Canadian Personal Finance Blog

Archive for the ‘Conservative’ Category

Given the two running themes this week have been the leaky plumbing in my house and Advent this should make for a very interesting set of Random Thoughts for the week. 

Coalition

First let me say, this is what makes Canada an amazing country. We are in the middle of a Financial Melt Down of Apocalyptic nature, yet our politicians have felt it was not “all about them” so this Carnival of the Inept is brewed up. The script reads straight out of a Marx Brothers movie (Groucho Harper, Chico Dion, Zeppo Layden and Harpo May), actually that is giving Marx Brothers movies a bad rap.

Plumbing for the Week

For those of you who believe this whole thematic premise was a clever writing trick, I give you the hole in my ceiling!

Leaky Pipes

No they are not leaking now, but just to show I am a blogger of integrity and I don’t just make this stuff up. I note Michael James attempted to steal my thematic concept with his post Enbridge TAPS Program Mishap, very cheap, go strong to the hoop, or don’t go at all!

Advent Financial Calendar Box Day 6

Today we open the box on our Advent Financial Calendar and find a Credit Card bill with a very large total and interest charges on it.

That’s a really crappy thing to find in an Advent Calendar, but if you plan on overspending at Christmas (no one does, but it happens) and think you can simply let it slide because you have a “low interest” credit card, think again. Once you start a rotating debt strategy resolving it is never easy.

Advent and Christmas are for celebrating life and enjoying family and friends, not for putting yourself into debt or worse. Money may not buy happiness but Debt sure doesn’t either.

Around the Financial Blogosphere This Week

This week there were some very interesting posts, here are but a few:

• All About Nortel asks the question, will Mike Zafirovski take a pay cut like the chairman of JAL has the past few years? I am curious to find that one out myself. 
• The BBC is pointing out that Britons are Saving Money by Having Sex , which is a new spin on Frugality, but it is cheap (if you have a partner (come to think of it… nope, not going there)).
• The Canadian Capitalist updated us on the Sleepy Mini-Portfolio, which I am actually using in one of my investment vehicles, very useful for lazy investors like me.
• Michael James seems to have lost his interest in graphs and has come over to the Dark Side of financial blogging (the Jerry Seinfeld viewpoint), where he asks, Is Half Price Meat Safe ? 
• My Money Blog added in the Dilbert One Page Guide to Everything Financial , very entertaining, no mention of half price meat though. 
• One Caveman does a little self-flagelation on some bills he let slide in his post It’s Easy to Let Things Slip . Just remember to put some iodine on the wounds afterwards, that way you won’t make that same mistake.
• Larry MacDonald points out the Best Time to Invest is Now, if you have the money.
• Money Smart Life has some ideas about how to Save Money at Restaurants , me and Mrs. C8j are sticking with the “don’t go in the front door” strategy.

Clean Air Cash Grab

I note that Daulton McGuinty assumes I have lots of money, so he is going to make me have my two cars checked again for the “Clean Air Cash Grab Emissions test”, before I can renew my registration. I have ranted about this before, but I thought this program was being phased out? Maybe it’s a special just for me? Grumble…

Have a good weekend all!

Well the first GAFF of the election campaign on a topic near and dear to my heart, and for us beer swilling, popcorn chomping parents of toddlers, none too soon either.

“Don’t give people 25 bucks a week to blow on beer and popcorn,” Reid said during a panel discussion on CBC News: Sunday. “Give them child-care spaces that work. Stephen Harper’s plan has nothing to do with child care.”

I’d like to say for all the other Coors swilling parents, I represent that remark! This is why I love elections, when people who shouldn’t speak in public are forced out and make the remarks that are REALLY on their mind. Mr. Reid feels that we parents of young children can’t be trusted to use moneys given to us on Daycare (which some of us, don’t need), and we might squander it on things like Food, or Rent, shame on us! We should allow the government to spend their money (wait a minute that’s OUR money) on what we need. Good for them (for those of you without your sarcasm filters on, please read the previous paragraph with a very sarcastic tone).

Mr. Reid is evidently profusely apologizing for saying what he thought, which contradicts his bosses point of view (or does it?). I don’t see why he should apologize, if that is his opinion, opinions are what I like hearing (whether I agree with them or not). That way, I know what people are thinking, and now I know that the Prime Minister’s Communication person thinks, I can’t be trusted to spend $100 a month on my son, ok, sounds fair.

No, this is not a PRO-Conservative blog, nor a PRO-Liberal or even a PRO-Rhinoceros blog, rest assured, I will attempt to find other fun and humorous points to discuss during this election campaign, and believe me dear reader, there are going to be MANY more to come.

Keep a smile during this festive season, and remember to ask the questions you want answered, but remember to put down your beer when the candidates come to your door, but you could offer them some popcorn. –C8j

Call it a coincidence if you like, but I have just received the new Reform Conservative Party of Canada platform from my member of Parliament, and right there emblazoned under the Fiscal Policy is none other than:

“A Conservative Government will create tax fairness for families by eliminating inequities between single and dual income families…”