The Drive to 20%

Okay, so I am focussed on getting to 20% of my Savings Target as soon as possible. Right now, that will be on the March 22 payday. 

Between now and then, however, my budgets have been insanely tight, as in tossing out all spending (at least digitally).

I have been spending what I have to by using my Wallets and paying cash. 

I have also not fuelled up since the 7th of February and am looking at pushing off fuelling up until the 22nd of March. 

So, you know, just a few run of the mill cost-cutting measures. 

For me, finally getting to 20% is a mental barrier and something of note. It is a kind of a finally getting back on track Milestone Goal to reach.

I know that I will have to trickle fund my wallets back to their targets, as having cash on hand serves a purpose. (As in being able to function when you can’t use credit/debit cards).

I will survive and I will get these things done, and I will get back on track. I know what I can get away with and what I can’t.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

The Early-Ish Paycheque

Okay, so Boss is going on another vacation (fine, great, have a good time) yet when Boss does we get our paycheques a bit early . . . sorta.

What I mean is that we submit our timesheets early, with the predicted times filled in for the remainder of the payperiod, and we get our paycheque in hand before we leave.

That is nice, but what happens, for me, is that the bonus that I would earn is therefore not on the cheque and I get that as a special cheque after Boss comes back.

It is nice to have my paycheque in hand early and so I know what it will be and finalize my budget accordingly. 

Since we are submitting our Timesheets today at noon, I am only missing out on a day and a half of possible bonus on this cheque. 

As I said and to be clear, I will get that small amount on a separate cheque when Boss comes back. 

I have noticed, however, from times gone by that this little manoeuvre means I pay more in payroll taxes. 

The suggestion to wait until Boss returns a day or two after payday is always flatly refused. 

It has something to do with Boss could get in trouble if we don’t have our paycheques in hand on or before the appointed payday.

Automatic deposits have been suggested but we are small and it would not help in this case, as Boss would be doing it and Boss would still be on vacation. 

Besides, Automatic Deposits have been made pretty much obsolete with the advent of depositing via a Banking App. 

I will look at the positive and know what I have to work with come the early afternoon today. 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

The Weather Carrot

The Weather Carrot is a horrible thing, it is the temptation of a nice amount of weather that is coming, just on the horizon, after this horrible bit.

The trouble is that almost always that “nice weather” is pushed off again.

I am always ready, willing and able to deal with and adapt to whatever the weather and temperature is. 

That means that I can handle the cold . . . I just don’t like to.

I will hold out and do what I need to do, as that is what I do, I will trudge forward and know that sooner or later (most likely later) the weather will turn warm again.

This too shall pass.

So, I look at the Weather Carrot and blindly tell myself . . . yep, next week it is going to get warmer and this really cold weather will be behind me . . . yep.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Went To The Forest For The Weekend

So, I went to a campground that I like to go when I just want some peace and quiet (along with electricity). 

This will give you an idea of what it is like.

  

Again, it is quiet, no wind and you are in the forest, yet I have electricity, so it is nice for peaceful reflection. 

The one downfall, which I don’t really see it as such is the fact that cell phone signal is spotty at best. 

This time I was able to get a connection with my iPad, yet not my phone. 

I received the odd text but I could not send a text and any incoming phone calls were immediately dropped.

Since I go there for peace and quiet, I don’t really mind being out of communication for the weekend. 

I also go there for a break from the cold which permeates and dominates my life at this time of year, so a bit of a break from the cold is a welcome thing. 

I know that the weather will turn warmer in a bit, and all I have to do is just stick it out.

This too shall pass, as this is not my first winter in Wanda, so I know what to expect and how to handle it. The occasional run to the hills is a welcome respite. 

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Grand Savings Update

Okay, so it is that time again, when I update how my progress is going on my “Grand Savings Plan!” 

Okay, so let’s see how I did . . . 

   

For review, here is how things looked from last payday . . .

    

That is 18.0% (of my Savings Target).

And this is how things look like, after the dust settled on this payday’s budget . . . 

   

That’s right things jumped up to 18.2% of my savings target. 

That means I put away .2% of my total Savings Target this payday. Not only that but the Estimated Done Payday was pushed up a payday to July 22, 2022. 

For those of you paying attention this means that the last month I have accomplished nothing on my Grand Savings Plan.

Why? Well, because I first went up to 18.2% on January 22. Then I dropped to 18.0% last payday and I am back up here to 18.2%.

I have had some expenses as well as in an attempt to stave off the Taxman I have flushed some cash down the toilet (AKA: put cash in my RRSP).

Since RRSP’s are not yours, and not your asset (how can they be if you “borrow” “your” cash from “your” account. (Give me an unlimited TFSA any day.)

Anyways, so as a result of this my savings have stagnated and it is increasingly looking like I will push my Grand Savings Plan up to April 7, 2023.

This is because the middle to end of summer is not really the time to start to look for land with a hope to do anything but winter over on it that year. 

It is much better and wiser to start in the spring where there is more time to search, buy and . . . get started. We shall see, as that is too far ahead to plan for.

As far as this savings slump is concerned I keep telling myself that all I can do is keep doing my best and understand that all I have is this paycheque. 

I have no idea what the future holds, and my savings goals may never be achieved for any one of a thousand reasons, none of which would be my fault.

So, the plan will take as long as it will take and I may or may not make 40% by the end of this year, and that is okay. 

Anything going into savings is a good thing and all I can do, is keep trudging forwards.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

Well, I Won’t Be Parking There For a While

So, this morning I decided to move back closer to work, since the Snow Route Parking Ban was lifted. I figured, why not, easer and closer to walk to work (and I was up early anyways).

I packed up, drove to my usual spot near work, and continued driving all the way back to where is started from, here’s why . . .
 

You see, when they plough the road they only plough the part you drive on, pushing the snow to the part that you park on.

This is even worse for corners, such as where I park.

Let me clarify, you see, this is the close up of the ridge.
 

You can’t really tell where the curb is so for all you know, most of that might be lawn.

Here is the curb . . . I found it for you.
 

Here is the snow ridge with the curb there for reference and you see how much of the roadway is wasted.
 

If I park there, I will literally be parking in traffic, it is bad enough when there is no snow on the ground.

So, until it melts, or at least melts enough that I can drive over it (or, you know a large semi-truck drives over it a few times) I will be parking down where I am and walking.

Ah well, such is life and this too shall pass.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!

I Trudge, It’s What I Do

I really don’t know what else to do. I don’t have a life, I put that on hold when I started this journey, first to debt freedom, and then to freedom itself. 

It has been five years, I started this journey in December of 2013 and have been just trudging forward ever since.

I do this because I have to do this, I have an impulse in me to be free, and I simply must satisfy it. 

Yet, I will admit that the cold and depths of winter are the hardest to bear, due to the darkness and cold which permeate this time of year.

Yet, the warmth and light shall return and so too will my mood lighten. For I will end this journey somehow, someway and I will have a home of my own and land of my own.

Someday . . . but not today.

As always: Keep your head up, your attitude positive, and keep moving forward!