Mood: Excited

Yesterday was the big day -- *drum roll* -- the Merging of the Monies.

Mason and I went down to the bank at lunch for our appointment to create a joint account. His money is now my money and vice-versa; all of our paychecks will go into the big account and we each have a separate little private account where we can save up and spend guilt-free cash on what ever we each want. It's a little scary simply because I'm extremely attached to my money *hearts*, but I think it's a good system, and it means no more writing down bills and expenses each month in the book and figuring out who owes who how much and halving everything which was a huge hassle.

After a long time of just idly talking about it, we've also set a tentative ETA for later this year when we're going to begin house hunting~ Mason goes back to school at the end of April to become a fourth year, so we're aiming for July to start seriously looking because he'll hopefully have his raise by then. We figure it's better to try now when it's a buying market than wait another year or two and see the economy turn around again -- there's some affordable places here in St. Albert, and as a backup we'll look in Sherwood Park or Spruce Grove if need be (as long as it's within reasonable driving distance of my friends and family and not in Edmonton.)

We need to use this time to save up more of a down payment (between all the various large-scale vacations we've taken over the past year and a half, it's sucked away a giant amount of our cash.) =_=; Depending on how much we save, I may or may not begin doing web contract work again for a higher rate; though I hope not because it makes me cranky all the time and not fun to be around. XP

On that note, I hope the Alberta Health Care hoopla that I went through last week doesn't piss on my good credit. They sent a collection agency after my ass because I owed them $260 and didn't even know it -- it turns out the bills they had sent me for it originally kept getting bounced back to them for reasons no one understands. When I found out I got it cleared up with them and paid off the debt right away though so I'm hoping it doesn't count against me at all.

I'm very excited for our plans~ All I want is a little 2 bathroom, preferably 3 bedroom place with a backyard and some sort of garage that is not a complete hole in the ground. I really don't have many more specifications than that. *Crosses fingers*