Weekly Money Check-Up: 7/25

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1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on groceries. It was a low spending week which was fantastic!

2. Today I am thankful to be home. To be able to sleep in my own bed and ease back into my routine.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was doubling my traffic to this blog! I am really happy to be increasing the number of readers and I hope that you are enjoying what you are reading.

4. I will consider this week a success if I find a few secret moments to be with just myself and shut the world.


5. A good friend is the person who is beside you in tears and laughter, in hard times and in easy ones. In sickness and in health. A good friend is someone you can drunk text instead of text the Past. You can vent no matter what and always has an eager ear to listen to you. A good friend is someone who you in turn listen to when they vent, when they are down and up and sideways.

Weekly Spending Recap Fri July 15- Thurs July 21

Fri July 15
NO Spend day!

Sat July 16
$67 Groceries
$50 Pub Night
Total $117

Sun July 17
NO Spend day!


Mon July 18
NO Spend day!


Tues July 19
NO Spend day!


Wed July 20
NO Spend day!


Thurs July 21
$13 Dinner
$3.50 Green Tea ice soda at Starbucks

+$35 for misc cash spent during the week

Weekly Total $169

This was a Great under budget week! It has been a while!
This was also my last week in Ottawa and my sis paid of most of our outside ventures ie gelato here, coffee there!

Weekly Money Check Up

Photo Credit


Brought to you by Inspiration from My Pretty Pennies


1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on Groceries. It's unbelievable how fast food goes when there are two people in one household.

2. Today I am thankful that it looks like there won't be another surprise storm and I will be able to go for my run.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was daydreaming on my sister's balcony.
4. I will consider this week a success if I am able to still move my neck by the time I go home at the end of the week. I am truly hating sleeping on the couch!

5. My favorite cuisine to prepare is my version of French/Italian.

Isn't running supposed to be free?

And I thought running was a way to do something new and at the same time save money...

It all started with new running socks $16, as I got a giant blister from using regular sport socks. My sock injury.

So lets break it down:
$16 Nike dryfit socks.Love them by the way. My feet are very snug, supported and comfy in there.

$77 new running shoes. Asics. Actually the exact same type of shoe I already had, but they were 2 years old.
$16 a second pair of socks

$44 Running skirt (got to look good running, since I turn fire red in 5 mins, at least one part of me should be presentable)
$25 arm band to hold my blackberry during runs. This was actually really hard to find, as most arm bands are for Apple products. I lucked out at the New Balance outlet store in Ottawa. After some adjustments, I got used to using it while my Torch is safely shoved in there. The running skirt is a tiny sample sized Small! Looking at it, I can't believe my behind fits in it.

$90 ScotiaBank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon! This is the major piece, the challenge, the goal, the proof I am crazy!
My goal is to finish and I don't care how long it takes me. I hope I don't finish dead last but even if so I will be the girl who went from a none runner to a 1/2 marathoner in less then 4 months!

So if you are counting that's about $250 spent on something that was not supposed to cost me anything...

A sign...

Be careful of what you ask for, as you may just get it.

I wrote this after last Saturday night... more like 4am Sunday Morning...
And so from the drunken chronicles
I asked for a sign...

What happens if you meet your soul mate and yet again he is married? You talk to him for over two hours, you pour your drunken soul to him and he convinces you to delete Past’s number so that you can’t text it in the next two weeks. He convinces you that you are who you are and when the one meets you he will want nothing more than who you are. To continue to follow myself even if I am over powering and strong. How did he know his wife was the one, I ask: she just was… that’s it. Nothing more. She was herself and that was what made her the one. I deleted Past’s number and I am thankful because the temptation is gone. I will not have to prove to myself every minute for the next two weeks that I am strong, I will just be, because his number is no longer available to me. He is no longer lurking in the background, a breath away, instead he is where he belongs…. In the damn past!

The married soul mate, looked at me and said how does a girl like you not have a man?.... has to look for a man online?... and a girl like you can have any man in this room. I replied as I looked into his eyes, that in fact the man I do want in this room, I cannot have. I said , if I start wanting a man he suddenly no longer wants me. He looked at me and said that’s the wrong attitude. I believe it thought. I know that a girl like me can have any man, the thing is usually the ones this girl wants, she cannot have, like this soul mate that is happily married for over 5 years. So yes, I will move on and I will be who I am because that’s who I am. I am a strong over powering woman, if I want something I don’t have the patience to wait for it, I go after it. If you are the man that is meant to be with me, you will want me flaws and all. I should stop trying to change, I should stop being afraid what you may think, because I come on too strong. After all, if you can’t handle the woman I am, you and I will never make it.
So to this perfect woman out there that holds the key to this soul mate’s heart, koodos to you woman! You are the luckiest woman in the world and I sure hope you realize what you have coming home to you. Because he is not only beautiful on the outside but incredible on the inside and he is yours, mind body and soul. He loves you for who you are and he will love you forever. You are lucky, you are perfect and you have in your hands the most incredible thing in the world: a man who is fully devoted to you and only you. Cheers to you incredible woman, I envy you and I hope you are forever the centre of his attention.

As for me, I will be who I am and always will be. I can try to change but at the end of the day, I am me. I am a strong woman who goes after what she wants; be it a thing or a man. And if you can’t handle it, that join the ever growing number of men who have made their way out the door. I will find you perfect soul mate who will want me and only me, flaws and scars and ever carefully glued back together heart! Until that day I will continue to search for you, as you are for me.

For the past few months, I have been wondering and searching of what I should be and finally I know exactly what I should be, more as in who I should be: ME. Follow my instincts and just be who I am.

God, thank you for sending me a sign tonight.

Weekly Spending Recap Fri July 8 - Thurs July 14

Fri July 8
$43 Cat food and accessories for trip

Sat July 9
$5 Tim Hortons Breakfast
$35 Night out
$9 Road trip snacks
$28 Gas
$71 Groceries
Total $148

Sun July 10
$7 Extreme Pita Lunch
$11 Glasses
$110 Running Room: New running shoes + Running socks
$75 New Balance: Running skirt + arm band for blackberry
Total $203

Mon July 11
$10 Parking at the hospital

Tues July 12
$25 Chapters
$7.5 Gelato
Total $33


Wed July 13
$3.5 Coffee
$20 Two yoga classes
Total $24

Thurs July 14

No Spend day!

Weekly Total $460

Another big spender week, mainly because of the Running equipment. I only have to book my 1/2 marathon for $80 and maybe the 10K for $85.
At the Running room I did get fitted for my running shoes and I lucked out that they were on sale for $77!

As a side note, I really truly from the bottom of my heart miss sleeping in my own bed. My back is screaming as I have been sleeping on my sis' old couch this week. Not only that the cat also tries to tuck himself in my legs while we sleep. I really want my bed!

Weekly Money Check In

as per My Pretty Pennies

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on Running gear: new runners, socks, arm band for blackberry and running skirt.

2. Today I am thankful that my sister is having a fantastically speedy recovery from knee surgery!

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was 8km run around downtown Ottawa.

4. I will consider this week a success if I run at least two more 8km runs

5. The strangest thing I have ever eaten is octopus.

July Goal Keeper Updates

Time for my favourite update! The Goal Keeper update!

+250 School Savings
+93 Emergency Fund
-120 Travel Fund - Plane ticket from NYC

My road trip to NYC the first weekend of August is locked and loaded. Can't wait to spend time running in Central park, getting lost in art at the museums and drinking with hanging out with MBA students and learning more about the program!

No side income yet this month, not until the end of the month. That chunk of change will be paying for my NYC trip.

My raise ended up being about $60/pay! I am rich!

Also, I just noticed that August is a 3 pay month!!!

Weekly Spending Summary Fri July 1 - Thurs July 7

I was going to skip this check in since I haven't been diligent in keeping track of spending. But I felt guilty as there was a major slip up as you will see below:

Sat June 2
56.79 Grocery
11.69 Grocery #2
Total68.48

Sun June 3
$20 Wine
$96 Aldo Shoes (2 pairs of sandals)
$34 RW& Co
$49 La Senza
$29 The Bay
Total228

Mon June 4
Money Free Day!


Tues June 5

Money Free Day!

Wed June 6

Money Free Day!
Thurs June 7

$100 Oil change and surprise air filter change
$5 Second breakfast at Tim Hortons
Total105

Weekly Total$407

*Lower head in shame.*
My slip up was due to one part anger towards my latest dating fail and one part I though I had lost all of my bras.
Let me explain, for the life of me I couldn't find where I had stashed my bras after I had done the laundry. I decided to go and buy at least 1-2 new ones and one thing led to another... New pants, new shoes etc later...

Of course, when I got home I found where I had pushed them off to the side of my bed in my attempt for a quick 'clean up' prior to a boy from failed dating attempt coming over. I will learn from my mistakes...one day soon.
Next week and month are for getting back on track with the whole I am not dating and not spending thing, right? Right!

Weekly Money Check-Up

I found this sweet way to summarize the week as I was clicking through the finance blogger universe.

Thanks to My Pretty Pennies:

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on $250 on impromptu shopping spree...shoes, pants, bras.

2. Today I am thankful for being able to run 7km in less than 1hour this week.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was walk around Oakville lakeshore and watch the sailboats come in.

4. I will consider this week a success if the cat and I get to Ottawa in one piece.

5. My favorite 4th 1st of July tradition is watching the fireworks. This year I was sad that I would miss them, but by some miracle they were shooting them from a park by my apartment and I could watch from my balcony!

(photo credit)

From a non runner to a 1/2 Marathoner...

I am on a new serious kick: running.
I have always wanted to be able to run, but I was never able to do it. For one I used to find it horribly boring and kinda hard. On the other hand, I have always admired runners' stamina and runners' bodies are lean and gorgeous.

I tried incorporating running in my gym workouts but it was always super hard and boring.
I joined one of the classes at the gym that's beginners 5K and runs loops around the lake in my neighborhood. My first run was 6K, the loops are 1.5km and I didn't want to do under 5K, with 5:1intervals and under 40mins. Oh I was also huffing and puffing up a storm. But I did it. First run outside and I ran over 5km and survived!
My next two runs were by myself. It's hard to motivate myself, but it was 10x easier. I even had a mind vs body struggle last Sunday, when my mind wanted to eat chocolate and nap, while my body was set on running. 5mins into my nap, I jumped out of bed and put my clothes on and went for the run. Today I ran 7km, 6:1 intervals in exactly 1hour.
I was challenged to do a 1/2 marathon in October. I believe that I will accept the challenge.
Here is why:

1. It gives me a goal and something to train for. A deadline that will mark an accomplishment! Everyone gets a medal!

2. Running is about pace. I plan on learning how to pace myself in both running and life. I tend to throw myself into things with lighting speed, hence 6km first time out. Running is to teach me about pacing myself in order to reach my goal, without it I will burn out and fail.

3. Bragging rights!

4. Runner's kick ass body ;)

5. I will learn that the process is key to the end result. I am always focused on the end and never enjoy getting there. Half the fun is supposed to be in that, right? I have no choice but go through the process patiently.

Right now my focus is to run for distance, instead of speed. I don't have a time goal, I have a goal of finishing!