Weekly Wrap

Only two weeks left til Christmas!!

Yes, the picture in my header is of my patio fence - for a while I was worried that all HOPE would be lost but thankfully the snow finally stopped...well, except for that Alberta Clipper that passed through yesterday, but the good news is that we're not supposed to get any more snow until well, tomorrow, but it COULD BE RAIN instead. Who knows anymore??

So the good news of being snowed in is that I didn't spend any money after that extravagent meal last Saturday night until last night's doubleheader at the movies. (PS - the meal included a bottle of wine that Michael and I shared as well as appetizers and dessert - the whole nine yards!)(PPS - I still had the $20 bill left after last weekend and popped it into the Crofters Lane Jar this morning:) The movies we saw yesterday (the first was a half-price matinee) were Love and Other Drugs (involves a girl with Parkinson's which my mother had so I did shed a tear or two - it was SUCH a good movie); and the just released The Tourist with Johnny Depp (whom you know I adore) and Angelina Jolie who is equally talented - I was so happy to see that Johnny Depp was able to be "himself" in the movie - his fans will know what I mean:)

News Beat:

The good news is that I recouped all that I spent last weekend (dinner and purchases at Talize, a used clothing store) by way of an under budget cell bill (saved $16), an under budget utility bill ($13), reduced line of credit interest charge due to extra $2500 payment in Nov. ($4), reduced car insurance bill ($5), a transfer from my Christmas account at ING ($180) and a $100 HST cheque!! So my misc. spending budget is only $2 less than what I started the month with - talk about a Christmas miracle!!

However, (isn't there always a however:) from the misc. budget I must cover the following: a few items at the grocery store to make the quesadillas for tonight's Mexican themed potluck, yeah, I know, Mexican food for a Christmas party...I guess it will help to heat things up yuck yuck!!; wine for tonight (and a few other nights:); stocking gifts for Kazi and Michael, a gift for Michael, a gift for my godson, and for taking our neighbour to Swiss Chalet to thank her for everything she does for us throughout the year. She's a single lady in her 60's, retired, and thinks of Kazi as a granddaughter, which is wonderful for Kazi as she has no living grandparents. I will also have to pay for the movie Kazi and I plan to see in Toronto (the next in the Narnia series - The Voyage of the Dawntreader), entrance to the Royal Ontario Museum and any shopping I might do at the Eaton Centre, and it will help to cover those items I have forgotten about like my eye exam ($80) which only pops up once every two years and just happens to land on Dec. 20th this year:(

That sounds like I have to stretch my $$ a very long ways but I'm still hoping for a few more things to come in under budget such as gas for the car. I still have $125 in that budget so will likely have $100 remaining by next Wed. when I get paid again. I will add that $100 to my misc. spending plus any other under budget amounts. Usually I use that money to pay down debt or bump up a savings account but not this month.

I'll start fresh again in January with a new budget and new goals. I can't make the new budget yet because I don't know how much my paycheques will be. My paycheques will go down by at least $300 a month because Canada Pension deductions will start up again. My paycheques for Sept. Oct. Nov. and Dec. are much higher every year because a) that's when my raise kicks in each year and b) my yearly contributions to Canada Pension plan are all paid up. It's really nice to have that extra $$ before Christmas but I get used to it and then it's hard to go back to a smaller paycheque in January.

Oh well, who doesn't like a challenge?

Heartbeat:

I am leaving you with a humorous video I found today on youtube. There was a song I really liked in the Love and Other Drugs movie and I managed to find it this morning. I just put it on my iPod so I can play it for my friends tonight at our party. The movie had quite an effect on me because of the relationship problems experienced by the lead actors: she has early onset Parkinson's and he has never had a committed relationship before - not even with his family. It made me appreciate so much "loving and being loved".

I think this song really represents that joy we find being in relationship with each other not only because of the song and its lyrics but because of the group of people in this video. I love the joyful abandon this group of friends display in the middle of a mall. And you just have to really believe that this guy has amazing, supportive friends:) You will laugh but you will also feel their joy!