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Our Bill Pickle

real life with (very) real debt

Why we’re slowing down our student loan repayment

January 14, 2021

After two years of aggressive repayment, we're slowing down our student loan repayment in 2021. Here's a look at why.

We’re slowing down our student loan repayment in 2021.

After a year that saw us shave close to $10K off the principal balance of the student loan, we set a goal for 2021 that will see the balance shrink by less than half that amount — about $3.5K.

Considering how paying back the student loan has been a key focus for us over the last two years, this represents a big shift.

But there are a few factors that make me feel good about the decision.

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Filed Under: Debt Tagged: debt, debt snowball, debt-free journey, emergency fund, personal finance, saving money, student loan

How to use credit card extended warranty

December 8, 2020

Some credit cards offer extended warranty perks. Here is how to use the Tangerine Money Back Mastercard warranty to replace a broken FitBit.

I filed my first credit card extended warranty claim in June 2020.

I’ve been using credit cards regularly for years. It’s my preferred way to spend money. I’ve tried a few different spending methods and nothing works for me the way credit cards do.

Worth noting: I treat the credit card like debit, meaning I only use it to spend money we already have. In most cases, we make a purchase on the credit card then immediately transfer the money from our debit. There are exceptions to this (like December Christmas spending) but they are just that: the exception, not the rule.

Despite my years of credit card use, I’ve barely scratched the surface on using features associated with my cards. This includes the extended warranty. In a way, this is a good thing — it means the items I have purchased have held up well, right?

That said, it did result in a bit of a learning curve when it was time to actually use the benefit. Here’s what I learned through the process of using my credit card extended warranty.

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Filed Under: Reviews Tagged: credit card perks, credit cards, extended warranty, fitbit, personal finance

Five personal finance confessions

December 3, 2020

Personal finance confessions is my irregular recap of things you might not know about how I'm managing our money. Here's the Q4 2020 recap.

Welcome to another edition of personal finance confessions — a totally irregular recap of things you might not know about how I’m managing my money lately.

This is my third confessions post — you can find the first two here and here.

This round features five confessions (although much like the first two posts, I still think calling them personal finance confessions is a bit dramatic).

Here we go.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged: confessions, debt-free journey, financial goals, intentional spending, personal finance, student loans

Pay down debt or save? Why we’re doing both

November 17, 2020

Should I pay down debt or save? There are a lot of opinions about this online. Here's why -- and how -- we're choosing to do both.

Should I pay down debt or save?

The answer to that question will vary depending on who you ask — and chances are, the person answering it will have strong opinions.

But the trouble I’ve found with a lot of the advice is, often, it errs on the side of too simplistic, too all or nothing. And while I’m not a financial expert, that has never felt right to me.

When it comes to paying down debt or saving, I don’t think it needs to be all or nothing.

Here’s a look at why and how we’re doing both.

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Filed Under: Personal Finance Discussions Tagged: debt, debt-free journey, personal finance, saving, saving money

5 things I don’t spend money on (and 5 things I splurge for)

November 12, 2020

Part of controlling your finances is knowing how you spend your money. Here are 5 things I don't spend money on (and 5 things I splurge on).

It’s safe to say the way I spend my money has changed a lot over the years.

Working at the grocery store in high school, I didn’t think too much about how I spent my pay cheque. I saved some money, sure, but for the most part, I purchased whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it.

Thankfully, as an adult, I am a lot more conscious about what I purchase — and, perhaps just as significantly, what I don’t spend money on.

In this post, I’m sharing five of the things I don’t spend money on — and five things I splurge for.

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Posted by Tara 4 Comments
Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged: intentional spending, personal finance, saving money, shopping, spending, splurge

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Hi, I’m Tara!

Welcome to Our Bill Pickle, a Canadian personal finance blog. Here, we share the good, the bad and the ugly about real life with (very) real debt.

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