Give Me Back My Five Bucks

I usually find that buying CDs gets classified under “want” instead of an actual “need.” That is, unless any one of my favourite artists just happens to be releasing an album. Then I must own it, no questions asked, no matter the price. I’m all for being frugal, but a girl’s gotta have some form of entertainment! (Another weakness of mine: concerts. Nothing beats live music. Nothing.) It just so happens that two of my favourite artists are releasing albums in the next few months! Squee!! Jeremy Fisher is releasing his album, Goodbye Blue Monday, on March 27th. If you … Continue reading →

I just found out that a good friend of mine got fired yesterday from basically her dream job. I don’t really know the details, but we both graduated from the same program together last year, and she’s an amazing graphic designer (a million times better than me). Anyway, it got me to thinking: if I lost my job right now, today, I’d be fvcked. Royally. I have less than $400 in my emergency fund, and debts still looming over my head. I need to pick it up, because I know I’ve been slacking at work the past month or so. … Continue reading →

I hate it that some of my friends have taken to calling me cheap or stingy. It actually makes me feel really bad about myself, because I’ve always thought of myself as frugal. But I guess there’s a very fine line when it comes down to comparing the two. For example, my boyfriend and I rarely eat out, and when we do we almost always use a buy-one-get-one-free coupon, or some equivalent discount. (Helloooo Entertainment Book!) I always feel cheap when I hand a coupon to a waitress, but I have to keep telling myself that by saving 50% of … Continue reading →

In September 2006, I sold my beautiful car (1989 Mazda 323). Okay, fine. She was a piece of crap, but she was my piece of crap, and I loved her. But I needed to sell her. She was one of my biggest expenses, and I wasn’t driving her enough to justify paying $80/month for car insurance. I worked downtown, so most mornings, I got a ride into town with my Mom, who worked in the building next to me. I bought my lovely car in 2003 for $1800, and sold her 3 1/2 years later for $1600. Not too shabby, … Continue reading →

I’ve been wondering if I’m making sound choices with my investments. I want the most “bang for my buck,” but with limited investment knowledge, it’s hard for me to grasp exactly what I should be doing. My emergency fund is currently in a PC Financial Interest First account that’s earning 3% interest. Once I have over $1000, I will transfer the balance into the Interest Plus account, which will earn me 4%, plus an anniversary bonus each year I keep a minimum of $1000 in the account. The reason why I chose this account is because it’s highly liquid. I’ll … Continue reading →