Today was the day when everyone at work received their 2006 performance bonus (if they were getting one, which I think most everyone was). The company was kind enough to ensure that it was paid out in mid-February, rather than at the end of the month or in March, because they realized there were people who'd want to put some or all of this windfall into their RSP for 2006. Things like that are what have kept me in this job for over six years now, despite a lot of ups and downs.
A running joke at the office has been around the fact that some people had already spent their bonus long before it was actually paid out, or in fact, in some cases, before they even knew for sure how much they were getting! That kind of thinking is foreign to me, because I'm so conservative in my planning that I almost never count chickens before they hatch. I obviously have known for awhile what I'd do with the money when I got it, but I didn't consider it a done deal until I saw the larger-than-usual payroll deposit in our account this morning (the first thing I checked, after getting out of the shower, by the way). Back to the joke aspect: I actually made the comment last week to one co-worker, after he'd run into an unexpected - and large - car repair expense, that it sounded like he was already spending his 2007 bonus before even receiving his 2006 one!
Despite the fact that more than half of my bonus went to taxes, CPP and EI, I was still thrilled to get what I got and actually felt like I'd been rewarded for all my hard work. I wonder how many others felt that way?
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4 comments:
"I wonder how many others felt that way?"
Count me among that group. Like you, I knew where it was going well in advance, although I'm quite certain it's someplace completely different than yours; all will become evident in a few months' time.
I feel the same way. Mine was already earmarked for a few things, but at the same time, I took the pessimistic approach and didn't simply ASSUME it was coming.
And the fun thing in our household was that I was given a lump sum from this bonus into my account! I am a lucky gal.
To elaborate on Vicki's point: whenever we get bonus money, no matter what we're using it for, I always try to take at least a small portion of it to reward both of us in terms of "mad money." In this case it was only a couple hundred bucks each, but it still reinforces the notion that, despite this being a bonus from my job, it was only possible because of all the support Vicki gives me on a daily (hourly?) basis.
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