I'm pondering all the changes we've made this year and wondering what 2007 will bring. We managed just fine on Dh's part time income, then I switched jobs and we adjusted to the lower income again. It's been worth it because we have so much more family time and so we definately reached our goal in that area.

In 2007 we will be buying a new to us vehicle for Dh, his job will most likely be going full time (35 hours a week as opposed to the 23 he is currently working) and I will continue having teacher's hours...I can't wait to have the whole summer off!

We did well financially. We continued contributions to our retirement plan, our investments went up quite a bit, we have more savings in the bank than we did at this time last year, and ended the year without debt.

I think it's going to be a great year...

I'll be heading off fairly soon to Walmart. As usual, I'm going to pick up cards, wrap and some Christmasy decoration type gifts for next year. Everything is half price, saves me money and time next year and I feel better prepared. I've been doing this for about 8 years. If there are good deals on children's toys then I'll stock up on birthday party gifts for my children's friends over the year as well.

We had a wonderful family-filled Christmas. We will tidy up the house a bit today, go grocery shopping and to the library. Ds (aged 12) is having a sleepover tonight, but the younger two will be in bed early. The rest of the week should be fairly relaxing, and I have next week off work as well, so I'll have lots of time to putter around the house and play with the kids!

Dh's bonus came through and then some. It was enough to cover about 2/3 of the new to us car that we'll be buying in January. We will pay the rest with money in our emergency fund.

Dd's orthodontic payments are finished in January, as are her gymnastic classes. Dh is getting a bump in pay, and may be going full time, so our monthly income will be going up by $600-$1600 a month, and it looks like we'll be earning an additional $500 on top of that starting in July...WAHOO!!!

My eyes are seeing dollar signs, and I really need to start making a plan for the money NOW so it's not frittered away.

I got a great (I think) deal on a Playstation 2 at Costco. $199 for the gaming system, 2 controllers, and 2 games NBA and ATV racing. I took it over to my neighbour's to hide it for me until Christmas and he told me that he paid 80 bucks for the ATV racing game when it came out. Everywhere else has the gaming system (includes 1 controller) on sale for $129, so I'm happy with the purchase. This is the super duper major gift for our 3 kids! I'll get the microphone/karaoke set that goes along with it for $60 and then there's a few little things that I've picked up through the year, but the kids are basically finished!

Now on to my Dh for whom I've bought one video and nothing else yet...

Dh has been working part time for about a year and a half. He left an extremely stressful, 2 hour commute, full time job in June 2005. He now works 23 hours a week and his office is 5 minutes from our house (he often comes home for lunch or just works from home). He recently started looking for full time work, and then yesterday his boss asked him how he would feel about adding on more hours. She would like to see his position go full time!

He is also getting a fairly large bonus. We would be very happy to see the full time position go through...and the bonus will come in handy in January when Dh will be replacing his dead vehicle. I am being optimistic and hopeful that everything pans out, but will not count any eggs before they're hatched!

My kids really want a PS2 for Christmas. They don't have any type of gaming system, and our oldest is almost 13. They play at their friends' houses and Dh and I have always thought this was a good plan...we don't believe in lots of screen time...but, as they get older, and the sleepovers become bigger and happen more often, we're thinking that a gaming system in the family room would be okay.

With all the new systems available right before Christmas, one would assume that PS2 would be easy to find. Everywhere I go seems to be sold out! Oh, well, 20 shopping days left. I really need to get a list going and get moving! I feel waaaay behind this year.

I went to Costco yesterday (with cash) and still spent too much! I bought a 10 dollar Christmas gift for ds aged 6, pickles, toilet paper, kitty litter, 40 juice boxes and 8 of the energy saving lightbulbs. I spent 80 bucks!!!

We are totally having a 'Cash Christmas' this year and I am nowhere near finished shopping. Costco was a madhouse, as was the mall on Saturday. I think this is going to be a huge year for retailers and I wonder how all these people are affording all this stuff...and why? The whole buying, buying, buying part of the season really bums me out. The first question out of so many people's mouths right now is,"Have you finished your Christmas shopping?". Yikes!

My ds (aged 12) and dd (aged 10) asked me last week if they could each forgo one of their Christmas presents to buy a gift for a family in a third world country. They want to get goats for families in Zimbabwe through Foster Parents Plan of Canada. I am a proud Momma!

Wow! It's been ages since I've blogged on here...

I have been so super busy at my new job, it has taken me a good 3 months to figure everything out and settle in there. The person who had the job before me, and who didn't have her contract renewed, left things in a big mess. Our office administrator has been spending a good part of her time helping me to sort it all out. She also got a volunteer assistant for me who is unbelievably awesome and does anything that I ask of her.

I sometimes do miss the customers and staff at my old job but I don't miss the hours or the crap that went on there!

The kids are doing well. Report cards come out next week and I've already met with dd's teachers and saw her wonderful report card. Ds (aged 12) is having some difficulties with 'friends' at school and has been in some fights lately. Last week he was involved in a snowball incident which started out innocently enough but he ended up protecting a boy a year younger who had been injured and was laying in the snow crying while 8 other boys slaughtered him with snowballs. Ds stood over him so he wouldn't be hit and got yelled at and taunted by the other kids. He ended up beating up one of the kids who wouldn't stop. I got the story from him, and then a parent, who happened to be at the park, phoned to tell me that I should be really proud of him for how he had handled the situation, all except for the end part where he beat the kid up.

Dh's car died at the beginning of November and we're trying to hold off until January before buying a new one. So far, so good. We've had a few times where we could really use our second vehicle but we're managing. I would really like to just use the money in our emergency fund and not finance anything, but Dh wants more car than we have money for. We'll wait and see who wins this battle, but I'm betting on me!

Good to be back here. I'm enjoying reading everyone's blogs and catching up!