the bank (well, the LOC is a not yet kind of thing. My student loans being a contributing factor as to why). So those folders would be useless for me. However, I did opt to have an income tax return folder for me to be able to file things like my TTC metropasses and medical bills for the tax year. I also created a folder specifically for my freelance work, which generally falls outside my regular income and is a little more scattered and hard for me to keep track.

Another problem is known as the 'printer problem.' That is to say, my printer ink is out at home. And I'm not about to use work resources to print out my online statements for filing purposes right now. The printer cartridge is on my to-do list though. I just have to be less lazy about going to an office store.

Oh. And another issue is the fact that I'm still in the beginning steps of saving real money. So I can't yet reduce my monthly bank fees with a large stash of cash in my chequing account just yet. It's irking me to bits too because that's $11 a month that could be going to... I don't know... my student loans or TFSA. So that was one of the 12 steps I couldn't do. But I have the capacity to do just about everything else.

Getting organized though is just one step of a bunch of steps of steps in taking full control of my financial life and figuring out my priorities as well, as well as having a positive net income. It's a long and arduous process, something that I wish wasn't so long and arduous feeling right now. 

But hey, it's only been a few months and I've got my entire life ahead of me to get it right one way or another.

Jack Johnson's sad tale... and why I don't trust my parents with my money

For those unfamiliar with sport, Jack Johnson is a hockey player. Actually, he's a little more than just a hockey player.

He's a defenceman, and is good enough that he can command  a seven-year, $30.1 million dollar contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is in year five of that deal, earning $5 million a year having already earned around $18 million already in his nine year hockey career.

You'd think he's swimming in money right now, right? Well... no he's not.

 In fact, he's flat broke.

The story of the wealthy athlete suddenly becoming flat broke is not an unheard of one in sport. But what is surprising, even alarming about this story is that it was not Johnson himself who predicated the downfall; it was his parents and their absolutely abominable money management that led to his personal bankruptcy.

For most people, the thought of not being able to trust ones own parents is basically unthinkable. After all, they were the ones that fed you, clothed you and loved you unconditionally growing up. (or as is the case, are the ones that should have) So the thought of parents being anything but loving guardians is basically unfathomable. 

But as I learned early in life, a parent's love does not generally equate to knowing what to do with money, let alone the money their children earn. 

My freelance cheques are usually mailed to my address. For awhile, that address was my parents. When I moved out, I didn't immediately change it to my new place however.  Which meant that the mail would fall into the care of my parents, particularly my mother. And while she may not be the brightest light on the Christmas tree, she certainly knew exactly what I had waiting for me in those envelopes from my freelance employer.

Now my mother, God bless her and her gentle, loving and caring ways, was terrible with money. Still is actually. Which often led to her not having any money at all which constantly stresses her out. 

So when one of those envelopes dropped, I'd get a phone call to tell me I have mail to pick up at home. But oh, would I oh so mind as a loving and caring daughter to give my dear mother what happens to be the balance of the cheque to help relieve her of her stresses with money because clearly she needs it much more than I do?

It really didn't take me that long to change my address with my employer after that.

I understand the feeling of owing your parents for giving you the best life they could give, or being the impetus behind your own success. But that hardly means that you should put your financial life in their hands, especially if you happen to know or even just suspect that they'll misuse the money you make. They may be your parents, but that doesn't always mean that they have your best interests at heart when using your money, especially when they're running a deficit in their own. 

And plus, money has and does easily ruin relationships. So why would you want to include it in your relationship with your parents to begin with? It's too often and too easily a dynamic that can become utterly toxic. Stick to the love and appreciation; it's better for everyone in the long term.

All this came too late for Jack Johnson and his family however. While Johnson still loves them to the point that he refuses to sue them, their relationship is on the rocks and the trust is basically gone. And while time heals all, it doesn't sound as if the damages will be solved any time soon.

The ins and outs of why I continue to pay for cable

When I lurk around the financial blogging world, I see plenty of declarations from people whose earnings and net worth is eons above mine declare that they have/had cut the (cable) cord and are now happier than they've ever been without it and the lack of any cable bill is saving them hundreds and hey, why doesn't more people realize that the money they spend on cable is a waste?

In my household of myself and two roommates, I'm the only one who pays for the cable as I'm the only one that deems it worth my money to pay for it. One roommate is more than happy streaming her content off the internet and the other actually pays for a Netflix account. (which, like my cable, access is then made available and shared within the household) So I'm the sole payee on the account. 

I don't even have a television loving dog to justify it.

Coupled with a special discount I get, at about $50 a month for a full gamut of televised options and it is a price I feel is fair value for the amount of actual time I use it.

But as some may or would say, wouldn't it be better for that $50 to go towards something like my student loans or my savings? Think about it, $50 a month adds up to about $600 in a year, which would go a long way when invested or decrease the money I owe and by extension the interest I pay on my student loans, right?

Sure if you put it in plain old dollar value like that. But that's assuming the full $50 dollars I would have otherwise paid to my cable is saved, which by my calculations would not be the case really for one solid reason.

I work in sports in addition to being a sports fan. The first and foremost of these loves being hockey. 

Sports is increasingly becoming a multi-billion dollar industry, particularly its television deals. And the result is due to the fact that these days sports remains mostly PVR-proof. 

Most television series or shows like The Big Bang Theory have increasingly become television items that people have no problem delaying a few hours or days even to watch when they're able, rather than planning their day or evening around watching the show. And the delay has an added effect; people can totally bypass  commercials. 

So what does that mean then? Money advertising companies are willing to pay for television shows have decreased rapidly as the people who watch such things are more likely to PVR and therefore not watch the commercial spots that come with it.

Sports, however remains one of the few television properties that remain an event that fans of the genre (like me) tend to plan their day around and make it a part of their routine to watch. 

Why? Because sports easily spoil, especially in this day and age of social media. There is nothing worse than watching a game after having been told who won. It's harder to watch when you already know that it's the team you cheer for that lost, especially by a large margin. And often the big events in the game have already been widely discussed and debated by friends online and off. At that point, you may as well just watch the game's highlights.

Sports fans watch games to be excited and surprised by the team they support, while knowing that they risk also being angered and disappointed as well. (And as a Leafs fan, let's say I suffer more disappointment than excitement) It's a form of emotional gambling and plenty of people gamble that through the low points, there will eventually be incredible highs. What more, this gambling happens as a whole community. It's not only you going nuts, it's a whole other group of people that are sharing in the same emotions you are feeling and sometimes to greater degrees than yourself. 

These Red Wings know what I'm talking about when it comes to the low points.

But the gambling doesn't happen when the event you're looking for has been spoiled. You end up emotionally detached. And it's harder still when you can't share the feelings of joy and despair with others, especially when most of the others are already freaking out over another event having moved on from a previous one.

 So how does this all add up as far as me paying for cable? 

I pay cable primarily so that I can partake in these events. I also pay cable because it is a helluva lot cheaper than the alternative route I took in order to 'not miss a game,' a task that amounted to me going to the bar to watch. Cable keeps me at home to watch my sports, which is cheaper than going out and doing it. Cable also wastes a whole lot of time watching other stuff when bored, which also keeps me from spending money by going out or shopping online.

There are minuses, as in cable keeps me at home on my butt rather than go out and exercise, but that's something I can do better towards than simply cutting off the cable as a remedy.

TL;DR, I pay for cable because I look at it as an entertainment expense. I look at it as an expense I pay in lieu of buying movies, going to the theatre or a number of other things used as entertainment by the rest of the world.

And because I need to watch my sports.

Why I decided to pay off my credit card

If there is one semi-good thing I've ever done in my life, it's that I've never missed a payment on my credit card while also keeping the limit at a relatively low rate in order to force me to be conscious of how much I use on it.

Nevertheless, I was still a little reckless with how freely I would accumulate debt on it and while I would pay more than the minimum, would always fail to pay off the balance in a timely fashion. For this reason, I had almost always carried a balance on these cards. At least that was the case until October 2014.

It all began near the end of July 2014. I had a $2,300 balance on my credit card and had just begun committing to track my spending more diligently when my latest statement popped up. And there I saw it with my own eyes. 

My monthly internet bill costs me around $47. 

But for the month, my interest costs ate up nearly $50.

That's right, I was paying more money for the right to owe over $2,000 to some giant faceless corporation than a service that I and my roommates not only use constantly, but viewed as a necessity in the home. And it made me think.

In so many ways, one's values are represented by how much they're willing to pay something. We spend a lot of money on shelter and food because we tend to need these things to survive. We spend a decent amount of money on transportation because we need to be able to go where we need to go in a timely fashion. We spend money on good clothing because we want to be able to be presentable when interacting with others.

The more valuable an item is to an individual, the higher the demand, which can drive up prices relative to its value to the consumers. (It also tends to create a market in which people then try to compete for your patronage)

Everyone in my household uses the internet I pay for. It covers so many of our needs and wants as far as where we waste our time down to where we do our banking. The credit card debt was all me and in some ways I find I don't enjoy half of what I spend as much as I should. So how is it that I'm willing to pay more just for the right to owe money?

Fact is, the right to owe money... isn't worth a cent to me. In fact, as far as its place in my life, it's worthless. And I don't want to spend any of my hard earned cash to something that I often find dangerous and contemptible as far as the way it can prey on people. 

It was that moment, I desperately wanted out of it.

Everyone looks and responds to debt differently. In my case, I didn't feel as if short term gain is worth me having to pay for the right to pay later. Because regardless of when I pay, the fact is, it will have to be paid eventually, and how much more you pay for it depends on how long you procrastinate it.

And plus, the fact the interest of my credit card was more than the cost of my internet was just downright absurd math.

Why I want to splurge on... black calf-high boots

Have you ever walked down a street during a moderate fall rain shower and can feel the water that had pooled from the pavement beneath your boots squish up through your already soaked socks and between your toes?

No? Well aren't you lucky, because I can assure you, it feels worse than it sounds and the aftermath is as unpleasant as the experience itself. And what I mean by that is that the combination of the wet boot and sock plus the usual smelly feet did something to my feet and created a really painful walking experience the following day.

(And if you happen to know what it was that likely happened, do me a favour, don't tell me because I'm pretty sure it's gross, disgusting and will make me want to skin my feet the next time I'm ever in wet socks)

So why am I telling you this story? Because the above tale is a recent experience I had with a pair of black calf-high boots that I've worn during most cool and cold months over the past three years. 

(And when I say three years, I mean three years except for last winter because I spent most of it wearing thigh-high boots to better cover up and deal with how freakin' cold it was)

Granted these aforementioned boots were EXTREMELY cheap. They were an Ardene's special and cost me about $30 when it was all said and done, so three years is a pretty decent amount of time in which I was able to arguably use them. But you know what they say about the cheap right? They're really not made to last and now these boots got a MASSIVE hole in the toe of the shoe from standard wear and tear.

And they now leak EVERYWHERE. 

They've seen better days and it's probably high time to replace them.

I waaaaaant new boots though. Want. :(

But that's part of the problem. See, I really don't need new boots and simply because I already own a different pair of boots that I wear regularly already. They're styled like riding boots and are a dark chocolate brown. So really, replacing my existing pair of black boots is just a luxury in the sense that I have a pair of black boots in which to style and fashion outfits with, rather than having to work with the brown ones.

And honestly, I'm in far more dire need for a legitimate pair of winter boots (after my old ones kicked the bucket two years ago) than a pair that is more or less nothing more than fashion boots.

Actually there are also other things I'm in far more dire need of right now as far as clothing is concerned, but I'll divulge on it another time.

Also, if I'm going to go ahead and buy a brand new pair of black boots, I won't be going back to Ardene's again, even despite the fact that their last pair actually proved to last quite a while, but I consider that to be the exception and not the norm. So this new pair will immediately be more of an investment purchase as far as I intend to buy a pair that's of good enough quality and a classic enough style to keep relatively long term.

So where does all this leave me? Well... 

The first problem is that I really really really don't want to toss my only pair of black calf-high boots until I get a new pair. Even if they soak in at the slightest impetus and are now useless in winter because of its leaky ways, it's still nice to have options, even if unrealisable ones. Or I'm just crazy. Either explanation is a valid one.

It also means that I'll be keeping any eye out for a decent pair this winter, either on the sales rack or just drooling over a pair while window shopping. And trying to keep the other shoe from dropping.

Thing is, I am saving some money for an investment piece (which I will talk about soon-ish) but as I have really yet to find a style that I like enough of said piece yet for a price I can be comfortable with, there may be a good chance the boots may win out in the battle over my money (and my mind)

Why is it so hard to save all my moneys!?

I remember several years ago, when I was taking a semi-break from full-time university (don't ask, long story) and working two part-time jobs that had at some point during that year combined to have me work full time hours. (and at minimum wage to boot) All in all, I worked enough that by income tax time, I had to declare close to $15,000 in income that year.

"Wow," said my mother at the time who happened to have also been doing her taxes with me. "You made a lot more money than I expected."

(Turned out, I made way more money than I myself expected or realized. And that was something I ended up paying for when I declared for student loans the following year when I went back to being a full-time student.)

Having lots of money ended up being a double-edged sword that year.

So yeah, $15,000 was a lot of money for me back then, and as it turned out, a lot of money spent as well.

But that's just the thing. I spent most of my life with far far less money earned than that pivotal $15,000 year and was able to live off my pitiful wage with little to no difficulty. 

(Minus the aforementioned problem that that income I earned that year more or less screwed my ability to take out a student loan that actually covered the cost of schooling)

Anyway, the point is, I was able to manage and survive with whatever money I made at the time with not too many problems or feeling any pinch really. So sometimes when I think too much, I wonder why is it that now, when I basically earn twice the income of that "landmark" year now, that I'm having some issues with actually finding and saving my hard-earned cash? Shouldn't I be having an all around easier time with my money?

This pondering and line of questions though is really just a product of my frustration at my money and my past. Because I know that the truth is that all things considered given how I lived back then and how I'm living now, the answer is a big fat no.

Back then I was living at home rent-free with my parents, I didn't pay for cable or internet and half the food I consumed was paid for by someone else and even some of my toiletries was paid for by my parents. As a result, I didn't really have any commitments or responsibilities at all financially. Sure I paid my own cell phone bill and my transportation costs, but it wasn't a huge drain on my expenses either. So at the time, all my money was basically "mine" to spend as I pleased.

But now? I don't live rent-free and pay close to $500 a month to keep a roof over my head. I also now pay for cable, internet and the majority of the food I consume every month along with my cell phone and a metro pass that I've always handled. And then there's my student loans, which eat up another $500 dollars of my regular wage every month.

What does all this add up to? It adds up to the reality that a sizable chunk of the income I make every month is now no longer mine but committed elsewhere. And while I haven't crunched any hard numbers on what money is actually mine to commit to where I want, it's likely less than $10,000.

This is what I feel is happening to my money right now.

Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not hurting for money and really I earn enough to live off of. Maybe not 100% comfortably and carefree, but with careful management, is a living wage. And at the end of the day, I am so fortunate to be doing what I do and earning what I earn doing it.

So really, I'm just griping over the fact that I seem to earn so much more money these days, but I don't seem to see any of it to do stuff with, like pay down my student loans or put towards my savings. And it can be a little frustrating at times.

But I'll manage. I just wish the steps I am actually making didn't feel so small or insignificant in the face of what I could be doing if living wasn't so expensive.

A few of my favourite things: Once Upon a Time

What cheap activity, pasttime or hobby have you got going to keep you from spending money or experiencing debt fatigue? Every once in a while, I will share what is keeping me happy, but most importantly, what is keeping me from reaching into my wallet out of boredom or impatience.

If you've been living under a rock for the last year, you may not have heard of the biggest craze from the world of Disney since The Lion King.

Yup, Frozen.

Between the heartfelt story that any parent can get behind (you don't need a man to be strong at heart) and the utterly infectious tune of 'Let it Go,' it had turned into a phenomenon that is simply unmatched in years for children. I don't think even My Little Pony found the same height of awareness.

Actually, I know it hasn't. I walked around a mall the other day (and managed not to impulse buy a damn thing! *fistpump*) and realized via the various holiday merchandise geared to the kiddies for Christmas, Frozen is currently being retailed and merchandised to within an inch of its life. The only time I've seen that may dolls of the same subject/genre, I was staring at a Barbie display case.

Seriously though. A year later, and this thing is still MASSIVE.

So what does Once Upon a Time have to do with said craze? The fourth season of the series decided to make a play with the new "golden goose" of Disney and introduced Frozen into the story's canon and drama, which has been more or less flagging over the last few years.

Now full disclosure, I liked the first season of the series. But... quickly lost interest during the second. It was becoming so convoluted, complicated and overdramatic that it was becoming less a guilty pleasure and more a headache to keep up with. I mean, I was looking for and adventure/mystery, not a soap opera that had five million twists and turns that are either meaningless or painful to try and accommodate for.

But when they adopted Frozen into the canon, I admit, it re-sparked my imagination and my desire to watch. Mostly because I love Frozen as much as the next 10 year old girl. (I mean seriously, did you see how many Elsa or Frozen costumes were running around this Halloween?) 

So I decided to try and catch back up with the series in order to watch again.

And... I failed. Or rather, I ran out of time and instead read the Cole's notes of the series instead before the season premiere.

So I've now decided to take the slow and steady approach instead. Rather than rush through the series, I'm taking my time watching old episodes online while also watching the new episodes. Hopefully by taking my time, this will allow for me to be able to swallow the melodrama a little better than I did a few years ago while also letting me enjoy the additional story and backstory the series is creating for Anna and Elsa. 

It's complicated and a little irritating here and there, but is still highly fascinating how they are incorporating it.

Too bad the series isn't one that includes song and/or dance. It only really needs to create another smash song like "Let it Go" to really give this season a fun side.

Figure out your personal fashion. It will save you money!

Have you ever gone through your closet and realized that half the stuff you own is no longer things you either like to wear or can wear often?

Some of it is simply due to time. As we mature and our lives make transitions from high school to university to our first or second full time jobs, our fashion tastes evolve and mature with us. School is different from work, the dress requirements are different and certain style preferences just don't work in any place but outside of where you spend 40-50 hours of your life every week.

But let's be honest, some of it is because the fashion industry tells you so. 

Fashion changes more than you do. And rarely are these transformations ever gradual. One moment, the loose, flow-y boho chic look is all the rage and the next it's a 90s party with neon crop tops (no jokes, that's what the last few years have felt like to me!) And in some ways, these fast and furious style trend changes are by design.

While we all 'need' clothes, we don't generally need more than a standard top, pants and shoes for everyday life. And yet, there are so many different iterations of those three basic things. From skirts to skorts to pants the shorts, t-shirts, sweaters, tank-tops and button-ups, jackets, blazers and capes, heels, sneakers and boots; the list of different kinds of clothing that's available for us to wear and match is endless.

But everyone does not need every iteration of clothing there is, which means that for the most part, clothing is no longer a necessity but a desire, a way in which you present yourself. That's what the fashion industry preys on and that's what they're geared towards. They want to tell us which top and which skirt with what pattern, cut, fit and colour is "fashionable" and looks good and will therefore make you all those things to other people.

But of course, a year later they tell you that old style is ugly and out-of-date and that this new kind of top and skirt in this new patter, cut, fut and colour is the real fashionable look.

And our own insecurities of looking frumpy and unattractive does the rest.

That's the dangers of trying to keep up with fashion. It changes so much and so often, it causes a non-stop cycle of purchases in order to keep you up to date. While you're getting poorer trying to stay on top, fashion is getting richer off your money and henceforth encourages them to maintain the cycle of changing fashion.

So what can you do as a consumer and someone that cannot walk around naked?

Find a style that works for you and your life and stick with it.

Rather than following the trends (and being eternally behind) pick a cut, colour and pattern that you think exudes you and your personality and then find different ways to express it. So instead on focusing on fashion, you're really focusing on yourself and how you feel or look in they style you wear. Rather than focus on individual pieces, instead you are able to focus on the bigger picture.

So how does picking a set style help you save money?

It means that when you go out shopping (or as is becoming more common, you do online window shopping), you know the look you want, the pieces you need and it will keep your eyes from wandering towards the other pretty, raging fashion stuff that you may never be able to wear outside of a particular occasion that may only come around once or twice a year. I'm a terrible impulse shopper and can't tell you how much money I wasted on pretty, current pieces that I didn't need simply because they looked cute or attractive or both.

Knowing your style also makes you more aware of what's in your closet, meaning there's less duplicates of the things you'd wear less frequently and more of what you'd wear regularly. Being aware of your closet will also help you be able to better mix and match your life. Basically it'll make your closet far more usable and efficient and therefore may require you to need less in order to do more.

Also, once you hammer down your style, you can really begin to focus on investment closet pieces - higher quality but more expensive items that are made to be long lasting because it is something you will wear for several years regularly. I mean, Louboutin heels won't be an extravagant purchase if it is comfortable and something you will wear constantly and will last you a long time.

Don't think this is a look that works for most people who work in offices though...

But what if a trend comes out that you really, really like it?

There's nothing wrong with incorporating that new style into your existing closet. Just make sure it is something you would love to wear long term and is not just an impulse thing for you. Maybe start off with something from a fast fashion outlet (like Forever21 or H&M) and if you find you're wearing it down to the thread, consider getting something that will last you much longer then.

But this only works if you commit to a style of clothing. And only by committing to a look can you leave the never-ending cycle of fashion consumerism.

November 2014: Tis the season for the continuation of the G2 saga

October has involved a lot of insanity and a lot of inconsistency in spending. While I did manage to stay relatively under budget and I was able to record my expenses pretty regularly on my phone, I did not do a great job of reigning in my spending (especially in the food category) as well as I could and should have done.

And while I am certainly making a strong point to NOT GO OVER THE FOOD BUDGET this month (with exclamation marks!) in addition to other savings, I can't say with confidence the spending will go down significantly due to a few contributing factors that I will need to take into consideration throughout this month.

THIS MONTH'S UPCOMING MAJOR EXPENSES:

1. New Glasses/Prescription - I need new glasses. Not want them, NEED them. My prescription is about six years old, which is something like two to three times greater than the time in which I should update my prescription, and is actually a slight issue while driving right now. Which is essentially what prompted me to go ahead with it.

Now lucky for me, I am partially covered for eyeglasses through work (which was another reason why I was more eager to pursue glasses too), but the keyword here is partially. They only cover half my expenses. So I decided to shop around in order to find an optometrist that charges a fairly reasonable rate. Ironically, that optometrist turned out to work right by my office. I see him in the first week.

Well that covers the prescription. So what about the actual glasses? Well that may not happen this month depending on sales, but I will say this, at least on one pair of glasses, I don't think I'll be scrimping on the lenses. Because driving, glare and scratches and all that. I've had enough of that.

Which gets me to my next major expense this month.

2. G2 Lessons and test - This past week I instructed my instructor to register me for the G2 test, which he will be assisting me on by letting me borrow his car. While the registration itself is pretty painless, it does cost money, not to mention the money in which I will be using to borrow my instructor's car and his time. All told, just this will cost me over $200 this month. Yikes!

And that's discounting that I'll probably need at least one or two more two-hour lessons (at $60 per session) in order to get more practice and confidence on the road, and then pay the government money in which to place an extension on my license if I pass. (it expires next April)

And if I don't pass... all that money's basically down the drain. So... I better damn well pass on the first try!

Getting my G2 is becoming just as if not more expensive than one of my university courses! Why does growing up and becoming independent have to cost so much bloody money?!


THIS MONTH'S GOALS:

1. Stay under my $200 food budget!!! - Seriously I need to manage this at least once this year in order to prove to my lazy-ass self that IT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT STARVING.

Note to self: part of the reason I'm in this fix is because I'm lazy so I need to STOP IT AND COOK MY MEALS AT HOME.

And plus, as of this moment, my fridge and cupboards are really very stuffed. If there was ever a moment in which I could hole up for a month without buying any new food (like say, a zombie apocalypse), this would be the time to do it.

So... I need to curb the food shopping addition. Focus on shopping my own cupboards. But not wait until I have no food and starving because that's when I binge spend my food budget into the troposphere. That's what happened this month. And it wasn't pretty in the slightest. Although it did get me a lot of food to eat. But still... bad.

2. Keep the budget balanced - This is going to be really really hard, because the above big expenses may end up seeing me dip into emergency funds to cover for the extra costs, which I want to really avoid.

I should be getting a few paychecks from freelance work this month which I am hoping to use to bridge that expenses gap hopefully. But it's also going to hurt, because normally that's the money that I split into my savings AND to accelerate paying down my student loans.

But I have no choice. In my pre-month budget assessment, I'm over $300 overbudget simply due to these extra expenses. Well, at least I have the money on hand both in future income and in savings to pay for it without going into debt, but still... blech.

I have got to keep reminding myself that (provided I pass on the first shot) this money isn't forfeit. I am getting a G2 license, some freedom from late night taxis and, as a lot of my already driving friends have said to me when I started this process "a basic skill that I'm surprised you didn't get yet." This isn't money going to waste, it is providing me with education and a tangible skill I can use and have and sell as a part of my many abilities as a person.

It's a positive gain, even if it means it delays other gains for now....