Give Me Back My Five Bucks

Yesterday afternoon we had a wine & cheese party for the President’s birthday. . I was the first person to leave after figuring that 3 glasses of wine were enough for me (there was no point in staying longer and just not drinking – someone was bound to thrust a wine glass back in my general direction and insist that I drink it – so I left), and I didn’t feel anything until I started to walk home. But by the time I got home? I just threw myself into my bed and just kind of laid there until the … Continue reading →

I’m bringing the monthly challenge back. Maybe not for good, but I think it’d be an interesting experiment, and a really good way to spice up personal finance. This month’s challenge is to set a monthly food budget for yourself (and your family, if applicable), and stick to it! If you would like to join me in my challenge, please leave a comment and indicate how much your budget is for. This food budget can include just your groceries, or just your dining out budget, or both of them combined. My budget of $200/month is for both of them combined, … Continue reading →

kokostiletto asked how I can keep within a $200/month food budget. Although I didn’t exactly do it this month (thanks to dining out more often than usual), I’ve done it in the past. It takes discipline, but once you get into the swing of things, it’s pretty easy. I guess it also really helps that I stay over at BF’s at least once a week, and he makes me dinner. Anyway, I’ve posted about this before, and I’ll just update what I’m making these days… Standard meals that I rotate: Vegetarian stir fry Vegetarian pizza Hummus & pita Wasa bread … Continue reading →

Last summer, I applied for a job with the Government of Canada. I got no response, so I figured I wasn’t qualified. But today (almost 8 months later), I got an e-mail saying that I’ve been selected to write the written exam. They sure took their sweet time with the application process! The salary range is $56-61k … so a significant amount more than I’m making right now (my FT job brings in $48k). But I don’t think it’s worth it, considering I’m leaving my current position in 1.5 years. But then again, maybe it is worth it, because that … Continue reading →

I’ve realized that I haven’t been doing my Monthly Goals anymore. I really liked doing them, because it gave me something to strive for each month (other than keeping within my budget). So starting right now, I’m reinstating my Monthly Goals. :) $300 into Retirement Portfolio. Gotta keep plugging away! $600 into Travel Fund. That’s an extra $50 above and beyond my normal $275 bi-weekly contributions. Go rock climbing at least 5 times. Run once per week. I haven’t been running at all lately, so this should be interesting. Lift weights (at home), work on my abs, and stretch 3 … Continue reading →