PAR-TAY! (and goals.....)

So damn proud of America for their highest voter turn-out since 1908!

I was cheering on Obama, personally, but both candidates were respectable and even better - they both inspired their supporters to get out and vote. And McCain's concession speech was eloquent and inspiring.

[cooldance]

Anyways, thought I should set out my goals for this month.

1) Give up my daily coffee.

I am way too caffeinated as a rule. So far, I have successfully managed by switching to tea. Also $3.50 cheaper and I can reuse the bag!

I started this on Saturday and seriously, I have totally been less 'manic-panic' than I was. Just goes to show how an itty-bitty change can improve your day.

2) Use the library more.

This, I think, shall be easier done than said. They are renovating my local Chapters and I am pissed - I can't hardly find anything right now.

3) Get back into the gym.

I'm feeling blobby. The weather has been so nice lately that I've been reluctant to be cooped up indoors. I have been doing morning stretching again and that has seriously helped me stay more controlled and calm throughout the day.

4) Reduce the amount of time I spend online.

I would rather not be the hunchback of North Toronto. I also find it's too easy to lose track of time and space out. There are better things I could be doing with my time and I shall do them!

5) Spending:

I only need a few sweaters for winter. I think I can make it without issue through the rest of the year without indulging in my need for fripperies.

I am, however, buying a chair at Ikea next weekend - it's $129 and I can dye the cushion covers myself to save money.

I hope to spend less at the grocery store, thus continuing in my 'leftovers are not evil' campaign.

I also want to start bringing my lunch to work again. I've been a bad girl recently on this point.

I also need to find a new hairdresser. He's raised his prices to $65 a cut. :-(

On a completely unrelated matter, there is a woman who is clearly not eating properly in my office building. She has 'anorexia knees'. I'm a little concerned.

If you're American and reading this.....

WHY THE *#$@ AREN'T YOU VOTING!!!!!!!

Go vote.

People die trying to get the right you're taking for granted.

Monthly Round Up: Need vs. Want challenge

Kinda proud of myself, I must say!

My whole challenge for this month was to go on needs rather than wants.

I totally resisted the bookstore this month, and went to the movies using - ta da! - the gift certificates I forgot I had!

I bought a new fall/early winter coat, which I needed. Even better - it was on sale for $40! I had to get the cuffs taken up as usual, but since it was on sale, I didn't mind the tailoring charge.

I also finished my ultra-wide scarf - I can fold it over, sort of like a cowl, which TOTALLY stops the dreaded neck draft! I knitted it myself so it's in the colours I like. Even better - same concept scarf at the Bay was $60.

I still haven't found a toque I like, though, and I totally suck at knitting in the round. :-(

I had enough yarn left to start making a skinny accessory scarf, too!

Haven't posted in a while because.....

I have been soooooooo busy at work! When I get home, I want to avoid anything computer-related.

The extent of my free time has been spent watching MSNBC - I get home, eat dinner, watch Chris, Keith and Rachel, and then hit the hay to start the cycle all over again.

Ironically, it's done wonders for my savings.

I've also done something smart - I've signed up to put $60 a month into a Canada Savings Bond.

It's a good, safe and RELIABLE way to save money! Very important in this climate!

Our rush time is over and done with for the next few weeks, so hopefully I can get back to posting more often.

Oh, yeah - OBAMA '08!

A good shopping day!

In-keeping with my only buy what I actually need goal for the month, I decided to test myself in the mall.

I'm rather thrilled I went.

Not only did I *not* spend in a bookstore or music store, but those items I did purchase actually followed the major rules:

• it screamed 'buy me, you look good!"
• the items were on sale
• I actually needed them

I needed gloves and I bought them - and they were on sale!

A Strange Violation and October's Goals

I was going to update earlier but I'm still kind of weirded out by something that happened Tuesday night: someone stole my sweaty, yucky though somewhat new sneakers at the gym!

Yes, we are talking a seriously disgusting human who doesn't know where my feet have been! Y. pestis could be incubating in those sneakers for all the thief knows! Ew!

In light of that development, I had a brainwave vis-a-vis my goals for the month.
This month's goal is to achieve something not too ambitious but important nevertheless: I am going to make an effort to only purchase that which I actually need rather than want. These kinds of purchases include a new pair of sneakers (for obvious reasons), groceries, that kind of thing.

Today's Resisted Items - based on an "ooh, I could buy" thought:

1. Iron Man DVD (it will be available On Demand soon enough);
2. John Adams DVD set (I will wait until I can rent it);
3. Blue Jeans;
4. Boots;
5. Flat shoes;
6. Gloves and scarf (cold, damp and windy out with AC still on in office).

Ironically, my refusal to "mall" after a rough day at work meant that I had to evaluate why I wanted to spend. Answer: boredom, frustration, desire to validate my need to feel good and what I call the 'oreo cookie' urge - mmm, yummy, just one more, oh just one more, until the bag is empty and I feel like crap.

That tells me something - if I have a crap day - GO HOME AND EAT DINNER. If I *still* want it, I'll wait for the weekend. If it's still in my brain when I wake up Saturday morning, then I'll go look for it. I won't be stressed or off-kilter, so I will be relaxed and able to not impulse shop because I'll have time to compare prices.

Today's spending report, in light of those goals:

1. TTC Pass since I need to get to work;
2. New nylons (since I laddered my tights this morning on my way to work);
3. Large Latte and a breakfast sandwich.
4. Dinner from grocery store because I missed lunch - pre-made Caesar salad, pre-made beef goulash, green tea ginger-ale, chocolate sundae.

So, after having eaten, I've still got the "me want" thoughts on the following items:

• blue jeans
• boots
• gloves
• scarf

I'm waiting on Saturday. Let's see how the 'deep breath and wait' approach works out.

Good things come to those who wait!

I really wanted an HD TV but I refused to even think about looking at buying one. My TV worked just fine and I thought it would be wasteful to spend $1000 when there was nothing wrong with the one I had. The purchase also would not have been in-keeping with my 'responsibility and impulse control' goals.

A few weeks ago, I bought a ticket for a charity draw for a big-screen HD TV and an HD cable box. The charity is one that I support and believe in, so I didn't regret the $10 for the ticket.

Long story short -

I won the damn draw!

I am now the proud owner of a very large, very wide HDTV!

Patience is a virtue and good things do come to those who wait!!!!!!!

Sheer, unadulterated *rage-stress* and Hailing the Squeaky Wheel.....

I admit to being a stress eater. Stress = Food that is bad for me gets shoveled into my mouth at a frightening rate. And there are days when I want to just scream for ice cream and today was one of them.We had a huge meeting that nearly went balls-up today because of craptastic service. Yet again, I pulled a large rabbit out of my Mary Poppins bag.

We all speak english. So why is it that the words I say are interpreted as something completely different? Example: "Please cancel the extra paper on the supply order you are delivering tomorrow"; how does that get interpreted as "cancel the supply order with the extra paper on it"? Or, "Please deliver the order at 12PM tomorrow, sharp." becoming "Please deliver the order at 12PM tomorrow, sharp, but only if you, like, feel like it."

I literally can't understand why - if I am paying someone for a service that is time-sensitive - they cannot meet the requirements laid out in advance and then have the nerve to get huffy with me when I complain about it? When did craptastic service and rudeness become the norm rather than the exception?

So, by about 2PM today I was flustered and frazzled. But then the financial sun shone through.

I have had an on-and-off battle royale against Bell Canada Sympatico (boo! hiss! wishing bedbugs on you!) since the start of the summer. I wound up changing to a different ISP over it. I pulled my "Stubborn Queen who documents EVERYTHING" tiara out and donned it once more. We've have been battling on and off over this situation for a few months and......

TODAY THEY ADMITTED IN WRITING THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE AND HAVE REFUNDED A SUBSTANTIAL SUM OF MONEY!

I won! I won! I won! I won! I won!

::conga time::

Anyhoo, I will receive the cheque on Friday (they are sending it via courier) and then I shall be dividing the funds upon receipt into my various savings plans.

All Hail The Stubborn Squeaky Wheel!

PS: In the interests of full disclosure, I celebrated my glorious victory with President's Choice Tikka Masala, Rice Pilao, Garlic Naan, a Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger-Ale and Mango Sorbet. It cost $15 but the same order as an Indian takeout would have cost twice that. I also have substantial leftovers for lunch tomorrow and friday!

FASHION magazine affects worldview (in a positive way)

I picked up the new issue of FASHION on friday night to read on the GO train on my way out to my parents for dinner. Talk about a fortuitous purchase! For once, it didn't make me feel wistful and lusty for products. It made me feel intelligent and not a little bit....miffed, I guess, about the luxury goods industry.

There's an article by Bernadette Morra about luxury and economy that I think should be required frugal reading. I've abstracted it below for those of you not living in my wonderful, awesome, lovely country.

Morra asks the question, "When did handbags become as costly as cars and condos? And why does your average little silk dress cost more than a fridge?" Her answer is that the world got richer. She covers various explanations, including but not limited to higher salaries, the all-encompassing price o'gas claim, increasing purchasing power because of the rising Canadian dollar and lower GST. She does, however, acknowledge that the pricing of irrationally expensive items (such as a $20,000 handbag) are viewed by most people as "just plain nuts." Morra points out that fast-fashion like Joe Fresh Style has effectively made designer pricing - like Dior - look out of control; she uses a $710 D&G turtleneck versus a $17 turtleneck to highlight this point.

She acknowledges that the differences in quality of materials, quantities available, etc., can make a difference but asks if it's even possible for it to be THAT big of a difference. Later in the article, she quotes Jennifer Carter of Hermes Canada justifying the investment cost of luxury items by saying, "The value of my house has doubled since I bought it in 1997. The price of a Birkin has not risen at the same rate."

I don't think anyone needs me to comment of the absurdity of that statement.

Subsequently, Morra naturally thinks about what that says about our attitude towards designer prices when Birkins are affordable compared to real estate. There has been a sea-change in terms of what we define as prohibitive pricing, apparently, and quality and construction are what we use to decide on value for the money. In closing the article, Morra quotes Derek Nighbor of the Retail Council of Canada, who states that people who buy luxury items aren't going to stop the purchasing, they'll just be more choosy. The head versus heart impulse purchase is going to be more dependent on emotional spending than ever before.

In the article, she referenced a book by Dana Thomas, called DELUXE: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. I was so intrigued by her article and the points it raised that I bought the book. I cannot recommend it enough. I'm not prone to hyperbole about the transformative power of a book (I leave that to Oprah) but I truly urge all of you to get this book and read it. It has wrenched the shopaholic, consumerist blinders off of my eyes. I'm about halfway through it and believe you me, I doubt I will EVER buy another 'label' item again after what I read. The information in this book is genuinely as impactful as the information about trans-fats and food stuffs.

It will actually change how you shop and what you shop for.

There's also a comment by Olivia Stren in this month's issue that I found rather amusing as well, about Canadians.

"They seem irate that I should dare stand out. Toronto, even in a vogued-out nabe that prides itself on its big-city urbanity and avant-gardist plurality, can be weirdly conservative. Canadians in general have always favoured discretion, deeming any attention-grabbing uncouth."

Ahem. And we are DAMN proud of that, thank you very much!

Tip(s) of the week

Two for one this week!

1) Sometimes, cheaper really isn't better.

I bought VH1 Butter Chicken Sauce since it was less than the Patak's I usually buy. Blech! Learn from my error and avoid it like it's the black plague. It smells awful and tastes even worse. Spend the extra $1.25 and get the Patak's.

I currently have a febreeze vanilla scented oil plug-in turned on high, all the windows open and two fans on in an effort to get the smell out. Truly craptastic product. I wound up rinsing my chicken off to get the sauce off. It was the only way to make it edible. However, by that point I was so sickened by the smell that I wound up going out to get a hot dog and a creme brulee.

2) Secret Clinical -

Best. Product. Ever.

It actually works! And even better, I don't have to do my dry-cleaner trip with my tops I wear to work this week! My purchase earlier this week has saved me over $20 in dry-cleaning costs. Not bad for $7.00!

Seriously fantastic product! I totally recommend this product for EVERYBODY!

Urge to Kill Rising......

I'm having a Sideshow Bob moment, and it's brought to you by the Designer fashionistas that went up against Gok Wan on Fashion Fix.

Deadly serious - for the first time in my life, I had the near-irresistible urge to smack a person on the tv. One of the fashionistas (the one repping BROWNS) actually referred to an ultra-hideous, fugly pair of shoes that retailed for £750 as a BARGAIN. In Canadian dollars, that is 75% of my monthly income! Clearly, she needs to buy a dictionary with the money she "saved" on that "bargain" because I don't think she knows what the definition of bargain is!

I'm not kidding when I describe them as black strappy stripper/bondage shoes with 4 inch heels. All that was missing was the complimentary gimp masque and ball gag.

I had a similar feeling when reading the following in an article by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan in the Wall Street Journal on 15 September 2008:

"Manhattanite Susan Rogers, an alternative investment specialist for "a bank that still exists," is one such shopper. Ms. Rogers, who said she typically budgets $15,000 for new clothing and accessories each fall, is planning to spend less than $10,000 this season. "I'm realizing it's ridiculous to spend so much money on clothes in this economy -- do I really need a new $1,500 bag every six months?" said Ms. Rogers, 36, who usually buys a new work handbag from a label such as Gucci or Prada each season but plans to skip that purchase this fall. She said she usually visits a personal shopper at Marsh's, an upscale boutique in Huntington, N.Y., in August to update her fall wardrobe but has put off that appointment until late September. "This year, I've been making a controlled effort to stay out of stores."

But it brings something up that - in light of the market free-fall we seem to be in - is rather pertinent. It's not irresponsible banking and investing we're dealing with, it's irresponsible spending period. Even spending $10,000 on clothes is ridiculous. Frankly, if she considers that reasonable or cutting back, then I question her grasp on the reality of the world the rest of us inhabit. No one person should be able to spend $15,000 on clothes and accessories every six months and consider it a necessary investment. I don't care who you are or what you do, that is patently ridiculous. That's $15,000!!!!!

What does she do with the bags once they've done their six month tour of duty? Retire them to the island of lost handbags?

My personal weakness is Chanel Couture - makes my mouth water. I love the tailoring, the colours and the detail invested in each piece. But I wouldn't pay the sticker price for any one item from Chanel. Sorry, but it doesn't say 'stupid' in invisible ink on my forehead.

Perhaps the SEC should be able to put limits on salaries paid to those who work the markets. Maybe if the people on the Street or in the City stopped treating money like it's out of Monopoly or printed on the office document centre, the irresponsible, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses spending that is literally hobbling the world economy would stop.

Rude Wake-Up Call(s)

With the fallout from today's banking implosion and what could - should AIG not be able to raise the rest of the $40 billion they need - mean the fracturing of the world's largest insurance company, one has to wonder what the impact is going to be on pension planning and investor confidence.

I can imagine that a lot of people are questioning the security of their retirement portfolios and their jobs at the same time. I'm somewhat relieved that I rebalanced my retirement portfolio earlier this year and I dumped all my AIG holdings at that time (investment-savvy people at work told me to, and I'm glad I listened). I find it nightmarish to try and understand what these events could have on others, though, who weren't lucky enough to be nervous nellies like myself - especially people coming up to retirement who may not have the means to enjoy the plans they made in better times.

There are also people, I'm sure, who work(ed) for Lehman Bros. whose lives have not only been thrown into turmoil, but probably - if the fears of some articles come true - will be left without the pay they're owed. I just feel so sorry for them (and their families). A lot of the people who worked there weren't responsible for the mess that Lehman found itself in, but they're the ones who will suffer the most in a bear market.

I can't imagine how I would cope if it happened where I work. I guess that today's events are an even-greater impetus to build up those emergency funds.

Someone commented today on tv that the impression non-finance people are being left with of corporate banking and investment brokerages is of people who treat the market and money like it's just a game of monopoly. I have to agree with that idea. When I first heard that AIG was going to need to raise $40 billion to stay in business, my first thought - surreal though it was - was of Scrooge McDuck swimming in piles of money. Utterly ridiculous yet apt, since I honestly cannot even begin to understand that kind of money.

It begs the question, though - where does the buck stop, and was it pure greed or just fiscal pollyannaism that caused the credit crunch?

Where is my mind?

Has anyone seen my brain? I think I've mislaid it. It's the only explanation for why I've been having so many thicko moments this week. Or maybe I did something to a voodoo queen and she's out to get me, I don't know. What I do know is that part of my budget for the month has been totally blown and I'm really annoyed at myself for being such a total dumbass.

On top of what I did to my arm (and the $15 it cost me) and the replacement footwear costs (grrrrr.....), I somehow misread the library due date on my books. They were actually due on the 3rd.

$8.03 later (yeowch).

Anyways, spending report:

Secret Clinical and Schick Razor Blades - $19.38
Insoles and Yogurt - $6.14
Coffee - $5.03
Fines - $8.03

FYI/TMI - I sweat, I don't glow or glisten. I actually can't wear the same shirt twice because I sweat so much, which costs me a fortune in dry-cleaning. So, I had a coupon for $1.50 plus the Secret Clinical was on sale for $7.99. I thought I would give it a go to see if it makes a difference with my shirts and thus my dry-cleaning bill. If it does, great. If not, lesson learned.

I'll share the results/review of the Secret Clinical next week.

Frustrations

I titled this frustration because I realized this week that even though I was being really good, I wound up spending on two things - shoes and a tensor bandage - I didn't want but ending up needing (in one case because of a stupid memory-lapse about nylons, of all things!).

I'm also frustrated because one of my least favourite people is back after an extended absence. This person annoys me so much with the petty, "scoring points off you" behaviour they indulge in. I really don't know how they made it to where they are by acting like a petulant 13 year old with acne. It's predominantly their abrasive behaviour I find objectionable. This person has a temper and rather than act like an adult, they make sure that everyone can "hear" how juvenile they behave.

I am by no means a moron. But this person treats me like I am. They deliberately ask questions that not only would there be no reason for me to have that knowledge, but that very few people on the planet would know the answer to (or want to). When they ask me to help them, and if I point out something truly relevant, they pooh-pooh it and act like I've said something absurd. Perhaps you missed the memo - when I send you something via email because I thought you should know about it, I am not doing it because I'm bored. Enjoy your extended wait in traffic, had you listened you would have known that highway is under construction with massive delays.

Dang it, this is not my week! AKA The Shoe Rant

I have a pair of great black patent heels from Nine West that I love. They go with everything and are usually super-comfortable to wear. The only negative thing about them is that I absolutely have to wear nylons with them. If I go skin-only, the patent rubs against two specific spots on my feet and make it uber-uncomfortable to even think about moving, much less actually walking.

My office has just gone back to non-summer-hours clothing. Now, like the majority of the female population in my metropolis, I don't wear nylons/stockings in the summer. It's kind of an instant darwin award - wearing stockings in our summer humidity is right up there with sticking a fork into a live socket and then licking it.

Anyways, I pulled out the heels this morning and without even thinking about it, guess what I forgot to don, purely from falling out of the habit for three months?

Stockings.

Now, normally this wouldn't be so bad. But for the first time in ages, I didn't have a spare pair of shoes in my desk. I took them home last week to get the heel grips replaced. And of course, I wound up having to run urgent errands. My feet are just killing me. The patents rubbed my feet raw in two places and by the time I realized that I had forgotten to put my stockings on, even moleskin (which I always have at my desk in case of footwear trials) couldn't help me. I wound up having to go out at lunch and buy a pair of shoes, I was literally in so much pain. I tried looking for a cheap pair, but I couldn't find anything that fit on the "sale/please take these last season leftovers out of our store for cheap" rack. I ended up with a nice pair of bronzish metallic wedge heels for $70 including tax from Aldo. They are quite nice and rather comfortable, but I really resent having to pay $70 for them. Especially considering they were the most practical pair of shoes in the store and the only ones with a remotely reasonable price tag.

That is what brings me to my rant. Why on earth can one not locate stylish and well-constructed shoes in Canada at a reasonable price? Why is there no longer a reasonable, mid-point footwear company available to us? Shoes are either cheap - both in price and value for money, because they'll fall apart in four weeks! - or stupidly, unrealistically expensive!

I'm not ashamed to admit that I look down on Payless Shoes. I know that some people love them, but I don't know anyone who has ever purchased a pair of shoes there that have lasted and not caused crippling pain. And what really irritates me about them is that the prices aren't that great here - their shoes are maybe $5-10 less than a pair from Spring, whose shoes are slightly more well made but so trendy that anything from there is almost guaranteed to be a one-season wonder.

I used to like Naturalizer and Feet First before they went all Grandma again. Seriously, I'm in my 30s - I'm not ready to be put out to pasture just yet, so don't push low heels with witchy buckles (and not in a cool, sexy way) at me. I gave up on the Shoe Company years ago - everything is either clunky-chunky, teenybopper or channelling a stripper. Even Winners (ostensibly the place to get good deals) has some seriously wiggy footwear pricing going on. They're opening a massive Winners footwear store in Vaughan Mills later this month and while I'm tempted to go (and really, what woman wouldn't be?) , I don't see the point because I know that the prices aren't going to be all that great or wondrous.

It's kind of infuriating that unless one is willing to spend over $100 on a pair of shoes, one cannot get a good pair anymore. Town Shoes and Browns always have stylish and well-made shoes, but the starting price is usually about $150 a pair for heels and $99 for flats. While I could certainly rationalize "$150 for a pair = if I'm going to wear them X number of times they only cost so $X much in reality", I still get pissed off that I am almost expected to do that.

Why can't I just walk into a store, find a nice pair of shoes, and not have to choose between my grocery bill or the shoes?

D'oh!

I pulled some muscles in my arm on the weekend.

Tip of the Week - BODYFLOW (yoga, pilates and tai chi hybrid gym class) can be dangerous to one's health.

I wound up having to spend $14.68 on a tensor bandage to compensate for my poor overstretched arm muscles.

:-(

Revised Grocery List - God Bless the Coupon!

I somehow managed to hit coupon heaven day at Shoppers Drug Mart and at Pharma Plus. She spots, she scores!

That was actually a good thing. It really sucks that I won't risk lunch meat or cheese right now. I had to buy pork and extra chicken to use to make for lunch instead of my sandwich fixings. It's not Maple Leafs Foods' fault, per se. I don't see how they could have suspected that one small part on a package sealing machine - which traditionally doesn't touch the product itself - in one plant out of the many they have would cause such a tragedy to unfold. It's just frustrating that we can't trust a good, cost-effective part of our food supply right now.

I figure it cost me about an extra $25-30 - even after the coupon deals today - this month that I didn't need to spend because I've had to change what I make for lunch. I had enough in my freezer to cut my grocery bill, but having to add to it because I can't buy my turkey and ham slices put paid to that idea. Effectively, I have to cook two meals in the evening now until the industry convinces me that they've taken enough steps to regain my confidence in their safety protocols.

To pass the time while my yummy beef stew (dinner tonight and 2 lunches) cooks, here's the rest of my list of groceries for the month:

4L of Skim Milk - $3.99
Lg can Chicken Noodle Soup - $1.79 ($0.75 coupon!)
Lg can Veggie Beef Barley Soup - $1.79 ($0.75 coupon!)
Instant Coffee - $4.99 ($3.00 coupon!)
Caramel Syrup (for my homemade caramel correttos) - $3.49 ($1.00 coupon)
Vegetable Thins Crackers - $1.79 ($1.20 coupon!)
10pk of Maple Harvest Granola Bars - $1.99 ($1.00 coupon!)
4 Chocolate Pudding Cups - $0.99 ($1.00 coupon!)
4 Vanilla Pudding Cups - $0.99 ($1.00 coupon!)
Very Cherry Cocktail Can - $1.49 ($0.50 coupon!)
Fruit Cocktail Can - $1.49 ($0.50 coupon!)
Pears Can - $1.49 ($0.50 coupon!)
Peaches Can - $1.49 ($0.50 coupon!)
Lg Can Diced Tomatoes - $1.29 ($0.75 coupon!)
Swiffer Wet Mop Cloths- $3.99 (coupon for $3.00 off!)
Febreze Noticeables Oil Refill in Vanilla - $4.49 ($1.50 off!)

Only things I didn't get were olive oil - out of stock at SDM but I got a raincheck for the coupon price - and apples. HOWEVER, the apples won't cost me anything - my auntie has an apple tree in her yard that I get to pillage next week. Yum - real, fresh macintosh apples! :-)

Total Spent incl. Friday's groceries: $110.98 (incl. tax)

So what I had left in my freezer before I did my big shop was:

1 pk of frozen spicy mango tilapia
4 frozen chicken breasts
3 frozen bison burgers
3 frozen burger buns
5 frozen steaks (pepper and parsley)
0.5 Kg frozen gnocchi
1 bag frozen baby potatoes
1 bag frozen asparagus
1 bag frozen matchstick carrots
0.5 bag frozen whole green beans
6 small bags of frozen, pre-cut peach slices
1 pk each of Toppits basil, garlic and cilantro
1 frozen orange juice mix
2 english muffins
1 very large container of frozen mixed berries
1 container frozen homemade bean soup with veggies

The goal is to make it through the month without having to grocery shop, other than getting more milk, another OJ and yogurt in two weeks' time. I don't see why I would need to hit the grocers for anything else.

Meal Planning as Tip of the week!

Something I don't do, in the traditional sense!

I am not really much of a meal planner, per se. I don't have a family, so I'm not tied to the set meal times and other factors that affect many people.

However, I do have a kind of system, and it works for me.

1) Don't eat what you don't like - I hate salad. If I buy loose greens, it's usually baby arugula and it's for sandwiches. If you buy what you don't like, it's either going to go off in the fridge or sit there in the cupboard until botulism joins listeria on the watch list. Stock your fridge with what you like, and you won't have wastage!

2) Use coupons - plan your food choices around what's on sale. It also ensures variety in your diet, so you don't get bored with your food choices.

3) Organic is not necessarily the best choice - be intelligent and practical as well as eco-conscious. I personally prefer organic produce, however I will not spend $6.99 on a small container of blueberries. That's just crazy thought!

4) Seasonal shopping is your friend - eat what's on nature's tap. If you don't, you're paying more and getting less. And you're hurting our planet if you purchase strawberries in January shipped in from California!

5) Plan intelligently - that means learning what serving sizes are and being pro-active about food prep. Pre-dice chicken for curries and casseroles. Buy frozen mixed vegetables and canned vegetables when you can, because it will totally cut time off the prep and cooking of meals. I am less likely to pick-up takeout if I know I don't have to chop or mince or dice.

Pragmatic cooking is good cooking!

Grocery List

I normally don't post these things, but I thought I would share my grocery list (which I always do on a friday night).

Groceries:

Lemon Pepper Tuna Steak
VH Butter Chicken Sauce
Aunt Jemima Griddlecakes (2 per pack)
Frozen Spinach
Misura Sugar-Free Cookies
Bag of Cooking Onions
Toppits Frozen Ginger Cubes
2 Clementines
Stoplight Peppers 3pak
Green Pepper
Dempsters Ancient Grains Bread
Campbells Beef Broth
Ponderosa Blend Mixed Dried Mushrooms (porcini, oyster, shitake, portabello)
Extra-Lean Ground Beef (split into thirds)
3 Pork Rib Chops
3 pieces of Beef Brisket
4 Chicken Breasts (split into 8 servings)
250 mL Bottle of Cotes du Rhone Red Wine

Total Spent: $77.30

I have some more groceries to do tomorrow, because there's a sale on at Shoppers Drug Mart tomorrow only on some things I need.

Note to my fellow Canadians: milk is cheaper at SDM, along with frozen foods and yogurt!!!!!

Gah! Foiled by fripperies!

Forgot to do my spending report.

Yesterday, I had a very, very busy and long day. I had to be at work at 6:15AM (dear god in heaven why am I an owl in a world of larks......).

I spent:

Lg Coretto Latte from Second Cup & Muffin (I had burned off brekkie) - $8.51
Pizza - $12.00 (lunch & dinner and lunch today)
Gum and a Magazine related to work - $5.95

Today:

Slept through alarm! D'OH!

McMuffin and a coffee ($2.99 coupon) - $3.14.
FITNESS magazine - $5.09. This is the one I buy every month, though.

Pride moment - Did not buy gorgeous lustworthy boots for $155. Walked. away.

Cha-cha-cha! A love letter to the person who invented the PAP

The glory that is the pre-authorized payment never ceases to astound me.

I love how I don't have to do anything. I love how it lets me budget, both from a time and a money perspective. I love that it means I don't have to kill trees by writing a cheque (and really, how retro are cheques?).

I have paid all my bills that can't be PAP'ed, except for my VISA, which I only paid half of this week.

I don't know if any of you have expenses that have to be filed for work, but I am so [insert expletive here] fed up with our system. We have to file and code via an online program, and then submit the receipts. I did that, yet Tweedledee and Tweedledon't in our accounting group can't seem to process expenses in a timely fashion. I'm stuck carrying the balance until I get my expenses paid back from work. I admit to having thrown a major (polite) temper tantrum over it, resulting in work agreeing that THEY will pay the interest charges since Numbskull and Dimwit can't work a software program!

I *hate* when I can't pay my balance off in full. It's not just a personal pet peeve - I hate the idea of paying interest on something I've purchased outright. Such a stupid thing to do! It's like chewing a stick of gum again!

Anyways, my outgoing for the month so far has been as follows:

Rent (utilities incl.) - $927.81
Cable (incl. cable, home phone and internet - discount bundled) - $138.00
Cell Phone - $59.28
Insurance - $20.70
Health Club - $61.96
Trainer - $62.33
VISA - $246.92
Transit - $22.50
Bank Fee - $12.95

So, my outgoing has amounted to (pass the O2 and praise the spreadsheet!) $1,552.45.

Boy, am I glad I get paid well for what I do!

Seriously though, I so do not like that number. Analysing the costs, of course, I know I could live without my gym membership (the trainer thing is a PAP that let me do my personal training without shelling out the full amount for my trainer at one time). I could live without cable (though my fellow city-dwellers would be in peril, since it relaxes my already-wound-for-sound self).

But I don't want to. I like my cable package and when the weather isn't nice, I do use the gym almost every day.

Incidentally, I didn't make it to the gym at all this week - I have been so tired, it's crazy. I did, however, lift weights and do stretching and squats'n'lunges at home while watching tv. I also did some major walks, so I don't feel too bad about not achieving that goal.

Paying It Forward......

My goodness, I feel honoured! I'm also glad my rather scattershot sense of humour appeals!

Thanks to FruGal (see http://www.blogger.com/www.totallymoney.com/frugal/ for the coolness that is she) for the honourable mention with such great blogs!

Following the trend:

1. Put the logo (above) on their blog;

2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to them;

3. Nominate at least 5 other blogs;

4. Add links to these blogs on your blog – don’t forget this step. This is great free advertising!

5. Leave a message for your award recipient on their blog.

So, my nominees are:

1) http://hollyisstoppingshopping.blogspot.com/

Why? Because watching her progress and successes is better than my morning Caramel Coretto Latte (no foam, extra caramel).

2) http://notesfromthefrugaltrenches.com/

Again, truly inspirational. I also find her musings to be really helpful in reorienting myself back on task, especially when I'm feeling over caffeinated, depressed, stressed or just plain angry.

3) http://singlebrokefemale.blogspot.com/

I've been there, and I'm trying to stop doing it. I'm her self-appointed cheering section - I'm proud to watch her do what I wish I'd done in my 20s.

4) http://saving4later.blogspot.com/

I have to cheer on a fellow bookwyrm-cum-Canadian blogger. Besides, she has achieved what I'm aiming for.

5) http://pennypence.blogspot.com/

I feel rather connected to her - I often find myself nodding, going, 'yup, I hear you!' whilst reading.

Anyhow, I would also like to say one thing:

ON TUESDAY, I WENT SHOPPING AND I DIDN'T BUY ANYTHING!!!!!!

I needed some 'no brain time' and I managed - somehow - to make it out of every store I went into without spending money on clothes that didn't make me look fabulous.

::thumping myself on the back::

I think I turned a corner!

I have a new love.....

His name is Gok Wan.

He's just wonderful. I would kill to shop with him.

Me love.

Emotional Spending and Monthly Goals

After my craptastic day last week, I figured out what it was that made me so unhappy and in need of wasteful retail therapy: sleep-deprivation and the need for solitude and sanctuary.

It sounds strange, but all I did for most of the weekend was spend time with me.

I slept in and napped. I cleaned my apartment and decluttered. I had a nice coretto latte from the Second Cup (yum!) while I read part of the paper on Saturday and Sunday morning. I read a few books. I did my laundry. I watched some tv (though not today, why do they program such lousy tv marathons on Labour Day?). I worked out a little. I just relaxed and chilled. I feel much better. I think my spending breakdown on Friday was just me needing to declutter my head and reorient myself. I felt fine by late Saturday morning, so much so that my weekly flyer perusal didn't generate any 'must buy that now' urges. I guess I need to do more with myself from an emotive relaxation standpoint than externally validating myself through 'I can have thats'.

Reviewing loads of other blogs, I figured I should set some monthly goals for myself. I've never been really goal-oriented, per se, so this should be interesting. I decided to start off on the things I can control and move on from there.

I spent the weekend thinking about the forthcoming month and I figured that the following are achievable goals. I'm focusing on the variables rather than the fixed expenses this month.

1. Transit - estimate of $95.00. It will cost me $86.75 to get to and from work this month, and the $10 extra should cover any other trips. Luckily, I can walk pretty much everywhere I need to get to except work.
2. Groceries - estimate of $150.00, including dining out. A linked goal on this is to clear out my cabinets and my fridge/freezer. In order to try and be more successful at this, I am going to try to do it with cash rather than by debit card, like I usually do. I have this funny not-phobia-but-extreme-dislike of breaking $20 bills. It's not that debit represents 'unreal' money or anything like that. It sounds silly, but I just hate trying to get loonies and toonies out of my wallet, so I try to avoid using real cash in places where I know I'll get lots of loose change! I'm interested to see if I spend less at the grocery store this way.
3. Savings - minimum of $100.00 to go into general savings account. Any leftovers will be allocated to other savings goals accordingly.
4. Personal Care - I'm budgeting precisely $125.00 towards clothes and $75.00 towards a haircut, waxing and some new make-up. HOWEVER, part of my goal is to not spend up to half of that $200.00 I've budgeted, if that makes sense. I just want to see if I can do it.
5. CREDIT - I pay my balance off in full every month since I hate the idea of paying interest on something I'm not renting. But this month's goal is TO NOT USE MR. CARD at all.

A personal goal is to hit the gym 3 times this week for cardio and some basic strength training on the machines, then four times each week for the rest of the month.

Wish me luck!

The Devil of Bad Days, Malls and Retail Therapy

What. A. Craptastic. Day.

Woke up to ultra-weird not-rain/not-mist/not-fog. We don't get that here often. So my day started off on the 'meh, who cares, I'm rolling over and hitting snooze' page today.

Thanks to my need for more sleep, I ended up not having time to eat at home before work. So, I ate out for breakfast, couldn't face my yogurt and banana so I went out for lunch AND then, I was so tired by the time I got home that I ordered in pizza. I also bought a magazine and chocolate milk (which I really shouldn't drink because it gives me heartburn).

I didn't even want to go shopping but something - maybe it's the retail-therapy-devil that makes me think it'll make me happy but then tortures me later - made me walk to the mall, even though I was in a totally pissy mood and probably was acting like I would throw anyone who looked at me sideways on the subway onto the third rail.

Gah. I am so completely miserable.

The sad thing is, I actually bought something practical, that I actually will use and that I know won't sit in my closet for the rest of eternity as I 'WTF was I thinking?' selection.

I bought myself a new bag of tennis balls (for foot massages) and two 10-pound dumbbells. I figured if I'm going to sit on my ass in front of the tv, I may as well lift weights while I'm doing it. I haven't been hitting the gym lately the way I want to. It's not even that I've lost interest, but I think it's the carbs. I have been craving them so badly recently and I'm feeling really lacklustre and just 'blech'. It's kind of sucking the energy out of my soul, I think.

I don't understand why I shopped when I really didn't want to, though. I wanted to go home, I didn't want to go to the mall, I didn't want to acknowledge the existence of other humans by the time I left to go home. I really just wanted my sofa, my sweatpants and blanket. But I was compelled by some force to go to the mall and feel inadequate about myself.

Must think on this to determine why I felt so crappy and why I let the feelings control my spending. There has to be something more than just a lack of willpower and a moody day.

Cool Fashion Comment from the Telegraph in the UK

I found the coolest comment in an article on fashion that I think really, really speaks to frugality in fashion and practicality. I wanted to share it I thought it was so well put:

That tiny "now" imperative - the slit of the skirt just so, the height of the boot, the way to wear the hair or carry the bag - is, of course, what keeps us entranced with fashion, rather than mere clothes. And this season, those details carry real weight - so it makes sense to do a bit of homework before rushing to purchase.

You might just have the damn thing in your wardrobe or jewellery box already. Or you could make something look right with just the smallest tweak - thus concentrating your money on a couple of really new, ideally multipurpose possessions that will lift your whole look.

- 20 August 2008 Daily Telegraph (Not sure about the author, they just have her picture but no name).

Homework? That's a checkmark - shopping around is not only fun but inherently good for one's wallet. Just look at my trouser revelation earlier in the month!

Shopping in your own closet? That's not only fun but a great way to get rid of closet karma cloggers (i.e., those jeans from high school that you will never, ever fit into again yet torture yourself with by keeping).

Updating an item you already own? I have a seamstress on my mobile's speed dial. I have already turned two pullover sweaters into sleeveless vests this year because of holey sleeves.

It's kind of nice to see the fashion world following the rest of us into more conservative, practical spending for once, I think!

The Joys of the Free Frugals

I had such a good, frugal weekend and today! It's been blissfully good.

I got up early on Saturday morning with the intention of going to the gym, but instead decided to do my minor grocery shop before it got evilly humid. I saved money by going early, too - my cereal was a doorcrasher @ $3.99 instead of $5.99 and I got a basket of nice peaches and nice tomatoes for $3.00 each. I saved nearly $10 by getting up early to swear at the birds.

I got home and was totally sickened by the heat and bored. Bored Mary equals shopping normally, with the first stop being Indigo with the devilishly tempting magazine selection.

I went to the library instead. They had my fashion magazines on the shelf, just waiting for me to leaf through their pages with delight, scorn and a befuddled sense of horror (two words, ladies - shoulder. pads.).

Call a necromancer, we need to revive YSL. He at least had taste.

Anyways, two hours later, I finished my magazines (without spending money, hahahahahaha!) and decided to pick up a couple of cheep'n'cheesy books before I left. I also copied down a website addy while I was at it (more on that later).

I was in a chick lit mood after Harper's Bazaar and subsequently discovered the book that has unintentionally reinforced my desire to be more frugal.....

I got out Bergdorf Blondes (and some Agatha Christies).

Ever had a book give you an epiphany? Bergdorf Blondes made me want to never walk past Holt Renfrew again, if only because I couldn't stand it if moi ever became as vacuously self-indulgent as elle dans la livre!

I swear, that book is an antidote to shopping cravings. I mean, every few pages I started flipping forward (in that trying not to look for the sex scene in Fiona Walker books way) because there is only so many ways one can describe a freakin' handbag! I kept thinking, 'can toi not stop boring moi and get back to the story?' I was so icked out by the idea of shopping that I spent all of Sunday on my sofa reading Agatha.

And it's a feeling that lasts! That book had such an impact that when I was in GAP today waiting for my friend (who was trying on a seriously over-priced pair of plaid skinny pants), I spotted this amazingly nice coat, which I glanced at quickly before continuing to stare blankly at the racks of clothes while the GAP's instore radio tried to eat my brain with its pablum-like playlist.

I didn't even think about buying it.

I didn't even realize I hadn't thought about buying it until after I was back at my desk.

Is that not seriously cool?

Anyways, more on the non-blonde stuff....

I have been struggling with the urge to try the powder mineral make-up from Bare Escentuals at Sephora. I have sensitive skin and everyone I know with my kind of skin raves about it. But I cannot in all good conscience think that it's worth what they're asking for it. Yet I need a new concealer and foundation because what I had been using in the fall/winter last year is crazy expensive and a purchase I regretted making because I didn't really like the texture.

Maybelline New York has a version of it; I copied down the website info when I found the ad. I got a coupon for $5 off two products. I don't need it right now, but the coupon is even good on sale prices, and I happen to know it's going on sale two weeks from now. Ha!

I will not only save $5, but I will also save 25% off! Yay for Coupons!

Anyways, the last bliss-inducing part of my great last few days? We had a meeting today at work and there was leftover salad and chicken breasts. I don't have to cook for three days! Squeee!

Fantabulous Evening......

My dad took me out for dinner tonight at Vittorio's, my very very favourite restaurant.

I had the Insalata Caprini, the chicken stuffed with red peppers, rapini and buffalo mozzarella on a bed of roasted veggies with a white wine sauce, the tiramisu and two small carafe-thingies of sicilian red wine. YUMMMMMMM!

I endured my shopping urges too - I bought a book (Penny Vincenzi's Another Woman) and rather than go ballistic in Indigo, I put library holds on the two books I desperately wanted but were crazy expensive: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson and The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. Together, they totalled almost $60.

Yay me on impulse control!

Urge to shop rising.......

I have really been struggling these last few days against the urge to shop.

I really don't need anything but I have a really bad case of the wants. It's almost like the devil in my wallet is making me re-enact the scene from Carmen with the bayonets!

I don't know if maybe it's the season (after all, we're all kind of hardwired to shop for the first week of September from about the age of 5!), or if it's just boredom. Or maybe it's something deeper, somtehing in me saying happiness is a new pair of jeans or if I only owned that purse.

If my brain had subtitles and my life a film, the montage that has been the past few days would go something like this:

On the way to work:

1. 'Ooh, honey, bad knicker choice with those trousers!'
2. 'I really don't get the pashmina thing. Just put on a bleeping sweater already!'
3. 'Fugly shoes, bud.'
4. 'You totally do not need to eat that.....'
5. 'Why is it that old people think the world owes them for not being dead yet?' (after some grey-haired twits stole my seat on the subway this morning when I got up to let the lady sitting on the inside seat get off the train! She and her bottom-dweller of a friend shoved me out of the way, took my seat and the newly vacated one! I hope your husband leaves you and takes the RRSPs with him!)

As the morning progresses and I am increasingly bored to death:

1. 'I want that handbag/ top/ sweater/ pants/ suit/ skirt/ glasses/ tshirt/ shoes' and the unwelcome voice in my head going 'but it's only $X!'
2. 'I should go buy ITEM X because I could wear it with ITEM Y.

Lunch - aka "the struggle to not shop in the underground mall"

PM is a repeat of the morning until 4PM rolls around, when I get the 'buy buy buy' and 'consume consume consume' bombardment that is the walk to the subway. I have a real fight on my hands until I get home and lock myself away.

I don't know what causes it, but it can't be healthy or wise and it sure won't make me wealthy either!

How do you fight this problem? I'm just at a loss and it's starting to stress me. And when I get stressed, I eat.

HELP!

Monthly Mid-Point 'Weigh In'

Okay. Midpoint summary for the month of where I'm at:

Savings - Contributed $29.00 to savings so far this month. Not as much as I wanted, but that is because of what I have discovered I have to pay out of pocket for later this month (see below for details).

Right now, I'm on track to have cut my monthly spending by (deep breath) $250.00!!!!! Yay me! It's mostly from resisting impulse clothing purchases and taking my lunch to work.

Spending Report (Clothing for Fall):

• blouse, jacket, pants, shoes, skirt, tank top
• Total spent - $176.15

I'm kind of pleased with the amount. Normally, I buy what I like without contemplating the sticker price, so thinking before buying, getting coupons and demanding the price adjustment pleased me.

Things I would like to get over the next 3 months for my closet:

1. New heeled boots - mine got destroyed by slush last year.
2. New winter coat - I've lost 40 pounds since January, so mine is way big.
3. 2 new sweaters - mine are going to become vests (see below for details).
4. 1 pair loafers - since my aunt has expropriated mine + won't return them!

Things I have to do for the end of the month that cost money:

1. EYE TEST (not covered by health plan though new glasses/contacts are) -> I think my prescription has changed. I'm getting really bad headaches again. :-(
2. EMERG FUND - contribute $40.00 -> not much, but since I have to pay for an eye test.....
3. MENDING - get pants hemmed (though my aunt may be able to do it for me); also, since the sleeves on 2 of my pullover sweaters are all holey, I'm going to take them to a tailor and get the sleeves taken off - instant vests for layering over blouses! Why buy new?

Fun With My Closet!

I took an idea that Holly from hollyisstoppingshopping had and ran with it.
Rather than go shopping today, I decided to go “shopping” in my closet. I got rid of a lot of crap. But I’m kind of happier with what’s left now than I was with a packed-to-the-rafters closet.

I thought I’d share some of the highlights of my remaining wardrobe. What do you think? Let me know!

The Highlights:

FYI: I own 1 pair of jeans and I hate them. When I'm not at work, I'm in either my yoga pants or my yoga capris.

Long live Lululemon!

Adding to My Wardrobe

So, I put on a pair of heels this morning for work and luckily had only reached the elevator in my building when *SNAP* went one of my heels. Totally irreparable, too - it snapped halfway up the heel, rather than just separating. :_(

I loved those shoes. I had had them since 1998 (yup, you read that right). I got them at Shelleys in London and they were just great heels for work. I'm kind of anal about keeping my shoes in good condition, so they were babied, that's why they lasted so long. They may have had three inch heels, but I could actually wear them all day and run in them when the occasion called for it.
So I went to the Yorkdale Mall (aka Shopping Heaven) to get a pair of new heels for the fall. I found a coupon online for 15% off new stock at a shoe store on http://redflagdeals.com/. So my new shoes only cost me $44.19. They are very hot. :-)

See?

While there, I went into H & M to pick up some new socks for the gym and found the most gorgeous blouse. Seriously, it's a classic piece that isn't trendy and one-season. I immediately walked out without buying the socks to try and control my impulsiveness and actually was halfway back to the subway when I bit the bullet, went back and tried it on.

I looked fabulous. It was only $29.90, so I don't feel too bad about buying it. Why?

Because the reason I went back was that I saw the pants I just bought (see my earlier post) are now on sale for $10 off. I got a price adjustment on my pants since I happened to have the receipt in my wallet.

Maybe it's a bit of justification, but the way I see it, I saved about $6.00 on my shoes, I didn't spend $6.00 on socks (I can live with greying athletic socks) and I got $10 back on my pants. Therefore, my blouse only cost about $5.00.

So, very bad me for poor impulse control, good me for getting a coupon first. Also, quite proud of myself for not disregarding the $10 as too much hassle to ask for the adjustment.

Power to the Frugal!

Home Ec Goddess Tip of the Week

Why buy fresh cilantro when you can buy it press cut, cubed and frozen? They also have many other herbs. You can have the freshness and the flavour without the mess or spoilt, wasted produce.

Toppits @ $2.99.

Also, my quick'n'easy'n'cheap salsa recipe:

Equipment:

• mini food processor/chopper
• bowl
• knife

Ingredients:

• 1 medium tomato, quartered
• 3 cubes cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 lime
• 1/2 a green pepper, quartered
• pinch salt'n'pepper
• pinch red chili flakes OR a few shakes of Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Prep:

1. Slice the tomato into quarters, then chop in the processor. Add garlic and cilantro. Chop. Pour into bowl.
2. Squeeze juice of lime into processor. Add green pepper. Chop, then pour into bowl.
3. Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes or red hot sauce.
4. Stir and chill for 20 minutes in fridge.
5. Eat lots. :-)

Total cost of salsa:

~$3.00 (1 tomato = $0.79, 3 cilantro cubes = $0.54, Garlic Clove $0.10, 1 lime = $0.33, 1/2 Green Pepper = $0.99)

Skin Care Tips for the fundamentally realistic

I am one of the unfortunate ones who has a dermatologist (or dermadictator, if you prefer) on speed dial.

I have sensitive, combination/oily, acne-prone skin AND I have rosacea. :-(

I also have a Permanent Layer of SPF 60. Seriously, I literally sunburn within 5 minutes of going outdoors without it. Hyper-sun-sensitivity sucks. I don't even think about the beach anymore, it just makes me unhappy and bitter since I can't go.

I thought I would share some of the products I've found work for me without costing the earth, just in case anyone else has skin that seems to work against them and is, like me, too practical to believe that anything in a tiny jar is worth $100.

Cleanser - AM - Yves Rocher Pure Camille Cleansing Gel. $11.00. 100% organic & soothing.
PM - Philosophy Purity Cleanser. $14.00. It's gentle and removes any kind of makeup easily and without rubbing (even H2Oproof mascara).

Moisturizer - AM - Yves Rocher Pure Camille Moisture Gel. $16.00. Matte without drying.
AM - Clinique City Block SPF 45. $23.50. Necessity of Life nowadays and this one won't irritate your face like the stuff you put on the rest of your skin.
PM - St. Ives 24 Hour Moisturizer. $6.99. Seriously, it makes you look dewy in the AM! My dermadictator recommended it!

Zits - PM only - Vichy Normaderm Nuit. $28.00. Crazy expensive, but a tube lasts about a year. It regulates sebum, has zinc - skin's secret weapon - doesn't dry out your skin.

Style - Update

As per an earlier post, I bought a pair of pants on sale. Well, I wound up doing something a touch odd yet thoroughly fun and practical.

While I was happy with the pants, one of my minions of the mall (AKA a friend) told me some of the other stores I really like had some early fall stuff in. So....

I went and bought two more pairs of pants and a blazer (which I loved but would be completely impractical in my work life), brought them home and - gasp! - actually tried the items on with the items I like in my current wardrobe. I have (let's be charitable) issues with separates. I don't know why, I'm neither colour-blind nor a candidate for village idiot, but matching just isn't my forte and my office isn't a formal business environment and I would stick out like a sore thumb if I wore suiting. So rather than be glum, I experimented in advance and picked the item that was the most appropriate for my skittle-like self (OT - just what I always wanted to be - a bowling pin. Joy. Thanks, Trinny & Susannah).

The blazer went back, as did two of the three pairs of pants. I wound up keeping the most expensive pair of pants (ringing in at $50.85 with tax). They need to be taken up an inch, but they just look phenomenal on.

Shopping + Work = Happy Camper!

One of the things I love most about my job is being responsible for the majority of purchasing for our office.

I'm in the process of swapping out our butt-ugly ikea-clone tableware for something a little more urban and a little less french-country/badly aging spinster.

So, I went shopping today - for work! And I didn't have to pay for anything!

:-)

It's days like this that make the craptastic ones something that one can endure.

Home Ec Goddess

The one thing I have never had problems with is grocery shopping and running a home.

I am a complete throwback when it comes to homemaking. I can't help it, I have always enjoyed it and I get such pleasure and such a sense of calmness from indulging in my nest-building tendencies.

So, I thought I should share some of my mad skills when it comes to groceries and homemaking by way of a tip of the week.

So, this week's Tip of the week:

The serving size of a piece of meat is a hockey puck. I always cut my chicken breasts in half, as well as subdividing my steak, and split my ground beef into correct serving sizes. I freeze them all in individual ziploc baggies. I pre-season the ground beef and pour marinade in with some of the chicken. It is so convenient and budget friendly.

For example, today I bought two steaks for just over $10. By cutting them into accurate serving sizes, I not only won't over-eat, but I have 6 steaks now. That is six meals for the price of 2.

Spending Report

Subway (it looked like it was going to storm like hell) - $2.75
Pants - $36.16
Magazine - $3.38
Groceries (meat and spag sauce) - $15.36

Smart Shopping feels sexy!

Good things come to those who wait!!!!

I am so glad I waited to evaluate what I actually had in my closet before hitting the store today!

It was 20% off all new arrivals today! I only wound up getting a new pair of black trousers but I saved $8 by waiting until today. I found the fit was off slightly with everything else I tried on, so that's all I bought.

I am totally a Trinny & Susannah addict, and if there is one thing I have learnt from the two doyennes of fashion, it's that FIT IS THE ULTIMATE FACTOR. It also helps stop impulse clothes shopping, because you have to put sustained effort in to find something that really works.

I am resisting the gorgeous shoes I saw in my favourite shoe store - they are $90 (yikes!) and though I know I would wear them often, I'm going to check out Winners first, just in case they have what I'm looking for at half the price. Either that, or wait for the sale and find a coupon to use with the sale price! But it was so hard walking out of that store. I have microfeet, so the display shoes always fit me. Which means temptation and impulse buying is a lot easier. It's a blessing and a curse.

Growl!

I have a temp filling in for me at work while I am off on vacation.

She will not stop calling me, to the point where I went all polite pitbull (as my dad calls it) on her and then I turned off my phone. How *bleeping* hard is it, after I spent two days training her on my job, to do it without calling me about idiotic things? Hmm? I am so taking the two hours (so far) of my vacation that has been spent on returning work calls off on Monday morning.

I am an emotional stress eater. Because I am starting to think that my temp is going to leave my office in a mess for me on Monday, I totally did the whole comfort food thing this afternoon. I could repress the urge but I know myself well enough to know that when I hit that stage, delaying means that instead of a small bowl of ice cream, I will eat the whole container.

I wound up spending $7.99 at the grocery store on a container of ice cream (my ultimate weakness is the creamy cold goodness) and a bag of oven fries. That was my TTC token money plus my coffee money for the day.

So I didn't go to the movies after all because of that. :-(

Stupid humans.

Starbucks: The Evil Empire

I am so done with Starbucks.

Don't get me wrong. I like coffee. I am just effing done with piss-poor, craptastic service.

Is it so hard for Starbucks to hire capable people who can provide even a modicum of good customer service? No wonder they're slashing jobs and closing stores!

Back in the day I was a barista, and I can tell you I would have been fired on the spot if I had treated customers like I was treated today. Baristas Nit and Wit were so busy chatting with their friend that the girl who had called my drink had to repeat the order 5 times. Then they asked me, after ignoring both the cashier/drink caller and me to continue the conversation with their friend who was asking if she needed a SIN number to get a BnB card.

You do not treat customers like that. You do not act as though the customer is interrupting your day. You do not try to give the customer a tall effing frappuchino when she ordered a goddamn grande because you didn't measure the drink order correctly. You do not blame the customer for your mistake and try to cover it up with whipped cream when the customer said no bleeping whipped cream!!!!!

Shove your espresso brownie and long green straws where the sun don't shine, Starbucks. I'm off to the Second Cup or Timmy's from now on.

Spending Report

I didn't spend anything on Sunday or on Monday. Go me! However, today was slightly different.

I spent:

$6.67 at Starbucks (see above for a follow-up on that clusterf*ck) for a frappuchino and a brownie after the movie I had planned on seeing (Bottle Shock) turned out to come out tomorrow and not today.

$5.11 at Shoppers Drug Mart on milk ($3.99/3 bags vs. $6.99 at grocers) and a Rolo bar.

$2.00 on a coffee at Timothy's where I sat and read my library book for a relaxing hour.

$4.19 at Sobeys on popcorn for the movie tomorrow ($1.99 vs. $5.99 at the film), green onions, bananas and two portabella mushrooms.

I did control my impulses too! I did not buy a magazine I did not really need! I did not buy work clothes at a store I frequent, even though I liked everything they had, because I had not planned my shopping! I want to figure out what I really need to get and focus on those items versus kid-in-candy-store shopping with the "ooh! pretty!" reflex hanger grab.

Payday is Friday. I did see a few items I will get if I like how they look on. The price point is good and I do need (seriously, not just want) new work clothes. I have lost - drum roll please - not quite 40 pounds since January 1st, 2008! Halfway to my goal! I have virtually no clothes that actually fit right, so I do kind of need to add some things to the closet.

I even went through my closet yesterday and figured out what items I have that I can sell on EBAY. I found a couple of things. The rest will go to goodwill.

Today's spending report is brought you by

My Dad!

My Dad gave me $100 because he didn't get me a present when he was away on vacation last week. I thought that was pretty cool! I didn't expect a present but he always brings me something and he felt guilty about it. 

I'm kind of proud of myself - instead of heading for the bookstore, I forced myself to go to library to see if the books I wanted were available - one of them was, so I checked it out. Go me! The other isn't available, but rather than pay $20 for it, I'll wait until it's out in a standard paperback format or until the library's copy is returned by the person who's had it out since October (prat).

So, 1 point to me for impulse control.

So, I've used part of the $100 to make the following purchases, which I was going to have to make anyways:

Shoppers Drug Mart - $12.66

Purchased: Lotto 649 with Encore, granola bars, a Rolo bar, and Tampax.

Pharma Plus - $11.81

Purchased: Skin soothing bubble bath, new eye shadow brush.

Sobeys - $19.75

Purchased: Egg Whites, sausages, gnocchi, multigrain tortilla chips, and Duchy Organics Fennel Tea (it's $5.79 but one package lasts me about three months).

Pizza Pizza - $12.43

Purchased: 1 small, 6-slice pizza with three toppings for dinner/lunch tomorrow. 

Total spent: $56.65.

Total remaining: $43.85.

I'm going to put the remainder into my laundry jar for the month.

Looking at my spending above, I can say that $8.46 of it was not truly necessary spending: the Lotto ticket and the eye shadow brush. In defense of the shadow brush, my old one was very old and the bristles were falling out. So no more 'fun' spending for the week.

The pizza and the Rolo - well, a girl has to eat. Normally, I just buy a pizza at the grocers for $7.99 but it was way too hot to use my oven today. I'm also comfortable with paying more for the pizza as I'm not going to be eating out the rest of the week, since I won't be at work. Je suis en vacances!

Before you ask - the bubble bath was necessary. Sunblock irritates the hell out of my skin and aggravates my rosacea.

I long for winter!

Sometimes you feel like a nut

And sometimes you do nutty things.

Somehow, I managed to nearly pay my rent for August twice today. I give my property mgmt firm postdated cheques and I somehow managed, while writing cheques for the rest of the year, to unknowingly write a second cheque for August 1st.

I put a stop-payment on the second cheque once I realized what I did and when I couldn't reach anyone responsible for my building's management. D'oh!

$12.50 in bank fees.

I guess it could be worse - they could have cashed both! I left messages with two different people so hopefully (knocking on wood) they'll return the cheque to me. 

GOALS; or, things that make my brain hurt.....

Whenever I felt bad today about having to control my impulses (and bear with me while I write this), I kept thinking about what happened to that poor young man on the bus outside Winnipeg. It was horrific and awful and I hate to be dramatic, but I honestly feel like everyone here isn't just shocked but scarred and scared by it. I was on the subway this morning on my way to work and everyone was reading about it in the papers and just shaking their heads, visibly upset by what they were reading.

I've had so many more opportunities in my life and been able to do so much more with my life than he will ever get to have. It's not fair that I got that and he didn't just because of some clearly evil person and a random choice of where to sit on a bus. In some ways, it puts what I'm whining about into perspective and makes me feel crummy about squandering my life away irresponsibly. Yet it makes me even more grateful that I have the chance to change and become a better person. If I don't squander, I can appreciate what I do buy for myself a lot more.

I just keep telling myself 'short term frowns equal long term smiles'. Yes, I know I sound like a twit, but it's short and sticks in my brain like my high school locker combination, so hopefully I can remember it when my impulse control issue rears its head.

So, goals. Defining them isn't exactly fun - I need to be more exacting with myself in order to achieve them and self-awareness isn't really my forte. That whole "gaze upon a mirror crack'ed" always makes me feel uncomfortable in my own skin so I try to avoid doing that wherever possible.

Trust me, I have avoidance and elusiveness down to an art form.

So, goals.

1. Stop stealing from my savings account, to pay my chequing account. It goes in there for a damn reason and it needs to stay there. Goal amount - $4,000.
2. Do more with RRSPs. I've decided that I want to get to $100,000 in RRSPs and conservative investments by the time by the time I'm 35. I'm not doing terrible here, though I could do a lot better. When I first started my job over a year and half ago, I immediately signed up for the pension plan. My company has a policy that they will match your contributions throughout the year. I went for the maximum allowable amount. I also made sure to pick what I was told by an advisor would be the most profitable yet not as risky investment allocations. So far, I've made $3,939.38! I'm really, really, really proud of myself!
3. Build an emergency fund. I want to have 6 months of substantive living expenses saved up. I'm focusing on $8,600. I'm more concerned about building it than by a deadline for having it.
4. Build a travel fund. I want to be able to go off to London or New York or Rome on holiday without feeling horrible or wondering 'can I afford this and what will I have to give up to do so'. Goal amount, $3,000.
5. Condo Downpayment. Luckily, I was smart enough to NOT take a chunk of money from my dad when my mum died. I took the non-house-related cash she left me (paid for a year of school and living expenses). I did NOT take the rest, so I have part of a downpayment kept handily away from me by my dad. So, I want to prove to myself I am responsible to take on the positive debt of a lifetime - a home of my own. I can do that by saving up a good downpayment for me. The goal amount is $25,000.

I am determined to succeed.

So, to summarize:

• Savings goal = $4,000. Current status - $11.00.
• Retirement Goal = $100,000. Current status - $3,939.38
• Emergency Fund = $8,600. Current status - $0.
• Travel Fund = $3,000. Current status - $0.
• Condo Downpayment = $25,000. Current status - $0.

So where the hell does it go....

I can`t seem to track what I spend my money on.

I don`t do drugs (period. tylenol is a wild night for me). I rarely drink and never to excess. I don`t drive so no gas bill pour moi.

So I thought, okay, I know there are fixed versus variable expenses, so I just need to determine my fixed expenses.

FIXED EXPENSES

• Rent - $928.00
• TTC Pass (aka overpriced Piece o`Crap user fee) - $109.00
• Mobile - $65.00
• Gym membership - $62.00
• Rogers bill (home phone, cable and internet) - $145.00
• Tenant Insurance - $21.00
• Personal Trainer Fee - $62.00
• Bank Fees - $13.00
• ADD and CI Insurance - $9.00

I couldn`t begin to tell you where my money goes on the variable ones, but they include:

• Groceries
• Books
• Dining Out
• iTunes
• Toiletries
• Clothes
• Shoes
• Magazines
• Credit Card
• Movie Passes (I buy gift certificates in bulk)

Every month, I`m basically broke and not quite freaking the hell out over it. I don`t know how much I`m spending on my variable expenses, only that I am spending way too much.

I can`t seem to save any money and I`m unhappy about that.

Time to fight an unpalatable future and learn to plan, I guess!

My next step is to establish my goals and figure out how the hell I can achieve them.

GAME ON!

Debt is the slavery of the free!

You said it, Publilius Syrus!

Pretty sad that I had to have a dead Roman (assyrian) ex-slave tell me that.

Being a 30something insecure bibliophile with shopaholism and poor impulse control, I have never quite figured how I got myself into this situation in the first place. I'm not horribly in debt (any more). I only ever had one real debt - student loans. (boo! hiss! you are evil like small yappy-type dogs!)

It took me nearly four years after finishing university, but I paid off my student loans. I learned to live on cash only, because credit is like a cheap drunk - immediate buzz, horrific hangover. I have one credit card with a low limit because I don't trust myself to have more than that. I don't even have an overdraft!

I'm just broke. Constantly, seemingly-irreparably broke. I just can't budget. I'm a spendthrift. Pennywise and poundfoolish.

I am so *bleeping* fed-up with money-stress and money-depression.

It's time to grow up now. If I want the things I want, then I need to learn how to budget, how to save and HOW TO LEARN IMPULSE CONTROL! Just because there is a $9 copy of Tatler in stock at Indigo doesn't mean I have to buy it. "Just because..." purchases have taken control of my life. But I am wresting control of this out-of-control car that I seem to be trapped in away from My Insecure Inner Voice before I get into trouble.

I got hooked on a couple of money bloggers and thought, hey, if this is helping them learn then dammit, it can help me! Praise to my faves Single Broke Female and HollyIsStoppingShopping for giving me the guts to do this!

Hopefully, by tracking my progress I can go from being Fiscally Bound to Fiscally Unbound.

After all, as Disraeli once said, "Action may not always bring happiness...but there is no happiness without action."

Game on!