Predicting the Future without a Crystal Ball

My last session at the bank was extremely productive.  It was also eye opening about my pension plan, my current investments and my lifestyle and life expectancy.

My pension plan kinda sucks.  I need to work full time for at least 5 years to pull it higher.  This is not feasible with my health.  Unless of course I can find a way into another department.  This position is currently very elusive.  I had an opportunity to get in last year but at that time there was tremendous chaos in our family and I was teetering on the edge of a complete breakdown.  

(Someday, when the heartache isn't still so close, and on a different blog I will write about our experience.) So I ended up staying where I was and still am.  It's not a fulfilling job.  It's not a pleasant job most days, but brain numbing, and well paid!  I also pick my own part time schedule.  That part is fairly awesome!  I'm able to go to all of kid3's sports and activities.  My other 2 are both on their own now.  Both working and one also going to school.  I try to do a weekly meal with everyone so that kid3 doesn't feel like an only child!

With my maxed out RRSP's and also TFSA's these will top up my pension and make it feasible to retire at 55!  I won't be rich, but I will be able to live as comfortably as I am now!  Including some travel every year.  And according to my investment person at the bank I will live until I'm 90!  So that is the withdrawal number he worked with.  As my Grandma would say "That's too long to hang around".  I may lower that number as time rolls along 😉  

My dh has to work likely for 10-15 more years after I retire as he didn't start his current job and contributing to his pension plan until 10 years ago.  He has reached the top of his pay scale, and with his last review he was put on track for succeeding the current director.  This is great $$ but more travel and longer hours.  Thus me being able to be around for kid3 makes more sense.

As we know life can change in the blink of an eye.  What the future holds and what you predict and hope are often very different.  Dealing with change, coping with curve balls and staying grounded as the days go by is also a full time job.  I love my little family.  I tolerate my obnoxious parents and in laws, but I don't bust my ass to cater to them anymore.  You can't fix or change stupid.  Being used by them is tolerated no more.
 I've found some great very extended family that we mesh with very well.  I identify with them, and so do my husband and kids.  Same goes on dh's side of the family.  He has a 3rd cousin and family that we are very close to.  Normal, intelligent, fun and kind people.  Always laughter and enjoyable times when spent together.  Being able to break away from the tight clutches of my in-laws has given us opportunity to expand our circle as I don't have to cater to them every stinking weekend like I used to!  Spending time with wonderful friends does the heart good.  Such a relief to look forward to weekends!! 

Which reminds me -with days off this week I'm making a coffee date with a friend that retired a couple years ago.  She makes me laugh with her dry wit!  I've booked a pedicure, I'm going to try and get a massage too!  Self care is an important part of life now too!  And once or twice a year isn't going crazy with $$.  

The good things:

My kids

This beautiful hot weather

No mortgage so that money is all going to retirement

Things that suck:

Getting a sunburn 😎

Not winning the lotto

Narcissistic parents 

What is your Plan?

Where do you see yourself in the next year?  5 years from now? 10 years?

 I was unprepared for that question this morning.  I just wanted to sign some paperwork.  Believe it or not I am still trying to get my investments sorted out from March.  To say that it has been a cluster%* is accurate.

Does everyone have a plan in place for the next 10 years??  I have a lot of things that are up in the air.  If I find a different job that I love- I may work past 55.  If my dh keeps going in his position we may be moving in 10 years.  Downsizing the house, more travel...  I don't know what I'm doing this summer- much less in 2028.  I have ideas, but they are vague and so much depends on "things".

I just want to put some money away.  That's all I knew today.  I have 3 kinds of investments.  RRSP's. TFSA's and an RESP for my kids 2&3.  I don't do stock trading, have gold bullion in my basement or a wad of bills under my mattress.  Although the mattress plan is seeming more appealing with every trip to the bank.  It shouldn't be such a huge pain in the arse to purchase some mutual funds.  I obviously oversimplify the process.  I have a new person looking after me.  Based on our one hour today I think it will be fine.  But that's what I thought about my last person and she made so many mistakes it was quite shocking.  He did clarify that I didn't have a mortgage and I don't have any debt's.  We talked for awhile about how I did it and that I can't work like that anymore due to injury.

Next week is another meeting.  I have to find out more information regarding my pension plan at work, my insurance coverage and copies of POA that we have.

What I would rather do is work in my yard and drink iced tea on the deck.  If doing all of this now will give me more time for that later...worth the pain!

Well I'm off to find out my pension numbers, and sort out my unplanned life.

Here's hoping to a Lotto Max win!  (Just kidding, I haven't bought a ticket in 8 years - a work pool) but 55 million would help me with a 5-10 year plan!! 😉

Burning up Vacation Hours

Today was payday and horray for stat holiday pay!  $600 more than my last pay period.  I will move some of that into my travel/life savings.

The grocery bills remain high despite eating leftovers for 3 days after Easter.  Today is soup day that I made yesterday with the last of the leftover meat, turkey stock I made with the carcass and using up all the veggies left from the fresh veggie and dip platter.  Tomorrow I will make a roast beef and I will make the rest of the potatoes, carrots and add a salad.  Sunday will be leftovers, Monday I am making a chicken stir-fry and green rice.  Tuesday leftovers and I will add shrimp and eggs to make it chicken/shrimp fried rice.  Wednesday...who knows. We did eat out once this week.  A friend was in the city and we met up with her at a resturant.  $60 for 3 of us, then she treated us to concert tickets.  It was a fun night.


Yesterday I started a bit of cleaning and planning a garage sale for May.  I have so much junk that I don't want anymore.  It is taking up too much space!  My oldest is moving into a bigger place in a few weeks so maybe I can "gift" him some prizes I have in a few boxes in the storage room.  Extra toaster, fans, electric frying pans, dresser, coolers, candles and candle holders, bakeware, bedding... endless!

This week I have to make a trip to the parents.  I would rather not.  The counselling I've had in the last year has helped.  I will be able to deal with their crap.

I continue to hope for a position to open up at work.  Zero happening thus far.  I need a change.
I need spring that is sunny and warm.  Not cold and snowing.  That would also help me.

Today is a vacation day - part of the use it or pay it out.  I'm using it.  So today's vacation shall be laundry, cleaning and I hope an afternoon nap! 😴💤
The Good Things:
Paid to stay home
Big paydays
Time with kid3 for Easter break week

Things that suck:
This weather
No job openings
I have to get a new coffee maker.

Having a Big Little Gathering Today

For our Easter today it is only my 3 kids + oldest's lovely friend and then 2 friends of ours.
I had bought a turkey at xmas on sale.  14 lbs for $12.88.  I'm going to start peeling potatoes and cleaning veggies this morning.  I made dessert yesterday.

Getting the plates and serving bowls ready I noticed that my everyday silverware set is no longer a set!  Its a mishmash of 2-3 sets and a few random forks that I think dh brought home from the work lunchroom.  I have 2 sets of 12 fancy silver that live in velvet lined boxes downstairs.  So if 24 people came for dinner and coffee and tea everyone would get a matching set.  Meanwhile daily we use junky stuff.

I have pulled out one set for today.  What in the world am I saving it for???  The bigger question is WHY did I think I needed it in the first place???  I'm not a hoarder, but I do have a lot of "Stuff". This stuff was at one time very needed or wanted and now it lives in boxes.  Lots of "stuff" that was so important has been forgotten about.  This year will be for purging, for using things that were meant to be used, for evaluating the needs and for simplifying my home.

For those that celebrate Happy Easter!

The good things:
My kids
Our friends that are like family
Extended family that value us and love us

Things that suck:
Cold winter wind
My old coffee maker is on its last leg.

Easter

Today was a quiet one, and a cold one.  There is no sign of spring here.  I did a bit of shopping or at least tried... My black dress pants need to be replaced.  My old ones fit in the waist but they are "flare" bottoms and dont look remotely in style. They are too flappy.  I've had my flappy black ones for 7 years so I have got a lot of wear out of them.  In the store today where I was looking was a woman with 3 kids running wild and shrieking, whining and fighting.  Then I watched as the oldest little darling (who would be about 6) slugged a salesperson!!!!  "Oh, be careful of your hands" says mommy.  Then returns obliviously to looking at clothes.  The poor young salesman was so startled!
When she and the 3 darlings followed me into the change rooms, I handed my pants back to the unfortunate sales girl and said I would be back someday when there wasn't so much screaming in the store.  There were 3 salespeople that had wide open mouths and wide eyes as they watched the circus.  My favourite line I heard "mommy is going to take away your guns". I chuckled out loud as I left.

My personal spending for 2018 remains haircut and colour and hair product.  No pants 😕
So I bought groceries.  Having a small fancy Easter Dinner on Sunday.  The turkey is defrosting, I will make pie and tarts, and have all the usual potatoes and stuffing and salad... will finalize the menu tomorrow.

All of the financial crap that I did... Nothing has gone through yet when I checked again today. Zero. So now I wait until Tuesday, as I think the bank takes the Monday as a stat too, to see exactly why it takes 2 weeks when it was promised to be 2 business days!?

I had my older 2 kids over for dinner.  The dh took #3 to his parents overnight.  I don't sleep on the floor, and I don't share a bathroom with more than 10 people.  (Unless I was evacuated because of a disaster.). So I stay at home. It's not a joyous loving time for me when I go.  I'm treated like I'm in the way and as I learned last summer - they wished that dh would have married another woman.

  I love my bed to myself, I love the company of my kids and my dog.  I'm good.  😊

The good things:
A full night's sleep
My adult children are lovely people

Things that suck:
Cold spring weather
Flappy pants
No pants
Asshat in-laws

Investment Shuffling

For all of the financial moving and shaking I did yesterday I didn't pull ahead very far.  It was a big shuffle that hopefully sees bigger gains.
There were or still are commercials about people paying high fees for investments.  MER's (Management expense ratio's) Mine were almost 3% on a couple of funds I was in.  Over the last 2 years they have performed poorly but adding insult to injury was the money removed from the small gains that put me to 0.  So over they went from another bank into CIBC "Premium Class" to pay less MER's and hopefully get some forward traction.

With my eyes set on "freedom 55" I moved other funds around and topped up my woeful Tax free savings by 25k.  Much more than the 15 I had planned.  But I had the room to contribute and it makes sense to be making tax free gains vs. Sitting in my chequing account and I pay income tax on the pitiful $85/year I was making.

The RESP (Registered Education Savings Plan) that I still have for kids #2 and 3 is doing well.  To max out the government contribution you need to put $2500 in to get the $500.  Kid #2 is too old to have contributions matched.  But a guaranteed $500 return on $2500 is good in my mind and kid3 still has a few years left.  I don't intend to pay for all secondary education, my oldest has about $10k in loans after 5 years, but is fully employed and can easily afford payments. My kid 2 is sorting out life and hasn't picked a path yet.  So working full time.  I also don't pay if they don't pass.  I'm mean like that.  I work very hard for my money, I expect that its use will be with consideration and effort.

I am still trying to think about a summer trip.  Its very hard to nail down vacation time needed and kid3's activities and dh's vacation days.  He is away for work for a week in 2 months and I will take vacation then as my hours of work are very early and kid3 has to be seen off to school.  At work there might be a change in the office.  I don't want to get my hopes up too much.  It would help the stress level go down and satisfaction go up.  But I remain pessimistic that there will be any forward thinking done by management.

I haven't used my credit card for anything other than haircut and badly needed colour and some potion and spray to tame the frizzies.  Staying the same weight also saves money on clothes!  I am looking forward to warmer temperatures so I can pull out some different pants and tops and shoes.  Even some ice melting would change the shoe situation.  There is no physical space to put a change of footwear in my overcrowded office.  Seriously, not a spot for me to keep shoes.  I had a locker that was mine for years taken away because I went part time.  Now my coat is on a shared hook!  Thank god nobody smokes.

Here is hoping that St. Paddy brings in some warmth and sunshine!

The good things:
My kids all together last night
Feeling better

Things that suck:
Not getting away for vacation for March
My parental units are loons

Dealing with Nonsense and I Need to Come Up With a Plan

i have been stuck in the blah's.  Round 2 or relapse of the plague hit and zapped all of my energy.
I've used up my vacation instead of taking a payout.  Between fatigue and kid 3's sports commitments there won't be a March getaway.  Plus, today I could throttle the dh.  So I don't feel like going away anywhere with him.  Not even the grocery store.

I've been annoyed by so many things - perhaps the 3.5 hours of sleep per night I get is making me cranky?

If I could get back all of the sleep I've been deprived of over the last 28 years from shiftwork, kids, dogs, snoring bed partner, neighbours dogs, rude neighbours...

I have been checking for my tax refund deposit...still not there.  Both kids have theirs.  Then in my brain fog I remember that the direct deposit goes into my old bank account at the Credit Union.  So I go to the app/website (that is sh!tty) and try and log in.  I don't recall my 17 digit account # off the top of my head, so I search for my bank card.  I took it out of my wallet before our hot holiday in Dec.  It is not where I always put my credit cards.  Its not anywhere.  This is compounding my mood today.  What a pita to get a new card.  So I will have to go there in person, huge kerfuffle.  I will close my account with them tomorrow if my CRA deposit is in there.  That money will go into the TFSA.  It should be about $5000.

I was also going to move all of my accounts that I have at the CIBC to a different branch.  There is such a language barrier when I go to my branch it is ridiculous.  I get and I appreciate that everyone wants to be able to speak with someone in their native language when they deal with finances.  But so do I!  When I tried to get US funds for our vacation it was like an episode of the 3 stooges with mandarin/Armenian/english.  They didn't know the exchange rate (a girl tried to google it on her phone), they didn't know how much they could give me because it was all in the instant teller (no cash handled by humans at my branch), and the girl looked like she was going to a club in her stretchy bright red mini dress and stilettos.  Her main job seemed to be running the coffee urn and handing out pamphlets.  And just a fashion tip- at work your hem line should cover your ass cheeks.  I'm no fashionista, but I do know a couple faux paus for work wear.  In the end I got $200 and then went to the credit union and spoke with a human vs buttons on the instant teller and got money handed to me!

Why does it have to be so hard?!

2 weeks ago I got a phone survey asking about if I was happy with my CIBC services.  Hahaha!  I'm 100% sure that they could give a crap what I think, but I told them anyways.  It used to be such a painless experience years ago and it has eroded so badly that there is nothing there anymore except a phone app.

And because life is ironic, or someone is spying on me- the bank called as I was typing this.  "It's been a long time since we looked at your investments, can you come in and we will look over your portfolio?"

I've been researching better investment portfolios and will move stuff around on Friday.  And even though I get "preferred customer service". What a lark.  I will need my own investment plan.
I asked a couple of people at work about investment management services they use.  They don't seem right for me.  My overall interest rate - with the exception of the blip a few weeks ago is as good or better with my own choices than with investment/wealth management.

I don't like homework 😩  But part of the deal if I want to retire sooner than later.
The good things:
I have 3 really great kids
Sun is shining

Things that suck:
Too numerous to mention