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How to Plan your Financial Future

Saving our Money, , , , , , , , , ,

The fairy tales of yore would tell how the son left home for the road to make his fortune. To this day we still hit the road to go forth and make our fortune or we attempt to do so. Our definitions of fortune will differ since no two people or minds, are alike. So, just how do we plan for a financial future in Canada?

Start with Learning Basics

A job may start us off with the ability to survive pay cheque -to- pay cheque. Careful budgeting and spending may result in the ability to build savings. Success depends upon the amount of pay ( which isn’t always great for those on minimum wage) and the self-control we can keep from spending any surplus cash. Do you think you’re able to live on less, keep expenses low, have no debts, to create a surplus of cash to start a building a financial future?

writing the Plan

Wealth, fame and fortune are dreams that are shared by many but some may have no idea where to start. Some of us are lucky to have parents who teach to build, or set their own financial plan, such as a Trust fund, or life insurance, and property, into place for the future of their children.

So we work even harder, or pass our own inheritance gifts onto our children. This can also be known as Estate planning. Others may want to do the same for their children, and it can be done.

A survey to rate financial knowledge found Canadians scored an average of 71%, and Chartered Professional Accountants offer financial literacy programs. Check them out!

Financial Growth Planning Ideas

I gathered a small list of available ideas to consider for building your financial future, and I highly recommend that you do your own research to develop them further :

  • Savings, start a stash of cash into a Trust fund, add to it each month. It ‘s also recommended you have a Emergency fund set in place for the event of income disruption, as the Pandemic has shown us.
  • Diamonds, depending on the 4C’’s, they don’t lose their original value. The Diamond Index provides information about ‘price trends as they happen‘. Updated every hour. Some diamonds are harder to re-sell than others so look for a common easy-to-sell diamond if cash is needed. Remember selling may take time. Ensure your fine jewellery is professionally appraised or you hold a GIA Certificate. A document that verifies a diamond is genuine and provides a description of it’s characteristics.
  • REIT, Real estate investment trust, invest in real estate property with a REIT. Set it to deposit a portion of pay-outs into your own TFSA, RRSP, or other savings account, and to reinvest the other portion. I would suggest trying the popular investment platforms WealthSimple or Qtrade. Check if they offer these services.
  • Collections, some are quite valuable, stamps, coins, art, antiques, hockey cards, to name a few ideas. We may have to think twice about selling some items for quick cash vs holding it for growth of your personal wealth.
  • Bonds and Stocks, some will pay dividends. Again, see if you can have a portion sent to your TFSA, or RRSP. Investment apps may have DRIP services for your investments but do your research.

Wise and careful spending of your monies for building ‘assets‘ such as savings, investments, jewellery, even physical items such as electronics, camera gear, comics, and tools, can contribute to increasing your overall personal ‘net worth‘ though you should plan for items that ‘return‘ money back to you.

Visit PayHip –> here

Your personal net worth refers to things that have value minus debts. Debts such as loans, outstanding bills, credit card balances, back taxes, liens against you. It’s viewed as ‘assets and liabilities’.

It may seem embarrassing to have only a small amount set aside but over time with dedication, each new item added, is a dollar value added to your personal net worth.

quote, Only your mind can produce fear

Don’t be hard on yourself. It’s okay to start small and ‘build‘ each area. It’s important not to be stuck in one area – keep diversity in mind too. Careful not to get caught up in ‘shiny bauble syndrome‘ either and end up being broke.

Records, Money Management and Taxes

Lastly, we must keep Records. Set up file folders, and file the receipts of all your purchases and include pictures. I would also suggest keep a digital copy of your items as a backup. Label these folders with the Year, use colored folders for easier separation of Investments, fine jewellery, vehicles, etc. Store it in a portable file case or box near your desk for monthly review, and updating.

reviewing and update financial portfolio

Include information that belongs to each item identifying any name, address, phone number for each account, policy numbers, accounts, vehicle, etc. Create these files each year. This helps keep financial records and helps prevent problems with the tax man. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse since Canada Customs and Revenue Agency offers FREE publications for the public. Visit online or your local library.

Organization of each purchase of assets or investments will help you keep your files up-to-date, and stay on track. This means it’s important! to schedule monthly appointments for yourself, review and update your folders, and to stay organized. Use your Notes app on your phone as reminders if adding new items to your financial growth plans.

Secure your Wealth

Last of the last important information. Secure your wealth means to scout for ways to ensure you protect your acquired items. Property insurance that covers theft can help towards the replacement of any stolen item(s). This is where pictures and all the identifying information becomes important for reporting purposes, and you’re able to provide it to your insurance provider.

secure your documents of wealth

Life tosses serious curve balls some days so if the original files are lost, and you stored your digital copy in a bank, good! (still include a second digital back up) but maybe you should check with the insurance provider if digital copies are acceptable. Always be prepared for those unknown events.

Insurance payments are an added expense, yes but it will give you a sense of security too. We don’t have control over our increasing extreme weather patterns that can damage vehicles, homes, or thieves that break in, and steal items from our homes. Again, insurance will be able cover some of the costs of the items depending on what they cover so read the fine print! Something is better than nothing.

secure important hard copy and digital documents

Check around with different banks that offer Safety deposit boxes for an ‘annual‘ fee. This can help keep your expenses down. Make sure you keep a list separate and away from the safety deposit box that lists all items you put in the safety deposit box.

The reports in the news about people’s safety deposit box full of valuable items disappearing from a bank, of all places! Keep a list is like having a ‘trail’. It may help in the recovery of your lost items. Again, something is better than nothing. That little something is a small seed that you can use to grow your financial and personal net worth.

building assets and liabilities

Smile now!

I’ve listed these suggestions to inspire you for your ‘own Financial planning future‘. There are numerous other methods to help pave the way to financial success, such as gigs, and we just have to remember that building wealth is not an overnight sensation.

A quick story, I once knew a man who made $75K a year yet drove an outdated car, and kept his life simple. No regular big spending on ‘stuff‘ but led a quiet life. His words to me were, ‘ never think having money makes you better than others. Stay real, keep your feet on the ground.’ Another elderly gent I had met told me the same advice. I keep their words in mind, and never let ‘pride‘ lead to inhumanity towards others.

Only with careful planning, knowledge, and a steady commitment, and dedication towards building your wealth. Your efforts will pay off. Good luck!

Learning in Motion

Extra Learning Resources

How to Build Personal Wealth: The Truth About Appreciating Assets and Depreciating Assets

Canada Gold | Toronto

52 Week Money Challenge Printable Chart

40 Examples of Personal Assets

Personal Assets: What They Are and Why They Matter

I hope you found this article informative and gained some new insight and knowledge. Please feel free to leave your comments and share your new found knowledge with friends and family. Use the ‘Ask A Question’ form to make a request on a topic of your own interest. It is FREE to subscribe to my RSS feed.

AIC| An Informal Cornr, all rights reserved. Ginsense writes articles on business skills, development, health, science, technology and society and enjoys advocating for independence, security and a better world for all of us.

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14 Rules of #Stranger-Danger

Issues in Society, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
public alert for missing children

Personal safety when out and about whether in public, or rural areas requires your attention. Human predators instinctively recognize easy Prey and always seek opportunity.

Parents share the common goal of maintaining the safety of their children including their adult children. So, we must learn and teach the 14 Rules of #Stranger-Danger.

Teach and Learn the 14 Rules of #Stranger-Danger

  • Don’t talk to Strangers, somebody starts talking to you, and not part of the family, is a stranger. LEAVE, and go to a crowded Public place. Strangers may be nice but does not mean they are friends. Don’t open the door when strangers are knocking especially when home alone.
  • Tell family where you are , tell your parents, and sisters or brothers, where they can find you, and stay there, or let them know again, the new place you’re going, and always leave names, addresses, and phone numbers of your friend(s).
  • Learn the Buddy system, learn the importance of safety in numbers. Teach your children to play with groups of friends, and stay together. Try to leave group with a friend who lives near your own house. Allow your child to call their friends to make sure all made it home, safe.
  • Do not meet with Strangers from telephone calls or Internet, teach your child to never meet with a stranger who calls on the phone or from the internet, no matter how urgent they make it sound. Tell your parents and family about the call quickly and write the time, date, what was said.
  • Only Adults can help adults, teach and learn that children can’t help adults. Learn and teach your child it’s okay to say No, and leave. Run to a place of safety.
  • Secret Code Word, create a secret code word or words for parents and children to be used only by a designated Emergency contact person until parents get home.
  • Stay away from Stranger’s car or truck, teach your children to never go near a strangers car, do not get in, do not look inside. Step back and away from reach of a car or truck windows and doors. A child does not have the strength to match an adult.
  • Scream and Yell for help, teach your child to scream and yell if feeling scared with a stranger. Teach the importance of alerting others nearby for help.
  • Avoid empty and dark places, teach your children by showing them empty lots, abandoned buildings, dark forests, and importance to avoid such places especially when alone. Teach how businesses are closed at nights, figure out together how your children can find help.
  • Trust your Instincts, teach your children they are not fools or dumb. Let them know if something doesn’t ‘feel right‘ that’s when it’s time to leave the area and find help or run to a safe place. Teach that it’s ok to call 911 if your children feel unsafe.
  • Teach their friends, teach your child to share, and talk about the rules of #Stranger Danger. Not every child knows of these rules, and your children can help fill this gap by teaching other children. Include teaching them not to choose who should know such lessons. They are helping save lives.
  • Remember Appearance , teach your child to remember face, clothes, color of hair, size, height, car, truck. It would be a traumatic moment but do their best to remember details. Play memory games spur-of-the-moment to build your children’s recall skills.
  • Designate a Trusted Emergency Contact Neighbor or Family, parents should have alternate place of safety for their children available for an Emergency until able to get home. Designate somebody very trusted and familiar to the children.
  • Call the Police, parents should report all incidents to the Police as soon as possible. Your child may be safe but there are other children in your neighborhood. Police will have it on record and also be aware and on the alert.
child plays alone

Shock of Missing and Murdered Children

News about disappearances, abductions, and/or deaths of missing children is heartbreaking to hear, and worse if it occurs in our own town or city. We, as parents can’t be with them every hour of the day.

We can’t always trust schools, police or church to be safe havens any more these days. If we can teach our children these safety rules we at least give them a chance to survive the unknowns of #stranger danger.

I grew up at the time where children were being abducted, and some later found, deceased, others still missing to this day. Stories appeared almost weekly on front pages of newspapers. It was heartbreaking and horrific. For me ending the tween stage at the time the world was getting scary.

My own personal experience as a latch-key teenager was from a telephone call for a photo shoot. My mother arrived home from work early, and in time to stop me from leaving. She later found out after speaking with my school that there was no photo shoot scheduled that day. This is how I would learn about importance of ‘no talking or meeting with strangers. anywhere’.

latch key kids

Street Smart Safety Programs come to First Nations – MMIWG2S and Every Child Matters

I am an Indigenous mother living in a rural First nation (FN) community. I really had to push our community Family and Childrens Services (FACS) worker to bring #Street Smart program for our children in the community.

The worker didn’t understand for the longest time what I was talking about. The name had been changed to #Stranger Danger. Many FN parents were not taught about this information at Residential schools nor in their home communities. Not all schools offered the program for students about the same time as Indigenous students entered mainstream Public schools.

Canada estimates there are about 45, 288 children that go missing each year. A look at the Missing Children’s Statistics at Government of Canada website – Canada’s Missing shows high numbers of females with males a runner-up, under Runaway and Unknown.

Missing and Murdered -Indigenous Women and Children

Today, FN communities are reeling from shock of unmarked grave sites of children at Residential schools.

Mainstream society has a data base of missing children, teens and adults. We have serial child s. Offenders set free from prisons. We do get notified but is that truly enough?

Step up to do More – Early Beginnings

Contact your local Child and Family Services (FACS) office (or whatever their NEW name is these days), your local MP, Provincial and Federal government officials, schools, and Police to keep funding and running these Child Safety programs, in every school; elementary, middle school and high school. Ensure the rules are memorized for life.

A dairy company, Anderson Erickson Dairy in Des Moines, Iowa would inspire a national USA Missing Child photo campaign printed on Milk cartons in the USA which Canada also adopted. Every milk carton would have photo’s and information about a missing child, description, and message to call the police.

Campaign Evolves – Deny services

Milk Carton Missing Child Campaign

Today, we have the Amber Alert though they have been criticized for not being co-operative to send an alert for an Indigenous child in Canada of 2022.

Is this due to indifference or the current open practice of ongoing racism towards BIPOC Canadian citizens? What does that tell you? Should another separate service be started specifically for BIPOC? is this Segregation of services?

Public education can help ensure each new generation are able to teach their own children. We can do our best to strive for safe neighborhoods where our children can be children. What other ideas do you think could help ensure the safety of our children? other peoples children? help BIPOC children?

Learning in Motion I

Alphabet Safety Tips

Learning in Motion II

Teen rescued after use of Universal Hand Signal

Extra Learning Resources

Block Parent Program of Canada, Inc.

Our Neighborhood Watch

Best personal GPS trackers 2022

35 Best Podcasts for Students in Elementary, Middle, and High School

I hope you found this article informative and gained some new insight. Please feel free to leave your comments and Share your new found knowledge with others. Use the ‘Ask A Question’ form to make a request on a topic of your own interest. It is FREE to subscribe to my RSS feed.

AIC| An Informal Cornr, all rights reserved. Ginsense writes articles at AIC|An Informal Cornr about business skills and development, health, science, technology, society and enjoys advocating for independence, security and a better world for all of us. Learn something new 🙂 Tell your Friends! Visit today!

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7 Health Forums to Help find Community Support and Answers

Personal Development, , , , , ,
7 health forums for community

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a branch of the United Nations. They strive to bring better global health ‘for everyone, everywhere‘. Many of our own healthcare facilities operate with similar goals of the WHO except deliver care at the local community level.

Life deals us with a surprise health issue, and we sit in consternation wondering, what do I do now? Luckily, today we can make online connections either on our own or with a friend.

Let’s talk about 7 Health forums to help you find community support, and answers about health issues.

Desired and Undesired States of Health

Good health, at it’s most basic level refers to the absence of physical, mental, social and spiritual impairment or loss. We arrive in this world in states of optimal health, and it feels like the world is ours, and we run to get our piece of the pie.

I don’t think any of us realize how hard we work our bodies. We then hit our 50’s and suddenly get hit with a disease, disability or other health issue. It’s like a ‘surprise‘ attack from our own bodies and we feel betrayed. We are left feeling lost, struggling to understand just what’s going on with our body. We ask ourselves, what am I supposed to do now?

medical-monitoring
medical monitor tools

Our World turned Upside down, Inside out

Unfortunately, health is not guaranteed. Our health will change over time, today, tomorrow or in the next hour. Our bodies will go through changes, and we may require medical help from a team of medical professionals such as the following ;

  • our family Doctor
  • nurses
  • diagnostic test staff
  • specialized Doctor
  • specialized health team (physiotherapist, optometrist, etc.)

The idea of facing a personal health diagnosis affects each of us, and we will react. A sense of loss especially our independence, and realizing the need to adjust to a whole new way of life, can be overwhelming and scary.

A good health team will do their best to reassure you but also ‘teach‘ you about what’s going to change, and give directions on the best methods of self-care that you can start to do at home. One’s whole life may be slightly altered but you can adjust and will survive the changes.

Finding Community Support

We are so lucky to have the internet. It connects us to family, new and old friends, co-workers, and even Support groups.

In the case of learning a personal life-changing health issue there are online Health community forums we can join. Some forums are dedicated to specific health issues such as for the Liver, Kidney, Blind, and the Deaf only.

Other health forums will have many ‘communities‘ on the site that are dedicated to various health issues. It is these sites that can offer you a sense of belonging, and help you find answers to questions you may have about your diagnosis, and learn from others.

Some sites have Doctors and health staff on stand-by to answer questions put forward. You don’t have to feel you’re alone.

I would rather interact with others living the experience of the same health diagnosis, and health professionals who have the skills and knowledge.

It’s nice to hear kind words from friends and family but without the facts of the specific health issue at hand, it can be dangerous to maintaining our new state of personal health. It’s important that answers come from qualified medical professionals.

rose-friends-online
keyboard to join online forums

7 Health Forums to Help find Support and Answers

MD Talks

Where anyone can ask doctors medical questions for free online.

Patient – Community Forums

Patient aims to help the world proactively manage its healthcare, supplying evidence-based information on a wide range of medical and health topics to patients and health professionals.

Health Unlocked

Take control of your health. Connect with people like you. Get online support 24/7. Visit –> here.

MedHelp – Mens Health Community

A community for people with Men’s Health-related concerns. Ask a question, join a conversation, share experiences.

HealthPost.ca

A new Canadian Health forum looking to build a community filled with health enthusiasts, professionals and people wanting to share their experiences and support.

NatMed Talk

Discussion forum dedicated to natural health. If you want to explore the importance of whole foods, supplements and natural herbal/holistic remedies, please register. You can login directly with your Facebook or Google account.

Health Boards

Ask our community of thousands of members your health questions, and learn from others experiences. Join the conversation!

friends-support-forums
friends-forums-support-online

Take Caution with Sharing

Forums are free to join. They may counsel you against sharing too much personal medical information publicly to protect you. It’s okay to sit back and read, you’re learning. Posts in the forums will be educational, factual, comforting, and maybe touch of playfulness.

Once again, a health discussion forum should never replace diagnosis and treatment by your own doctor, but it can still help you learn and stay informed about the status of your health. You can also watch Netflix health documentaries to learn more.

Remember, part of your self-care is learning about your health diagnosis, adjusting your way of life accordingly, and sharing with others helps prevent feeling alone. Again, you are not alone and learning is gradual, not an overnight sensation. Stay strong, keep faith, stay safe.

Learning in Motion

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BookRix

I hope you found this article informative and gained some new insight. Please feel free to Share with others! Use the ‘Ask a Question’ form to make a Request about a topic of your own interest. I hope you visit again for more informative articles coming soon. Stay safe!

AIC| An Informal Cornr, all rights reserved. Ginsense writes articles at AIC|An Informal Cornr about business skills and development, health, science, technology, society and enjoys advocating for independence, security and a better world for all of us.

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