in all seriousness

i was visiting with my mom on sunday and, as usual, we started talking about money. five years ago, this post would be about how my mom was just trying to ruin my life and boss me around and blah, blah, blah. now, i realize that when it comes to money, you listen to a woman who paid off fully the mortgage on a duplex at the age of 35. that kind of woman deserves respect.

but she also made me really depressed. she encouraged me to look for work where company or government pensions were offered (because we all know that i'm not a good saver). i got my back up, of course, and was just about to say, "that's my plan when i'm 35!" and then i realized that i turn 35 in six months. faaaaaaaaaaaaack.

i went home feeling despondent. i still love my job. i still have so much more to learn in my job. it's a job and a career that i could be working in for the next ten years, without being bored. but she's absolutely right. and further, the reality is that the older i get, the less likely it is that i'm going to get married and have that elusive second income. i can't keep hoping that the other half of my "DINK" fantasy is coming my way. i have to start planning for my future, now.

the way i see it, if all goes well, i'll retire in good health in 30 years. i can work for 30 more years. it doesn't daunt me. that's plenty of time to jolt my RRSP back to life. but she kept pushing me to get a job with a pension. the problem with that is those kinds of jobs bore me to tears.

i can't say that - maybe there is a job out there that offers a nice pension that i can grow in. or maybe there's a reason why i left my nice, cushy union job that was earning me a government pension and good benefits.

i decided to look at my old pay stubs from my union days to see how much was being taken from each paycheque and being put into the pension fund. but i discovered that i recycled those long ago (see? the minute i throw something out, i need it!). i looked over my yearly pension statements and it appears that every year, maybe about $1000 - 1300 was being taken from my paycheque. i know they invest in mutual funds. if i can do that, plus my RRSP, it'll be like i had a union job. except that i won't have the benefits when i retire.

being an adult sucks sometimes. but at least i now have a new focus, a new "project" to consider once i get back to work and have to deal with seeing Crush everyday again.

and no, the cute guy hasn't called. i'll give it until friday, and then i'll delete his number. yes, i realize i can call him but i'd really like him to call me first. decisions, decisions.