With the beautiful weather comes the desire to get out there and do things – things that often cost money. Going out for ice cream, or a drink, or even cruising around in a car all have a cost associated.

As I sit alone in Halifax’s gorgeous Public Gardens (oh to have hang-out friends that don’t move away) I can’t help but wonder how many activities cost absolutely no money (or very little) and yet are enjoyable. Some are obvious, and yet we often take the expensive route for some reason.

For the sake of this entry I’ll focus on two things that do not require companions, as much of the time I don’t seem to have any. In addition to helping you save money, they may even lead to some earnings as well.

1. The Write Way

Considering that this entry is the product of my having sat down to write, I’ll recommend this one first. While you may not consider yourself a writer, per se, it is beneficial to express yourself via the written word.

You don’t even need a particular subject or genre of writing – just get it on paper. You’ll be surprised at the quality of your own thoughts when you let them spill from your pen. Writing soothes the soul, as far as I’m concerned. You might even discover a hidden passion, and be able to create something worthy of selling.

Recently, my co-blogger Henry reviewed a website that allows freelancers to bid on jobs, creating an online community to enable employers and freelancers to connect. This inspired me to mention a website that I discovered that may very well enable you to publish some of your writing, should you choose to try it out.

Once upon a time it was a very daunting and time-consuming task to write a book and send it off to publishers. If self-publishing, it could get very expensive.

Enter this website, and many others like it I’m sure. With LuLu.com you can publish a WIDE range of things, such as paperbacks, comics, cookbooks and much more.

There are no setup fees and it’s possible to publish only as you need books. You can also view some of the books that others are publishing through LuLu. It is a veritable community of publishers and readers. The winner last year of a Web 2.0 Award in the Books category, this website could help YOU make money from your ideas. Check it out!

2. Take Your Pic

If writing is not your thing, try taking some photographs. You don’t have to own an expensive digital camera, or even a digital camera at all. A standard 35mm cam (even a disposable one) will serve the purpose.

In this age of instant gratification it can be nice to take photos that can’t be seen immediately. It might encourage you to take your time and be selective of your shots. A lot of us have snapshots or candids of our friends, but not enough of us explore the world around us via the camera lens. You’ll see things you’ve previously missed – even within yourself.

If you’ve ever searched for photos online you’re no doubt aware of the fact that some websites exist for the sole purpose of being a catalogue of images for professionals and amateurs alike to make use of (for a price). One such example is iStockphoto.com and I’ll let them tell you exactly what they do:

iStockphoto is the internet’s original member-generated image and design community. Find your inspiration on the world's leading royalty-free stock destination. Search for over 3 million photographs, vector illustrations, video footage and Flash files. Buy stock or sell stock — or both.

I joined the site about a year ago when I was at the peak of my photography interest. I honestly have not uploaded anything yet, but I do receive emails from iStock that give all kinds of tips and tricks related to photography. It is in their interest to help you become a better artist, to increase the quality of their product. If you’re interested I highly recommend checking out the top downloads and considering why they might be.

Clearly, beautiful images sell well but try to consider what themes or ideas buyers might be after. Things like freedom, innocence, beauty, success or struggle are all things that someone might need an image to represent. Other times it’s simple: they need a good frog pic.

If you search the Internet, you will find dozens of other similar websites to the two that I have mentioned. I personally think these are some of the more popular ones, but feel free to dig around and even use several of them. Don’t be afraid to try your hand at writing or photography. You might find a hidden talent! You might even be able to blog about stock photography, like best-selling microstock photographer Andres Rodriguez has. Above all, have fun with it.

A while back, I met up with my Aunt. Knowing I now blog with RBC, she spoke of her concern regarding banking and people with vision problems.

Retinitis Pigmentosa runs in my family. It’s a disease that causes slow vision loss and, unfortunately, there is no cure.

My conversation with my aunt got me thinking about what services are offered to those with vision problems. I was surprised to learn that the first “talking” bank machine was introduced to the world on October 22, 1997. Users insert a headset to the machine and are prompted with audio options.

What’s even more interesting is that the first one was right here in Canada — at the corner of Bank Street and Queen Street in Ottawa. And the kicker: RBC put it there. It was the result of a human rights complaint by two blind men, and RBC responded.

Last year, RBC had 600 "talking" bank machines across Canada, according to its website. Today, when RBC purchases a new ATM for installation or replacement of an existing ATM, it is always audio enabled.

I had the opportunity to speak with Ted Murphy, head of ATM channels at RBC. Interestingly enough, one of Ted’s very first projects with the bank was the implementation of the first “talking” ATM.

“We asked our clients what would work best,” Ted tells me, speaking of the project. “It helped a lot because it debunked many of our preconceived notions of what blind individuals need.”
Ted told me that RBC reached out to the community when they are trying to solve accessibility issues. One of those community resources is the CNIB.

“Several years back when we were expanding the number of locations, we were trying to figure out where to put our new ATMs,” says Ted. “We went to the CNIB and they put a notice on their website asking for feedback—and we got a lot.”

Deborah Gillespie is Manager of Braille Publishing for the CNIB. She is responsible for all the Braille products produced, including telecommunications bills, tactile graphics, graphs, etc. Deborah says that RBC was a leader in making online banking accessible to the visually impaired.

“They were at the forefront,” Deborah says. “We did the original formatting of the website and they sold the program and the product.”

Deborah says that online banking has eased a task that had one time taken much effort. She, like many other blind individuals, uses an audible browser that can read aloud what appears online. As the user rolls the mouse over the page, a voice reads any text or tags placed within the site.

“The internet is great because it’s leveled the playing field for everybody,” she says, “If the website is properly coded and tagged, then almost anyone can handle it.”

In fact, to find out where a “talking” ATM is, clients simply have to use the online ATM locater. And to make things easier for the visually impaired, RBC has developed an introductory package to talking ATMs that is available in Braille, large print or audio.

“The package has a visual description of the ATM and general description on how to use it,” Ted Murphy says. “This way, when someone shows up to use the machine, they’re not trying to figure out how to use it.”

Users can just plug their headset into the machine for a brief introduction, however, if they do not obtain a copy of the introductory package. Packages are available by calling 1-800-ROYAL99.

RBC also makes client’s financial statements as well as other documents available in Braille to anyone who needs it.

Both Deborah and Ted suggest contacting your local branch if you require any assistance when it comes to your banking. Managers in the branch will be able to contact the appropriate division to get a response to your suggestion.

So, what about you? Can RBC do anything to make banking a little easier for you?

I've put together this video about 10 easy tips to waste more of your money! If you're into wasting money, definitely follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to an emptier wallet.

You are, aren’t you? You may not want to admit it, but I’m willing to bet you cringe a little at the thought of going into a bank and discussing your money with someone. Well, you should re-think your position if that’s the case.

Unexpectedly Exciting

I recently sat down with Laura Dingwell, an Account manager at my local RBC branch, and I can honestly say it was one of the best-spent hours of 2008 (even better than half of Lost’s season finale). Well, that’s a close one. Depends which half. Anyway, my intention was not even to blog about it, but I left feeling so invigorated and empowered that I had to share it with all of you. Seriously, go talk to someone. You owe it to yourself.

A Little Help, Here?

My goal was to make sense of money and figure out how to make it work FOR me rather than against. This will differ from person to person, but let me share what I took away from my meeting with Ms. Dingwell. First of all, it turns out that I had met with her years ago to discuss my Royal Credit Line, and upon recognizing my name she made a point of checking to see why I seemed familiar. Maybe it was curiousity, but I think she genuinely cares about her clients. I certainly felt that I was a person and not just some numbers on a computer screen. Here are the top three things Ms. Dingwell motivated me to do:

1. I’m starting (later than I’d like) an RSP!

   Using the RSP Calculator found at the top of this page (seriously, this thing is pretty cool) she showed me, reluctantly, the difference that 8 years – from 20 to my current age – has already made on my future savings. It’s scary. The amount has roughly been cut in half. Do it NOW! Well, finish reading this, THEN go. I’m not kidding. You’ll be glad you did. Laura (I think she’d be cool with me calling her that) stressed the importance of starting earlier than later. If you’re unclear about just how an RSP works, here's a great page on RBC's site about the specifics.

2. I’m starting an ACTUAL savings account!

   While I do have an account that is called a savings account, it contains the money I use on a regular basis. Attached to my debit card, it is no place to put money I wish to protect from my spending. RBC has a High Interest E-Savings Account, which clearly has a higher interest rate than my current savings account. The plan is to have $25 from each paycheque automatically transferred into this account, as well as into an RSP. And the beauty of it all is that I can get it all done within a few mouse clicks and nickname all my accounts to reflect what they are (rather than generic “savings”). $50 a month may not be much, but it’s better to do SOMETHING rather than nothing at all.

3. I’m creating a savings account for BILLS!

   The final step of my trifecta is to set up another E-Savings Account, in which money for bills shall reside. The idea is to separate it from MY money, as we are all guilty of looking at our account balance and falsely believing more of it is ours than is actually the case. You might have $1250 in there but in the next month $1100 might be spoken for. Wouldn’t it make sense to remove at least an approximation from this pile, as to reduce confusion? Laura tells me that paying FROM an E-Savings Account is quite costly (the site says $5.00 each), so it would be wise to automate a transfer back to my general savings account and to pay the bills from there instead.

Now It’s Your Turn

Well, there you have it. It may not seem like much, but compared to my previous habits (and I suspect many of yours as well) this should help straighten out my finances. You may not like ANY of these ideas, but the point is that I was inspired to take these steps after speaking with Ms. Dingwell. I would highly recommend that you make an appointment to see someone, so you can tap into your financial truths. Seriously, bankers aren’t that scary. You might even have fun, as I did in my meeting!

In my previous post, I looked at what the benefits were to going green. I discovered that living an environmentally friendly lifestyle may mean emptying out my pockets.

I’ve been thinking that ‘going green’ can’t always mean it’s going to cost me.

So, I’ve perused the Internet for some tips on how to be environmental and save some money at the same time.

Bring your Bag

The Number One suggestion I read was that you should bring a cloth bag grocery shopping. While many stores offer the option of purchasing reusable bags, why not plan ahead and bring one of your own. If you don’t have a cloth bag, bring an old plastic bag that you have stashed under the sink.

Switch your Bulb

In my house, we’re trying to switch all of our bulbs to the fluorescent alternative. While it may cost you to buy the new CFL bulbs, it can apparently save you in the long run. Greenupgrader.com has an easy to understand chart that shows you how much you can save—over $50.

I’ll admit that this is a switch that I am both happy and reluctant to make. While I want to save energy, it pains me to add a perfectly good light bulb to the growing pile at the dump. Is it smart to replace existing bulbs? Or, should I wait until all existing bulbs burn out?

Turn the Car Off

I have a friend who used to work for an anti-idling campaign. I learned that, contrary to popular belief, turning off your car for even just ten seconds is more beneficial than harmful for your engine and battery. Greenventure.ca has a great list of myths and factsh on idling. According to the site, “Component wear caused by restarting the engine is estimated to add a minuscule $10 per year to the cost of driving.”

And if you’re worried that you need to warm your car before you drive it in Canada’s winter weather, the site says that on average it only takes 30 seconds to warm a cold car.

Unplug the Cell Charger

Over at families.com, they suggest you unplug your electronics when you’re not using them. They refer to these items as “vampire electronics” and estimate that up to 5% of your energy bill goes to appliances and charging devices left unplugged. They remind you to unplug your Cell phone chargers, Computers, Microwave ovens, Coffee Makers and DVD players.

Buy from your Farmer’s Market

A number of sites said that one of the easiest ways to go green is buy shopping at local farmers markets. You can talk to the farmers and learn how the produce was maintained and prices are often cheaper than the grocery stores. Most sites simply suggested to shop at a market, but I’ve found an online directory of farmer’s markets from coast to coast.

Before I sign off on this post, while I was researching alternatives, I found out another type of fruit is trying to make its “produce” green. Sounds like a great idea to me…

While researching Emergency Funds for my follow-up to this entry, I came across a poll at SavvySugar asking whether Starbucks should do away with the tip jar. Having worked several jobs that incorporated tips, I figured I would weigh-in on the topic. I’m sure most of you encounter someone who works for tips, at least once a week. Servers, baristas and bartenders all have their hourly wages bolstered by tips, but let’s take a closer look.

Who Deserves A Tip?

Once upon a time tips were given to those who delivered exceptional service. Having been a server in a busy waterfront restaurant I can attest to the amount of work that goes into it. I had people bus my tables, seat guests, deliver food to me and make my drinks and I STILL ran off my feet much of the time. Even then, I sometimes only received a couple of dollars for (what I considered to be) my excellent service.

And yet, in a matter of minutes of busy morning-time coffee rushes it’s possible to make that same couple of dollars in tips. I’ve done the coffee thing as well, and it’s not that difficult when it runs smoothly. Even less difficult is opening a bottle of alcohol or pouring a glass of draught. This isn’t to say that bartending isn’t challenging, but people often tip as much (or more) for those simple tasks as to someone providing service on a full meal. Seems backwards.

How Much Should You Tip?

The industry standard is 15% of the tab, which in my province is roughly the sales tax. Personally, if I receive excellent service I like to reward that person. Being busy with other customers can be expected, but incompetence or rudeness will lower my tip. Consider a server who spends an hour taking care of you, clearing dishes, refilling drinks, making recommendations and ensuring an overall pleasant dining experience, all the while managing to do the same for multiple tables. It can be tricky business.

If the bill was $23 (after tax) then 15% would be $3.00, and yet it is not absurd for someone serving drinks to earn that much on 6 drinks, which may take a total of less than one minute per drink. Why don’t we value food service as much as someone helping to intoxicate us?

What About The Exceptions?

In addition to having been a server and slinging coffee, I have also worked at a fast food establishment. I can honestly say that I worked as hard, if not harder, serving those customers as my coffee customers. And yet, no tips. It simply wasn’t even an accepted practice. Why does this double standard exist?

EDIT: Upon recently visiting a popular fast food place and NOT lovin’ it, perhaps I see why there’s no tipping.

Back to the poll, approximately ¾ of respondents say that Starbucks should do away with tips. I wonder what their reasoning is. If it’s because they’re a large company, so are many other (tip-accepting) coffee places and restaurants. If it’s because the prices are higher, then I guess we should stop tipping when we buy other items that carry a high profit margin.

The article mentions that Eric Felten, of the Wall Street Journal, claims that the tip jar subsidizes the company's payroll costs, which I can understand. Such a large company, that no doubt makes hefty profits, could surely afford to pay employees higher wages if taking the tip jar away required them to do so. And yet, the same could be said about countless other companies.

What are YOUR thoughts? As a trainer of mine used to say: Any questions, comments, concerns? Rants, raves, or reviews?

Whilst making this movie "Despicable Metal" I learned a lot about life in Moscow as a young person and how different the financial world is there than in Canada. The title for the film comes from a Russian saying that describes money as the "despicable metal". To learn more about the socio/economic situation in Russia right now check out Russia Today. I hope you enjoyed the film and keep checking my blog this summer to see movies around other topics as I travel around Europe. I want to give a special thanks to Oleysa, both the Katya's, Andrei and Lena for helping me out. Thanks guys!

Here's a video that I made about spare change, and how it can either ruin or enhance your life.

What Steps Have YOU Taken?

Such A Boring Name For Such An Important Thing

Let’s start calling them “****-hits-the” Funds instead. That’s what they are, right? You may recall that about a month ago I wrote about Emergency Funds. Well, here’s a follow-up to that entry. The topic is still pretty hot in the blogosphere, and that may have to do with the fact that the world is facing an increasing number of disasters and catastrophes, thus validating the need for such funds. Or maybe it’s just one of those topics that is SO important that there always remains something to be said. Either way, here I go again.

You Better Ask Somebody

Just today I went to my local RBC branch to make an appointment to analyze my accounts, and see what I can do to make the most of my situation. The goal is to slowly set some money aside for myself. The main thing I am looking to do is to separate my current savings account from money I actually want to save. I know for a lot of students a savings account doesn’t really hold savings, so much as a pool of money from which all expenses come.

What Can 4% Do?

My other employer sets aside my 4% vacation pay (Emergency Funds are nowhere near as fun as a vacation, though) as opposed to including it on my paycheque. While there’s not THAT much money in my Vacation Pay, in the roughly 10 months that I have worked at that job I nonetheless have access to money that was put aside automatically for me. The point is that a small percentage of monthly earnings can accumulate quickly, and I didn’t miss that 4%.

Where Will That Extra Money Come From?

For those among you that feel you don’t really have any extra money to put towards such an Emergency Fund, SavvySugar has some advice on how to find some surplus coin, over at her blog. While a couple of the points may be straightforward, the idea is that we all have things that we do that are wasteful and by cutting back on such things, extra money then becomes available.

Should Debt Come Before An Emergency Fund?

Over at I’ve Paid Twice For This Already, there is an important question asked that I think sums this debate up perfectly. The whole blog entry is well worth reading, but consider what the author has to say:

Be honest with yourself - what would be the psychological ramifications for you of having to increase your debtload if (when) an emergency happened?

Make Sure You Have Easy Access

FrugalDad (one of the hottest names in money-related blogging right now, and sort of my blogger idol) makes a great point about making sure that at least some of your *gulp* Emergency Funds can be accessed quickly and easily. After all, if there is an EMERGENCY, there’s no time to waste with transfers and 2-3 days for processing times.

Well, that’s my kick at the Emergency Funds can. Hopefully at least a few of you have decided to consider doing the emergency funds thing. It’s like sooooo chic right now. Do it. You know you wanna.

I’m not from Canada originally and so every year I make the journey back to Europe to visit my parents. My father lives in Moscow, Russia and that’s where I am right now. While I’m here I decided to make a video about what life is like to be a young adult in Russia and how 18-30 year olds get by financially in Russia’s capital. I’ve learned a lot this past week that I found fascinating so I wanted to write up some of the things I found and my video will be posted on here next Tuesday so be sure to check it out!

This year I just got back to Canada and I have also been slowly transitioning into independence from my parents (not entirely by choice!). All of this has changed the way that I think in relation to money and for me to return back to Europe and to see how people my age in Russia view and use money was fascinating to say the least.

The financial situation in Russia right now is hard to describe in one blog and so I decided to mention just a few things that might be of interest to you.

Last week I went to go pick something up from some friends of my dads who work for a large American oil company. They have a very nice four bedroom home in a secured community on the outskirts of Moscow. The house is attached and has four bedrooms and I would estimate was about 2,500 sq ft. While I was talking with them I found out that they had to move to a smaller home down the street because the rent of their house was being raised. When they told me that their rent was being raised to $23,000 USD a month I nearly jumped! That’s just one example of the astronomical housing prices that Moscow has. It is a true sign that prices are out of control when an oil company can’t afford to pay its expatriate employees' rent! Don’t be mistaken that this is a purely foreigners property phenomenon; the situation for the average Russian seems impossible with rising food and rental prices in the worlds third most expensive city.

This situation makes renting in a central location unfathomable with one bedrooms renting as high as 10,000 USD a month downtown which makes buying property more than impossible! The cause of this insanity is the demand to live in Moscow with its higher wages and better education it is worth the struggle for some Russians. The massive disparity between rich and poor in Moscow doesn't help the situation either. Moscow is said to have the second highest number of billionaires as residents in a single city after New York and with a population of 12 million it doesn't take much to imagine the poverty that must exist in the city. With high fashion stores such as Tiffany’s, Bentley and Gucci lining the streets downtown and the outskirts of the city a jungle of derelict concrete high rises, it only takes a brief look to see the extremes in Moscow.

In order to live in Moscow you either have to be born there, be a foreigner with a visa, or “register” as a resident in the city. Registering is something that all Russians and foreigners have to do and it’s a way that the government controls the populations in the desirable cities. If someone from Chelyabinsk wishes to move to Moscow for work they must pay and register to do so and even then may be denied. It’s a sort of immigration control within a countries own borders. Imagine if you had to register every time you made a trip to Ottawa from Toronto or if you moved from Vancouver to Montreal. This registration process forces a lot of young people to make the move illegally so that they can make a better living. Life without registration isn't easy however and makes getting a bank account impossible and getting other benefits such as healthcare and education complicated.

I knew about most of these issues while I was living here and attending high school but it wasn't till I recently came back here from Canada that I thought about how different life and money must be for young people here. When I heard that only about 30% of Russians had bank accounts I decided that I wanted to make a short movie about “despicable metal” (what Russians call money) and young adults. So check out my video next Tuesday and the similarities and differences between Katya, Oleysa, Andrei and Lena’s experiences with money and yours.

This entry is dedicated to someone very dear to my heart, who recently moved to follow her life path. We have the type of relationship that allowed us to share many things, and that is the message I want to communicate in this blog entry. I hope that you have someone in your life with whom you can undertake the challenge that I am about to put forth.

Dare to share!!

What does this mean? Well, I’ll tell you. My friend and I would often get together and talk over food and drinks. Being the money-conscious people that we are, and thanks in large part to her suggestions, we would often share these. Surprisingly, even pizza slices (they can get pretty huge in Halifax, mind you) were adequate when shared. In addition to feeling like we had eaten enough, there were other benefits. Thanks, Crystal!

Save Your Money

You’ll be shocked at how much money you can save by sharing meals, rather than each ordering full-sized portions. It’s a great feeling knowing that you can dine out without worrying about how rent is going to get paid.

Reduce Waste

Not only did we save money by choosing to share, but we always felt satisfied afterwards.

And we could take comfort in knowing that no food was wasted. A lot of plates return to the kitchen, only to be emptied of leftover food. Sharing helps cut down on this waste.

Reduce Your Waist

There is no denying that I love food. I don’t like leaving any food on my plate, and that can be a problem when it leads to eating more than is necessary. It’s a fact that our portions are generally oversized in North America, so try sharing with someone who is willing.

Enjoy Dessert

You’ll have enough room left (without stressing over money, since you saved on the main course) for dessert. You may even shed a couple of pounds in the process if you consume enough of the main course to feel full rather than consuming a full portion just because it’s in front of you.

In honour of my friend I will, from this point forward (assuming I can find someone else who wants to share with me), call this act of splitting costs and portions “crystallizing”. Maybe. At the very least I will think of her when I do it in the future. I hope you find your own precious Crystal and dare to share. I’m glad I did.

Not so long ago I had a little addiction to playing blackjack. So, to continue for my month of blogs about different "investments" I thought I would discuss the issue of gambling and finance.

Blackjack was the game for me. Ever since I saw it first played in a casino in Prague I loved it and wanted to get good at it. I had a friend that became my mentor of sorts that taught me the basics of how to play the game. These rules included not hitting if the dealer has a six or a low number (depending on what you have) and learning to stick to basic blackjack strategy. When I first started to play the game I played it for fun and didn't really care if I won or lost and just hit or stayed whenever I felt like it. Eventually, the game became more serious for me and I developed my own strategies and stuck to them.

I would go to the casino alone and scope out all the tables for about thirty minutes before I played. Once I found one I liked I would take out some cash and promise not to use more than that amount that night. Then I would go and sit at a low minimum table and bet the minimum. If I won I would bet the minimum again and if I lost then I would bet double my last bet. I stuck to these rules to ensure that if I ever lost I would be able to win my money back right away. The funniest thing about gambling is how smart it can make you feel when your winning and how dumb it can make you feel if your loosing.

To make a long story short I was winning at the game for a while as long as I stuck to my rules. The problem is of course that nobody ever does. I began betting irrationally and was so focused on winning back what I had lost. Don't get me wrong I was never in serious trouble and this was a short minor stage for me but it gave me an idea of how much of a bad investment gambling is.

Last weekend I went and saw 21 in which a young college student starts playing blackjack to pay for his $300,000 school costs. In short the payoff that he's getting doesn't last and I like to think that the moral of the story is that if he had spent his time and money elsewhere he would have achieved more then his wasted efforts. This got me thinking about students everywhere and that I should address the horrible investment that gambling is.

Blackjack is popular no doubt and as the most popular card game in the world it draws in people from all ages. For students, gambling and blackjack is becoming increasingly popular and this is exacerbated by the extreme media exposure that the game receives online and on TV. I just wanted students everywhere to know that gambling in any form is a bad investment. I see blogs like Blackjackblog.net and how it offers tips on how to win by strategy and it worries me. If you are going to play blackjack please do learn some simple rules to make the game more fun but as an investment don't waste your time.

There are much better ways however, for students to spend their extra money and their time than games. From my own personal experience I will let you know that if you take your extra money that you have and invest it in stocks, RRSPs or real estate you will get a much better high and return than from gambling.

Trust me, I understand the need to take risks and the excitement that comes from playing with your money but if you take the time to do some research and make a good investment the risks will be exciting, safer and much more rewarding. The high that I received from buying a place and all the work that went into doing that was much more exciting than any night at the casino.

So next time your bored and looking to have some fun with your money think about the other choices you have when it comes to investing your cash.