by Pam on August 31, 2010
Do you ever get tired of worrying about money and wish that you could just live without it? Well, a man by the name of Mark Boyle has done just that. Since 2008 he has managed to live what he calls a moneyless lifestyle. He grows his own food, lives in a small trailer, and bathes in a nearby stream. He claims he has never been happier and more content in his life. He also says he is much healthier and more fit now.
Wow! Who would have thought that anyone could survive these days without even attempting to earn money? Although Mark’s lifestyle is definitely not for everyone, I can definitely see the appeal of living like him, at least for a short period of time. But for many people this lifestyle is not feasible due to their existing responsibilities and ambitions. That being said, it doesn’t mean we can’t still be carefree to a certain extent.
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by Pam on August 25, 2010
I recently read an interesting article on globeinvestor.com that talks about how the value of a dollar changes depending on what life stage you are in. For example, as a child, you would have cherished one dollar as if it was an entire fortune, but at different times in your life, you will likely value it differently. The main point of the article is to set up a strategy so that you are making the best use of your money throughout your life.
For people who struggle all their lives to make ends meet, the value of the dollar will likely be fairly consistent through all life stages, however, for those who have enough money to cover all the bills without a lot of stress, it appears that the value of a dollar becomes less meaningful especially when one is older. According to the article, “… it often becomes clear that the precious dollar of today is better spent than saved for the future, when it will be of much less personal value”.
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by Pam on August 23, 2010
Life seems to be a bit of a balancing act. We need to make sure that we are enjoying the here and now, without neglecting to save for our future. Although none of us are guaranteed another day, we live in anticipation of waking up every morning and carrying on as usual. So although we need to plan ahead, it is just as important that we make sure to live a little in the present, too.
This is something I really struggle with sometimes. I get so carried away with saving for future goals like travel, our next vacation, and retirement, that I do not often let myself spend money on the things I enjoy right now. I make a lot of sacrifices, which I anticipate will pay off in the long run, but again, who is to say that I will still be here tomorrow? That being said, I do not expect my personality will change that much. I will likely be just as frugal as before, most of the time, but I am going to make myself enjoy my money a bit more while I have it.
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by Pam on August 21, 2010
Are you an employee? If so, it’s very important that you understand all the benefits that come alongside your salary or wage. As an employee, especially if you work for a large company, you may be surprised at just how many benefits you may be overlooking. In order to ensure that you are taking full advantage of all your benefits, request benefits information from your employer and read through the material carefully.
If you are lucky, your employer will be willing to match contributions you make up to a certain percentage into your RRSP. If this is the case, be sure to open an RRSP through your company’s group plan as soon as you are eligible to receive the free money. If you already have an RRSP set up outside of your work, consider diverting the contributions over to your work plan where you are eligible for the benefits and use your other RRSP only if you want to contribute over and above what the company will match.
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by Pam on August 13, 2010
After talking to a lot of people about their life goals and dreams, it has become obvious to me that most people are chained to their current jobs due to the benefits and salary. They have lots of other things that they would like to pursue and do, yet they feel that they must continue to work at a job that pays well and possibly has a pension plan. I refer to this type of lifestyle as the golden handcuff syndrome. From conversations I have had with various people recently, I have heard many people say that they would do a different job if they could find one that paid them as well as their current job. Others have said if money wasn’t an issue, they would feel free to pursue their other life goals, but due to their need for a salary, they don’t have the freedom to do the things they love.
It’s clear that many of us are doing what we’ve always been taught to do: work, earn money, pay the bills, and be responsible. I guess I hope that there is something more out there than just paying the bills.
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Free stuff is always fun, and I recently received an email about My Coke Rewards and the free stuff they are giving away right now. Apparently there’s a promotion going on where they will be giving away one million points over the next two months that can be redeemed for all sorts of fun prizes.
The email I received with the details is as follows:
“I thought you and your readers would be interested in the following information about the launch of Coca-Cola’s My Coke Rewards Million Point Giveaway—its biggest points giveaway to date. During the Million Point Giveaway, My Coke Rewards is thanking its members by awarding thousands of free points every day that people can redeem for things they love, including portable DVD players, gift certificates and free Coca-Cola products.
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