Week 3 Update:
This week I was focused on trimming some bills. I called my cell phone provider and asked how I could cut my monthly bill. I finished paying for my cell phone two years ago, but my bill was still $102 per month. My plan included 20GB of Data. The lovely gentleman on the phone, who was located in the Philippines, found me an offer, with no expiration date, for $60.06 per month. This includes a wildly excessive 100GB data and maintains my unlimited calls and texts in Canada. I will receive an android phone with this deal that I can sell, as I do love my iPhone! If anyone knows of a child or teen who needs a phone, hit me up!
Then I called Shaw, to see if I could cancel my cable and just keep internet. My plan was to keep just Crave and Netflix. But I will also be keeping cable… I am locked in to a 2-year contract until Fall 2025. She said there is a $650 fine to cancel cable, but at least I was able to cancel the W channel (I get sucked in for Christmas movies every year!). I canceled Disney+ after my 3-month $1.99 subscription. I will have Prime until Sept ’24, and Paramount until Boxing Day.
I sold a few things from my Facebook Marketplace ads: my Lindamood Phonics tutoring box for $120, and a Yoga foe kids book for $10.
Every summer, I take my niece & nephew camping. This is our seventh summer and I suggested that we either go to Squamish/Whistler or Vancouver Island. We have decided to go to Vancouver Island! I was debating renting a camper, but it would cost $1000, so we will be tenting, and bringing a good tarp in case it rains. I booked a site at Bamberton Provincial Park, the site closest to the beach path. We can SUP, fish, and swim at Bamberton, so it is a great fit for the kids & I. I can’t wait to take them on the most beautiful ferry ride and show them UVic (where I got my BEd), the apartments I lived in (2001-2002), the inner harbour, Goldstream Park and the trestle bridge, Mile 0, and Beacon Hill Park. At the end of June Alfie and will camp for 3 nights at Chinook Provincial Park in the Crowsnest Pass (southern Alberta, on the border of BC) for Alfie and I. We are one site away from the little sheltered lake. I will book Revvy for my sis’s dog, Flo, Alfs and I for 3 nights in August. And that sums up my summer camping plans so far! I really love going camping, and so does Alfie. He loves being outside for days on end. He is my little SUP buddy; he sits between my legs while I paddle, and sometimes he lays down. He’s been SUPing with me since he was 2 months old!
I am finding it cumbersome to track expenses on debit, MasterCard, and Visa. I do try to use cash or debit now, as credit cards a re slippery slope for me. Going forward, I will try to use one credit card and debit. I had one moment of weakness this week—that I thankfully did not succumb to: I was looking at the Toyota website and saw that they have trays for the centre console. In my old Rav4, I used to have a tray and a bigger compartment underneath. Now I have a newer Toyota and they got rid of the tray. Although it would be nice (want) I do not need it, so I closed the winder in my browser. There is now $513 in my Shopping Ban account, which is so motivating! Alfie’s emergency fun is growing monthly as well. It feels very peaceful to have backups in case!
| MONEY SAVED: 63% | MONEY SPENT: 37% |
| I transferred money this week into my new Shopping Ban Account: 1) $44 for the tray at Toyota for the console that I didn’t buy. I had money for a U of C course ($329) and money from an expensive campground in Victoria (190) put back on my card. | The money spent this week was for groceries; one visit to Sugar n Salt, one pizza from Boston Pizza; Gas; gym membership; dog food and treats; groceries; a doctor’s letter; Prime membership; a book for an upcoming course at U of C (it was on sale!); laundry soap (I make my own); camping in BC and Alberta; |
