My Money Journey

Low key sunday

2012-01-22T18:06:00.008-05:00

This morning I went to Goodwill because it said on their website it was 75% off everything. Unfortunately I mis-read it ( but the sign was misleading!!) and it was only on the "red tag" items. Which is like, hardly anything. But I did manage to find a nice Mango top. This was only a dollar something, because it had the red tag. lol

I also picked up two books. The first one is Bill Clintons biography. I've read Hillary Clinton's and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I saw this one, I snatched it right up. The cover price is $50. I got it for $4 :)

Then I also picked up this old children's book from the 70's. Having my own library in my house is a big dream of mine so I want to start collecting books now. Not just books that I want to read but anything that looks interesting or antique. So I found this book called "Children's Guide to Knowledge".

It's basically a huge book of like random facts that children presumably should know, such as what British and French people are like, for example. lol.

It's a little strange but kind of cool at the same time so I thought hey why hot. And it was only $2.

I've spent the rest of the day just kinda cleaning up, putting away laundry, uploading music to my computer (since I got it fixed and lost it all) and reading a bit of material for school. Pretty low key, which is how I always like to spend my sundays off :)

Hello 4s!!

2012-01-21T22:34:00.008-05:00

I finally got my iPhone 4s!!! :)

I ended up going to the Apple store and buying it there. I didn't really know that you could go and buy one there even if you're on a contract. I guess it never occurred to me. But a co-worker told me about it and I am so glad he did. I love it already!!

Anyways I have a few haul pictures to show you guys. As some of you may know I am a fan of Marcelle, a Canadian cosmetic/skin care company. Well they emailed me saying that their BB cream was available to order (not even in stores yet) so I jumped on that. I had to order something else to get free shipping so I just ordered my usual exfoliator because it was empty anyway.

Here is what I ordered:

BB Cream

Hydra-C Exfoliator

And this is what I got as a free gift!

AC Solutions Anti-Imperfections exfoliator (50ml)

Multi colour eyeshadow

I was so surprised to see a free gift and especially two items! I mean I only ordered two things and spend about $40. I'm impressed.

Anyways after I got my phone today I went to Sephora, because you can't go into a mall that has a Sephora and not go in ok? Anyways I had been eyeing this product for awhile and it has recently gone down in price. I was contemplating ordering it online but didn't want to pay for shipping and so when I knew I was going to be at this mall I decided to see if they still had it and they did!! Here it is:

It's a Hello Kitty hand mirror! Don't you love the bling???

Flight Booked!!

2012-01-12T20:18:00.005-05:00

I officially booked my flight to Portugal!!!! After years of saying I was going to do it, then not saving enough money, saving money then using it for something else, I finally made it a priority to save for this trip, no excuses! And I did it! I'm so proud of myself right now. I will be going for two weeks in July and the total cost of the flight including cancellation insurance is $763. It's a great price for going during the summer because summer is always the most expensive. Right now my travel fund is about $2770 so even after I pay off the flight on my credit card I will still have $2000 left! :)

Did I mention this will be my first time flying?? And I'm going across the ocean by myself. I might be a little insane!

Anyways, on to other topics. I still don't have my iPhone. I called a different Bell store yesterday and the girl said they have been only getting a few at a time. I hate waiting! :(

Today I went to Value Village because I had a WagJag voucher for $15. I ended up buying a globe and a j-crew sweater, and only paid about $5 out of pocket! I'm starting a globe collection after being inspired by pictures such as this one on Pinterest:

I'm also on the hunt for maps after seeing this picture:

Anyways, I found the exact J-crew sweater that I just got online. This is it:

Apparently it's about $98! It was priced at $12.99 and the tags were still on!!!

So Close to an iPhone

2012-01-08T18:56:00.002-05:00

Just thought I would write a few random updates on what is happening with me. In case you were wondering what I did about my RRSP dilemma, I'm going to tell you. I decided to contribute the $2000 a year to the company pension plan ( about $76 per pay) in order to get the $1000 match. I also opened a group RRSP which I am going to transfer the RRSP's from my old job into this account. For both, I picked the most aggressive type of account because of the fact that I am young and can handle any market fluctuations. As time goes on I will make the necessary changes of course. I am still going to try hard to keep contributing to RRSPs outside of the company ones as well.

Speaking of money, a few posts ago I mentioned that my second job wasn't looking so good anymore because he hired 2 girls. He ended up emailing me asking if I could do some shifts and gave me a copy of this months schedule for me to see when I can fit myself in. So hopefully I will be able to continue to make extra cash to put towards my many goals! :)

I mentioned in the last post that when I went boxing week shopping I got 2 tops from Banana Republic. I have to say that it may now be one of my favourite stores. The material is so soft and comfortable and the clothes are classy. I think I will make more of an effort in the future to watch for their sales.

Did you guys know that the rapper Jay-Z wrote a book? It's called Decoded and was one of the books I was hoping to get for Christmas. I didn't get it for Christmas, so I went online and bought it for myself off Amazon.ca. It was about $18 on Amazon where as the list price is $28.95 retail. So I saved a few bucks. I also got free shipping cause I ordered something else. I just have to tell you guys THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. I have to admit I first heard about it on Oprah. She had it in her "favourite things". I was never a super huge fan of his music I mean I liked some of his stuff but I don't own any of his albums or anything. But I had heard that he used to be a drug dealer before he got famous and so I thought it would be interesting. IT IS. It's not your typical autobiography. It doesn't dig too too far into his personal life as some do, and so far there is no mention of Beyonce. Instead, it is more about the music itself, the hip-hop/rap genre and the evolution of the music. I'm telling you, you need to read this book. If you are a super huge fan, like a few songs, or just like a good read you need to pick up this book!!

Now on to what the title of this post is about. I decided to bite the bullet and get an iPhone. Today I called Bell and told them that I am eligible for an upgrade (have been getting luring text messages) and I wanted to upgrade but I said I wasn't entirely happy with the plan I have and was wondering if they would offer me something better. The first guy I got wasn't really trying too hard. He was just telling me about the various rate plans they have on the website. After a few of his attempts I said I didn't feel he was really offering me anything better than what I already have. He transferred me to retentions which is exactly what I wanted and the woman offered me something that I was happy with. It's just slightly cheaper per month, but I would gain the "fab 10", more data, and of course keep my unlimited texts which is a MUST for me. The plan is normally the same as what I pay now, but she offered 10% off plus caller ID and voicemail free, no system access fee, and waive part of the activation fee. She put the notes on my account and I was free to go get the phone. Too bad the 16GB iPhone 4s is on back order. There is none currently in my city I am told, so I am on the waiting list for one. Cross your fingers for me that I get it sooner rather than later!!

Christmas is over!

2011-12-28T21:24:00.002-05:00

Well Christmas is now over and I thought it was time to post my grand total. I spent $380 on Christmas presents this year. My goal was to keep it at $400 or under so I'm happy with it :)

As far as what I got for Christmas, just a few small things like books and dvd's but probably the best thing is a new computer chair. It is really the main thing that I asked for from my parents. I just had a cheap one before but this is a nice leather one that is super comfy. Before, my back would get sore on the old chair and I couldn't sit for too long. I don't see that happening anymore!

The books I got are The Wealthy Barber Returns and Baking with the Cake Boss. I love the show cake boss and I love to bake and something I want to learn is how to make nice cakes like they do on the show like with fondant and all that. I got some cheap christmas cake pans on sale at Walmart on boxing day, just little ones for practicing.

Yesterday I went shopping and got a few good deals. I had a $25 gift card from the Gap that I got with my air miles probably 6 months ago or longer. I have been waiting all this time for a good sale to combine it with to get some nice dress pants. I ended up scoring some awesome "curvy pants" which are regular $69. I got them for $22 because they were 40% off plus the gift card.

I also got some nice tops from Banana Republic. All the mark downs were a further 30% off so I ended up getting two shirts that were regular $50 each and I paid about $44 for both! They are super nice and work appropriate and soooo soft.

I also noticed a fantastic deal on Smart Canucks. Amazon.ca had the entire series of Dawsons Creek for $29.99 yesterday only! So I snatched that up as well as Jay-Z's book.

My next pay check is going to be nice because I have some overtime during the week of Christmas as we got totally slammed. And then this week I have worked boxing day so I will get overtime for that and then also getting paid for New years.

As for new years plans, I have nothing yet. I'm honestly just looking forward to having the weekend off, because Christmas was completely exhausting for me. Working in retail makes this time of the year so tiring and frustrating because people are MEGA rude as opposed to their normal rude selves. I just can't wait to relax!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. What are you all doing for new years?

December Luxe Box

2011-12-20T14:46:00.003-05:00

This month's Luxe Box arrived yesterday and while I was pretty excited to received it, I was not too excitedabout what was in it. Here's what I got:

1. Yves Rocher Rouge Dragee lipstick full size. Not sure of the name of the shade. It's a nice rose colour. Not something I would buy on my own but it's alright.

2. Yves Rocher sample size shower gel in Mandarin Orange. Packaging looks like something from a dollar store, but the smell is lovely!

3. Sample of Nina Ricci L'air frangrance.

4. Sample of Nina Ricci L'elixir frangrace. (this one smells better)

5. Full size NYX eye pencil in Black. This is the best product in my opinion because I needed a new black pencil eyeliner! So it was good timing.

Overall in terms of getting my money's worth I feel this month was not nearly as good as last month. I signed up for 3 months so I only have one more to go. If the next one is not that great I plan to cancel this subscription.

There are 2 other beauty subscription services I have been reading about lately: Top Box and Glymm box. From the reviews I have seen, these ones seem pretty good! I think I will sign up for these and see what one is the best.

I have a Happy Mac again!

2011-12-19T18:51:00.002-05:00

Good news- my macbook is all fixed! I ended up calling Applecare and after awhile on the phone with them, they determined that my hard drive had most likely failed and I should take it to a store. So I brought it in this morning, and now I have a brand new hard drive and an upgraded operating system for free! It's like I have a new computer :) They also gave me my old hard drive to keep so that I can take it somewhere to have my data transferred over so I don't lose everything. So I'm pretty happy right now!!

While I was waiting for them to finish I had about an hour to spare, and I didn't even have any Christmas shopping to do. I went to Forever 21 which is a store I totally adore, that we don't have in my city. I ended up getting 2 tops (buy one get one free), a belt and a pair of earrings. I feel kinda weird, having bought myself something like a week before Christmas, but I'll get over it!

I'm still unsure about what to do about the RSP situation. As ideal as it would be to max out my company pension plan, AND also contribute to my own RSP, I don't feel that I can afford to do both. I also need to decide what to do with the approximate $2000 I have in RSP's from my old job. *sigh*

That second job that I spoke of a few posts ago is not so much anymore. He ended up getting a bunch of resumes and hired 2 girls. One full time and one part time which doesn't leave a lot of room for me. He asked me if I could work out with my main job to have like one certain day off every week but that's just not going to work.

I knew this day could come anytime but I was hoping it was not this soon. When I first decided to go work for him I told him I would help whenever I could but he would have to work around my schedule. He didn't have any other help so he was basically taking what he could get. I told him even if he wanted me to just help him until he found someone with better availability that would be fine. And now he has :( Anyways I don't think I am totally done there but its going to depend on what hours the other girls are working. Basically I will just try to fill in any way that I can. So basically I'm going from a few shifts a week to what is probably going to be a few per month.

It's that time of year again!

2011-12-16T22:21:00.003-05:00

Well its 9 days until Christmas and I am almost done my Christmas shopping. All that I have left to get is the rest of my best friend's gift and I am done. I haven't tallied up my receipts yet but I estimate I have spent around $340 dollars so far. My budget was around $75-$100 per person with 4 people to shop for.

I haven't posted much in the last few weeks because my Macbook has crashed yet again! I am thoroughly unimpressed. Clearly the last time I got it "fixed" they didn't really get to the root of the problem, because ever since then it was slower and freezing a lot more. I knew it was only a matter of time before it would happen again. I am going to call tech support tomorrow, and I am praying they will be able to help me. If I have to bring it to an Apple store, I am going to wait until the new year because I don't want to be fighting these crowds of last minute shoppers! I think I am going to write Apple because I don't think a brand new computer should be crashing twice within the first year. All I really do is surf the net and listen to music and do my school work.

Anyways I wanted to get everyones advice about something. I am now eligible to sign up for RRSP's at work. There are 2 plans I can sign up for:

1. Company pension plan - employer matches 50% of my contribution up to $1000 per year. They will automatically deduct 4% and put it into this unless specified otherwise.
2. Group RRSP - NO match! But these contributions would be eligible for the Home Buyers Plan and not to mention the break you get on your taxes.

What should I do? I want to take advantage of the free money but in about 5 years or so I might want to purchase a home and I would like to take advantage of the Home Buyers Plan. Maybe I should contribute half to one and half to the other? Any ideas are appreciated here!

5 Things

2011-12-02T22:07:00.002-05:00

5 Things you may not know about me:

1. I have a nervous laugh.

2.When I was a kid I used to think that if you broke a body part, it actually detached from your body.

3. I love to look at pictures of food on pinterest or foodgawker to get recipe ideas.

4. I am an avid reader. I am always going to be an advocate of the book before the movie, and it is my dream to have a home library.

5. I hate cleaning.

5 Things I'm Knowledgeable About:

1. How to spell

2. My job: reading prescriptions, knowing what drugs are currently not available, all the doctors signatures in town, etc etc.

3. Prices. You could name any random thing of mine and I could probably tell you what I paid for it.

4. Makeup (somewhat): I have a pretty big collection and I generally stay up to date on whats popular, whats getting good and bad reviews etc.

5. Math

5 Things I know nothing about:

1. Cars

2. Stocks

3. Science

4. Shakespeare

5. Science Fiction

5 Things I believe:

1. Flu shots are a scam

2. Red lipstick is appropriate for any occasion.

3. Laughter truly is the best medicine

4. Karma

5. You have to work for what you want in life, nobody is going to hand it to you.

Collective Haul: Shiseido Warehouse Sale and Lisa's Cosmetics

2011-11-23T13:18:00.010-05:00

At the request of the girl who writes "My Money, My life" I am showing you guys my hauls from the 2 warehouse sales I went to recently. Both sales were in Markham, Ontario and literally a few blocks from one another which is why it's a shame they were not at the same time. Both of them are held twice a year in May and November and usually within a week of one another.

So the first one I went to was the Shiseido warehouse sale. They also have NARS and Orlane, a few Joico products and a hair care line called "Evolve"and also some fragrances which I didn't really take note of. I went on the Sunday which was the last day. It was held until 3pm and I went around 1pm because I was hoping it would be less busy and I was right. No line up to get in and really no line up at the cash either. So here is what I got:

Shiseido:

-White Lucent Brightening Protective Moisturizer: $30

( I couldn't find this online to get a retail price, the closest I found was the Brightening Protective Cream which was $68)

-Purifying Foam Cleanser $6 for 50 ml, full size of 125ml is $38

-Perfect Refining Foundation $15 (retail $42)

--Dual Balancing Foundation $15 (retail $42)

I tried the cleanser a few times and I don't like it. It gives your skin that weird feeling afterwards as if you just used a bar of soap, you know what I mean? Glad I only bought the trial size. It seems that the foundations were some of the best deals. I have tried both and both are really good! The Dual Balancing One is the one I go to the most, but both are great.

Evolve Hair Care:

-Finishing Spray

-Stay Soft Shampoo and Conditioner

-Healthy Scalp Shampoo (for dry scalp)

All of these were $3 each

Total for this sale including tax $88

Ok next up is the Lisa's Cosmetics Sale. This sale is great because it is held over a span of a few weeks so there is many chances to go. I went yesterday after work because it was open until 8pm. I figured it would be less busy because its a week night. It was still pretty busy and I had to park across the street, but they have guys waving you over and showing you where to go which is great. I got there around 4pm and there was no line up. This was my second time going. The first time I went on a Saturday morning and waited almost 3 hours in line.

This sale is STILL HAPPENING so if you want to go check out Lisa's Cosmetics website for the information.

Here is my haul:

Cargo Pro Picks Collection $9.99 (retail $39)

Marcelle:

-Essentials Cleansing Water (small size) and Essentials 1st Wrinkles Eye Cream (full size): They came together for $6. Retail price is $14.50 for the cleansing water (bigger size though) and $27.50 for the eye cream! Good steal!

-Makeup remover $4.50 (retail $12.50)

-Multiuse pressed powder $2.49 (retail $16.95 approx)

I almost bought this at retail price in the summer so I was pretty stoked to find it!

-Rouge Vitality lipstick in Vintage Red: $2.49 (retail $10.25)

-Annabelle Le Gloss: $1.99 (retail about $9.49)

--Revlon Eyebrow gel $1.99

-Sally Hansen tweezers $1.99 (needed new ones anyway)

-Joico Renu Hair primer: $4.99 (retail approx $17)

It says its good for pre-styling and my Tresemme flat iron spray just ran out.

-Iso bouncy Creme: $3.99 (retail approx $8-10 not sure)

For enhancing your natural curls. Always looking to try different curling products!

Burberry Touch for my mom: $25 for 1oz

Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy for my sis: $22 for 100ml

I am a little annoyed at myself because I just saw the Britney Spears at Shoppers on clearance for $19.99!! Of course I had no idea it was going to be on clearance, I don't really know my fragrances well as I am not a huge fragrance person. The regular price said $59 so its still a good price I'm just a little annoyed about it. lol. This is why you need to KNOW YOUR PRICES!

I also got for my sister a few nail polishes for 99 cents, a marcelle powder like mine, a lip gloss and makeup remover. So I'm going to find a cute little basket and some nice stuff to wrap it in.

Cute little clutch for $20

This is probably the biggest "splurge" because I really have no idea how much this is normally but it was cute and I thought why not.

I was actually a little disappointed because almost nothing on my list was left when I got there. I was hoping to stock up on Marcelle toner but there was no full size ones. I also wanted to stock up on facial wipes, either the Marcelle or Annabelle ones. Last time I got Red Earth ones and they were great but this time I saw no wipes at all except for some random Olay ones which didn't seem like a great price. I have never used any Annabelle products before and had quite a few things I wanted to try but all I got was the lip gloss.

Some other things they had at this sale are: Elizabeth Arden, Smashbox, designer sunglasses, purses, socks, belts, and a lot of random drug store stuff like dove hair care, olay etc. It's all on the website that I posted the link to.

So overall at this sale I spent $134 including tax. The breakdown is about $68 for myself and the rest gifts for others. I feel a little guilty showing you guys cause I have been spending so much lately!

Luxe box: November

2011-11-17T19:33:00.007-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I signed up for this thing called Luxebox. Basically for $12 a month you get a box in the mail with about 4-6 products. 1 or 2 are usually full size and the rest sample size. It is a cool way to try out new things without committing to the retail price, and also kinda cool if you love getting surprises in the mail! They send you an email to let you know when it has been shipped. I got mine the day after the email, so that was awesome.

Anyways here is a picture of what it looks like:

When you open it you first see a little greeting card that gives you a summary of the items in the box. After you remove that and the other pieces of paper you see the tissue paper with a sticker that says : "Made for:___(your name)" It's so cute :)

Here is the first glance of all the products:

And a closer look:

(I am including the approx retail price provided in the card)

1. Essie nail polish in "Coral reef" - $8 retail

2. Benefit Moisture Prep Toning Lotion (sample size) $29 retail

3. Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream (sample size) $38 retail

4. ELF Brightening Eye Colour in 2018 "day to night" - $1 retail

5. Olay regenerist wrinkle revolution complex (sample size) (doesnt have retail price)

6. Teaopia Cactus Fig tea kit - $7 retail

Overall I am quite happy with this month's box. I am already wearing the nail polish and I cant wait to try the benefit stuff. I have never tried any Elf products so that will be interesting. I have already swatched the colours on my hand and they do appear to be quite nice. I never drink tea, so I won't be using the Teaopia kit, I might give that to my friend. But I am pleased with the products overall! I have already committed to a 3 month subscription so I am definitely getting at least 2 more boxes and then I will decide if its a good value and if I will continue getting them.

Randoms

2011-11-15T21:03:00.003-05:00

-I recently went to a NARS/Shiseido warehouse sale. Got some great items including 5 hair care items, a Shiseido cleanser and moisturizer, 2 Shiseido foundations. I spent $88 which was under my budget of $100.

- I'm going to another warehouse sale next week. This one is called Lisa's Cosmetics and it has: Elizabeth Arden, Smashbox, Marcelle, Annabelle, and pretty much every fragrance known to man. I am more excited about this one because I regularly use a marcelle toner and exfoliator so I plan to stock up. The toner I used for years is discontinued and I am hoping maybe it will be there! I am planning on buying a bunch of stuff to make up a big gift basket for my sister for Christmas, and also for my best friend.

- My Luxe box has been shipped!!

-I just made these granola energy bites! They are totally delicious, and healthy (minus the choc chips) because they have: oats, peanut butter, flax seed, etc. I'm planning to have one or two tomorrow morning before work, and see if I feel any more energized than normal.

-I am obsessed with Pinterest. I have gotten so many ideas of things I want to make/try like hair chalking, cowgirl cookies, and DIY surf spray.

No More Fees

2011-11-14T22:34:00.002-05:00

I have had enough of paying fees to use my money!! I have been with TD for awhile now and I'm really sick of it. So I got a Thrive chequing account with ING direct. I have a few savings accounts with ING and I love them.

I'm still going to have some savings with TD and I have my car loan with them but from now on its ING for chequing!! I already gave the information to my work for payroll so I just have to give it to the bank for taking out my car loan payments and then we're all good!

And right now there is a promo going on until Dec 31st where if a new customer opens an account and uses a referral code, we BOTH get $50!! Usually its $25.

So if any of you want to sign up with ING, I would really appreciate if you use my code! This only applies to new customers, if you already have an account with them and just open another one, it doesn't count unfortunately. I've put a little widget on the side of my blog with my Orange Key :)

Second job is great for savings! :)

2011-11-08T20:58:00.003-05:00

Sorry for not posting for awhile guys! Sometimes I get in a bit of a rut and don't know what to post about. Either that or I have a lot of idea's all jumbled up in my mind and I can't seem to sort them out!

I may have mentioned before that a former co-worker of mine opened up his own pharmacy and offered me a job. So I have been working there as well as my normal job. My main job gives me about 25-30 hours a week and then I work at this place about 12 hours a week. Between these two I have been working 6 days a week lately and at least one of those days is a split day where I'm at one job in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

Although it can get tiring, I do it because I do enjoy it. This new job is a completely different type of environment from my main job so I enjoy the variety of the two, because each place is a break from the other.

The upside to this, of course, is the extra money! Recently I made a decision to save every penny of that income from the second job. So far this has been put into my travel fund. Since starting at this new job around September I have put about $866 into my travel fund. I am now at $2000.00 !!!! This makes me incredibly happy as $2000 was my goal for going to Portugal, something that I have been dreaming of since I was a teenager. Speaking of which, I have now been at my current job for over one year so I get two weeks vacation. So my dream of going to Portugal is looking to become a reality :)

So not much is new other than I have just been working a lot and doing my online course, which is super boring!! The first few weeks were pretty heavy in terms of reading and workload, but it has lightened up a little. But I think the last few weeks are again going to be quite heavy, not to mention studying for the final exam. Speaking of exams, I had a Jurisprudence exam a few weeks ago which I am waiting to get the results of. I really hope I passed. I am a little concerned because I felt like some questions were trick questions. :(

2011-10-18T18:34:00.002-04:00

The other night I was using my computer when it started to freeze a lot. I got really fed up with it so I shut it off. When I went to turn it on again, it wouldn't. I was so mad! I thought what did I pay $1400 for? Macs are supposed to be the best!!
I made an appointment for the closest Apple store to my town which is about 40 min away. I was able to get one the next morning and I was in and out in about 2 hours. I was so impressed! Ok so it kinda sucked that I had to go that far but you certainly could never go to a place like Futureshop or BestBuy or any of those places and get that type of service!

I'm going to leave you guys with a picture from one of Ninja's blog posts. I think it makes a really good point.

Best Goodwill Find Ever

2011-10-11T21:25:00.005-04:00

Last Friday I went over to Goodwill after work because it was half-price day. Those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile know that I love to scour thrift stores for books. I did find a few good books but that's not what this post is about. I found something else even better!!

A Ralph Lauren coat!! It's gorgeous isn't it??

Check out the detailing on the buttons!

I'm so excited to wear this once the colder weather arrives! :)

Can you guess how much I paid??

$10

Pinterest = my new obsession

2011-10-09T15:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Amy, I am now officially addicted to Pinterest. What is this you ask? Well its basically a virtual "pinboard" of sorts that you share with others. You can have as many boards as you want for whatever type of theme you want. Examples: Home decor ideas, favourite products, fashion and beauty, items you are lusting after etc. You can follow people and if you see a picture you like you can comment on it. You can also "re-pin" anyone else's pins that you like. Its so super addicting. Here are some great things I have found so far:

Such a cute idea! Plus I love anything vintage.

This is pretty much the picture I have in my head of how I want my home library to look when I have my own place. With the ladder and everything.

Awesome DIY art project. You glue crayons to a canvas and blow dry them so they melt. I want to try this for sure.

Awesome quote.

Isn't this a great use for your shopping bags? Looks so chic.

Winter Tires

2011-10-05T18:21:00.002-04:00

Well I finally got winter tires for my car! What happened was I had put out on ad on Kijiji saying I was hoping to find some in like-new condition for a reasonable price. I had a guy reply and I was interested. He was selling a set of tires AND rims for $350, used for only 1 season. I thought that was pretty good. I went to the Canadian Tire website just to read user reviews on that brand of tire (Goodyear Nordic) and not only did they have great reviews but they were on sale!! They were $77 each. Times that by 4, add tax and thats about $350. But the used ones included rims. I talked to my parents and they both thought I should forget about the used ones because even though it was a great deal there is no need to have a 2nd set of rims. So I went to the store and got the new ones. I forgot there was some government fee on them, which was $5.84 each. So I ended up paying $378 for them. Which is still a great price and you know what was the best part?? I had saved up the money already so I didn't have to worry about paying that off on my credit card!!!

Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Bowl Cleaner

2011-09-29T22:25:00.004-04:00

As I have mentioned a few times before I am a member of the BzzAgent website. Basically how this site works is that you get selected to participate in a campaign for a specific product and if you accept they will send you the product free of charge to try it out. They want you to tell your friends and family about it or post about it on your blog, facebook, twitter etc. Then you submit a review about it and your experience.

So I got an email a few weeks ago about the Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner campaign and I thought sure, why not? I received it in the mail in a timely fashion (less than a week I would estimate). I proceeded to set it up following the instructions that came with it.

This is when it went wrong. LOL. You are supposed to connect the can of cleaner to the base of the pump and then pump the pedal with your foot and a stream of cleaner will come out. As soon as I connected the can, it started spraying immediately. It didn't say this would happen in the instructions but I thought no big deal I'm sure it will stop. It kept spraying and spraying non stop!! It seemed to go on for about 30 seconds or more. Finally it stopped....because the can was EMPTY! It used up the entire can in one sitting!! I was so shocked! lol.

Anyways it does seem like a good product and I think it probably does clean well. I'm just glad that I got this one for free since it was a dud.

Since I am still pretty new I haven't gotten invited to that many campaigns. I might get an invite every few months. Each time you do a review you get MyPoints which is kinda cool. Then you become more "credible" I guess which leads to you getting more invite. Some campaigns that are happening right now are: Canon Powershot, Werthers Original, Keurig, Burts bees, Itemize, Green mountain coffee etc. I recommend joining if you want the chance to try products for free and like to share your opinions!

Fall Fashion: Rain Boots

2011-09-16T13:37:00.006-04:00

After mentioning in my last post that I was excited about fall fashion, I have been thinking alot about fall footwear. Especially rain boots. I am really lusting for a pair of rain boots, so I went searching online for inspiration. I thought I would share some that I found.

Yellow Boots

$57

Hunters Original Tall Gloss

$150

"Dav" Boots

$150

"Kamik" White Printed Boots

$69

Which ones do you like best??

School woes

2011-09-14T19:43:00.004-04:00

It is going to be a loong semester. The course that I am taking this semester is all about laws of pharmacy. While reading this weeks material I was bored out of my mind. It is only week 1. There is going to be a lot of reading and we have to write a journal entry each week. Shoot me now.

Also what I find really annoying is that the week starts on Saturdays. Every Saturday the new module is released. So if you are away for the weekend or just busy and you don't log in until say Monday or Tuesday, all the keeners have already done everything and you look like a slacker. LOL

I am going away this weekend AND next so its going to be fun times. I have emailed the teacher to find out if she can release the next few modules early. I'm sure I am not the only one who has other obligations and wants to get ahead.

This weekend I am going to a baby shower for an old family friend. Today I went and picked up a few things for the baby. I totally love to shop for baby clothes, but have discovered I enjoy shopping for little girls way more than little boys.

I am starting to look forward to fall. You know what I am excited for? Fall fashion! Dresses with coloured tights, boots, peacoats etc.

What part of fall are you most looking forward to?

The Stock Market

2011-09-11T22:48:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been feeling like I am not making my money work hard enough for me. I want to invest more and I have been thinking about starting to invest in the stock market. I already have some mutual funds but I want to invest in individual stocks.

I have been trying to do research online but I feel like the more I read the more confused I become. I need you help to pick a discount brokerage. I heard that Questrade was good but there is a $1000 minimum to open an account. I hope to find one with low fees and no minimum to open. I definitely don't have that much to begin with, I would like to start with maybe a few hundred dollars.

Help??

Back to the grind :(

2011-09-08T22:17:00.002-04:00

School officially starts again tomorrow!! I am now on my 3rd course out of 4 and this one is going to be the hardest/most time consuming. I saved it for the winter semester because I pretty much hibernate in the winter. I'm not really a winter sport person or anything so I figured it was the best time for this course. I still have not found out if I passed the last one yet but hopefully within the next week or two.
Remember when I wrote about Marcelle sending me coupons? Well they sent me 4 more of the same coupons, except these ones expire NEXT year (the previous ones exp the end of this year)
I am now on the hunt for winter tires for my car. I posted an ad on Kijiji hoping to find some used ones in like-new condition and save some money.
Yesterday I went to Winners and holy crap I loove this store. They have so many things that I want! lol. I got some really nice new tops which I will have to take pictures of for you guys.
I don't really talk about politics on here but I have to say I am excited for the provincial election coming up because I can't wait to get Dalton McGuinty out!!
I went through my clothes AGAIN and came up with over 40 items to sell to the used clothing store! So hopefully I can get a fairly good amount for them. This store also sells some books so I plan to go through my books as well and see what I want to get rid of.

New Magazine Subscription

2011-08-22T22:24:00.003-04:00

This is my first issue of my new Macleans subscription!! I recently decided to subscribe to it and its pretty expensive at the store, about $5.95 I believe. I got 22 issues ( I think, or maybe it was 24) for $20. SO MUCH LESS MONEY!!!

I first fell in love with this magazine about 6 years ago when the guy I worked for had it delivered to the office. I used to read it on my lunch breaks all the time. What I like about it is the variety of articles. Some are entertainment based (about celebs), there is some about the economy, some about business, world issues etc. I like to know what's going on in the world and as I get older I am starting to get sick of the Cosmo's and Glamours that basically talk about the same stuff over and over: How to Get a Guy to Like You, How to Lose 10 lbs in a week, etc etc. I want to read about real issues!

Now I have a weekly surprise to look forward to in the mail! :)

Do you guys subscribe to any magazines??

Deal Breakers

2011-08-21T21:50:00.002-04:00

I don't normally talk about my personal relationships on here, more specifically my "love life" because well, there isn't much to speak of. Recently though I started getting to know a guy at work and thought I might have to change my relationship status on facebook soon until it all came to a halt last weekend. Here is the story.

We started talking in the break room at work probably a few months ago. Just a quick hi, how are you type of thing. Then we started talking a bit more like having full conversations and getting to know each other. Then I ran into him outside of work and for the first time in a LONG TIME had the whole "I might be interested in you and can't think of what to say" moment. It was very awkward and I sensed some awkwardness from him as well so I knew he was at least a little bit interested.

Then him and another guy at work invited me to a get-together at another guys house one night. Just a little barbeque with some friends etc. It was a really great time and I got to know some other co-workers better. Then we went on our first "date" (just us two) the next weekend, just went for a walk then went back to his place after.

It was really fun and I was having a great time getting to know him. The only thing was I didn't feel that chemistry that you feel when you REAAAALLY like someone, y'know?? But I figured its no big deal, I haven't dated in a while and I wanted to give him a chance. He is also not the type I normally go for, because he is really quiet, but I figured that could be a good thing.

Anyways last weekend after another date he told me something that is a deal breaker for me. I don't want to divulge exact words spoken or anything but lets say he has a small substance abuse problem. ...

UGH!!!!

This guy is perfect on paper if you know what I mean. If you wrote down all his attributes and things about him, he seems like the perfect guy!! Until this. Let's just say we will not be dating. I still like talking to him and what not but I don't feel comfortable with the issue. We have hardly talked since then and I am pretty sure he senses my feelings about this. I still want to be his friend but haven't even got a chance to talk to him about it. :(

So I thought I would ask this question for all you bloggers. What are your deal breakers??

Life Updates

2011-08-05T21:59:00.002-04:00

I just got a tuition rebate on todays paycheck for $184 which brings me to $482 dollars in my "course fund" which is more than enough to sign up for next semesters course.
Speaking of courses we are wrapping up this semester, all assignments are submitted and now I just have to study for the exam in 11 days!
I also got that retro pay that I told you guys about 2 posts ago. After taxes it was about $200 extra. In total for that pay, I put away $300 into my "Portugal Fund" which now has $1076!! :)
I have heard a lot about how if you write a company about their products they will send you coupons. So I wrote to Marcelle, a Canadian skin care and cosmetics company whose facial toner I have been using for years. I told them how much I liked their products and also mentioned that I have noticed the toner I used to use was not at Shoppers Drug Mart anymore. I requested any samples they may have available and any coupons as well. They wrote me a nice reply saying that toner I was using had in fact been discontinued (which was what I thought) and suggested a suitable replacement. They also sent me 4 coupons each for $2 off ANY Marcelle product! Woo!
I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but I got a coupon off Wagjag for a hair salon called Trade Secrets. It was only $35 for wash, cut, colour and style which is pretty good. I was a little nervous having never been there before, but the girl was great and I'm very happy with the colour. I had it a pretty bright red before, and now I'm closer to my natural colour, its a dark chocolate brown. It's a bit darker than my natural colour actually, probably darker than it's ever been. There is a still a tad bit of red showing through which looks neat actually so I'm super happy with it!

Taylor Swift Concert

2011-07-20T18:08:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I went to see Taylor Swift at the ACC in Toronto. I have been a fan of hers for a long time and when the tickets went on sale last winter, I had to jump on the chance. How can I even explain what the concert was like? Well, it was absolutely amazing. It wasn't just your every day concert. It was a whole production. The set changed for every song. There was ballet dancers, a tap dancer, acrobats hanging on ropes, even fireworks!! At one point she left the main stage and walked through the crowd to a smaller stage at the back and sat underneath a light-up tree and played a few songs. She played guitar, banjo, ukulele and piano. She also "tested our Canadian knowledge" with a small medley of songs by Canadian artists, which we all recognized and sang along. This included Avril, Justin Beiber and Nelly Furtado.

I thought the Bon Jovi concert in February was amazing but this topped it by far. Her fans are even wilder and more dedicated. There was quite an array of light-up signs that fans made (mostly young girls) and it was cool to just look around and see all the lights. For the last song which was "Love Story" she floated over the crowd in a very Juliet-style floating balcony. Towards the end of the song as she made her way back to the stage there was a burst of confetti! The whole thing was soo....magical. It was like I was living in a fairy tale. That's really the only way to describe it. Overall I was very impressed!! Our seats were in the 300 section which is waay up high. So, not close at all, but still worth it!! I would go again in a heart beat and pay double if I had to.

Random Updates

2011-07-18T22:56:00.002-04:00

My work is long overdue in giving me my raise so on this Friday's paycheck I will be getting an extra $240 or so. At my work we automatically get a raise for every so many hours worked which the computer is supposed to update automatically. For some reason it forgot me or something, so I'm getting all my retro pay. I'm going to put this in my portugal fund (which already has $700 btw)
I'm also got approval to be reimbursed for the last course I took. Its 70% which ends up being about $180 that I will get back to put towards the next one!
Take a look at this interesting article "Why we don't work overtime"
I recently celebrated a birthday which means I am 25
I also recently saw Taylor Swift in concert, which constitutes it's own blog post. :) To come later.

Five things

2011-07-11T22:01:00.003-04:00

I found this on TeacHer Finance and wanted to do it as well so here goes:

Five things I'm proud of:

1. That I've paid of my student loans and have no debt now except my car which is only $9000 and very very manageable payments.

2. Where I am in my career. I have worked hard to get where I am now, and even though I don't make a lot yet I am finally working for a company where I CAN make a lot.

3. How I turned out. Sounds kinda weird but I think I turned out a pretty good kid. LOL I never really got in big trouble and have always been responsible and hard working. I don't expect anything to be handed to me in life.

4. My car...Probably the best and most educated decision I've ever made. I wanted one so bad but waited until I paid off student loans. I researched like crazy and ended up picking the perfect car for me, style wise and financially, and still love my car as much as I did when I first got it.

5. I think I'm a pretty strong person.

Five things I'm ashamed of:

1. I'm so unfit

2. Fear of commitment/laziness about dating/finding a future spouse.

3. Need to learn to "enjoy the moment"

4. That I haven't been to Portugal yet even though my relatives there own 2 hotels?!

5. Always wanting "more" (working on it though)

Five things I'm trying not to care about right now:

1. Loneliness and fear of being along forever

2. My parents and their problems

3. Work and it's problems

4. Money and saving for all kinds of things

5. My shitty-ass cell phone that I really want to get rid of

Ps. If the owner of this blog: http://yuppieinthecity.blogspot.com is reading my blog I am wondering if I can get your password as I would love to continue reading your blog :)

Thrifting

2011-06-29T22:50:00.007-04:00

The other day I did some thrifting on my day off. I went to Goodwill - this time to the one on the other side of town. It's a little more sketchy ( confirmed this when a creepy man asked me if I would buy him a tank top and then laughed at me when I said no and said he was kidding ? ), but I hadn't been there in awhile so I thought I would check it out. I was mainly looking for a piece of furniture for my summer project. I didn't find anything sufficient but I found some other great items!

I found this Dooney and Bourke purse in great condition!

There was a little surprise waiting for me inside!

10 Hong Kong Dollars! LOL

Then I went to this used clothing store called Plato's Closet. It's basically my new favourite store because it has all the brands that I like for cheap and it's all in great condition. Many of the items still have tags. I got a pair of jeans, a top, a necklace and a ring.

The necklace was $3 and the ring was $4. :)

Summer Loves and miscellaneous

2011-06-21T23:06:00.004-04:00

One of my favourite things about summer is garage sale-ing!!! When my mom and I both have a Saturday off we will get up early and drive around to garage sales in our area of town, usually pre-planned by looking at the classifieds in the local paper. We are not those early birds who go out at 7 or 8 am we usually go out around 9 or so.

This past Saturday was the first garage sale day for us this year and I found something great! As some of you may know from previous posts, I adore Hello Kitty. I collect Hello Kitty items, like stuffed dolls and things. I'm not one of those crazy people, I only have maybe like 10 items max. I found this adorable BUILD-A-BEAR Hello Kitty doll in mint condition. If you have ever been inside a Build-a-bear store you would know that by the time you pick out your doll and add clothing etc it can be well over $50. I got this HK doll for $1!!!

Another thing I love about summer is ice cream :) Presidents Choice has this awesome line of ice creams with soo many flavours! They were on sale for $3 so I picked up Chocolate peanut butter (pictured) and Sprinkle party cake which is basically vanilla with sprinkles and pieces of vanilla cake inside. Its amazing!

I've decided to get a summer project after being inspired by this blog. I'm going to find an item of furniture at a thrift store or garage sale such as a dresser, chair, desk, etc and make it my project to paint it and fix it up nice! I may start my search tomorrow.

On a financial note, I just switched my car insurance today! My policy renewal date is June 30th. My current company gave me a renewal rate of $2600 for the year and the company I switched to is $21oo. So I am saving myself $500 for the year. :)

Slight Dilemma

2011-06-11T23:20:00.002-04:00

I recently got invited to a wedding that I was 100% sure I was NOT invited to. This was very surprising to me because I haven't talked to this girl in years. We were friends in high school and have seen each other in group settings every now and then since, but we are't close or anything. My dilemma is that there is no way I am going to her stag and doe, wedding shower, and wedding. Reasons are:

I don't really want to (and can't afford) to buy a shower present and a wedding present.
I don't really want to book off all this time for someone that I am not really close with when I could be using time off to spend with other friends who I am closer to.
It kinda irks me that she sends me an invite and I only have 3 weeks to respond. I thought maybe she only invited me cause space freed up but I know other people who havent gotten theirs yet either so it turns out she is just really not organized.
Reasons for going to the wedding or shower is that I would see other girls I haven't seen for a long time and it would be kinda cool to be together as a group again..I feel there is a better chance of this happening at the shower/wedding than the stag and doe as those are more important.

So I'm 99% sure I don't want to go to the wedding, so I am just deciding if I should go to the stag and doe, or the shower, or both of those. What do you guys think??

Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale

2011-06-04T21:17:00.011-04:00

This morning I was lucky enough to attend the Estee Lauder Warehouse sale in Markham, ON. For those of you not familiar with it, it is a sale that is put on 4 times a year by Estee Lauder where you can find their makeup products as well as products from other companies they own like MAC, Clinique, Origins, Bobbi Brown etc. Most people go for the MAC products and that is what the majority of it is anyway. I have been hearing about these sales for years and this year I was so lucky to get two tickets from a former co-worker. So last night I stayed over at my girlfriends place who lives in the GTA and up we got at 7am this morning and we were in line by 8:30. The sale opened at 9am and we got in around 9:30.

Let me start with my overall thoughts/impressions. I knew from online forums that the prices

have gone up significantly in the last few years. With that said, it is still cheaper than retail and I was just glad to have the chance to go! Some things were better deals than others, but what I think is really the best part of it is that you can get items that are no longer available in stores like items from past collections and discontinued items.

The best part of this is that I saved up some money in cash and stuck to my budget of $120. I got some great items, although if I was ever lucky enough to go again I think I would try to go on the Friday for the better selection. There was a few very specific items I was looking for and none of them were there. Oh well I had a great time anyways! I've got pictures!

Here is everything I got:

And a breakdown with prices:

From the infamous $4 bins...

2 mini Clinique makeup removers

2 pairs of lashes (retails for $17 each)

$10 each:

Lipgelee in Slicked Pink (retail $17.50)

Lipglass in Just Add Colour (retail $17.50)

Lipstick in Shy Girl (retail $17.50)

Eyeshadow in Hypnotizing $12 (retail $17.50)

Select Cover up Concealer $9 (retail $20)

$5 Charity bag (you get a random assortment of full sized products for $5 and it goes to charity.

Diva in Distress eyeshadow (retail $23.50)

Cremesheen glass in Partial to Pink (retail $22)

Plush Lash mascara (retail $17)

#272 eyeshadow brush $20

After searching the website I realized this brush has been discontinued so I'm not sure what the retail price was but on Ebay its listed for about $40

Free gift:

Haunting eyeshadow (retail $17.50)

I also got 2 makeup bags. I didn't take a close up pic but you can see them in the first picture. One is navy blue and one is white and they have a seashell outline on them. They were $4 for both.

So altogether I spent about $107 which means I was under budget! :)

"We got a whole lotta money but we still pay rent cause you can't buy a house in heaven"

2011-06-02T17:40:00.004-04:00

The title of my post is a quote from a Lady Gaga song called "You and I". Actually it's "U&I". It's probably my favourite song on her new album which is, by the way, amazing. Anyone that is a fan of her previous works needs to get this album!!

Anyways, on to some update on what is going on with me.

-I recently redeemed some Air Miles for a $25 gift card to Rexall and another $25 gift card to The Gap. I already used the Rexall one, getting some much needed razors and a new mascara. The mascara is L'oreal Voluminous Millions Lashes and I HIGHLY recommend it. I actually had a customer tell me she loved my lashes. I think Amy recommended it on her blog which is what made me get it. I haven't used my Gap one yet though. I want to use it to get a new pair of black dress pants, because the ones I have right now I have been wearing for years! They are looking pretty worn. I'm waiting to combine my gift card with a sale. I check this blog every day to see who's having sales!

I also recently made my first WagJag purchase! The promo was you pay $15 for $30 voucher to a used clothing store here in my city. But I had a redemption code for $5 off my first WagJag purchase so I only paid $10 for that voucher. Today I went and got 3 tops and 2 bracelets, and paid $1.13. So I got about $30 of clothes for about $11. Not bad!

In other news, my car insurance is going up! :( My policy renewal date is June 30th. I just logged into my online portfolio today to see what my new rate was going to be and it's gone up by about $26 a month. So my rate is going from $199 a month to $225 a month. Don't get me wrong, I know that is not a bad rate, it just irked me a little because after my first year, my rate went down, so I was hoping after 2 years it would go down again. So I called them to find out why, and it's basically because of the general increases in rates in Ontario due to all the changes that the government made. The only way I could get it lower would be to get a winter tires discount, or make my deductible higher. Right now my deductible is $500 collision and $300 comprehensive. I feel those are comfortable amounts for me and don't really want to change them.

I think I am going to do a little research and see if there is anything lower out there, although I have a feeling I may not find anything. What do you guys think?

Major Clothing De-Stash

2011-05-27T22:57:00.002-04:00

So on Monday it was a holiday here in Canada and I decided to do a super closet clean out. I literally took all the clothing I own and sorted it into piles on my bed. Pants in one pile, tank tops in another, skirts, sweaters etc. Then I went through each pile and discarded items I haven't worn in awhile or stuff that was just plain worn out.

So here is a breakdown of what I had before and after the clean up:

Plain tank tops:

11 Before and 8 after

Cardigans:

10 before and 7 after

Long sleeve shirts:

3 before and 0 after

Leggings:

4 pairs before and 3 pairs after

Skirts:

7 before and 6 after

Shorts:

3 pairs before and 3 after

Dresses:

8 before and 5 after

Jeans:

5 paris before and 4 pairs after

Other pants (dressier ones):

4 before and after

Capri pants:

1 pair before and after

Summer tops (fanciers tanks and strapless):

12 before and 10 after

T-shirts and misc tops:

27 before and 18 after

Pullover hoodies:

6 before and 3 after

Zip up hoodies:

10 before and 8 after

So in total I got rid of 31 articles of clothing! I have it all in a garbage bag and I'm thinking of donating it. I might see if anyone wants to look through first and pick stuff out then donate the rest.

Extreme Couponing

2011-05-23T22:09:00.002-04:00

I have heard about this show on TLC called "Extreme Couponing" for quite some time now but had never seen it, until tonight. I was just relaxing on the couch when I saw it on the tv guide and thought I would check it out. All I can say is...WOW

Here are some of my thoughts:

- The amount of food these people were buying was so much more than any normal family would need. This lady bought $1000 worth of food and paid $20. Ok, thats great you saved all that money, but did you need to buy that much food?!

-Because they are buying so much, my thought is that most of it would expire before it gets eaten/used.

- From what I saw, all that these people were buying was processed foods and junk. 50 bags of candy, 48 bottles of powerade, 52 boxes of cake mix etc etc. Ok thats cool if you want to get some frozen pizzas because its cheaper than take out, but do you really need 16 of them?

-The amount of time these people spend on searching for coupons could be better spent doing other things. Most of these people seem to be unemployed. For example this lady who said she spent 60 hours a week on this. She was obviously very good at researching, organizing etc. She could be spending that time at a job that might pay more than what she is saving with coupons!!

-One lady was running around stealing other peoples newspapers and jumping into garbage bins to find papers that people threw out! Thats just crazy in my opinion.

After watching this, I did start to wish that we had these stores in Canada that double your coupons. As far as I know, there isn't any. Imagine the deals you could get in that case?

Has anyone else watched this show and what did you think?

Life Updates

2011-05-16T10:07:00.000-04:00

Well those of you that read my blog regularly will know that I was doing an online course that was related to my job. Well...I passed!! YAY for me. And my second course just started yesterday. So I'm back at it again. It was nice to have those few weeks off in between though!

In my last post I mentioned about having found a good skincare routine, which is want I wanted to mention to you guys. I tried Proactiv! My BFF has been using it for awhile and she kept telling me to try it. I kept thinking "Thats only for people with SERIOUS acne, I don't need that". Well, even though I didn't consider myself to be a serious case, I decided to try it because I had enough!

I had been using Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer, and Marcelle toner. All are fairly gentle and nothing too extravagant. The main thing I noticed when first starting Proactiv is that it is VERY harsh on your skin. This is just my opinion anyways. My skin would actually kind of sting. So I started alternating it with my normal, more gentler stuff. Like I will use my cetaphil stuff in the morning and then my Proactiv at night or whatever. After a couple of weeks of this I feel I have got a happy medium. I still get breakouts of course, I mean its a hormonal thing but they are not quite as bad as before, and I don't get as many of those HUGE blemishes. Plus the Refining mask is really good as zapping blemishes.

Ok so the next update about me is on the topic of the opposite sex. I never really talked about this stuff on here before, but I feel like it this time for some reason...Anyways so I had something going with this guy who lives back where I used to live. He wasn't my boyfriend or anything but whenever I was in town visiting friends, we would usually make plans. So anyways he started dating this girl from there that I CANNOT stand. He knows I don't like her and he just started dating her, and never told me and of course I found out on facebook, cause apparently we are all in high school. lol. She is just one of "those girls" you know? Those girls who think they are all that, think they are better than everyone, constantly talking behind people's back and always having to be the center of attention. You know the kind I am talking about. The worst part is that I thought this guy (despite all his flaws) was too good for this girl. I thought he knew her true colours. The fact that he is attracted to someone like that just blows my mind, and makes me think twice about who he is inside as well. I never felt I had any claim on him or anything, I just thought that we were friends and he could of shown some respect by telling me what was going on. So this really upset me. Since then, I haven't really talked to him and don't really intend to start any conversations with him in the near future. I recently got together with some friends and had a girls night out and it was just what I needed to feel like myself again. No worrying about looking good for a guy or trying to get anyones attention, just having fun with girlfriends and a bottle of wine! ;)

If you haven't read Chelsea's blog, you must. This particular post really inspired me. I printed it out when she first posted it, and after this happened I re-read it and felt a little better. The weirdest part of this is, somehow since I have stopped talking to this guy, I feel better about myself. I'm not sure how it happened but it did and I know I am much better off without this guy in my life.

ShiSeido/NARS Warehouse Sale!

2011-05-14T18:27:00.004-04:00

Yesterday while visiting Erica's blog, I discovered that the Shiseido/NARS warehouse sale was going on this weekend. I had heard about this sale before but never been. Since I didn't work today I decided to go check it out. I am really glad that I did! I got there around 1:30pm and only waited about 20 mins in line. This is excellent compared to the last sale I went to where I waited 2 hours in line. I have never tried any products from either of these brands so I was really glad to be able to try them at a much lower price. Here is what I got:

NARS "So Famous" Gift Set includes: Deep Throat Blush, Bettina Lip Pencil, and Orgasm Multiple

$25 (retail approx $60)

ShiSeido Brillant Bronze Quick Self-tanning Gel

$15 (retail approx $32)

NARS eyeshadow Duo in Egea

$10 (retail approx. $33)

NARS Sheer Matte Foundation

$15 (retail approx $42)

ShiSeido The Makeup Lip Gloss in Champagne Sparkle

$15 (retail approx. $23)

So I got all these products for $75 plus tax and normally it would be about $190 plus tax! :)

I completely skipped the fragrance area as I wasn't interested and I did kind of want to look at the skin care products, but the crowds were huge in that area, plus I seem to have a good skin care routine right now and I don't want to mess that up by introducing any new products! The worst part was waiting in line to cash out, that was about 45 mins. But overall I am really happy with my experience!

Ten on Tuesday - Movies

2011-05-10T21:11:00.002-04:00

1. If you could watch only one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Something that I have already seen many times and never get sick of...like Sister Act, Corina Corina, or Fools Rush In.

2. Let’s say someone wrote a screenplay about you; what actor/actress would you choose to play you and why?

Probably Katie Holmes - because we both have dark hair and a rounder face and despite her level of ridicule for dating Tom Cruise she is actually a very good actress.

3. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in theaters?
The Jungle Book

4. Did you ever make out at the back of a movie theater in middle school/high school?
Sure

5. Are you a Netflix-er, Blockbuster-er or a Redbox-er? (Or none of the above?)
None really I'm a borrow burned dvd's from friends/family type lol

6. Name one actor/actress who you would give anything to have a dinner date with.
Johnny Depp or Leonardo Dicaprio.

7. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?
Punch drunk love.

8. Do you sneak snacks into the theater when you go?
Yeah i will put stuff in my purse, they never check.

9. Movie theater popcorn: love or hate it?
Love it.

10. What is the all-time best Disney movie in your opinion?

The Lion King!!

White Iphone

2011-05-03T18:12:00.000-04:00

I want.

They now have a white Iphone and I want one. I have a blackberry pearl and I have had it for 2 years. I still have one year left on my contract with Bell. My phone has gotten considerably slower lately and I am getting sick of it. Plus there is the fact that I have to be really careful with it because it has called 911 by itself. Twice. Im sure the fact that its getting slower has a lot to do with me adding apps and downloading a theme which probably is taking up a lot of space on my little memory card. I don't even know how much space is on this memory card because my friend worked at Bell when I got the phone and she had a few extras and just gave it to me. I could probably solve this by getting another one with more space. But I would rather get an Iphone! :)

Right now Telus has a deal where it is free on a 3 year contract. Unfortunately this does not include the white one though. I am not sure if I will hold out until the end of my contract. The fee to cancel is $20 per month that you have left, up to a max of $200 (I think). I'm going to try and hold out for awhile still. Even if I pay to cancel and am able to get an Iphone for free (hopefully someone will have that deal at the time) it's still cheaper than paying for an Iphone. Maybe by the time I finally cancel, they will have even better deals!

Maybe I should shop at Zellers more often?

2011-05-01T22:02:00.003-04:00

The other day my mom wanted to go to Zellers to check something out and I went along. After this little trip I found myself wondering why I don't shop there more often. For one thing, its not very busy. It's nice to be able to shop and browse without worrying about people getting in your way. Another reason - the sales! Pretty much all the clothing was 25% off, and the stuff that was on clearance was an additional 40% off! But seeing as I had just bought a bunch of clothes I told myself no more. But I did manage to pick up two pieces of jewelry.

The ring was marked down to $4 and the earrings were I think $7.97 and they were 25% off. I thought that was a great price but when I got to the cash they were both $3!!

I also noticed a lot of footwear on sale as well. Basically the sales were great. Just as good as Walmart, maybe even better. I think I will definitely keep this in mind next time I want to go shopping!

More great deals

2011-04-27T18:34:00.004-04:00

So here is the rest of the stuff I got the same day that I went to Coach. I actually didn't take a picture of everything, just my favourite items.

This is my sweater from Campus Crew. These sweaters look great on everyone and they are so super soft. They are the best hoodie in my opinion. They are also fairly pricey so when I saw that the whole store was 40% off, I had to get one. It was regular $64.99 and I paid $38.99. I also got a really nice dark purple t-shirt that was regular $29.99 (who pays that for a tshirt anyway?) for $17.99.

These pants are from Tommy Hilfiger. They are a white background with navy vertical stripes. They were $59.99 and I thought they were on sale ( I read the sign wrong). I ended up buying them anyways, because I loved them and I'm trying to go for more quality these days. They are also pretty different from most of the other stuff that is out there, and the nautical look is very in right now (and I'm a big fan). I also got an aqua coloured polo for $20 which was regular $40. I can't wait to wear these new pants, but I have to possibly get my mom to hem them first.

My 1st Coach purchase!

2011-04-25T22:45:00.003-04:00

Ok....so...after my so called "shopping ban" (where I replaced shopping for clothes with buying concert tickets) I did some major spending this weekend. Like, where I might take money out of savings to pay off my credit card. Or, since I have an extra pay day this month, I might not. Not sure yet. Anyways....I thought I would share with you guys my purchases.

So the spending started with my first ever Coach purchase. A mall in a nearby town just got a Coach outlet store and I had to check it out. So my co-worker and I went and waited in line for 30 mins to get in. BTW, first time I have ever waited in line...to shop. Very interesting.

I ended up walking away with a Coach wallet for $100. The regular retail price at a normal store is $228 plus tax and mine was $100 including tax. So, I guess its a good price (not as cheap as in the US though!) but it's still the most I ever paid for a wallet. In fact, I could of got a whole purse for that much, but I didn't really see any purses I wanted, and I have been searching for a new wallet for a long time. Plus, at least a wallet is something practical that I use every day. I don't switch up wallets like I do purses.

It's pretty simple and classic, not that exciting I know!

That's not it! I did buy more stuff but that will be in another post. Hope you all had a great easter weekend, I did not. May elaborate on that later.

2011-04-21T23:11:00.002-04:00

Well I am officially done my course!! I wrote my exam on Tuesday. It was actually a little harder than I thought, mostly because for a lot of questions it seemed like there was more than one right answer. Don't you hate that?

On the bright side, I am free for about a month before my next course starts. It feels so good to have no deadlines right now! And after working 8 days in a row I have this whole weekend off which is great. Unfortunately I don't really have any plans, which is a bummer. I was hoping to get out of town but that is not going to work out it looks like.

Tomorrow I'm going shopping with a co-worker to an outlet mall in a nearby town (yes its open for Good Friday!). Hoping to get some good deals there on some new summer clothes :)

Hope everyone has a great Easter weekend!

Expensify!

2011-04-19T20:20:00.000-04:00

Despite my best efforts at tracking my expenses, when I am doing my budgets I always seem to have money left over that I know I spent, but can't remember on what. The other day I downloaded an application for my blackberry that I am hoping will help me out with this. It's called Expensify, and as you probably guessed, it's an expense tracking application.

Basically whenever you spend money you input the amount, the merchant, and a comment. It is then uploaded to the website (www.expensify.com) where you can view all your expenses. You can chart them so it easily adds them up for you and everything. And the best part is that this app is free! I am hoping that this will really help me out!

New Clothes

2011-04-17T22:10:00.006-04:00

As promised, here are some pics of the new Joe Fresh clothes I bought from Zehrs a few weeks ago. I absolutely love cardigans so I was really pleased to get these two, and in such great colours that can go with just about anything. These pictures are just showing how I can mix and match them. The two shirts I am wearing underneath are also new, and the belts.

For some reason in this one my cardigan is all lopsided! :(

Why I never want to live like my parents

2011-04-11T21:46:00.002-04:00

This is going to sound harsh, but my worst nightmare is ending up like my parents. I honestly think my parents live a sad life and it really makes me sad for them, but I don't say anything because I don't want to hurt their feelings. Here are some reasons why I never want to live like them.

1. Their marriage. I think my parents marriage is a poor example for my sister and I, which is probably why I have serious reservations about the idea of marriage. My parents never speak a kind word to one another. They NEVER compliment each other or say things like "thanks for doing that for me I really appreciate it". In fact, they hardly talk to each other at all, except for when my dad is asking my mom what shes making for dinner, or they are arguing about money, or putting each other down. True fact: when I was a kid I used to wish for my parents to get a divorce.

2. My mother is so negative. My parents are in a tough spot financially, but honestly no matter how much money they had, my mother would still find things to complain about. Even when they had more money, it was never enough. My mother got a part time job a few months ago, and if she doesn't get a lot of hours one week, she complains about money. If she gets a lot of hours the next week, she complains that its too much and it hurts her back and her feet hurt. Nothing is ever good enough for her.

3. They are not good with money. They don't have a lot, but I truly believe that how you spend/save your money is more important than how much you make. What baffles me even more is how I managed to be pretty good with money because I really had nobody as an example. I think it came from sheer will to not be like them. lol. They have no savings for anything at all. No emergency money. No retirement savings. Nothing. I'm even scared of what's going to happen when they are gone because I don't want to end up paying for this house and any other debts they have that I don't know about. And they rely on their 24 yr old daughter's (me) rent money to pay the bills. Oh and I pretty much let my mother use my car whenever she wants, because she doesn't have one. Even though I pay for the car, the insurance and most of the gas.

4. They don't do anything. They never DO things TOGETHER. All they do is sit on the couch and watch tv, or when its summer they sit on the porch. They never go out and do stuff. You don't even need to spend a lot of money. They could go for a walk, or go to the movies on cheap night. They honestly live the most boring life ever.

5. My dad is kinda one of those people who thinks it's a woman's job to cook and clean and do his laundry and basically be his mother. If he suddenly realizes he has no clean shirts for work, its my mothers fault because she didn't wash them. I think this is part of the reason I am really NOT into cooking and cleaning because subconsciously I was rebelling against that idea. I do not want to live my life feeling like I am serving my husband because it's my job!

6. My mom quit her job to be a stay at home mom and I think it was her biggest mistake in life. She doesn't have like a degree or anything, but she worked for an insurance broker and if she had kept doing that, she would probably make pretty good money now. She quit her job to be a stay at home mom, and when she wanted to get a job again, she was out of the work force for over 10 years and it was extremely hard for her. I just think things would be a lot different if she hadn't left her job. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against moms who don't work outside the home, it's just for our family I feel it wasn't the best idea. This is why I vow never to quit my job because I had a kid. Even if for the first few years your basically working to pay for daycare, I think it still makes sense to at least keep working part time to stay current in your industry because eventually you won't have daycare bills anymore and at least you won't have been out of work for 5 years.

So anyways that is my little rant of the day. It probably sounded a little harsh, but I think it's a pretty common feeling for people to want to "live better" than their parents did. I hope I did not offend anybody!

Shopping Ban is Over

2011-04-08T20:43:00.004-04:00

So it is now April and my shopping ban is over. My course is finished (well the exam is in a week and a half) and I am allowed to shop again, and in fact I have! At first I was going to wait until after the exam, but as the time got closer I couldn't wait.

My thoughts? Well, I imposed this shopping ban on myself as a way to hopefully spend less in general, and think about my spending habits and where my priorities are as far as spending goes.

As far as general spending, I think I made up for not buying clothes by buying concert tickets! I think the memories and experience of that will be worth more than clothes ever could be, so for that I don't feel too bad about it.

Towards the end (like the last month) I was just jones-in to go clothes shopping. I think a big part of that was the fact that its getting nicer out and so I started thinking of summer and summer clothes.

One thing I really had no problem with and didn't crave was buying makeup. I have really learned that I have more than enough makeup, and there is a few main things that I really gravitate to these days so I really don't need more. I am not as adventurous with my makeup as I used to be.

In the last week or so I have bought some new clothes that I really like, so I'm going to take some pics (thinking about doing some outfit pics) and will show you in the next post!

Life as a Scholar Again

2011-03-30T22:15:00.003-04:00

Well as I have mentioned a few times on my blog I am currently (and will be for awhile) doing an online course that is pertaining to my job. This course ended up not being nearly as time consuming or as hard as I had anticipated, which is definitely a good thing!

There is weekly "homework" which includes participating in small group discussions or case studies in a forum, and sometimes one person has to collect everyones thoughts and present it to the rest of the class. Like a presentation but it's all online. This is the plus side to online courses, you don't actually have to talk in front of a class or arrange to get together at someones house for some group project.

The only "downfall" if I may say is that it has almost been a little too easy. For instance, each week there is a quiz. All the quizzes are collectively worth like 10% I think. But you can see the quiz before you actually do it. So you can go through the questions, look up any answers you are not sure of, write them all down and then do the quiz. I have gotten 95-100% on all of the quizzes, cause I mean, how could you not when you can look up the answer? This is the only thing that has worried me slightly because I am wondering how much am I actually retaining.

Also when we are doing the class "discussions" its like an online message board. So you can easily skim through people's comments if they seem repetitive of one another. I feel like I may actually remember more if I was in a real discussion in real time.

Anyways, the work is officially done and now I just have to study. I have a 96% average going into the exam, which doesn't mean much because you must get a 70% on the exam or you fail. And you don't get an actual mark, just a pass/fail so you will never know what your mark was. So I really have to make sure that I study and I will be fine.

The classes are not offered in my town, so to do it in class would mean driving an hour away once a week. Not to mention having to ask for that day off every week or something which is also a hassle. So even though there are a few negative points to online learning I feel for me, this is the best option.

Winners Finds

2011-03-29T17:12:00.006-04:00

The other day I had to go to a certain mall in town so I decided to stop into Winners. There is two of them in my town but the one I usually go to is near my house so I rarely go to this one. I was somewhat searching for a new wallet (which is on my list of things I'm allowed to buy during my shopping ban).

I didn't end up with a wallet even though there was a Guess one I really liked. I wanted to wait and check out the one on my end of town cause its a lot bigger with more selection.

Anyways I did find some cute storage items for my makeup.

This is something I have been looking for, for a long time! It was $23.00 on sale.

This was $5.00 on sale. I forgot to take an after pic but I put all my eyeshadow palettes in it.

This is what it looks like with my makeup in it! (This is not all of my makeup, just the main things I use).

And then, just because it was so cute I picked up this Hello Kitty tin with mints inside. I figured I could use it after for Tylenol and stuff in my purse!

How much does my daily face cost?

2011-03-20T18:43:00.003-04:00

So I am totally copying Kim here because I thought this was a great post idea. These are the only things that I truly use every day and the totals are mostly estimated.

1. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - $12

2. Marcelle Cleansing Water - $13

3. Cetaphil Daily facial moisturizer - $16

4. Mac Fix plus - $20

5. Skin food Aloe Sun BB cream - $13

(if you have never tried a BB cream I highly recommend it!)

6. Mac pro longwear concealer - $20

7. The Balm sexy mama translucent powder - $20

8. Mac Mineralize Skin Finish in Dark/Natural and Shimmer - $18.50 (got from a warehouse, its normally like $30 something)

9. Mac cream colour base $20

So just for calculations sake lets say these products are gonna last me a year so the total is $152.50 divided by 365 days = 42 cents a day! Not bad!!!

Budget Recap

2011-03-18T21:20:00.002-04:00

Here is my budget for March 4-17. As I think I mentioned before, I don't do a monthly budget anymore. Instead I do a two-week budget to go along with when I get paid. This is really the easiest way for me.

Budgeted/Actual

Income: $818/$849.34

Rent: $150/$150

Car: $118.24/$118.24

Insurance: $100/$100

Cell Phone: $68/$68

Gas: $50/$20

Food: $60/$67.89

Going out: $20/$31

Emerg Fund:$25/$25

Amex: $75/$121

Misc: $50/ $13.75

Course fund: $100/$94

Actual Income minus Actual spending: $40.46

So it says I had $40 left over but I definitely forgot a few expenses cause I did not have anything left over. lol I always do that. The good news is that during my trip to Ottawa I didn't spend any more than the $300 I had saved. This covered everything from food to activities etc. I had the $50 gas gift card from Toyota so that was awesome!

Taxes

2011-03-14T21:11:00.002-04:00

Ok so it's that time of year again and once again things are not making sense. Last year, I ended up owing like $50 on my taxes. It was the first time I ever owed and I was pissed! But then I tried to think more positively, at least it was only $50 right? I guess my work was not taking off enough tax. Because I even contributed to RRSP's...when you do it online you can easily plug in numbers to see how things would change. So I found out I would of owed well over $200 dollars, and my RRSP contributions is what saved my ass. So after this, I filled out a form at work asking them to take off $15 extra tax per pay. Not a huge deal, but I figured that and my RRSPs should cover things.

Not the case. I did my taxes for this year and it says I am getting $27. What the heck is going on? lol here is the details.

- I did make an extra few hundred bucks working at another store and they didn't take off tax. This doesn't make much of a difference, I even took out that info from my tax return to see how much more of a refund I would get and it wasn't much. Ok so thats not it.

- I contributed $1125 to RRSPs. Ok so it's not a lot but it's something.

If I didn't have those RRSP's, I would, once again be owing over $200. So that means that even with the EXTRA tax taken off, they STILL didn't take off enough tax. I don't get it. I mean, isn't that admins job to make sure this is being done right? I have talked to other people from my old job and some say they have this problem too and others say they never have.

I just don't get it. I mean I'm still happy that I don't owe...but I still am going to have to pay for doing it online so after that maybe I will get $10?

I haven't started RRSPs with the new job yet, but I am going to ask in payroll about it this week. They also have a stock purchasing program as well that I might sign up for. I know this new job takes the right amount of tax off though, because I use an online payroll deduction calculator (it's government site I think) and it's always exactly right to the cent! So hopefully with this new job taking off the proper amount, and if I start RRSP's again asap, then next year I should get at least something decent. I can only cross my fingers.

Day 6 - Gluttony - 7 Guilty Pleasures

2011-03-13T20:38:00.004-04:00

1. Chocolate

2. "Friends"- I can honestly say this is my favourite tv show of all time. It is the only show I've ever seen where you can see an episode a million times and it's still just as funny as the first time.

3. Reading - I love getting swept

away from reality in a great book.

4. Old cheddar cheese.

5. Basically any reality shows on MTV such as Teen Mom, 16 and pregnant, The Hills when it was on..I also love 19 Kids and Counting and Cake Boss but those are on TLC.

6. Ice cream. Especially Dairy Queen

7. McDonalds

Ottawa Recap

2011-03-09T00:27:00.002-05:00

So I am back from Ottawa and wanted to give you guys a quick recap of my trip. In fact, I'm not even sure if I told you I was going? Well anyways I went for an extended weekend to visit a friend that I met in college. She is one of my closest friends and I try to see her about once a year or so. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope to go back in the summer. Here is a list of things I did while in Ottawa.

tried tequila for the first time (yeeep 24 yrs old and never tried it, I quite enjoyed it!)
went to the spa for a Nordic bath
went out for breakfast twice and dinner twice
one of those dinners included Shwarma which is like the most amazing food ever
watched 5 movies
really WANTED to go skating on the canal but the weather was not permitting. Disappointed :(

I saved $300 just for this trip, for gas, going out, food etc. And I am happy to report that I came back with $5!! I only spent about $30 for gas because I had a $50 Petro gift card that Toyota sent me so that was a big help. So none of this money came out of my budget! That really feels good.

Budget Oops and Bon Jovi :)

2011-02-17T22:14:00.004-05:00

Ok so today is the end of my two weeks budget period and unfortunately I accidentally erased the budget I had created for myself. So Ido not remember the exact amounts but I do know that I was over. Mostly because I spent most of my money before Tuesday, which was concert day, and ended up transferring $100 out of my travel fundto use. *sigh*

So instead of a budget post I will give you a breakdown of the concert and how much I spent there! lol

I will just say that this concert probably the most amazing experience I've had so far. I can't even put into words how amazing it was. The moment when the crowd first sensed they were coming on stage and everyone jumps to their feet and starts screaming, was like nothing I have ever felt before. It was like a high or something.

The band that opened for them was really not that great, I don't even remember their name...somebody and the zombies. lol. They were some local band that won a contest. Anyways they played for an hour and then the real show started. Bon Jovi played for 2 and a half hours with no break. They just go and go and go. It was unbelievable. Of course they played all the classics like "Livin on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name", they also played some other older songs and some newer ones as well. There was about 2 that I didn't know, and there was a few I was hoping they would do that they didn't. It was Valentines Day the day before, and I heard they played more lovey-type songs then.

And let me just add that Jon Bon Jovi is absolutely. gorgeous. No kidding!

Here's what I spent:

$25 dinner before hand

$5 subway tokens

$40 t-shirt ( figured you only live once so who cares right? It has their logo on the front and on the back it has all the dates they ever played in Toronto)

$4.25 water (!!)

Definitely worth the money and I will be going back next time he comes around!!

Here is a few pictures :)

Day 5 - Greed. Seven worldly material desires.

2011-02-16T23:00:00.010-05:00

1. Rain boots - they seem to be in these days and I would like some. Might check out Walmart's selection (after my shopping ban of course).

2. A gallery wall in my bedroom - I am going to start looking for frames at Goodwill and think of what pictures I want to put in them.

3. My own place - I honestly long for my own place to decorate and do with as I please, something that I can put my personality into. Plus I kinda would love the challenge of decorating my own place on a budget - scouring garage sales and thrift stores, I love it!

4. A coach wallet/purse - the leather is soooo soft.

5. Women's Boat Shoes from Old Navy - I love the nautical look and aren't these super cute?

6. Naked Palette by Urban Decay - I love neutral eyeshadows and these colours are gorgeous!

7. A boy. I know it sounds lame (and it's not exactly a material item) but I have been single for awhile and I am ready to find someone...*sigh* it's so hard.

Seven Deadly Sins: Day 4-Sloth

2011-02-14T23:19:00.003-05:00

For todays post I am listing 7 things I neglect to do:

1. Make my bed. My bed is up against a wall so it's kind of a pain in the ass. And what's the point of making it all nice and tidy when I'm just going to come back and mess it up again??

2. Check my credit report and credit score. Yes thats right I am 24 and I have never done either of these. I promise I will soon.

3. Put away clean clothes. Sometimes I am too lazy to put them away so I just leave them in the basket on the floor and pick my outfits from the basket each day. lol.

4. Get winter tires. Mostly so far because I couldn't afford them. This year I had quite a few times where I could not stop and it scared me a little so I think I am going to get them for next year.

5. Organize my closet. Its getting pretty full and whenever I'm not sure where I should put something it just goes on the floor.

6. Exercise. Honestly, I'm so lazy. I think I have like, no metabolism. I am always telling myself "tomorrow you're going to go for a walk" or something like that and I only follow through maybe like 1% of the time.

7. Eat healthy. I really don't. I really believe part of this is because I live with my parents. My parents are on a tight budget right now and they basically buy whats on sale. What's on sale is never the healthy stuff. Healthy stuff is always more expensive. I can't really go out and buy my own groceries because then my family feels they are entitled to eat stuff that I bought because "they are supporting me". Half the time I come home from work and theres really not much to eat so I go buy fast food. If I lived on my own (which I cant afford) I think I would eat healthier.

If you want to join here is the list:

Day 1 - Pride. Seven great things about yourself.

Day 2 - Envy. Seven things you lack and covet.

Day 3 - Wrath. Seven things that piss you off.

Day 4 - Sloth. Seven things you neglect to do.

Day 5 - Greed. Seven worldly material desires.

Day 6 - Gluttony. Seven guilty pleasures.

Day 7 - Lust. Seven love secrets.

Weekly Spending

2011-02-12T19:27:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted much budget wise lately but I promise I'm getting back into it. I am now doing by budgets in two week time frames according to my pay periods. I find this the most sensible way to do it. I get paid on Fridays so my budget starts that Friday and goes until the second Thursday after. I hope that makes sense to you guys. So i've decided that when I post my weekly spending it will go Friday - Thursday to coincide with my budget.

So here is my weekly spending from Feb 4th (payday) to Feb 11th.

Fri - 2.65 lunch, $2.62 ice cream, $27.09 mandarin, gas $22.00

Sat- $3.44 fries

Sun: $0

Mon: $10.77 breakfast, $3.04 food basics

Tues: $3.44 fries

Wed: $2.92 food

Thurs: $3.13 fries

Total: $81.10

Basically I spend all my money on food. This is because I live with my parents and they suck at grocery shopping which means I am always buying lunch at work. Today though, I did go out and get some frozen dinner stuff to take to work this week. Even though its not necessarily less money spent overall, its probably less calories overall. There was some good ones on sale for $2 each such as lasagna, canneloni etc and all are under 400 calories. I also got some of those Crispy Minis (dill pickle is my favourite) and some vanilla yogurt. So hopefully I won't be spending anything on junky food this week!

Oh except I do have that Bon Jovi concert on Tues (tres excited!!!!) and I think we are maybe going out for dinner before hand. So there will be some money spent there but oh well.

7 Deadly Sins: Day 3 - Wrath

2011-02-10T22:50:00.003-05:00

7 things that piss me off:

1. Pregnant people on facebook. Now don't get me wrong, I'm happy for all you pregnant people and understand that it is truly an exciting time in your life. But I really don't need to see your ultrasound pictures/videos, or know about every time the baby kicks/rolls over/hiccups/moves in general. Its a liiiittle too much information and maybe its just me but I feel that ultrasound pics/videos are a private matter. So I'm just gonna put this out there right now: you will never catch me doing this.

2. Clueless customers at work. You want to order your medication, but you dont know what it is, what its for or even if you have ever been to this pharmacy before. Um, maybe you should get your sh*t together first..

3. People that don't keep plans. You know those people...they are constantly saying "Hey, we should do this on such and such a night!!" but then they never call at the agreed upon time or are constantly cancelling, leading you to never believe anything they ever say.

4. When I am trying to watch tv and people are talking loudly and I can't hear.

5. That I have to pay taxes on used stuff. Goodwill doesn't charge tax anymore, but as far as I know, everyone else does. Why should I have to pay tax on something thats used when the person who bought it first already did?

6. Lazy people at work.

7. When I think about all the things I want to save money for and I think to myself how will I ever do this... LOL

If you want to join in, its not too late!

7 Deadly Sins: Day 2 - Envy

2011-02-07T23:11:00.003-05:00

So for this post I am supposed to write about 7 things I lack and covet. Here goes:

1. A knockout body. I always dream of what it would like to be "one of those girls" you know? Those girls that turn heads everywhere they go, because they are soooo hot. And I have a serious double chin..

2. A love life. I have been single for so long that I don't even remember what its like to be in a relationship. If I was to get a boyfriend right now, I would probably need some reminders of what it means to be someones girlfriend.

3. A wii - I kinda wish I had one of those, because it would be fun to do the dancing games and stuff to get a good work out - but for some reason I feel like there is more important things to spend money on, plus the only nice tv we have is in the living room in view of everyone. Like I really want to be working out and having people watch.

4. Great hair. My hair is so annoying. When I straighten it, its never perfectly straight, and when I try to curl it, it never curls just right. Ugh.

5. Great skin - I pretty much always have at least one blemish on my face any given time. And if I dont, well I have a few acne scars to remind me.

6. Ability to travel a lot . I wish I had the money and a flexible enough job to be able to travel like, at least once a year.

7. Bilingualism. I seriously want to be become fluent in Portuguese. I am actually starting to learn more, which I will tell you guys about soon.

If you want to follow along here is the list:

7 Deadly Sins: Day 1-Pride

2011-02-02T15:23:00.003-05:00

I saw this on Amy's blog and thought it looked interesting so I thought I would try it as well. The theme for today is Pride, so you are supposed to list 7 good things about yourself.

1. I am always on time. In the 3 years at my old job I think I was late maybe once or twice. I never forget about plans I have made or extra shifts I take at other stores. I am very reliable in that sense.

2. Memory. I have a pretty good memory. I feel this is a part of what makes me good at my job. I am usually pretty good at remembering name/faces and conversations that I had with people.

3. Spelling. I have always been good at spelling, I even won a spelling bee in middle school once. In fact it's kind of a pet peeve of mine when other people don't spell things correctly. lol.

4. I learn fast. A few days after I started my new job one of my co-workers asked me if I had used that software before and he was very surprised to learn that I hadn't.

5. I am good at finding the humour in situations and showing a smile even when I am falling apart on the inside.

6. Personal Finance. I have always been good at managing my money. No matter how much I have made I have always managed to save some, and always manage to get the bills paid even when money is tight. I truly believe personal finance should be a class in high school.

7. My job. I don't like to brag but I feel that I am really good at my job. I can multi-task ( to an extent ) and now that I am more experienced I feel I am betting at keeping calm in crazy situations. I have also gotten better at not letting things get to me and not taking things personally.

If you want to hop on this bandwagon here is the list:

Weekly Spending

2011-01-30T16:35:00.002-05:00

Ever since my old laptop started dying I got kinda lazy with tracking my spending. But I am back at it again. I've tracked my spending for this past week, and I've already made a budget for my next paycheck.

Here is what I spent this week:

Sun: $0

Mon: $0

Tues: $14 dinner, $5.25 movie (yay cheap night)

Wed: $2.09 food at work

Thurs: $3.13 food at work

Fri: $.79 and $2.35 hospital food, $8 Mcdonalds

Sat: $4.65 food at work

Total: $35.01 Food, $5.25 Entertainment

Definitely could have not got the fast food, but we had a death in the family so Friday was not a cooking day. Really happy about 2 days of not spending though.

Savings funds

2011-01-26T22:44:00.002-05:00

To keep myself motivate I made a little chart of all the things I need to save for. This way I can keep track of how much I need, what I have so far and when I will need it. I put them in order of what is coming up first. I haven't mentioned it on here before but I will be going to Ottawa in March to visit my friend so I wanted to have a few hundred dollars of spending money. Most of it will probably be spent eating out. We will most likely be going to the bar one night, and probably doing a few touristy things while I'm there.

I also need to save for my next online course that would start in May. I am going to use the rest of my vacation pay from my old job so I just have to save the rest of that. I decided I want to get winter tires next year, and since my car is a few years old now I should have some money saved for any repairs that may possibly come up. The portugal fund doesn't really need explanation as I have mentioned it a few times, but a new one that I came up with is a house fund. I thought it was time to start thinking about buying a house in the future. Definitely not anytime soon, but I hope to have a good downpayment by the time I'm 30 so thats why 2016 is the "due date".

I think I might open a few more savings accounts so I can have an account for each fund. I thought this might be the easiest way to keep track of things, but I was wondering what everyone else does?

Fund	How much	Saved so far:	Due:
Ottawa	$300	$45	March 2011
Bridging course	approx $400 ( $300-$350 course plus textbook)	$161 vacation pay from old job	April 2011
Car Fund (winter tires + unexpected expenses)	$1000	$0	October 2011
Macbook warranty	$316.38 ( $279.99 + tax)	$0	Jan 2012
Fun Fund	$500	$300	none
Portugal fund	$2500	$427	late 2012
House Fund	$20-30K	$0	2016

How Far I've Come

2011-01-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

I think the fact that I just bought a new computer says a bit about how far I've come in the way of personal finance. If my computer had died a few years ago, I definitely would not of had any savings for a new one. I would of had to go without for awhile, which would be a little difficult doing an online college course. Either that, or I would of went out and bought one with my credit card and paid it off as fast as I could. And with that said, I probably would of just gotten a cheap one, cause I would wanna be able to pay it off fast, so I may not have ended up picking the best quality.

But, since I started really being smart with my money, I had savings to buy a new one. This wasn't savings specifically dedicated to a new computer, it was just for whatever came up. Maybe a travelling opportunity or something. This does not include emergency money that I have in a separate account. Mind you, this did just about wipe out all that cash ( I will have a few hundred left). But thats ok, because I can start building it up again.

What has happened to you lately that made you realize how far you've come in personal finance?

New Macbook!!

2011-01-22T17:02:00.002-05:00

Well I officially bought a Macbook Pro 13 inch!!!!!

My old computer became completely unusable a few days ago. I think it got a virus (to add to who knows how many it probably had to begin with). I was fed up. I had held out for as long as possible so I decided it was time to go for the Macbook. Today was my first day off since then so I went out to Futureshop and got it.

So far I am very happy with it. It's so light, doesn't make a sound and is very easy to use. I barely had to do anything except turn it on. No installing any software or anything. The guy tried to talk me into buying the Iwork program which I guess had a word processor, spreadsheet etc. I decided to hold off on it, cause I might be able to download Microsoft Office for free from the website of the school which I am taking my course from. But then I discovered that TextEdit (the word processor it comes with already) has the option to save a file as a word document! So I am glad I didn't get sucked into spending more money.

The only thing I am now trying to decide is whether to purchase the extended warranty from Apple or from Futureshop. I have two weeks to buy it from Futureshop and 1 year to buy it from Apple. Of course the guy at Futureshop tried to tell me that their plan is better, because of their "no lemon" policy which states that if you need a repair more than 3 times you automatically get a new computer. I'm not sure if that is reason enough to get it with them.

I think I will probably just get it with Apple, mostly because I have a year to do it, so I can save the money. I definitely will not be able to come up with the money within 2 weeks which means if I got it from Futureshop I would have to put it on my credit card. Also, Apple's is only $249 which makes it $50 cheaper than Futureshop's which is $299. I have also heard during my research that Apple has excellent customer service.

What do you guys think??

Canadian Girl

2011-01-15T22:13:00.003-05:00

So someone on my facebook posted this today. Normally I think these things are lame but I thought this one was cute.

"Sweet girls come from the south, Barbies come from CA, but Canadian girls have fire and ice in our blood. We can drive in snow and mud, handle the cold, beat the heat, be a princess, throw a right hook and drink with the boys! We can cook a wicked good meal and if we have an opinion... You bet your ass your gonna hear it!!!"

Wednesday Ramblings

2011-01-12T14:24:00.002-05:00

Today is my only day off this week. I got called in yesterday, which I didn't mind too terribly, because it just means more money for my Macbook fund. This also puts me into overtime for this week! So far I have about $420 saved for the new computer.

I have worn those new shoes to work twice so far and I like them! They are pretty comfortable so far, my feet start to hurt a little towards the end of the day but that's pretty normal. They still have to be broken in a bit. I'm glad I bought them!

The shopping ban is going well so far. I haven't been really tempted to go out and buy any clothes or anything. I have been trying to spend my free time just relaxing at home, watching dvd's and reading. My course starts this Friday so I figure I will be pretty busy with that anyways.

Yesterday I was reading this blog, and heard about this book The Hunger Games. Has anyone read this?? I've put it on my list of books to read.

New Shoes (before the ban)

2011-01-05T22:48:00.002-05:00

Here are the new shoes I bought yesterday (right before I announced my shopping ban). I have actually been searching for awhile for some work appropriate shoes. I finally work at a place where we can wear our own clothes! We usually dress pretty casual like jeans and a t-shirt but every now and then I like to dress up a bit. Until now I just had these little leopard print flats I was wearing but they are pretty worn out, and I didn't want to wear my heels. So I was on the search for new flats, but I ended up with a wedge.

They were more comfortable and fit better than any flats I tried on that day. One of my feet is bigger than the other, and with sneakers it doesnt really make a difference but with dressy shoes I really notice it. This is why I thought I should get them even though I was hoping to find really cheap ones.

They were regular $89.95, on sale for$79.99 and half off that so I got them for $39.99. One thing I have been thinking about trying to focus on is quality over quantity. I am always thinking about how I can get the most STUFF with my money. I need to try and think more along the lines of how I can the the most in terms of quality. I am hoping that this shopping ban might help put things into perspective.

I'm on a shopping ban!

2011-01-04T18:35:00.003-05:00

So I've decided to go on a 95% clothing/makeup/accessories shopping ban for 3 months!

Why? Basically to get control of my spending. I plan to buy a new laptop soon and even though that money will be 100% coming from money that I have saved, I still feel like with such a splurge I need to sacrifice in other areas. Even though I think I am better with my money than most other people I know, I still feel like I can always improve. I am hoping that by not spending on frivolous things for a little while, I can put money aside for other things. Maybe I can make an extra payment on my car loan, or put money into my travel fund for my some-day trip to Portugal.

The reason I say its 95% is because there are a few small exceptions. There are some things I have been looking for lately that I haven't been able to find and I feel if I can find them I should get them. So my exceptions are:

sunglasses (mine broke)
nice work pants ( will allow myself 1 pair during this time, IF I can find some I really really like)
work-appropriate tops (allowed 2 tops)
winter boots
any of my skincare items that I use on a daily basis that run out ( will buy only replacements, nothing extra)

I was also looking for new shoes for work but I just got some today! Will post about those soon.

I am still going to really try not to buy any of this stuff during the next 2 months, but if I happen to come across anything that I really love and I feel like its a good value for money, then I will allow it. But absolutely NO makeup, NO accessories (such as headbands and other hair things), NO jewelry.

I think this is a good time for me to do this because I am starting an online course on the 14th, and it goes until sometime in April so I will probably be spending a lot of my free time with that anyways. I also have been doing a little spending on my credit card lately( like Taylor swift tickets, which I did not anticipate coming on sale so soon after those Bon Jovi tickets,and I don't have anyone to go with yet, which means I don't have anyone to pay me back for one of them!). Even though I know things like that are going to be worth it, it just came at a bad time.

So that's the details of my shopping ban. Good luck to the rest of you who are doing bans of your own, hopefully we will all learn a lot from this!

Boxing Week Shopping

2010-12-28T22:36:00.007-05:00

Today I decided to go to the city for some after Christmas shopping. There was a few things I was looking for and thought it would be fun to go out of town for a change.

First stop was the Pacific Mall in Markham, ON. For those of you non-Ontarians, it is a mall that is Asian-run. All the stores are owned by Asian people and they sell a lot of Asian food, cosmetics etc and you can get knock off anything : clothes, purses, sunglasses etc. Oh there is also a lot of electronics. I had never been to this mall before and just wanted to check it out. I also wanted to get some more Asian cosmetic products. One thing I noticed was that a lot of stores were not open at the opening time of the mall. I got there right after opening, so next time I will go later in the day.

I ended up getting quite a few snack foods/candies. After I got home I tried them all and they are all amazing! My family all tried them as well and agreed. I am going to take them to work tomorrow to share with everyone. I also did get some makeup products. Here are some pics:

After that I went to Vaughan Mills. I probably should not have gone there. It was totally insane. It took me probably 20 mins to find a parking spot. I probably could have bought a lot more if I wasn't feeling so claustrophobic. The stores were way too crowded. It's too bad because there was some good sales. I ended up getting a bit more makeup because there is a store there that sells the brand NYX which is a brand I like and you can't get it where I live.

Besides that I had a list of what I was looking for that consisted of:

new winter coat(ski jacket type, right now I have a peacoat which looks nice but its not that warm)
new winter boots ( replacement for my Ugg look-alikes)
nice flats for work
2011 agenda
sunglasses (mine broke)
nice pants for work
and another other clothes I may have got had to be work-appropriate.

So thats what I was looking for but all I got was the coat. I ended up getting an Adidas coat. It is one of those 3 in 1 coats. It was regular $250,marked down to $149.99 and it was 40% off so it was $101 tax included. I thought this was pretty good for Adidas and I hope to get at least 2-3 years of use.

I googled Adidas jackets after I got home because I wanted to find a price to see if it was really $250 regular price. A lot of stores lie about the regular price to make you think you are getting a better deal. I couldn't find anything Canadian but this picture was from a UK site and it was listed for $135 pounds. So I'm not sure if they lied or not but I am confident that it was still a good price.

I am thinking of doing a clothing/accessories shopping ban soon like a lot of other bloggers. Especially since I am going to buy a new computer soon. I have to figure out all the details and then I will post about it!

So about a new computer...

2010-12-27T21:38:00.003-05:00

So I definitely need to get a new computer within the next month and wanted to get everyone's thoughts/recommendations. This is what I do with my computer:

Communication: facebook, email, MSN
Surfing and blogging: general surfing the web and reading blogs and writing this one of course.
download and listen to music
watch dvds
keep track of spending with a spreadsheet
store pictures

I WILL be:

doing my online course and submitting projects/essays etc.
hopefully in the future setting up my jewelery store on etsy.

I DONT do:

any gaming
any artsy stuff like graphic design or serious photo editing (although perhaps some basic stuff once I get more into my jewelry business)

After a lot of thinking and research I am about 99% sure I want a Macbook. Basically everyone that I know that has ever made the switch says they would never go back. I have been to the Apple site so many times, reading/watching all the tutorials and seeing whats different about a Mac. I also heard that Apple has superb customer service if you are having any problems.

I have read a lot of reviews and many people compare it to the macbook pro 13" (which is only $200 dollars more). People are saying its basically the same computer except for more memory in the macbook pro and it supposedly has a bit better graphics I think and some SD card slot or something. My computer that I have right now has that and I have never used it. Some people are saying that the Macbook's unibody enclosure is a bit more durable than the macbook pro's aluminum casing.

Here are some basic tech specs on the macbook:

4.7 pounds
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2Duo processor
2G RAM
13.3" display
has a built in camera
250 GB hard disk space
10 hour battery
comes with a lot of programs

The things I like about it are:

weighs less than current computer (current one is about 7 lbs!)
built in camera
longer battery life(mine only lasts about 2 hours)
I dont really know that much about computers but according to the various reviews I've read it seems that the operating system is really really good. People say it doesnt really get slow, even when doing lots of things at once. And reviewers are saying the 10 hour battery life claim is pretty much on point. Some people have complained that it only has 2 USB slots. I dont really care about that because for the longest time I didnt know my computer had 3 cause I only ever use 2 (one is in the back and i didnt see it).

I thought 13.3" inches would seem small (the one I have right now is 15.4") but I saw it in store and surprisingly it didnt seem small at all! I know you can get more bang for your buck with a windows based pc in terms of hard drive and stuff but I feel like I want to go more for reliability and something that is going to last longer.

So I am looking for all you computer savvy people to comment on this one!! Do you think this is a good choice or do you have a better idea? :P

Phillips SatinPerfect Epilator Review

2010-12-21T18:53:00.002-05:00

As I previously mentioned I received a Phillips SatinPerfect Epilator from BzzAgent to review. It is a method of hair removal that is I guess in between shaving and waxing, in terms of pain and how long you stay hairless.

I tested it on my arm just to see how it felt and to see if I had a reaction or anything. It stung a little, but didn't hurt too much. I had some red bumps but they went away overnight.

Tonight I decided to try it on my legs. Well....it hurt so much I could not do it. I started to do it and it was so painful!! It felt like 1000 hairs being plucked out of my leg at once. I just could not imagine doing this on my whole two legs. lol!

I generally do not tolerate pain well, so I'm not sure why I even wanted to try this product. I should of known that I would not like it!! Ah, well...atleast I tried.

Who knew crocs were so cool??

2010-12-19T18:39:00.007-05:00

When you think of "crocs" do you think of this?

Well so do I . I don't remember how but I ended up on the website the other night, and lo and behold, they have so much more than just those ugly things (no offense if you have those! :P )

Here are some of my favourites:Crocband Flat Plaid $39.99

Croccasin $59.99

Ginger $79.99

Emmilou $99.99

I have been searching for some nice flats/wedges to wear to work when I want to dress it up a little but no luck so far. There is a Crocs store in an outlet mall about 20 mins from where I live so I might check it out, maybe they will have boxing week sales.

Phillips SatinPerfect Epilator

2010-12-13T21:35:00.003-05:00

Awhile ago I signed up with this website called BzzAgent. It's a site where you can sign up for "campaigns" to get sent products in the mail and review them. If you do a good job you get invited for more/better campaigns. I had gotten a few invites but nothing really interested me until this one.

I was invited to review the Phillips SatinPerfect Epilator. I had never even heard of this before but it seemed interesting to me. So I signed up and I got my package in the mail on Friday! The first thing I thought of was I cant believe I got this for free. At Sears.ca it is $89.99!!!

Its kind of like a razor except it basically like rips the hairs out with this rotating head. Doesn't sound very appealing but I can't think of how else to describe it. It comes with two different heads and a nice little pouch to keep it all in.

I tested it on my arm just to see what it would feel like. It doesn't really "hurt" per say but its not as painless as shaving, it's like a mild stinging sensation. I had some red bumps afterward but they are gone now. Let me just say I am terrified of using this on my legs!! But since I signed up for the campaign I'm going to try it.

I have5 coupons for $10 off. If anyone is interested let me know and I can mail them to you. Once I have tried it I will post my review!

My Computer's Got One Foot in the Grave..

2010-12-12T20:47:00.003-05:00

Well after 6 years I believe my beloved Sony Vaio is about dead. Here is how it happened:
One day a few weeks ago I kept getting a notice from my free Avast anti-virus program that my computer had a threat. I don't remember the exact details but I think it couldn't completely get rid of it so it had to "quarantine" it or something. I decided I had enough of this free program and not really having money to buy a good one I downloaded the free trial of Norton Antivirus, did a complete scan and it got rid of all the threats. BIG MISTAKE.It said I needed to re-start in order to complete the scan. Once I restarted my computer I no longer had a start menu or any icons on my desktop. Somehow my firefox was running so I googled the problem and learned that many people have encountered this problem after downloading Norton. I did all the things suggested to fix the problem, including un-installing the program and many other things which I can't really remember. NOTHING worked.

Somehow I figured out that I can still access some programs pressing Ctrl+alt+delete.When that window pops up you click, "New Task" and you can access programs from there. So I have been using my dying computer for the past few weeks with no Start menu. LOL not to mention I can no longer access volume control and my volume is stuck on loud, and for the last year or so I can no longer change the screen brightness (you guess it-it's stuck on bright- great for my migraines!)

This is kind of bad time because I am starting an online course in January that is career related and very important.

Even though this sucks, I do realize that 6 years is very good for a computer these days and I am very happy with what I have got out of it so far. In the 6 years I have had very few problems.

So with that said,I am officially going to start saving for a new computer. I'm going to start saving my pay from my old job (which I still work at part time) and my holiday pay that will be coming up. Hopefully I can be super disciplined and save enough money fast!

DONE

2010-12-10T23:08:00.002-05:00

Well as of this evening I am officially done my Christmas shopping, with 15 days until Christmas. I think this is probably the earliest I have ever been done. Buying some things online definitely helped and I will continue to do that in the future. There just seems to be better deals online than in the store, usually.

Anyways in case you wanted to know here is my breakdown of spending:

Amazon.com: $53.51
Forever 21: $30.39
Garage.ca: $35.57
Campus Crew: $54.23
Green Earth: $16.94
Dynamite: $25.00
Canadian Tire: $20.00
Costco: $11.29
Etsy: $23.55
Total: $270.48
- $40 amazon.com Gift Cards
-$23.55 paypal balance
= $206.93 out of pocket

(My budget was $250)

I still have not received my purchase from Etsy in the mail. It has been shipped by the seller though, so it should be here soon..I hope!

Correction!

2010-12-05T23:22:00.002-05:00

In my last post I said that so far I have spent $135 on Christmas gifts. Well, I forgot that the first present I bought ( the wine charms for my friend) were paid for with my paypal balance which didn't really count. I had about $25 in my paypal account from survey sites. I never mentioned it in my income before because I didn't put it in my bank account, I just left it there. So that $23 was kind of like money I forgot I had lol. So I haven't really spent $135 dollars on Christmas presents, I have only spent $112! :)

Tomorrow is a day off for me. I am planning to head to the mall to look for my mom's gift. I may also exchange some jeans that I bought from Garage online. They are a little big so I might try the next size down. I hope I can exchange them without paying extra though?? Cause there was a sale online. If not, I am just going to keep the ones I have. This is if it is not blizzarding tomorrow. We got a lot of snow tonight. The drive home from work today was like a whole new world compared to the drive in!

Almost done!

2010-12-01T22:07:00.003-05:00

Well I am happy to report that I am almost done my Christmas shopping and so far I have done it all online! This is definitely a lot less stressful because you can take your time and don't have to worry about crowded stores or feeling rushed.

I have 5 people to buy for and 2/5 are completed. For one of my friends I already showed you those wine charms in my last post. From Amazon.com I got two dvd's (one for sis and one for dad) and for my friend some ear buds for her ipod ( a specific brand that she wanted). The total was about $90 which I thought was ridiculous (shipping was about $20) but I had some gift certificate codes that I wanted to use up from Swagbucks. So I paid only $50. From now on I am getting the amazon.CA ones seeing as they lowered the free shipping minimum!

Then while I was on Smartcanucks on "Cyber Monday" I noticed some good sales. Forever 21 was having some good sales and free shipping, and Garage Clothing was having free shipping and 30% off everything regular price and 40% off things already on sale!! We do have a store here in the mall but they never have sales like that in store.

So from F21 I got some underwear and accessories for my sis and some accessories for my BFF and also a few small things for myself. Their accessories are so cheap and unique!! Total was $52 (about $22 for myself and $30 presents)

Then from Garage I got my sister some t-shirts and a tank top and a few things for myself because the deals were too good. Total was $68 (about $37 for me and $31 presents).

I budgeted about $250 total ( 5 people approx $50 each) and have spent so far $135.
All thats left is my moms present which I still have no idea what to get, and 1 more thing for my dad and 1 more thing for my BFF. Those will probably be gift cards.

1 Christmas present down!

2010-11-24T20:18:00.003-05:00

So I've decided that this year for the sake of not fighting the crowds and just general convenience I am going to attempt to do most, if not all of my Christmas shopping online.

The first and only present I have bought so far is for one of my best friends and her boyfriend. These two are serious wine lovers. Their facebooks are full of pictures of the two of them drinking wine, whether they are out for dinner or hosting a dinner party in their condo.

I decided to get them personalized wine glass charms off of Etsy.

I was thinking about it for awhile and then I noticed that seller was having a promotion. I think it was 15% off or something. Anyways they are sterling silver and the total including shipping was about $23.00.

For my dad I'm thinking a season of his favourite show, for my sister I will probably get her some cds/dvds/books as that is usually what she wants. (I've got to get her to make a list). For my best friend and my mom I have no idea yet. I am planning to use my $40 in gift codes to Amazon.com from Swagbucks. One thing I did not realize was there is no free shipping to Canada from amazon.com. Next time I will redeem for Amazon.ca for sure!!

Going to see Bon Jovi!

2010-11-19T22:39:00.003-05:00

I am going to see Bon Jovi!!!!!!!!

Last week tickets went on sale for the Bon Jovi concert in Toronto for Feb. 15, 2011. After searching for over an hour I finally got tickets!!! It seems so far away though and I cannot wait. I get more excited each day.

I have always been a fan of them since I was a teenager and just recently kind of got more into them. Plus Jon Bon Jovi is super smooth and sexy, don't you agree ladies?!

One thing I feel the need to mention is how much I can't stand Ticketmaster. Not only do I find the method in which you search for the tickets ridiculous, but I also don't understand the "convenience fee". For one thing, I don't consider it very convenient to be searching for over an hour, and secondly, what other "less convenient" ways are there for me to get a ticket? Even if you went to their website to buy tickets, it just directs you back to Ticketmaster. Ugh.

So the ticket was $87..then after all the fees and tax it is $108. Crazy eh? But I'm sure it's going to be totally worth it. I know a few people who have seen them before and everyone says its amazing. I can't wait!!

Life Update

2010-11-15T22:26:00.002-05:00

I haven't really written one of these posts in awhile and thought it was time to give you guys an update on what is happening in my life!

So I recently switched jobs which I mentioned in this post. So far everything is going well. Everyone is super nice so far and I felt immediately accepted as part of the team. In comparison to my other job, it is just a more laid back atmosphere and even though it is a much busier pharmacy, it doesn't really feel that way because there is more staff to handle it and you don't feel like you are doing the work of 2-3 people. The only thing that I am having trouble accepting is that it is a lot more disorganized. In my personal life I am not the most organized person, like my bedroom is rarely super clean, but in my work life I am super organized so it gives me a little anxiety..LOL So that is something that will probably take awhile to get used to.

As far as hours go, I am getting less hours that my old job, but I have been working about 1 day at week at the old place still, so overall it is working out to be the same amount of money or more per pay. I am confident that eventually I will be full time, and overall it was the right decision for me.

Tomorrow I am going to sign up for an online course which is part of something called the Bridging Program for Pharmacy Technicians. We have to take 4 college courses and then write some exams in order to be "registered" with the Ontario College of Pharmacy. This will give us the ability to sign off on a prescription, as well as other bigger responsibilities. The first course that I will be taking will be about $262.00. I am going to request some of my vacation pay from my old job to cover the cost of that. It won't start until January 2011 but there is limited spots and I want to make sure I get in. I am definitely not looking forward to homework!!

A girl at work lent me the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Just wondering if anyone has read it and what are your thoughts?

Blog I'm Reading Lately

2010-10-29T17:12:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite things to do is search for new blogs. I love going to someone's blog and then clicking on all their blogroll links to find others that I like. I haven't counted but I think I have probably like 50 blogs bookmarked that I check almost every day. I thought I would share some with you.

1. Chelsea Talks Smack

Chelsea is a writer/dancer/singer ...well this girl seems to do it all and put in into words in such a way that makes me want to be a writer just so I can write inspiring posts like hers. Her writing is so incredible, you all MUST visit her blog.

2. Five Blondes

This blog is written by 5 sisters: Erica, Micaela, Kate, Leah and Lauren. Each sister is uniquely different and this blog basically chronicles their lives.

3. Rainy Saturday

This is written by Amy who is an account director in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her writing is absolutely hilarious which is why you need to check her out.

4. kelinda.KELINDA

This is a fashion blog written by a girl named Amy Kelinda. Basically she writes mostly about recent clothing purchases and posts a picture of what she is wearing every day. (or almost every day). She has great fashion sense in my opinion. I love most of the outfits she puts together and I wish I could dress like that every day ( cant really dress like that at my job though).

5. Little Miss Paige

Paige writes about her life from a strong Christian perspective. It is really refreshing to read and you feel like she could be your friend!

I hope that I have introduced you to some new blogs you haven't read yet and maybe you will be bookmarking something new!

Speak Now

2010-10-28T19:15:00.001-04:00

After work on Monday, I went and picked up the new Taylor Swift cd. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but I absolutely love her!! I wanted to get tickets for her latest tour but I waited too long ( I think they sold out on the first day anyways). I decided for the next one I am buying two tickets the day they go on sale because I am not missing out this time! Even if I don't have anyone to go with yet I'll just buy them anyway. lol.

Anyways...the point of this post is that I wanted to share with you part of the "Prologue" that she wrote for this album. The album is titled "Speak Now" and each song is written for a person, telling them what she wished she had said in person at a certain time or another.

I searched the internet hoping someone had already wrote it out so I wouldn't have to copy it myself but no such luck...lol I'm not going to write out the whole thing but just what I think are the best parts.

So here goes:

" Real life is a funny thing you know. In real life, saying the right thing at the right moment is beyond crucial. So crucial, in fact, that most of us start to hesitate, for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But lately what I've begun to fear more than that is letting the moment pass without saying anything."

"Words can break someone into a million pieces, but they can also put them back together. I hope you use yours for good, because the only words you'll regret more than the ones left unsaid are the ones you use to intentionally hurt someone. What you say might be too much for some people. Maybe it will come out all wrong and you'll stutter and you'll walk away embarrassed, wincing as you play it all back in your head. But I think the words you stop yourself from saying are the ones that will haunt you the longest."

"There is a time for silence. There is a time for waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you'll know it. I don't think you should wait. I think you should speak now."

-credit to Taylor Swift

Whether you love her or hate her you got to admit the girl's got a point.

Getting out of my comfort zone

2010-10-27T12:58:00.000-04:00

Ok so I meant to blog about this when it happened and then I forgot. Forgive me!!
I wanted to tell you guys about a neat experience I had. One day I was browsing Kijiji and I decided to look in the "friends" section or whatever it's called. Anyways I found this ad for this ladies group. I guess a woman in my city started this group that's just for like women out there who want to meet other women. Some are in my situation where they just don't really know a lot of people in our city, some are women who are finding themselves as "the last single one"..you know what I mean, where it seems like all your friends are married and/or have kids and they just don't have the same priorities anymore. Or some are moms who want to meet other moms to have playdates and share parenting tips.

Anyways I checked out the website and ended up joining. Its just like facebook only its all women. You have a "status" and "wall" etc. Same idea. And people post "events" that they are planning.

Anyways I went to a movie night at this one girls house. There was maybe 10 of us I think. Everyone brought a movie ( the idea was that we would vote on what to watch) and some food. We actually didn't end up watching a movie because for most of us it was our first time at an "event" so we just ended up chatting and eating! I was really nervous going there...and for some reason I didn't want to tell my parents that I was going out to meet with some people I met online..LOL I said I was meeting a friend or something. Anyways it was so great, and not weird at all. It was like we already knew each other and were instantly chatting like friends. Plus since there was a few of us first timers there, we were in the same boat. There was women of different ages, some of us were twenty-somethings, and I think some women were in their 30's and there might of been 1 or 2 that were 40 or so. But we all had one thing in common (being that we wanted to meet other women) so it was great! I'm really glad that I went and I definitely plan on going to more of these events in the future and I think that I could have some new friends out of this!

I can't seem to stop shopping...

2010-10-26T14:39:00.001-04:00

So the other day I went over to Old Navy to look for a new winter coat, and also because I saw on SmartCanucks that there was a 50% off Clearance items sale. Plus I had a $10 off $50 coupon that I got emailed to me for signing up for the email alerts. The coupon was only good for 2 weeks and it was the last day to use it. The reason I wanted to get a new coat was because I have been wearing the same one for about 3 winters now and even though I still love it, its a bit worn and getting a little tight as well. Anyways I ended up not only getting a great new coat but also a few other things.

Coat - Regular 109.50, on sale for 30% off, minus coupon = $69.04

Skirt - regular $29.50, on clearance for $16.99 minus 50% and coupon = 7.65

T-shirt - regular $17.50 on clearance for $4.97 minus 50% and coupon = $2.23
(the price tag actually said it was on clearance for $9.99 so it was even cheaper than I thought!)

Cardigan- regular $34.50, on clearance for $9.99 minus 50% and coupon = $4.49

And I forgot to take a picture but I also got 2 pairs of coloured tights that were regular $6.50 and I got them for $3.60!!

And incase you were wondering, instead of showing on the receipt that it took off $10 at the end it showed that it took a bit off each item, so thats why in my description it says "minus 50% and coupon" or whatever.

Pretty good deals don't you think??

New Boots

2010-10-25T18:30:00.003-04:00

After finding out that I passed my exam, I decided to treat myself to some new boots. I had been thinking of getting some for awhile anyways. So I went over to that new used clothing store to see if they had any. I did find some nice ones but I couldn't get them all the way up my leg cause I am not a stick girl!! lol

So after that I went to Walmart to check out what they had. I ended up finding some there, and even though they were a bit more than I wanted to spend ( but still a good price at $39, i just hate paying regular price for things! ) I got them! It's actually really hard to find taller boots that fit if you don't have super skinny legs, so I figured if I find some that fit and are comfortable, there's no reason to think about it, just get them!! Even still, they won't be able to fit over jeans or anything, just leggings or tights. But I still have my knock-off Uggs that I think I can get another winter out of.

Anyways here's my boots, are't they super cute with the ruffles??

GREAT news

2010-10-21T18:32:00.004-04:00

Remember how I told you guys I was writing a big exam for Pharmacy Techs? Well I officially PASSED!!! I am so beyond excited. I immediately had the feeling that I would pass, after doing the exam, because it was much easier than I anticipated. But I didn't want to say anything and jinx it.
Now I have to take 4 college courses online, but I can't start that until January so I am free until then!

I also got my latest Brandsampler pack in the mail. In it was:

Pantene shampoo and conditioner for frizz control
Head & Shoulders shampoo and conditioner "smooth and silky"
Secret body mist

I like having the little shampoos and conditioners around because: 1. They are great for travelling, so you dont have to pack full size ones. 2. They also come in handy when your shampoo runs out and you are short on cash or don't have time to get to the store for a few days.

Latest Steals and Deals

2010-10-15T22:37:00.004-04:00

I think I need to put myself on some kind of shopping ban. The thought of sales excites me that I want to go and buy things even if I don't really need anything ( and just want to get out of the house). This is why I'm glad to be back to work because it keeps me from shopping.

So the other day I went over to this new clothing store that opened up. It is a used clothing store that sells clothes for teens and twenty-somethings. Nothing is TOO used, some stuff still has the tags on it. It's all great brands like: H&M, Hollister, American Eagle, Dynamite, Roxy, etc etc. Basically all stuff you would find in the mall. It has not only clothes but also accessories, wallets/purses, and even a small selection of books. I took some clothes there and was able to get $13.45 for 6 items. Not a lot, but better than nothing right??

So I went in on the first day they were open and let me tell you it was soo crazy. I guess all the kids skipped school or something. The lineups for the cash were so long that they were getting in the way of people browsing for clothes! Infact they werent even really lines, it was more like a huge mob of people. They should of set up those things they have at the bank that keep you in line, you know what I mean?

Anyways I ended up with a pair of GAP pants and some accesories.

Here is a close up picture of the accessories.

The pants were $12. I don't remember which was which but 2 accessories cost $5, one cost $3 and one cost $4. So total with tax was about $30. By the way, why am I paying tax on used stuff?? Whoever bought the item in the first place already paid tax on it!!! I guess I thought they weren't supposed to charge tax anymore, ever since Goodwill stopped charging tax. I guess Goodwill just did that on their own?

Keeping Track of How Much I Save

2010-10-13T13:22:00.000-04:00

I have decided that I am going to starting keeping track of how much money I save with coupons, employee discount, buying used books, free items/samples, etc.
I had tried to do this in the past but just stopped doing it due to laziness. I just think it would be cool like at the end of each month/year to see how much I saved! Maybe each time I used a coupon or coupon code online, I could put that money away for something..it's just a thought.

Anyways one of the biggest things I have saved money on this year is books. For those of you who read my blog, you know I am an avid reader. I usually read every night before I go to sleep, and like to have a book to read on lunch at work so I don't get bored. I read fast so therefore I go through books quickly.

So far I made a list off all the books I have that I bought at goodwill/value village etc and I wrote down how much I paid for it and how much the cover price is, and what the difference is...and..are you ready for this? I have saved $219.84 so far by buying used books. (And that is just including the ones I know of.) I don't think I am ever buying a new book again. There is just no reason to, in my opinion, unless it is a gift.

I also saved $7.50 when I ordered pictures online from Costco. Because it was my first time ordering, I got 25 free prints and then I found a coupon code online for another 25 free prints so in total I got 50 free prints!

I found the coupon at Smart Canucks which is a great source for finding out about sales and coupons. Another good one is Bargain Moose. By the way these are all 100% Canadian!

September Recap

2010-10-12T21:14:00.002-04:00

I just realized it is Oct 12th and I forgot to post my Sept. spending. So here goes:

September 2010 Budget
	Budgeted	Actual	Difference
Income
Regular:	$1,100.00	$978.36
Other:		$73.84
Total:	$1,100.00	$1,052.20	-$47.80

Expenses
Rent	$200.00	$200.00	$0.00
Phone:	$68.00	$70.00	-$2.00
Car	$236.48	$236.48	$0.00
Insurance	$199.08	$199.08	$0.00
Gas:	$50.00	$32.00	$18.00
Food	$96.44	$143.19	-$46.75
Makeup & Personal Items:	$30.00	$72.28	-$42.28
Clothing:	$50.00	$18.96	$31.04
Misc:	$50.00	$34.93	$15.07
Going out:	$20.00	$10.95	$9.05

Savings:			0
Emergency fund:	$50.00	$50.00	$0.00
Investments:	$50.00	$50.00	$0.00
Travel Fund:			0
other savings
Total:	$1,100.00	$1,117.87	-$17.87
Actual income minus spending			-$65.67

Of course I went over in the "Food" category because I ALWAYS DO. Grr. I did great with gas, as usual which is why I love my car! lol I also didnt spend too much on clothes which was good but I still overspent in general. :(

I have decided that instead of doing a monthly budget, instead I am going to make a budget every 2 weeks starting the day that I get paid. I will budget according to what bills are due in that time frame and also setting aside money for rent, car insurance etc. (For example, my rent in $200 a month so I set aside $100 from each pay, etc.) I think this will be easier from now on.

Slightly Annoyed..

2010-10-05T22:37:00.003-04:00

So my last day at my current job is Thursday. I was supposed to start my new job Friday but I am now not starting until NEXT Friday. I am very annoyed with this because I will be out of work for a week. If I knew that I would have stayed at my current job longer. I am going to try and get hours at other stores though, which would be better than nothing.

This past Saturday I dropped my sister off at the mall and so I decided to look around a bit. I bought this cute plaid skirt from Dynamite. I thought it would look super cute with some red tights, so I went to H&M where I remembered seeing them. Turns out they were almost $20!! I thought I am not paying $20 for tights! Walmart probably has them cheaper. So off I went to Walmart, no luck, then I went to Zehrs to check out Joe Fresh and nothing. I am going to try Winners and if no luck there I guess its back to the mall! I should of checked out Aldo but it did not occur to me at the time :(

Oh, I also got an invitation on my Dynamite receipt to do a survey, and after I did it I got a coupon emailed to me for 20% off! So I will definitely be going back with that.

More Goodwill Finds

2010-09-29T22:22:00.005-04:00

Last Friday it was half price day again so I went to the local Goodwill after work. I noticed they had a sign that it was on clothing and textiles ONLY...I am hoping that is not permanent as I do love my half price books. Anyways these pictures are acually from two separate trips, one last fri and one the weekend before I think..

Books:
The Magician's Assistant
Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously
The Scent of Sake

Mexx Skirt Regular $4.99 got for $2.49

Aeropostale tshirt regular $7.99 got for $3.99

I find it a little odd that an aeropostale t-shirt was more than a skirt from Mexx...but either way its a great price regardless. I think I will go again this Friday!

A Big Annoucement

2010-09-26T16:42:00.003-04:00

Well everyone I have an announcement to make. I have wanted to tell you guys for awhile but was waiting until it was official. Anyways the news is that I got a new job!

Those of you who read my blog know that I had recently got my hours cut. Previously to that I had mentioned that I was getting restless at my current job, and yearning for more, but the feeling of being comfortable in my job is what kept me there so long.

I have been at my current job for three years. I have been thinking of leaving for over a year now, but I was waiting for the right time. I am finally in a place where I feel confident enough in my skills that I feel I can bring something to the table. This feeling is what I have been waiting for to tell me it is time. Having my hours cut and other recent changes in the business have made me want to leave even more.

I handed in my resume to another pharmacy about a month ago and they were not even hiring at the time. I guess they decided they need another person and since I kind of have an "in" (being that I know someone that works there) I was able to get an interview. And then a second, and then a third. Yes I had to have 3 interviews. I don't think it's ever taken this long to get a job before!

Anyways the number of hours will vary from 25hrs to 40hrs per week. I was told that even though they say that, it will more likely be 30 something atleast. Even if I worked only 25 hrs a week, thats still more money than 28 at my job now. I am getting paid $2 more per hour, plus they give raises very often. Even though I am technically "part time" I still get benefits (which kick in after 1000 hours) that I DONT have to pay for. They also have other perks like an RSP and pension plan and more reimbursement assistance for technician courses and things. They are also not open as late, or as early. The only thing that could be considered negative is I will work a lot of weekends (where as right now I'm not working weekends at all at this point). I already know 2 people that work there and they say I will love it.

I gave my notice a few days ago. My boss tried to offer me more money to get me to stay. Even though I appreciated her efforts I felt it was a little sad that they don't want to pay me a decent wage until somebody else is willing to! After I told her that I was leaving, it really hit me and I got a little sad. I really am sad to leave the people because after being there 3 years its like my second family. But I am also excited to move onto the next step in my career.

My Toronto Adventure

2010-09-19T10:00:00.003-04:00

Alright so yesterday was my big exam. It was at the University of Toronto examination building around College/University Ave (for those of you who know Toronto). I had planned to drive to Yorkdale and take the subway to Queens Park station. Turns out that Yorkdale (and all stops north of that) were closed for maintenance. ( I knew this ahead of time because I am super paranoid and was like planning every last move ahead of time). It said on the website there would be shuttle buses taking people from station to station to replace the subway. So I figured I would just do that.

I stayed at a relatives in the city the night before so that it wouldnt be as long of a drive in the morning and I wouldnt have to get up as early. Unfortunately I only got about 1 hour of sleep since I was so nervous!! Good thing I didn't have to drive far! I drove to Yorkdale, and for some reason I couldnt find the entrance to the subway station parking lot. So I just parked in the first place I could find which was a parking garage for the mall.

Let me just say that the one thing I love about Toronto is they really make sure their people get from place to place without delay. I ended up talking to some random girl and we asked a TTC man standing on the corner about the shuttle bus. Turns out all we had to do was wait right there in that very spot! (which was literally like 100 metres from where I had parked). I asked the TTC man if i was supposed to pay to park in the lot. He responded with "Well you're really not supposed to park there if youre not going to the mall....but everyone does it anyway." So I am thinking "oh, crap" but too late, here comes the bus! So we hop on the bus and it takes us to the next subway station in like 2 mins where I hop on the subway to queens park. I was very impressed with the organization. There was TTC people all over the place, directing people where to go and shouting "Shuttle bus over here!!" LOL. It really made the whole thing very easy.

My exam was only about one block from Queens park, but of course I start walking in the wrong direction and walk about 2 blocks before I figure out I need to turn around. I ended up getting to my exam 15 mins early which was just perfect.

After my exam I walked to a Portuguese bakery called Caldense Bakery. I had this planned out ever since I saw it on this post on BlogTO. (By the way, how cool is this site?!) I picked the bakery that seemed closest to where my exam was. At first I was planning to take the bus, but then I figured since it was a nice day, I would save myself the money and walk. I think it took me about 20-30 mins. It is located at 802 Dundas St. W. I got a ham and cheese grilled sandwich ( I think it was called tosta mista or something). Basically it was ham and cheese on a portuguese bun pressed in some grill and it was absolutely fabulous!! Then I decided to get some custard tarts to bring home to the fam. Let me just tell you they are like pure heaven. So SO good!! Anyone that is in Toronto you must try them!

After that I hopped on the bus back to the subway and headed back to yorkdale. As I got to the parking lot I was secretly praying that: 1. I didnt have a ticket or 2. I didn't get towed away because they figured out what I did! But everything was ok, and I decided to do a little shopping to treat myself after my exam. So I went to MAC and spent about $60.

Here are a few pictures from the bakery. I took them with my cell phone so they are not the best quality)

Long time no blog

2010-09-18T19:47:00.004-04:00

Well it has been awhile since my last post and it is time to catch you up on what is going on in my life. I have been a little pre-occupied lately with studying for my exam, but that is all over because I had my exam today!! After months of studying, I am so so happy to be done. And the exam was not as hard as I had anticipated. I have to wait about a month to find out the result and then if I pass I can start taking courses in January. Aside from the exam, it ended up being a really fun day. I am going to tell you guys all about it in a separate post:)

Last weekend I went to a house party ( I know right? A HOUSE party!) for my friends birthday. This friend is 2 years younger than me and this really became obvious at this party. I met this friend at work a few years ago and even though she doesnt work there anymore, we still keep in touch and see each other a few times a year when she is back in town (her parents live here). So I went to her party with another former co-worker who is also the same age as me and she brought her friend.

Now I don't really have anything against younger people, but this party was really not our scene. I felt like I was in a club. lol. They had like, real DJ equipment set up in the house and it was all like rap/raggae music that I was not familiar with at all. I guess I just like to dance/chill to music that I can sing along to? Anyways, it wasn't uncomfortable or anything but it wasnt really our type of party. I really think we were the oldest ones there, and we just dont party like that anymore. I guess I prefer more of a laid back scene, where everyone is just chillin out and having great conversation. We ended up leaving by midnight and going to a local restaurant for some appetizers cause we were starving! Then the next day I found out they partied until 7am! yikes :S

One good thing lately is that I am getting more hours at work due to a co-worker being on sick leave suddenly. It kind of sucks to be down a person, but it works out to be more hours for me and I could use the money right now. So the next few weeks will be a full work week. Yay! :)

Anyways thats it for now. Next post is my Toronto adventure.

August Recap

2010-09-06T19:51:00.002-04:00

August 2010 Budget
	Budgeted	Actual	Difference
Income
Regular:	$1,100.00	$1,137.57
Other:		$115.24
Total:	$1,100.00	$1,252.81	$152.81

Expenses
Rent	$200.00	$200.00	$0.00
Phone:	$68.00	$72.54	-$4.54
Car	$236.48	$236.48	$0.00
Insurance	$199.08	$199.08	$0.00
Gas:	$50.00	$56.00	-$6.00
Food	$96.44	$105.36	-$8.92
Makeup & Personal Items:	$30.00	$33.66	-$3.66
Clothing:	$50.00	$91.51	-$41.51
Misc:	$50.00	$374.06	-$324.06
Going out:	$20.00	$4.50	$15.50

Savings:			0
Emergency fund:	$50.00	$50.00	$0.00
Investments:	$50.00	$50.00	$0.00
Travel Fund:			0
other savings
Total:	$1,100.00	$1,473.19	-$373.19
Actual income minus spending			-$220.38

Ok so August was not quite as non-spendy as I would have liked it to be. Mainly because I decided it was time for new glasses. So $260 later ($60 exam and $200 glasses) I've finally got some. Even though I will get some money back for them, I've included the whole cost in my spending. Then when I get the money back I will include that as extra income.

I did have some extra income due to a paycheck from an extra shift I took at another store awhile ago, plus the new sales tax credit.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to make a budget because I don't actually make any effort to stick to it. I mean, I update my spreadsheet atleast once a week, but it's not like I look at it and say to myself "Oh I've spent x amount on food already I can only spend x amount more." I think this is something that I should really try to do because making having my hours cut really sucks for my wallet.

I have my exam in two weeks (yikes) so I am trying to use all extra time to study, but once that is done I am going to make an effort to apply to other pharmacies, and if I can't find a second pharmacy job then well I guess I will have to take any job. I want to be able to pay more rent to my parents because they could really use it, plus I want to save money for courses I have to take after this exam, a new computer, and some sort of vacation at some point in time. *sigh*

Getting New Glasses!

2010-08-27T21:38:00.002-04:00

I got my eyes tested on Monday. I hadn't had them for 5 years! I got the exam done at Walmart because it was the least expensive. It was only $60 (cash only!) and everywhere else was atleast $80.

I took my prescription to Costo and picked out some glasses. I was pleasantly surprised that I only spent $200! The lenses were $120 and the frames were $80. It was cheaper than I thought, and I am able to get $100 back from my benefits, so that means only $100 out of pocket for me.

I was thinking of going to one of those places that has a "Buy one get one free" deal, but if you read the fine print, in order to get the second pair free you need to spend like $350 to $400!! Yikes, I can't afford to spend that much, just to get another pair. You only need one anyways. So now I am patiently waiting to get the call to say they are ready. I am excited to start wearing them!

I Officially Love Weddings

2010-08-22T22:51:00.006-04:00

This weekend I went to my friends wedding that I had told you guys about. Let me just say I had a fabulous time. The friend is a former co-worker that I met a few years ago(at my current job) who no longer works there but we have always kept in touch and hung out here and there. She moved about 30-40 minutes away so we don't hang out as much as we used to. I went with another former co-worker as neither of us really had a date to bring.

They got married in a catholic church, with a typical religious-type ceremony. The church was so beautiful but actually kind of dark for picture taking. And during the vows I couldnt really hear anything.

Afterwards the reception was under a tent in her parents backyard. It was an open bar AND free cab rides home, which I thought was very nice and thoughtful.

All in all, it was super fun and great to meet some new people, have some drinks and dance the night away! Kinda makes me wish I was getting married just so I can plan a huge party! Speaking of which, I came across the website called Budget Savvy Bride. Its full of great ideas! Each week they have a "Budget-Savvy wedding of the week" featuring a couple with pics of their wedding, break-down of the budget and they answer a few questions. I absolutely loooove looking at people's wedding pictures and seeing unique ideas. Here is a few that I loved:

"How well do you know the couple crossword"..a way to keep people entertained while they are waiting for you to arrive at the party. Kind of cute I thought, maybe a little too Hick-ish for some?

Candles in jars and/or chandeliers hanging from trees, so cute and romantic and potentially very inexpensive.
Vases filled with water with flowers inside (left pic). So elegant and pretty. Definately doing this when I get married!

Here is the cost breakdown of what this wedding cost me:

Dress: $33.76
shoes: $45.19
gift/card/gift bag: $29
Motel room: $35
Cab ride to party:$5 (free coming back)
Total: $147.95.

Not too bad but its a good thing I had someone to split the gift and hotel room with!

The Addition of "The List"

2010-08-16T11:39:00.002-04:00

Remember this post, where I was talking about making a "101 in 1001" list?? I was having a hard time coming up with 101 things to do, and many of you suggested that I not worry about having that many things and play by my own rules. So I decided to just post the list as is. It is now a tab at the top of the page.

I will continue to add to the list as I think of things and of course I will cross things off as I do them, and I will try to remember to write the date that I accomplished the task.

So I encourage you all to take a look at my list, maybe it will inspire to you create your own, or maybe if you already have one it will give you some ideas.