Give Me Back My Five Bucks

Today is moving day! I’ve rented a U-Haul van, but the only things coming with me are my own personal belongings, a couch, TV and mattress. Other than that, I have no furniture, and will not buy anything until I come back from my Toronto/NYC trip at the end of this month. Why? Because my contractor will be coming in and doing renovations on my place. :) I met with him last night, and we went over exactly what I wanted to have done. I made sure to check out his credentials on the internet (including BBB rating, and a … Continue reading →

After last month’s goal of trying to find a suitable e-reader option, I’ve realized that I value real, paper books way too much to give them up. I spend most of my work life staring at a computer screen, so in the rare moments where I get to read for pleasure, I would love to be screen-less. Plus, I love making notes of my thoughts on post-its and placing them throughout the book, or highlighting particularly interesting paragraphs (I know you can do this too with an e-reader, but it’s really not the same when you have to click buttons … Continue reading →

Some of you may already know (via Twitter) but… Give Me Back My Five Bucks has been nominated for Canada’s best personal finance blog for 2011! So hello to all of the new visitors coming in from the Globe and Mail article. :) For newcomers, here is a brief summary of me and my story: I am a 20-something personal finance blogger from Vancouver, BC. I am a former shopaholic who had over $20,000 in student loan and credit card debt by the time I graduated college. I was confused and lost when it came to figuring out how to … Continue reading →

Well, this is my first month with a mortgage and all other household related expenses. While I think my budget is pretty solid, the next few months will probably require a bit of tweaking and adjusting as with any new budget. Also there were some of you who were asking about how much income I’m bringing in each month (and whether my $4,200 net income was really a true minimum, or if I was inflating that amount to make my budget look better). The answer is that I am not inflating my net minimum income each month. To put my … Continue reading →

This was an EPIC month of change for me. Not only did I get braces during the beginning of the month (which is a huge change in itself), but I broke up with my BF of 3.5 years, and purchased my very first home by myself. But I’m feeling pretty good, and I’m really excited about moving at the end of this week. The positives I learned out of this month are that I am stronger than I thought, I’m independent, and I can do this on my own. The negatives? Well, after some preliminary research, it turns out there … Continue reading →