Random Thoughts: Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre Edition

Keep Your Money!

Given my rant yesterday about overspending on Valentine’s Day, I figured the title for this week’s Random Thoughts should be more apropos as to what will happen to many folks wallets on Monday.

I actually do like Valentine’s Day and celebrate it every year, but only because it is my parent’s wedding anniversary. No they didn’t plan on getting married on Valentine’s day, it just kind of worked out that way. It has cost my Father a pretty penny trying to get my mother flowers to celebrate their anniversary over the years too!

It was an odd week for me, starting off with some solid data from my amigo at Stats Canada and then running off on rants about Valentine’s day and such:

• We found out from Stats Canada that we did in fact have More Employment but More Unemployment too, which is confusing, but somehow heartening at the same time.
• I did ask the interesting question What Can We Learn Financially from the Super Bowl, and of course the answer is, don’t have 3 turnovers if you plan on winning the game.
• Inspired by yet another odd Top 10 list I came up with the ULTIMATE Top 10 list which was The Top 10 Bad Financial List, which got a fair amount of response, and folks pointing out that my top 10 had more than 10 entries.
• Finally I went entirely off the rails with my rant about Valentines Day and Your Finances, where I complained about everything from Sex Toys to Thongs, yes, a very interesting list as well.
• Random Thoughts: Storms for the first week in February 2011.

As a note, I actually enjoy all comments (even the ones that call me a stooge, or my son a criminal), and will try to respond to most comments, so please feel free to comment away.

Other financial writers did in fact find more topical subjects and luckily shied away from the odd topic groupings that I came up with (at least I don’t think there are any mentions of handcuffs or bustiers):

• Michael James boasts about his Big Fat Tax Refund, not to be confused with My Big Fat Greek Wedding . Luckily Michael will be getting his money, but he laments that he could have used the money before now, which is true for all of us.
• Tom over at Canadian Finance Blog gives us a History of the Canadian Dollar, which is actually really interesting, and has a nifty info-graphic as well.
• Hopefully recovering Larry MacDonald points out that if you don’t want to be like Michael James and have  BIG FAT refund, you should Increase Your Cash Flow with a T1213 Form. Good idea, I do this, and it lowers my refund, but gives me more money during the year.
• Preet asks over at the Globe Web Site Lease or Buy: Which is the Better Car Purchase Option, and of course the correct answer is, you should take the bus instead, or you’ll destroy the Environment, you fascist!
• Mike at Money.Smarts points out that not only is there a Federal Tax Credit for active kids, there is now an Ontario Children’s Activity Tax Credit, remember that one too!
• Sustainable Personal Finance gives us How to Stop Smoking Cigarettes , a useful how to discussion for those who are still hooked to cancer sticks.
• FrugalTrader at Million Dollar Journey does an extensive comparison of Canadian Discount On Line Brokerage Houses, well worth a read.
• Jim Yih wades into another hot argument with his post TFSA or RRSP: Why not Both? Good idea, if you can afford to do that.
• Given the troubles overseas Balance Junkie brings us Egypt: Financial Lessons and Tipping Points. Interesting point of view.
• Financial Uproar asks Am I a Sucker For Not Investing in Dividend Stocks? I don’t think so, dividend investing is just another way of doing things, that’s all.

Remember

“The art of love… is largely the art of persistence.”

Author: Albert Ellis