Date night!

Over the past few months (well, year), my Eye Candy and I have frequently said we should have a “date night” and go over our finances together. But something always seemed to get in the way… perhaps opening a bottle of wine and opening up your bank accounts is not the right mix! 

None the less, we had a quiet Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago and we actually took the time to review our financial status as a couple. It was an incredibly eye opening experience.  I’ve been managing my 4-week rolling budgets for 18 months, but now that my Eye Candy and I are a dynamic duo it made sense to get a better idea of our real cost of living and to set goals as a couple. Plus, instead of just complaining about paying the usual bills, it was exciting to envisioning our future life together and to create a game plan on how to make it all happen. 

How sweet it is to be loved by you.

Using MoneySense’s printable guides, we figured out our individual net worth (worksheet 3), our spending & savings (worksheet 4) and our goals (worksheets 5 & 6). From here, we talked openly about the minimum we both need to have in the bank each month to cover our fixed expenses (like the mortgage, taxes, car payments) and where our variable spending goes (groceries, entertainment, gym, weekend trips).

While we’re both diligent about spending our money conservatively and we live below our means, there is always room for improvement. By taking the time to look at each other’s spending habits we were able to offer a fresh perspective. For instance, I’m spending about a $50 a month on gifts and my Eye Candy is still paying bank fees so there clearly are more ways we can put money back into our wallets.

And saving money is exactly what we want as we have so many plans! Not all of our goals are perfectly in sync as my Eye Candy is saving up for a top notch cycling bike while maintaining a professional wardrobe is my guilty pleasure; but we did set 3 that I am excited about. The best part? We are working together to ensure we have lump sum amounts ready to invest or spend. 

Over the next 6 to 18 months, this is why we are stashing cash:

1. To host a wedding as fabulous as we are! The date is set for 07.27.2013 and my Eye Candy & I have agreed on how much we are going to save & then spend on our Big Day. 
2. To purchase an urban & chic condo in the Atwater Market here in Montreal. We’ve crunched the numbers and we’re confident that we can afford a love nest in our favourite neighbourhood.  
3. To continue to vacation like rockstars. We love getting away and exploring new cities so the most stressful decision is where should we go next?

If you and your Prince Charming have not had the chance to review your finances together, then I strongly recommend it. I love being a financially-savvy and independent young women, but I love sharing my dreams with my Eye Candy more and making plans to achieve them together is when the magic happens.

*Rosie*  

Summer lovin' goals

I meant to post this yesterday to correspond with the summer solstice, but unfortunately, I was dealing with a sick little puppy. Yesterday when I picked up Fergie from The Spa for Paws (my Eye Candy is away on business), I found out that she had a fever and gastro so I rushed her to the animal clinic where we waited 2 hours to see a vet, and $127 later, we went home with new food and antibiotics. (The *surprise* costs of a dog will be a whole other post soon.)

...But back to the original purpose of this entry. These are the goals that I plan to accomplish over the summer. This season will be more than just sipping daiquiris by the lake!

Financial & Fabulous

1.   Save $2000 in my Girls Just Wanna Have Funds Investment account.

2.   Save $1000 in my Vacation Fund.

3.   Figure out exactly when I’ll max out my RRSP contributions for 2011 (soon, I think!) and make a plan for what to do next.

4.   Get advice on how to/where to find a personal financial advisor and set-up a short-list of professionals to start meeting with.

5.   Celebrate a year of successful budgeting! Create a summary for the year and evaluate the % of my spending per category versus my income.

6.   Start calculating my net-worth.

7.   Determine if setting up a THRIVE chequing account with ING in exchange for a $100 free is worth the hassle of changing my direct deposits and bidding sayonara to CIBC.

Fun & Fabulous

1.   Cross off all 30 items from my Thirty Flirty List.

2.   Enjoy at least 2 long weekends at my parent’s place which is affectionately known as Barbie & Ken’s Seaside Resort.

3.   Pinpoint our next vacation spot with my Eye Candy and start planning + budgeting.

4.   Roadtrip to Pembrooke to visit my favourite sister.

Professional & Fabulous

1.   Update my resume (it’s been too long and I need to reflect on all that I’ve accomplished).  

2.   Create a Linked-In profile.

3.   Attend at least 1 industry networking event. I hate forced socialization so this will be a major accomplishment for me.

4.   Maintain a work life balance which means being focused, fun & productive when I’m at work, and leaving before 6 pm to enjoy the evenings.

Fit & Fabulous

1.    Run 250 km in prep for the Montreal half-marathon.

2.    Figure out what half-marathon is next on my list. Disney’s Tinkerbell Run seems tempting!

3.    Start my certificate to become a spinning instructor.

4.    Continue to bring my lunch to work everyday.

5.    Eliminate Diet Coke from my diet once & for all. I’ve fallen off the bandwagon.

6.    Upgrade to swimming the Olympic distance for my girls team with 3 Vitesses.

7.    Overcome my fear of biking… well, it’s really my fear of falling.

Well there you have it! This is what I’ll be working towards while thoroughly enjoying the summer sunshine.

*Rosie*