Feeling completely lost ...

It's been 2 weeks since I've posted on here and since then and probably still prior to my last post, I've been feeling completely lost financially.  I feel like I've lost track of everything and just haven't had the time to catch my breath, sit down and look at the numbers again.  There were some unexpected expenses the past couple weeks and we did not have any money in our EF so I found myself scrambling to find the money, reorganizing this month's bill payments.  And I feel like I just haven't caught up.

Hoping things will slow down at work and at home.

Good news is that I've been told that management is pushing to get my promotion in for the 2nd quarter, which means that hopefully by the end of June, I'll have the promotion that I've been working hard for the past couple years.  Keeping fingers crossed!

Always read the fine print...

On Saturday night, I had to purchase tickets for an event DH and I were attending in a couple weeks.  I purchased the tickets via the Ticketmaster website.  Once the transaction was completed I checked my email for the email receipt and noticed that there was a second email from "eventticketprotector".  I opened the email and realized that on top of the tickets I purchased, I also purchased Ticket Insurance.  It must have been a check box that I accidentally checked off or as I suspect a check box that I failed to UNCHECK to decline the insurance.  The result?  An additional $8 per ticket, which means the original $20 tickets actually cost me $28 each.  I was not happy.  Luckily I read through the insurance policy fine print and there is an option to cancel insurance within 10 days of the ticket purchase date.  I emailed the company earlier this morning and hope to hear back from them in the next couple days telling me that my policy has been cancelled and the premiums have been refunded. 

Quite the mistake on my part to not read the fine print and to rush through an online transaction like that.  I'm glad that I caught it in time, I would not have been impressed if I saw the transaction on the credit card statement and realizing it was too late to cancel.

Last night work = extremely tiring morning. But also means extra $$$

So it's not really that late right now.. it's only 10:30pm, but I haven't started my work yet.  Once I do, I suspect I'll be up for a couple hours.. maybe a few hours.  Last month we lost a couple team members (moving to a different dept and company) and so there are some gaps in our work coverage.  There was an email sent out to the team asking if anyone was interested in working Tuesday night.  Normally I wouldn't volunteer but I knew there would only be one other person who would volunteer and I also knew that they were already working on OT on the weekend.  So I decided I would help the team out and volunteered to work OT tonight.  Because it's been so long since I've worked a late night like this, I'm struggling to stay awake and I know that tomorrow will require at least 2 cups of coffee.  At the same time I know that tonight's work will be at least 4 hours of OT and I've decided that from now on I will start working any offered OT to help pay down some of the credit card debt.  It really isn't hard work and will only be one every week or two.  Even that can add up to a couple hundred extra dollars each month which will make a huge difference in paying down debt.  I'm very excited just thinking of it.  I also know that the next couple weeks at work are going to be very hectic at work so I may even offer to work OT.  It won't be fun to give up time with the kids in the evenings, but the good news is DH is at home in the evenings for the next couple weeks, so this would be the best time to work OT.

On a completely different topic, I learned 2 things today:
- for a female my size, it will take approx 1 month to gain 1lb of muscle
- humans are tallest first thing in the morning, we shrink by a couple centimeters throughout the day (gravity, pressure on the spine)

Oh, and I received my Amazon.ca book order today!  Can't wait to start reading the book, and what's even better was that I used my Swagbucks to redeem Amazon.ca gift certificates, so the book was FREE!  I have to admit, reading this book series (Black Dagger Brotherhood) is my guilty pleasure.  Even thinking about the storylines makes me blush.  I can't believe I'm even admitting that I read the books.  But once I get started it always a struggle to put the book down.  I've read all 9 books and am on the 10th book.  Once I'm done this book and now that I've finished the Hunger Game trilogy, I'm definitely going to need to find another book series to read.

I'm still feeling very lost with our budget right now but it's getting a little easier and I do see a light at the end of the tunnel.  By the end of the month I am 100% committed to getting the numbers and budget figured out.  Luckily DH is receiving a signing bonus at work so that will give us some extra wiggle room in the budget and May is a 3-payday month, so that will definitely help as well.

We got our taxes done last week, and although I'm not 100% confident that the lady did the taxes correct I know that DH and I are both getting money back.  Good news is that I will be able to set money aside for the destination wedding I am part of in January 2013.  And I will be able to put money into our EF.  I have a tendency to spend extra money very quickly so I need to ensure the money is set aside and untouchable.

Ok, I think it's time for me to start my work.  Hoping for a good day tomorrow and that I make it through the work day.  With the extra hours worked tonight I could easily go home early tomorrow but then I'd lose the OT hours and that wouldn't help the debt situation.

Unbelievable house prices...

Earlier this week our neighbor put his house on sale.  Our houses are similar in size, but I know that they spent much more on their basement renovations.  So being curious, I checked online for the listing and saw that the house was priced at $349,000!!  Then I checked another house in the neighborhood that also recently went on the market, and that house was priced at $379,000!!  Totally caught me off guard, I knew that housing costs have been on the rise, but it just seems ridiculous to me.  How are people able to afford the mortgages on houses that cost that much?  One positive note is that the value of my house is also increasing, although we don't plan on moving any time soon.

ooh.. on another positive note, DH got paid today and now that the bills have been paid and I see that the budget is going to work this week, I feel much more relieved.  I really need to take this opportunity to stay on top of the expenses and to plan our budget out better.

Struggling to catch up and a very odd dream...

I'm not sure when I lost my footing on our expenses and the past couple months have been the toughest budgets that we've had to work with.  In the past couple months, we really are living paycheque to paycheque and I'm feeling confused and overwhelmed at the fact that the budget spreadsheet shows all the numbers lining up and working out and yet in real life we're struggling.  I know there's the odd birthday party gift that I failed to include in the budget, but after all the expenses have been covered, there's a comfortable amount left in the account, at least that's what I see.  It is time again to re-visit the budget spreadsheet and figure out if there's a better way to track our expenses. 

I do hope that by Friday, all bill payments will be caught up and I can start fresh again.  I'll have updated numbers to post.  I don't think they'll look very pretty but I need to try again, I need to try harder.

The other night I had a very odd dream.  The ex-bf has reappeared in my life and was trying to get back together.  I was very angry in my dream towards him.  I questioned how he was able to take advantage of my generosity and then just walk away from the relationship without taking care of his financial obligations to me (money borrowed).

I think I'm still very bothered at how financially irresponsible I was in that relationship.  And how I allowed myself to be taken advantage of, all because I thought I was in love.  I sometimes wonder if he'll ever step up and pay off what he owes me.  Highly doubtful, but I still saw him as a good guy and someone who would want to pay off his financial obligations.

Oh well.. definitely a lesson learned the hard way.

Monday morning Chit-Chat - April 2nd

Didn't a chance to participate in Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat yesterday, so I'm doing a Monday morning chit chat.

Reading?
Last Monday I finished reading The Hunger Games.  It took me until Wednesday night to finish the 2nd and 3rd books (Catching Fire and Mockingjay).  When I get hooked on books, I tend to get extremely focused with reading the entire book as fast as I can.  My poor kiddies got less attention from me early last week.  This week, I still have the China Study to finish or at least make progress on.

Watching?
Last night, I actually found myself watching Celebrity Apprentice.  First time ever!  It was actually quite addicting and I had to find out who was going to get fired in the boardroom.  Will I watch the show again?  Truthfully, most likely.. hehe

Listening to?
Nothing at the moment, but in about 20 minutes I will be joining a Delegate Deliberately web training session.  It goes til 12pm, so I will be listening to the instructor all morning.

Cooking/Baking?
Yesterday was a lazy day for me, didn't cook a single thing.  Lunch today is a sandwich and DH will have to cook lunch for himself today.

Happy you accomplished this week?
DH's care package for his parents has been sealed and delivered.

Looking forward to next week?
DH's payday on Friday.  He's getting a small signing bonus at work so we'll have a little extra money to work with this week.

Thankful for today?
I'm feeling energetic in regards to work and fitness.  This will be a good week to really push forward with my training and getting through work assignments.

I have more to blog about, specifically my dream last night and some exciting work news.  I'll write a separate post for that.