Give Me Back My Five Bucks

I got an e-mail from a reader a few days ago, asking for advice in her current financial situation. With her permission, I’m reposting her e-mail in the hopes that my readers can offer some words of encouragement, and maybe some thoughts/advice about her current situation. :) Hi Krystal, I am so glad to have found someone who was/is in the same boat as me. Well, my boat is sinking fast, I think – my debt is pretty bad. This is what happened and how I am coping. A year and a bit ago, I decided to start working on … Continue reading →

Wow, it’s been such a crazy last few days, I don’t even know where to start. It feels like my entire life is in disarray right now. The high from the concert on Sunday is slowly wearing off on me, but it’s what got me through yesterday and this morning. Sunday night was the Ryan Adams concert, and it was amazing. I got to the venue a good 2 hrs. before doors opened, and was the 3rd person in line. :) So needless to say, I was front row centre. It was 2.5 hours of pure music goodness. It was … Continue reading →

I am both surprised and honoured to find out I’m the first debt-free success story featured on the brand new website, We Beat Debt! We Beat Debt! was created with the intention to inspire people who have debt in their lives with real-life stories of people who were able to climb out of their debt. As well, they will focus on personal finance tips and tricks, and the occasional book review. I think We Beat Debt! is going to help a lot of people find the motivation to tackle their own personal debt. They are always looking for new inspiration, … Continue reading →

There’s a great article that’s been posted on Credit Card Lowdown, listing the 100 Most Inspirational Personal Finance Turnaround Stories Online. The categories are: Saving, Debt, Investing, Real Estate, Building Wealth, Money Mistakes, Retirement, Post-College, Entrepreneurs, Budgeting, and Miscellaneous. I’m #5, and in the Debt category! :) Here’s an except from the article: If you’re like many Americans, you probably have some concerns about your personal finances. You may be worried about credit card payments, high interest loans or whether your retirement plan is going to provide you and your spouse with enough money to sustain you. The bloggers highlighted … Continue reading →

I updated my Condo Down Payment graph on the sidebar just now. Instead of trying to save $20k, I have to be realistic here and try and save $40k. I want 20% for my down payment, and I know I won’t be able to get a decent condo anywhere in the 4 major cities of Western Canada (Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary) under $200k. And since I will be purchasing the condo by myself, that means it’s all up to me to come up with the money. I can’t rely on anyone else, and I like that independence … but, sometimes … Continue reading →