Canadian Financial Websites & Canadian Financial Blogs

Differences and Similarities Between Canada Personal Finance Websites

First published: ADawnJournal.com Published Date : April 26, 2009

Regular ADJ readers may already know that I maintain another Canadian Personal Finance Web Site along with a few other sites. Today, I am going to describe shortly the differences and similarities between these two sites.

www.adawnjournal.com

1.   1. No fixed posting schedule. Updates are made once or twice a week or none at all some weeks.

2.   Covers various topics in a wide array of subjects.

3.   Content mixing still weighting a little heavier on the financial side.

4.   Contents are more personalized. I try to mix my personal experiences, opinions, and feedback along with articles.

5.   Lots of social media content, such as video clips, pictures, and so on.

6.   It’s a journal encompassing all aspects of life.

www.canadapersonalfinancewebsite.com

1.   Updates are made usually once a week.

2.   Covers only personal finance topics.

3.   No content mixing; you will get only financial articles.

4.   Content is more professionally inclined; I will rarely be talking about personal matters.

5.   Social media content is almost absent.

6.   It’s a global and a Canadian personal finance website written in simple and understandable terms from a Canadian perspective.

Currently, there are three other websites I am actively maintaining: The Green Living Blog, Simple Personal Development, and Entrepreneur Journey. I am also planning to launch two other websites shortly. Most likely, these sites will be launched as Travel Now Simply at www.travelnowsimply.com and Real Estate Expedition at www.realestateexpedition.com

Furthermore, as an Internet entrepreneur, I own many other websites and domains. However, only the sites mentioned here have my name attached to it. Other sites I maintain as an Internet entrepreneur are incognito sites – meaning you will never know who owns it if you happen to come across one of those sites. Here is an example: www.1tourtravel.com. That’s all for today.

Why You Should Not Bury Yourself In Work

Work Should Not Be Your Reason For Living

We all have to work hard at times, in order to meet deadlines or to get something done ahead of time so that we can take the holiday we promised ourselves. For one reason or another, it is simply a fact that it can benefit us to really throw ourselves at work at one time or another. What should be avoided, though, is a tendency to treat work as though it is the goal in itself. Too many people in this day and age approach their work as though it is their reason for living, and it ends up just being something that makes them ill – or worse. Yes, there are times when we have to work hard, but the reasons why we do this need to be the right ones.

If you bury yourself in your work, you could find that one day your work buries you. It has been shown that stress has been a major contributor to a lot of conditions that can be at best very detrimental to one’s health and in many cases fatal. If your job is one that features a lot of competition, tough negotiating and long hours, then the real risk is that you could be pushing yourself towards a heart attack or a nervous breakdown. There are other stress-related conditions too, and it is not only weak people who fall victim to them. You can be as competitive and as go-getting as you like, but when your heart tells you that you have to stop, you have no option but to obey it.

It is unfortunate that so many people find themselves in a position where they simply cannot take a break from their work. It may be that their home situation dictates that they make a certain amount of money every week, and that they would be in a worse position if they worked fewer hours. Even in a situation such as this, it is infinitely preferable to look for other solutions to such a problem. Your health is no respecter of reasons, and it will not listen to words and phrases like “eviction” or “loan repayment”. If you can negotiate a way of keeping out of trouble while working normal hours, then you should.

Too many people work too long and too hard out of a misguided impression that they need to be a hero. It is essential that we recognise that sometimes the bravest thing is to admit we need a break. It is not for nothing that the term “workaholic” was invented. Some people are convinced that they need to be working and that they are useless if they aren’t. A good work ethic is certainly admirable, but a good work ethic is not always to work harder and harder until you cannot push yourself any more. Learning to work smart instead of working hard can benefit your health and allow you to appreciate life more. Let the other people race against themselves to prove whatever they have to prove – you have other things that need your attention too.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Simplepersonaldevelopment.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com. This article originally published on the above website on Sep 5, 2009.

Why You Should Use SCENE Points Now

Massive Scene Devaluation

If you have piled up lots of SCENE Movie Loyalty points offered by Cineplex and Scotiabank, do yourself a favour and use them by April 17, 2019 because Scene is going through a massive devaluation from April 17.

On the Scene website, they don’t mention the word devaluation anywhere and to even find the news, you have to scroll down all the way to the bottom.

You will still be earning 1 free movie for each 10 movies, but earning and redemption rates will change to earning 125 points for each movie (from 100 points) and 1250 points to redeem (from 1250 SCENE).

This means if you have 5000 SCENE points, you can watch 5 movies before April 17. But you will be only watching 4 movies after April 17 with the same 5000 points.

The 2 most popular movie redemption categories that will take heat from the devaluation are the Regular movie (redemption rate will increase from 1000 to 1250) and Enhanced Movie (from 1500 to 2000) sections.

Another category under the Food & Drink Section that will take heat is the Snacks, food & drink category. The earning rate will go down from 10 points for each dollar to 5 points, but the redemption rate will stay the same at $5 off for every 500 points.

These changes may not affect those who just will be watching movies after April 17 and collect fresh SCENE points, but will affect a lot of those who have lots of accumulated SCENE points.

So to make the most out of your SCENE points, redeem them before April 17 and still get your points’ worth.

Watch on YouTube: Got Scene? Do Yourself A Favour & Watch Free Movies Now

Can’t Afford To Buy Physical Real Estate? Buy Internet Real Estate!

How To Buy Internet Real Estate

First Published: ADawnJournal.com Published Date : May 6, 2009

During a recession, property values tend to decrease, and those who can afford it don’t hesitate to grab the opportunity to acquire some nice properties at unbeatable costs. However, buying physical assets may not be a viable option for everyone due to the heavy upfront expenses you need to go through. But how about buying Internet real estate? Is it still possible to grab opportunities that exist due to economic turmoil and buy assets online with very little money and still flourish in the future?

The answer is:  absolutely yes. You see, domains are like virtual real estate that exists only on the web. There are many similarities between domain names and real estate properties: both of them aren’t increasing in quantity any more, we are dealing with the same quantity today as we were twenty or thirty years ago, and due to limited supply, the price has to go up one day. You just need to buy those that will be in demand in the future.

In order to buy domains, you need to know a few things I discussed in this article – How to Make Money from Domain Names. I believe financial crisis opens up opportunities to buy domains which wouldn’t be available otherwise. In a financial meltdown, businesses close down and people lose jobs. As a result, lots of good domains drop out as businesses don’t need them anymore or people just can’t afford to maintain their domain portfolios.

Opportunistic entrepreneurs grab this opportunity to increase their domain buildups. I purchased most of my high-potential domains in the past few months. Also, I hired many programmers to develop a few new web sites. I can do it now because of low hiring costs available due to the current economic crisis. Entrepreneurs should be always on the lookout to use negative circumstances to their advantage and turn them into positive circumstances.

We all hate economic crises like the one we are going through today. The difference between a successful and a failed entrepreneur can be determined by how well you can use this crisis to build a better future. Yes, opportunities even exist in the midst of a crisis.

Phuket - The Pearl of The Andaman

Phuket – The Paradise Island of Thailand

One of the most beautiful places in Asia, and possibly the Eastern Hemisphere, is Phuket. The Island of Phuket is also one of the southern provinces of Thailand and it occupies the entire island. Roughly the size of Singapore, the island is connected to the mainland of Thailand by a bridge. Phuket, while once known for its tin and rubber, is now one of he most popular tourist areas in all of Thailand, getting most of its income from tourism.

Turbulent History

As with most places that had European contact during the Age of Discovery, Phuket is no different. During the 17th century, the Dutch, English and French all arrived at the island to trade with the island thanks to its rich supply of tin. The island was eventually heavily controlled by the French, who were expelled in the 1688 Siamese Revolution. While they attempted to take the island back in 1689, their efforts failed within a few years. Things returned to relative normality for the island for the next century until the Burmese attacked in 1785. After a siege that lasted an entire month, the Burmese retreated. It was thanks to Than Phu Ying and her sister Mook that the attack failed. They were warned by a British East India Company captain that there was an attack coming. Ying, who was the widow of the recently-deceased governor, mustered what forces she could to defend the island. After the siege, both became local heroes and are still remembered to this day with statues on the island. Eventually, in 1933, the island became a province in Thailand, which it remains as to this day.

Amazing Landscapes

It is not hard to see why so many groups wanted this island; it is beautiful. The island has many mountains on it, with the Phuket mountain range running from the south to the north in the western part of the island. While the island is roughly 570 square kilometers, it has a stunning array of landscapes that will keep you exploring for years to come. Roughly 70 percent of the island is covered with mountains, while the remaining 30 percent of the island in the central and eastern areas is flat. The island has no major rivers, but there are nine brooks that provide water to thousands. Forests, along with oil and rubber plantations, cover 60 percent of the island, and sandy beaches can be found on the western coast of the island. Eastern beaches tend to be muddy, but you can still enjoy yourself there. Now, if you want to see one of the most stunning sunsets in the world, you would need to journey to the southern part of the island to see the sun set over the ocean at Brahma’s Cape.

Great Weather

Since Phuket is just north of the equator, it has amazing weather. The average high temperature of the island during the year falls between 29C/84F and 33C/91F. Average lows are what many in the northern hemisphere call highs, with temperatures ranging from 23C/73F to 26C/79F. Between November and April, you can expect things to be pretty dry. When May comes along, the monsoon season begins and rain can be expected from May until October usually.

Since the tin industry has faded to the background on the island, tourism has taken over as the biggest industry in Phuket. While in Phuket, you can expect to see a lot of tourist attractions and tourist centers. Since the 1980s, beaches have become heavily developed to accommodate tourists. This has not been for the bad though, as Fortune Magazine declared Phuket as one of the World’s Top 5 Retirement Destinations. The vast majority of the westerners who live in Phuket are retirees.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on May 8, 2010.