Debt Free Kid

Yep, I almost did it. I almost pulled the trigger on a couple of sites today. I had stuff in the carts, but I closed the tabs before I pulled out the credit card. The first cart contained a couple of "ugly christmas sweaters" for Bean and I, and they weren't even that ugly. The one for me was pretty cute, and since it was pink and black, I could wear it year round. I knew Bean would get a kick out of the one I picked out for him. The second cart was for skincare, my most favourite thing to splurge on. I'm almost out of my $55 serum, and I saw an email for some sample primers at a great price. I needed to add only $2 more to get bonus points, so I picked out a new face wash. I scrutinized my purchases a few times, and read a couple of reviews of the primers. I needed to make sure the cosmetics company was cruelty-free. And then I clicked "x," twice. And went to heat up my ramen noodles for lunch. I also figured out how to file a dispute with amazo...

I mentioned  in my previous post that I won a gift certificate from Squirrelers' Thanksgiving contest. It was for $20 at Amazon.com. I normally order from Amazon.ca but xmas was arriving quickly and I thought I'd redeem it for something for someone I love. I had a harder time than I thought I would. Shipping from the U.S. is expensive and since I had left it so late, nothing I chose would be here in time for xmas. A couple of toys I had picked out for my son would not ship to Canada at all. I finally chose a backpack for my bro-friend but before I hit the switch I decided to check locally. I found the same pack for the same price at a shop in town and avoided shipping altogether. Last week I decided to buy a book with it. The book cost $10 and the shipping was $11! I couldn't bear to spend more on postage than on the book itself, so I went with my original plan and offered the gift certificate to a friend in the U.S. Since I had carelessly applied it to my own account ...

Happy New Year everyone. I have been working on my budget for 2011 and I am confident that I will have the last of the credit card debt gone by the end of the coming year. I can't say I will be debt-free because I will then have the $30 000+ student loan debt to tackle, however I am feeling pretty ecstatic to see the end of the credit card era of my life. It was nice to receive my paycheque on the 28th of December and be able to allocate it entirely into my new budget. I didn't have any credit card bills to pay since I managed to use some savings for all my xmas gift purchases. I also bought way less this year than in previous years. My sister and I agreed to buy nothing for each other and instead got together on xmas eve for a nice visit. I also didn't buy for any of my step-siblings' kids (of which there are now 6) because they keep multiplying while I responsibly keep my number of offspring to just one :) I kept my traveling to a minimum this xmas and when I di...

Only four days till payday. This month I'm excited for a new reason: more money towards my debt and savings accounts! Going to the movies today and using a gift card that my previous landlord left in the mailbox for me on christmas eve. He and his wife were the best landlords I ever had, as cliched as it sounds. A rare find. Then in the evening, Chinese New Year celebrations with more friends. Happy Chinese New Year! Seriously, Karissa Dee

It's just like me put in a rant about gift cards, and then find something a little magical to make me eat my words. It's this: A sweet little gift box, filled with love, that I received from a lovely friend yesterday. It's made out of an old greeting card, which I think is just fantastic. Especially since I'm one of those people who can't throw out a single card I receive. I'm actually going to pull this little box apart to see how she made it, and then when I get all my old cards together, I'm going to get to work and make a bunch myself (after I move of course). Just think how excited I'll be to purchase gift cards now that I'll have a cute little homemade something to put them in. And recycled at that.

This is not the first year that we are exchanging gift cards as gifts. While I try not to let it bother me too much, I can't help but think of how ridiculous it is. My Mom wants a gift card for Future Shop. My sister wants a gift card for La Senza. My nephew wants a gift card for Stitches. My Gramma wants a gift card for Chapters. And myself, begrudgingly after some badgering, agreed to a gift card to any grocery store that sells President's Choice. Call me Scrooge, but I just don't understand the exchange of gift cards. There is absolutely no thought involved in this purchase. I don't see why we can't save our money and spend it on ourselves. I know what I want and need, so why don't I just get my own stuff? Or better yet, why can't I save my money and put it towards my debt? The image of it makes me cringe: we all get together, and exchange gift cards. No surprise, because we already know what we're getting. Maybe it would be better if we all lived in ...