Adventures in Debt

This weekend I logged in to my online banking website to check out whether my latest credit card payment had been posted to my account, and I noticed something strange: my credit limit had been increased. Now I purposefully have a low credit limit to discourage myself from spending it, as I know that I would. I even had the bank put a note on my file, telling them not to raise it without asking me first (most banks have this feature, you just have to ask). So I was a little concerned to see the increase, especially because they raised it $3000! They just doubled my limit in the blink of an eye. I was a little stunned. Then yesterday in the mail I got a letter from the head of the Customer Service department telling me about the increase, and how they did it because I’m such a loyal customer, blah, blah, blah.
I’m half tempted to get them to lower the limit again, however they’re also giving me a balance transfer deal till May 2007, which would actually allow me to consolidate and cancel another card that I was only using for their low balance transfer rate. I was actually going to have the other card paid off by February anyways, so I wouldn’t actually be losing any interest savings anyways. I’d just be saving on the aggravation of having so many cards on my credit history.

Okay, so I’m vacillating again between paying off my debts in order of interest rate or size. I had initially told y’all I was going to do it in order of size a few weeks ago, but then I changed my mind…and now I’ve changed it back again. Seeing items drop off my list is a more satisfying thing rather than paying down a higher interest rate debt. My higher interest rate ones are a higher amount, so it’s more difficult to pay those off first. So, my plan is to pay off the smallest amount first, so that I can see my list of debts decrease. That’s more satisfying. I recommend that to you all as well, if it’s feasible.

Life in Alberta is pretty good these days, what with all that oil money flowing around. I’ve seen reports of typical minimum wage jobs being left empty because employees can find higher paying jobs elsewhere, so that these places are starting to have to pay oil salaries in order to find staff! Can you imagine? A fry jockey at McDonald’s making $20 an hour? It’s not unheard of.

So imagine my surprise today when I see a sign here in Toronto from an employment agency advertising construction jobs in Alberta: “Work in Alberta…$10-12 an hour”. Hang on a second, why should I move all the way out to Alberta for a job that only pays $10-12 an hour? I mean, I could find that type of pay rate (or better) here in the GTA. I’m sure you could find better pay rates for the same job in Alberta! What’s the deal with that employment agency? I surely hope that sign was posted incorrectly, otherwise some poor schmo is going to get taken, big time!