This was the first actual article I wrote back in 2005. A bit raw, but it does explain my goals. I haven’t achieved them, but there is still time.

Greetings and salutations

I have decided to give up some of my valuable TV watching time to put down on paper some of the tricks, traps, foibles and parables in the world of home finances (stuff like don’t spend more than you make, etc.). Why should you read this? Well, I am NOT a financial planner or advisor, and I do not try to pass myself off as one (I have the highest respect for anyone who wishes to use one). Still, I have learned a thing or two over the past 24 years of trying to keep my head above water (financially at least).

Now, before we go any further, I live in CANADA, so before you ask lots of questions about 401K’s and why isn’t he writing his mortgage interest off on his taxes, that is why (some of the ideas I will espouse are still applicable elsewhere, just be warned this is going to have a Canadian flavour to it.

Over the next few weeks, I will be putting out (hopefully weekly) an essay on a topic that I have either just read about, just ran into (or just been run over by) or feel it’s an exciting thing to rant about (and a lot of my writing is going to be rant-like, so my apologies for those accomplished writers or lovers of the Queen’s English).

Stay tuned!

Warning I am not a financial planner, and you should never take the information you find (especially on the internet) as “the gospel” or “the only way to do it,” these are things that I have seen and learned about. If you think these ideas might work for you, READ ABOUT IT ELSEWHERE TOO! I will have an extensive list of books and other sites where you can learn more (or learn about the opposite of what I am talking about). This information is supplied as a learning tool, that is all. The last thing I want someone to tell me is, “I lost my house because of something you told me to do!”. If you are unsure of your next steps, consult a financial planner, your religious councillor (mullah, priest, monk, whatever), a parent or a trusted family member. The more you talk with other folks, the more you will learn and the more likely to succeed!