Moving Forward

So, we're moving. I know, I know! Most of you already know this information as we're pretty excited about it and y'know us, we can't really keep exciting news to ourselves very well. But what you might not know is why we are moving, again. 

We've moved a lot since we've been together. Heck, before Chris met me I moved even more! I feel like I've moved so many times in my adult life I could practically pack in my sleep I'm so used to doing it by now.

For some of those moves, it wasn't our choice to move quite yet. We've had to move a few times for jobs as they kinda want superintendents to live in a particular apartment to be accessible to the tenants (and to save the company money by having the supers live in the building on a low floor where it's cheapest) but that also led to us having to move out of our apartment, too when we left the job(s). (Technically there were two jobs... I was a leasing agent at one job and had to move out because of management, but I digress...!)

Now that we're retired we kinda get to decide when and where to live without having a boss tell us what to do -- other than God, He kinda still gets a say...Well... a big say....

We moved to the current apartment we're in with good intentions of staying here a very, very long time. It's a two-bedroom, 1.5 bath apartment. It seemed big enough, but it turned out to be a little too small for long-term occupancy. Having said that, we still planned on staying as the rent is good and all utilities are included. 

Then, we started to look at houses to rent as adoption is still at the forefront of our minds. Rental houses are expensive and even with our decent sized retired income, we recognize the need to save more than we spend.

We really thought long and hard about moving out of the city, specifically Cornwall. Cheap housing, small town and near the water. All things that appealed to us for one reason or another, but it still didn't work out with the numbers and owning a house with my slight physical disability seemed impractical. Right as we anticipated finished to pay off our mortgage, we would've had to turn around sell and either buy or rent an apartment anyhow. When you're disabled stairs are not your best friend. I know what you're thinking, "Buy a bungalow, Rosie!" They're too expensive. It just didn't fit into our budgeting number crunching. 

As it is advantageous to stay in the city, keep the same doctors, chiropractor, dentist, etc. we currently have but just find a little bit bigger living space. I mentioned to Chris this one condo building I've had my eye on for many years. He said, "No." I conceded. We kept looking. But that condo building just wouldn't leave my mind! It kept nudging me and so I asked Chris again. "No!" He said.

I prayed about it, a lot.

I kept searching other avenues, a lot.

I crunched the numbers over and over again.

Prayed about it all some more.

One day, almost out of the blue, Chris said "Yes."

That same day I found a condo for rent in the building I had my eye on. Two days later, we met with the owners and we were approved for the lease!

This new space is $50 more a month, with indoor heated parking, all condo amenities, washer/dryer/dishwasher and 250 more square feet. Enough space for me to have a little crafting nook and Chris gets a workshop in the basement, as a bonus. Sweet!

We can live here as long as they'll have us. It's affordable and suits our needs if we do have a child, but even if we don't, it's not so overwhelming that we'll think, "Why did we move here?". Plus, the living space isn't so big that we can't manage it ourselves as we get older.

Chris and I have peace about the decision we made. We feel like we've made a step forward on the journey in which God is leading us -- especially because we think we'll still be parents one day.

We've saved for first and last month's rent, plus moving costs. We'll be paying for it all with "cash". No need to worry about our budgeting. We are still on track.

More than likely we'll end up buying our own condo in the building in the semi-distant future. No rush. We can settle in and rent for a while.

I'm looking forward to decorating our Christmas tree this year in the new solarium window (which we'll also be my crafting area).

Furthermore, I'm happy Chris is thrilled with the move, too. It was hard for us to let go of the dream of not owning a home. Actually, that was really hard. We always pictured a backyard with lush green grass and a park nearby. It would've been nice to have a rec room in the basement for the kids and a completely decked out kitchen for Chris to do his cooking while I could do my baking. But living in a condo we'll force us out of the house more, to the park, the museums, the library...

Sometimes, those dreams are our dreams but not God's. I think, in this case, we were dreaming our own dreams for a while. This condo suits where we're going in life and fits into our financial budget. We are so thankful for what we do have.

I encourage you all, to keep pursuing God's dreams for you. Put aside your own wants for a minute and just see what Heavenly Father speaks to your heart. Hopefully, you'll feel peace from The Lord like we did. 

The dreaded letter arrived

Yesterday we opened up the mailbox and Chris saw there was a letter addressed to me by the Canada Revenue Agency. I always dread hearing from them. Typically it's just bad news; "We need more of your money! Give it to us now!"

If you remember from my post near the beginning of October we had received my tax return and then subsequently a week later another letter from CRA stating they were reviewing medical expenses of  $6,511. They wanted us to resend the medical receipts so that everything could be verified.

After contacting our accountant and resending the medical receipts we just sat waiting and praying that whatever answer we received back wouldn't be too crazy. Honestly, I totally expected CRA to say they wanted us to send them more money and very possibly over six thousand dollars. My medical expenses were legit but you know never know what they will think is legitimate no matter how much documentation you send them.

So, opening this letter yesterday was just something I had to brace myself for. I was determined that whatever the end result would be I would stay positive and find a way to pay them.

I had to read the letter three times, guys. They accepted ALL our medical receipts! We are in the clear and my 2016 taxes are officially fully completed! *happy dance* It's not enough just to file on time. There always some response from CRA, sometimes negative, but this time it was positive!

I cried. Oh, I cried happy tears! Good news! Oh, The Lord has blessed us! If there had been a bill it would've set us back another year, but nope... no bill... Both of us got on our knees and cried... So thankful for God's provision.... We are so reliant on His timing and we knew that no matter what answer we received back from Canada Revenue Agency, with Heavenly Father's help, we'd pay.

We have yet to hear back from CRA's review of Chris' 2016 taxes. If you remember, they're reviewing $1500 of medical claims as well and Chris just submitted the taxes for previous years he didn't even know were not filed. So, we still have a little ways to go in our waiting but one more hurdle is done! There are days when we feel Tax Debt will always be our ball and chain... but hopefully, we're wrong. We are trying to
stay optimistic as Chris and I still wade through the remainder of our debt and just take one day -- or rather one letter -- from CRA at a time....accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.

For now, we can just take a moment and be thankful for this good news as we approach the end of 2017.

Who's the Boss?

I heard this really great call on the Dave Ramsey Radio show recently and it kind of stuck with me. This guy calls in and starts talking about his budget and how he's just not feeling comfortable with how he's budgeting is going. He's got no money really, for all the things he needs to pay for. That sounds like a lot of us, doesn't it? We're stretched so thin, how we can we make enough for all the things we need!

Well, Dave, in all his Dave Ramsey wisdom, says "Who's the boss here? Your budget or you? You tell your money what's going to happen and if your budget is so tight you can stretch anything more out of it, then you have an income problem."

When Chris and I were first beginning this Baby Step plan, our money was tight. We set the numbers so tight in our budget that we didn't have any spending money to do whatever we wanted with it. We slashed everything, down to the bare minimum, but we forgot about "Fun Money" because, really, there was no room in the budget for any fun.

Once we got a few debts out of the way with we incorporated our own personal pocket money back into the budget. It took a lot of work to get there, but if we didn't include some fun money in this budget Chris and I would've never stuck with the budget very long. I know we would've cheated on this agreement to budget and eventually, this idea of getting out of debt would've been tossed out the window just like all those other attempts at doing good in our lives, too. We would've failed, and you might too if you don't incorporate some a Pocket Money category in your budget.

See, I know what you're thinking now. You're saying, "Rosie, how can I have spending money when I can't even afford food every week?" I hear you, and I'll tell you exactly what Mr. Ramsey said. That means you have an income problem. Think outside the box! What can you do to make more money in order to enjoy your life a little more? What side gig will give you the most reward without the most effort? Delivering pizzas? Going to retirement homes and reading to people? Working an extra shift at your current job every week?

If you don't have any money in the budget for your own spending money, you're going to fail at this. This is a natural response to making a change in life. You have to still be able to have fun while you're making a radical about-face in your life.

I will tell you something really interesting. Our spending money is an equal amount. You know what the most awesome part is involving that money? We don't have to answer to anyone else about how we spend it. We don't record it anywhere. We take it out in cash and that's it. I can buy whatever I want for myself with my money (which usually means craft supplies). Chris can buy whatever he wants as well and doesn't have to answer to me for it. Sometimes we decide to save up for something bigger together or save for several months in a row for something really important for ourselves. We love that ability!

We relish that. We really feel a sense of freedom and that freedom means this budgeting thing is actually working. Do it, try it. Still stay within your means, but give yourself some "me" money and see how much it makes a difference for a couple of months start with $10 or $20 but stick to that number and don't feel guilty for whatever you decide to buy yourself.

Another debt is finished!

So, we were able to eliminate another debt this month! That's three big expenses (two debts and one big bill) in two months. Wow. Incredible feeling... This one was the lawyer. We hired a lawyer a year and a half ago to work through my annuity settlement. As a result, it was restructured and now that's our income. In doing this though we incurred an $8,600 bill from the lawyer. Yes, they were expensive, but he was the best and he knew the right people. The issue was solved in 2.5 months after 19 years of searching for the right lawyer who was willing to take this on. It was a battle I kept praying for and feeling quite defeated about. Finally, it's all done. Not only is the annuity solved but now the lawyer's bill is paid in full -- and two months earlier than we expected at that!

I have to admit, this was the highlight of October and it only happened a few days ago. We're quite pleased but very much in awe of how amazing God is... We feel blessed beyond words...

Moving on, October we didn't do much shopping for groceries and such but opted to eat more out of our own pantry, fridge, and freezer. We had a lot of success in this area plan to do it again for November. We've allocated $100 for groceries next month and I think that'll be plenty for milk, eggs, and bread. Really honestly we have plenty of food in our cupboards and it's high time we utilize what we already have so it doesn't go to waste.

Some folks have asked us for advice about how we're doing this. We get asked about it on occasion and it's really not as hard as you think it is to get out of debt and live with greater financial peace. Does it take sacrifice, planning, and a detailed budget? Yeah, but it's worth it!

No judgment here if you have debt, none at all. The only thing I ask is that you stop being an ostrich with its head in the sand and pretend there isn't a problem. I believe in you. God believes in you and trust me if Chris and I can sacrifice continuing to live without a car (a much-needed transportation vehicle!) year after year as we slog through this debt, then you can, too.

Don't let yourself make another excuse to let another Christmas go by with too many presents sitting under the tree and a bank account bled dry.

Remember, God doesn't want you to be in debt. He has a greater purpose for the money that He asks you to manage for Him. Sacrifice today means a great heavenly blessing He can provide others through you tomorrow. It's worth it. Sacrifice with a cheerful spirit!

September Review...including the interest!

Overall September was an awesome month. We paid off the credit card and I received my tax refund. We did go out for breakfast to celebrate that win but I will say it was an overwhelming slap in the face when I got another letter, a week later, from CRA that they're reviewing some medical bills submitted with my 2016 taxes. We're praying about that and just trying to stay calm as we wait for more news on that front.

I feel like my feet are on more solid ground now that the credit card has been paid off and its back to zero. It's the one debt bill, out of all of our bills, that just use to bug me night after night lying in bed when I reviewed our debts. It's not fun to have to keep paying for items that were bought a year ago; no matter how important they were when we bought them. 

So,  I got a little curious about how much interest we have paid since May of 2016 when we began to get serious about getting out of debt. Unfortunately, we didn't even know about Dave Ramsey's Baby Step Plan until December, but starting his plan January 2017 made a huge difference in how we paid down debt, however, I digress. 

While sitting down to write this blog post I took a moment and reviewed all the credit card bills from  May 2016 until September 2017 adding up the interest as I went. My guess was we had racked up $700 and Chris' guess was $1,200 of interest. Boy, we were both wrong! $1,682.24! 

Can you imagine? That's just free money! Free money to the credit card company for what, letting us borrow money we don't really even have? Holy shitake mushrooms!!! Never again! Our credit card should only be used if we already have the money and pay it off immediately after use! (Some online purchases still cannot be transacted by Visa Debit and so we've decided to keep the credit card for very specific purchases.) It was a big shock.... but so eye-opening..... It really taught us what we're putting our money towards really should be for the benefit of God and His plan for our lives, not for a company's benefit and promotion to just get us deeper and deeper into debt. 

Thank God.... Thank God for Dave Ramsey's plan and all his eye-opening and insightful logic. 

Think about it the next time you use your credit to buy someone a "nice little gift" or a book you really want. Pay cash! Pay cash or wait until you can pay cash. That good friend would rather spend time with you than get that nice little gift you so carefully picked out for them. That book you want to read may be available at the library. (I always look at the library first)

Somethings are worth buying, yes, I completely agree with you but do not buy it with a credit card! I urge you to be smarter than me. Yes, I'm dumb. I'm very dumb. I will admit it. Admit it with both shame and without shame. Shame that I did it, and without shame that I will no longer do it ever again. But now that you know that getting out of debt can be done, be smarter than I was and stop using your credit card like it's free money! Please...just think on it... No judgment here.... I just want you to do better than I ever did. I want you to win at this.... for God and for your family... 

I love you guys... pray for you often and only hope you gain a little more knowledge about budgeting. :) Chris and I talk about what we want to teach our children (yes, we're still praying for them!) and we hope that we can teach them the value of hard work and budgeting. ]I can only imagine what it'll be like when my kid gets that lesson before she or he even gets a credit card application in the mail during their college years. God willing they do this thing called life better than we will ever do...

MasterCard is paid off!!!

Well, that was quick. Remember my post from just a few days ago? CRA obviously bumped up my case file in the stack of files to go through. After waiting for five months, I finally have my tax return!

The first thing Chris and I did was getting on our knees and thank The Lord! Seriously, we did! It was a humbling moment to know that this blessing was from God and we needed to do right by Him for what He has given us.

After much prayer and planning, we paid off the MasterCard that very day! ecstatic happy dancing ensues Another debt GONE and a bigger one, too! (That credit will cover the interest that will be due once this billing cycle is complete.)

We have also put aside some funds for Chris' tax installment for previous tax owing. We've made a guess -- right now -- about how much that will be as our accountant is still crunching those numbers for him.

The last big thing is we've topped up our baby emergency fund to reach that minimum $1,000 mark again.

We're in the black and continue to move forward! So far so good....

I think right now, we're just feeling a little thankful and having another debt gone is a huge relief off our shoulders. We still believe anyone can work the baby step plan, budget and get out of debt. It may take longer for some folks who have a smaller income but you can do it! If you have enough determination, drive, anger at your debt and stubbornness you can do this!

Let our moment of joy inspire you. Don't let that feeling that's stirring in your heart to make a change fade away by allowing yourself to be distracted by the next thing on the screen in front of your face. Seriously, make a change! We hope to see EVERYONE we know debt-free one day. That's our hope and our dream.

We'll be happy dancing about this debt paid off for a good while and if you see a little extra skip in our step the next time we run into you,  you'll know why. Boy, you really do feel a little lighter with less debt weighing you down... Amazing....

Rise and Praise His name... even when there's a delay up to sixty-four weeks

Finally, I'm getting to sit down and review the month of August. (It's been a busy month in September so far, forgive me!) I suppose the biggest expense for the month of August has been my dental work. That was a big expense which was totally unexpected with even an emergency room visit! Don't you know the emergency room is where you should go if you want to hang out with friends? Yup, so strange to bump into a friend in the middle of the night at the emergency room... I will say though it made it the long night just go by a little bit faster as we all sat together bundled up in hospital blankets, giggling over our silliness of all being there at the same time. But alas, I digress...

The dental work will be expense and take a long time to pay off, but I don't regret agreeing to the payment plan one bit. They're a great team of doctors, nurses and hygienists. They were able to agree on a deal with us, interest free, and we're very thankful for their trust in us.

We stayed afloat, during those rough times. We stayed in budget with things like grocery spending and household allotment amounts. I thought we had a great idea shopping for meat from our own freezer! Why not? Sometimes you just end up buying a little bit more than you need and that chicken or ground beef gets buried at the bottom of the freezer. Instead of going out to buy more, just shop from home, first! It's sounds so common sense, but sometimes the common sense part of the equation gets lost on all of us -- including the two of us. 

We had a little over $65 left in the grocery budget and we went over by $25 in household but came under in the eating our category by almost $10 by the end of August. Overall, it all seem to even out okay.

I guess the most difficult piece of news was my tax refund. I had to speak to a supervisor two separate times to find out there was a backlog of reviews on people's accounts which made my account be delayed in review as well. The supervisor I spoke with expressed her sympathy but indicated her hands were pretty well tied. She would file a request for my file to be reviewed as soon as could be arranged but it could take up to sixty-four weeks. I was stunned to say the least. Chris was even more upset than I was. I reminded Chris that we must rely on Christ no matter what and not allow these crazy delays to alter our course in praising His name through every storm. We calmed down and kept our tempers allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to us. 

We are still reviewing Chris' previous owed taxes but should have some concrete numbers of what's owed in a week or two. Whatever those numbers show, we will ride that wave and see this thing through. One day we will be debt-free and in meantime every month we do pretty well is another month we can praise God for the blessings He bestows on us. 

The same can be said for your budgeting. Every success you make in a step forward can only mean success for the bigger picture or plan God has in mind for your life. Yes,  you may falter or fall down, but get up brush yourself off, keep an even temper about the situation and praise His name through it all. Tomorrow may be brighter than today, you just never know.