I Got a Gift Card!!

After about a month I got a Swagbucks gift card, woohoo! Okay it's only $5 but that's still awesome. $5 less I have to spend on my next Amazon.ca order. I got the code today, and I'm almost half way to my second $5.

Anyone who does not have Swagbucks yet should definitely sign up! Easy free way to earn extra money just by searching for things on the internet.

Expensive Habits

Everyone has these. I love eating out and I enjoy buying the occasional video game or book. If you look at it though these habits can add up to a lot over the course of a year!!

My dad smokes (gross and expensive habit), he spends approximately $7 a day on smokes. That is $2555 over a year! Yuck!

Alcohol is another big one. Although I will usually only drink twice a month, those that drink more it can add up. A case of beer (or a nice bottle of wine) is about $35 and doing that every weekend is $1820 for the year. Then going out for drinks at at least $5 each on top of that, not including cover and coatcheck.

Who is a big coffee/latte drinker? At about $4 a day that's $1460 just in drinks for a year!

DVD or Blueray collectors? It's hard to keep up with the changing forms! Or do you enjoy going to the show each week? Buying a DVD or going out to a theatre each week for $20 is $1040 for a year. Doesn't even include popcorn and drinks!

Another expensive habit that a lot of people have (myself included) is eating out. I do not enjoy packing a lunch, but a typical lunch is $5-10 not including gas expenses. I do splurge occasionally on a lunch or dinner, or delicious snack! Spending just $50 a week in eating out is $2600 for a year.

Books! I am a big collector of children's books. I have spent more money on them then I wish to calculate. If I spend $10 a week on books, that's over $500 for the year. Yikes! I don't even have kids, or a classroom haha.

What about clothes, shoes, jewellery, make-up, furniture, gambling, golf, dry cleaning, computer/video games, sports, etc.

Wow the cost of life sure is expensive. But it's good to know what you are spending your money on, and see if you really can afford it. If you can, then go for it, if it's cutting into other expenses or savings maybe it's a good time to look at cutting a few things back a bit. Maybe only go out for lunch/supper one day a week? Or making your own hot chocolate/coffee at home every other day. A book only once a month? May be tricky but I think I'm going to try a few in the new year. Everything I save from cutting back can be snowflaked into debt or savings.

Do you have any expensive habits?

Dexter Morgan

EEEEEeeeee!! Did anyone watch the finale? It was crazy! I won't give it away here but I am wondering if anyone else is a big fan? What do you think will happen in season 5?!?

ASL

I signed up for another ASL (American Sign Language) course. My picture has those letters A-S-L. I am in love with the language. I only know basic signs and phrases right now but a life goal of mine is to become quite fluent. The cost of the course was $190 which I think is pretty reasonable. It is 30 hours over two weekends. A bit of a Christmas gift to myself :)

Why am I interested in ASL? Well I was kind of born into it. My grandparents are Deaf. My grandma was born deaf, and my grandpa went deaf when he was 8. I always thought it was a cool language but little opportunity came up to learn it. In university I had a TA that was Deaf. Like my grandparents she was able  to lipread and speak. Has anyone seen Sue Thomas F.B. Eye?

When I finished university I took a couple of Additional Qualification courses to help promote myself to get a teaching position. Then I started looking into ASL courses, they had one coming up close to my town. I signed up and loved it. I had an amazing Deaf teacher and we were fully immersed, no talking in class! It was tricky but I learned so much and I did very well. I still practice every once in a while when I see my grandpa and just on my own. Also I can spend hours watching ASL music videos online. If you are interested, this is one of my favourites!!

Do you know any other languages? Or is there anything that you want to learn no matter how long it takes?

Snow, snow and more snow

I was kind of mad at the snow yesterday because it made me lose a teaching job. Although now I am thankful I did not go because it would have taken me hours to get home for a job that is 40 minutes away.

This snow is incredible. They have declared a "snow state of emergency" for my region. Snowplows are trying to clear the highways and some roads but it is accumulating so fast that they have to keep going over it again.

Snow on a tree in my backyard

Can you find TWO cars in this pic? Those branches are looking kinda scary!!

Look at that fence

Sidewalk, hard to see

It's kind of exciting. I put on full gear and went outside and walking was tricky! It was a great workout! A doctor and a nurse went to work today wearing snowshoes. I think I might need a pair if this keeps up. Environmental Canada has said that we are likely to get another 80cm by tomorrow morning.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Is Anyone Else Tired of the Snow Yet?

I am.

I love the snow, don't get me wrong. But when it interferes with a lot of things then it gets annoying. We are supposed to get 50cm today/tonight and another 25 tomorrow. We already have a couple of feet. I ended up not being able to go to my job today because of  the snow. I actually can't go anywhere the roads and visibility are so poor. Everything is being cancelled today (schools, clinics, garbage pick up, churches, etc).

I like that light snow, when it just kind of falls for a little bit and then it stops. Seems to never stop here. At least it looks pretty.

HST in Ontario...Hated Sales Tax??

That's what some people are saying.

I'm still not too sure what this means for us. But in Ontario the GST (5%) and the PST (8%) is going to be harmonized into ONE tax of 13%. Apparently this will create more jobs over the next 10 years, however it will also create more tax on somethings such as gas, funerals, haircuts, home heating fuel, and cable. This will take effect July 1, 2010.

For those of you from BC, you are also going to merge your PST and GST starting July 1st.

Things only subject to 5% GST include books, kid's clothes, footwear, diapers, kid's car seats/booster seats, and feminine hygiene products.

People that buy newly built homes under $400,000 will not be subject to extra tax. Buyers of new homes between $400,000 and $500,000 could claim a proportional rebate.

PST on hotel rooms is going to be 8% (instead of 5%) and is going toward marketing tourism in Ontario tourism regions.

Businesses will be given some credit from the government if they have to change their accounting systems.

As part of the proposed sales tax reform, cash payments would be provided to Ontario tax filers, in each of June and December 2010, and June 2011.

• Eligible families with income of less than $160,000 would receive 3 payments totalling $1,000.
• Eligible individuals who earn less than $80,000 would get 3 payments totalling $300.
• To qualify for the 2 payments in 2010, a 2009 tax return would have to be filed.
• To qualify for the 2011 payment, a 2010 tax return would have to be filed.

If this applies to you, make sure to do your taxes this year and next! I'll take it!

I'm not sure whether I like it yet or not, I just don't know enough about it. It seems fairly similar for things, 13% either way on most things.

Good news, it doesn't apply to coffee and donuts. Woohoo!