he's in it for the money

my daughter and I looked out the window as she was getting ready for bed
we heard the snow plow coming
I was standing on the floor, she was standing on the bed, both of us leaning on the window
he's backing up, ready to clean our side of the street
good use of tax dollars

for me it = more snow in front of my driveway
for my daughter = it's economics

"dad, I think the snow plow driver is only doing this for the money, he doesn't care about my fort, he's ruining it"

my daughter just caught on to what happens when people just do their task not thinking about the people they affect, or worse, only in it for the money

sure, it's not his fault, there's streets to clean

but imagine he slowed down enough to see the small fort in our yard and contribute to the project - that would be tax dollars at work... I'd even tip him.

Top 10 Christmas Gifts (ALTERNATIVE)

Christmas is so frantic. Malls are packed. People drive crazy. No one's happy until they sit down to eat. HOHOHO

Here's an easy way to make a lasting impact and get the PERFECT gift for those you love - or through those you love :)

OK, I tricked you!!

These gifts are for people you don't know, but would need them so much more. In fact, maybe who ever you're exchanging gifts with will agree to do the same - win win. Even shaving off 30% of your total budget and redirecting it would make a huge impact.

AdventConspiracy.org is a great inspiration on this.

Jesus came into the world to bring justice, and perhaps the best way to celebrate him is to do justice along side him.

Here's my Top 10 gift alternatives for Christmas 2011:

Soccer balls for boys and girls overseas.
Not bad for a kid who probably never played X-box
30$

Greenhouse for a farmer in Ukraine.
Lengthens their growing season and produces better crop.
100$

That pig they always wanted
Pigs actually help families fertilize their gardens, yum.
75$

Police Chase.
Sponsor a 1 day investigation with International Justice Mission
45$

Put a School Kit together
Help kids overseas with needed tools for education
Drop Off Locations

My favorite, and something everyone should own - yes that Water Buffalo on the top of your list!!
Water Buffalo's help with transport and more... and they're kind of cute
460$ (less than your average espresso machine)

The rest are some organizations you might not know about, but should...

Big Brothers and Sisters
Matching adult mentors with kids that need it

Welcome Hall Mission
One of Montreal's largest resources for the poor

PAX- Communauté de la Rue
Building relationships with and serving the homeless in Montreal

Bearers of Love
Providing funds and resources for homeless, orphans, and rehabilitating addicts in Ukraine

BONUS GIFT:
Westside is doing a FOOD DRIVE for West Island Mission on Sunday, December 18 and 23. Pop into our gathering and drop off some groceries OR connect with WIM directly!!!

What are your gift options this year?
Are you considering going alternative this year?
How much do you spend on gifts, average?

NEXT POST: my theory on why you should completely reconsider what you give to your toddler (ages 0-5) this Christmas and why?

Success vs. Greatness (Cornell West)

What a great, inspiring interview.
Love his articulation and vocabulary.



Do you sense the struggle he highlights? (the difficulty of being YOU in a culture that strives to make you THEM)
Do you agree that the measure of your living is in your giving?
Other observations?

Home Equity Thoughts

I'm a home owner.

I bought my first home in 2001 and was very grateful for a lower market and the following upswing. I don't assume that it's as easy 8 years later (see below for my thoughts on starter homes). But regardless most financial advice emphasizes the benefits of home ownership vs. stock market portfolio.

I'm not here to convince anyone of one way or another.

But I can honestly say I would not or could not have been able to save the amount of money that my home is worth or the equity it now has (value - mortgage = net worth). Yes, I COULD have saved the same amount every month that I put on my mortgage (but minus rent). However, the forced savings + increased value = higher net worth.

I just picked up AUTOMATIC MILLIONAIRE HOME OWNER (Chapters Points-Claire has it on liquidation for $5.99). David Bach has a simple way of explaining things. Pick up the original Automatic Millionaire for a very simple/easy/doable approach to finances. None of his books are about greed or materialistic dreams. 1,000,000 = approx. money you will likely make in your lifetime, therefore, why not be smart about it.

Today, the GLOBE AND MAIL had a great piece about HOME OWNERSHIP and the problems my current generation is having with it. Many of us want to both have a home AND travel AND nice toys AND nice cars. I sympathize - I'd like to experience a little life before I'm 50 (and hopefully mortgageless). However, the benefits of a mortgage free life in due time could = higher net worth sooner AND the freedom to be more generous to others as well as more financial freedom.

Check out the article, especially if you're new to home ownership or considering it.

*starter homes: I used to think it was useless buying a starting home (no garage, smaller, condo, etc.) but my experience taught me the value of increasing equity; it was our 1st home that enabled us to buy our 2nd. We could not have (and could still not) afford the home we have now without have 1st buying the 1st one. This doesn't mean I'm going for another upgrade; when a house meets your needs, keep it and become financially free sooner (see Bach's book for more options)

Canadians stuck in debt (more than the US)

Canada's household debt-to-disposable income ratio now exceeds that of the U.S., with the typical Canadian household owing 1.3 times its annual disposable income. While Americans cut back their debt load last year, Canadians' debt continued rising at a rate of 10 percent per year since 2004 while income rose only half as fast.

(from McLean's, quoted here - May issue; thanks to Oscar)

tipping big!!

What a great story of generosity. HT: Eric Bryant

Walmart Movie

Saw the Walmart Movie. Have you seen it? A documentary.

If any one has any critique of it, know of any info in it that's exaggerated or off base, or if anything has changed or progressed since it was produced (2005?), let me know.

That aside, it was pretty disturbing (if it was all true). Among many things was their lack of concern for the environment in the communities they open in and the inhuman environments in their factories around the world.

Here are some stats:
CEO salary (date of movie) - 25 Million
Average worker - 13,000

The Walton family has a combined net worth of 100+ billion dollars
- they (Waltons) gave 6000$ to the workers care fund
- employees collectively gave 5 million
- they (Waltons) donate less than 1% to charity
- Bill Gates has donated 58%

Since they cause many employees to use state medicare or welfare to help them (even while they pay into a benefit program that doesn't do much), they've used up millions of tax dollars in many states.

In many states where they get anywhere from 100K to 1M in subsidy, local services (schools, police, small businesses, fire stations) suffer.

Shoot, I'm on a budget, and it makes life a little easier to shop there!?!?!
I won't speak too soon and say I will never shop there again, but it makes it tough to want to.

Thoughts?

realistic view as we prepare well for the future (economically)

I'm all for hope (as I made this disclaimer in a previous post), but here's some realistic thinking from the former Bank of Canada governor, David Dogde, in the globe and mail.

READ IT HERE.

As a friend of mine who leads a company told me last week as we discussed the current financial reality: you can only inspire people with reality, otherwise they will realize you lied to them and will never move forward.

So, I'm hopeful, I'm encouraged, I'm thankful. But I want to know reality so I can deal with it.

Thoughts??

(are you naked, financially)

are you naked?

You only see who's not wearing a bathing suit when the tide goes out.

(Dave Ramsey)

Love this quote I just heard from Dave Ramsey on this interview.

This economy will expose financial nakedness - i.e. it will show people's net worth, savings account, debt, sense of identity.

Stats tell us that the average person spends $1.30 for every $1.00 they make. That's a tide without a bathing suit waiting to happen.

What else contributes to financial nakedness.

crisis in credit, visualized

Sorry for the negative video (b/c I do believe we need to inspire hope and practical living in our current reality), but if you're interested in understanding the credit crisis and how some contributors pushed the economy downward, this video is interesting. If you find critique of this video, I'd love to hear your response.


The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

The Pursuit of Happyness (revisited)

This morning during a message at Westside I referred to The Pursuit of Happyness (movie). My message (from Matthew 19:3-14) had an underlying theme of individualism, and how this is often the cause of marital breakdowns.

I loved this movie. It's inspiring and moving. But it always left a sad feeling in me that in the pursuit of happiness, a marriage would be the one to suffer.

I watched the movie again tonight, and was struck by the sacrifice and love of Chris Gardner for his son. Hearing live interviews with the real Chris Gardner (true story), you sense how hard it was for him to both take care of his son and pursue this opportunity towards success. He mentions how he'd cry inside leaving his son at a terrible day care. He literally slept in subway cars and bathrooms over night because he no money for rent.

Watching the movie again I realize it wasn't just his pursuit of happiness that hurt the marriage, but his wife's decision to leave him.

There's no easy answers. No easy decisions.

In the end... it still leaves a sad feeling in me that marriages breakdown while people pursuing other goals.

Outside of that fact that his marriage failed, this man sacrificed so much so he could provide for his family (son).

I'm torn.

Thanks for reading my rant.

I can BE the difference.

Beyond Optimism... to Hope

A great article by Gordon MacDonald on what's beyond optimism or pessimism.

Spending is Therapeutic???

Just this last Sunday we challenged our church to spend less and give more during our Advent Conspiracy series.

We talked about living differently than our consumer driven culture pushes us to - how it makes us feel less important if we don't have lots of stuff. Funny how spending makes us feel better... for a while. I was unhappily content to read the following from an article in today's Gazette about Consumers in 'survival panic'. Check out what it says:

"People that have been ... identifying with and defining themselves by their material objects and expenditures are losing a definite piece of their identity and themselves," he said. "They have to learn how to replace that."

After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, killed thousands and shuttered U.S. financial markets, consumers were encouraged by politicians and business leaders to spend as a way of saving the economy and proving capitalism could not be crushed.

"We're getting these messages that it is, in effect, patriotic to spend money," said Stuart Vyse, a psychology professor and author of Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold On To Their Money.

The United States is deeply dependent on such spending, with consumption generating two-thirds of economic activity. But problems arise when consumers become dependent on buying goods and services to cope with their emotions...

WOW... talk about prophetic, not me, but the reality that it's so easy to get sucked up into a consumerist mindset. So... make a choice: spend less and give more, this Christmas, hopefully more so in 2009.

why do we buy what we buy?

This quote makes sense - financially and morally:

Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.

- Ellen Goodman

Our church is kind of doing this with Elevation Tour... but the potential to connect with and help people our neighborhoods might grow through something like The Common

Be a giver.

Givers grow!

Met a great guy (and friend) for lunch today that is successful, loves Jesus, and has been blessed with much. His response: give, give, and give.

Give his time and energy to upcoming young leaders who can make a difference.

Give his expertise to young business guys that will make a difference.

Give away money to mission, non-profits, churches, and wherever God leads him.

The result? Blessing for him, his family, and others.

Then I read this blog post about giving in a different way:

In the social economy, givers always end up the biggest getters.

Read the rest here, I think it makes sense, especially if you're interested in growing.

reBUDGET

How often do you revise your budget?
Seems like I need to every 6 months.
No matter how hard you try you forget how much money you really make, and you start spending like you make more.

I love this quote:

I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart.

(E.E. Cummings)

Revising my budget this past week was a wake up call. The fact is, over the last 6-10 months, I fell into spending more than I was making - a principle I teach against. It crept up on me.

After sticking to the essentials - 10% giving away; 10% savings (actually more than that when we consider saving for our kids); attempts at a little more generosity somewhere - we just looked at what we had left to spend. We found we didn't have much left - in fact, we were in the red (on paper) - so we cut... then cut again... and then cut again. We cut the gazette, we're looking for a cheaper phone package, we're looking for lower insurance, and we've decided to cut cable over the summer instead of some summer activities for the kids.

Living what you teach is hard. This wasn't easy. I wanted 1000$ more a month. But, the alternative to no revision was go into debt and lose more money down the road to interest, depreciating toys, and something else. I don't want to falter on my hard core conviction of giving and saving.

Could this mean I don't make enough or I need to make more? That's always possible, but that's not the issue. In reality, I'm not poor. Not many of us are. In many ways I'm rich. I own my own home, drive my own car, eat well most nights. The issue is that I need to live off what I make, not spend on things I think I need or want. And trust God!

I'll probably go through the process again in the Fall or Winter, and see where I'm at.

Some tools I used:
- divide everything monthly (taxes, activities, giving, vacation, car, etc.)
- put away for it, even if it's due later in the year (I have to find a good way of doing this; it's essential if you're spending close to your income after giving and saving)
- try and keep left overs for the extras (entertainment, toys)
- pay groceries with cash; if I have left over at the end of the month, great we can go out to eat... if not - we eat out of our pantry
- Pay God 1st (this has never hurt, and always helped!)
- Pay yourself 2nd (this is biblical and smart)

A stat that freaked me out and woke me up: Americans collectively owe 807 Billion dollars in credit card debt! I.E. you're a slave to whoever you owe money to.

Thoughts?