Rumours of my demise have been greatly exagerated. I've come out the other end of the Awards\Magazine\Conference silly season, shaken, stirred, but not broken.
Although if forced at gunpoint, I would have to say it was a near thing.
So now happens to be the time of year where I step back from the hustle and bustle of the world and peer closely into "what else is going on in my life."
I'd really like to up my physical regimen. I dropped down to one game a week and I quickly saw the unfortunate reprecussions of that choice in my weight and my stamina. My intent was always to pick up yoga and rock climbing and give something other than frisbee a try. The time to put that plan into effect is now.
Stace and I are considering buying a home. We're not stupid people, just people who are considering taking the next step in our relationship at a very inopportune time. The alternatives are to act now or wait out the financial apocalpyse first. Only there are no guarantees the latter will end anytime soon and we'd kind of like to get moving on the former now. So we're researching our asses off and going into the house buying thing with our eyes fully open.
Financially it's save, save, save time. I'm topping up my RRSP's this week and hoping I come within spitting distance of my maximum contribution amount. I think this year may get me close enough to max out completely next year. That would be nice. I'm still working on repairing the emergency fund after the wedding and Oz trip and I'll feel much happier about the state of that by the summer.
My birthday is coming up. No comment. I feel fat and flabbtastic as it is. No need to mark that milestone with celebrations.
I'm way behind on my reading and I need an injection of some quailty film making ASAP. But there's not much else happening for me right now. Mostly I'm trying to catch up on all the little things that I had to put aside during the aforementioned silly season.
Q: Who knows what little forgotten work gems are going to crawl out of the woodwork now?
A: The Shadow knows.
Showing posts with label Personal Finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Finance. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
FA2K+8
With the financial apocalypse (FA2K+8) in full swing, and savings accounts everywhere hemorrhaging those hard earned dollars and cents, I was highly amused to find out yesterday that my financial institution of choice has determined that I'm a safe enough credit risk to offer me a ten thousand dollar line of credit.
Now granted, I know very leeetle except the bare minimum when it comes to playing around with the grand and mystical world of finance. But with money everywhere evaporating like a puddle of piss on a hot summer day, thanks to some poor decision making in the world's CREDIT MARKETS, you would think banks would excercise a little discretion before handing out more credit with few (if any) strings attached.
Take it away boys.
Now granted, I know very leeetle except the bare minimum when it comes to playing around with the grand and mystical world of finance. But with money everywhere evaporating like a puddle of piss on a hot summer day, thanks to some poor decision making in the world's CREDIT MARKETS, you would think banks would excercise a little discretion before handing out more credit with few (if any) strings attached.
Take it away boys.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Heavy spending months
With the arrival of October we’re officially into my heavy spending months. From September until January, this is the time of year where I have to work a little harder at scrounging the cash to cover expenses.
Over the last three years, during this time period, I’ve had to contend with…
Three birthdays
Tuition
Anniversary (First date)
Film Festival
Christmas
It comes across as a mighty short list, but tuition, the film fest and Christmas alone are usually enough to reduce my wallet into leathery tatters.
This year I have the added economic hangover of…
Wedding
Honeymoon
Pending Australia trip.
But strangely enough, if you discount the recent free fall in the marketplace, my finances look pretty good. (In the sense that I’ve managed to keep my credit card zeroed and don’t have any massive debt) I guess fiscal prudence has finally paid off.
In fact, things look so good, I’m finally going to tackle my outstanding student debt. With only $2500 left to go and so many other expenses to worry about it hardly seemed worth the effort to set aside the cash to polish this baby off. But the recent worldwide financial turmoil has convinced me that I’d be better crossing this off my ‘To Do’ list. It may not be a lot of money but in case of unexpected financial emergencies I don’t want to have to worry about covering this nut.
Thus I have developed a system to help be achieve my goal of student debt elimination.
1. After all monthly bills, RRSP deposits and ongoing investments have been take care of I will…
2. Divide all outstanding monies in my bank account three ways.
a. 1/3 to credit card payments (whenever applicable, when credit card balance is at zero, outstanding monies will be divided in half.)
b. 1/3 to student debt repayment
c. 1/3 roll over into next month.
That 1/3 rollover into the next month may be extravagant, but that is the cash I’ll be using to pay for all those birthday’s and such.
I’ve been using this system for a month and so far its been working out really well. So well that my Christmas gift to myself may be being debt free by Jan 1st, 2009.
Over the last three years, during this time period, I’ve had to contend with…
Three birthdays
Tuition
Anniversary (First date)
Film Festival
Christmas
It comes across as a mighty short list, but tuition, the film fest and Christmas alone are usually enough to reduce my wallet into leathery tatters.
This year I have the added economic hangover of…
Wedding
Honeymoon
Pending Australia trip.
But strangely enough, if you discount the recent free fall in the marketplace, my finances look pretty good. (In the sense that I’ve managed to keep my credit card zeroed and don’t have any massive debt) I guess fiscal prudence has finally paid off.
In fact, things look so good, I’m finally going to tackle my outstanding student debt. With only $2500 left to go and so many other expenses to worry about it hardly seemed worth the effort to set aside the cash to polish this baby off. But the recent worldwide financial turmoil has convinced me that I’d be better crossing this off my ‘To Do’ list. It may not be a lot of money but in case of unexpected financial emergencies I don’t want to have to worry about covering this nut.
Thus I have developed a system to help be achieve my goal of student debt elimination.
1. After all monthly bills, RRSP deposits and ongoing investments have been take care of I will…
2. Divide all outstanding monies in my bank account three ways.
a. 1/3 to credit card payments (whenever applicable, when credit card balance is at zero, outstanding monies will be divided in half.)
b. 1/3 to student debt repayment
c. 1/3 roll over into next month.
That 1/3 rollover into the next month may be extravagant, but that is the cash I’ll be using to pay for all those birthday’s and such.
I’ve been using this system for a month and so far its been working out really well. So well that my Christmas gift to myself may be being debt free by Jan 1st, 2009.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Gold Diggers of 2008
Powering down the home stretch for the wedding.
Although the ‘To Do’ list hardly seems to be shrinking, indeed the opposite appears to be happening, we are making noticeable progress in getting ready for the big day.
A while ago I noticed a key flaw in my budgeting. I budgeted X amount of dollars for the wedding, but neglected to mention that this amount was also supposed to cover any honeymoon expenses.
Unfortunately, only the wedding budget was crafted around figure X and it when it came time to start planning (and paying) for the honeymoon it became apparent that there was a hole in our finances. Well, my finances anyway.
So things got stretched a little bit and the important stuff (transportation, lodgings) were able to be covered. But food, walking around cash and fantastic miscellaneous are regrettably still beyond my means.
That means these items may have to be taken care of by Senor Credit Cardo.
Which I hate. If there is one occasion when you can justify a smallish amount of debt it should be your honeymoon. But I’m so debt-phobic that I’m likely to bend over backwards and spend as little as I can in order to keep any potential debt accumulation to as small amount as possible.
I don’t want to go hog wild on my honeymoon and break the bank. Hell, I don’t want even want to dent it. But I do know that if I’m paying for things on credit I will begrudge each and every penny spent. And the last thing I want to do on my honeymoon is pinch pennies.
Although the ‘To Do’ list hardly seems to be shrinking, indeed the opposite appears to be happening, we are making noticeable progress in getting ready for the big day.
A while ago I noticed a key flaw in my budgeting. I budgeted X amount of dollars for the wedding, but neglected to mention that this amount was also supposed to cover any honeymoon expenses.
Unfortunately, only the wedding budget was crafted around figure X and it when it came time to start planning (and paying) for the honeymoon it became apparent that there was a hole in our finances. Well, my finances anyway.
So things got stretched a little bit and the important stuff (transportation, lodgings) were able to be covered. But food, walking around cash and fantastic miscellaneous are regrettably still beyond my means.
That means these items may have to be taken care of by Senor Credit Cardo.
Which I hate. If there is one occasion when you can justify a smallish amount of debt it should be your honeymoon. But I’m so debt-phobic that I’m likely to bend over backwards and spend as little as I can in order to keep any potential debt accumulation to as small amount as possible.
I don’t want to go hog wild on my honeymoon and break the bank. Hell, I don’t want even want to dent it. But I do know that if I’m paying for things on credit I will begrudge each and every penny spent. And the last thing I want to do on my honeymoon is pinch pennies.
Friday, January 4, 2008
The trouble with money
I know just enough about the world of high finance to be a danger to myself.
I know there's a coming international financial meltdown coming, hovering out there at the edges of my perception. But I don't have the foggiest idea how to protect myself.
Unfortunately, I make my bread in butter in an industry who's only constant is the boom and bust nature of its existence. Which means, since I've left the insulating world of formal schooling, I've been riding an emotional roller coaster ride in terms of my future financial existence.
So last year, after much soul searching, I went back to school and started preparing myself to jump to a different industry. Going back to Uni on a PT basis will take me approximately three years, and by May I'll have finished just one of them.
My study of personal finance consists of precisely two things. That high school class that taught you the marvels of compound interest (a millionaire by 60!) and The Wealthy Barber, a book that I read about four years ago after much urging from my father.
I've adopted some of what the WB recommends. I put 10% of my paycheque into an investment fund and slightly more than 10% into a retirement fund. So far I've only had to dip into that money twice, for an engagement ring and my part in the purchase of a new (used) car. Of course, after my wedding in the summer, that fund will be drained completely leaving me more than a little nervous about my ability to weather sudden financial changes. This nervousness is only compounded by the coming above mentioned international financial meltdown.
I know that my partner and I are ridiculously good with watching our spending and that in some cases we are light years ahead of some people we know when it comes to setting aside for our future.
But I still can't shake the feeling that I should be doing more. There will be a couple rough years ahead and I need to plan now if I want to come out on the other side intact.
I know there's a coming international financial meltdown coming, hovering out there at the edges of my perception. But I don't have the foggiest idea how to protect myself.
Unfortunately, I make my bread in butter in an industry who's only constant is the boom and bust nature of its existence. Which means, since I've left the insulating world of formal schooling, I've been riding an emotional roller coaster ride in terms of my future financial existence.
So last year, after much soul searching, I went back to school and started preparing myself to jump to a different industry. Going back to Uni on a PT basis will take me approximately three years, and by May I'll have finished just one of them.
My study of personal finance consists of precisely two things. That high school class that taught you the marvels of compound interest (a millionaire by 60!) and The Wealthy Barber, a book that I read about four years ago after much urging from my father.
I've adopted some of what the WB recommends. I put 10% of my paycheque into an investment fund and slightly more than 10% into a retirement fund. So far I've only had to dip into that money twice, for an engagement ring and my part in the purchase of a new (used) car. Of course, after my wedding in the summer, that fund will be drained completely leaving me more than a little nervous about my ability to weather sudden financial changes. This nervousness is only compounded by the coming above mentioned international financial meltdown.
I know that my partner and I are ridiculously good with watching our spending and that in some cases we are light years ahead of some people we know when it comes to setting aside for our future.
But I still can't shake the feeling that I should be doing more. There will be a couple rough years ahead and I need to plan now if I want to come out on the other side intact.
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