American Politics is MY concern ...

…and this is why. The Great Lakes. Canadians and Americans share massive amounts of fresh water that we rely upon heavily. Have you noticed that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have very neatly crafted statements about what they call the environment in their election platforms? These people discuss climate change only, as if our planet is about to burn up and if we all we need to do is stop using gasoline and we will save the planet. While I agree that the over usage of gasoline by North Americans needs to be addressed, and climate change is an environmental issue we can’t ignore but there other important environmental concerns. The are a number of environmental stressors that humans have placed upon the earth since the late 1800s that are completely new to our planet and the life that inhabits it. I will spare you the carbon emission speech and jump into a few of the fundamentals:

1. Species extinction is currently occurring faster than it ever has in our planet’s history (according to the fossil record) and we are re-distributing non-native plants and animals by the hour to new environments. This puts way too much evolutionary pressure on mother nature, God, whatever you prefer to call it, and will ultimately result in a collapse in biodiversity. There are no number of dollars that can bring back the hundreds of species lost each year.

2. All of the contaminants that are present in our soils, water and air have been accumulating in our bodies and the bodies of the plants and animals we eat. Even when you eat organic foods that are truly chemical free, the chances of them being grown in purely virgin soils are 1/1,000,000,000. It is our constant exposure to all of these contaminants that is causing ill-health in people and many of the abovementioned species extinctions. This costs us all money – either to our health care systems or out of our own pockets when we visit the doctor.

3. Diverting water-ways to make massive dams, canals and other notions of progress have contributed to the pollution of water and, oddly enough, billions of dollars wasted every year cleaning and repairing flooded communities. This is my advice for any human looking to survive and propagate their race: live near clean water, don’t live on a flood plain unless you build a home that is “flood-proof” and above all, don’t live in an area that has diverted water unnaturally. When the system collapses or is over-burdened, the water is vengeful.

When it comes to these issues, our Great Lakes are no exception – non-native species invasion, loss of native species due to over pollution and other unidentified stresses are still ever present. Two great lakes’ municipalities have suffered deaths from improperly treated water (Milwaukee and Walkerton), fish are still unsafe to eat and the presence of persistent pollutants such as PCBs, pesticides and mercury are still a threat to human health. Recently we have detected new chemicals like pharmaceuticals and compounds that leach from plastics in the lakes and in some cases our drinking water. There are hardly any municipal beaches that are safe to swim in. The environment costs the government thousands of millions of dollars every year. How? In research grants, in health care, in disaster relief… so why are you voting for candidates that believe climate change is the only environmental concern when the costs are so high? Don’t ask me.


I wonder why Barack Obama states “I don't believe that climate change is just an issue that's convenient to bring up during a campaign. I believe it's one of the greatest moral challenges of our generation.” (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/) when his only environmental platform is about the conveniently hot topic of climate change? Are his morals only focused on carbon? I also wonder why Hillary Clinton’s plans for "Smart Grid Cities” and the "Connie Mae" program didn’t ever pop-up on the agenda while her husband was in power? Didn’t she ever talk to him? Hillary’s revolutionary ideas to address “global warming” are not new and compared to the rest of the world Americans look like they imagine they will be living like the Jetsons while they actually live like the Flintstones.
I know there are other important issues the candidates have to address, like the war in Iraq and the looming recession (don’t even get me started!), so I understand if some of their platforms are weak, but my personal feeling is that this issue is too important to put half your effort into. The Great Lakes are a precious international resource and as responsible citizens, Americans and Canadians are the rightful representatives of that resource.

Recommended Reading, Links and Resources:

Our Great Lakes (see page 5 for a short history of the lakes)

The International Association of Great Lakes Research

Experts Seek Answers on Water Footprint from PhysOrg.com

(AP) -- It's not only our carbon footprint we should worry about. Experts are looking for solutions to our growing water footprint, as urban populations explode and the demand for biofuels adds stress on water for farmland.

[...]

Have you been giving the government interest-free loans each year?

It’s that time of the year again when many people sit down and pull-out boxes of receipts and tally up the year’s worth of tax credits and debits they have incurred. The question is do you pay enough, too much or too little? I would definitely seek some expert advice on this. Most of us have our employers remove taxes each paycheck and this amount is automatically remitted to the government. After twelve months this should add up to exactly what we owe, right? If there answer is no, then let me give you some things to think about. If you always give more than you should each year and then receive a hefty return each spring, may I suggest that you could do better saving your money?

Open a high interest savings account and automatically withdrawal the same amount of money each month for one year that you would have had removed from your paycheck to give to the government for tax, and depositing it into that high interest bank account. You will make interest on all of that tax for a year instead of the government. Then when you do your taxes, there will be more than enough in your account to pay what you owe the government and what money remains in your account will equal what you would have received as a return, except there will be more because you will have received interest for that amount for twelve months plus from your taxes! Why let the government use your money for a year – they don’t give you any interest for it?

Main Entry: tax

Function: noun

Usage: often attributive

Date: 14th century

1 a: a charge usually of money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes b: a sum levied on members of an organization to defray expenses 2: a heavy demand

Rebirth

Volume 1, Number 4


Money – From A Woman’s Perspective




Hi everybody. Welcome back to The Money Case. I trust that you had a great week.

There are lots of good reasons to celebrate. In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s Spring, and in the coming days and weeks the snow will have to take a back seat to new and abundant life forms. We’ll see the trees and shrubs starting the process of their rebirth. Crocuses will poke their colourful heads out of the ground. Then the tulips will be ablaze in Amsterdam, the cherry blossoms in Japan, the forsythes in Canada, and the USA. In the South, it’s the opposite, where nature is ripe and mature.

Indeed it’s that time when fertility is at its peak, and the planting of crops will begin.

Another good reason to celebrate: The Money Case has just announced that their subscription fee has been waived. Access to this revolutionary on-line budgeting software is now free of charge. You read right. No more subscription fee is required to hightail your way to financial freedom.

Having this free access to The Money Case makes perfect sense. The intention behind this budgeting software site is to encourage all - everyone - adults, students, young and older entrepreneurs, and seniors, regardless of your financial status, to form a good habit of budgeting. If you already follow a monthly budget, this is an opportunity to switch to The Money Case's free site.

Respect begets respect.

Previously we took our money for granted, no more. When we commit to using a budget we are committing to treating our money the same way we would treat our valued friendships and relationships; with love, kindness, and respect. When we live our lives respecting others that quality is reciprocated back into our daily lives. The same principle applies to our money.

When we handle money with respect we become a magnet for money. The opposite happens when we treat our money haphazardly, without conscious thought. Our money flees. And we wonder why when we come into a lump sum, maybe a tax refund, it goes back out with lightening speed.

Think of your money as a good friend, someone who will be in your life through thick and thin, provided you respect and are kind to her/him. I encourage you to do the same with your money.

I invite you to accept this generous offer from The Money Case. Sign up for your free account and begin your journey into a new dimension where your money is an important part of your life.

A good product must be made easily available to everyone, everywhere, without barriers or obstacles. You may quote me on this.

Have a great week. And I look forward to meeting you next Tuesday on The Money Case.

Debra

Sunday night review

Hi there. I have decided to do a review every Sunday, either of good products to help you save money, useful websites or blogs or some other tool for all TheMoneyCase blog readers.

Today I have found some good blogs by students, and because I am a student, I can really relate to these. I give these blogs my highest respect and overall a two thumbs up, and for my specific thoughts and comments, look below:

This blog has a good format. It is well organized, has the most important categories any student would want; "Law School", "Frugality", "Personal Finance", "Productivity" and "Career".
There appears to be more than one law student writing for this blog, and they are doing this to improve their chances of paying down their student loans, improve their writing and to help other students who are int he same boat. I applaud them. http://www.frugallawstudent.com.

This site is simple, straight forward and full of personable and useful advise. It is also from a woman's perspective - one which TheMoneyCase is very fond of. My favorite features are the simple list of categories down the side and the top ten posts tab. These seem to be common and simple features of the google blogger format - tried and true is always a good way to go!
http://gradmoneymatters.com.

This blog is about a recent college graduate working an entry-level job in New York. The entries are very personal and give frugality a new meaning for most. I enjoy reading the detailed descriptions of this "English major's" growing pains and life lessons around spending, working and thrift. http://englishmajormoney.blogspot.com. There are also two goal bars to the right-hand side of this blog that show how close English Major is to his "Freedom fund" and "non-salary income". Fun.

How going “green” can help you save money

First of all, let me start by expressing my distaste for the expressions “going green” and “green” as a way to describe some one who views themselves as environmentally friendly. Green is a color. It is not the only color that should represent our delicate planet. Our planet is blue when viewed from space – this is due the oxygen that we rely too heavily upon – life on earth is mostly aerobic, however there are many microorganisms that do not require oxygen that are a valuable part of our existence. They make the most beautiful colors of all, red, purple, orange, blue. They live in hydrothermal vents, lantern fish, and the bottom of swamps and bogs and inside of our stomachs. The most appropriate way to describe love of our planet, of our environment, of the elements and all of the biota that live in balance with them, is simple – eco-friendly.

So, how can we save money by being eco-friendly? We can do this most simply by reducing energy consumption. This reduces our greenhouse gas emissions and also saves us money. To reduce energy consumption I have listed the most crucial things that will result in the biggest bang for your buck:

1. Replace all of your light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs
2. Check for places in your home that are loosing heat – windows, cracks in walls, etc…, then replace, seal, repair these features as soon as possible
3. Turn the lights off when not using them
4. Wash you laundry in cold water
5. Wash full loads of laundry so that you do laundry less times a week
6. Turn the heat down to 21°C
7. Take showers, limit your time to 10 minutes once a day
8. Wash your dishes when the dishwasher is full
9. Sweep hardwood floors – don’t vacuum!
10. When you need to replace an appliance, get an energy efficient appliance

The best way to actually accomplish these tips is to just make a list and try to do one change a month, so that by the end of the year you have all of them done. Remember, this isn’t just about hugging trees, being one with nature or preaching some message – bottom line, you’ll save money, and to me there’s nothing more “green” than putting more of it in your pocket (the green money, that is)!

Why is it so hard to save?

There are many different tips and tricks that experts suggest to help people save their money for a rainy day, perhaps you’ve heard them before:

1. Put aside 10% of every pay check into a savings account, use automatic withdrawal to make it easier
2. Every time you get a windfall or a tax-return, put 50% of it away into your savings
3. Brown bag your lunch and save the money you’d spend out in a savings account
4. Quit a bad habit – for instance smoking, lottery tickets or bingo, and then put all the money you save into your savings
5. Keep your change in a jar – it all adds up, every year make a deposit into your savings account
6. Make sure you have a high interest savings account to get a good return on your savings
7. Stop paying your bills by mail, and create an online account with your bank and pay your bills online – if you pay only 10 bills a month, and stamps are 52¢ each, then you would save $62.40 a year
8. Buy food in bulk
9. Make a reasonable budget and stick to it!
10. Stop using credit and pay down your debt – paying interest is a waste of money!
11. Whatever you spend on hobbies and entertainment, put the same amount into your savings
12. Go Green to save money on your energy bills
13. Take public transport, walk or ride a bike to save money on gas – eliminate your car altogether if you don’t need it!
14. On the same note, don’t pay cash for toll highways – you’ll save money if you buy the electronic passes
15. Buy your cable, phone and internet from the same provider to “bundle”
16. Even better than tip “15”, cancel your cable, get a VOIP phone and use the internet to watch you favorite TV shows. This will save you a “bundle”!
17. Cancel your cell phone or get a pay as you go phone and only spend what you can afford.

The list goes on… Today I want to discuss even savvier ways to save your money. Depending on what country you live in, the Government has created different types of investments and tax shelters for your to put your money into. Do your research and learn about them. In Canada, my country of residence, there are registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), registered education savings plans (RESPs) and now tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs). In all of these accounts, the banks will register you plans/accounts with the government, and allow you to invest your money for the purpose of retirement, education and savings, respectively. The money you invest will be tax sheltered up to a certain dollar value every year, and this is good news for you. One of the reasons that it is hard for people to save and invest and still get ahead is because for every dollar people make on their investment from interest and capital gains, they are taxed. But if you get creative and put your money into tax-sheltered investment plans, you can save ALL your money and have money set aside for all of the important stages a goals in you life, including providing for you children’s education, for your own retirement and saving for your other goals and dreams. In Canada, you will be taxed when you withdraw from you RRSP, but not from the new TFSAs, and they will not be available until 2009, which is another important detail to note. Also, the government can help contribute to a RESP. There are many different types of RRSPs, RESPs and TFSAs available. Before you get a tax-sheltered investment make sure you do your research and that you get all of the facts.

Let me introduce myself...

Hello,

I am Denina. I am a thirty year old graduate student in southern Ontario with a master's degree, working towards my doctoral degree. Just like many other perma-students, I have learned to live off of very little money. In fact I believe that the only way to enjoy being a student so much that you sign up to do it until your early thirties is if you know how to live on a tight budget and still have a little fun. So I am here to share what I like to call "my tips and tricks" and talk mostly about living within your means and saving - even when you make very little money! "What did she say?" YES, you can save money, and you should save money, no matter how much money you make. In fact, I would suggest that the less money you make, the more you should try to save as much as possible because it is in saving money that you will be protected from the difficulties of unexpected financial stress and also be able to accumulate real assets and wealth. No matter how much money you make, you can have a positive net worth, and it is up to you how much you want it to be. So read on because I am about to publish my first post and I am anxious for comments, feedback and questions, too. I know what you are thinking, just because I have been giving my friends at school financial advice for years and because I can balance my "student budget" now I think I am ready to help my internet friends. What can I possibly know? Well, I have had some great life experience. I am an avid reader. Mostly, however, I find money logical. When you are having trouble seeing the forest for the trees because you are so lost in financial stress and confusion, there's nothing like getting advice from a third party to help you get clarity. When it comes to money, I encourage everyone to get lots of advice from many different experts and friends and then find the best solution for them. So on that note, I hope you find my tips and tricks helpful.

Happiness and Money

Volume 1, Number 3


Money – From A Woman’s Perspective


Hi. Welcome back to The Money Case. I’m delighted that you’ve joined me today.

“Our own happiness is of intrinsic value…in that we desire it for its own sake. Money, on the other hand, is only of instrumental value to us. We want it because of the things we can buy with it…” Practical Ethics, Peter Singer, p. 274

Many of us have to go through chaos and inconceivable anxiety, stress and worry over money before we are able to learn how to feel comfortable around our finances, our spending habits, and paying those bills.

Philosophically speaking, money is something of instrumental value. It becomes a means to an end. We need currency to pay for goods and services. Money as instrumental value cannot bring us happiness since happiness, unlike money, is of intrinsic value: something that is good and desirable in itself. (Practical Ethics, Peter Singer, p 274)

However, the way in which we take care of our money can definitely bring us joy, happiness, peace of mind, and ultimately financial freedom. Here’s how:

1. Plan to establish a budget process and stick to it. Using the on-line software tool that was designed especially for you by The Money Case is a good starting point.

2. Set a date to start your new budget life.

3. Number each day on your calendar up to 30 days.

4. Spend at least 15 minutes at the end of each day for the next 30 days recording your income and listing all of the money that you had spent that day. This includes every cent, even that impulsive purchase of a chocolate bar at the checkout.

5. After each day’s budget entry, assess your financial position.

6. Daily/weekly/monthly measure your level of happiness arising out of this budget process.

I can guarantee you that at the end of the 30 days you will have an accurate picture of your financial life. You would have enjoyed the process of developing and managing a successful budget. And you would definitely want to make it part of your daily routine.

As added value, you may find that arising out of this budgeting process you may have to make some decisions about your spending habits or you may want to find ways to earn more money in order to balance your budget. Or you may find that all’s well; that there’s even savings in your monthly budget.

Money and happiness are indeed separate entities, but I also believe that our own happiness can be found in the way we manage our money. These two elements can be made to co-exist in our lives, making for a harmonious lifestyle.

Have a wonderful week, and let’s meet again next Tuesday here at The Money Case.

Debra

Debt Consolidation

Money – From A Woman’s Perspective Volume 1, Number 2

Hi. I’m delighted that you’re here with me again at The Money Case.

“Your money is governed by how you treat it; it’s that simple. It thrives when you are being responsible, respectful, and doing honorable things with it. For many of us, debt is too big a part of our overall money picture not to give it the respect that it is due. How we treat our debt and the people who are a part of that debt play a major role in our path to financial freedom.” – Suze Orman – The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom (p 158)

After a tiring day, I decided to relax and watch TV, nothing in particular. I was soon struck by the number of commercials advocating that debt consolidation was my way to be debt-free. Is that so? I think that these companies are selling false hope. They are not going far enough.

Walking a mile in a debtor’s shoes, I believe that if my plan is to become debt-free by consolidating my debts, I must also have a budget in front of me. I ought to know how much is coming in versus how much is going out. In the absence of a budget, it’s a given that I’ll get into debt over my head, and need to consolidate all those credit cards, car loan(s), mortgage(s): first, second, and/or third, plus student loans, and other miscellaneous loans.

Since the subject of debt consolidation piqued my interest I started to notice numerous advertisements in the daily newspaper from companies specializing in consolidating debt. I then went on to read the help wanted section observing the various job ads from collection agencies - “that due to expansion” our [collection] companies have immediate openings…

Needless to say, I googled debt consolidation and came up with 33,000,000 matches; a lucrative industry, and growing every time I do a new search. The tools are there to help people get out of debt, but in my opinion it doesn’t go far enough. Yes, the companies will cut up our plastic, give us a manageable monthly payment, but the rest is up to us. We need money management. We need to start building and relentlessly using a budgeting system if we want to regain our peace of mind, and move on to be free financially.

What’s the cause of this phenomenon where debt consolidation and collection agencies have become such huge businesses? I’m not going to address this here because it warrants its own space. I’ll write about it in another blog.

What I do know is that once we decide to consolidate all our debts we must be vigilant about our money. As I said earlier, we have to know how much money is coming in and how much we are spending. So while we’re seemingly getting ahead of the financial game by paying off our debts, we need to simultaneously start a budgeting process. Yes, like at work; a compulsory process. Except for personal use this process is easy and fun. Budgeting has to be a part of our daily activities - like breathing. It’s that vital. The deeper we breathe the more energy we experience. Likewise, the more we become engaged with our finances the more freedom we experience.

The Money Case offers an on-line budgeting software that let’s us see how we’re spending our hard-earned money. Using this tool in conjunction with the desire that we all want to clear off our debts, we will begin to see a change in our lives – a change towards financial freedom.

Cause and effect. Suze Orman advises us to respect our money, handle it responsibly, do good things with it, and we will be carving our own path to financial freedom.

The next time I decide to relax in front of the TV, I’ll choose a commercial-free movie instead.

Have a debt-free week, and see you here again next Tuesday at The Money Case.



Debra

Confronting My Fear of Money

Money – From A Woman’s Perspective

I am delighted to be writing a weekly blog for The Money Case

A fear named is a fear gained.

Money was something I was always afraid of. Something I would not touch with a ten foot pole. In other words, in my household, money had been an unspoken taboo subject. Although I contribute financially, and my spouse and I have joint bank accounts, I held no bank card, no pin number, never looked at the monthly bank statements so I had no idea about the amount of money that was coming in or going out. I never even paid attention to my monthly pay stubs. I had absolved all financial responsibility.

Mind you I always made sure that I carried a quarter in my purse in the event I had to use the public telephone, although I recently discovered, to my chagrin, that the cost to make a call had increased by one hundred percent which was unwelcome news when I needed to call for a ride one afternoon. I ended up walking ten blocks in minus thirty degree weather all because of that missing quarter.

I take full responsibility for my suffering.

I have been consciously trying for the last two years to confront this demon of mine. I have read, and continue to read self-help books because I desperately needed to find the root cause of this fear I had for money.

It is a long story and I will spare you the gory details but I am happy to say that I finally became aware of the fact that my approach to money comes from a place of lack and limitation. Epiphany!

I realized that all of my actions and subsequent experiences pointed to this mind-set of scarcity, and that was the reason why I chose to be oblivious about my finances. I preferred to remain in denial because if I took responsibility I thought that knowing would signal the death of my financial life. That there would be no money left, and the idea of replenishment never entered my mind. No doubt, I was attached to an illusion.

I delved deeply into my childhood years and found a huge cobweb. From there I extricated myself from its stranglehold and started to carefully analyze every decision that I made concerning money, being absolutely, and painfully honest with myself. I begin to observe the motivations behind each decision and/or action. I discovered patterns reoccurring year after year.

Once I confronted the reasons for my fear of money I realized that I had to own my financial life. What is our combined income? What are our expenses, is there enough money to meet all of our financial needs. And that is when I became conscious of the fact that we did not have a written budget, everything was in my spouse’s head. No wonder he's losing his hair.

Oh well, I am happy to say that The Money Case is the tool that has helped me focus and understand our finances. I have taken on this responsibility in our household, and I am learning the principles and benefits of budgeting personal finances. I am thoroughly enjoying using this tool, and I am actually having fun with my financial affairs. And now I keep two quarters in my purse. I feel empowered; I feel free, and I sense a definite growth in my on-going awareness. I am in control of my money, and not visa versa. Whoa, that is a major shift in my personal development.

Enjoy your week, and see you again here at The Money Case next Tuesday.

Debra