Give Me Back My Five Bucks

He just announced another West Coast tour, and you know I have to go. This time it's in Seattle on Jan 26th. I got 2 tickets in the 8th row, but I'm hoping to somehow get a better seat. Perhaps I sell my 2 tickets, and take that money to buy 1 ticket in a closer row. I'll definitely get more than what I paid for them, since the concert was practically sold out hours after they started selling tickets this morning ... and I have no issues going to a concert by myself. In fact, with RA especially, I prefer it. That way it's easier and less awkward for him to ask me up into his tour bus, to tell me how much he's missed me since our July 29th trip to 7-11 together.

Clearly since I'm not making much money right now, and I can't miss this concert, I'm taking the $$ out of my Travel Fund. The tickets were $98 for the both of them (including Ticketmaster fees), and as for accommodation, if I end up going by myself, I'll stay at the hostel in a cheap room for around $30. But if I go with someone, we can split the cost of a $80-100 hotel room.

Also, in case you're wondering, when I was talking about my potential start date with the job in Edmonton, I told him that I would prefer not to start until late January/early February b/c of how the part-time job schedule at the arena has played out (plus, I'd have to train someone to take over my job) ... and he seemed fine with it, and pretty flexible, so I would still be able to go to this concert. :)

***EDIT***
I am going to see RYAN Adams, not Bryan Adams. :)

The past few days, I've been mulling over moving to Edmonton ... and you guys are all right. Why shouldn't I move? The job market is showing me no love here, and while Alberta is certainly getting very expensive, it's still cheaper than living here or in Vancouver. Plus, I'm young and single ... and I was going to move away from here eventually, I just didn't think it was going to be that soon.

Plus, it's not like I have to live in Edmonton forever. I'd come back sooner or later. A friend told me that staying in this city is "career suicide," because unless you are established enough to have connections, chances are your growth will be stunted before it can really even develop.

It's not even really my friends and family that have me concerned. I've lived away from them before, and yes I missed them all dearly, but it's not like I'll never see them again. I'm concerned about stupid things, like the cold wreaking havoc on my skin. Having to find an apartment. Not having a car. I'm concerned about the fact that I will have to give up field hockey because they don't have a league there.

I'm most concerned about not working at the arena anymore. Sure, it's just a part-time job, but it's truly my passion. I live for this job. I'm the only person to have ever had it, and it's the only job like it in the city, and really on the entire island. I feel like it's mine, and I should protect it, because I might never get a chance to have that opportunity again. And that's my career goal ... to work in professional sports. It's what makes me happy. Do I leave it behind, and hope that by gaining experience in a completely different industry, I can return to it down the road? It's hard to get into professional sports, and I was the lucky one to get this opportunity with a new team (thanks to some networking and general good timing) ... but now that I have my foot in the door, do I take it out and hope someone will be nice enough to open it again for me? Or is this my one and only chance?

I know that if the job is offered to me and it fits all my requirements, I should take this opportunity and run with it. I just have to get over all the things that are holding me back, and convince myself that it's the right thing to do. Because it is. I think. Maybe.

Well, I just had a second phone interview with the job in Edmonton. I was really apprehensive about it, and was thinking about calling to withdraw ... but the guy who interviewed me (who would be my boss) was really cool. He's originally from this city, and is coming down with his family next weekend ... so he wants to arrange a face-to-face third interview. We also talked about when I could start, and he seemed really flexible with a start date. He said that he would be willing to wait for when was best for me, because he's looking for the right candidate in a long-term role, and doesn't want to rush anything. Especially since I would have to relocate. He also noted my salary range was definitely doable, and said he would do everything he could to bump me up to the higher end of what I want.

The job itself seems like a GREAT opportunity. He said he was looking to groom someone as if they were going to take over his position - a "work partnership," is what he called it. That's exactly what I'm looking for.

I want to stay here on the west coast very much, but if I'm not getting any response from the positions I've been applying for, I can't wait forever. I've been on the job hunt for almost 2 months now ... time is ticking!

When I retire, I don't dream about living in a million dollar home on a huge plot of land. I don't dream of living an extravagant lifestyle. I don't dream of owning 5 cars, a boat, or wearing expensive designer clothing.

When I retire, I want to see the world. I want to travel, experience different cultures, and I want to do it without having to worry about money. Another big part of retirement for me is to live a simple life, while doing the least possible damage to the environment surrounding me.

This is NOT a sponsored post.

I was watching a design show yesterday called Small Space, Big Design. It featured a Canadian architect by the name of Andy Thompson, who has created something called the miniHOME. It's an off-grid ecologically designed home that has been made affordable for anyone. It combines resource-saving features like solar power and a composting toilet with luxury items like a full soaker tub in a cedar bathroom. It's classified as an RV because it's on wheels, but it has been designed to feel like a real home.

This is the world's first off-grid, high-style, portable house. At only 325 sq. ft., it's packed with amazing little nooks and crannies, and all the modern conveniences of a typical house ... except that it uses just 1/10th of the energy.

I love how functional everything is in the home. The dining room table is rigged to triple as a side table, a kitchen table, or a dining room table, depending on how many guests you have. The sliding full-sized closet doors also double as the washroom door. The staircase upstairs to the loft doubles as a bookshelf, and the kitchen has 4 ft. of space in-between each side, so it can easily accommodate 2 people ... plus, with the loft, that means the ceiling is 13 ft. high!

There's a lot of appeal in the fact that this home is off-grid. I've been watching a lot of shows lately that deal with just this sort of lifestyle. In particular, I've been fascinated by Les Stroud and his show, Off The Grid. This is the same guy who does the show Survivorman. I love this guy, and he could not be a bigger badass.

This home is honestly everything that I'm looking for. All I would need is a remote plot of land on this island somewhere in the mountains, nestled by a beautiful lake, and the means to get this home to the location. :)

For more information and more pictures on the miniHOME, check out sustain.ca!

Alright, it's been a few weeks since I updated the Blogroll, and I have a bunch of new sites to add. If I've missed adding yours, please let me know. I try to keep tabs of how many people e-mail me, but sometimes one just slips by.

• Running Down Debt - the blog of a Harvard graduate student who is freeing herself from the grips of debt and saving for a financially-stable future.


• Debt Dieter - working hard to eliminate $56,722 of consumer debt and become debt free by May 2010.


• Cynthia's Debt Marathon - a 30-something married mother working her way out of debt.


• Fumbling Towards Frugality - a newly married student just trying to find some monetary balance in her life.


• The Financial Blogger - a Canadian blog about personal finance, investments and more.


• Make More and Spend Less - a young couple and their journey out of debt and down a path to financial independence.
  


• Merlot Chic - a 40-something woman who LOVES Merlot, and is battling her growing debt and her constant battle with weight.
  

I'm feeling really positive about the job situation, and about life in general right now. Call me crazy, since I'm single, unemployed, living in my parents' basement ... and I haven't showered in two days ... but I feel great.

The job situation has taken an interesting turn, and a perfect opportunity might be coming up for me. I can see this becoming the dream job scenario. I had posted about it yesterday, so some of you might have already read it ... but I took it down after about an hour. I don't want to jinx it, so that's all I'm going to say for now.

In other job news, I've been called for a second interview on Wednesday with the company in Edmonton. It's another phone interview. I was thinking of telling them that I would be in that area for another interview next week, but when I called the organization that was flying me out, they said that the reimbursement for the flight would only be valid for the days that they specified, and I couldn't change those dates. Fair enough.

Speaking of Edmonton, another reader of my blog contacted me today about an opportunity she happened to come across, and thought it was something that would be of interest to me. I won't post your name on this blog, but thank you so much for thinking of me. I really appreciate it, and I will definitely be applying for that job. :)

And now, I'm going to go take a shower.

Well, I went grocery shopping today and spent $35, which is approximately what I spent the last time I went shopping. A few things made this week a little more expensive than usual - I bought a huge box of Red Rose tea ($5) and a block of cheese ($7, regular was $11.59).

Saturday night out with my friend was a lot of fun. I didn't feel as old or as out of touch with the "bar scene" as I thought I would. I even recognized most of the music - albeit, they were now all remixed to death. Can't people come up with original music nowadays? I had 4 drinks and my share of cab fare was $15.25. It was an expensive evening by my standards (about $35), but I know that's not bad. Plus, I never EVER go out, so I figured it was okay.

The best part of the night? My friend went to the washroom, so I was sitting alone at our table ... and a 20 year old guy came over, sat down across from me, and tried to pick me up! I told him I was too old for him, and it turns out he thought I was around 19. So that made this quarter-century gal feel pretty good. :)

I'm going out again this Friday night with some of the people from the part-time job, and then after that, I don't think I'll do another bar night until the New Year. It's just too expensive to do when you're unemployed.

Well, after thinking about it, I think I'm going to take the opportunity to go for the interview. No, it doesn't really follow my rules for moving ... but this is a great opportunity to be in a position and gain the experience I would not be able to get in many other places. And you've got to start somewhere, right?

My parents are very much against me even considering the position. They're concerned about the isolation from any "big city," the small town atmosphere, and the harsh winters - something I've never really experienced before. Personally, I'm scared of the 3 hr. drive to the city from the airport in the rental car. I don't have much experience driving in snow, or in temperatures below freezing. Hopefully there's cell phone coverage along the highway if I end up getting in trouble.

Tonight a friend is taking me "out on the town." We used to go out a lot a few years ago, when we were both single. Now, we find ourselves both single again, so I'm pretty excited. Although I went to a pub with another friend last night (just bought one drink special for $4), and I felt so old and ancient and frumpy compared to all the young, drunk, obnoxious people surrounding us. Girls are dressing so scandalous these days!

Before I head out for the evening, I just thought I would share two YouTube videos I found of one of Canada's most talented folk singers (and one of my favourite artists), Jeremy Fisher. Enjoy! :)

Sula - solo, acoustic


Scar That Never Heals - full band, on Craig Ferguson

In an interesting turn of events, the interview I have scheduled for December 3rd ... they just called back and have decided that they want me to fly out and do the interview in person. It's a municipal government job, so I can see why this might be necessary.

I've never been flown out for an interview before, but I think it's pretty neat. I just have to save my receipts for my flight, rental car (the city is about 3 hrs away from Edmonton), hotel and meals, and they will reimburse me for all of the expenses. The woman on the phone estimated the trip would cost about $800.

Is it ethical of me to travel all the way there on their dime, knowing in my heart that I'm very lukewarm about the position? I mean, it could end up being my dream job ... but based on what my previous criteria was for work (see previous post), it seems like this job doesn't fit the bill. Yet, I'm still curious.

So, I sort of regret applying for every single communications/marketing position I could find in Canada, in that blind "I just got let go, so now I'm desperate for a job" rage I was in for about two weeks last month ... because now I'm actually getting calls for interviews. In middle-of-nowhere hick towns I really wouldn't consider living in. Ever.

I'm starting to come around about the idea of moving from this city, but I've decided that if I do, I'm only going to move to a city that will provide me with the opportunity to pursue a secondary career in professional sports (much like the part-time job I have now), and that could eventually lead to full-time employment in that industry. For example, I would move to Edmonton or Calgary because not only do they have NHL teams, but they also have a ton of teams that feed into the NHL. I would not move to Nanaimo, BC because there are no professional sport opportunities there.

This morning I called and canceled the interview I had scheduled for later today. It was for a town in Northern Alberta, and I honestly wouldn't move there even if I were offered the job. And while I could have practiced my interview skills, I didn't think it was worth the employer's time to set up a 3-person panel, or my time to research into an industry I know nothing about, if I wasn't serious about the job.

And just like that, a few minutes ago I got called to schedule an interview with another small town in Alberta. I got the details and set up a time on December 3rd for the interview ... but I'm pretty sure I'm going to call and cancel sometime next week. Although it seems like a good job, so perhaps I should be considering it.

So there it is. It's taken me a while to come to this conclusion - where I would move to, and what I would be willing to do to find full-time employment. Now that I know, I feel a lot better having set those boundaries for myself ... and I feel more confident that maybe moving could be a good thing for me.

Well, the good news is I was able to fully fund my EF today. The bad news is my credit cards were a lot higher this month than they usually are. This was due to a few factors, including my mini-trip to Seattle, replacing my prescription sunglasses, and a bit of retail therapy due to the break-up. I'm the only one to blame, and my only saving grace is that I'm not in any sort of debt. That being said, I could have been a lot smarter with my money this month. Hopefully these choices won't come back to bite me as this was my last pay cheque from the FT job.

Next pay period, I expect to get a few hours of pay from the FT job, about 15 hrs. from the PT job, and hopefully I'll have this contract piece finished up. I also $$ from PPP sitting in my PayPal that I can cash out if I need. It's not a lot, but should be around $150 by that time.

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Americans out there! :)

My interview today went really well. The HR woman seemed really positive about all my answers, and I'm pretty certain I'll get called for a second interview. She said that she would pass on her interview notes to the Manager (who would be my boss), and he would then decide whether he wants to contact me for either a phone interview, or fly me out for an in-person. When she asked for my salary expectations, I was honest and said that I would like to stay within the same salary range that I'm in right now, although I would be open to negotiation.

Pluses of the job are that they seem to have a really great corporate work environment, they have offices all around the world, and they like to promote from within. Minuses are that I would have to move to Edmonton (where the only people I know are an ex-BF, a work acquaintance from my co-op term in Northern Alberta, and an ex-field hockey teammate), they don't have any sort of education allowance or reimbursement, and while it's a marketing position, it's working in an industry I know nothing about.

In other work-related news, I have to go to set up a photo shoot tonight for the website I'm designing. I should get a shot list ready, but I think I'm just going to fly by the seat of my pants tonight. If I don't get the shots I want, I'll have to go back Friday evening and do it again. Unfortunately I'm not really set up for photography - while I have a decent camera (considering it's not a digital SLR), I don't even have a tripod to use. Will see what happens.

Also, at practice last night, a teammate who works in the government was thinking of offering me a contract to do a book layout for her department.

Could I possibly make a living off of just my freelance business alone? It's something to think about, because I have been enjoying working in my pajamas all day long this week. :) And I've always wanted to be in business for myself, but didn't think I could pursue it until I got more experience under my belt. It would be a huge career move, and at this point in my life, I don't think it would be the right choice to make. But it's definitely something to consider.

So with the recent drop in PR to anyone who uses PayPerPost, they've now come up with a new way to rank blogs ... called RealRank. Apparently, they just rank you from 1 - 1,000,000 (number depending on how many blogs are registered with PPP), with the #1 position obviously being the best. It's sort of interesting, although I'm not exactly sure how they're calculating RealRank positions.

I have a RealRank of #161 for this blog (and a PR of 0), which is pretty amazing, although I don't know how accurate that really is. I highly doubt I'm the 161st most popular blog registered with PPP. My other blog has a RealRank of 0, but still has a PR of 2. It's weird.

At any rate, I'm getting higher opps now, but not by much, and definitely not as high as I was getting when I was a PR 4. And apparently it's going to take a while for advertisers to weigh RealRank on the same level as they rank PR and Alexa, since those are still options to choose when they choose which kind of blogs can post about their services.

Anyone else who uses PPP, what is your RealRank? You can check it by clicking on the "My Blogs" tab on the PPP website.

Thanks for all of your input about claiming the freelance income in my EI claim. I wasn't trying to "get away" with anything. My intention wasn't to try and scam the system - I honestly had no idea if I had to claim my freelancing since it isn't a steady source of income.

Now I know that I have to claim it! :)

It's kind of sad that the amount of money I'm bringing in this year with my freelancing won't put me in the black compared to the amount of $$ I spent on my business (mostly that new iMac computer) ... it's better than bringing in ZERO dollars last year, and hopefully I'll see a better result in 2008. Although to be fair, I never really promoted my services this year since I was already working a lot.

I have an interview this morning for a position in Edmonton. This would be an amazing opportunity to work with a pretty huge company on the international scene. It would definitely provide me with a lot of room for growth, and great experience. It's in Edmonton though, so we'll see.

Just a thought ... should I be declaring my freelance income on my EI claim?

I don't know if it makes a difference, but I'll be claiming any money I make through my design business as income when I file my taxes in the spring.

I had a panic attack today as I walked around this place and realized that by the end of next week, it's going to look pretty darn empty. There are so many things I'll need to replace that I never really thought of before. And they aren't really wants either ... most of them are pretty essential. For example, I don't have an ironing board, a kettle, a toaster (or a toaster oven), a knife block, a cutting board ... I have very few pots and pans of my own ... no coffee table, no bookshelves ... not even a rug for the bathroom floor. Most of the stuff I can do without for now. I'm going to have to! But eventually, it'll all have to get replaced.

Today I met with the guy who wants me to do his website. We went over a bunch of details and it turns out his budget is a lot smaller than I had originally thought ... so it's a good thing the website he wants me to create is a lot less complicated than I had been anticipating. I'll have to write some copy and do the photography, but I think I can work smart and get the project done for around $500-600. It's really more of a favour than anything, but he's a good contact to have, and plus he's a sponsor for the hockey team I work for ... so I'm happy to help him out.

And out of the meeting, his wife (who is also one of my field hockey teammates) asked me to quote her a price to design and maintain a website for an organization she heads up. It'll be an ongoing contract, so that will be a good one to sink my teeth into. I know my price will be the most competitive, since any of the design firms in town would probably cost at least quadruple the price I would.

Not much new to report. Today was my last day at my full time job. I'm still going to log a few hours this week as I help them prep for some upcoming events. They want me to design a few posters and ads for them, and I'm more than willing to help out. I also told my boss that I'm always available for contract work if he needs it.

As for the website contract, I was supposed to send him the link to my online portfolio, but it was being hosted on the ex-BF's server ... and he's since taken it down. I'm going to burn the files to a CD and bring it into him tomorrow, so it should work the same as if he were viewing on the internet. Hopefully that'll be okay.

I applied for a position a few weeks ago at my uncle's company. It's a huge company, but he said he knew the person who's doing the hiring, and will go and talk to her on Monday for me. He's been with the company for over 25 years, so hopefully he'll have some pull. It's a great job, and while it wouldn't pay as much as a few of the positions I have interviews for in Alberta, I'm willing to take the pay cut in order to stay in the city. Fingers are definitely crossed on this one.

My weight-loss plan is going well. While I haven't seen a change in my weight in the past few days, my pants are sure feeling a lot looser. I've been lifting weights, so it's probably just muscle mass I'm gaining. :)

Also I've been bad and haven't been commenting on the many blogs that I read on a daily basis. Starting now, I'm going to be a lot better at leaving comments, I promise.

Well late last month, I had a phone interview with a not-for-profit in Calgary. When I didn't hear from him, I figured I didn't get the position. Not that I minded much, since I don't think I'd be the best person for the job (and I don't think it's the right position for me) ... but I just got a call, and we're going to speak again on Tuesday about the job. The way he spoke, it seems like the job is mine if I want it ... which is surprising, but they've been without a person in this position since August, so I'm sure they're getting pretty antsy to fill it.

So next week, I have 3 phone interviews, all for positions in Alberta.

Also last night at my field hockey game, one of my teammates asked if I would design his company website for him. I don't know how much to charge, and I feel like I should give him a break in price since him and his wife are longtime family friends, and my sister works for him. I was originally thinking of charging $875. I don't think he wants anything too fancy, so for about 35 hrs. of work, that's $25/hr. That's fair, right?

Too many choices. Although I guess having choices is better than having none at all.

I have a phone interview next Friday for a communications position within government in Alberta. This'll be my third interview for a job in Alberta. It's in Northern Alberta (about 2 hrs. away from Edmonton), but it's a great opportunity to 1) get in with the government, 2) gain valuable experience, and 3) save money since it pays the same as my current position. Plus, it's only an 18 month contract (with the possibility of an extension), so it's not like I would have to be up there forever.

As much as I hate the idea of living in Northern Alberta again, it might be good for me. Maybe. We'll see.

Also, Google has been on top of my horoscope lately. I'm impressed.

Feisty Mars is camped out in your 10th House of Career, making this a great time to drive steadily toward your professional goals. But its retrograde motion can bring about delays, so don't be too hard on yourself if you don't get what you want right away. Instead of wearing yourself out, remember you are better served now by working smarter, not harder.

What is going on!? This week, my PR has dropped from a 4 to 2 and now to ZERO. It's impossible for me to have a zero PR. Something must be going on.

Also, last night when working at my arena job, someone had the balls to sneak upstairs to where all the office cubicles are and steal all the cash out of my wallet, and my sister's wallet! We leave our bags and coats in my boss' cubicle ... and the door to get to the offices aren't locked during the games, but you have to go through the team store to get to them, so whoever went upstairs most likely would have been an employee. I had about $50 in my wallet, and my sister had $20. I'm fortunate they didn't steal my credit cards, cell phone, or my iPod (which was right beside my wallet in my purse) ... and it's not so much the money I'm upset with, but the fact that it was probably someone we all know and talk to every day that took the money. :(

I almost NEVER carry cash because I'm paranoid of getting robbed ... and the ONE time I have cash on me (from my trip to Vancouver/Seattle on the weekend - I just didn't have time to deposit it into the bank in between jobs) ... that's the ONE time I get robbed. What are the chances? That's just like the ONE time I didn't wear my mouth guard to play field hockey, I got my front teeth knocked in ... and the ONE time I didn't wear my protective gear to ride my scooter, I crashed.

Have you ever had a complete stranger go out of their way to do something kind for you? Whether it's running to open a door for you when you're overloaded with parcels, or taking the time to really talk to that person you see sitting on the street corner every day ... or even smiling at someone ... it's moments like that, that really make me see what a wonderful world we live in - and how out of all the anger and hatred and war we have going on right now, there are still kind, generous people out there.

Today I was having a rough day at work. Then, a reader of this blog e-mailed me with a lead on a potential job opening at her company she thought I'd be good at. She then revealed that she was Debbit Debt, a woman who came to me a few months ago for help with her debt problem. It's such a small world, and it put a huge smile on my face. To try and help someone, and to be helped in return. I don't know, it just warms my heart. And maybe this lead doesn't pan out to anything ... but it just goes to show you what a wonderful community we have in this PF blogging world.

I'm slowly but surely losing weight. I can see it. But now that I'm keeping track of my food and making sure I'm eating proper portioned meals, I'm finding that I'm always hungry. I've been able to curb this by drinking water and/or tea before and after my meals to help make myself feel more full.

Also, whenever I'm watching TV, I pull out my yoga mat, and do free weights, an ab workout, and stretching. It makes me feel good that I'm doing something to improve my well-being, instead of zoning out and flipping through channels.

As for field hockey, the first half of the season is slowing down in anticipation for the winter break. Instead of playing 4x/week, I'm now down to 2 or 3x/week. It'll be like this for the next 3 weeks or so, and then won't pick back up again until the season starts up in the second week of January. That means I'm going to have to really watch what I eat, and make sure I'm getting out there and running more often than I am right now.

I'm going to try to accomplish this whole 10 lbs. weight loss challenge without spending any money. I'm not going to sign up for a gym, I'm not going to take any fitness classes, I'm not going to buy any fitness equipment or weights, and I'm not going to buy special "weight loss" bars or shakes or whatever else people use to try and lose weight. I'll use what I've already got, and improvise. For example, if you don't have weights, use soup cans or water bottles! It may look and sound dumb, but it works. :)

Before the ex-BF moved in with me about 1.5 years ago, I had only lived with one other guy before. This guy, we'll call him S for the purposes of the story - he was awful with money. And while I wasn't much better (my debt was piling up), I did have some limitations. When it came to managing the household money, S would just sign his pay cheques over to me every 2 weeks, and we would share my bank account & debit card.

This worked well because I could monitor how much money we had, since we were living paycheque-to-paycheque at the time. But it was also bad because neither of us were very good at managing money, I was just the lesser of two evils. Thinking back to that period of my life, I can't believe I used to live like that. We were living on the edge, and I bet at any given point, we never had more than $100 to our names, in cash or credit.

Fast forward to the present. When the ex-BF moved in, we decided to keep our finances separate. In order to share household expenses, we created a spreadsheet, installed Quicken on our computers, and would alternate buying groceries every week, carrying forward balances owing, and making sure we were completely even in money spent. At the beginning, I was still in college, so he paid for most of the household costs. But as I got my first job, and then started to make roughly the same amount as him, the costs became more even. That worked extremely well, and has helped me become more aware of my financial well-being.

Which leads me to my question ... if you currently live with someone, or have lived with someone in the past, how did you manage the household money? Did you have a joint account, or did you keep your finances separate?

My Google PR has mysteriously dropped from a 4 back down to a 2 ... meaning the PPP opps that are available to me are few and far between. Not to mention that none of them are above $10. And I'm just not willing clutter up this blog and double or triple the amount of sponsored posts on this site, just to make a few extra bucks. This is frustrating because that extra income would have really helped me out.

I'm not sure what else I can be doing to remedy this whole job/life situation. I've exhausted all my industry contacts, and nobody seems to be hiring. And as hard as I'm trying to stay positive, I've been trying hard not to cry all day. I didn't think it would be this hard to find a job, seeing as the last time I applied for positions in the summer, I was getting interviews left and right. Now, when I really need a job, I'm coming up empty-handed.

This is my last week of work, and I haven't gotten a single call from any jobs I've applied for in the city. So far, I've gotten 2 interviews for jobs in Alberta (one I've already had, and the other will most likely be late this week or early next week sometime), but I honestly am not prepared to move at this point in my life. After going through this break-up, I want to be near friends and family who I know will be there for me. I want to move away eventually, but going right now might just be too much.

So, I'm going to keep applying for jobs, and I'm going to keep staring at my cell phone, hoping it'll ring ... because that's the only thing I really can do at this point. Gotta stay positive.

Some of you know the area that I live in, but for those who don't - I'm located on Vancouver Island, which is just off the west coast of BC, Canada. It's a fairly large island, and unless you're near the water, it doesn't really feel like an island at all.

Living on this island is great, as I'm sure Wooly Woman would agree with me. I love everything about this city and this island, except when it comes to traveling to the mainland by ferry. It's a pain in the butt, and requires a lot more planning ... not to mention more money!

This weekend was the worst I've ever seen the ferry service. Not only was it a long weekend (lots of travelers!), but we also had a pretty severe wind storm (over 100,000 households are still without power up the coast) ... and that led to sporadic ferry service, long line-ups and lots of angry, frustrated travelers. What a nightmare. The foot passenger line-up was out the terminal door, and down the street a good 400-500 metres. (The car line-up was backed up for KILOMETRES ... they couldn't even fit all the cars into the terminal area, that's how crazy it was ... and it was apparently a 3-4 sailing wait to get across). People were getting really cranky, and when anyone tried to budge in line, all hell broke loose. Pushing, shoving, shouting matches, the works! I swear, if we had to stand in that line-up another 5 minutes, a massive brawl would have started.

When we eventually got on the ferry, the ride was sketchy. We went a lot slower than usual, and I felt really seasick. But even though the traveling was a nightmare, I had a great mini-vacation in Seattle. We went to see the Sonics/Pistons game, and that was really cool. We ended up bumping into my cousin and his GF at the outlet mall in Tulalip. They were going to the basketball game as well, so after the game we went out for dinner with them. That was a really nice surprise.

I bought a lot more than I had anticipated buying. It felt good to buy clothing to enter into a new phase of my life, and I feel a twinge of guilt, but not that much. Since it was a long weekend, we got really good sales ... plus I signed up for the outlet mall's VIP club (it was free), and got an extra 10-20% off all my purchases. In related news, I bought a J.Crew peacoat (regular $225) for $37, and two other nice J.Crew tops for $8 each!!! I'm going to list them on eBay sometime this week (probably on Sunday).

Well I'm about 1/3 of the way through the month, and I've made $120 so far via PPP. I'm just ahead of schedule for making $300 in November. I have 21 days left to make $180, which breaks down to $60/week or just about $8.57 per day. Piece of cake!

Well, today was pay day, so I updated my NetworthIQ and my sidebar totals. Although not by much. :( On a positive note, I killed off the remaining RRSP loan I had, so now I'm once again completely debt-free.

My entire next pay cheque (minus travel fund & rent) can go towards my EF, so I'm feeling okay about facing this unemployment phase of my life. I still have hope that I'll only be unemployed for a few weeks, but a good friend thought the same way (she works in the same industry as me), and she ended up being unemployed (still working PT though) for over 6 months. And that's really frightening.

Anyway, here's where my money went:

• Income:
  
• $1,531 ($1,303 from FT job, and $228 from PT job)
• $712 (took out the bulk of my Condo Down Payment Fund to pay off the RRSP loan)
  
• $300 to EF
• $150 to Travel Fund
• $1,200 to RRSP loan
• $420 to Visa bill ($275 of it was for my sunglasses, which leaves $145 that I spent on groceries, dining out, eBay shipping costs, etc)
• $17 to MasterCard bill (2 weeks worth of gas & one Tim Horton's lunch)
  

Note: the following post is sponsored

Now, I've mentioned it before, but for those of you who don't know, I met the ex-BF on an Online Dating Site called Lavalife. It was at a time in my life where I was taking 7 classes, volunteering, working 2 PT jobs, and playing on 2 field hockey teams ... I didn't have a lot of free time to go out and meet people the conventional way. Neither did any of my classmates, so a bunch of us signed up for Lavalife, and have been using it off and on since then. In fact, one of my classmates just got married to a woman he met on Lavalife! :)

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It's too soon to really tell, but I would probably try online dating again. It's a really great way to meet people you otherwise would never meet. Plus, it's a pretty frugal way to meet people. I don't know how much it costs to buy credits anymore, but it ends up working out to about 50 cents to e-mail someone (and then all contact with that person from then on is free) ... and that's way cheaper than having to spend $25-50 to go out to a bar or wherever else people are meeting up these days.

The greatest thing about online dating is you can pick and choose people without hurting their feeings. If some unfortunate looking guy decides to message you, you can just not write him back and never have to deal with it again. But if that same guy came up to you in a bar, bought you a drink, and tried to hit on you, that's just a little too awkward for my liking.

The ex-BF and I didn't travel in the same social circles, and we didn't have any of the same interests, so we probably would have never met if it weren't for online dating. And now that it's becoming more and more popular, I don't think it's as taboo as it once was. It's for everyone now - and not just for people who aren't able to get dates in "real life." Most people I know have tried online dating of some sort, and I know it works. I've met some great people because of it, and am still friends with a few of them.

Have you tried online dating before?

So after Saving Diva made her public declaration about wanting to lose 10 lbs, she's inspired me to do the same. I too want to lose 10 lbs, and it's hard because my natural weight is exactly 10 lbs heavier than what I'd ideally like to be at. So it's a constant struggle to keep that weight down. And honestly, even though I have a smallish frame (size 4), I'm the only one who can notice that extra 10 lbs on me. But it's the difference between my clothing fitting me perfectly, or them pulling a little where they really shouldn't be pulling. Plus, I find I'm much more confident when I'm at my ideal weight. With my natural weight, I'm a little self-conscious.

For the past two weeks I've been keeping a food journal (much like a spending journal), and I've been recording everything I eat, including the time I ate it ... and how many glasses of water I'm drinking each day. It's kind of tedious, but it's definitely been working. I used to keep a meticulous food journal when I was playing in the NCAA, and it really helped me eat properly and control what I was eating during the season. There's nothing worse than looking gross in those ridiculously short field hockey skirts! And P.S., I swear those skirts have been getting shorter and shorter as the years go by. When I first graduated to wearing a skirt at about 12 years old, the length came almost to my knee ... and now, the new style of skirts barely cover my bum!

Also, along with playing field hockey 3-4 times per week, I've been doing cardio and weights at the gym at work and a gruelling 15 min. ab workout that our coach used to make us do. When this job ends, instead of buying a gym membership, I'm going to start running outside again (provided I can control my shin splints), plus I have free weights and a mat at home, so that won't be a problem.

So after talking to my friend this morning about Seattle, I've decided to go. We leave Sunday morning and will come back sometime on Monday. Plus, we are going to go to the Seattle Sonics/Detroit Pistons game for $15/ticket! I've never been to an NBA game before, and even though I don't really know much about the players or the teams, I'm excited to be going. Haven't been since the summertime! :)

As a bonus, it's going to be a Coastsaver sailing on the ferry to Vancouver, which is basically 1/2 off the price. So travel will cost $13.60 roundtrip, plus gas down to Seattle. Don't need to worry about accomodation, so I'll only have to deal with paying for 3 meals (maybe 4), since we're only going for 1 night and I'm going to pack my own breakfast for the early morning ferry ride (7am sailing).

We're also going to go to those awesome outlet stores on the way down to Seattle. I figure I can pick up my sister's Christmas present down there (and maybe my Dad's as well) ... and see if I can score some really good deals to flip on eBay.

It'll be nice to get away and de-stress. This certainly has been a crazy last few weeks for me.

Note: the following post is sponsored

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I booked a hair appointment for tomorrow after work. I don't exactly have $65 lying around for this, but after everything that's happened over the past week, I've decided that I deserve to get a fabulous hair cut ... and I'll make it fit into the budget. Then afterwards, I'm going for tea with one of the girls from my old fulltime job. She's single as well, so we're going to start hanging out more I think. :)

My field hockey games got cancelled for the weekend, and I have half a mind to go down to Seattle with my friend for a day or two. She invited me two weeks ago to come with her, but I declined. It would be really nice for me to get out of the house and relax without the BF watching every move I make. I mean, it wouldn't be that expensive, and since she has an apartment in Vancouver, we wouldn't have to pay for accomodation. I would say the trip would cost less than $100. But, I probably shouldn't go. Right?

Just over twenty years ago, a deal was signed to build mobile networks based on GSM technology. Since then, mobile phones have exploded in popularity, and I honestly don't know a single person who doesn't have a cell phone. And phones just aren't phones anymore. They're a tool to play games, take photographs, download music, read news, reply to e-mail ... and more recently, they've become a distribution and advertising channel for brands wishing to interact with their customers. Especially with premium SMS service and internet access.

Companies are now facing exciting opportunities to increase revenue by deploying mobile marketing techniques to demographically predetermined groups of potential customers. It's estimated that 1 in 3 big brand companies have already launched live moble marketing campaigns!

I think it's really important that these companies specifically target their campaigns in such a way to avoid being preceived as "spammers" through their mobile billing. I personally don't want to be receiving any sort of marketing messages on my cell phone, but I can see how it could be useful to some consumers.

I've gotten an awful lot of e-mail lately from readers of this blog, and I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to replying to all of you yet, but that will be my blog priority today and this evening, so don't you worry!

Also, I've added just a couple new blogs to the ol' Blogroll, and here they are:

• LifeEdit.net - a Canadian PF blog about frugality, productivity, organization and family living. There are a lot of great articles here, ranging from 5 Tips on Quitting Your Day Job, to Looking at your Financial Picture, to the latest article, How to Write a Great Resume.


• Frugal Noodle - a twenty-something journalist getting a handle on her budget and her future.


• NancyZimmerman.com - she also runs Your Money By Design! Nancy is a Canadian money coach set on helping middle-income Canadians take charge of their money and get ahead in life.

If you're a new reader here (or a long-time lurker ... I know there are lots of you out there!), and you want to exchange links, you know what to do! :)

My Google horoscope today read:

It may feel like your time is running out, but this is an illusion and it's important that you don't buy into it. It's time to consolidate the gains you've made over the past weeks and accept it that the times really are changing. You have all the time you'll ever need if you willingly change with the changing times.

As if things couldn't get any worse, I have officially lost my prescription sunglasses that I bought in May under the ex-BF's health plan. Haven't seen them in over a month. So yesterday, I went to the mall and bought myself another pair. For $275. And this time, they aren't going to be covered by medical (the plan only covers $200 for eye wear every 2 years).

I'll be fine in terms of paying for them, but I'm frustrated and angry at myself for losing something so expensive ... and if it had been anything else, I probably wouldn't have replaced it ... but I need sunglasses for riding my scooter, and since I'm required to wear glasses while I drive, I had to get them prescription. Plus, I get really dizzy and nauseous on days when I wear my non-prescription sunglasses.

The women at the store was nice enough, and said that if I found my old sunglasses (or if I didn't like my new pair), I could return them within 60 days for a full refund. They're being sent to the lab, and I should get them in about 10 days. Meanwhile, I'm going to go see if I can find a better deal elsewhere for sunglasses. There's another place in the same mall that had a 2-for-1 sale going on, and I wouldn't mind a new pair of everyday glasses to go along with the sunglasses. They have a smaller selection of frames, but I'll go check them out later this week.

That's one of the drawbacks of being single now ... no more medical coverage. :( The ex-BF took me off his medical plan yesterday. Good thing I have a 4-month supply of my prescriptions ... and I just went to the dentist, and am up-to-date on all that pressing dental work I needed to get done. Here's hoping whatever job I end up getting has a good medical plan!