Around the middle of October, I had a fit of I-can-do-it and signed up for National Novel Writing Month. It starts November 1...which is tomorrow.
Egad.
50,000 words. 30 days. 1 novel (in theory).
Let's see how this goes.
(I'm writing a detective novel. I'm going to attempt to channel my love of Reginald Hill and Midsomer Murders into my own mystery-solving story of awesomeness. I'll let you know how it goes.)
NaNoWriMo GO!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Money in my pocket
For the first time in a very long time, I have a savings account.
I have had a savings account before, of course. I got my first one when I was but a wee thing, probably around five or six. At the time, my mom was a teller at TD Bank so I she opened an account for me, My First Account, complete with pink bank book and a coin bank (which was supposed to help me save my change, but why would I do that when there was candy to be bought?) I had the account for years and eventually closed it out in favour of a chequing account with Royal Bank. That account came complete with debit card, so instead of helping me save my pennies, suddenly I had an even easier way to spend them. And spend I did.
But now that I'm grown up (or at least growing up), it's time to be better with my money and make any meagre attempt I can to help it grow. There are an abundance of high-interest savings accounts out there and I've been wanting to open one for awhile now, but with my consumer debt and student loans, it always felt that I should put any extra money towards those things rather than into a savings account. Plus I have an RRSP so I've at least got something. But this month was a 3-pay month and, with Christmas fast approaching, I opted to put some extra money into a savings account.
I decided to go with Ally, not just because they have great commercials, but because they offer 2% on savings, which was the highest on offer among all the options. (But which still irks me, as my credit card sits at 19.5% interest and my line of credit is prime + 3%. Sigh.)
Since this is money for Christmas it won't be there for long (sigh again) but at least I've got a place to throw an extra $20, should I ever find myself in possession of such. And I also have this nerdy "I'm a grown up" feeling for finally doing something responsible with my moolah, not to mention delusions of grandeur for an ever-growing savings account. Let's see what happens.
I have had a savings account before, of course. I got my first one when I was but a wee thing, probably around five or six. At the time, my mom was a teller at TD Bank so I she opened an account for me, My First Account, complete with pink bank book and a coin bank (which was supposed to help me save my change, but why would I do that when there was candy to be bought?) I had the account for years and eventually closed it out in favour of a chequing account with Royal Bank. That account came complete with debit card, so instead of helping me save my pennies, suddenly I had an even easier way to spend them. And spend I did.
But now that I'm grown up (or at least growing up), it's time to be better with my money and make any meagre attempt I can to help it grow. There are an abundance of high-interest savings accounts out there and I've been wanting to open one for awhile now, but with my consumer debt and student loans, it always felt that I should put any extra money towards those things rather than into a savings account. Plus I have an RRSP so I've at least got something. But this month was a 3-pay month and, with Christmas fast approaching, I opted to put some extra money into a savings account.
I decided to go with Ally, not just because they have great commercials, but because they offer 2% on savings, which was the highest on offer among all the options. (But which still irks me, as my credit card sits at 19.5% interest and my line of credit is prime + 3%. Sigh.)
Since this is money for Christmas it won't be there for long (sigh again) but at least I've got a place to throw an extra $20, should I ever find myself in possession of such. And I also have this nerdy "I'm a grown up" feeling for finally doing something responsible with my moolah, not to mention delusions of grandeur for an ever-growing savings account. Let's see what happens.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Re:blog
I haven't blogged in awhile because I keep thinking that I should find a better focus for this blog, something that I'm interested in and can write about on a regular basis. Several topics have come to mind but the more I think about each one, the more I realize that I'm just not into any of them enough.
I mean, I love to read, but I've tried (and failed) to do a book blog. I'm at a point in my life where finances are not just important but where I can also start making smart money decisions, but I'm not dedicated (or, frankly, open enough) to share the nitty gritty of paying off debt and trying to save money. There are a variety of other things I'm into as well: hockey (the subject of yet another failed blog); knitting; baking; my cat (if I ever get to the point where I blog only about my cat, please place me in a padded room and walk away, slowly); magazines; eating better-for-me food, rather than just better-tasting-food; becoming a runner; and gushing about how utterly adorable my twin nephews are.
I guess I've been blogging about this kind of stuff all along but never really came out and said, "This is what it's all about!" I never thought my life was interesting enough to just write about my life and maybe it's not, but that's what I'm going to do. After all, this blog is for me, first and foremost. Anyone else who tags along is an added (and welcome) bonus.
(Is it odd that I feel a huge sense of relief at having a new, defined direction?)
I mean, I love to read, but I've tried (and failed) to do a book blog. I'm at a point in my life where finances are not just important but where I can also start making smart money decisions, but I'm not dedicated (or, frankly, open enough) to share the nitty gritty of paying off debt and trying to save money. There are a variety of other things I'm into as well: hockey (the subject of yet another failed blog); knitting; baking; my cat (if I ever get to the point where I blog only about my cat, please place me in a padded room and walk away, slowly); magazines; eating better-for-me food, rather than just better-tasting-food; becoming a runner; and gushing about how utterly adorable my twin nephews are.
I guess I've been blogging about this kind of stuff all along but never really came out and said, "This is what it's all about!" I never thought my life was interesting enough to just write about my life and maybe it's not, but that's what I'm going to do. After all, this blog is for me, first and foremost. Anyone else who tags along is an added (and welcome) bonus.
(Is it odd that I feel a huge sense of relief at having a new, defined direction?)
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