I need to start this entry with the information that I am a Bzz agent, and they sent me coupons and free product coupon for Silk soy milk.

A coworker has had digestive difficulties for a while (I'm sure you need no more elaboration to get the picture) and finally had an appointment with a gastroenteritis's who has told her to not eat dairy for the next 6 weeks.

One of the things she wants to do it to try soy milk. It was great having a coupon for $1 off from the Bzz campaign - I wished I had a free product coupon for her so she could try it but the $1 off was nice and so is the fact that Silk has a low calorie one (she like I is trying to lose weight). I have the low calorie one in my fridge now and it tastes great! Like - it has a flavour -unlike regular skim cows milk.

I love when campaigns like this allow me to introduce people to a new product. If you are in Canada and would like to try this product please send me a private email and I'll send you a coupon for $1 off as I have a couple left.

At the grocery store the woman behind me was in a motorized cart - I offered to take her groceries out and put them on the counter. I thought she said thank you so I started to take an item out. She said "I said no thank you". I immediately apologized and said I was sorry and I misheard her and put the item back in her cart. Her next words to me floored me as she said "Yes, you did mishear me". The look I got was quite icy and irate.

Pffffffffft. Glad I never did offer you a coupon as I had I (I like to do this whenever possible) she likely would have gotten even more offended.

I honestly misheard her. And didn't mean to offend her. It is so hard to know the protocol about helping people. You offer and try and you offend and you don't try and you are seen as rude and uncaring.

I feel like its a "heads you win, tails I lose" proposition whatever you do.

I've been getting my balcony cleaned up over the last year. All the crap out there has now gone. I've had netting put up to keep out those blasted pigeons. The concrete floor has been scrubbed and pigeon poop removed.

The floor needs a last rinse (but out of courtesy for my neighbours below I'll wait for when its raining to add extra liquid to the water already falling, and then its time for furnishing.

I'd really like to put a cover on the floor. Flooring I've found costs money. I've looked at utility tile - not much nicer on the feet than the concrete. Astroturf stuff is just gross in my opinion. Outdoor carpet is a possiblity as are those activity tiles that are sold for children's playrooms. A cotton runner that can be washed is also being considered.

I think I've found some chairs and I have a low table but a bistro style table would be nice...

Dang.. this is going to run to a couple of hundred dollars and that's if I restrain myself from getting plants too. Plants would likely run up the cost another $50 t $100.

Oh well.. about another week or so til I need to have it done so I still have some time to angst.

Oh my this is just too silly. You know us Canucks with our "monopoly money". Well we get into having fun on our quarters.

A few years ago our 25 cent piece here had a red poppy in the centre. On rememberance day (veterans day) we all wear a poppy to remember those who have fought for our country.So why not remember them when we spend money too!

Spent a couple of hours today getting caught up on paperwork, bills and coupon trains.

I still have some to do but got the urgent stuff dealt with.

On a good note it was a no spend day.

After work last night I went crazy "shopping", but only spent about $5

I went to Home Depot and looked at flooring to see if they had any mats/runners/floor covering that would work for my balcony. I had seen something at a hotel that might work but didn't see it there. So spent nothing.

Headed to the local shopping centre and went into Marks Work Wearhouse - they had some nice priced t-shirts but nothing inspiring enough to bring it home. Then to check out their shoes. Lets just say their selection seemed pretty crappy to me (sorry Marks, but this is my blog I get to say what I think here). I have to say though that both staff members I talked to were genuniely friendly and helpful.

Checked out a woman's clothing store but nothing inspiring there. Reitmans is one of those "catch as catch can" stores for me. Caught nothing this time. Tempted for one shirt on sale but it had this weird keyhole thing in the back that showed off my bra (and if I turned it around it one would might start using the words wardrobe malfunction)

Then to the Superstore (a grocery store modelling itself on SuperWalmarts). You know the store is bad when the kid at customer service trashes the staff as lazy assed (it took three loudspeaker requests to get someone to call him back about the item I was asking for). I ended up just getting a raincheck for toilet paper from there.

Then to two dollar stores where I splurged and spent $4 at one and $1 at another on some headbands.

I got a preapproved "upgrade" offer to move to a gold Visa card today. I would earn airmiles if I took this card and get a special bonus of 15,000 airmiles when I made my first purchase on the card.

Sounds good eh?

Then I read this: " Aeroplan Flighr Rewards. The convenience of a premium credit card. Acceptance worldwide. All the benefits of the ___ Aerogold Visa card can be yours for only $120 a year, with a current competative interest rate of 19.5%...."

Competative 19.5% .. ouch.. makes me happy this isn't a standard or a poor risk card.

I use the same bank for my chequing as for my visa. Yeah, yeah I know technically one is the bank and one is the credit card compnay but to me THEY ARE EFFECTIVELY THE SAME COMPANY

So why if I do an online transaction paying my visa card on Tuesday does it take til Thursday night for the payment to show on my Visa? The money gets debited from my chequing account on the Tuesday. That transaction seems to take about a nanosecond. Poof money gone.

Just where is that money for two days?

Enquiring minds want to know...

I'm off tonight to see the opening night of The Full Monte at a local dinner theatre. It is part of a subscription that a friend and I have.

We are going to renew this for next year so my credit card is going to say ouch this evening when that goes on the card. It will be paid off when I get paid in two weeks - May is very nicely a three pay month!!!

I used the email money transfer feature from my bank yesterday. Was pretty easy and according to the person I sent the money to I didn't screw it up.

I likely won't be doing it too much as there is a $1.50 service charge from my bank. Pffft on that. I work downtown and all four major banks (or is that all 5?) are within a 5 minute walk from the office. Ironically it is more work for them when I walk into a bank with cash and do a third party deposit into someone's account - BUT - that way I get no service charge.

Still its nice knowing this service exists and that it is within my abilities to use it!

On so many trading boards I hear people having long discussions about "I don't want to get ripped of if I trade this coupon". What is that coupon really worth?

I gave up on all of that. I now send people coupons they need with no expectations. I do this in one of my smaller groups where I have gotten do know the people. And since I've been sending with no expection of getting I seem to be getting more coupons - both from other people in that group doing the same thing and from other sources.

It is strange but I like that while I'm saving money I'm also fostering that part of me that likes to give. Coupons cost me little (or nothing) and I can send them to others they can help. I have little stress after I put the stamped envolope in the mail. I have smiles when I think of them opening the good mail. This makes me happy.

Life isn't for me only about savings. It is also about being the person I want to be and being able to do things for others!

Random Acts of Kindness Rock!

A girl in a our building shelters cat's and fosters them. I had a coupon for a free bag of IAMs cat food. Even ought she is on vacation this week I brought it down to her before I forgot and had it put in her mail to deal with when she's back!

Always nice to get good mail amongst the rushes - and this way I don't forget.

7 items at $1 each

tax of 14 cents

3- $2 off coupons

= a bill of 14c.

Yes I think he forgot to ring something up! I was going to ask him to redo but the line up was huge so I paid what he asked and hustled out of there thinking the 10 folks in line behind me would be happy.

Nice deal but I feel a bit guilty

For resetting passwords to banking sites automated phone systems rock, cause there is no admitting to people that you are an idiot with the inability to type and recall a 6-10 digit password.

Got in there. Paid off my visa from last month before Luigi and Guido showed up at the door or on the phone demanding knees or immediate payment.

Need to call Visa thursday to make sure the payment went through as I'm paying for next years subscription to dinner theatre for a friend and I that night before the opening of The Full Monte

I have a case of the "I wants" today. As a friend says "I'm in magpie mood". New things are bright and shiny and I want them cause well I want them...

Right now my magpie side is in deep lust for the following:

*a small lap top (no more than 12 inches)
*cell phone
*Sony digital camera (saw this nice $400)
*Bernina 440 with BSE ($3500)
*Flat Screen monitor for old computer at least 22 inches
*Flat Screen TV (30 inches)
*new furniture (not shiny but I want it anyways)
*patio furniture
*upright freezer and frost free fridge
*apartment sized portable washer and dryer
*new car (if i get all that I might as well get a new car too)

And i'm no fool - I'm not going near a store until my lust for material things is replaced by some common sense.