...The Wait

Happy New Year! 

Now that it's January, I feel like we're in the real count down until Baby #2 arrives.  She's due near the end of the month, but due dates aren't really predictors of when babies are going to show up.  Our son was a full two weeks overdue, so it feels like a real crap shoot.

Anyways, things have been so hectic with work and the holidays that I was feeling a bit under-prepared.  I only have 1, maybe 2 paydays before we're on the great EI wait....in Canada there's a one week waiting period before Employment Insurance kicks-in but it can take weeks and weeks for the money to actually start rolling in.  It really depends on how backed up the system is at any given time. 

So, to make sure we're ready I've stopped all of our automatic savings for things like vacation, gifts, vehicle etc. etc. so that our chequing account buffer increases over the next few weeks or so. I then did a cash-flow exercise (just timing of Jordan's pay-days with the remaining account withdrawals) and am feeling confident that we'll be fine until March.

I'm keeping RRSP & RESP contributions and the other expenses we'll still have are our internet, cell phones, BC Hydro, Mortgage, Gas/Groceries (though dropping from $400 to $300/week budgeted) as well as a day a week for daycare for kiddo (more on that later).

We'll be short about $350/month but with the buffer we have - we'll be fine until EI starts and then I can re-set the budget again.