Give Me Back My Five Bucks

Well, these are a few days late, but better late than never! :) I’m hoping that with the Hawaii trip over, I can settle into a routine. My income has gotten a boost from my freelance writing gig, and BF and I are trying hard to save some money for our next trip to Calgary in February. Just a note that because this is a 3-paycheque month, my car payment is higher than the normal $540. October Goals: Work out 3-4x/week Try a new drop-in fitness class at the gym Finish Greg Mortenson’s book, Stones into Schools Make an extra … Continue reading →

Hi! Well, let me start by introducing myself. My real name (as I’m sure most of you have already guessed) is Krystal, and I’m the one and only who maintains this blog. The picture is of me and my sister in Alaska last year. I’m the one in the maroon jacket (on the right). I started GMBMFB almost 4 years ago out of frustration. I was frustrated that I was still in debt, and frustrated that none of my “real life” friends wanted to talk about personal finance. I needed support, and I wasn’t getting it. So after months of … Continue reading →

Well I’m back from Maui and not loving this Vancouver weather! Brrrr!!! I’m a little behind in blog posting – hoping to get my October Goals, September Recap, and Weekly Spending Reports out in the next couple of days. Without going through receipts, I know that I did not make my $400 budget in Maui. I came close though, but will have more details and pictures to come. Maui is a lot more expensive than we thought it would be, and we’ll know that for the next time we go. Meanwhile, look for a big announcement on this blog tomorrow … Continue reading →

For the past 3 years, all I’ve been hearing about is that I HAVE to try Japadog. Well, before this past Saturday, BF and I had been downtown only once all year (when we went to Guu Gastown). So we don’t get very many chances to check out the popular spots around town. Anyway, here were my first impressions: 1) damn, that’s a long line-up, 2) the prices are more expensive than what’s on the website, and 3) it smells delicious. After talking to a few other people in line, apparently only 10 people in line was pretty good. And … Continue reading →