Jordan Got a Raise

Jordan and I are both so very excited to share that he completed his Journeyman Parts Technician program. He took that, along with the last four years of yard work and dedication to his boss and asked for a raise - and he got it!

He's going from $44,400 to $50,000.

It's going to be a two part raise - the first he's already received, so he's up to $48,000 now and in October, he'll get the last bump up to $50K.

I've already started playing with the budget to see where we can but his raise so it does the most amount of work for us - but we haven't decided on anything yet.

Quite a bit of this is the same as always - bills listed under fixed expenses (Mortgage, Utilities, Car payment, insurance, taxes, cell phones ect).  You may or may not recall that Jordan and I have two chequing accounts.  Once is for all of the above mentioned expenses, and the other is for our day-to-day spending - things like groceries, gas, haircuts, clothes ect.  It's like our 'jars' but it's one pot attached to a debit card. That's the monthly spending line.  It's been $1,200 which has felt pretty tight - often leaving us reaching for the MasterCard if we take a single extra trip outside of driving to and from work - needing gas money.  I think $1,600 is probably too much to start with - but I was just playing with numbers.

Anyways - personal allowances are the same.

Changes are in the variable savings items - including a baby bank, emergency fund, house fund and RRSPs.

I have a pension at work that vests this October (they match 5% of my salary) and Jordan does not - so fr that reason, I think we should start putting more towards his RRSPs than mine.

As always, if you have any thoughts - we would love to hear them.

~Jessie

Hi! Miss me?

Hi!

There's been a lot going on in my life over the last five months and it's been difficult to prioritize anything for myself, let alone my blog.   


The worst of it some of you have picked up on from my cryptic posts and I can't actually type it without crying- so I won't.


In addition to that, both my Great Aunt and my Dad's Mom are now in assisted living facilities in different provinces which involved a tonne of prep work and energy by the entire family to get them situated (my grandmother still not done yet).  It's for the best though, and we're hoping that they're enjoying their new spaces.


My best  friend and I had a huge falling out - she's been struggling with the way I'm coping with things and a significant absenteeism and commitment problem on my part.  We're going to get our nails done tonight though, so things are hopefully going to get better on that front.


July was hectic in and of itself - we have my birthday, my mom's, Jordan's mom's birthday, Jordan's birthday and his brother's birthday - not to mention the birthday's of two uncles and another cousin.  We did a lot of birthday dinners and party's - but for mine - my mom and I went camping.


We just got back from our trip actually - we had no cell phone or internet access for a full week which was magnificent.


There is still a tonne of busywork on my horizon, but I'm hoping to start writing more often again - I don't know about the rest of you, but my mom misses me when I don't.

~Jessie