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