Canadian Personal Finance Blog

Yes, I know some businessmen can do this, for legitimate reasons, however in this instance $241K racked up in alleged topless bar charges, for lap dances is completely unfathomable by me. If we take the alleged victim’s argument and believe he only spent $20K on topless bar charges, we can still ask the lyrical question:

Let’s view what might legitimize this alleged expense?

• Are you so Amoral to think that blowing this much money in a topless bar is a legitimate business expense?
• Are you so simple to think that the shareholders of your company think this is ok?
• Are you so arrogant you won’t get caught doing this?

My mind spins with the simple outrage I felt reading this. If a company I worked for, or invested in had this kind of person in their management, I’d get out of there mighty quick!

What does this have to do with Debt Reduction and Financial planning? Let’s put it this way, rolling up $241K , $20K or $100 in credit card charges for a Topless club or Strip club is BAD FINANCIAL PLANNING and is DEBT CREATION not REDUCTION.

–C8j

So I get good and bad news reading the paper these days. There is talk of drops in federal tax rates, which is always nice (I view it as a virtual raise, since I don’t get raises from my high tech employer). That is the good news, but the threat now is rising Interest rates for the next 18 months? Oh joy!

I think I have mentioned my greatest paranoia is that we go back to the black days of the late 70’s and early 80’s of hyper-inflation, 20% interest rates and unemployment. I really pray that my dire view of the future is WRONG but, you know what can save you from this? Don’t carry DEBT and then you can take advantage of high interest rates to increase your savings (and not kill you with a larger debt load).

Gas prices in Ottawa are below 90 cents a liter for now, but how long is that going to last? Hopefully a long time, but again, who knows? If you do know, give me a hint, will you?

Interesting that our friend over at the Canadian Capitalist has not seen an increase in his heating costs yet either, but again, we shall see there. I checked my Ottawa Hydro bill and noticed that my electrical usage dropped by 22% between June-July to August-September which are comparable months, so this seems to imply my new air conditioner and furnace is saving me some money (I hope). I’ll keep looking closely at that one.

–C8j

At times we do things to keep money flowing, or to not lose our vacation that maybe we need to think about before we do them.

Case in point, one of my kids brought home a new “cold strain” and I finally succumbed to this and was off my feet for a couple of days. My kids picked it up from another kid, who I am sure spread the disease to other kids, etc., .

So what is this RANT really about? If you send your kids to school SICK so that you don’t have to take a day vacation OR you come into work so you don’t have to take a SICK day (and I realize companies are now implementing the EVIL policy of sick/vacation days being linked), you WILL (there is no maybe) infect 4 other people (at least) (your kids will most likely infect 4 kids). By this one act you are spreading illness (and with this bird flu thing, it could be really serious), and you are hurting other folks abilities to do their job. Sounds selfish to me, you will hurt other folks ability to earn a pay cheque!

If you don’t think that is very important financially, think of this. I got this cold, if I had visited my Dad who is in hospital and not well, I could have KILLed him with this.

Think about it folks, I am not saying, go live in a plastic bubble, or carry around disenfecting soap, but if you are SICK, STAY HOME! The financial and social aspects of this are important to all of us. Getting other folks sick is not a debt reduction scheme.

–C8j