jump to navigation

EI update, cable services, and my credit score January 30, 2008

Posted by gmbmfb in : EI, budget, credit score , add a comment

So Employment Services called me yesterday afternoon. After asking me some ridiculous questions, she said she would have to contact my previous employers to verify everything that I had said was correct. She didn’t know how long that would take, so she wasn’t sure when my claim would be finalized. I really really hope this gets done by the end of the week.

I got a call from Shaw Cable today, and signed up for high-speed internet and basic cable for about $60/month. Plus, there’s a promotion going on where I get a free modem. I’m happy with that … and after reading all of your responses about whether you have cable or not, I think I’m going to keep my cable. I want to keep my entertainment costs to a minimum here, so if I can catch the game at home, that saves me from going out to a pub, or taking public transportation over to BF’s. They are coming to do the install on Monday after 6pm, which is super convenient because Monday will be my first day in my new place.

Also, I really really want to check my credit score. I haven’t checked since last March when it was 727, but I’m scared. For some reason I feel like my score is going to disappoint me. But it’s not like it can be worse than 727, right? When I last checked, I was still in debt. Now I’m not. And I haven’t applied for any new credit, so it only makes sense that my score would be better. Hmm.


I only fell three times! January 29, 2008

Posted by gmbmfb in : entertainment , add a comment

Yesterday evening BF and I went skiing with a few of his friends. It was actually really fun, and I think I picked up enough so that I didn’t look like a complete loser out there. I was having a blast going super super fast, and turning corners at the last possible second. To be honest, I was probably going too fast, given the fact that I’ve never skied before … but it looks way more badass bailing at a bazillion miles an hour, than it does just falling down while trying to get to the lift to go back up. Anyway, I’m looking forward to going again! But probably only on Mondays, since it’s cheap for women.


Dear Emergency Fund: You saved my butt! January 29, 2008

Posted by gmbmfb in : EI, emergency fund, tax refund , add a comment

My EF is what’s saved me over the past 2.5 months. Since I clearly couldn’t have relied on the government for EI benefits, I would have been completely screwed without that $3k I had saved. It’s so incredible to me, that personal finance and saving money actually works. I’m still in awe of it all, and it’s insane that just one year ago, I had not one dollar to my name, and a whole whack of debt to get out of. And even though things didn’t exactly go my way this past year, I’m in a much more stable position now – freshly out of 2.5 months of unemployment – than I ever was with a full-time job.

It’s such a simple concept: save money. Why didn’t I get it for so many years?

When I started the EF, I honestly never thought I’d use it – I just thought it’d be a little chunk of money that just sat in a savings account for the rest of my life. Who would have thought that, as soon as I fully funded the EF, I would have had to use almost all of it up.

I haven’t checked Quicken in a few days, but as it last stands, I have about $1k left in the EF. I’ll update the sidebar sometime this week. Once I get my EI payments (provided I do actually get it), I will fully fund the EF back up to $3k, and then bump up my EF savings goal to $5k for the rest of 2008. I think that’s a realistic goal to have.

With my tax refund, I still hope to get around $4,500 back … and with that money, what I really should do is stick the entire thing back into my RRSPs. That would mean I’d only need to save another $2k all year to reach my 2008 goal of having a $22k portfolio. And provided I pass my probation at the FT job, I would also have to count my RPP plan into the mix … so when it’s all said and done, I could have a bigger portfolio at the end of 2008 than I had originally anticipated.


Week 9 without an EI payment January 28, 2008

Posted by gmbmfb in : EI , add a comment

So my EI? I still haven’t gotten a payment yet. I know, I know, you all said that it would take forever … but this is the 9th week, and while I don’t need the money, it’d be nice to get paid for what I’m entitled to.

It’s so frustrating, and it seems nothing gets done unless I call them. I filed my claim on November 18th, and my file sat there until January 3rd when I called, and the CSR noted that all my paperwork was complete, and sent my file to the appropriate person. And today when I called, nothing had been done since then. The CSR this time said that she’d send my file forward to adjudication, where they’d make a final decision on my case by tomorrow. But if I haven’t heard from them by tomorrow, then I’d have to call in on Wednesday. ARGGH!

If my case is approved (which I don’t see why it shouldn’t be), I would be entitled to 9 weeks of pay, which would be deposited into my bank account within 48 hours. The maximum payment a person can receive is $435/week, so I would be looking at a deposit of around $3,915 before tax (also, less the amount I earned through my PT job – which was definitely under $600). That would certainly be nice.

And on my next EI report, I will have to inform them that I am now working a full-time position. Hopefully by then, I will have received my payout. But who knows.

My fingers are crossed.


Going skiing for the very first time! January 28, 2008

Posted by gmbmfb in : entertainment, housing, spending , add a comment

Today after work, BF and I are going skiing. I’ve never been skiing (or snowboarding) before, so I’m going to be pretty pathetic out there. Apparently on Mondays, lift passes are free for women … otherwise they’d be $23 or something like that. So all I have to pay for is rental gear. Not too bad. I’ve secretly got high expectations that I’ll catch onto this skiing thing easily, but I have no coordination of any kind, so chances are I’ll spend most of my time falling down and looking like an idiot. :)

Tomorrow we’re going to my suite to measure and take pictures of everything. I’ve started to make a list of things that I’ll need to pack, as well as things that I’ll need to buy. I’ve been watching Craigslist religiously the past few days (the Vancouver listings, as well as the one for my hometown), and have a few leads on couches. I’m just praying my queen-sized mattress fits in the bedroom, otherwise I’ll have to buy a smaller mattress.

Sometime this week I’m going to have to go to a mall and pick up a gift for a good friend’s baby shower on Sunday. I completely forgot that I had to go to it, so it’s a good thing we’re heading back to the island right after work on Friday.


The day trip to Seattle January 28, 2008

Posted by gmbmfb in : entertainment, travel , add a comment

Well, Seattle yesterday was a lot of fun, and although I spent more than I had originally anticipated, I don’t feel bad. I have the $, and I considered this day trip to be a sort of “reward” for finally achieving my goal of gaining full-time employment. That being said, the next time I go down, I’ll definitely try to curb the unnecessary spending by planning better (ex. $26 for parking in downtown Seattle? How ridiculous!). Plus, we also got lost trying to get back to the highway to go home. How did that happen? Perhaps bringing a map would have been a good idea.

The concert itself was pretty unbelievable, and I’m glad BF enjoyed himself as well. Because if he ended up hating Ryan Adams, I’d be forced to choose between the two. And that’s just not fair. :) We had some food with my friends after the show, and ended up getting back to Vancouver around 3:30am, completely exhausted but happy.

Today BF is working on the renovations to his basement suite, and I’m working on a website contract, and doing some reading/design layout for work. But mostly I’m watching the NHL All-Star game. I’m also going to spend some time scouring Craigslist for used couches, since I can start moving in my stuff this week. :)

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!


Positives and negatives of Week 1 in Vancouver January 25, 2008

Posted by gmbmfb in : miscellaneous , 1 comment so far

This last week went by really fast, but also really slowly. My first week on the job was interesting and fun … in fact, I’m going for coffee with my boss in about an hour to talk about my first week here. I’m so glad that I held off for this job … I know that if I had taken any of the other 3 jobs that were offered to me, I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now.

Week 1 in Vancouver POSITIVES:

Week 1 in Vancouver NEGATIVES:

Anyway, I’m sure in time I’ll find little community pockets that I love here on the mainland. For those who are from the area, and know where I’m from on the island, I love little places like Cook St. Village, James Bay, etc. I just don’t know where to start here.


My company’s RPP benefits January 25, 2008

Posted by gmbmfb in : retirement , add a comment

I was reading through the benefits package from work today, and wanted to know about the 4% RPP match (which I’ll get after 6 months of employment) … I talked to a woman in HR, and she explained that on every pay cheque, the company will match my 4%, and it’s automatically vested. So I could walk away whenever I want and take all the employer’s contributions with me. Plus, I’ll get to pick and choose which mutual funds I want to invest in. Awesome. I mean, 4% isn’t very much, but it’s something.