Pulling Back From Social Media

So, like many people, I have found myself scrolling endlessly on my “social media feeds” just to see what I can see.

I have also responded to check out the notifications of “this person posted this” or “that person posted this in such-and-such a group.”

I have come to the realization that all of this is a giant waste of time and mostly . . . I don’t care.

I still want to know what people are up to and I still will post what I am doing on social media. I will just limit the time I spend on social media.

I will post what I post in the morning, and then not check my social media feeds until the next day . . . at the same time.

I have removed the apps for social media from my iPad (I never had it on my phone). I have kept the messaging app, so that people can still message me whenever.

I am just done with the endlessly looking at this cat video or that styled and looking for attention selfie.

And I’m okay with that . . . call me old fashioned if you wish, but I am just pulling back from social media, not breaking up with it.

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

Somebody Needs To Tell Me Where To Go...

Some of you know that I am a Registered Massage Therapist. I have been doing this for almost 11 years, now, and I love what I do! It is, however, a little hard on the body, and it has been creating some chronic injuries. 

That, combined with the state of the world, and the need to pivot my career to add something that can be done on-line if need be (as well as something that will be needed when we depart), and...  I've decided to go back to school! 

Now, school costs money, and I really don't want to get student loans, which means that I am (attempting) to do this by simply making monthly payments to the school. I also work at two different locations, and I have to be careful not to over-work my shoulder.

That means that I am: going to school 2 - 3 days a week, working at Location #1 (far SW of Calgary) 2 days a week, and working at Location #2 (far NW of Calgary) 2 days a week, plus one Saturday a month. 

Add in some doctor's appointments, project due dates, and, Oh! I am also volunteering for my massage therapy association... Let's just say that there's potential for things to go amok! 

Fortunately, I have a break right now, while the rest of the class learns anatomy and physiology!

So, with Geoff's amazing organizational assistance, we did a thing...

So, There's a large whiteboard calendar for the current month, with all of my shifts and school colour-coded, special days, appointments, etc. 

There's also a smaller whiteboard calendar for the following month, that only includes important discrepancies. And, a "To-do" board, so I can keep track of phone calls, appointments that I need to make, etc.

There's also a small cork strip running along the bottom of the main whiteboard. Many of you will recall Geoff's Goal Board, where he posts his goals, such as his countdown to the Grand Savings being fully funded. 

While mine is going to be a bit different, it's the same concept. I do have a couple of general goals, right now, although I need to work at drilling it down into smaller pieces.

I do like the look and function of my boards, and I think it will work very well. I've already had a few mornings where I had to pause in the car and figure out where I was headed!

Anything to help keep me out of trouble! 

As always, come join us in reaching for the future, and getting off of the hamster wheel!

Kim

The Homestead Fund Update

Okay, so it is that time again, when I update how my progress is going on my “Grand Savings Plan!” (to build my "Homestead Fund") 

Okay, so let’s see how I did . . . 

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

That is 46.0% (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 47.0% of my savings target. 

That means I put away 1% of my total Savings Target this payday.

This is a huge deal as it was in doubt if I would be able to even put away what part of percentage I actually contributed to my investments.

You see my investments have been up and down, mostly down over the course since my last payday. 

The old story of one investment dropping and the other going up, more than enough to cover the losses of the other investment and bump me up to the next percentage point.

I will take the win, and as demonstrated by last payday’s moving to stand still, I can and will again, move backwards with regards to my savings percentage.

As once the cash is invested in the markets, it is all up to fate, chance and who knows what as to what will happen to my investments.

All I can do is save what I can when I can, how I can and hope for the best.

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

Your Attitude Defines Your Existence

Not to get too esoteric on you, but that statement is true. It is your attitude that can either free you, or imprison you.

I have found in my own life that it was my expectation that kept me on that hamster wheel of work and debt, running to stand still.

I needed to reevaluate what my life was and rethink how it could be. I was living in a two bedroom townhouse with lots of debt and little to show for it.

I had stuff and a nice place, sure, but I didn’t have much savings. I felt trapped because I was . . . I was trapped until I realized that I wasn’t.

Nobody was forcing me to stay there. Nobody was forcing me to keep those debts. Sure they needed to be paid but they could be paid off.

It was all a matter of my perspective . . . of how I saw the situation and how I approached it. 

That was when I realized that if I downgraded my lifestyle (by living in an RV) I could upgrade my cashflow and use that newfound cash in my paycheque to pay down (then off) my debts.

Again, I was only trapped by my own perspective and my own attitude.

I was in fact free, just in a bad place. I needed to free myself by first changing my attitude and then changing my situation. 

The same can be true for you . . . as a wise man (in a movie) once said “Change your mind, your ass will follow!” 

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

Have My Cake and Eat It Too

So, with the focus back on building up my savings and investments, I am pondering, once again at how to best move ahead . . . once The Homesteading Process has begun.

The original plan was to max out my TFSA, then start some other savings account (or other investment account) and build that up until my Savings Target has been met.

Now, I am wondering (again) if I can somehow start this homestead/town, without touching the contents of the TFSA.

Perhaps I could just draw out of the TFSA the dividends from the investments that are in there and not touch the investments themselves.

A bit of (and I mean a bit) of income coming in every three months might prove handy. 

Then again, the amount of dividends coming out of it may not be worth it . . . and that cash could prove handy in starting the Homestead/Town.

Thankfully I have a few years to figure that out as I have to first build my savings before I spend them.

This is why I simply focus on what I am doing at this moment and not the details of the end game or what is supposed to happen in a few years.

Far too many things could happen between now and then . . . and will.

All I can do is: Dream for the Future, Plan for the Mid-Term, but work on the Now!

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

The First Glance of 2021

So, yesterday I took my first look at the year of 2021. Sure it was partly out of a desire to get out of 2020, but also to look ahead at what might be.

I setup my budgeter for the year 2021, and I must say that it was quite encouraging to see what might happen, if I remain a good and fiscal boy.

I know from experience that the further you look into the future (planswise) the less accurate they become.

You do not know what is going to happen, and 2020 has been a stark lesson in all of that. 

What you can do, is to be prudent and try to prepare for what challenges that may come.

What you can do is stick to your plan as much as possible. Stick to your principles or directives (as in my Fiscal Directives) as much as possible.

That way, with some guidance as to what to do and how you should be able to weather any storm that comes.

I will be the first to admit that 2020 has been a clusterf*ck when it comes to how my finances has gone.

I am still here and all the wiser as a result of it. I must remember another old adage that I have been reminded of lately . . . 

“The rich stay rich by living like they’re poor, and the poor stay poor by living like they’re rich.” While this does not apply to everyone, it is a wise adage nonetheless.

What I do know is that: I have a plan, I’m working that plan, and the plan is working!

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

The Last Quarter of 2020

So, here we are, just beginning the last Quarter of this year that never was. It will be whatever we want it to be.

I am looking forward to this time of year, because this is when my paycheques get ever larger, due to the bite of the Taxman gets ever smaller. 

Only to have said Taxman’s bite to go back to its maximum bite in January.

Yet this next Quarter (October, November, December) has yet to be, so it could go great or it could go to crap. Who knows?

I will continue to do what I always try to do (emphasis on try) . . . namely keep calm, do what I can and hedge my bets as I move forward.

What does that mean? It means hope the best, but prepare for the worst . . . think of it as just being prudent.

There are all manner of calamities that may or may not befall us. You never know which one of the plethora of dooms may come to pass.

You cannot live in fear all the time . . . okay, you can, but you shouldn’t.

I, for one, will continue to move forward . . . prudently.

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