My credit Score is pretty good. I have had to work at it though as when I hit college I was not the brightest crayon in the box and easily racked up the credit cards that just seemed to keep coming my way.

I still am a big spender, I cannot lie as my Grandmother reads this and would read my the riot act if I said I had changed my ways and live only on cash, lol. The last time my credit score was checked when I was preapproved for my mortgage when I bought my condo in July 2008. I had some conditions upon approval that said certain credit cards would be paid off and that I would have $5K I cash in the bank for closing costs.

I have been laxed in the whole paying off credit cards area though have been working on doing so for about six months. I have paid off 4 and currently have another 2 more I would like to get to NIL by the end of the year. It is a slow process especially when I am paying my own rent and my father’s, but it appears to be doable from what I can see (from my spreadsheet).

Some people have no clue what their credit score is or that of their spouse. Nowadays, especially with the economy and the stricter lending policies we really need to pay attention to our spending especially if you have a future car or residence in the future.

I haven’t checked my credit score since July 2008 and I’m do. I had hit the 700′s and have paid of credit cards (not closed them, this is important) and do use them but pay them off the following month to show I am credit worthy.

I went to Costco this afternoon to pick up Brad Pattison’s new book Unleashed as Elvis is a little (okay a lot) more stubborn and harder to train than Bruiser.

While there I bought Debt-Free Forever by Gail Vaz-Oxlade who has a show on Slice that I watch periodically. Her advice is sound on the show, so when I saw her book at the normal Costco discounted prices, I picked it up as well.

Hopefully reading both books and applying their knowledge will be beneficial and didn’t just cost me $35 :)

I received my 2010/2011 auto insurance policy from AXA and although their rate went down $84 for the year ($2,318) I’m definitely going with RBC who is offering it at $1,638.

I just got off the phone with my broker (used one for AXA) and he is emailing over my cancellation papers.

I love saving money…almost as much as I love spending it :P

I was talking to a friend the other day on why making trips out to his residence wasn’t a good idea for my budget and we got to talking about credit, my credit. It is not that I have bad credit and I am in need of any credit repair services, it is actually the opposite. I have great credit but I have a bad habit of using it way too much. I pay my bills, never miss a payment but I buy way too much on plastic. So in order that I am not house poor I’ve been paying down all the plastic and of course watching my spending.

I find it funny that he critiques my spending but in 1994 he went bankrupt himself but he would say that was a lifetime ago and that he learned his lesson.

After this…will I have learned mine or am I always going to be a slave to the ‘I must have’ thoughts that run in my head? Only time will tell.

In the last month I have managed to pay off my Amex card and my RBC Visa card. And! I just transferred $1,200 to another card I had who then turned around and offered me 4.9% financing if I use the newly paid off amount against other credit.

So I just transferred that $1,200 to another card that is at 11.95% interest. The 4.9% is good for 6 months which I am hoping to have that card paid off anyways (it is my highest bearing interest card).

I cannot close the accounts that now have zero balances as that affects my credit score – but! I can put them in a baggie with water and freeze them. Which is where they are as of last week.

I am still thinking of finding a part-time job; the faster the debt is paid off and I have $5K in my savings account (for closing costs on the condo) the happier I will be.