Weekend Ramblings – Heat Wave Edition

Hope you have all had a great Independence Day/Canada Day week and are enjoying the hot weather.  Personally, I am the stereotype of a winter-bred Canadian in that I am useless in the sort of heat that has been hitting North America over the last little while.  I’m great at functioning in cold temperatures that leave most people curled up beside a fire, but throw me outside for a couple hours in this sauna and I am cooked!  Although my secret weapon of ice cold Coronas (sorry Canadian beer enthusiasts) has been helping me through this trying time in my life..

On a personal note I am pretty tired of trying to plan my investing life around two different tax systems.  I am one of those weird people that has both Canadian and American citizenship because I was born in the USA.  Mrs. TM is in the same boat.  We both grew up in Canadian border towns where this situation is not unique.  I’ll likely write an in-depth post about this at some point, but our dual citizenship is causing us all kinds of headaches.  We wouldn’t hesitate to renounce our USA citizenships, but we have been reading everywhere that this causes a lot of problems when crossing the border, and since we both have family in the States this seems like a terrible option.  On the other hand, not being able to use TFSA accounts because of absolutely ridiculous US tax reporting requirements kind of pisses me off as well, so I’m still weighing my options.  Not cool by the US Government in any case.

I have to give another general shout out to Rob Carrick over at the Globe and Mail.  He has featured numerous articles of ours from Young and Thrifty as well as My University Money and we just think that’s pretty cool of him.  I also look forward to reading his original observations on the Canadian financial scene, as well as his highlighting of what’s new and interesting in the personal finance blogosphere today.

PF Blog Love

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes What’s Luck Got to Do With It? – A discussion of luck, how it affects us (even when we swear it doesn’t), and how to take advantage of good luck when it comes our way.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Money lessons from unexpected sources: the importance of time – Two money lessons we can take from teenage vampire fiction: money is necessary but not sufficient and getting rich is easy for immortals.

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes Home Buying Tips That People Never Tell You! – I would like to talk about home ownership, in particular, mortgages. Now everyone tells you that home ownership is better than renting. Some people would say renting is better than home ownership. I don’t really care what you do-I just want you to do what’s best for you and your finances.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Key Traits of Passive Businesses – Find out what makes businesses with passive income so successful.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Ideas to Save Money on Video Game Addictions – There are four video games I’ve enjoyed in my lifetime: Mario Brothers, Tetris, Sim City, and The Sims.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Tips To Boost Home Office Productivity – It’s always been a dream of mine to be my own boss and/or work from home, but working from home can be both a blessing and a curse.

Steve Zussino @ Canadian Personal Finance writes Am I a bad Canadian for not supporting RIM? – RIM (Research in Motion) produced some UGLY numbers this week. Expecting a loss of seven cents per share—already a steep fall from last year when the Waterloo-based BlackBerry maker posted earnings of $1.33 per share—RIM actually posted an adjusted loss of 37 cents per share. The mayor of Waterloo, said every single Canadian should be looking for ways to support Research In Motion. Am I a bad Canadian for supporting Apple?

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Celebrity Tax Avoidance – One of the most infuriating things about saving, particularly if your frugality has been inspired by the current economic climate, is knowing that there are extraordinarily wealthy people out there not paying their dues when it comes to tax.

Lina Zussino @ Baby Alerts writes How to save money on baby formula – One thing that parents will soon find out is that being a parent is rather expensive. Though there are definitely ways to cut costs, there are some expenses you can’t go around. Now, thankfully, one thing you can save money on is the cost of baby formula. How can you save money on it?

Jason @ Work Save Live writes An Envious Life – Money & Success Isn’t Always What It Seems – Money and success isn’t always what it seems, read more to find out what I mean.

Steve Zussino @ Grocery Alerts writes Guide to Saving Money at Canadas Wonderland – Before you start to plan this summer’s Canada’s Wonderland vacation, I wanted to share some suggestions on how to make sure that you save money at Canada’s Wonderland this summer.

JP @ My Family Finances writes College degrees Make the Rich, Poor and the Poor, Rich – A college degree may be risky, but it is also a critical element to income mobility.

Kevin @ Thousandaire writes Finances are Just One Piece of the Puzzle – You can be responsible financially, but if you don’t take precautions to address disasters then you might not live to enjoy all your money

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes Earn Money Online: Swagbucks – Swagbucks is my favorite way to earn money online, I’ve earn hundreds of dollars from them so far and couldn’t imagine life without it. Different ways to earn..

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Win $1,000 in our “Hello Summer” Giveaway! (6/20-7/20) – And here we are again to give you a chance to win BIG BUCKS!!! The Penny Hoarder, Happy Home and Family, Diva Fabulosa and a group of amazing bloggers have

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes Freelancing Revenue Report: My First Three Months in the Trenches – I’m now in my fifth month of entrepreneurship, and things are going well so far. I’m really happy with some areas, and not too happy with some other areas.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes The First Three Things You Need To Do If You Lose Your Job – Millions of Americans are out of work. Take these tips to find out what you should do if you suddenly lose your job.

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes Why Do Companies Care So Much About Their Share Prices? – When you buy shares in a company, you are generally buying shares from a shareholder who is willing to sell those shares. For example if you buy $1000 worth of shares of Walmart, that $1000 goes to the seller of those shares not to Walmart.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Could You Survive In A One-Car Household? – Changes to my husband’s job could make it more feasible than ever to become a one-car household. But does it really make sense to sell our second car?

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Financial Influence of Government on Young Adults – I am continually reminded of the many ways that governmental policy affects our finances. While we are encouraged to challenge and question the laws put into place, we are often forced to accept certain regulations that have a direct influence on our lives.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes How to Survive a Layoff – Surviving a layoff is no small feat. It takes patience and a long term goal horizon. One needs to always be checking for new jobs and opportunities.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes 20 Things I Should Have Known About My Finances At The Age Of 20 – I can’t really remember what got me thinking about this list of what I should have known better about my finances in my 20s. Maybe it was Corey’s list of 16 Ways To Improve Your Finances that make me think. Heaven knows that I have made a few financial mistakes along the way.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Reasons for a Non-working Allowance for Kids – This is the reasons for a non-working allowance plan for kids, and my kid’s history with such an implementation of a non-working allowance.

John @ Married (with Debt) writes A 3 Step Way to Guilt-Free Vacation Spending – When you work hard and save up, you deserve guilt-free spending on your vacation. Learn how to fight back against vacation haters.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes Choose ImpulseSave Instead of Impulse Spending – It is funny how sometimes something so mundane and boring like saving money can suddenly become fun, creative and even change one’s perspective on spending. No, I am not a reborn saver. I am still an impulsive spender, but something has changed me. Just a little bit.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes Family Finance: Property and Vehicle Insurance – What is Family Finance you may ask? It’s a new set of topics for family finances that I will be presenting over time regarding the many financial decisions a family must agree on. Agreeing on spending is one of the behaviours that can enable a family to reach financial success and build wealth.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes The Dollars and Cents of Your Bathroom – Employ a green approach to your bathroom and see respectable savings.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes 3 Basic Steps for a Small Business – Starting a small business may sound like a great idea.

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes Teaser Headlines: Don’t Fall For Them! – Headlines are to catch your attention. Don’t forget that when you are reading investing articles.

L Bee @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes 10 things under $10 that make me smile…. – I am in a bad mood of epic proportions today. EPIC. So I’d been thinking of doing this post for awhile, and what better time than now to recap cheap (often free) things that put a smile on my face? In no particular order: 1) Iced Tea- 2.99 per gallon.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Saving for Retirement is Like Going on a Road Trip – What if I woke up one Tuesday morning and decided to take my kids to Disneyland that day? Now, I live in Phoenix.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Logical Tricks to Find More Money to Save and Invest – Logical Tricks to Find More Money to Save and Invest on Start Investing Money. See if you benefit from these logical tricks

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes 3 Ways to Teach Your Kids Financial Responsibility – Find out three simple steps to teach your kids financial responsibility.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes The 3 V’s of Success – The 3 V’s of Success is the twenty-second in a series of articles to help you reach your goal.

Tyler @ Poor Student writes Shorten Your Life With Debt – I recently wrote about how I am working at getting rid of days I have to work by investing to receive dividends. But I got to thinking again about a different way to think about things.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes World Bond Funds: Do You Know the Risks? – Thinking about investing in a World Bond Fund? There are several risks unique to world bond funds that should be addressed before investing.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Professional Profiles: Angela, the Stay At Home Mom – Stay at home mom no more: after four years as a full-time caregiver to her two daughters, this mom is returning to work and hoping to avoid career suicide.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Best Approach to Retirement Planning – Find out how your approach to retirement planning can affect your entire life.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes How Do You Become Rich? – The key characteristic between the rich and rest of us is their ability to take chances. Without risk the rewards are minimal.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Government Wants You on Food Stamps – A recent story by CNN describes how the US Department of Agriculture is running radio ads encouraging people to sing up for food stamps.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Frugal Bike Challenge For Me and My Son – Frugal biking challenge for father and son on the weekends.

Shawanda @ You Have More Than You Think writes How to Make Razor Blades Last Longer {Video} – A free and easy trick to make your razor blades last longer. No oil, vinegar or any of that other nonsense is necessary.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Job Hunting Success – Alternative Job Finding Techniques – Check out these alternative job finding techniques for job hunting success

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes The Tax Bomb Is Coming – It would be hard for me not to make some comment on the 5-4 decision last week in the Supreme Court upholding Obamacare.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Why You Shouldn’t Buy Cheap Pet Food – If you’re a pet owner, you should be aware that you could be taking a huge risk by feeding your pet cheap cat food. You could end up facing big health problems down the road.

Carnivals

• Wealth Artisan’s FinCarn
• Carnival of Money Pros
• Yakezie Carnival
• Festival of Frugality