Tag: budget

Wow! It has been a while!

On By jackiblosblackisIn PersonalLeave a comment

I have not been on here in a hot minute! I LOVE blogging and just some how it fell to the complete back. I miss it and I 110% plan on getting back here regularly. Now, about the time I fell off here, I entered the world of Instagram. I suppose it still gave me taste of what I was missing out on. However, I can get much more in depth here. That is what I am completely lacking. I am coming back with the same post I write up at the beginning of every year.

Looking Back on 2019 and Looking Forward to 2020

Since I dropped the ball with my site. I did not keep track on how I was doing with my goals in 2019. Let’s see how I did without making myself accountable at all.

  • Renovate two room in the house (if I can I would like to include both bathrooms as well).

HA! I actually fairly quickly dropped this off. I will do some kind of catch up post I am sure. I got my Little Monster’s room done in total. Little pieces here and there have been done but not what I was planning on doing.

  • Get the outside cleaned up and the driveway redone. The yard had been started and it just needs an actual attempt.

I got some real progress here but its not quite finished. I also did not get the driveway done. Some financial things came up and I just did not have the money to get it done.

  • Missy in swimming lessons (locally).

Finally! I did this goal. My Little Monster very much enjoyed going and she passed!

  • Start taking the weekly local yoga class in the fall.

I forgot about this but no. I am still happy doing it at home when I have a chance. I might get to the class but I am not pushing for it to be honest.

  • Have Missy enrolled in some programs.

We have done a few things (aside from swimming). She had an awesome friend and unfortunately they are moving a way.

  • Visit NiaNia and YeaYea.

We were not able to do this. I am aiming again for this year. No matter what it has to be done by before she gets into school. Which in reality is only a couple years,

  • Continue working on myself and striving for an organized (realistically) life.

ALWAYS. This will always be there. This is not something that is ever done for a person. At some point and at some time, a person grows in some fashion. We evolve.

  • As always try and keep the blog updated ha-ha.

We all know how that worked out…

  • I have always had something about debt on here. Now that it is paid off, I still would like to have a money goal(s). The big ones I want to do are making the maximum extra mortgage payment and to match what I have in savings. This is very ambitious of me and as long as I get part of each I will be happy. That mortgage payment though I need to make by June so it is not like I have a full year to save up for it.

No, rather I went backwards on this. Things happened and well. I will get things figured out. I just need to get a break really. Even if that does not happen I will make it work. I always have and no reason to quit now.

For those who may not know. I do not make resalutions but rather goals. Maybe they are the same thing in the end. I do not feel heartbroken when I slip up. I feel sad about some of the things above but not defeated over it. With that being said. Lets come up with some goals for 2020!

  • Immediately I want to put my Little Monster back into swimming lessons come summer.
  • I am looking to get the remainder of the outside finished. The parts that do not have to be contracted out. Plans just need the action now.
  • Really trying to make it to China by the end of this year.
  • I want to be more organized time management wise. I am not ashamed that this is an area where I need much more practice at.
  • I want to get back to this blog regularly. I do not want to lose my foothold with Instagram either. I am there and just need to at least keep up with where I am while bringing this back into the picture.
  • I need to get this whole financial situation thing sorted. I mean I just want it sorted once and for all. I hate having the back and forth. I want a happy medium!

Really I think that is it for now. It’s all pretty achievable and I may decide to add more as the year goes on. Life can be unpredictable and sometimes we just need to roll with the punches. Bring on 2020!

2018 Goal Update – 2nd Quarter

On By jackiblosblackisIn PersonalLeave a comment

Check out my first update here to compare how things are going along.

First and foremost I want to get Missy into swimming lessons. I am not a strong swimmer and this is something she should know how to do. It is a safety thing.

  • She is not old enough for lessons here so I will have to take Missy to the next town over. Before I can do that I need to buy a bathing suit. Something I have not done in over a decade.

I want to get our front and backyard all pretty and cleaned up.

  • I had to give up on the front yard. Something came up and that was the trade off. However most of the backyard will be done. I have the garden redone and the privacy slats ordered. I did however miss trimming the dead stuff from the raspberry bushes.

Setting up the garden and green house.

  • I answered this above. You can see a much more detailed answer here. I am also doing a series on the process of container gardening.

Keeping Missy’s Christmas/Easter Cactus alive. It is her first plant and her Grandma bought it for her.

  • Still successful in this. It really needs a bigger pot though!

As always trying to keep up with the blog.

  • I really wish this was a routine already.

Have my debt paid off (even with taking mat leave I am sure I can do this).

  • Paid off and a future post coming on this.

Seriously getting my life organized. I mean it is now more important than ever to get things to become habit. And good habits that Missy can grow up seeing.

  • This is coming along slowly.

I want to get at least two rooms renovated. Probably the office and Missy’s room. There is nothing big that needs to be done. Pretty much just painting and adding working pieces to the rooms. I am only saying two since I want to focus on outside.

  • This is not started yet but Missy’s room will be started shortly. She needs to be moved into her own room. Both of us wake each other up.

I also need to make sure I focus on me some this year too. My health really depends on this.

  • I have not seen the therapist since I got the all clear. I have had my hair done a second time since my best friends wedding has happened. I am thinking about getting the master bedroom done. It would just make my self care so much smoother. I need to have proper organization set up.

I am still making an honest effort at everything and that is what matters. Time is flying though and I really hope to have a start to everything by the end of September. Fingers crossed!

2018 Goal Update – 1st Quarter

On By jackiblosblackisIn Personal1 Comment

I am running a few weeks behind on this one. I did not forget though and that is what is important. I will go through the list one by one and see where things are at.

First and foremost I want to get Missy into swimming lessons. I am not a strong swimmer and this is something she should know how to do. It is a safety thing.

  • Well it still seems to be winter here so no swim lessons yet. Also I am waiting to see if we will have qualified instructors this year before signing her up in the next town over.

I want to get our front and backyard all pretty and cleaned up.

  • See the first part of the above answer ha-ha. Everything is still covered in snow.

Setting up the garden and green house.

  • Still winter.

Keeping Missy’s Christmas/Easter Cactus alive. It is her first plant and her Grandma bought it for her.

  • So far I am succeeding.

As always trying to keep up with the blog.

  • I am going back and forth on this but I could be doing worse.

Have my debt paid off (even with taking mat leave I am sure I can do this).

  • I am going to say my debt is officially paid off. Now there is a small balance but that is from something very recent. At some point this year I will make a post about how exactly I did paid it all off. Also what has and has not worked for myself. I do not think it is anything magically but it took some work to find out exactly what worked for me.

Seriously getting my life organized. I mean it is now more important than ever to get things to become habit. And good habits that Missy can grow up seeing.

  • I have no comment on that right now.

I want to get at least two rooms renovated. Probably the office and Missy’s room. There is nothing big that needs to be done. Pretty much just painting and adding working pieces to the rooms. I am only saying two since I want to focus on outside.

  • It is tax time, I have not even begin to look at doing this.

I also need to make sure I focus on me some this year too. My health really depends on this.

  • I have started this. I seem a therapist a couple times. More so I could make sure my mental health was good and I received the all clear. I did get my hair done but right now that is about it.

As you can see somethings I have not been able to start at all yet. I have been making attempts at other things. As long as I keep attempting eventually it will become habit. I also can try other ways if something really is not suiting me. It is nice having my debt paid off and lets me focus on other things.

I really cannot wait to see what I get done by the end of June!

Halfway into the Year – Taking a Look Back

On By jackiblosblackisIn PersonalLeave a comment

Now that we are halfway through the year, I think it is time to look at what my 2016 goals where and how I have progressed. You can see the post here. Here are the things that I wanted to see happen in 2016:

  • Cutting my debt by 1/3 at least
  • Effie and Little M moving up here with me
  • Continued research into adoption
  • Bringing my blog follow back up (as well as keeping current with those I follow)
  • Creating and continuing the stability in my life
  • Entering the next step of my career (my own clients and taking on payroll for the office)

Starting at the first bullet point; cutting my debt by 1/3. Halfway through the year I should be halfway to this goal right? Unfortunately that is incorrect. I just tried checking my most important debt and unfortunately the site is going through maintenance. So with a quick estimate of what the debt was owing at the beginning of the year I am actually 1/3 of my way to my goal. Funny how that works out. As long as nothing happens this goal will be completed.

Talking about paying off debts. I have no current subscription boxes, the dogs food budget is as small as it can possibly get, and pretty much all of the extras have been cut out. I get take out twice a month on payday ( I am paid semi-monthly which I love), every couple months I may grab pop or dessert from the store, and I buy wine only a couple times a year. Now I have kept Netflix, Shomi, and my credit protection subscriptions. That is pretty much my ‘play’ money as other would call it. I am also getting my hair done this week but for me that is a reward. I cannot say how excited I am to for the day I have no more debt payments to make!

The second bullet point did happen and things didn’t work out this time. The future is unknowing though. I am not going to get in to anymore of that (mostly because it is someone else’s business as well).

Bullet point three is continue research into adoption. I am still doing this and I am also a member of Adoption Council of Canada. There is not much more to elaborate on this subject yet.

Brining my blog follow back up. This does not really have a set number or anything. So it is kind of hard to say where I am. I am somewhat posting regular again. That seems to be helping. I think I am getting there but I’ll be able to look at it in more detail at the end of the year.

A life of stability; this I feel is happening. I have money plans laid out and the cleaning schedule is becoming routine again. While there are still some unknowns I feel like I can take those on with out experiencing anxiety or pushing myself into a depression. As long as the car does not break down and no one has a medical emergency.

Last but not least is entering the next step of my career. I have done this and a little more. Having my own clients is no longer in the picture as I have become much more involved at the office. I am going to continue that way instead.

To me everything looks like it is going well. I do not want to say this is all because of me since it is not. I have had help from others in different ways. Some directly and some indirectly. I am just really happy with the way things are heading.

I guess in six months we will look and see if everything continues going forward. I might take another look at how the debt progress is going in October since it probably is better to check on that more than twice a year.

Don’t forget to like us in Facebook at Chocolate Milk Cows!

Tax Season is Over; Back to Life

On By jackiblosblackisIn Family, Galaxy, PersonalLeave a comment

About a week ago here I had started a post saying I would be back after tax season. While it has not officially ended (tax law(s), due date(s), and anything involving taxes is never really just simple) our rush seems to be over. So, while I have some stuff to get done before I am regularly back here I am confident enough to say expect it ha-ha.

Before tax season got going for us (these are not super long hours, FYI, but it is very mentally draining) Effie was moving up here, I had a blog schedule made up for the next four – five months, and I kind of felt like I could make things happen. Starting with the blog schedule I apperantly felt I could start it off during my busy season and that clearly did not work out. I will be looking at creating a new one…once I find the one I previously created.

Now Effie did move up here, for about 5 weeks. I will not be going in to detail with this because there really is no need to. With that being said other things are going on in my personal life though it will be a bit before I decide to post anything on that. There are some ‘concerns’ to say the least. That may not be the right word to use but things have just been up and down in that area.

I have not lost hope on making things happen. I will be making things happen one way or another. I do not think I will be trying the roommate thing again or not anytime soon. I worries when I leave my dogs with other people. While it is not their job to watch them it is also not fair to kennel them when someone else is in the house. Or to have strangers always coming in and out of the house as Galaxy is a guardian breed and will take her job seriously. My pay type has been switched (not my wage, kind of) which means that I will be able to budget things much better and have things paid off (in more time than my original plan though). The catch to that is I have been taking on more things around the office.

I do not really go into work here anymore. I actually think I have not done that for almost a year now. It had nothing to do with breaching confidentiality since I would never disclose any of that kind of information. I would like to bring in budgeting, bookkeeping, and even tax information (for Canada) in the future. I just do not think I am at that point yet. Something that will take much planning to get started.

While this was quite the post, I need to be going and I am hoping to have things back up and running next week. Not sure where I am going to start but I will get it figured out.