I've moved

My blog has moved over to www.thewealthyhomemaker.com

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.:)

Love and money...should they mix

So the story goes, that someone related to me had a boyfriend.  Said boyfriend really likes investing in the stockmarket...(perhaps obsessed is a better term).  Relationships not going so well, so girl decides maybe if she gets excited about something that he is excited about, things will go better.  So she invests money in the stockmarket.  Not a lot...but for her...a lot.  She invests $800 in PHM....half at .32 and half at .37 cents.  Relationship ends.  Girl heartbroken.   Wants to remove everything that reminds her of boy from her life.  However, the stock currently sits at .43 cents. Should she sell?

It will cost her $25 to get rid of the stock and she has made $70.

Her lesson?  She decided I was right and never to buy stock because of a guy.  However, now that she is making money...(althougth it's not much) I think maybe I was wrong.:)   I’m glad that she is at least learning about the stock market.  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.

  For today she is going to keep it in.  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.

Job hunting status....

Well, the job hunt progression is going slowly.  Today my husband met with another recruiter.    He confirmed what we already know.... that there is a lot of competition out there for what my husband is looking for.  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.   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.  

Knowing this makes it apparent that charisma and communication skills are obviously what are going to get you the job.   Especially in a saturated market.  How’s that for pressure.

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.  This is the portion I can share:

  “This email is to provide you with written notice that your employment will be extended to November 30, 2014.”

  It is sure painful waiting for that letter to come through each month (supposedly supposed to come on the 15^th..but didn’t come until the 21^st) confirming that we will be employed one extra month, but once it comes it is nice to have a sigh of relief!  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.

So current status job status:

One job he interviewed for a month ago, but the company hasn’t moved forward. One job applied for yesterday that he found on www.indeed.com, and one visit with a recruiter.

How big is your world?

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.  They wrote their essays and then were assigned to draw a picture to capture which ever they chose.  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.   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.  In her defense, she did say that it was hard to draw a picture of doing something nice for others.:) 

 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.   Living in comfortable suburbian areas affords little opportunity for my kids to see people that do without.  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.  I know it was just  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. 

 

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

This is just a friendly reminder that Christmas is coming soon.  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.

I love Christmas, and I love the reason for the season.  However, Christmas brings with it a whole lot of conflicting feelings as well.  For instance, the whole money thing.  According to the Bank of Montreal, holiday spending was forecasted at $1810 for last year (2013).  Wow.

 http://newsroom.bmo.com/press-releases/2013-bmo-holiday-spending-outlook-consumers-plan--tsx-bmo-201311060909354001

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.   But should it really cost that much for an average family to buy those feelings.

I can remember growing up and having some very simple Christmas.  They were beautiful and I have fond memories of them , however, we didn’t have the resources for many gifts.    Sometimes my mom would just wrap up random things from in the house so that we had more to unwrap at Christmas.  It sure was exciting to see all those packages sparkling under the Christmas tree from all the colourful lights and tinsel.  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).:)  One year we even received a hamper.  As a kid, I thought that was one of the most exciting things ever.

I can also recall one year that a friend called on Christmas day and asked what I got.  I remember feeling slightly inadequate and unsure of what to say as she listed off the stereo, clothing, music, and jewellery that she received,   and just skirted around the answer. 

 However, I think that the experience of receiving little, and less than others can be truly character building.  In fact, its what helps me to remember those who are less fortunate each year and all the time.   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.  That sounds a little scroogey....but honestly in a world where the average 6 and 7 year old are asking for ipads and iphones, you want them to know the joy that comes from waiting and dreaming and hoping.  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. 

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.  But one thing that helps is getting my shopping done early in the year.  That way, when the Season starts (in NovemberJ), I can focus my attentions onto relationships, people, memories and creating opportunities for our family to serve others.  The battle always rages in my mind, but at least I don’t have to fight the war in the Mall.:)

Job Hunting in Alberta 2014 version...

We started off 2014, with the knowledge that my husband’s job was going to end within the year.   As a result, we have been diligently searching online, networking, contacting recruiters, buying a new suit and praying.  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.   We have felt extreme gratitude that it has lasted this long, and that we still have benefits for our family.   

However, the knowledge that we likely could be unemployed during the holiday season is hardly something to look forward to.  (Okay...maybe having my husband home full time for a while is a kind of appealing, but the no income is less than desirable.) 

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.

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.   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.  Either way...we have options, which is a blessing. 

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.  I remember learning there that looking for a job is a full time job.  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.  A lot has changed since then, but the desired end result is the same.

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.  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.

I will record the process we take.  Starting with LINKED IN.  I am still pretty unsure what purpose Linked in really has and how beneficial it actually is.  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.  To say it hardly looks professional is an understatement.... in fact he may be a little warped looking.  Our goal for this week will be change his picture to something a little more professional looking to see if that makes any difference.

A job hunting we will go.......

Making mistakes with RESP's in Canada - unsweet lullabies

I came across this article today...and her story could be  my story.  Same company and same experience.

 http://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/mom-disappointed-in-high-fees-for-daughter-s-resp-1.1574303#

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. 

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. 

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.

What are you willing to give?

My parents were immigrants to Canada, and their story is one of love, hard work, determination, sacrifice.  However, their journey wasn’t easy and there were many times in their lives where they lived with very little.   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.

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.  He had had enough of factory working and was ready to go out on his own.  What he lacked was the startup money that he required to begin that business.  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.  He asked one and was refused, and then asked another.  This gentleman lived in more humble circumstances, yet lived well within his means and had savings.  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.  It was paid back in full, because that was the kind of people my parents were.

I love hearing about how willing that man was to help out and take a chance on my dad.  That he would put great faith and trust in a hardworking father who was trying his best to make ends meet.   I would love to say that the $10,000 led to my parents becoming millionaires and living the dream.  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.  Money was still tight a lot of times, but they were able to live their dream.

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.  I certainly have that amount in savings in the bank.  And really, compared to how much money that would have been 25 years ago, it is relatively little.   But still it is a lot.   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.
Sometimes I feel that as a society (and I include me in that category) we have become so obsessed with personal gain.  I certainly have gotten caught in the trap.  I want to have enough so that our needs are met with enough to spare.  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.  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.

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.  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.   Can we do that when its not Christmas time?

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.  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.  In return, just go and do something nice for someone else.”  

 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.   However, that is what I think makes up success, real character and true wealth.  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.

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?

Back 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.

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.
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.

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.  
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. 

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.

 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.

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.  

How 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.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1402716/wife-drops-phone-in-cesspool-husband-and-his-mother-die-trying-to-get-it/

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.

I have so many excuses as to why I 'NEED' 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.  
 
Some of my favorite benefits -
Being able to speak to my husband whenever I want
Texting people is a great way to avoid a long conversation...
Going on a road trip and being able to contact people long distance
Being able to contact my kids while being babysat...likewise they can contact me at any time
Being able to check facebook while standing in a long line
Being able to give it to my child when whatever errand we are running is taking way to long
Instant telephone book
Direction finder

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.

 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?

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.

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. 

 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?

Couponing in Canada

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. 

http://www.marilyn.ca/Consumer/segments/Daily/April2014/4_21_2014/CouponSavings

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.

It can be done!:)

How much does it cost you to eat per month

How much do you spend a month on groceries?

 

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.   For information on other provinces check out the following link:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil132j-eng.htm

 As a stay at home mom, one of the main ways that I am able to  contribute to saving money is through watching our grocery bill.   I am fascinated to read blogs where people are able to feed families with 4 people for under $400 a month in Canada.  Some pretty creative ways to save.   

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  other things which may not be in our list.  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.  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.  I am hoping that as time goes on our grocery bill will decrease.:)  The good news is that we rarely eat out anymore because its so hard finding accommodating and affordable places to eat out.

Food is a little like money. It is such a personal thing.:)  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.  

I definitely have some work to do is this area....how about you?

TIPS:

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.   One of my problems is that when it comes off a card, we don’t actually see the savings and  never manage to set the extra savings aside.

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.  Even doing that once a week can make a tiny dent in our monthly costs.

I totally believe meal planning is one of the greatest tools we can use not only to save but to reduce waste.  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.  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.  Strange I know...

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.

Happy planning!

 

It's never to late to have a goal

The 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.

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.

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....

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.

Okotoks Gluten Free restaurants to try out

Just learned of two restaurants in Okotoks, AB, that are gluten free friendly.:)

Gourmet On The Go

The Heartland Cafe

Where are you going?

Years ago I heard  a  saying that went something like this:  “there was a pilot on a flight who made an announcement over the speaker.  “I have some good news and some bad news.  The good news is that we are making excellent time, the bad news is that we don’t know where we are going.”

Setting goals is so important!  Here are some of mine in regards to finances:

What are my goals?

• I have a $3000.00 dental implant that needs to be taken care of...
• Have enough to pay off my mortgage
• Have a ‘secret’ bank account for my kids to help support them with education/mission/marriage/home buying.  Figure out the best way to teach my kids about budgeting and finance. 
• Set up an allowance system that we actually follow.
• 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....
• Vacations.... would love to be able to book one without spending  two thousand hours looking for the cheapest flight/hotel room....  Would love to be able to take my dad and sister on some of our vacations.
• 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
• Would love to go back to school myself and upgrade my knowledge in a few different areas.
• Have enough for retirement
• Make sure that we have adequate life and health insurance in place.
• Would love to get better at giving back to others and helping those in need.

====================================================================================

What have I learned blogging about finances so far?

*There are a lot of financial bloggers out there...and much to my surprise, there are a lot in Canada.  I’ve always just assumed that all of the information is geared towards the US.  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.

*That finding a  good financial advisor to direct you isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. 

*there are a tonne of people that don’t have a financial advisor...simply because they don’t know who to trust .  That means there are a lot of people like me out there who are trying to figure it out on their own.

 * That getting educated on finance is a pretty important thing to do.

* That writing a blog post each day is actually a lot of work.:)   One of the best pieces of advice I have seen about blogging is to just make sure you write each day.  Over time you might be surprised where your blog takes you...it may be in an entirely different direction that you actually thought.

 

Worth 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.   

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. 

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.

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. 

Financial curveballs

Sometimes life throws you financial curve balls.  For us, our most recent (and we have had a lot in the past while) was the diagnosis of celiac disease for our son.   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.

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.  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.   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.

  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.  If  you read the  stipulations on how you acquire this tax break, you will know why no one i have spoken to has ever tried to get it.  (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   deducting the amount that is eaten ONLY by the individual with celiac disease in the family.)  Now were my child older than 5, that would perhaps be easier.  The fact is, we don’t want him to feel different.  He already struggles not wanting to go to preschool because he doesn’t like to eat  differently than other children at snack time..and it really breaks my heart.  So we try to normalize as much as can.  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  foods to what other kids get to eat.

To be perfectly honest, probably my least favourite ways of spending my time are in the grocery store and in the kitchen.  I try to force myself to love it, but it certainly doesn’t come naturally, and  since this diagnosis, my time in both places has grown significantly.  I should probably find a support group..Ha.  (and I will as soon as I can find one t that meets our needs).

Being able to afford to live this way conveniently is difficult.  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.  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.   

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.  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.  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. 

My heart has opened up to all those who deal with celiac disease.  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.  I know I will.

Bank follow up

This 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.:)

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.:) 

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. 

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.  

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.

Calgarian author publishes new finance book

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.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calgary+financial+author+publishes+book/9788921/story.html

I am currently busy reading a book by Gail Vaz-Oxlade, and hope to let you in on what I am learning soon.

Happy Monday!

How not to find a financial planner 101

Finding a good investor to help guide you with your money is such an important thing to do. 

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).  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.   So I went and purchased Life insurance…Not a lot.  About a year later, I got home from work and found this check in the mail for $700.00…I was in awe.  Where did this come from.  I called the company and told them that they must have made a huge mistake. I had life insurance with them,  but had probably only paid about $300 into my plan.  I was told it wasn’t a mistake, that the company had sold, and the shares were worth that amount.  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.  And oooops. I didn’t quite make it back to rework a new policy.  But I also didn’t die, so I guess it was a win win situation after all.

Fast forward a few years later. 

I was coming home from work after a large snow storm.  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.  I wasn’t in any danger, because of the two lanes, cars could easily pull around me….but I was still scared silly.  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.  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.  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.  The only problem was, was that the door locked.  Yes…I was stuck on the street, my car was running, and Icouldnèt get into the car.  I also couldn’t get into my house, which was right there because my keys were inside my locked running car.  Hows that for a predicament.:)

Random stranger to the rescue.  A man seeing the problem pulled over, and was totally kind.  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.  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).

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.  I thought, why not and went and met with him.  Nice man, who took quite a bit of time with me trying to explain how investing worked and the importance of it.  He was a big believer in Japanese stocks....had a hunch that that was where there was money to be made.  I was naive....and thought, sure, why not.:) I invested.

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.

 Oh well.  Lesson learned.  II may have lost money, but I did learn about the importance of saving.  Take some time trying to find the right advisor.  I wish I knew how to do it.  And I plan to find out.  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.:)  Truth is, if I only help myself, my sister and my husband wind our way through this financial maze, that will be success enough.  But if I can help some more of you, that would be great as well!   Happy Monday!