Debt Free Kid

Today I am back. I just decided to pop on here and make a post. I thought about writing it yesterday but I did not know where to begin. I actually still do not know where to begin but here I am. The last time I posted was almost two years ago, when I paid off the last of my $20 000 credit card debt. Prior to that I updated irregularly. When I started the blog I had just had the cable cut off to save money, and did not have internet at home. I do have access at my office, but rarely felt inspired to post anything in that environment. I also struggled with what I wanted to write about here. I was afraid of saying too much because I wanted to keep the blog anonymous. I wanted to protect the anonymity of my son, Bean (not his real name). I eventually stopped reading other people's blogs because I felt a bit guilty about lurking on their personal photos and details, while not contributing similar information about myself. I wanted to educate people about wellness and a simplified ...

When I was much younger I tried to educate myself about global issues. The more negative the better. This was not always easy to do because the internet did not yet exist. I got most of my information from obscure zines, and my favourite issues were the ones about animal rights. Later on I got into food security and environmental destruction, and when I chose my majors for my Bachelor of Arts one of them was International Development, which focused on these issues. Somewhere along the way I crashed. I knew that the Western way of living was destroying the planet for everyone else, even though the media told us it was third world population that was responsible. At one time I wanted to work in the media but I quickly learned to distrust it, particularly the mainstream news. I also decided for my own sanity to ignore the booming "independent" film documentary industry that was seeking to expose the truths. I can handle only so much negative information before I start to becom...

The health food store near our apartment has a customer appreciation day on the last Tuesday of the month: 10% off all purchases. I try to get a list going and when I direly need something I'll try to time it to make it over on this special day. Last Tuesday I noticed I was running low on Vitamin D. I take Vit. D, a multi-vitamin, and fish oils every morning. I was also feeling a little under the weather, so I thought I'd pick up a natural cold remedy while I was in there picking up the Vitamin D. When I got to the store I noticed the "Customer Appreciation" sign wasn't up on the door but I decided to go in anyways. You know where this is going. I walked out with Vit. D, echinacea, (EDIT: AND more fish oils), a bottle of Floradix (liquid iron supplement), two bags of organic cereal, a bottle of shampoo, a box of rice milk, and a bottle of China Cola. I spent almost $80.00. When I got out to my car with my bag of stuff, I remembered that customer appreciation...

I opened my first savings account when I was six years old. My mom was a bank teller and she set my sister and I both up with Calculator accounts at the Royal Bank. I loved playing with my passbook, pretending to push the little buttons on the cover. I loved rolling up pennies and giving them to my mom to deposit, watching the typed numbers increase in the passbook. I always had a little bit of cash, even as a little girl. I got an allowance of $2 a week and I liked to spend it on books (usually Judy Blume). I remember coming up with extra chores lists, and would charge my parents 25 cents for anything above and beyond my usual chores. My sister always spent her money right away and would come to me to "borrow" my money because she knew I always had some. I had an ATM card when I was twelve, and used it wisely. I knew how to write a cheque. I took a business class in high school, with a component in personal finance and did very well. I took business math and marketing an...

*This is not a sponsored post* Back in 2005 I spent two months in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and it is one of my long-term goals to return. For a few months now I have been receiving email from Sara Avant Stover and I thought I'd share the most recent one here. Dear K, I don't know about you, but for me, one of the hardest things to do is LET GO. Another way to put that is "Surrender." When I'm faced with a bad day, a challenging situation, or a super-human to-do list, sometimes I can get wrapped up in the drama. I can take on a defeatist attitude and say to myself, "Oh, I can never do that." "I'll never have enough time." "This is overwhelming." And, when I say these things to myself I actually start to BELIEVE them. This is when I get into trouble. I get tired, even sick. I lose focus on the big picture. And, worst of all, I lose touch with my soft core as a woman. I KNOW I'm not alone in this. I hear it from many of you, from m...

Happy New Year! Here are some of my goals for 2010: - go to the gym three times a week (yoga, weights, cardio) - eat three proper meals a day - with protein - and keep them as healthy as possible - start knitting again (xmas presents) - pay another $7000+ off the debts - practice gratitude every day Seriously, Karissa

July was certainly the most expensive month this year. Thank Murph I'm tracking my expenses, so I know exactly where I went wrong (Miscellaneous spending!). In addition there were the car repairs (water pump, coolant pipe, and belt tensioner replaced) with more repairs (brakes, exhaust pipe) to come in a few weeks. ALSO I had orthotics made, and while my insurance company should reimburse me for them, I will likely not be reimbursed for the footwear. AS WELL I had a massage and Bowen treatment, both for which I will be reimbursed next month. I went to the bank to make my first student loan payment, and they did not have the loan on record. We called the number on the letter of arrears that I received, to be told that this loan actually DOES qualify for Interest Relief. I took my $66 payment and bought another $42 bottle of multi-vitamins from my Naturopath. Can't afford to get sick! Seriously, Karissa

I think I have come up with a strategy that works for paying off the debt as well as contributing a little to my savings. The debt payment system seems a tad strange, but will make sense to people with OCD :) As soon as I receive an email statement I check to see how much interest was added for the month. I pay that amount immediately. This keeps the balance at a nice round number, to which I apply $50 or $100 payments throughout the month as I can afford them. I was concerned that I wasn't padding my TFSA sufficiently, so I came up with a snowflaking plan that does not make me feel as though I am taking priority away from the debt repayments. What I have decided to do is snowflake the odd amounts from my pay, child tax credit, and GST. For instance, my GST rebate is $156.50 every three months, so I put $1.50 into the TFSA. I added up all the snowflake amounts year-to-date and just deposited $35.40 into my TFSA account. It isn't much but if I keep doing this each month it will ...

I way way way overspent in May. There were two trips to the big city, the second one involving a trip to the thrift shop where I scored three dresses, a blazer and a pair of leather flats for $40. I would like to make a picture post with my deals, and some of the frugal meals I have been making, but it's not often I get to an internet connection long enough to do so. I am still reading most of the blogs I am following on my smartphone. For a few days last week my facebook-addiction was seriously challenged, when I couldn't get it to load on my phone. I tried to convince myself that it was a good thing, that I could now downgrade to a simpler phone and drop the $15 unlimited web access from my phone bill. I even pulled out one of my old phones to make the switch. Then I figured out how to fix the facebook and practically kissed my smartphone in relief. It's kinda like when I quit coffee when I was sick. I lasted almost three weeks, and slowly the coffee addiction has crept b...

So far, my new morning routine consists of: - two Super Orti-Vite vitamins ($42 a bottle) - one Omega 3 - 6 ($16 a bottle) - one Aloe Immune ($41 a bottle) - 2000 IU liquid Vitamin D (free from naturopath) - one Macrobid (covered by SunLife) - two Valacyclovir (covered by SunLife) - two eggs and toast - apple or strawberries - glass of orange juice (canned concentrate, pulp-free) At lunch I have been eating dinner leftovers, which is usually rice and a meat/veggie concoction that I throw together. Yesterday I remembered to pack some fresh veggies and dip. At some point in the day I eat two more Valacyclovir, and thanks to all this pill-popping, I'm drinking tons of water. All day I sip on a red raspberry leaf tea ... I don't mind it if it's cold. Dinner is more protein/veggie/grain stuff and another Macrobid. If I remember and think my stomach can handle it I eat an iron pill ($24 a bottle). Nighttime routine is one more Omega 3 - 6 and another Aloe Immune. My naturopath sa...

I have known for the past few weeks that I was feeling low. Every time I thought of something to post on this blog I decided it was too negative, or whiny, or not grateful enough. Like, the old me. I was snapping at my son A LOT. And freaking out on his dad TOO MUCH (well, the doofus did play a mean trick with money in April, but I didn't want to react the way I did). I was spending A LOT of time at work trying to wrap up the semester, and trying to get to my weekly Al-Anon meeting each Tuesday afternoon. I spent a weekend with my mom, which turned out pretty well, for maybe the first time ever. I was stressing a lot about a potential new relationship. And then I got sick. Disgustingly, embarrassingly sick. I couldn't keep water down and what I thought was a spider bite on my back migrated to my front. I writhed and itched and thought I might be dying. After a whole weekend of suffering, I went to the doctor. Diagnosis: SHINGLES. Yes, the same shingles that my grandmother gets....

I no longer have access to someone's wireless connection at home, and I've been WAY too busy at work to blog from there. And I have lost my focus. I have to remember why I started this blog in the first place. Before I started here I enjoyed reading three kinds of blogs: self-help, single moms, and personal finance. The plethora of these blogs got me through some seriously dark days and some really lonely weekends. When I found myself ready and willing to start posting my own, I wanted to come up with a combination of the three. With a fourth element, the Canadian bias. Mostly, I was tired of trying to find inspiration in PF blogs written by one half of a couple. I don't have a problem with couples, but I can't tell you how many told me in their blogs, "WE paid off a $20 000 debt in just TWO years!" I'm on my own here, and no one is going to help me pay off my debt. As well I can't work more for extra income because I'm a single mom to a three-year...

Reading this post by Frugal Dad today reminded me of how grateful I am to have done it my way, against all odds, despite all criticism. I was thirty years old when I found myself pregnant by my ex. We had reconciled briefly, but I was in the process of getting rid of all my stuff and moving to Thailand for eight months or longer. I had already arranged a leave of absence from a position I despised at the university, and was looking for a geographical cure for my misery. I was already thirty, with a B.A. in International Development and no overseas experience under my belt. It was time to go. But there were other plans in store for me. Under my belt was a little sprawn, who would inspire me to stop smoking, stop living by my four credit cards, and get real about life. I mean, GET REAL. I found out I was pregnant a week before I left for Thailand. I felt it was too late to change my plans, my job was given out on contract and my apartment was already rented to new tenants. Trying to arr...

Remembering Who We Are Most of us are familiar with the idea that we are not human beings having spiritual experiences; instead, we are spiritual beings having human experiences. We hear this and even though we may experience a resounding yes in our bodies, we may not take the time to really acknowledge the truth of these statements. Integrating this idea into how we view ourselves can broaden our sense of who we are and help us appreciate ourselves as brave spirits on an important mission to learn and grow here on earth. As spiritual beings, we are visitors in this physical realm. The fact that we came here and lost all memory of what happened to us before we were born is one of the many reasons that it takes so much courage for a soul to incarnate on earth. This is why spiritual inquiry so often feels like a remembering—because it is. Remembering that we are spiritual beings is part of the work that we are here on earth to do. When we operate from a place of remembering, we tap into ...

I have my bad days, we all do. I had a few this past week that made me want to run away. Seriously. But I chugged ahead and by week's end - today - I was having a great time with my little guy. I have been following single mom blogs closely for the past few weeks, and I am grateful that I have found this online community of women with whom I can share my similar problems and concerns. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better in the months and years to come. I have a community of moms on livejournal, most of whom have been with me since my pregnancy. I love them and wouldn't trade them for the world, but only a few are single moms. So I'm always looking for more moms to relate to. This parenting thing can be really difficult, and I need all the help I can get. However the way it is now, I really wouldn't have it any other way. My son is bright, healthy and happy. We have people around who love us. He goes to an excellent and trustworthy daycare. He sees...

This time without a poll. I have an opportunity to attend a meditation retreat this weekend. I will have to use $125 from my savings to cover the registration fee. At first I was excited because it is in my town so I will not have to spend any money to cover travel costs. And then I started thinking that $125 is a lot of money for anything at this time. Then I started analyzing the program. It is not residential, which means that I will return home on Friday and Saturday nights, and it doesn't begin until Sunday afternoon (which will give me a chance to get to church). I will have to bring my lunch on Saturday or the organizers have suggested "lunch at local restaurants." The teachings will be led by a minister, based on the work of Pema Chodron (of whom I am a fan). In the past I attended three meditation retreats. They were residential, meaning I stayed immersed in the environment for the entire program. They were mostly silent, even throughout the meals (which were all...

The other day I was chatting with a woman at work. We always talk about her daughters, whom I have never met. The elder daughter is a year younger than I, and had a great job working for the government. But it was the younger daughter that my work-friend used to talk about the most, and I noticed long ago that this particular mom had a favourite, and maybe wasn't aware of it. She mentioned that the younger daughter, only two years out of school, had already paid off her student loan, and was currently help her older sister pay off hers. The elder daughter, after ten years in the workforce, still owed over $30 000 in student loans. My friend said that younger daughter would "work ten jobs pumping gas if she had to" in order to get out of debt, while her older sister made over $60 000 a year and had hardly paid a cent towards her own debt. What struck me the most is a comment she made about two girls, coming from the same family, raised the same way, and turning out so diff...

Winter focused foods and other tips for staying upbeat and healthy throughout the winter months By YogaSpace Clinic Naturopathic Doctor, Meghan Bauer There is no changing the natural rhythm of winter (for now at least). It is long, dark and cold, and it is not surprising that year after year our health reflects this. Increased anxiety, depression, unhealthy weight gain, continuous, long lasting colds and numerous other stress and cold related concerns are common place for many Canadians. Aside from activities involving ice, could there be something advantageous to the cycle of winter that we could tap into; and are there ways to support this natural cycle? Here are a few tips for re-framing the winter deep freeze and keeping you healthy and upbeat throughout it. Consider a purpose to the winter months; could there be a reason/challenge to why you have chosen to live in such a chilly place? Winter is the end of all seasons. Take the winter months as your inward and reflective months of...

The following list a continuation from yesterday's and is from the Holistic Health and Education Centre that I mentioned the other day . There is no author on the handout, and I am merely transmitting the information, not taking credit. If you would like more information on the Centre and the people who look after it, please email me at karissadee at debtfreekid dot com. 6 - Pace yourself: maximize your effectiveness to make time for all of your important priorities. We all play many roles in our lives and must make sure we are the best at the ones that are most important to ourselves. 7 - Say no to the unimportant: set priorities on the things that matter most and say 'no' to the things that matter least. 8 - Take care of yourself: sometimes the things that suffer in our busy lives have to do with our own personal health. For example, fast food is a convenient time saver, but can lead to health and weight problems. Find out ways to improve and maintain personal health and...

The following list is from the Holistic Health and Education Centre that I mentioned the other day . There is no author on the handout, and I am merely transmitting the information, not taking credit. If you would like more information on the Centre and the people who look after it, please email me at karissadee at debtfreekid dot com. 1 - Find your passion and live it each day: do what you love and love what you do. Work to live NOT live to work. 2 - Start having a family night: modify work schedules, set aside other demands and spend the evening together. The family night concept works. Children need their parents' attention and guidance, and parents will benefit from positive interactions. 3 - Eat together: eat at least one meal a day together. 4 - Find a family-friendly workplace: some workplaces recognize that their employees are real people with real needs - that they are 'humans' not just 'human resources.' Identify and select an employer that will be friendl...