tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852487153010369092023-11-16T08:11:10.977-08:00Wealthy HomemakerWealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-90565714545764189132014-10-27T09:08:00.001-07:002014-10-27T09:08:54.763-07:00I've movedMy blog has moved over to <a href="http://www.thewealthyhomemaker.com/">www.thewealthyhomemaker.com</a><br />
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Its been quite a journey (what other bloggers say should take 15 minutes to do, took me three days, and its still a work in progress.) Bear with me as I figure out how to transfer my files over.:)Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-12480318859777160852014-10-22T08:51:00.001-07:002014-10-22T09:07:31.679-07:00Love and money...should they mix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj555c7beexQ3_u3e8U_zG1GfiIb8j7a00nv8kFXnQ7O_LusMwhuzlDvv5inweEcoFSgGb5uST9ieAhN8qAjBx1hKiE1SuDqN3yQE_mncnOgYXwO9ldw68YSs1cBwS6SpNgHhqxm1giNdw/s1600/IMG_8915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj555c7beexQ3_u3e8U_zG1GfiIb8j7a00nv8kFXnQ7O_LusMwhuzlDvv5inweEcoFSgGb5uST9ieAhN8qAjBx1hKiE1SuDqN3yQE_mncnOgYXwO9ldw68YSs1cBwS6SpNgHhqxm1giNdw/s1600/IMG_8915.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So the story
goes, that someone related to me had a boyfriend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Said boyfriend really likes investing in the
stockmarket...(perhaps obsessed is a better term).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Relationships not going so well, so girl
decides maybe if she gets excited about something that he is excited about,
things will go better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So she invests
money in the stockmarket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a
lot...but for her...a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She invests
$800 in PHM....half at .32 and half at .37 cents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Relationship ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Girl
heartbroken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wants to remove everything
that reminds her of boy from her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the stock currently sits at .43 cents. Should she sell?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It will cost
her $25 to get rid of the stock and she has made $70.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Her
lesson?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She decided I was right and
never to buy stock because of a guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, now that she is making money...(althougth it's not much) I think maybe I was wrong.:)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad that she is at least learning about
the stock market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe she needs to get
rid of this particular stock at some point because it reminds her of her ex ....but
she is getting a good introduction to the financial world. She does not have a lot of money and hasn't put away for her future , so maybe this is a good start at helping her educate herself.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> F</span>or
today she is going to keep it in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> She has decided that if she makes any money off of it, she is going to do something really good with the money, and donate it to a worthy cause. I will work on her, and remind her that maybe she should save half to save for her retirement...but I still have some time for that.:) Mixing money and love isn't always bad.</span></span></span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-48125103373566596972014-10-21T15:04:00.002-07:002014-10-21T15:04:19.300-07:00Job hunting status....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmY01cXImq61JBH2NTAYhxjEjSyqOVmpmHjHDeQx947QnQw8L4MO7vy4mctw5VSMyT_ZbuNOFxNH-G7bgt75_yX25G97JkBhDTaJpdS5do2epjJrjqfUP6N7RG3YjDSAE0wyUD1ZNooA/s1600/IMG_8914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmY01cXImq61JBH2NTAYhxjEjSyqOVmpmHjHDeQx947QnQw8L4MO7vy4mctw5VSMyT_ZbuNOFxNH-G7bgt75_yX25G97JkBhDTaJpdS5do2epjJrjqfUP6N7RG3YjDSAE0wyUD1ZNooA/s1600/IMG_8914.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, the job hunt progression is going slowly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today my husband met with another
recruiter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He confirmed what we already know.... that there is
a lot of competition out there for what my husband is looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact he mentioned that the most recent
posting he filled ( in an area that my husband would be qualified for and interested in), they interviewed
five candidates and 4 of the 5 were all equally qualified for the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
said any one of them would have been a good fit, but the employer obviously
just chose the one which he thought would fit into their environment the
best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Knowing this makes it apparent that charisma and
communication skills are obviously what are going to get you the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially in a saturated market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How’s that for pressure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a little bit of good news though, and that is that my
husband’s job is extended officially til the end of November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the portion I can share:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This email is to
provide you with written notice that your employment will be extended to
November 30, 2014.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is sure painful
waiting for that letter to come through each month (supposedly supposed to come
on the 15<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>..but didn’t come until the 21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>) confirming
that we will be employed one extra month, but once it comes it is nice to have
a sigh of relief!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even more relieving
will be when we get the phone call offering my husband full time employment.:) My hope is that 'they' have some empathy and don't end it all before Christmas...but business is business.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So current status job status:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One job he interviewed for a month ago, but the company hasn’t
moved forward. One job applied for yesterday that he found on </span><a href="http://www.indeed.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.indeed.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, and one visit with a
recruiter.</span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-49126012083177029682014-10-17T09:29:00.003-07:002014-10-17T09:29:45.434-07:00 How big is your world?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img align="middle" alt="Image result for free world clipart" border="0" class="iuth" height="115" name="imgthumb5" 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style="margin: 0px -2px 0px 0px;" title="http://www.clipartpanda.com/clipart_images/this-free-clipart-design-of-6182520" width="139" /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My
eleven year old daughter recently completed an assignment at school where
students were to write an essay on which they would rather be, rich or
famous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wrote their essays and then
were assigned to draw a picture to capture which ever they chose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember looking at alarm at my daughters
drawing to see closets full of clothing, jewels, mansions, bedrooms, banks full
of money and all of the lovely colourful and glittery things that one could
purchase with money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I discreetly asked
her if she was going to include a drawing of her helping anyone in need if she
had all that money, and she may have corrected her drawing on my behalf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In her defense, she did say that it was hard to draw a picture of doing something nice for others.:) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a good lesson to me that even though I
am trying to teach my kids to think of others, sometimes we really need to help
make the world a little larger than they see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living in comfortable suburbian areas
affords little opportunity for my kids to see people that do without.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The once a year drive we do into the city
where they see a homeless person or three on the street must not sink in quite as
deeply as I think it does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it was just <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a casual assignment, but it has
furthered my for resolve that I can do my part to better teach my kids how they can
play a part in helping those in need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-41611533149275108352014-10-16T17:59:00.002-07:002014-10-16T17:59:27.717-07:00Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas....
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is just a friendly reminder that Christmas is coming soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes...I know it’s only October 16, but
whether you are facing potential unemployment (like we are), or just want to
really enjoy the season, starting to prepare now is a great idea.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
love Christmas, and I love the reason for the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Christmas brings with it a whole lot
of conflicting feelings as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
instance, the whole money thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>According to the Bank of Montreal, holiday spending was forecasted at
$1810 for last year (2013).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><a href="http://newsroom.bmo.com/press-releases/2013-bmo-holiday-spending-outlook-consumers-plan--tsx-bmo-201311060909354001"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://newsroom.bmo.com/press-releases/2013-bmo-holiday-spending-outlook-consumers-plan--tsx-bmo-201311060909354001</span></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
like everyone else want to provide my family with wonderful gifts, to show my
love for them, and to plain and simply see looks of surprise and feelings of
happiness on Christmas morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But should it really cost that much for an
average family to buy those feelings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
can remember growing up and having some very simple Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were beautiful and I have fond memories
of them , however, we didn’t have the resources for many gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes my mom would just wrap up random
things from in the house so that we had more to unwrap at Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sure was exciting to see all those
packages sparkling under the Christmas tree from all the colourful lights and
tinsel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes my large gift for the
year was a book of Bible stories, or a stuffed brown bear with a bow on it (I
still have that bear).:)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One year we
even received a hamper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a kid, I
thought that was one of the most exciting things ever.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
can also recall one year that a friend called on Christmas day and asked what I
got.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember feeling slightly
inadequate and unsure of what to say as she listed off the stereo, clothing,
music, and jewellery that she received, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and just skirted around the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I think that the experience of
receiving little, and less than others can be truly character building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, its what helps me to remember those
who are less fortunate each year and all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want
my children to know what it is to really want something, and I also want them
to know what it means to go without something....just because.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That sounds a little scroogey....but honestly
in a world where the average 6 and 7 year old are asking for ipads and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">iphones</b>, you want them to know the joy
that comes from waiting and dreaming and hoping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also want them to be willing to sacrifice
something that they have to help someone who has less feel the joy that they
will have because they have nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
battle of wanting to give to my children, and also wanting them to give of what
they have is one that I still struggle with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But one thing that helps is getting my shopping done early in the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way, when the Season starts (in November</span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">), I can focus my attentions onto relationships,
people, memories and creating opportunities for our family to serve
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The battle always rages in my
mind, but at least I don’t have to fight the war in the Mall.:)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-70759999460375247502014-10-15T10:20:00.002-07:002014-10-15T10:20:36.741-07:00Job Hunting in Alberta 2014 version...
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We started off 2014, with the knowledge that my husband’s
job was going to end within the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a result, we have been diligently searching online, networking,
contacting recruiters, buying a new suit and praying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for us, he has yet to secure a
job....(pickings have been few and far between)...however, lucky for us, his
job has been extended until this current point.... although his job is
currently contract in nature, it looks like it will hold out until the end of
November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have felt extreme
gratitude that it has lasted this long, and that we still have benefits for our
family. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, the knowledge that we likely could be unemployed
during the holiday season is hardly something to look forward to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Okay...maybe having my husband home full
time for a while is a kind of appealing, but the no income is less than
desirable.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The situation has been fairly stressful, but we are lucky in
that we do have an emergency fund, as well as the fact that our monthly
mortgage is a lot less than it would be to rent an apartment.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because my husbands job is ending due to the company going into bankruptcy, we are in a position that my husband would be
able to get unemployment insurance until he is able to secure a job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also could and would find employment
during that time, although, then we need to make sure we have childcare available
each time he has a job interview, meets with recruiters etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way...we have options, which is a
blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I remember years ago moving to Southern Alberta (almost 18 years ago) with no
employment and desperately trying to find a job. It took a little bit of time,
however, during that time I took a month long course from the Government, on
job finding and resume building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
remember learning there that looking for a job is a full time job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were taught that you needed to put in
eight hour days, networking, finding, hunting, honing your interview skills (we
did videos) and cold calling companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A lot has changed since then, but the desired end result is the same.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought it would be interesting to see the difference in
job finding in 2014 in Alberta today, and starting from now will record to see how
long it takes my husband to find a job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Obviously, he has a full time job and can’t put in an eight hour day job
hunting....but he does have a wife....who although I’m busy, am fully vested in
him getting employment as soon as possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will record the process we take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting with LINKED IN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am still pretty unsure what purpose Linked
in really has and how beneficial it actually is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband is currently on there with his
current resume....however...the profile picture he uses is one taken by a staff
member when linked in first came out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
say it hardly looks professional is an understatement.... in fact he may be a
little warped looking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our goal for this
week will be change his picture to something a little more professional looking
to see if that makes any difference. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A job hunting we will go.......</span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-51461053962390669812014-10-07T19:45:00.001-07:002014-10-07T19:47:11.833-07:00Making mistakes with RESP's in Canada - unsweet lullabiesI came across this article today...and her story could be my story. Same company and same experience.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/mom-disappointed-in-high-fees-for-daughter-s-resp-1.1574303">http://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/mom-disappointed-in-high-fees-for-daughter-s-resp-1.1574303</a>#<br />
<br />
Just after having my second child I was contacted by a neighbor involved with the Welome Wagon. It seemed harmless enough, however, not long after I started getting multiple phone calls a day from people wanting me to meet with them about RESP's. For the longest time, I told them I wasn't interested, but to contact me later. However, it seemed like I was still getting a lot of phone calls. Sleep deprived and wanting to be the best mom that I could be, I finally decided to meet with one of the men that continually followed up...on my "maybe laters". My husband and I signed up thinking we were doing a great thing for our children, and although we didn't have a lot to invest, we put what we could. Now almost 7 years later, it makes me want to cry to see how much they are charging. I'm also a little fearful that once my kids are old enough to go to school they will find themselves in a predicament where they are not able to pull their money out because their program or school that they choose doesn't fall into one of their fine print selections. <br />
<br />
Obviously we signed the papers and are locked into the contract, and unfortunately for us they take all of their fee's up front. It makes me sad to know that money we worked so hard to save for our kids is lost to us. <br />
<br />
Would love to know if anyone else has similar experiences. My advice to new parents who are going to start an RESP is to do it...but whatever you do....RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. Find out start up fee's. Don't just go in blindly....or sleep deprived. Waking up just might shock you.<br />
<br />Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-54415885634717873292014-09-15T09:49:00.000-07:002014-09-15T09:49:47.544-07:00What are you willing to give?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmOoSdQVSbriZ_czQsTJyMTMdT8efUfz-wg4-LtYCJPqhStRF5CjSASzNybNyvXeq9j05aD206mLaDrITsJUhyoRh1NNZhWXkSZIl9JvoJ26fR5RFi-GdJv7pPH1NZkahu9WWalJo4Lk/s1600/IMG_8595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmOoSdQVSbriZ_czQsTJyMTMdT8efUfz-wg4-LtYCJPqhStRF5CjSASzNybNyvXeq9j05aD206mLaDrITsJUhyoRh1NNZhWXkSZIl9JvoJ26fR5RFi-GdJv7pPH1NZkahu9WWalJo4Lk/s1600/IMG_8595.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My parents were immigrants to Canada, and their story is one
of love, hard work, determination, sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, their journey wasn’t easy and there were many times in their
lives where they lived with very little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite working so hard, there were times that they could have found
themselves easily asking for and qualifying for government assistance to help
them feed their family of 5, but they had that stubborn personal pride that
made them simply make due with less and try to survive on what they had. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Growing up, my dad told me a story about how at one point in
his career he decided he wanted to go into business for himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had had enough of factory working and was
ready to go out on his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he
lacked was the startup money that he required to begin that business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t able to get a bank loan, and so he
humbly went to a couple acquaintances/friends that he knew to see if they would
lend him the money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asked one and was
refused, and then asked another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
gentleman lived in more humble circumstances, yet lived well within his means
and had savings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was willing to hand
over $10,000 to my dad with a promissory note that it would be paid back in
full during an allotted time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
paid back in full, because that was the kind of people my parents were.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love hearing about how willing that man was to help out
and take a chance on my dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That he
would put great faith and trust in a hardworking father who was trying his best
to make ends meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would love to say
that the $10,000 led to my parents becoming millionaires and living the dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, he and my mom were able to run a
seasonal family business from home for over 25 years...one that was an amazing
amount of difficult work, but brought joy and happiness and beauty to others
around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Money was still tight a lot
of times, but they were able to live their dream.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This experience makes me wonder today, if a friend came and asked me if
they could borrow that amount of money, how generous I would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly have that amount in savings in
the bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And really, compared to how
much money that would have been 25 years ago, it is relatively little. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But still it is a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would
I be willing to help someone out so they could improve their circumstances,
with really no personal guarantee that I would get it back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes I feel that as a society (and I include me in that
category) we have become so obsessed with personal gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly have gotten caught in the
trap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to have enough so that our
needs are met with enough to spare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
goals are to save for the future, so that we can have the most comfortable life
possible when we retire. So that we can have nice homes, cars, clothes and
possessions, which let’s be honest, is what we use as a ruler to judge how
successful a person today actually is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact we often want to spend time with those people because they have
the most toys and sometimes seem to be the ones having the most fun.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe we aren’t being asked for a sum of $10,000 to help
someone out, but can we spare something to share with someone at a food
bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can we open our eyes to see beyond
the comforts that we live in to find someone who might be having problems
paying their bills, clothing their family or finding food to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can we
do that when its not Christmas time?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past weekend my sister told me about how last week a
man had asked my dad for some help doing some fairly hard labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the day, he asked my dad how
much he owed him, to which my dad replied, “don’t worry about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In return, just go and do something nice for
someone else.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of these stories are simple ones, that won’t
ever be in the evening news, there won’t be a book written about them, and
others who pass them on the streets will walk past without a second
thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, that is what I think makes up success,
real character and true wealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being
able to give of one’s self, even if does require personal sacrifice and work,
and even if it isn’t seen by others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am thankful for those who are willing to sacrifice what they have in order to help improve the lives of others and make them a little brighter. Can we give, even when it hurts a little? </span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-70330346627447649142014-09-09T10:31:00.002-07:002014-09-09T10:31:28.591-07:00Back at it......Blogging is definitely not for the faint of heart.:) Kudos to those who are able to do this every day. Having a blog about personal finances remains a tug of war for me. When I first began writing, I started to research. I read blogs and read books, and suddenly I felt myself focusing towards it and thinking about it a lot. And truth be told, I don't want to be focused on money...in fact, that's the whole purpose of this blog, is to find ways to have enough so that finances aren't the first and foremost thought on your mind. <br />
<br />
So, honestly, I enjoyed the breather of the summer...I took a break. Well, not really because there are a few things still staring at me in the face that are requiring me to think about money.<br />
First, my husband, although still employed currently, is still looking for employment (as we have actively done for the last 8 months to no avail). Fortunately for us, his job has yet to end, although the company was going to shut down a couple of months ago. We are lucky in that he will be able to go on UI until he finds something else...but unlucky in that surviving on what you get on UI, will be challenging.<br />
<br />
Second...the never ending dental dilemnas!!!!! Seriously...I can not believe how many difficulties myself and family have had with dental. (And by the way...we do brush and floss on a daily basis). Bad tooth genetics I guess. Regardless, paying for the services needed is so stressful, and I say that coming from a home with a fairly good income. I cannot even imagine what someone does who may not have a good benefit plan or none at all or is a senior etc. <br />
I am currently sitting on trying to decide on whether to get an implant, and about a $800 dollar dental bill for my youngest who is having some teeth issues due to health problems (and that is with benefits.) At present, I am fortunate to have the resources to pay for it...but its painful...especially when you try so hard to save money in other areas, to watch it go toward something you cant even choose. <br />
<br />
My sister was recently telling me about something she heard on the radio. Apparently they are trying to increase the minimum wage in the States, and she was listening to someone who said that they interviewed people in Seattle that were on minimum wage and asked what they would do if they had a higher wage, and many of them said that they would get their teeth fixed. Wow. Puts things into perspective a little bit.<br />
<br />
I always think that if I ever ended up with extra resources that is what one of my areas of help would like to be in - to help people that need assistance getting dental work done.<br />
<br />
Blogging about being wealthy - to me means having balance. To be able to have rich relationships with others - and to have time to spend developing memories with those people, and enough time, energy and resources to help others. The quest for seeking wealth is often there because we think that if we have enough resources, we can buy the things that we seek after...good health, beauty, friends, clothing, food and shelter, happiness and peace of mind, faith. Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-34277529661466605082014-06-23T21:52:00.002-07:002014-06-23T21:52:26.724-07:00How much does your cell phone really cost you?A few days ago I read the following article about a woman who's phone dropped in a cesspool, and whose husband and mother died while trying to retrieve it.<br />
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<a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1402716/wife-drops-phone-in-cesspool-husband-and-his-mother-die-trying-to-get-it/">http://globalnews.ca/news/1402716/wife-drops-phone-in-cesspool-husband-and-his-mother-die-trying-to-get-it/</a><br />
<br />
Such a tragic and sad story. It caused me to reflect a little on technology though, and how easy it is to become dependant upon it. I'm guessing that the man who jumped in probably didn't even give it a second thought before jumping in...just as you or I may not give it a second thought to how our phones or internet are the first thing we look at in the morning. We probably don't give a whole lot of thought to how that is the first place we go to for information. The first way we think of connecting with friends or to plan an activity. I can assure you I have jumped a time or two to rescue an iPad from a child who was about to drop it with a little bit of a yelp. We probably don't realize how often we are holding and looking at it when a spouse or child come home from work or school. And can anyone deny how hard it is to not run instantly to the phone the second you hear that little beep announcing a text. Our phones (and the internet) have definitely become appendages to our bodies and lives.<br />
<br />
I have so many excuses as to why I '<span style="color: #6aa84f;">NEED</span>' my phone, I often forget that it really is just a luxury and not one that should have such control over my life or my time. <br />
<br />
Some of my favorite benefits - <br />
Being able to speak to my husband whenever I want<br />
Texting people is a great way to avoid a long conversation...<br />
Going on a road trip and being able to contact people long distance<br />
Being able to contact my kids while being babysat...likewise they can contact me at any time<br />
Being able to check facebook while standing in a long line<br />
Being able to give it to my child when whatever errand we are running is taking way to long<br />
Instant telephone book<br />
Direction finder<br />
<br />
I often feel that I desperately need the phone, so that I can instantly be contacted in the event of an emergency. Truth be told though, the only emergency I have yet to be contacted for in the last year and a half is that of the school calling to tell me that my son forgot his lunch and could I please get him one to the school as soon as possible. Which I did, only to discover that his lunch was indeed in his backpack, just a different pocket. Sad, but true. <br />
<br />
I am currently on a phone plan for my IPhone 5, that costs approximately $70/month/3 year contract (with just a year and a half left). I get free unlimited calls in Canada/free texting and 1gb of data. (I have no voicemail or call display features). Truth be told, 95 per cent of the time, I really don't need all of these features. However, there really is a sense of security that comes with it knowing that I can be reached at any time. Is it really worth $840 a year for this luxury?<br />
<br />
My husband also has a phone, however, his is paid for by work until his job ends at the end of July, at which time we will probably go down to one phone until he is employed again. Scary thought...being without a phone. In the meantime, I will contact my service provider and find out other options. Really, my pay and talk served me fine as well, and offered me a limited but sufficient amount of security.<br />
<br />
Just today, a friend posted that she is going to try and go off Facebook for the summer, mostly because her husband doesn't think she can do it. Sometimes I feel it might be a good idea to try a simple exercise like that just to show that we can survive not being dependant on technology in our lives. <br />
<br />
My goal for this week is to find out my options for decreasing the cost on my phone plan. I'll keep you posted. Are you willing to lower you monthly phone costs to help save for living your life?Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-61289110438427659362014-06-04T07:35:00.000-07:002014-06-04T07:35:05.269-07:00Couponing in Canada<div align="center">
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src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" style="margin: 0px -11px 0px 0px;" title="http://www.clipartbest.com/coupon-clip-art" width="124" /></div>
I am always in awe when I hear about people who coupon in the States that are able to save so much money and have always wondered if this is even possible in Canada. That being said, I was pretty excited to see this segment on the Marilyn Dennis show. <br />
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<a href="http://www.marilyn.ca/Consumer/segments/Daily/April2014/4_21_2014/CouponSavings">http://www.marilyn.ca/Consumer/segments/Daily/April2014/4_21_2014/CouponSavings</a><br />
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I love that she is from Canada, doesn't go overboard (hoarding unnecessaries) and how she is able to give back into the community as well. Couponing is not something I have been great at or been able to stay on top of....but the odd time that I do clip a coupon and save a couple dollars sure makes me happy.<br />
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It can be done!:)<br />
<br />Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-72231095829205310572014-06-03T18:13:00.001-07:002014-06-03T18:13:16.093-07:00How much does it cost you to eat per month
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How much do you spend a month on groceries?</span><br />
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src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" style="margin: 0px;" title="http://www.illustrationsof.com/440428-royalty-free-groceries-clipart-illustration" width="320" /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to stats Canada most recent update, the average
food expenditures for a year in Alberta is $8,414 (this is from 2012) so about $701 a month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> For information on other provinces check out the following link:<br />
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<a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil132j-eng.htm"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil132j-eng.htm</span></a></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a stay at home mom, one of the main ways that I am able
to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>contribute to saving money is through
watching our grocery bill. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
fascinated to read blogs where people are able to feed families with 4 people
for under $400 a month in Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
pretty creative ways to save.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately for us, I am not so good in this department. I
am great at looking for good deals, but that also requires me to go into a
whole lot of different stores, which then tempts me to purchase<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>other things which may not be in our
list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our current monthly budget for a
family of 5, is around $900 a month..(ouch)...and since having a child
diagnosed with celiac disease in January has gone up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because he is underweight and because the
whole diet has been a learning curve we have purchased a lot of products trying
to find foods that he likes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am hoping
that as time goes on our grocery bill will decrease.:)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is that we rarely eat out
anymore because its so hard finding accommodating and affordable places to eat
out. </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Food is a little like money. It is such a personal
thing.:)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on how you were
raised probably forms a lot of ideas on how you prepare your foods, the type of
foods you eat, and how much you like to have on hand. The amount you earn also determines how much you may be comfortable spending each month. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I definitely have some work to do is this area....how about
you?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">TIPS:</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I loved how when my mom used to save money, (because she
used cash), she was able to actually put money aside when she saved it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my problems is that when it comes off
a card, we don’t actually see the savings and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>never manage to set the extra savings aside. </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another thought that I have had is that although we do eat well
balanced meals...my husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and likes
food...but there are days that we can actually have a much simpler and less
expensive meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even doing that once a
week can make a tiny dent in our monthly costs.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I totally believe meal planning is one of the greatest tools
we can use not only to save but to reduce waste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I struggle sometimes when I find something at
the back of the fridge that I forgot about, like sandwhich meat/cheese/expired
items and produce that has gone to waste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have been known to have moments when I keep it in the fridge longer
than necessary simply because I feel so guilty throwing it in the garbage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strange I know...</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It truly is a waste when you think that there are
individuals struggling to put food on the table each day...so even if you feel
you have the luxury of having a little waste because money isn’t tight, why not
try and save anyways and put that money towards donating to the food bank or
towards giving to a family in need.</span></div>
Happy planning!<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-18204265512122009152014-06-02T09:45:00.002-07:002014-06-04T14:23:04.529-07:00It's never to late to have a goalThe past couple weeks as I have searched blogs, I started to become a blogging scaredy cat.:) Reading the comments people receive, made me realize that you really need thick skin to be able to tackle putting your thoughts out into cyber space. (Not a quality a possess.:) I've also wondered how easy it is to maintain anonymity while blogging...particularly while blogging about personal finances and goals. On the other hand, it's also kind of fun to be able to write and share things that you are learning...I love finding blogs out there that increase my knowledge and give me a few new ideas to try to implement in my life...nothing like a little inspiration.<br />
<br />
Another deterrant to my blogging has been a little discouragement. After reading a lot of blogs and starting to research, I have become well aware that time is such a huge factor in saving. Sometimes it feels I am asking myself whether there is really any point in learning about all of this now....and is it to late. I sure hope not. I've also become more aware that there are so many families that are struggling out there to make ends meet and where every cent counts. Being able to actually have money leftover to put towards investing is a huge blessing and my heart aches for those who work so hard to make ends meet....although, sometimes it seems like those people are the ones who are a whole lot happier (which in my book is worth a whole lot more than financial wealth). It often feels a little overly worldly to delve into this world of personal finance and investing. I really hope that I can do my part to help others when and where I can.<br />
<br />
After having talked to a couple different financial planners in the past month, I have continued to feel like its hard to find someone to help you figure this money stuff all out. It still amazes me that there are financial planners that won't talk to anyone with less than a $500,000 portfolio. Ummmm...hello. I guess it makes sense...just feels a little like, why wouldn't someone who has just $1000 to invest want expertise from someone who really has a lot of experience and success in what they are doing. Just a thought....<br />
<br />
However, today as I was driving home from the grocery store which is beside a bank, I saw a crowd of people outside. These people were all elderly...like really elderly...some in wheelchairs, white hair, definitely looked over 80. There were bank workers with someone taking pictures, and someone holding a sign that said, "Its never to late to have a goal." The sign made me smile, because when I first started writing I felt like I had a drive to learn about personal finance and share my journey on a blog...but as soon as I started it became readily apparent that this has already been done before by some amazing and talented people. What can I offer? I still don't know...but I think for now, at least documenting helps keep me working towards my goals...and really...it isn't ever to late to have a goal.Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-33147765901379179242014-05-17T10:29:00.000-07:002014-05-17T10:30:01.253-07:00Okotoks Gluten Free restaurants to try outJust learned of two restaurants in Okotoks, AB, that are gluten free friendly.:)<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gourmet On The Go</span></div>
The Heartland CafeWealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-81938951076649248122014-05-13T21:16:00.000-07:002014-06-02T09:49:15.015-07:00Where are you going?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Years ago I heard <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>saying that went something like this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“there was a pilot on a flight who made an
announcement over the speaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I have
some good news and some bad news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
good news is that we are making excellent time, the bad news is that we don’t
know where we are going.”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Setting goals is so important!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some of mine in regards to finances:</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are my goals?</span></div>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a $3000.00 dental implant that needs to be taken care
of...</span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have enough to pay off my mortgage</span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have a ‘secret’ bank account for my kids to help support
them with education/mission/marriage/home buying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Figure out the best way to teach my kids about budgeting and
finance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Set up an allowance system that
we actually follow.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would love to be able to help buy my dad and sister a home
in town in the city that they live in/know that there was money to help with my
dad’s retirement/health should that need arise....</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vacations.... would love to be able to book one without spending<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two thousand hours looking for the cheapest
flight/hotel room....<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would love to be able to take
my dad and sister on some of our vacations.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Would love to be able to grocery shop without nickelling and
diming it....however, even if I had the money, I probably would still do it</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Would love to go back to school myself and upgrade my
knowledge in a few different areas.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have enough for retirement</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Make sure that we have adequate life and health insurance in place.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Would love to get better at giving back to others and helping those in need.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">====================================================================================</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What have I learned blogging about finances so far?</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">*There are a lot of financial bloggers out there...and much
to my surprise, there are a lot in Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve always just assumed that all of the information is geared towards
the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That excites me because it means
I can learn from their expertise and not have to get a degree in finance in
order to figure out how to invest our money.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">*That finding a good financial advisor to direct you isn’t as
easy as I thought it would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">*there are a tonne of people that don’t have a financial
advisor...simply because they don’t know who to trust .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means there are a lot of people like me
out there who are trying to figure it out on their own. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">* That getting educated on finance is a pretty important
thing to do.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">* That writing a blog post each day is actually a lot of
work.:) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the best pieces of
advice I have seen about blogging is to just make sure you write each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time you might be surprised where your
blog takes you...it may be in an entirely different direction that you actually
thought. </span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-62561900057699546182014-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:002014-05-08T07:13:50.879-07:00Worth more than gold....My mom was an amazing woman. She loved people and loved to talk to them. She would always slow down when in public and smile at people and greeted them with a cheery, "hello". She always came home knowing new friends and stories of their lives. She was generous, kind, non-judgemental, warm and loving and kept confidences. Truly, making people feel loved and important was one of her special gifts. Last year (while in her early 70's) after a lengthy and difficult illness, she was diagnosed with cancer and was given a diagnosis of just two months left to live. Up until that point, the doctors were unable to figure out what was wrong with her. <br />
<br />
During the entire process of her deteriorating health, my mom was blessed with wonderful friends who were so truly wonderful to her. People would bring her meals, cards, books and flowers. They would call and visit and pray for her. As a family, we were so grateful for all of these special acts of kindness. It was so touching to see people who took time out of their busy and sometimes just as difficult lives to reach out and help bring sunshine to dark and dreary days. It amazed me to see the worth of these acts of love and how much it influenced each of us and filled us with so much gratitude for loving support. <br />
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It reminded me of how important it is, regardless of our financial circumstances, to take time to reach out and touch the lives of others. It's so easy to say, I'll do nice things for others when I have more time, or more money, when I'm not tired or circumstances are better...but don't wait. We can never know how our support and love can mean to someone who is struggling or just needs a friend. There are people all around us in need of love and kindness. Something money truly cannot buy.<br />
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Almost two and a half months after the diagnosis, my mom passed away. It was and has been a hard time for all of us, but we are so grateful for her and her loving influence. We wish she was still here, but we are thankful that she is no longer in pain. Something that I think is really special is that she had a little primrose garden that she always took care of and nurtured and loved, just like the people in her life. I took a picture of it last summer. Some of you might know that primroses are a perennial, which means that they return each year. What a special gift. Its a reminder that the good things you do come back, and continue to bless the lives of others. <br />
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Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-4478585262871741342014-05-07T07:47:00.000-07:002014-05-07T08:38:13.027-07:00Financial curveballs<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes life throws you financial curve balls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For us, our most recent (and we have had a
lot in the past while) was the diagnosis of celiac disease for our son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are thankful to finally have a diagnosis
and grateful that what he has is something that is treatable by living a gluten
free lifestyle....but honestly, it hasn’t been easy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First of all its not easy to change the diet of a five year
old who doesn’t like eating in general and when he does eat just wants to eat
goldfish crackers like everyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite the fact that living gluten free has almost become popularized
in the last few years and there are many new items available, living the diet
when you have no choice, and when you are desperately trying to help your child
gain weight, becomes extremely frustrating and isolating. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to live on a food budget becomes a
little more challenging as well. This may be one of the main reasons I am
trying to get our finances in check right now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of you might think that at least there is
a tax write off for food that you buy that is gluten free...and there is...but
there is nothing really free about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you read the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stipulations on how you acquire this tax
break, you will know why no one i have spoken to has ever tried to get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(eg. Save every receipt, deduct the amount of
the gluten free food from the regular amount you would pay for the food and then
make sure that you are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>deducting the amount that is eaten ONLY by the
individual with celiac disease in the family.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now were my child older than 5, that would perhaps be easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact is, we don’t want him to feel
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He already struggles not
wanting to go to preschool because he doesn’t like to eat<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>differently than other children at snack time..and
it really breaks my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we try to
normalize as much as can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means for
the most part, outside of bread and cereal our family meals are all gluten free
and we try to purchase similar gluten free <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>foods to what other kids get to eat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To be perfectly honest, probably my least favourite ways of spending
my time are in the grocery store and in the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to force myself to love it, but it
certainly doesn’t come naturally, and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>since this diagnosis, my time in both places
has grown significantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should
probably find a support group..Ha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(and
I will as soon as I can find one t that meets our needs).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being able to afford to live this way conveniently is
difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart goes out to families
that have received this or some other diagnosis where they simply do not have
the resources to go out and buy a $5.99 loaf of bread that needs to be frozen
and toasted in order to taste edible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are blessed that we can pull from the money we set aside each month to put into
RSP’s, but not everyone is able to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am working diligently on trying to find the most frugal way to live this diet within our home without having to break the bank or move into my kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am also saving receipts...but
need to sit down and figure out a better menu plan and system for grocery
shopping in order to help us out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hopefully by this time next year, living this way will be second nature
and we will have figured out a healthy and economical way to deal with the
disease. I guess my point is, we will all have things come up to stop us in our plans, the important thing is finding solutions to help keep us working towards our goals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My heart has opened up to all those who deal with celiac
disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that next time you donate
to a food bank that you will take a minute to pick up something from the gluten
free aisle to help those that aren’t able to easily afford living in a way that
is medically necessary way for them to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know I will.</span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-76878130341042382682014-05-06T17:42:00.002-07:002014-05-06T17:42:14.053-07:00Bank follow upThis morning I returned back to the bank to complete the transaction that I started last week. The financial advisor was taking the money I had saved out of its current account and putting my money into a regular bank account, so that he could move it into a Tax Free Savings Account and change what I am investing in. At our last meeting, he had recommended a balanced investment account..showed me a list of the companies that were included. I recognized a couple of the companies (one my brother works for) and so I felt comfortable with the list (as comfortable as you can after looking at it for 3 minutes.:)<br />
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The interesting thing was that this morning, he told me that he actually thinks that the investment account that we (he must mean, that he recommended) had decided on was perhaps a little too aggressive for me, and he thought it better to move it down a notch, to better match my investing personality profile, and to make it more accessible should I decide to take it out in the next 7-10 years. (I guess I feel comfort knowing that the bank has controls in place to make sure that their employees don't put their clients at too much risk. ) Well, with my rambunctious 5 year old in tow today, (who I was fighting with to make sure he wasn't using wifi on my iPhone and costing me money while I was trying to save money), I took him for his word. The life of a mom.:) <br />
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It reconfirms the importance of self-educating to me though. If you don't go into a financial advisor educated and with a direction/goals already formulated in your mind, its pretty easy to be guided into what ever they suggest for you to do. <br />
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My husband is an accountant, but like me, is good at cost control, but not so great at knowing what do with the money. In fact, we moved from Southern Alberta to the big city 11 years ago, and I think he (and I know it should be 'we') has spoken to our advisor (where we have our RSPs) from back then maybe 5 times...none of those being recent. Now our question is should we move our investments from the person currently watching over our account to someone local...or keep it where it is. Honestly....not being able to meet with someone face to face makes things a little less personal. Not to mention, our account has been moved to an advisor we have never met before. <br />
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The man at the bank said that there is someone else that he could recommend to talk to us about what some of our options might be. So, I agreed to let them call (and talk to my husband..ha...might as well get him going full invested in this process as well!:) Truth be told, all my talk about what I am doing may be annoying my husband just a little bit...however, I think it is motivating him to address the issue of finding an advisor that can help give us a little bit of direction.<br />
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Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-70781322104707990952014-05-05T12:19:00.001-07:002014-05-05T12:24:48.121-07:00Calgarian author publishes new finance book<div align="center">
<img alt="Well-Heeled: The Smart Girl's Guide to Getting Rich" class="product-image image img book" data-expand-image="" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781459723542_p0_v17_s260x420.JPG" height="402" id="rnd-2115763235" itemprop="image" width="260" /></div>
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<br />
While browsing the internet this a.m., I was excited to see that there is a new financial book on the market. It is written by Calgarian - Lesley-Anne Scorgie, president of Rich By Inc. It looks like this book is targeted towards younger women and educating them. Although, I am already in my early forties (and sadly am not sure I qualify as a younger woman...) I am looking forward to picking up a copy and finding out what I can learn. Check out the following link if you are interested in getting more information.<br />
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<a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calgary+financial+author+publishes+book/9788921/story.html">http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calgary+financial+author+publishes+book/9788921/story.html</a><br />
<br />
I am currently busy reading a book by Gail Vaz-Oxlade, and hope to let you in on what I am learning soon.<br />
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Happy Monday!Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-28719149415075737312014-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:002014-05-05T12:27:01.104-07:00How not to find a financial planner 101<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finding a good investor to help guide you with your money is
such an important thing to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My story with investing began some time ago. It started with
me purchasing life insurance from some random company. I was single and lived a long ways from home
(1200 km away).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had this strange fear
that something could possibly happen to me, and if I died, I worried about the
expense that it would incur to my family for travel and funeral. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I went and purchased Life insurance…Not a
lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About a year later, I got home from
work and found this check in the mail for $700.00…I was in awe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where did this come from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called the company and told them that they
must have made a huge mistake. I had life insurance with them,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but had probably only paid about $300 into my
plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told it wasn’t a mistake,
that the company had sold, and the shares were worth that amount.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The money was mine and I could meet with the
new company to reinvest or do what I wanted to do with it. I still don’t
understand what happened, but I was sure excited to have won a mini lottery in
my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And oooops. I didn’t quite make
it back to rework a new policy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I
also didn’t die, so I guess it was a win win situation after all.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast forward a few years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was coming home from work after a large snow storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rental I was living in was on a busier
street, and as I was about to turn into the driveway, I got myself totally
stuck in the snow and was unable to even get into the driveway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t in any danger, because of the two
lanes, cars could easily pull around me….but I was still scared silly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did what any brave girl would do and
started to cry. Hard as I could I couldn’t get that car out of the snow bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got out of the car and left the motor
running, closed the door.. to see just how stuck I really was and how I could
remedy the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kicked the snow
away as best I could, and then went to go back into the car to try and pull my
car out again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only problem was, was
that the door locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes…I was stuck on
the street, my car was running, and Icouldnèt get into the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also couldn’t get into my house, which was
right there because my keys were inside my locked running car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hows that for a predicament.:)</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Random stranger to the rescue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A man seeing the problem pulled over, and was
totally kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We weren’t able to remedy
the situation without calling AMA, which he kindly did for me, after we waited
for 30 minutes for my roommate to get home and unlock the door, so we could use
the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He used his AMA card and we
were able to get into the car and get it out of the ditch. (this was all
pre-cell phone days obviously).</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A year or so later, I ended up getting a phone call from the
man ), and he was now a Financial Advisor
and he was wondering if I would like to come meet with him and go over
investing etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought, why not and
went and met with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice man, who
took quite a bit of time with me trying to explain how investing worked and the
importance of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a big believer
in Japanese stocks....had a hunch that that was where there was money to be
made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was naive....and thought, sure,
why not.:) I invested.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast forward another year, and I got a call from a new
advisor who informed me that my current advisor was no longer working for the
company as it wasn’t a good fit for him), and that
they would like me to come in and review my investments....which had now lost
most of its value...ha...and the future of them did not look bright.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lesson learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> II may have lost money, but I did learn about the importance of saving. </span>Take some time trying to find the right
advisor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I knew how to do
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I plan to find out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope to share that with you (whoever you
might be...(since I currently only have two readers that are related to me who
are reading this blog right now.:)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truth
is, if I only help myself, my sister and my husband wind our way through this
financial maze, that will be success enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if I can help some more of you, that would be great as well! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy Monday!</span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-67059237316333920242014-05-02T12:54:00.003-07:002014-05-02T12:58:04.766-07:00First day on the job.....<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today was my official first (self-appointed) day on the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My appointment at the bank was at 10:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the awful weather, I decided to dress
up a little bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I don’t know
whether or not talking to financial planners-banker <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is similar to a woman going in to get their
car fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(eg. If you don’t look and
act like you know what you are doing, you get taken advantage of.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can see, I am a little paranoid. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fact of the matter is, saving money is not an easy
thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of us that have to
scrimp in order to save money, investing $500 to $5000 may not seem like a lot
of money to them, but it is just as precious to us as a million dollar
investment that someone else might be making. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Entering into my appointment, I was greeted by two
gentleman. (One wore an account manager tag and either is in training or supervising…not
sure which) and the other was the one that was going to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both were very personable and easy to chat
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main person advisor <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>told me that he had just noticed that it had
been a very long time since I had been into the bank to discuss my portfolio…in
fact he was in grade 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmmmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know whether that made me feel old,
or reminded me of how sad it was that I neglected my little secret bank account
for such a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, gave me a
clue that the person I was dealing with was probably under 27 years of age? </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, the experience validated my purpose for doing this
blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not easy stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>them and answered questions about my risk tolerance and goals all in
under 50 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We determined that
where my money was sitting was probably not the best place for it (big surprise…</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">), and moved my rsp to
a balanced fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also are in the
process of moving my investment account into a balanced fund within a TFSA…which
will take a couple of days to process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within one hour I signed a whole bunch of documents and have an
appointment to go back on Tuesday to finalize things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would rate my experience as good. However, I have to
admit, that had I not previously tried to learn about tax free savings accounts
or resps or RRSP’s, this would have been a completely foreign experience for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It still is a little bit of
unfamiliar jargon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel like was treated like I was just as important as
someone who had $100,000 they were investing, which is something I really
appreciated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But still, I just put $20,000
that I have saved (and sacrificed for) into the hands of someone I didn’t know 4 hours ago, and am
really just hoping they know what they are doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seems a little presumptuous to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I do feel though that the onus is on us as individuals
though, because in one hours time you really can’t expect to learn all the ins and outs of
investing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel lucky that I have this
little bit of side money available so that I can try and invest it and
hopefully make some wise decisions that will help us financially in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still have a lot of questions and am hoping to still find direction as to how better to focus our savings and still maintain a happy standard of living and helping those around us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I really want to try harder to find a better balance between
living and saving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The time to live is
now, but the time to save is now too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BALANCE.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Onward and upward.....</span></div>
Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-70380760872823355102014-05-01T14:39:00.000-07:002014-05-01T14:39:19.587-07:00Beauty onThursdaysOne of the reasons I have been scared to start a financial blog is because I think it is so easy to go overboard thinking about money. As I mentioned before, money is necessary for us to survive, but it definitely doesn't equal happiness. There is so much beauty in the world that is free to all of us for the taking if we will just take the time to look around and notice it. Sometimes we can even create it, and I hope that is what we will do.<br />
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Yesterday I was in line at a grocery store (yes...I shop a lot trying to save on money...its a problem). However, in front of me was the cutest (a little windblown) elderly lady, who was talking quite a bit, and we got onto the topic of the weather (definitely an Albertan topic of conversation in 2014). She shared how she doesn't get headaches and even though she had a severe accident that affected her neck, she never gets migraines and her doctor is amazed. She then went on to say, 'but I serve God, and so He takes care of me good.'<br />
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This isn't a religious blog...but it is all intertwined.:) I hope that on Thursdays I will be able to share something uplifting that reminds us to look around and appreciate the beauty and blessings in our lives.<br />
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For today, I would like to share a quote my sister loves to help inspire us this spring.:)<br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">"He who plants a garden, plants happiness."</span></h2>
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<span style="color: black;">Take a few minutes to plan something that you can grow at your home this springtime. Container gardening has become huge, so there is no excuse for any of us. If you really don't have the space or resources, try and find a few extra loonies to purchase a few tulips or even one flower to bring some life and beauty into your home. And better yet...bring some to someone else as well. </span><br />
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Make it a great day!<br />
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<span style="color: black;"></span><br />Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-84027111130419613112014-04-30T09:03:00.000-07:002014-04-30T09:03:07.147-07:00Time to get to work!Well, its time to get into the real purpose of this blog. ACTION!<br />
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Despite some of my bad habits of not planning as well as I should, I do have some good habits that I think are worth sharing The good is that I am able to save money. The bad is...I don't always follow up on the money that I am saving. Sometimes I am just plain tired from everything that is going on around me that I forget certain areas that could be working for our future financial benefit. So here goes:<br />
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PROBLEM TO RESOLVE #1:<br />
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If you have children, you are aware that you get a $100 monthly check for each child under the age of 6. Sadly we are down to getting $100 a month, but everything helps!<br />
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Our original family plan was to put half of each month checks into an RESP to help save for our children's education (which according to the rep we met with, the cost is going to be astronomical). We did end up opening an RESP for all three children through a company, however, had the money auto deposited through my husbands bank account. That left the government money for the kids coming to me directly each month via check. Yes...I should have transferred the money into our family checking account, but I figured it couldn't hurt to put it aside if we weren't actually missing it. So every month I have deposited it into my personal bank account...which obviously has no income...just a little bit of savings. I rarely use this account and am pretty good about not splurging and have only used it if a special need arose. I may have dipped into it a few times, but currently have $9000 in savings in there, which I plan to save for my children's future. Sad thing is....it has been growing over some time, untouched...earning zero interest...basically doing nothing. I know. I don't even know what to do with it. <br />
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Truth is, I don't want to add it to the childrens RESP account because after blog hopping it appears that we may have been taken in and are paying some pretty steep enrollment prices and have seen some fairly negative reviews of people who invested in the same company. More on that in a different post. <br />
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So what to do? <br />
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The goals for the money are to be there to help our kids out with education and missions for our church should they decide to go. My biggest hope will be to support and educate my children in being able to earn money for each of those events themselves...however...we will be happy to help match...support or loan....and maybe if we are independently wealthy, we may gift some. <br />
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PROBLEM TO RESOLVE #2<br />
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As I mentioned about the secret account at the beginning of this blog...I took that to heart. I was single and still had my secret bank account theories, so I met with an advisor at Royal Bank and started doing some auto deductions each month - both into an investment and an RRSP account. I was working at the college at the time, and didn't have a great income but did manage to set some aside without touching it. When I got married, my husband had already bought a house, and so we just left that money alone. It became my secret account...one that he knew about...but one I didn't have to touch. So empowering.:) Once I had my first child, 11 years ago, I stopped working...and have since left the account alone.<br />
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I know...so embarrassing. I virtually haven't talked to anyone about the account for over almost 10 years. I look at the statements once in a while...and it has slowly grown...but obviously may need to be looked at. The money market fund that holds $9500 in it, earned a whopping $11.76 interest during the last period....OOOOOPS, while the Balanced fund with only $3,500.00 earned $123.67 interest during the last period.) <br />
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That would be why I finally decided its time to get down to business and pay attention. <br />
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Regardless of how ignorant I have been to areas of finance that could have been providing better returns...it just goes to show, that even people who are trying hard to save money at the grocery store can be missing small areas that with even just an hour or two of attention can make a big difference to future savings. <br />
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As was previously disclosed...I have no idea what to do with the money once we have saved it. And...just for your information we have no special affiliation with any particular bank or institution. I am just trying to share what I learn through my journey. In fact...you will soon find that we bank through several different institutions. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing but I will try and find out.:)<br />
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So step one has been taken: I made an appointment to meet with the bank on Friday morning to address the two problems I plan to work on first. I will keep you posted. <br />
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<em><span style="color: #274e13;">(disclaimer: I know that these seem to be first-world challenges to have, and am so aware of those who are struggling...or who are working from pay check to pay check to make ends meet. I will try and get to those challenges later. For now in our situation...I am choosing to forget about issues in our lives like impending unemployment, job hunting, celiac disease and the additional cost to our family budget, and a dental implant that needs to happen. We all are faced with difficulties, but I am hoping that there are ways that we can all work through financial stresses and come out on top.</span></em>Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-29889446513097516532014-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:002014-04-29T08:00:04.966-07:00Failed stay at home money making attemptsDuring my time as a stay at home mom, I have tried several different ways to earn extra income. Sometimes it just doesn't ever feel like there is quite enough to splurge on something that you want but don't really need to have.<br />
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My first attempt at trying to make extra money was that of Secret Shopper. Really...how hard could it be. I completed the online training course and then started to apply for assignments. However, I quickly realized the excursions were not something easily accomplished with children in tow, travelling time took a lot longer than I thought and then filling out those lengthy forms with all of the details, was possible, but just a lot more time consuming than I thought it could ever be. After all was said and done, I did end up earning some money..however, ended up losing the account information for paypal , and to this day, years later, have never sorted that out. At least I know. <br />
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My next was newspaper deliverer. My plan was brilliant. While earning extra money to help fund our Christmas, I could teach my children the value of work and the joy of working together to accomplish something. Well, my theory was great...my timing perhaps a little off. 6 and 4 were fairly poor ages to take children delivering newspapers. Every outing started out great, until the kids started fighting and screaming about one thing or another, and then when the Albertan winter started up I knew this was not a long term career choice. We lasted about 6 months and then decided to pass off our route onto another lucky family in the neighborhood. <br />
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That was when I realized, perhaps the best way to save was to be more wise and prudent steward of the money that my husband was bringing home.:) This is a work in progress. I love being home with my kids and being able to be there for them. I am very blessed! I have always loved to write, and although writing a novel has been more of a long time dream of mine than writing a blog, I figure the practise of writing on this blog each day...although probably not a way to earn money, is definitely a way to hone my skill in the area writing and of Finance. Win Win? Oh, and maybe my kids might learn a thing or to as well!:) A mom can dream! Triple Win!Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185248715301036909.post-47755379905126373922014-04-28T18:11:00.001-07:002014-04-30T09:05:28.864-07:00My personal homemaking Lattè Factor.....Last night, I sadly ran out of dishwasher soap. In a desperate moment this afternoon, I quickly drove to Shoppers to buy some.....all so I didn't have to hand wash them up before supper. (yes...getting in the car and driving to a store, honestly felt a lot more manageable then washing them all by hand.:) Choosing the best deal, meant having to pick up a pack of 20 tabs for $7.99. No coupon and definitely not a sale item. Not even Shoppers Optimum points. Sad. Normally I can pick up a pack of 80 for under $20.<br />
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This is one of the more frustrating parts of homemaking.. and one that I believe happens in millions of households a year....if you don't plan ahead...you can end up wasting a lot of money on items you deem immediately essential. This is all excess money that can be put towards something like an RRSP or towards a fun family vacation. The truth is, I knew a few days ago that I was getting low...but chose procrastination and forgot to add it to my weekend grocery list. It doesn't take a mathematician to realize how much money is wasted when we are desperate to grab something at our convenience.<br />
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The "Latte factor" (term coined by Author David Bach) is often used to describe something that we repetitively waste our money on. However, most people that are trying to live frugally, are pretty good about skipping the coffee and avoiding eating out as much as possible. What we all do have is area's in our daily routines that by simply planning ahead we could save money on. Had I planned ahead with the dishwasher tabs, I would have had the money to enjoy a hot drink as a treat, or had a few extra dollars to put towards something I am saving towards. As a mom of three, I can't begin to tell you how many dollars I wasted on diapers simply because I felt I couldn't afford to buy ahead when there was a specific sale and because I preferred a specific brand. I probably could have helped fund one of my childrens RESP's...... It's too late now, but it's not too late to move forward!:)<br />
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How we manage our homes and daily routines provides so many opportunities for us to save financially. I am excited to begin my quest of becoming better organized at home so that I am not letting unnecessary funds slip through the cracks. In this day and era of technology (I love you Pinterest), finding these holes is hopefully going to be a lot easier to do.:) <br />
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Wealthy Homemakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223214543940851625noreply@blogger.com0