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.