Category Archives: Alternative Investments

May 10 0 comments
Alternative Investments

The Benefits of Trying Something Different and New

As I wrote in my last post - Mother’s Day Gift Suggestions…, I recently found a new hobby.  I am currently taking some classes on creating beaded jewelry.

Initially, I took the classes because I was in a bit of a funk and sometimes when I find myself feeling a bit blah, I force myself to try something different.  I found that there’s a shop called Moody Beads not too far way from my place that was giving classes for free.  You just pay for the materials you use.  So I called and asked about the schedule, found out roughly how much the materials would cost and signed up.

During the first class we created a charm bracelet. Honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy myself but it was so much fun and I was so proud of what I made that I have since signed up for four more classes.  It is strange, since I hardly wore jewelry and never felt the desire to string anything together. But I am hooked.  Plus I made my mom’s Mother’s Day gift during one of the classes (See picture below) and she loves it.

One Strand Beaded Necklace

As I type this up, I have so far spent $75 on materials for a beaded ring, bracelet and 2 necklaces (Including my mom’s gift).  To me, it is money very well spent as I have acquired new skills, have made new friends and have four beautiful pieces of jewelry to show off (Yes, I wear them).  And needless to say, I am out of my funk all because I tried something different and new.

Care to try out beading?  If you live in the Burnaby/New West, BC area, visit www.moodybeads.ca and check out their workshops.  Or check out the web and find out if there’s a bead shop offering classes in your area.

If you want to try something new other than beading but are not sure what, grab a brochure from your local rec centre or a continuing education flyer from your local school board and see if there are any night classes you might be interested in taking this season.

Want more ideas on what to spend your hard-earned cash and precious time on?  See the Alternative Investments section.

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May 10 0 comments
Alternative Investments

Take a Walk

Shorts season is here, my thighs are still pale and fluffy, and my body is still holding on to some of the turkey fat from last year’s Thanksgiving.  I’m not willing to go on a diet (Haven’t been on a real one since High School) and not really willing to cut down even a little on the Nutella (As I mentioned before, I have the overactive sweet tooth affliction) so it’s time for me to get back to doing some serious walking to get my legs and body into shape.

Yes, I have chosen to go back to practicing this simple exercise for my weight loss plan because it’s easy, I can do it almost anytime and anywhere, and I don’t need any exercise equipment except a decent pair of shoes.  Another reason I chose it is because it’s really practical for me.  I live in the city.  The shopping mall, grocery, movie theatre, library, video store and rec centre are a brisk 20-minute walk away.  I won’t have to schedule a walk into my weekly routine, I simply allow for an extra 40 minutes (the time it will take for me to walk to and from) to do my regular errands.

It’s a very economical way to exercise: no gym membership fees and no special equipment other than shoes.  I can do it during a coffee or lunch break. It’s a great way to de-stress.  Plus if I am feeling lonely, I can do it while chatting with friends.  By the way, there are Meet-Up Walking Groups in many cities in North America that take walks regularly and would be very happy to have new members (See if your city has one here).

I did a little bit of research and found numerous articles on the web stating the health benefits of walking like managing weight, lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and avoiding type 2 diabetes.  I also read that going on walks can improve your mood and mental state.  I found one stating you can improve your brain power by walking (I have listed all the article links at the end of this post).  Also, in my experience, I found that if I have a problem, I can find a solution to it more easily if I take a walk.  I think better when I pace around my living room (In fact, I pace around my living room as I write this article).  I heard from someone that it has to do with the body’s alternating motion between it’s left and right sides that triggers something in the brain’s creativity centre.

Anyhow, that’s it for this post.  It’s time for me to put my plan to work and pick up some soup for dinner and start walking to the grocery store.

To read more about walking, here are some of the articles I found: 

Improve general health:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612 and http://walking.about.com/cs/howtoloseweight/a/walkoffweight.htm

Improve mood:

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/bethisrael/19332840/detail.html

Improve brain power:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/17/eveningnews/main2368898.shtml

See the Alternative Investments section if you want to see what else we consider good investments.

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May 03 0 comments
Affordable Gifts, Alternative Investments, Money and Relationships, Saving Tips

Mother’s Day Gift Suggestions (One with an Ulterior Investment Motive)

Mother’s Day is coming up!  If you have a mom you’d like to thank this special day, why not make her something?  Cook her a nice lunch (I have posted a great recipe for Baked Tofu and Rice today) or make a card.  Yes, MAKE a card.  Even if you think you have no artistic abilities.  I  am a mom of a 17 year-old and I still prefer the stuff he makes me.  His hand-made cards, crafted simply with colored paper and coloured inks, although not the kind you’d find at Hallmark stores, are my favourite presents.  Or if you think a card is not enough for your special mom, try one of the gift ideas in our Affordable Gifts section of this blog.

I love giving and receiving very personalized or hand-made gifts.  To me, it shows that the giver really took the time to think of the recipients and took the time and energy to create something for them.  Also, the gift is likely one of a kind or at least a limited edition.  And another plus is that it’s usually very economical to make something rather than buying an item from the store.

There are two moms I am going to give gifts to this year: my mom and my boyfriend’s mom, Mary.  I made Mary a personalized journal (a store-bought journal on which I pasted an acrylic transfer of a painting of me and boyfriend).   My mom likes jewelry, so I am making her a beaded necklace.

I am going to enjoy making my mom’s gift very much because I will be taking a class in order to create her necklace.  Since I believe in lifelong learning and trying out new things, I consider this class to be an investment.  I will be learning a new skill and have a reason (my mom’s gift) to practice this skill after the class is over.

If you have any other ideas for Mother’s Day or Affordable Gifts, I’d love to hear from you.  Or if you want more info on what I think are Alternative Investments, go to Alternative Investments section of this blog.

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Apr 26 1 comments
Alternative Investments, Money and Relationships

Friends: Cheaper than Psychotherapy

Sometimes my life gets filled with too much work, my to-do lists get crazy, I have too many chores and family obligations that I crash and realize my life is out of balance.  Don’t get me wrong, these episodes don’t occur too often and I do OK for the most part.  But when it does happen I re-evaluate and see where I could use some improvement.

Last time I checked, I found that some things I do better than others: I do fine with exercise but am bad with my food choices (I have a really active sweet tooth), I’ve gained some unwanted pounds and so am working on a healthier diet.  Also, I still take a lot of time for me (My precious alone time, yey!), but found that sometimes I don’t do great with nurturing my friendships.  I decided that this needs to change too! I haven’t been seeing much of my old friends for a while and I have missed them.  How did we get so out of touch?

Around a year ago, I was so focused on saving money for a new business and getting out of debt (my student loans which I’ve had for nine years now) that cash was really tight.  I revised my budget for groceries, rent, loan repayment, education, networking, marketing, entertainment, etc.  But I forgot to allocate time and set aside some money to see friends.  I started declining lunch and dinner invites, drinks and going dancing because of how much it would cost to go out.  That was a big mistake.  All work and very little play made me a dull and stressed-out girl.

I have a loving family that I am very grateful for and I have many nice new acquaintances from the classes I’m constantly taking but I needed more.  I needed to hang out with old friends.  Maybe because my old friends keep me grounded and sane because they help me relax and I can act like a dorky goofball when I’m with them?  It was harder to cope with all the stress of my life without them.

So, lesson learned, I have budgeted time into my schedule to see friends at least once per week (even the ones I have to commute an hour and a half to get to).  Mind you, I will not be going on crazy shopping sprees with my more extravagant friends but I have allocated funds to have lunch or drinks with them even if that means keeping my loans a little bit longer.  I think these people are a treasure and a good investment (cheaper than a psychiatrist) and I’ll hold on to them and nurture our relationships for as long as possible.

Want more ideas on what to spend your hard-earned cash on?  See the Alternative Investments section.  Or how about reading on how money affects our relationships?  Read the Money and Relationships section.

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Mar 01 0 comments
Alternative Investments

YOUR HEALTH AND MONEY

Here is one example of what we consider to be an alternative investment, and the best one we could think of at that: Your health.

Some of us are well aware that taking care of one’s health can equate to big bucks. A Hollywood actor might watch what he eats to look good on screen, an athlete figures that if she’s not in tip-top shape, it might cause her to lose the next competition she enters thus losing millions in endorsement deals.

For the rest of us, it’s not as easy to equate health with money. So we live our daily lives drinking too much coffee, eating unhealthy food, not getting enough exercise, not getting enough sleep, perhaps smoking and binging on alcohol. We don’t think that what we do daily could affect the way we feel and how our bodies work in the future. In fact, we don’t think about our health at all until something goes wrong. And if and when something goes wrong, it could mean big bucks – doctor’s bills, prescription drugs, surgery. We might not just end up paying some or all of the fees but we could potentially lose thousands in lost hours at work. There’s a saying: “If you ain’t got your health you ain’t got nothin’.’” So true.  And you won’t have your money either.

Think of the future you want for yourself and your family. Does that future include good health and affluence? If so, it might be time to change the habits you have today. It’s not easy to change your lifestyle or break bad habits, but you could start small. How about integrating a 30-minute walk during your lunch break or choosing a home prepared meal over fast food. Why not join the yoga trend and take a couple of classes a week at your local community center? Cut back by smoking one less cigarette a day or vow to only drink on weekends for now.

It takes twenty-one consecutive days to create a new habit. Do yourself a favor and do something good for your health for the next twenty-one days. It’s the best investment you can make for your future. 

Want more ideas on what to spend your hard-earned cash and precious time on?  See the Alternative Investments section.

 

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