Give Me Back My Five Bucks

Well this month was insane. Not only did I quit my full-time job, but I also decided to move to Germany. And with all of this change came a lot of expenses. See below for the results of the last month. OVER BUDGET Internet – Well Shaw Cable’s prices increased without my knowledge. That makes me mad, but I’ll be cancelling my internet next month anyway. Clothing – See note below. I broke my shopping ban by 5 days in order to take advantage of an additional 40% off sale. Travel – Who would have predicted this would happen? Overages include my flight to … Continue reading →

I am really excited for 2012. My life has changed so much over the past 12 months, and I am really looking forward to the next 12 months because I think it’s going to be the most challenging year of my life. This is my opportunity for a brand new start. I have so much that I want to accomplish, and I know that if I work hard and put my mind to it, I can do it all – and maybe even surprise myself along the way. :) Financial Earn $70,000. As I embark on my journey as a … Continue reading →

Monday 19th + $479.45 freelance/side income $15.39 Amazon (Lonely Planet e-book) Tuesday 20th No Spend Day! Wednesday 21st $12.24 Shang Noodle House $42.25 gas Thursday 22nd No Spend Day!  Friday 23rd $64.55 ferry $26.16 Pho Ever Restaurant Saturday 24th $4.50 parking $14.62 Azuma Sushi Sunday 25th No Spend Day!  WEEKLY EXPENSES: - $179.71 WEEKLY SIDE INCOME *: + $479.45 TOTAL: + $299.74 Well, I guess it’s the holidays so I can’t complain that I haven’t gotten any freelance income. It’s all billed out, I just haven’t gotten paid yet. :) Hopefully the cheques come soon, so I can cash them in before I leave … Continue reading →

I’ve written before about Vancouver micro lofts, but just recently I came across another Vancouver micro loft project. But this one – called Burns Block – is the smallest self-contained furnished rental apartment in Canada. It is in a historic, previously abandoned building which has gone through extensive safety upgrades and heritage restoration. Each micro loft unit in Burns Block (located in a 5-floor building in Vancouver’s popular Gastown neighbourhood) is between 226 and 291 sq. ft. and will rent for around $850/month – which includes cable and internet. The micro loft building offers a rooftop garden, gym, bicycle storage, … Continue reading →

NOTE: Today’s guest post is from Robb Engen who writes about Canadian personal finance at Boomer & Echo, as well as at Moneyville.ca. We all know that teenagers are out of touch with reality, expecting to earn $90,000 per year by age 30. In my experience, many single 20-somethings are just as clueless when it comes to creating a realistic financial plan. I read an article recently about a 22-year-old man named Sean who just graduated from college and started working for an investment bank. His goal was to be financial free by age 33, and here’s how he planned to do … Continue reading →