Note to self

I submitted an insurance claim today for diabetic pump supplies not covered by the grant and my most recent massage appointment.

It's been a while

I have a lot to say. At $40, the pedicure was disappointing. The polish smeared before I left the salon, and I still have visible callouses. I'll go back to doing it myself.

I suspect there's a $600 grant cheque from the Ontario government in my purse to offset insulin pump supply costs. It's been so busy lately; I've had no time for envelope opening.

My gas consumption is increasing rapidly, as are my thoughts and desire to take the car completely off the road, and live car free.

On the brighter side, July is my $400 daycare month. My increased evening care expenses should in principle bother me slightly less.

I sold off my Bluesfest pass at a serious discount for $100 and reduced my anticipated need for evening sitter services.

Not enough time to grocery shop either. I'm buying my lunch at work, and any shopping that does get done is limited to unplanned impulse selection of prepared foods from Farm Boy which increases the average cost of a meal at home.

I finally remembered to expense the business lunch. Work insurance covered most of my dental checkup. I need to make a short list of financial decisions required before my job winds down in August. My medical benefits carry into October.

Now I need to remember to expense today's massage appointment, and the portion of the diabetic supplies not covered by the $600 cheque. Which reminds me, I've got to track down the receipt for the diabetic supplies.

The mail strike inadvertently disrupted the flow of my diabetic pump supplies when the courier got overloaded and lost the package. I consumed fewer supplies during this period.

I am a creature of habit, and I am ever so hopeful that the habits I've worked so hard in acquiring over the course of maintaining this diary will serve me well during the transition.

It is strange working out a notice period. I am grateful, yet lack focus. At the same time, between new guy and networking, my social calendar overfloweth... Nice problems to have.

New blouse, new dress, new iPhone 4, new bike helmets and life jackets for the children.

More soon. My conversational French as well as my confidence are improving.

Oops.

Visa statement day: $3,278.78.

It looks a little crazier than it actually is, containing approximately $800 worth of expenses that I can get back. Note to self: Check the exact number and start the expense claims.

Just entered it into the spreadsheet, and it didn't break it. Whew.

The power of money

The ATM dispensed two crisp $50 bills when I withdrew my petty cash on the weekend. I can't remember this ever happening before. Feels like a good omen.

Don't worry, be happy

I attended a Sun Life retirement webinar sponsored by my current employer this week. According to their retirement planner tool, I need to save up just short of $1 000 000.

This is not a problem I can solve today.

Good faith

I have stopped my RRSP payroll deductions. It could be one or two pay periods before the change will take effect. These are before tax dollars. The payroll department could not act directly on my instruction; I had to call Sun Life to sort it out.

The amount in my DPSP is $5163.25. It will not vest before I leave (not mine to keep).

The RRSP value is higher: $25538.64. I have absolutely no idea how I saved this amount, but I'll move it to the plus column. When I spoke to the Sun Life representative, she mentioned that their fees are generally lower than other plans and got me thinking about consolidating this amount with my Assante managed plan.

Uggh.

I just spent $US 33.52 per year on establishing a new web presence under my own name, rather than my existing corporate name. It looks like I need to set up budget parameters to support my job search.

Priorities

I spent $300 for 25 bottles of wine at the SAQ depot this afternoon. That's $12 per bottle. I don't want to run out for the foreseeable future (and it's a nice Friday gift for the caregiver). It's a bit of a drive, so I made it worth the trip.

On the way home, I stopped at Shoppers Drug Mart to take advantage of the $8 sale price on a L'Oreal hair colouring kit. It needs to be done in the next few weeks unless I want the grey to take over, and I'll certainly be doing it myself. Gray is gone now; hooray for me!

I paid $20 this morning to register both girls for Chinese school in September. The $150 registration fee for Girl Guides will appear on my next Visa statement. I'm thinking about adding music lessons for my youngest, but for now it's just a thought.

All iTunes and iPad apps are back on the No list. The jury's still out on sporting goods.

I decided to splurge on a $72 six-month membership to the meetup service to advertise networking events through my business. I'm on the fence about bringing the business back into the foreground, but I'd like a better idea of what the choices really are in 2011.

There is still much thinking and prioritizing to do. Je voudrais une pédicure... I should probably turn my work-related RRSP contributions off completely. The interest rate is lousy, and the employer match does not pay out until I've been on staff for two years.

Update, June 13:
I instructed payroll to turn off my RRSP contributions today.

Turn, turn, turn

On Thursday, I will learn that I am losing my job on August 19. With this news will come a package as well as eligibility to apply for employment insurance should the need arise.

With the credit line debt squared away, and the bulk of the daycare burden behind me, I am reflecting on the pros and cons of such a change. I have not shared the news with my kids.

I told them in the car on the way to Chinese school this morning. They were calm.

More weekend highlights

The good:

• A free family pass to the Ottawa international children's festival (courtesy my next-door neighbour) with the unexpected treat to an exceptional performance of With a Doll in Her Pocket by Italy's Teatro delle Briciole
• Indulging in $7 worth of ice cream at the festival
• A simple Saturday morning brunch with a friend (his turn to treat)
• Geocaching, swimming, and bike riding with my youngest (and a picnic)
• Two pop-in visits with rarely visited friends just because their Facebook feeds were interesting
• Mowing the lawn and organizing the garage
• Noticing the pharmacy provided only one vial of insulin for the price of four, and calling to correct the error

The bad:

• Caving into a whim that cost us $28 for mediocre dim sum, most unappetizing when served cold. Even the tea was undrinkable, with sediment floating in it.
• Forgetting to buy groceries

On my to-do list:

• Submitting an insurance claim for last week's massage appointment
• Switching as many of my accounts over to e-bills as possible
• Organizing receipts

Corruption and greed

On the subject of a homeland visit to the village in Anhui, China where my eldest was born, I've just decided that we won't be signing up any time soon, even though the 10-year savings bond I purchased to cover her airfare for said visit is maturing in September.

Today I learned the orphanage director personally requests a $US 1000 cash donation, and the orphanage tour now includes a personally-escorted visit to a nearby ATM machine.

So disappointed for the children, and saddened by this news.

A second opinion

On the theme of dental work, I decided to switch my youngest over from the services of the pediatric dentist to my own dentist. (I called Standard Life first to confirm she was covered for checkups at six month intervals.)

He's been my dentist for twenty years. I tried switching when I moved to Kanata nearly five years ago, but I promptly switched back. He's good, he's patient, he's kind, and he doesn't overcharge either. I was lucky to get a next day appointment for her!

On the subject of the enamel deficiency (related to early-years malnutrition), his opinion was the same as the pediatric dentist. It's surface level damage only, restricted to the baby teeth. Her adult teeth should not be affected.

On the subject of replacing the spacer (initially placed by the pediatric dentist), he thinks we might need to introduce a retainer instead, but not for a few years. It had fallen out, and his advice was to leave it for now. Several of her baby teeth were missing when she joined this family. They may have been extracted, although it's something we'll never really know. It was too soon for them to fall out on their own.

On the subject of 6-year molars, his advice is to seal them once they are completely in.

Deciding not to seal the molars of my eldest turned out to be very costly in the long run, and she had to undergo various rounds of anaesthesia and multiple fillings. I hope to avoid it this time if that's possible.

On the subject of braces, she's likely to need them. We'll revisit this later, but it's good information to have in advance and helps with longer term financial planning. Standard Life has a lifetime orthodontics limit of $1500 on my current policy. It will help a little. I'll need to factor this information into any future decision to change jobs!

He asked if the pediatric dentist had done x-rays, and if she'd seen anything. I answered that she did them, and not noted any specific areas of concern. He did not redo them.

I fall to pieces

My Ironman Triathlon watchband has been crumbling. I've had it for a while. I love its alarms and its interval timer. I recently went back to the store where I had purchased it from. They gave me two options: fix it myself (be creative) or buy a new one for $90. I thought at first that Crazy Glue might work, until I realized I don't have all of the pieces.

Today while I was picking up my race kit for tomorrow's 10K running event, I had to detour through the race expo to exit the building. It's how they set it up in case I might want or need more sporting goods. I was tempted. They have nice stuff and good promotions.

I noticed a Timex booth promoting the kind of watch that I'm wearing. I stopped to chat and learned that I can go back to the store and ask for the postage-paid envelope the vendor has provided specifically for this purpose. The problem is known to the vendor and they are willing to assess it at no charge and give me an additional point of view on my options.

Car maintenance

Today it's raining hard; I'm working from home. It's Visa statement day. I've been holding back on a few non-pressing items to do with my car to defer the expense. I don't use it much during the week now. The change of seasons put my bike firmly back on the road.

It's a good day to have my snow tires switched back to the regular set. They are all on rims, which initially cost a lot, but I get it back in economies of time and I think it reduces overall labour costs. The mechanic is my friend's uncle. That's how I found him. Well, that and an unsolicited recommendation from a former co-worker who also uses his services.

He doesn't know that I know any of his relatives. He's just really nice. He decided not charge me to switch them over this year; it usually costs around $50 which includes tire storage. He did tell me that he pulled a nail from one of the tires and repaired it for me.

He advised me to keep an eye on the tire for pressure changes. He also pointed out that I've got one season left on the summer tires. Odds are good I'll buy the next set from him!

I don't drive much at night, so it hasn't bothered me that the passenger headlight burnt out a few months back. I had it replaced at the Kia dealership this morning at a cost of $65.74 on my way home. That seems like a lot to me. On the bright side, they were quick too.

I ran my gas tank down to empty last weekend, but did not need to refuel it with bike commuting all week. I stopped on the way back from the dealership: $60.11 for that!

Live in Ontario?

Hey, me too! I still receive my utility bills by mail, and tonight I am scrutinizing the hydro bill for sport. It contains a few inserts that merit further attention.

The first one is from the Ontario government, promoting the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit and promising 10% off my electricity bill for five years. I'm immediately suspicious.

To help you with the increased costs of these essential investments, the Ontario government has taken 10% off your electricity bill - including electricity costs, regulatory charges, the debt retirement charge and taxes.

Getting notice is good, I like that. After reviewing the additional material and scanning the details of my most current bill for items like the Debt Retirement Charge, I conclude the net result: my hydro costs are increasing noticeably after five years. I can wait.

The second insert introduces time-of-use (TOU) pricing. I need a better understanding of my habits and current rates before I can figure out what's involved here. I notice that it offers a calculator to help with the math. I clicked through but lost the trail.

There's a second letter, postmarked May 24, with An Important Notice About Your Electricity Rates on the envelope. It says the TOU rates will be introduced in four months time and offers a tool for viewing and comparing my electricity consumption patterns:

Long weekend highlights

Work was kind of stressful last week with colleagues visiting from California. We were in intense meetings all week long with working dinners on Tuesday and Wednesday. We also went for a team building event before dinner on Wednesday. I had some wine at dinner.

It was good work in a sense, yet four days without any real movement makes me kind of cranky. The meeting schedule was too compressed to permit me the luxury of my bike commute, noon run or midday swim. I intentionally left my weekend very open to recover.

With Chinese school cancelled for the long weekend, I spent three days completely in the company of my youngest child. At six, she is easily entertained (unlike her older sister).

We had Saturday morning coffee in the Maplelawn Public Garden. It's been a good year for rain, and the garden is a sheer delight. The day kind of meandered into a picnic over at Rockliffe Park with some geocaching, and we were able to fit in a short swim at the Brookstreet Hotel after a late dinner. The day's events cost us coffee and gas: under $15.

On Sunday, we went car free. The rain threatened all day, but held off until we completed our day trip by bicycle (and Chariot) to the Arboretum near Dow's Lake. We had initially set out for the Ornamental Gardens but never got there. Intoxicated by trees in bloom, we hit sensory overload and turned back, at most 1 km short of the gardens. While stopped for a picnic at Hartwell's Lock (along the Rideau Canal), we found the geocache. On the way home, we paused at Brittania Beach briefly to indulge in a snack for approximately $3.

Our route from Kanata took us through Watts Creek, along the Ottawa River parkway, then Pinecrest Creek, and eventually to the Experimental Farm pathway. I considered an alternate route home, but our Chariot is too wide to cross at Hartwell without disassembly.

Today was lower key, but cost a little more. At first light, I walked (while she biked) over to the library to return an unfinished book. We indulged in a longer swim, followed by a leisurely lunch of potato pancakes and tzatziki. Our afternoon revolved around some yard work, followed by a visit to the Parkdale Market for a hanging plant and some herbs for the garden: $32. I briefly considered a restaurant meal on a patio, but plants will give back.

I'm back to work in the morning.

Clothing and shoes

Truth be told I bought myself two new blouses from Winners last weekend, and some flip flops for the family at an Old Navy sale. Credit line is zeroed. Yes, I can.

I also paid $75 to the sitter for that visit to Le Nordik Spa on Sunday. Paradis sur terre.

I held back on coffee and wine all week, to take a small bite out of evening daycare costs. (We ran out of both last weekend.) I stocked up on wine last night, and on coffee today.

Fun facts from the spreadsheet

I took a closer look at the spreadsheet data for the last twelve months:

• My requirement for petty cash averages $200 per month. I use it for evening sitters, music lessons, gum, concert tickets, and that sort of thing. Moving forward, I'll add a line item for it, to the month-ahead section of my spreadsheet.
• I spent $912 on interest alone servicing the Line of Credit. That's a lot.
• I spent $931 on hydro. That's approx $78 per month.
• Gas heat came in higher at $1262, which is more than I thought it was.
• Water came in lower at $515.
• I charged $32056 to my Aeroplan Visa gold card. That's enough points for a nice return trip somewhere, and it justifies the annual fee associated with the card.

Just did it.

Hooray for me.

I've got a feeling

May the 15th falls on a Sunday this year. I care because it means tomorrow is payday. Last month, I reached the maximum annual deductions for CPP and EI premiums. I expect tomorrow's net pay to be adjusted accordingly. I suspect the amount of adjusting to contain the $100 I need to completely clear my credit line debt. It's not the end of the blog though.

The adoption loan balance of approximately $7000 waits patiently on deck. I might:

• call the National Bank to determine the precise amount of the outstanding balance and if there is any fee associated with early paydown
• apply the proceeds from my sale of to-be-purchased ESPP shares in September
• increase the amount of my monthly payment starting October 1