Happy Friday everyone. How are you? Things here have been the same chaos as the last few weeks but there are some positives to focus on. For one, spring is in the air. They have closed the skating trails here and I am starting to wake up to the soothing sound of dripping icicles and chirping birds. The sun has been shining and the temps are close to 0 degrees Celsius, which is pretty warm for this time of year in this part of Canada. I am also leaving for vacation in less than two weeks. I cannot wait, as you can imagine. I have been burning the candle and more than two ends these days and the rest is definitely a requirement to my self sustainability. I have lots to get done beforehand so I am not exactly counting the days until we leave, but the thought of chilling out is definitely on my mind.
How is the weather for you all? Is spring in the air where you live?
There were as always great reads out this week which I have highlighted below:
Good Reads From The Blogosphere:
- If you’re looking to save some money, consider the DIY approach. Money Bulldog has some great tips for how to decide when you should go it alone or hire a pro
- When it comes to paying off your mortgage early, Money Master Mom knows 3 not-so-easy steps to take when doing so
- Cat at Budget Blonde has come a long way in her financial and personal journeys. She wants to know: Did you expect to be where you are right now?
- Lance was an unfortunate victim of credit card fraud. Read what to do if you’re stuck in the same situation over at Money, Life and More
- Student Debt Survivor wants you to know a secret about paying off $30K in student loans
- Kim is sharing the same advice about saving money that she’d share with her friends at Eyes on the Dollar
- Tony at You Only Do this Once want to know if you could live on half of your income
- Many people automatically opt in to their employer’s stock plan. CF at The Outlier Model isn’t one of those people
If you are new to PET or haven’t gotten a chance to read all the articles in the past, here are few archives you might enjoy.
Glad to hear there is some light at the end of the tunnel for you Miss T! It’s also crazy to think that spring is almost upon us.
The light is getting brighter. It will be crazy until we leave but once on the plane I can finally unwind. I can’t believe spring is here yet either.
re: Living on half your income – So much of the difficulty is in adjusting fixed expenses. And typically that biggest fixed expense relates to a mortgage, and from the size of the mortgage comes fixed property taxes, homeowners insurance etc. Seems like it is much easier to live at a lower of income if you set up an initial expense that do not stretch your budget quite so much.
Agreed. There are a lot of people that bite off more than they can chew and they get themselves into trouble when they try to keep up. It is much better to take small bites ad build.
Thanks for the mention even though the event was no fun at all.
You’re welcome. I hope things are getting sorted out.
It seems like winter on for most of the week here, but looks like spring today. You just never know. Thanks for including me this week.
Things could change here too but I am trying to be positive. I am ready for spring.
Hey Miss T, thanks so much for the mention. Which part of Canada are you from? Hope you’re well. Adam
Central Canada. Are you Canadian too? Which part?
Great lineup this week!
Thanks. I aim at having them interesting.
We’re suffering from the”pineapple express” here apparently. Something about cold air from Alaska and warm air from Hawaii making for cold rain. Delightful. Half you’re warming up and thanks for the mention!
That is happening in some other parts of Canada right now. Here we have been steady which is nice.
We had a couple of “teaser” days here that were in the 50s and sunny. Then it was back into the 20s and 30s. Today the sun’s out, I’m hopeful spring is around the corner. Thanks for including me!
I am worried we are getting a tease too. All I can say is that it better be spring when I am back from holidays.
Thank you so much for the mention. I’m honored! As far as the weather, here in NYC area it has been a mild winter but I am still ready for Spring. Feb. feels like the longest month..always. Go figure! Have a great weekend!
You are very welcome. Mild winters what are those? lol. Coming from Canada those are just a fantasy.
Well here in the UK it has still been pretty cold – hovering just over freezing (0C,32F) particularly when we were in London last week but there have been some better days with blue sky recently and that is a bit more cheery! So here’s to spring!
O degrees sounds warm to me but apparently it is not. We get the minus 20′s and 30′s here. It all depends on the humidity.
The temperature has fluctuated here all the way from 13 degrees F all the way to 50 degrees. Gotta love Chicago weather, it can only be described by unpredictable. I hope spring is coming soon, because it’s march and there is still snow on the ground. Doesn’t feel quite like spring yet if you ask me.
We still have snow on the ground too and a lot of it. I question when it will all melt. I might be getting my tan on snow covered hills this summer.
Thank you so very much for the mention, Miss T! I really appreciate it!
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You’re welcome. Hope all is well.