The provincial budget, released on March 26, will have ramifications that spread far and wide, affecting nearly every sector in the province.
I am proud to announce that today, April 2, sees the public release of an equally important budget – my own.
The release of my own personal budget (MOPB) comes after much deliberation with my strategic partners, including Mark at H& R Block. Mark has more than one full year of experience in financial affairs and I am confident he is the right man to move MOPB forward.
Mark and I spent more than one full hour deliberating over the future of MOPB and I am confident that the new budget signifies a balanced direction for my own personal future.
To be sure, this new announcement takes into account certain fiscal realities and a flagrant history of financial mismanagement by myself in the past.
Tough decisions had to be made after it came to light that I haphazardly spent four dollars on a gas station banana because “I really wanted a banana at the time.” Such shortsighted spending reflects a “spend-now” mentality, totally neglecting all of the bananas I might want to buy in the future.
Prior to determining the budget on April 2, I conducted a thorough consultation process with nearly four Albertans. All four submitted their responses in person, neglecting to utilize the e-mail system set up for this purpose.
Of the nearly four surveyed, 100% responded that they noted “moderate to significant concern” with the way MOPB had been handled in the past. One respondent, being my grandmother, slipped $50 in my pocket.
The four Albertans surveyed provided invaluable feedback that I took into serious consideration as Mark and I drew up this year’s MOPB.
Of course, we can’t please everyone – and part of being appointed Executive Director of Personal Finance Directives means that I have to make some tough decisions.
We must reign in coffee spending.
I told you it was going to be tough. But I have to make some real sacrifices in this new fiscal environment. Last week alone, I spent nearly $15 on large coffees from a certain coffee shop bearing the name of a certain hockey player.
When I disclosed this detail to Mark at H& R Block, he suggested I start making coffees at home and invest in a thermos to carry coffee with me throughout the day. It is cost-saving initiatives like this that make me confident that Mark at H& R Block is the financial brain we need leading us moving forward.
I know getting coffees made for you somehow makes them just “taste better,” but such things are luxuries we just can’t afford as part of MOPB 2015.
We must invest in our future. That’s why I’m announcing the “spend less on frivolous junk” initiative as part of this year’s budget.
I know the name is jargon-y and very technical, so I will break it down in a step-by-step strategy that is easy to understand and implement.
Are you about to purchase an item?
Is the item frivolous or otherwise junky?
If yes to both, do not purchase the item.
That does mean that spending in the upcoming fiscal year on neon glowing bar lights for the basement will go down significantly, but as Mark at H& R Block pointed out, “do you really need four New York Jets helmets on your wall?”
Going forward, I will continue to implement various cost-cutting strategies and consult with budgetary planning committees to ensure that spending moving forward is not only “balanced” but also “reasonable” and “like that of an adult.”
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
