Title: It sure sucks to be broke!

Hey World,

Damn, it sucks to be broke! You ever have that moment where for some reason, all of a sudden you just have soooo much to do. And then you think to your-self maybe watching all the franchises and episodes of Real Housewives might have possibly been a waste of your time. I mean like I really could have been more productive, who would a thunk it? But you know how it is, you're in the moment and you like watching t.v...I am a procrastinator by core, so what this means is that until I feel the pressure, I probably ain't doing it. I can't remember a time that I wasn't this way.
No, I do not by any means encourage this behaviour, in fact, I am always impressed by people who do things ahead of time. I tell myself like most people with my issue tell themselves, my best work is done last minute! This may or may not be true, I wouldn't know because even when I mentally plan on doing something ahead of time, it just doesn't work out. Anyways, so now all of a sudden I am like busy nancy, trying to do this and that for my thing that I am working on. I haven't told anyone really yet so I am not gonna write it here just yet. But needless to say, I am a little flustered and slightly overwhelmed. And ofcourse I wish I had more money because it would offer me more flexibility. It sucks to be broke...

Reasons it sucks to be broke;

- You have got to plan for every single little thing cuz if you don't it royally screws you over..And you know we all been screwed over by ourselves a time or two

- You really want to do something but you can't do it

- You often get panic attacks or breakouts or eating disorders because of the stress

- You have to hide from going out with your friends because you don't have a penny to waste buying a drink you know you don't need (You become a hermit)

- You may have to face the embarrassment of asking others for money

- It's majorly embarrassing

Tip of Day: It sure sucks to be broke...so please avoid it at any cost!!

Hello World,

Well I guess its not such a bad thing that I have been busy lately. I feel full of purpose again! This broke life, I tell yuh!

Yesterday, I realized something about myself. "I still let fear hold me back". I was so upset at myself because I don't want to be a coward at life. hmm....

 It brings me back to the days in high-school where in religion class (I went to a catholic school) we had to write these things called reflections. I don't know if you had to do this but we were always expected to write a page or so about what we thought about our-selves or something we read in relation to ourselves and what we learned. I, like most of my classmates hated reflections and thought it was an absolute waste of our time. We even made fun of our religion teacher just because we had to sit there and fill up the page with stupid reflections. Now, in my adult life I actually think reflections were not such a bad idea.

Honestly, in our day to day life we know certain things about ourselves like example, I would never own an animal or have any interest in touching one but I am totally against animal cruelty and always wonder how they feel in a world where humans think they should be caged up or used for their amusement. But a reflection would allow me to really tap into why I feel this way about animals. No, I am not gonna share my deep dark childhood experience with animals but now that I think about it, it definitely stems from somewhere.

I think we should all start doing reflections again and figure out why we do and think the way we do. It is important for our growth as successful human beings.

I had a little reflection of my own last night and realized how much fear holds me back, like it holds back many of us. I am usually a very brave person, at least in my opinion. I encourage people in my life to have a 'go for it attitude' always because I truly believe that it is a positive way to live. My dad always says "make sure you're living in a courage zone and not a fear zone". I really take that to heart as I do believe it is the best advice he has ever given me. However, I still find myself stuck in certain situations.
I think I haven't gotten my G licence yet because I am traumatized by a very bad accident I had a few years ago. It has actually scarred my face and is something I look at everyday. A huge pole actually fell on top of the car. Most people in my life might not even know the severity of the accident I had. The problem with me I think is, I want to be so courageous that I don't deal with my problem like really deal with it..And I know a lot of people are just like me but the fact is,

Sometimes you have to deal with your problem before you can move on. And it may be a lot tougher than you anticipate. But you MUST DEAL WITH IT!!

I am also dealing with other issues in my life where I am realizing I have a deep fear that I need to deal with and reflecting on why I have these fears will allow me to over come these them.

Tip of the day: You are human, you are scared of things. Everything you are scared of started somewhere. You need to figure out where it comes from and work on overcoming it because it's worth it! 

Title: It couldn't hurt to learn about finances in such a financial world, especially if you're broke!

Hello World,

I was a bit busy this week/weekend and didn't get a chance to write you, Sorry!
From speaking to my friends and others I have began to realize how easy it is to spend money and use credit but the difficulty in understanding money and credit. Wouldn't it be a great world if for every credit card sales person that existed from the department stores to our schools and even our banks there was someone right there to advise us thoroughly about the implications of these services from the get go? When I say advise us thoroughly, they should be advising us on how to use our money and credit wisely and what to do if we get in that tough situation like many of us do.
While I am not a banking associate I will try to define some things that I think are important for everyone to understand. I suggest you do your own research and see what you discouver, it couldn't hurt to learn about finances in such a financial world.

Overdraft - You usually have to pay an overdraft fee. It Means that you have a negative balance when in use. A refusal to pay this balance can result in a closed account and the bank may choose to report the problem account which may in turn affect your credit capability. You may notice that if you have a savings account or another account with said bank they may take money from that account and put it into your overdraft without your acknowledgment. With many banks it is expected for you to have your overdraft paid in full after every three months or it may vary. It is okay to use overdraft for temporary purposes as long as you pay it back in a timely fashion.

Tax Free Saving Account - The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is a flexible, registered, general-purpose savings vehicle that allows Canadians to earn tax-free investment income to more easily meet lifetime savings needs. The TFSA complements existing registered savings plans like the Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) and the Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP). The TFSA is an account that provides tax benefits for saving in Canada. Contributions to a TFSA are not deductible for income tax purposes. Investment income, including capital gains and dividends, earned in a TFSA is not taxed, even when withdrawn. Non-residents of Canada aren’t eligible to open a TFSA. If you happen to leave the country after you have started a tax free savings account, you can maintain your existing TFSA, but you can’t add anything to it as long as you’re a non-resident. Unlike an Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) the contributions are not tax-deductible.

RRSP's -  is a type of Canadian account for holding savings and investment assets. Approved assets include savings accounts,guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), bonds, mortgage loans, mutual funds, income trusts, corporate shares (stocks), foreign currency and labour-sponsored funds. Taxes on earned (employment) income (to the extent contributed to the plan) are deferred until the eventual withdrawals from the plan. There is no benefit from the deferral because it is an accrued liability that grows at the same rate as the investments themselves. The tax deferred is commonly called the contribution tax credit. Income earned inside the plan on the after-tax savings (excluding the contribution tax credit) is not taxed either while within the plan or on withdrawal.  By deferring the income until retirement, the additional income created at that time may reduce those benefits. For the most part, contributions to RRSPs are deductible from taxable income, reducing income tax payable. Since Canada has a progressive tax system, taxes are reduced at the highest marginal rate. Increases in the value of the plan assets (whether capital gains, interest income or other) are not subject to income or other taxes in Canada until funds are removed from the RRSP. An account holder is able to cash out an amount from an RRSP at any age. However, any amount withdrawn qualifies as taxable income and is therefore subject to withholding tax. Before the end of the year the account holder turns 71, the RRSP must either be cashed out or transferred to a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) or an annuity. Home Buyers Plan: Canadians can borrow, tax-free, up to $25,000 from their RRSP (and another $25,000 from a spousal RRSP) towards buying their residence. Life-long Learning Plan:This loan has to be repaid within 15 years after two years of grace.his program allows individuals to borrow from an RRSP to go or return to post-secondary school.

Debt Consolidation: entails taking out one loan to pay off many others. This is often done to secure a lower interest rate, secure a fixed interest rate or for the convenience of servicing only one loan. You can obtain a loan from another financial institution to pay back the four credit cards. Now your debts are consolidated into one financial institution, where you will have to make one single payment each month. The reduction in interest rate is one of greatest advantages of this procedure. Such loans also have extended terms which reduce the amount to be paid each month. You have to make it a point to meet this payment every month to maintain your credit score.

Bankruptcy: you assign (surrender) everything you own to a trustee in bankruptcy in exchange for the elimination of your debts. 

To go into bankruptcy in Canada, a person must live or do business in Canada, and must be insolvent. To be insolvent means:

1. To owe at least $1,000. 
2. Not to be able to meet your debts as they are due to be paid.

You may be entitled to an automatic discharge from bankruptcy in 9 months, the minimum time set by the Court to be bankrupt, provided you have never been bankrupt before and you complete various duties and responsibilities. A secured debt, such as a car loan or mortgage, is not included. Since you have given an asset as collateral, your creditor does not need the bankruptcy process to recover the amount owing to them. Some unsecured debts are also not discharged in a bankruptcy, such as student loans less than 10 years after you stopped going to school and/or any alimony or child support.

The length of your bankruptcy will be nine months, unless one of the following is true:

• You fail to perform all your bankruptcy duties, such as regular payments of surplus income to the trustee.
• You have surplus income (see below).
• You have been bankrupt before.

On top of the trustee fee and your loss of assets, a bankruptcy may cost you some of your income, depending on how much you earn and the size of your household. The principle is that, if you earn more than your household needs to survive, you must pay the “surplus income” to your trustee for the creditors. The more you earn, the more expensive filing for bankruptcy will become. This affects your credit for several years, but their are ways you can work on rebuilding your credit. 

Consumer Proposal: is a contract that's negotiated with your creditors on your behalf, by a consumer proposal administrator (also called a bankrutpcy trustee). A legally binding agreement is put in place to arrange for a partial repayment of your total unsecured debt owing. You'll pay portion of what you owe, and your creditors will agree to ignore the balance owing. 

Consider these 5 main benefits to a consumer proposal

• Most wage garnishments cease immediately
• Interest stops accumulating from the date you file
• Collection companies and creditors can no longer contact you for payment; it's the law!
• You are not in jeopardy of losing your house or other assets, as in bankruptcy
• You repay only a portion of your debt owing, with a maximum repayment period not exceeding 5 years

the effect on your credit score is generally less than a bankruptcy. Consumer proposals typically produce an R7 rating, whereas personal bankruptcy will produce an R9. 

Credit Rating - Equifax 

Rating What it Means

• R0 Too new to rate; approved but not used
• R1 Pays (or paid) within 30 days of payment due date or not over one payment past due
• R2 Pays (or paid) in more than 30 days from payment due date, but not more than 60 days, or not more than two payments past due
• R3 Pays (or paid) in more than 60 days from payment due date, but not more than 90 days, or not more than three payments past due
• R4 Pays (or paid) in more than 90 days from payment due date, but not more than 120 days, or four payments past due
• R5 Account is at least 120 days overdue, but is not yet rated "9"
• R7 Making regular payments through a special arrangement to settle your debts
• R8 Repossession (voluntary or involuntary return of merchandise)
• R9 Bad debt; placed for collection; moved without giving a new address

Because I realize this is a lot of information to take in all at once, I will be sure to do another financial blog next month so we both keep learning!

Title:  Being Broke isn't easy but its definitely not the worst thing that could happen to you.

Hello World,

The life of a broke girl can be one of great discovery.You really get to figure out how strong you are when faced with Brokedum.
You really have to become a very present manager of your life when going through all of this. Think about it, if you are really broke then you may have already figured out by now or you will figure it out soon enough by a credit kick in your ass, that you need to deal with bills and not have bills deal with you.
Just like with anything in life, try to face the problem head on because it might be able to kill you with ease if you turn your back.
 While I write this, I only currently have a part-time job and I would be lying if I said I didn't have any opportunities since graduation to have a full-time job, however they just didn't feel right and well, I was lazy and naive. As I step into shadows of almost a year anniversery since I finished university, I realize that there are some decisions I have to make regarding my life. I have just always had this dream that I do intend on turning into a reality, of a job I really enjoyed and allowed me to be creative, ever learning and free. We all have dreams...

What I will tell you is, had I not faced brokdum the way I had, my eyes might have been closed to all of the improvements I have been able to make to life since graduation.
 Being broke opens up your eyes and allows you to take the time to really evaluate things. 

Example, I may now have paid off my cell phone bill and decided to disconnect it; had I been too busy surviving and working full time, I would still have that stupid bill taking me down every month. I may have not been actively dealing with my debt like I am now. Now, I am in a position where I know I will be debt free and exactly when this should happen. I may not have had the time to this sort of research. I may have just been adding to debt instead of subtracting to it like I am now even though I make next to nothing. I may not have figured out how much I love writing and the opportunities there are in this field had I been hurting my feet doing a job I hated.

I think my advice to others is to really enjoy being broke for now...I know saying this is counter-intuitive, but as I said before NOW you probably have the time, the critical mind, the support and the energy so that you can make and evaluate some critical decisions. You may have a crappy job here in your country, but maybe now is your time to grab a visa and go live in a foreign country (what do you have to loose?) Maybe this is your time to deal with your debt (you now have the time to get credit counselling, don't you?) Maybe, this is the time for you to follow your passions in life, (any extra income is good income; isn't it?)...

TIP OF THE DAY: Being Broke isn't always easy but its definitely not the worst thing that could happen to you.

Title: Freebies Friday - Why not get free stuff?

Don't you ever want free stuff and know that you don't really have the luck to win contests or have the money to afford 5 other products so you can get the one free thing? Well look no further!
 I have provided a list of stuff you can actually get for free depending on your interests...Without further a due..CHECK IT OUTA!!

1. Very Irresistible Givency Electric Rose New Fragrance sample - The Bay
http://veryirresistibleyou.com/en/get-a-free-sample.html

2. A Dozen Free Bagles on your Birthday - What a Bagel
http://www.whatabagel.com/index.php?page=what-a-deal

3. You can get a sample of Spray Paint, Acrylics, or Paint Maker - Liquitex
http://www.liquitex.com/samplerequest/

4. 5 day Trial - Goodlife Fitness
http://www.goodlifefitness.com/welcome/5day.aspx?source=Adjump&WT.mc_id=Adjump

5. Escada Cherry in the Air perfume sample - Escada Fragrances
https://esc.cocomore.com/zesnc/esampling/fragrance_escada_ff13_cherry_gl_spl1301/registration/register/en_GB

6. Nyquinadol (Powerful night time pain relief) - Adeeva
http://adeeva.com/index.php/adeeva/free_sample

7. Multi-Focul contact Lenses -  Bausch + Lomb
http://www.goodbyereaders.ca/~/link.aspx?_id=755EC319776D4485825D426BAE524E69&_z=z

8. 1 Month Free Trial - Netflix
https://signup.netflix.com/?mqso=80027988&KID=k240342&USERID=1574144813&CREATIVE=n&SESSIONID=id_1574144814&SITEID=wf.ca&TACID=

9. Free starter on next visit - Montana's Cookhouse
http://www.montanas.ca/sign_up.php

10. Live the Smart way book by Nutrition expert Kathy Smart
http://livethesmartway.com/gf/free-book/

11. Pain Reliever - Advil
https://www.pchsampling.ca/promo/advillg/

12. Weight Loss Kit - Atkins Weight Loss
http://ca.atkins.com/registration/

13. Skin Repair Essence - L'essence D'eau
http://www.lessencedeau.com/LD_SRE-Sample_ContactUs.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lessencedeau.com%2FLD_SRE-Sample_ContactUs.html

14. Footwear Cleaning Gel - NikWax
http://www.nikwax.co.uk/en-us/webquiz/index.php

15. Postcards - Postagram
https://apps.facebook.com/postagram/2013/kit

16. Yoga - Lululemon
http://www.lululemon.com/giftofyoga

17. Skin care samples - Nivea
http://www.en.nivea.ca/products/face-care?nvem=/modules-components/ext/en-fr-CA/expertise-modules/New%20Expertise%202&cid=CA-EMM-NIV-201303&dpl=deeplink-aquaeffect

18. Free Coffee - Timothy's World Coffee
http://timothyscafes.com/en/home/

19. Free Kids Haircut - Excel Salon and Spa
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Excel-Salon-Spa/108754289217238?v=app_140220056157989&app_data=gaReferrerOverride%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.facebook.com%252Fl.php%253Fu%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fa.pgtb.me%25252Fs9Mj8G%2526h%253DmAQHz11d_%2526s%253D1

20. Earplugs - Howard Leight
http://www.howardleight.com/trymax/trymax.html

21. Gift on your Birthday - Old Navy
https://secure-oldnavy.gapcanada.ca/profile/info.do?cid=52346&src=Site_TextFooter&mlink=5151,2002317,8&clink=2002317

22. Youth Hockey Helmet - Bauer
https://www.facebook.com/ChevroletSafeandFunHockey/app_383101191747846?app_data=helmet

23. Dog or Cat Food - Nutrizoo
http://www.nutrizoo.com/p/405/%C3%A9chantillon-gratuit-de-nourriture

24. 2 Free Games of Bowling all summer for kids - Kids Bowl Free
http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

25. Men's Cologne Sample - Hugo Boss
http://fragrances.hugoboss.com/uk/hugo-red-perfume-for-men-free-sample

26. Toddler Drink Sample - Nestle Baby
http://www.nestle-baby.ca/en/survey/gum_survey.htm

27. Invati exfoliating shampoo and conditioner sample - Aveda
http://www.avedacanada.ca/invati/freesample.php

Remember, every second Friday of the month I will be doing one of these so if you know of any free stuff let me know! 

Title: Being older doesn't make you wiser, its your openness to learn more that makes you wiser.  You can always become a better you..

Hey World,

So as you may or may not know, I am working on a Freebie Friday segment for my blog. It is going to be posted every second Friday of the month so stay posted. A.K.A. tomorrow... If you know of anywhere to get free stuff, I would really appreciate you sending me a message.

We are all not the smartest, strongest most talented people even though we may like to portray ourselves this way. I think that's why I liked Snookie so much in Jersey Shore and Charlotte from Geordie Shore, it is the uncensored honesty that I find soo attractive. It's probably one of the reasons I love that show 'Girls' on HBO. We are not perfect people who do things perfectly, even if we are perfectionist.

I am working on a piece un-related to anything I write for this blog and I am hitting a wall. I guess since I have been writing, I haven't been requested to write anything to left field from this blog. And then it hits me, I need to talk to people and do some major research. It is also what inspired me to do this Freebie Friday segment of my blog, because it will allow be to improve and showcase my research skills.

Life is a learning quest, you can never truly know everything so you might as well find ways to learn more.

I am the first one to admit that I am not one for school, however, there is something so great about learning something new. Its about feeling that energy again that you can educate someone on something or that someone can educate you on something. In my opinion age doesn't matter because a 12 year old might have faced something in their life that I know nothing about. I think that in today's society we are faced with hypocritical lives where we showcase through social media and jobs, etc. how perfect we are. They literally ask this of us. The sad part is we start to believe in the lie and we often limit ourselves from new opportunities for growth. I have seen many people give themselves panic attacks because of this (We can't control things) and I am not excluded from this. Of-course, there are things we are good at, but there is no need to pretend you perfect at them. You can always become a better you.

Tip of the Day: Live life Open! You can always become a better you..

Title: Survival Kit for the Broke (6 Must Haves)

Hello World,

I would just like to begin by saying thank-you to all of you that read my blog in Canada, U.S., Germany, U.K. to even India...Thanks!

Okay, now back to business. Well, as you guys all know I am broke and you probably are a little bit too if you like reading my blog. (if you are rich and like reading my blog, can you please send me some money? lmao...no serious). Anyways I want you guys to have a 'Must Have List' for surviving the broke life because as you know, being broke ain't easy. Many of us qualify as living in poverty in a middle class environment and its hard. We live above our means because put simply we are used to this lifestyle. So here are 6 things that will make surviving that broke life much easier for you.

6 Must Haves;

A bicycle: Oh yes, it is worth the investment all the way. You get exercise and it can save you money on transportation whether you have a car or ride the bus - oh yeah and its leisurely too.

A journal or something that you can express all your frustrations on: This will help you move mental blockage which you tend to have a lot of when dealing with the broke life and the other problems you face in your life.

A Library Card: You can browse the internet, print, photocopy and borrow books for free at the library. It's a wonderful place.

A Land-line phone: Old fashioned but superb. It's usually shared between a couple people so maybe you can negotiate something in your household. Its' less likely to get cut off than your cell phone. When employers and people call you they can get a hold of you or leave a voice-mail. It can be cheaply coupled with internet and can cost as much as one of your cheap cell phone bills.

Flyers: So you always know where the sales are at for the week.

A friend that understands: You need someone to take your mind of the crap and just have a jolly ole' time. After all, your broke not dead.


Tip Of the Day: The broke life requires you to be savvy!

Title: You fall in love because of your brain not your heart.... so stop using your heart to explain bullshit!

Hey World,

While your broke I do believe in the phrase "99 problems but a bitch ain't one" should be your priority. However, I do know that we all need a lil' loving at times. And like each cliche person would say, to you " to really love someone, you need to start with yourself".
Firstly, figure out what you would want in a relationship and just try to give that to another person. When you couple that first sentence with always being respectful to your partner, you are halfway there to a perfect relationship already. No, they might not want all the flowers you require in a relationship but you can interpret your need by finding out what material things they like and offering it to them ever so often. Example, he loves cars so you figure out where the next car show is and you go with him.
I do realize that after a hard day of pounding the pavement, looking at bills, and smiling at bosses you can't stand, broke people wanna come home to someone who we love and love us back. Adult lovin'.
I often find myself giving relationship advice in my regular non-blogging life so I thought, hey why not do that here as well. The biggest problem I see when talking to my single guys and gals is that they over-analyze the simplest things. In fact, if we got out of our heads a little bit more we would actually be able to see the people checking us out.

While you complain about being single, these are the things you are most likely doing;

Fail to make eye contact
Talk as if we already have a mate
Act insecure
Act like we know everything/overconfident
Seem to have a problem smiling at people we actually like
Seem to have a problem striking conversations with people that we actually like
Are quick to ignore people/ Judgemental

So you may ask, well broke girl, what do I do now? Answer: Address your damn issues duh!

Stop pretending you're okay with the way things are going when you know your not. And stop having pity parties for yourself because that shit could turn off a cow. What you need to be doing is address the root of your issue (might be more deeply rooted than you think) and change your issue for the better. Even if you get diarrhea from just making eye contact with a guy (because of your weight issues),... do it already and run to the toilet. We all gotta start somewhere.

Figure out your 3 non-negotiable things; example -

Must have good relationship with parents
Must be my religion
Must be adventurous

(Make sure these are YOUR nonnegotiable things, not your family or friends etc.) Have faith in yourself.

Now, what you have to do is meet as much guys as possible whether it be online profiles, blind dates and trips to the grocery store etc. You want the odds to be in your favour, obviously. If you do meet a really great guy in your opinion and he is missing 1 or more of your non-negotiable attributes, you need to go back to the drawing board and figure out why these things were nonnegotiables for you in the first place and is it necessarily for you in the long term.
Answer those questions as honest as possible because it will let you know what you need to do moving forward.
Yes, its just that simple you just need to grow some balls. He/She may change your mind on what non-negotiable you should have after all or you may just realize that in the long term and core of things you won't be able to live without these nonnegotiable things.
 It's better that you go hit up your drawing board right at the beginning of the relationship because these things will creep up into your relationship when more time passes and hurt a lot more. Better said, 'if you don't deal with it from the beginning it will kick you in your heart in the end'.
And...
NEVER GO INTO A RELATIONSHIP THINKING YOU WILL CHANGE SOMEONE. Of-course you hope to and probably will grow together; but the fact is even if that person changes for you, they may resent you and if they don't change what happens next? Don't stick yourself in that stupid situation or cop out of being strong by saying bullshit lines like the heart wants what it wants.

You fall in love because of your brain not your heart.... so stop using your heart to explain bullshit!

And lastly, if you want your relationship to last, always give it 100%. That way if it ends you know you did your best. It's important to give your best in relationships, no relationship prospers with lazy partners, like the guy from project runway says, "Make it Work".
P.S. giving your relationship 100% doesn't mean giving up who you are as a person but knowing who you want to be in a relationship and who you want to be with in a relationship from the get go. 

Follow me on Twitter: broke_girl07

Title: How about we just walk....yeah instead of sitting on our high horses, how about we all just walk.

Hey World,

So today, I was catching up on RHOA (real housewives of Atlanta) reunion show and just saw these woman going at it and while it may be entertaining we kind of look down at them because well they must be darn crazy. The fact is, we are all human with less than favourable actions so maybe we shouldn't judge so much and just watch the damn show or not watch the damn show.

I often hear females say, oh they are just jealous of me. There is probably more of a chance of them saying you act like a bitch than them saying they are jealous of you AND YOU KNOW IT. You ever meet that girl who says "all the females at my work are just jealous of me" and know that they think she's a bitch without even meeting them? You laugh in your mind and you say to your self and with eye contact with the others listening, its cause you probably act like a bitch...its funny because we all sit there and listen to these people's bullshit anyways. Its also funny because even they know their talking bullshit but they cant help their ego from saying statements like that. But lets not be so quick to judge others yall.
Instead we should focus on judging and improving ourselves, I mean if we all did that wouldn't we live in a better world?
The fact is we all have attitudes/characteristics that are less than what they should be.

We know that this is not the best thing to  be doing but we still do it. Here are some examples;

- Talk to much and dont listen
- smoke and drink excessively
- Lie
- Encourage bad behavior
- Gamble
- Are constantly negative
- Put down ourselves or others
- Are Passive Aggressive
- Lazy
- Coward
- Are too aggressive
- Take advantage of people
- Make too many excuses/ blame others for our faults
- Cuss too much
etc.

The thing is we all know our own faults and don't necessarily need people to tell us our faults. Two of my faults are that I am too inconsiderate of others and I hate shaving lol. While Jenny's skin is always smooth she might not be taking care of her teeth to the extent that I do. Listen, as much as you may truly care about someone, no-one is harder on them than they are too themselves. We live our lives with the repercussions of our actions and are constantly being told what we do wrong. Let's take a break from critiquing others and critique ourselves.

Its like that job that wants you be great at all six things; like yeah right I am organized and know advanced excel and adobe plus excellent communications and research skills. But we all lie and apply for the job anyways saying we have the qualities they want, we fake it until we make it!

TIP OF THE DAY: let's all focus on being the best us or at-least just fake it until we make! It couldn't possibly be a bad thing to work on being a better person.

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Broke_Girl07

Title: "Reach for the moon, maybe you'll land on a star"

Hey World,

I am gonna start today's blog by quoting one of my favourite lines from a Kanye song. I don't care what you guys say he is one of the best rappers out there...and now I begin...
"Reach for the moon, maybe you'll land on a star"
Wow, that line is golden. Now pause, take a minute to take that in...
Yesterday, I realized that I wrote under the assumption that we all had major goals to take us to our next level in life. That was wrong of me,... although this should be the case many people will say "well I don't know what my goal should be? or I don't really have a goal". I am here to tell you that's horrible, but its common. I think many of us have become pessimist that call ourselves realist. We are scared to have dreams and the fact is, every great goal starts with a dream.
Dreams are so important to who we are and who we are to be in the future. I am here to tell you that dreams do come true.
Honestly,  no Aladdin fairy-tail. Think about, I bet your living at-least one or maybe even more of your dreams.
Some Examples of things you've probably dreamed about and have lived the reality of it.

- Completing a Post-Secondary Degree or Diploma
- Having Children
- Living/Visiting a different country or city
- Having your own place
- Finding that special some-one to spend your life with
- Owning a car or home
- Having a relationship with a once estranged family member
- Having your own office
- Learning a different language
- Owning your own business
- Owning a high-end designer product
- Learning how to drive
- Working in a job that allows you to be you

These are things you might have day-dreamed about and wished could happen at some point in your life, probably when you were younger. Somewhere along the line of life people stop dreaming or suppress their dreams in order to not seem or feel stupid. I come from the school of thinking where I do not think anyone is stupid and even if you don't come from that school of thinking, you must realize how important it is to be brave.
I said it: YOU ARE BEING A COWARD FOR SUPPRESSING YOUR DREAMS!

Reclaim your ability to dream. Dreams are like fires to your candle of life..It keeps you going when you can't see.. And dreams become powerful when they turn into goals and YOU become a force of nature in pursuit of them. 

Yes, they may not happen the exact way you may have envisioned it. Example, you envisioned owning a Mercedes but in reality you ended up with a Mercedes but its 1996. That's why I say be open but while your in that dream world, make your dream as specific as you can. And dreams can also be very revealing, so take the time to understand why you dream the things you dream about.

Tip of the Day: Reflect, Relax and Dream....life is like a video game you always want to win....

Title: Do something productive with your taxes for once.

Yow Yow World,

Gonna go file my taxes today; Holla back Yungin'...WHOOT WHOOT!! You know that song? lol..

Anyways, I look forward to see what measly amount they think I qualify for. Usually, I get my taxes and plan a vacation, no matter how little it may be. But this year is going to be different! Anyone who knows me, knows that I am addicted to travel. However, this year will be different, hell yeah I am still planning my August trip, you best believe BUT I will be putting all of my tax money in a tax free saving account offered by my bank. I am just gonna save figure out something for my trip using my little income.
 I need to focus on saving money because as you may or may not know I plan on moving out of the country by the end of the year to work God knows where and be with my lover. My point is we all have major goals worth working towards for our moving to the next stage of our lives. Can't do nothing in this world without money people. I am rambling again, just cant contain my excitement. Any-hoot, we all have major goals for this year, mines is my move...yours may be saving that down-payment for a condo, paying off your car or just moving out on your own etc. Whatever, it may be its gonna take more than love that's for sure. I am just making a guess here, but if you enjoy reading my blog, it might be because you can relate to my situation...in other words you are facing your version of broke-dum. It may not be as bad as mine or it may actually be worse than mine, it doesn't matter.

MY POINT
We all have atleast 1 major goal for this 2013 year
Its tax time
Why not save it!

And I am gonna say something that some may think as controversial. Don't use your tax money to pay your credit card bill/s unless you can pay it off completely with that amount. ... It just don't make no sense, the interest will take you right back to where you started in no time..

TIP OF THE DAY: Do something productive with your taxes for once. Get that major goal of yours accomplished already! (Or at-least on its way)

Title: People who pay full price for things are stupid-suckers don't make anyone tell you to do that Bullshit!

Hello World,

Is it just me or is that when you have nothing to do you find yourself looking for things you can shop for online? Maybe its just me. Like I said in my past blogs real broke people "always find ways.." to basically make their disadvantage into an advantage and without getting personal that is exactly what I am doing right now regarding my debt situation.
Anyhoot, so remember how I was talking about my $138 glasses I found on clearlycontacts.ca? (Maybe I didnt say the website but oh well)...SO, today I go on facebook and see a post about your first glasses with them being free... WTF! Well I started to panic..how could I have really have suckered myself like that and not look more in-depth into coupon codes. Well I could have just kicked myself in the shin for -reel .. Well because I am rediculous about getting the best deal possible, I had to go back to the website and calculate what would have been my difference and it would have been $20 less because my glasses itself costed $20 which I received already SO EXCITED! It also made me feel good that the glasses I had choosen would have been excluded from this deal because it was a brand name, one that I honestly have never heard before but you know what I'll take that win. My message this week regarding that situation is

TIP: WHEN DOING ONLINE SHOPPING>> LOOK FOR EVERY COUPON CODE YOU CAN FIND TO APPLY TO YOUR ITEM!!
And p.s. people who pay full price for things are stupid-suckers don't make anyone tell you to do that Bullshit!

Back to my obsession with online shopping, I thought I should share the websites I am most addicted too...Like I must check everyday...

amazon.ca - (You can get anything for a bargain and best of all NO SHIPPING COST!)
https://dailygrabs.ca - (They always have wicked deals on random stuff and you just have keep on looking until that random thing is something you want, a lot of times it free shipping too)

I found one today,
nexttag.com ...Its like a comparative site for the best deals for everything..

Anyhoot yall..Turn your negative into a positive and keep on trucking on..And dont get sucked into online shopping even though I feel as though I encourage it! Its something I gotta work on..I need to stop hiding my purchases as soon as I am done buying this Anne Klein watch I saw on amazon for $50..I have a part-time job okay I deserve to live a little!

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Title: "More money, more problems"

Hello world,

So while I was eating my breakfast this morning (yes, I am a breakfast girl even though I dislike most breakfast foods), I was thinking to my-self about the saying..

"More money, more problems"

We have all gone through times in our lives where we made more money and less money and survived both. When we were making less money it was tough and we survived it, when we were making more but it was tough and we survived it. My question is why is it always tough and why are we always just surviving it? Yes, granted it might be less tough now that you have more money  but we still seem to find ourselves in survival mode.

Ill give you an example from my life..there was one year in while I was in school, I was particularly struggling. I had absolutely no job and my life was so stressful to the point I had to really live in hunger a lot. Funny enough at the end of the school year I get a job for the following September on campus and additionally to my excitement, I get a well-paying summer job with the City of Toronto. My situation changed dramatically, however I was still struggling and managed to save nothing from being in that situation. The problem was that I spent more knowing I was making more. But the fact was, maybe I didn't actually have more to spend.

Follow this .....
- You're in a very broke stage, you are struggling to pay your phone bill, rent and bus fare.
- You're now in a not so broke stage, say you finally have a steady job, but instead of focusing on comfortably managing your phone bill, rent and bus fare, you now decide its time to buy a car.
- You have just put yourself in the same struggling situation just with more stuff.
- For some reason you loose that better paying job..you have no savings or little savings and you now have even more things to take care of than you had before, so now you're using credit to cover yourself.
- You get stuck in this same cycle for years where most of the money you make even if your in a significantly better job, not only goes towards your cost of living but your debt repayment and even life happenings like kids and your need to buy a property...
THIS IS THE CYCLE OF MORE MONEY MORE PROBLEMS!

The fact is most people in their 20's like myself live with their parents or roommates. Its just reality, and if your reality is different - that is great for you. But for most of us, this is our reality. The mistake most of us make in my opinion, is getting caught up. We finally after fighting for months if not years for a job in our field, try to drastically change our situations. The fact is, you were struggling before and probably lived a life you could not afford, so now what you need to do is focus on affording that life. Then you figure out what you can afford next. The thing that you may be able to afford next may just be to take on more responsibility for bills in your household and/or work on your savings account. This is nothing to be ashamed of. The fact is even though you may now finally have the job that you wanted it may not mean it pays like you wanted or pays enough to cover your wants. Its sad but true and I think this is how we stop the cycle of "more money, more problems".

TIP OF THE DAY: Don't focus on what you should be able to afford, but what you are able to afford even if its just new nail polish.

Title: YOU CANT AFFORD TO LIVE THE BROKE LIFE AND BE IMPULSIVE

Hey World,

So I finally saved up enough money to get some proper glasses. As you may or may not have known, I have been straining my eyes with these old contacts for a while now. So I feel accomplished that I was finally able to go out and get glasses that I wanted. Well, go out online and purchase these glasses. I found a sale which costed me like $138.00. It made me realize all these people that say they got glasses for like $20 must be liars or don't have a glasses dependency like I do or maybe I am not as good of a deal hunter like I thought. I need my glasses for everything reading, walking, watching everything. So, I am here to say if you keep on looking for good glasses that are gonna cost $20 you probably wont find them, honestly. When you are looking for glasses, you are looking for frames, lenses, probably very thin lenses depending on how weak your eyes are and all the icing on top like glare resistance and anti scratch stuff, you need it (This generation is not known to be gentle with our items).
 The fact is when I or any broke person spends money, it needs to be used with a lot of consideration so that these one pair of glasses will last you for a long while until you face the fact that you MUST now change your glasses. In my case one of my glasses handles broke off and couldn't be fixed so of-course living my sad life, I had to wait months to actually be able to afford a new pair. Knowing how I am such a self proclaimed cheap ass, I was so embarrassed to say how much I paid for these glasses because I only hoped it would be like 50 bucks but my friend made me aware of the fact that glasses are not cheap and I actually got a really good deal.
Most importantly - How I knew I could finally afford these glasses;
I put 10% of my paycheck in savings
I paid my monthly bills (things to take care of)
I would have at-least $100 left back in my checkings account
AND WAS ABLE TO AFFORD MY GLASSES!

TIP of the DAY: Be cheap but don't be dumb, money is supposed to be spent but make sure its for worthwhile causes even if its a game for your cousin that probably cost way more than you would like. I mean I never bought the kid a gift in his life which is pretty damn sad so I splurged a little...fact is do a budget EVERY-TIME!

******Planned splurges hurt way less than impulsive splurges.