Although my crazy life seems to revolve around the drama of the Trolls in the basement, I'm happy to report that once in awhile something good happens and I'm reminded of the reasons why we are making the sacrifices we are.
The whole point of selling our cushy home was to save money and better our future. To date it's been hard to see the advancements that we've made as most of our day to day cash flow is eaten up by large, pre-existing debt and our living expenses. Having two little guys in a high end daycare is financially devastating. We can get cheaper daycare but frankly it's not up for debate. The boys LOVE the daycare they are in and they are learning tons. They are well socialized, happy and Buddy is even staring to write letters. Not bad for a not yet 3.5 year old! They bring home beautiful pieces of art and eat healthy, organic food. So, shelling out $2,400 per month (to have them in 4 days per week) SUCKS but it is for their benefit and I have no regrets.
We have been trying to keep our eye on the prize so to speak and have been looking forward to the spring when we know finances will start to shift and become much better for us. Firstly, I have been expecting a decent tax return this year. I knew we would be getting money back as we can write off a portion of our daycare expenses and I can also claim our move and related expenses since it brought me more than 40 kms closer to my office. Last night I sat down and braved a date with ufile. After several hours of plugging in and validating numbers I was thrilled to see what is owed to us: $13,700. I would have been happy with $5,000!
In addition, it's bonus time for my work. I have been long awaiting this bonus since I started in October 2010 and missed the cutoff for eligibility last year. I don't yet know what the payout will be, however, I received my review rating and our department scorecard ratings and both are above target. This means that I should be paid between 12.5-25% of my annual salary. I would expect somewhere around 15-18% which is a pretty decent chunk of change, even after the tax man takes his share.
With these two lump sums we plan to pay off more debt. We will pay off our car and free up $427 per month of cash flow. I hope to also pay my credit card off which frees another few hundred a month at minimum.
Super Husband and I have also been discussing the possibility of taking a family road trip to Florida/Disney this summer. Super exciting to think we have the means to be able to justify FUN now :)
In addition, we will probably buy the boys bikes for the summer and get a season's pass to Canada's Wonderland.
So while we still have a long journey of saving ahead, we are FINALLY getting some traction in our master plan.
Now....if only we could get rid of the Trolls we would be hitting a real high!
February 16, 2012
February 10, 2012
Go!
Landlord called me this afternoon to provide an update on The Trolls.
After meeting with his lawyer, Landlord has decided that he will ask Mr. Troll to sign an "N11" form which is a form stating that he agrees to evacuate the premises by a certain date.
If he doesn't cooperate, he will start a formal "eviction".
I really, REALLY hope the jerk ships out. Super Husband and I have spent countless hours on the internet searching for alternative housing options and everything is a compromize. At the end of the day moving will cost us a lot of time and money which we do not have right now. We will if we have to but at this point we are hoping that The Trolls will leave and that Landlord has learned a valuable lesson: SCREEN YOUR TENANTS!
After meeting with his lawyer, Landlord has decided that he will ask Mr. Troll to sign an "N11" form which is a form stating that he agrees to evacuate the premises by a certain date.
If he doesn't cooperate, he will start a formal "eviction".
I really, REALLY hope the jerk ships out. Super Husband and I have spent countless hours on the internet searching for alternative housing options and everything is a compromize. At the end of the day moving will cost us a lot of time and money which we do not have right now. We will if we have to but at this point we are hoping that The Trolls will leave and that Landlord has learned a valuable lesson: SCREEN YOUR TENANTS!
February 8, 2012
If My Life Were A TV Show, It Would be Ratings Week
Well I cannot complain about life being dull.
Last week was interesting what with the police activity at 3am and all. But that was SO last week.
So, after a long and crazy day at the office, I was excited to get home, hang with the kids and then settle in with Super Husband to watch Dexter. Super Husband came to the office to pick us up and we all loaded into the car for the big 2 minute commute. As we approached the house we could see a ton of cars parked all around it. Including IN our driveway and in front of the driveway.
WTF?
Super Husband circled the house and did an other drive by so we could survey the situation. We live on a corner on a pretty decent sized lot of land and there were cars parked bumper to bumper along both the side and front. I would guess there were eleven vehicles total. Since they were EXCLUSIVELY around our house, we knew there was something going on.
So Super Husband parked on the street and we started unloading to see what might be going on when a scruffy looking man appeared and got into the car blocking the driveway. So me being me, I approached him.
Me: Excuse me.
Scruffy Man: Yes?
Me: Can I ask what you are doing here?
Scruffy Man: [stares blankly at me]
Me: We LIVE here. This is our driveway that you are blocking.
Scruffy Man: Oh. We are doing an investigation.
Me: An investigation of what? The people who reside in the basement here?
Scruffy Man: Yes. We are the police. ALL of us.
Me: What are you investigating?
Scruffy Man: I cannot say.
Me: Is it drug related?
Scruffy Man: Yes. We have a warrant.
Me: Oh My God. Is this safe for our family?
Scruffy Man: We did find a number of weapons, but it's okay.
Me [???] Are they dealing?
Scruffy Man: We are looking for his stash. Any idea where it might be?
*sigh*
Seriously?
This really doesn't happen to normal people, I'm sure of it.
So why the fuck does it keep happening to us?
Let me reiterate.
We sold our beautiful, safe, family home to move to the city to get a BETTER quality of life for our family.
As a result we are shacking up with loser drug dealers. Who have WEAPONS in the house.
If I don't get the "Worst Mom of the Year" award now, it will be a miracle. I honestly expect people to jump out of the bushes at any moment to announce "You've been PUNKED"!
So last night Super Husband and I made the call yet again to our landlord to fill him in on the situation. I had to repeat the story 4 times. He couldn't grasp what I was saying as I was hysterically rambling on about the "drug bust" going on downstairs.
So I'm not sure what exactly happened other the police were there for another hour or so carting boxes in and out and then they left. The Trolls are still there so I'm guessing no arrests were made and no stash uncovered. I know they trashed the apartment in their search as I heard the daughter crying about her destroyed bed. Like that's the biggest problem they have.
Super Husband and I are at a loss. We have nowhere to go. This is a nightmare.
Last week was interesting what with the police activity at 3am and all. But that was SO last week.
So, after a long and crazy day at the office, I was excited to get home, hang with the kids and then settle in with Super Husband to watch Dexter. Super Husband came to the office to pick us up and we all loaded into the car for the big 2 minute commute. As we approached the house we could see a ton of cars parked all around it. Including IN our driveway and in front of the driveway.
WTF?
Super Husband circled the house and did an other drive by so we could survey the situation. We live on a corner on a pretty decent sized lot of land and there were cars parked bumper to bumper along both the side and front. I would guess there were eleven vehicles total. Since they were EXCLUSIVELY around our house, we knew there was something going on.
So Super Husband parked on the street and we started unloading to see what might be going on when a scruffy looking man appeared and got into the car blocking the driveway. So me being me, I approached him.
Me: Excuse me.
Scruffy Man: Yes?
Me: Can I ask what you are doing here?
Scruffy Man: [stares blankly at me]
Me: We LIVE here. This is our driveway that you are blocking.
Scruffy Man: Oh. We are doing an investigation.
Me: An investigation of what? The people who reside in the basement here?
Scruffy Man: Yes. We are the police. ALL of us.
Me: What are you investigating?
Scruffy Man: I cannot say.
Me: Is it drug related?
Scruffy Man: Yes. We have a warrant.
Me: Oh My God. Is this safe for our family?
Scruffy Man: We did find a number of weapons, but it's okay.
Me [???] Are they dealing?
Scruffy Man: We are looking for his stash. Any idea where it might be?
*sigh*
Seriously?
This really doesn't happen to normal people, I'm sure of it.
So why the fuck does it keep happening to us?
Let me reiterate.
We sold our beautiful, safe, family home to move to the city to get a BETTER quality of life for our family.
As a result we are shacking up with loser drug dealers. Who have WEAPONS in the house.
If I don't get the "Worst Mom of the Year" award now, it will be a miracle. I honestly expect people to jump out of the bushes at any moment to announce "You've been PUNKED"!
So last night Super Husband and I made the call yet again to our landlord to fill him in on the situation. I had to repeat the story 4 times. He couldn't grasp what I was saying as I was hysterically rambling on about the "drug bust" going on downstairs.
So I'm not sure what exactly happened other the police were there for another hour or so carting boxes in and out and then they left. The Trolls are still there so I'm guessing no arrests were made and no stash uncovered. I know they trashed the apartment in their search as I heard the daughter crying about her destroyed bed. Like that's the biggest problem they have.
Super Husband and I are at a loss. We have nowhere to go. This is a nightmare.
February 1, 2012
More Troll Adventures
Before falling asleep last night, I was laying in bed and it occured to me that I haven't posted an update in awhile. My last thoughts before falling asleep were that I would need to think of something to say that wouldn't be too boring.
Well wouldn't you know it. Be careful what you wish for....I was awaken at 2:45am to frantic pounding on the door. Not OUR door, but rather the door to The Trolls' apartment downstairs which is at the back of the house along with our bedroom and Little Man's Bedroom. So I woke up and listened to the thumping for a bit and figured it must be Mr. Troll coming home from his night shift and found himself locked out. Seems like a logical explanation. Except it.didn't.stop. After listining to the incessant pounding for 20 minutes or so it suddenly got even more frantic. As in no longer knocking but full on kicking. It was at this point that Super Husband was finally roused. He jumped up and started to investigate. Exhausted, I put my ear plugs back in (yes, I loooooove my ear plugs) and settled in to try to go back to sleep.
Within 10 minutes of my feeble sleep attempt, Super Husband was in my face trying to tell me something. After ripping out my ear plugs I realized what he was saying: The police are here.
What the fuck?
So now I'm shaking with I don't know what. Fear? Anger? Combination of both?
We peer out the window to see our house is surrounded. Two cop cars at the side of the house (where the Troll's live) and one blocking our driveway at the front. Cops were everywhere. Super Husband told me that he was watching before they arrived and it looked like it was the Troll Daughter's hoodlum boyfriend that we often see skulking around. He was pounding on the door and then walking through the back yard, through the gate and then pounding on the Troll Daughter's window. Stalk Much?
So now there's like 5 cops milling around with flashlights peering in our windows and going up and down our driveway seeming like they were looking for something. I wanted to go out and demand an explanation but frankly don't want to be involved so we stayed inside.
The cops were STILL there questioning and investigating when we fell back asleep at 4:30am.
We are now thinking there's drug involvement but have no way of knowing.
So all this happens and of course these idiots were told to move out by our landlord before Christmas which they have shown no inclination of doing. We are done with this. I know.....I've said this before but seriously....now we're REALLY done.
I'm calling our Landlord this morning to fill him in on the adventures and telling him he needs to let us out of the lease and refund February's Rent. We are outties.
So, so tired.
Well wouldn't you know it. Be careful what you wish for....I was awaken at 2:45am to frantic pounding on the door. Not OUR door, but rather the door to The Trolls' apartment downstairs which is at the back of the house along with our bedroom and Little Man's Bedroom. So I woke up and listened to the thumping for a bit and figured it must be Mr. Troll coming home from his night shift and found himself locked out. Seems like a logical explanation. Except it.didn't.stop. After listining to the incessant pounding for 20 minutes or so it suddenly got even more frantic. As in no longer knocking but full on kicking. It was at this point that Super Husband was finally roused. He jumped up and started to investigate. Exhausted, I put my ear plugs back in (yes, I loooooove my ear plugs) and settled in to try to go back to sleep.
Within 10 minutes of my feeble sleep attempt, Super Husband was in my face trying to tell me something. After ripping out my ear plugs I realized what he was saying: The police are here.
What the fuck?
So now I'm shaking with I don't know what. Fear? Anger? Combination of both?
We peer out the window to see our house is surrounded. Two cop cars at the side of the house (where the Troll's live) and one blocking our driveway at the front. Cops were everywhere. Super Husband told me that he was watching before they arrived and it looked like it was the Troll Daughter's hoodlum boyfriend that we often see skulking around. He was pounding on the door and then walking through the back yard, through the gate and then pounding on the Troll Daughter's window. Stalk Much?
So now there's like 5 cops milling around with flashlights peering in our windows and going up and down our driveway seeming like they were looking for something. I wanted to go out and demand an explanation but frankly don't want to be involved so we stayed inside.
The cops were STILL there questioning and investigating when we fell back asleep at 4:30am.
We are now thinking there's drug involvement but have no way of knowing.
So all this happens and of course these idiots were told to move out by our landlord before Christmas which they have shown no inclination of doing. We are done with this. I know.....I've said this before but seriously....now we're REALLY done.
I'm calling our Landlord this morning to fill him in on the adventures and telling him he needs to let us out of the lease and refund February's Rent. We are outties.
So, so tired.
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