Budget(s) Week, Bye Bye Penny and Random Thoughts

In March 2012 it was a week of budgets with a new budget proposed in Ontario and a new budget (which will move forward) for all of Canada. I wrote this post usually during the day so I won’t have too many pithy comments on the Harper Government budget, but I did have a kick at the McGuinty Government budget (politics really is turning into a cult of personality these days).

The one thing that did catch my eye, aside from a lot of rhetoric, is the final demise of the Penny. I always enjoyed pennies, so I suspect a farewell post will be written to “the copper” and its role in my life. Given it isn’t made of copper anymore, I suppose its time has finally come.

The OAS age is changing now, too. I can receive OAS at 66 + 5 mo , which is an extra 17 months for me, but for those born in the year after and later, it is 67 years (so Mrs. C8j can only get her money at age 67, sorry honey!).

I will comment more on Tuesday and Monday. Look for a Carnival of Personal Finance post from me (I haven’t done one in a while; it should be lots of fun).

Weekly Recap

After a busy weekend with basketball, many interesting topics this week from yours truly:

• Funny how someone breaking into my Church led me to Insurance Deductibles: where is the tipping point
• Given the long weekend’s stay at a hotel it seemed normal to ask the question: Why Complain? Why not Complain?
• To help out with folks who might need advice I gave you Parenting tip #327: Large expenditures, hopefully it helped, given how sarcastic it was.
• Was the Ontario Budget fodder?, we shall see if it even passes, and if this government moves forward
• Price Fixing, Civil Servants and Random Thoughts An interesting week after one of the more busy weeks I have had on my web site, with one or two posts, I seem to have kicked a hornets nest.

And thanks to those who added me on Twitter. Check out my facebook page as well.

With all the budgetary fun and games this week, there were a few other topics that were being discussed in the financial blogosphere as well:

• The Blunt Bean Counter talks about the Ontario Budget 2012, and his point of view on this (from an accountant’s point of view).
• Larry MacDonald who most likely was locked up with all those sweaty reporters in the budget lock up, wonders if Gold stocks are selling at bargain prices. Remember all that glisters is not gold!
• Mr. Money Mustache hopes he can help us Killing our $1000 grocery bill, holy cow, that is a lot of Cheezies, Pringles, and such to buy!
• Michael James points out that he made a couple of really good investments in his investing career when he Compares His Personal Yearly returns to a benchmark, that is one hell of a big bump in the middle of that graph!
• Canadian Capitalist points out that if you Own Foreign Stocks or ETFs You May Need to Add Something to your Taxes, important to read this one over if you might have foreign content.
• Our Financial Kin at My Own Advisor gives us a novel way to save (from the Wealthy Barber) Pay Yourself First – Means bill payment to Us Inc., a nifty way to make sure you pay yourself (first).
• Echo of Boomer and Echo writes something I hope my kids read, How NOT to Move Back in With Your Parents, important for all parents to leave this page open on the computer!
• Miranda at Planting Money Seeds, who seems to be making a go of her writing home business, gives us less successful folks a tip with You Need a Separate Bank Account For Your Home Business.
• Gail Vaz-Oxlade points out the importance of Teaching Your Kids to Save, hope my kids learn this one too (no moving back in with me, please!)
• Preet has sublet his blog to TuskTrader again, who gives us Not all Market News Moves Markets, but RIM’s results might do a bit of that.
• I am never sure who reads this blog, so just in case Sandy from YesIamCheap gives us Nine Tax Deductions That Prostitutes Can Claim, in case there are any finance conscious Ladies of the Evening out there.

Budgetary Quotes for 2012

“The majority of the spending review reductions relate to back office operations of government,”

• Jim Flaherty (we shall see Jim, we shall see)