2017 Financial Resolutions (post your resolutions & updates) All welcome!!!

[wimbly11]

Thank you. We're pretty freaked out and upset at the moment. She's making a lot of untrue claims and it's very upsetting. Hoping it won't be as bad as I think.

My DBIL is going through a similar situation with his ex at the moment, it sucks. Hang in there, I hope things turn out for you!

[Frugalbigmama]

Was a very frugal weekend. Only groceries purchased (lots of deals/bit of stocking up) and new sheets and Christmas gift (used gift card purchased a year ago at a discount)

Hope to continue the next few weeks on the cheap side

[saundyl]

Quite a few people do the 52 week challenge and it's amazing how much they save during the year, great idea. I'm sure you have a lot of beauty products stock as you are such a smart SDM shopper. I've learned so much from you re: sdm points, coupons ++++ thank you

I do an altered version of the 52 week challenge. Rather than increasing from 1 to 2 to 4 to 8 each week i number the weeks 1 to 52.
For weeks 1 to 26 i put a dollar value double the week number. So at week 26 im doing 52 dollars. Then weeks 27 to 1 I reverse and start decreasing week 27 is $52 week 28 is $50 decreasing to $2 the last week of the challenge.

This makes July and August my higher saving months and December/January the lowest months. It also ends up totalling $1404 instead of the $1378 of the normal 52 week savings.

The other thing I do is during lower months if I have extra change I will put a bit of extra away in the challenge do if I'm short a bit later on the surplus saved can apply to the shortage.




I al

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[saundyl]

Are Financial resolutions for the year are

1) Complete the purchase if our new home. Closing date is in March.

2) Painting and renovations to the new place including flooring, furnace and bathroom venting.

3) Move. And all the hookups etc for power water heat and mail forwarding.

4) Have Taxes done for February 28th to be filed.

5) Pay off my loan from RBC by July and our washer/dryer/stove
by November before interest kicks in in December.

6) Continue to put 100 a month in emergency fund 130 into tfsa and 135 into kids stuff accounts.

7) Renovations to our old house....painting, trim, carpet etc. And put up for sale.


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[jasperandchar]

End of January Update

Our grocery total for the end of January was $483.65. For the last half of 2016, we had been averaging between $600-$700 a month for Groceries, Toiletries & Household Supplies, so this month was quite the improvement. I know that is probably still a high amount for 2 people, but we buy a fair amount products from small business/local producers which are usually higher price than at the grocery store. I'm trying to find a good balance between supporting those small businesses and keeping our grocery budget under control.

When you divide your grocery and expenses by 4 weeks that's pretty reasonable given the high costs of food and everything else.

[jasperandchar]

My financial plans may be ruined as DH ex served us papers requesting insane things for child support. She's requesting all kinds of additional support. Their agreement hasn't been updated in years, and DH makes more now, which makes us think we may have to back pay her which could results in A LOT of money We also need a lawyer now. I'm freaking out. We have a toddler at home, another baby coming in July. We're supposed to finish our basement so step-daughter could have a room down there to make room for baby. We were planning on getting a second car for mat leave because we live so far out of town. Feeling so sick.

So sorry you are encountering such problems.

Do you qualify for free legal advice?

If the ex receives UCCB that should also be taken into account when making her requests.

Your family income may have increased, however, so has all costs (hydro, groceries, gas, etc).

I'm sure your lawyer will counter her requests with something more reasonable.

If you have been tracking your expenses for the last while and doing budgets these could prove to be useful tools for your lawyers to discuss.

Best of luck

[jasperandchar]

Are Financial resolutions for the year are

1) Complete the purchase if our new home. Closing date is in March.

2) Painting and renovations to the new place including flooring, furnace and bathroom venting.

3) Move. And all the hookups etc for power water heat and mail forwarding.

4) Have Taxes done for February 28th to be filed.

5) Pay off my loan from RBC by July and our washer/dryer/stove
by November before interest kicks in in December.

6) Continue to put 100 a month in emergency fund 130 into tfsa and 135 into kids stuff accounts.

7) Renovations to our old house....painting, trim, carpet etc. And put up for sale.


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Congrats and how exciting.

Great goals, sounds like you have a great plan in line for your goals, good luck

[wimbly11]

We met with the lawyer yesterday. Good and bad news. Her request for back pay is null. She has never formally requested to have the settlement updated, and it states in the agreement that she is to go through his lawyer for these matters. So because she never requested anything, we will only have to backpay her last month when she made the request. Huge relief.

Bad news. The lawyer will cost us $3000 to try and keep this from going to court. We're going to pay $225 more a month in child support plus we were told that we have to cover 95% of the cost of her braces. We have been paying half every month. The ex went ahead and got step-daughter braces without our consent. She did not need them for medical reasons-it was cosmetic and because all of her friends had them. Anyways, long story short, we now have to pay for 95% because the ex refuses to go get a job so she does not make enough to pay for them. I don't understand how this system works.

All in all, we're looking at almost $500 more a month to this woman. Not good news for us. We don't have that money. I don't know what we're going to do.

So sorry you are encountering such problems.

Do you qualify for free legal advice?

If the ex receives UCCB that should also be taken into account when making her requests.

Your family income may have increased, however, so has all costs (hydro, groceries, gas, etc).

I'm sure your lawyer will counter her requests with something more reasonable.

If you have been tracking your expenses for the last while and doing budgets these could prove to be useful tools for your lawyers to discuss.

Best of luck

[lizzie bargain]

Sorry to hear that-hopefully the legal fees, the extra child support payments and the dental fees will be deductible on your taxes to soften the financial hit a little bit.

[jasperandchar]

We met with the lawyer yesterday. Good and bad news. Her request for back pay is null. She has never formally requested to have the settlement updated, and it states in the agreement that she is to go through his lawyer for these matters. So because she never requested anything, we will only have to backpay her last month when she made the request. Huge relief.

Bad news. The lawyer will cost us $3000 to try and keep this from going to court. We're going to pay $225 more a month in child support plus we were told that we have to cover 95% of the cost of her braces. We have been paying half every month. The ex went ahead and got step-daughter braces without our consent. She did not need them for medical reasons-it was cosmetic and because all of her friends had them. Anyways, long story short, we now have to pay for 95% because the ex refuses to go get a job so she does not make enough to pay for them. I don't understand how this system works.

All in all, we're looking at almost $500 more a month to this woman. Not good news for us. We don't have that money. I don't know what we're going to do.

WOW that's quite an increase per month.

Could you have negotiate to put the $500 per month in RESP which go to the daughter when the time comes, the ex would not have access to the funds.

I hope you will be paying the orthodontist directly because if you give her the $ she might spend it elsewhere.

Also have you asked your lawyer how often she is allowed to ask for increases and isn't there % allowed for increases or is the $500 the % increase amount allowed.

If you don't mind my asking how old is your step-daughter?

What are the pros to settling without going to court with the exception of legal fees?

[jasperandchar]

My 2017 Financial Resolutions are

1. Continue to save up PC plus points, sdm points, leger web survery $ and swagbucks for Christmas.
IN 2016 we had $880 in pc points, 3x 95K redemptions & 1x 50K at sdm, $40 in legerweb surveys

2. Continue to meal plan and take meat out the night before.

3. Continue to price match and use as many coupons as possible.

4. Purchase a 2nd vehicle. (see #5) - DONE

5. January through June put all of dh's pays aside to rebuild bank account(s) after purchasing Vehicle -


6. Continue to save before we buy, it makes such a difference and makes us accountable for our spending and future goals

7. Put in new powder room downstairs

8. Set up a new account for family vacation (smaller trip in 2017 and hopefully a larger (winter getaway in 2018) - Put all medical/dental reimbursements into this account going forward as savings





Cottage Goals

1. Have an electrician do the wiring at the cottage which will be ran off a generator.

2. Hire someone to close in the cottage, including facia and balcony.

3. Hire a drywaller for the upstairs loft at the cottage and have laminate flooring installed (flooring is already purchased)

4. Continue to post items for sale and tuck the funds away for designated project

5. Build a main entry way (enclosed) at the cottage.

___________________________

Update

Goal #1 We already have enough sdm points for 1x 95K remdeption which we save for Christmas

Goal #5 We have repaid 2 of the 4 accounts we borrowed from to purchase our new to us car.

Goal #8 We have started putting the medical reimbursements cheques into a family vacation account.

BONUS GOAL - DH is doing my grocery errands after work and using coupons which is awesome, saves us from having to travel out on weekends.

[lilo0003]

I have really been challenged this year to set gaols as we are totally on track financial although any anytime life can kick you to the curb. Everything I set out to do last year we achieved and are maintaining. Stick packing lunch everyday and rarely buying coffee out. This one will be harder now as I have just found out I will soon be working downtown TO full time so a full time Go train commuter (blech). So to prevent any craziness I have now decided I have a budget of 5.00 a week so really no more than 2 coffees. Our big expense is a kitchen reno that we will pay in cash for. We have almost 75% ready so here is me stuck wondering what my financial goal will be and then the life kicking you to the curb thing happened and that became my goal. I have a family member I love to bits that lives far away, and another I love to bits that just got scary medical news (still waiting to see the prognosis) and so I know that my 1st family member will love to come home to be here for the second (they are siblings) I can save some of the money needed for a plane ticket. So back to selling stuff and as FBM says adding money to my crap sold jar. So my gaol is to save at least 500.00 by summer by selling stuff, saving my coffee money and rolling up the change I have been saving.
I also decided to make losing 25 pounds a financial goal since I am spending money on WW but I could stop spending the money if I was at goal and since financial stuff motivates me this is how I plan to get there.

[jasperandchar]

I have really been challenged this year to set gaols as we are totally on track financial although any anytime life can kick you to the curb. Everything I set out to do last year we achieved and are maintaining. Stick packing lunch everyday and rarely buying coffee out. This one will be harder now as I have just found out I will soon be working downtown TO full time so a full time Go train commuter (blech). So to prevent any craziness I have now decided I have a budget of 5.00 a week so really no more than 2 coffees. Our big expense is a kitchen reno that we will pay in cash for. We have almost 75% ready so here is me stuck wondering what my financial goal will be and then the life kicking you to the curb thing happened and that became my goal. I have a family member I love to bits that lives far away, and another I love to bits that just got scary medical news (still waiting to see the prognosis) and so I know that my 1st family member will love to come home to be here for the second (they are siblings) I can save some of the money needed for a plane ticket. So back to selling stuff and as FBM says adding money to my crap sold jar. So my gaol is to save at least 500.00 by summer by selling stuff, saving my coffee money and rolling up the change I have been saving.
I also decided to make losing 25 pounds a financial goal since I am spending money on WW but I could stop spending the money if I was at goal and since financial stuff motivates me this is how I plan to get there.

@lilo0003 you are always so very generous in helping others, this goal of helping with a plane ticket really doesn't surprise me as it's something I simply expect of you (blush) your kindness towards your family & friends is amazing

I look forward to hearing about your weight loss journey.

[wimbly11]

We've tried to negotiate for an RESP before, she refuses, because it means she wouldn't have her hands on the money. We know how she spends and 95% of what we pay in child support is wasted. I's frustrating.

We do pay directly to the orthodontist now and will continue to with the increase. Again, she wanted us to pay her our half...ummm...no.

We are putting a clause in the response that she cannot continuously ask for increases. Our lawyer talked about this with us to. Said he didn't want her to abuse this.

Step daughter is 15 so we were told that visits aren't even enforced anymore at this ago. She rarely comes to see us anymore. So it's hard for DH to deal with, because he isn't even getting to see his daughter now.

WOW that's quite an increase per month.

Could you have negotiate to put the $500 per month in RESP which go to the daughter when the time comes, the ex would not have access to the funds.

I hope you will be paying the orthodontist directly because if you give her the $ she might spend it elsewhere.

Also have you asked your lawyer how often she is allowed to ask for increases and isn't there % allowed for increases or is the $500 the % increase amount allowed.

If you don't mind my asking how old is your step-daughter?

What are the pros to settling without going to court with the exception of legal fees?

[jasperandchar]

We've tried to negotiate for an RESP before, she refuses, because it means she wouldn't have her hands on the money. We know how she spends and 95% of what we pay in child support is wasted. I's frustrating.

We do pay directly to the orthodontist now and will continue to with the increase. Again, she wanted us to pay her our half...ummm...no.

We are putting a clause in the response that she cannot continuously ask for increases. Our lawyer talked about this with us to. Said he didn't want her to abuse this.

Step daughter is 15 so we were told that visits aren't even enforced anymore at this ago. She rarely comes to see us anymore. So it's hard for DH to deal with, because he isn't even getting to see his daughter now.

I don't see how she can refuse the RESP because it's still $ given for their daughter. Have you talked this over with the lawyer? I'm curious how she can dictate the amount of $ needed/wanted as an increase and then say no to an RESP ask it's still financial support. My assumption is the reason why she is saying no is because when the time comes for College/university she will stick you and your dh with the whole bill and not 1/2.

Sorry for all the questions AND I'm extremely sad to hear their daughter no longer visits that's sad.