Should You Give Your Kids An Allowance?

Kid’s Allowance Teaches Money Management

First Published Date : April 13, 2011 ADawnJournal.com

Prelude

An allowance is an amount of money you give to your kids on a regular basis to cover their expenses. Experts have always debated over whether kids should get an allowance or not. One group says giving an allowance teaches kids nothing and it might even ruin their finances in the future. Another group says an allowance teaches children money management skills (through responsibility and discipline) and prepares them to better handle their finances in the future. I believe in allowances and if used properly, it can be a great tool to teach your kids finances at an early age. Today, I will present my perspective and will provide you some tips on this debated topic.

Why Kids Should Get An Allowance?

Responsible parents look after the family and meet its members’ needs. An allowance helps to meets family members’ needs. An allowance is an example of parents’ responsibility. A lesson kids are practically observing right here – responsibility.

An allowance nurtures the children’s ability to think and act independently. Don’t expect them to always spend their allowance properly. The objective here is to make mistakes and teach them to correct themselves as they go along.

Once kids have their allowance in their hands, it tells them something very important – money is not unlimited. This reinforces the idea that they have to spend it wisely (i.e., it teaches how to best make choices between many things) once they know that each time they spend on something, they will have less than they did before. You will see a significant reduction in their “I want this” items. This is how kids learn the concept of “discipline” and “money is limited.”

At What Age Should Kids Get An Allowance?

Kids start showing coin recognition and interest in basic money concepts as early as four. Depending on your kids’ interest and your comfort level, parents can start giving an allowance as early as age three to five.

How Much Allowance Should Kids Get?

There is a common approach on deciding an allowance – a weekly allowance representing a total amount equal to $1 for every year for age. For example, a four year old would get $4 every week.

However, I think this basic approach will not work in most situations as there are many other allowance deciding factors coming into play. You should consider the following factors when deciding on an allowance:

·    Your Income – Only you know what you can afford to give and what you can’t.

·    Your Kid’s Age – As they grow bigger, the allowance amount should increase as well to cover additional cost kids need to handle every year.

·    What The Allowance Should Cover – Be clear on what it should cover and what not, and then add all expenditures to check if this allowance amount is realistic enough. A good way to do this is to make a list of all items you think their allowance should cover and discuss it with your kids; this ensures that no important items are missing and that your children are kept involved in the process.

·    Where Do You Live? – You may want to consider the neighbourhood you live in when deciding an allowance amount. Do you think a kid living in Red Lake should get the same allowance as a kid living in Toronto? I would keep this is mind while making a decision.

Allowances and Chores Should Not Be Tied

It is not recommended to link allowances and regular household chores. Chores are regular family responsibilities and should not be tied with allowances. However, kids can get paid for special projects for which you would normally seek outside help such as cleaning the backyard, painting jobs, etc.

Keep Clothing Allowance Separate

You may find some type of allowances, such as clothing allowances or book allowances, are not easy to blend into regular allowances. An easy way to handle this is to keep these separate. For example, give your children a clothing allowance in the winter for winter clothing, give them money to buy books when the needs arise, and so on.

Do Not Give an Allowance without Proper Guidelines

The basic purpose of giving an allowance is to teach kids money management skills. If you just throw some money at your kids without proper guidelines, instead of teaching them money management skills, it will teach them indiscipline and bad money management skills. Always give the allowance with proper guidance – show them how to spend it and break it down into small pieces, such as 10% should go to the piggy bank, 10% for a science magazine, 10% for charity, and so on.

Last Word

Money skills are not taught in school. Giving an allowance in a responsible way can open up endless possibilities to teach kids money skills and financial responsibility, and the lifetime results are immeasurable.

Taipei to Toronto - Eva Air Business Class Flight Review | Travel Blog

Eva Air Business Class BR 36 – Taipei to Toronto

Singapore to Toronto via Taipei Dec 20, 2018

After visiting the Infinity Lounge TPE airport, I headed to the aircraft. Eva Air business calls their business class Royal Business Class. There is no 1st class on this Boeing 777-300ER.

Inside the Business Class Cabin

Like my other Eva Air business class flights, this one had same configuration as 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone layout. All lie-flat seats offer direct aisle access. My seat was next to the window.

The Amenity Kit

The Amenity Kit was made by high-quality German manufacturer RIMOWA. It was a nice ,red hard-shell box wrapped in a red fabric jacket. Inside were the usual goodies, such as compression socks, eye mask, lotion, comb, toothpaste, toothbrush, and many other items. This Amenity Kit was one of the best ones I have had.

Also, there was a full sleeping wear set provided by designer brand APUJAN and it was of high quality.

Food & Drinks

Because it was a long flight (13H, 50M), there were several meals and in-between snacks  served throughout the flight. Some of the items I ate were:

- Smoked Salmon with Sesame with Zucchini Slice

- Cajun Spiced Scallop Topped with Shrimp Roes

- Garden Vegetable Salad

- Grilled USDA Prime Beef Fillet with Garlic and Anchovy Sauce

- Ice Cream

- Coke, Coffee and Tea many times

The food was unparalleled and EVA AIR Business Class was one of the best airlines when it comes to food.

The Washroom

The washrooms were extremely clean, well maintained, and flawless. So far, all my EVA Flight experiences were the same.

Entertainment System

There were fairly recent movies and TV shows, but I didn’t watch anything for long. Eva Air does not provide free Wi-Fi in business.

Final Thoughts

This flight had a night mode feature on the ceiling, like my Toronto to Taipei flight, creating stars in the night sky. When it was dark outside, this feature kept the inside alive by creating space-like environment and I enjoyed it all night.

I have had a few other EVA Air business class flights and they were consistent in terms of excellent service and satisfaction. So far, I have not found any flaws or anything to complain about on any of their flights, and I will be looking forward to experiencing EVA AIR again in the future.

HSBC Declines Internet Entrepreneurship Bank Account

My First Business Decision to Open an HSBC Business Direct Account Turned Out To Be a Wrong One

First Published Date : April 25, 2011 ADawnJournal.com

I have incorporated my Internet Activities in December, 2010. All my websites and domains are now under my new corporation A Dawn Dot Net Corp. – a Canadian federally incorporated business entity. How long does it take to federally incorporate a business in Canada? You will be surprised to know that it took me only slightly more than 24 hours to start my new corporation. How long does it take you to open a business account in Canada? Well, it all depends on which bank you pick. My first business decision choosing HSBC Canada to open my business account turned out to be a bad decision and became a nightmare. After leaving me hanging for 3 weeks, they told me that they would have to decline my application as they did not know what Internet Entrepreneurship was because they never dealt with this type of business before. Today, I will give you some insights into how my first wrong business decision to open a free HSBC Business Direct Account caused pain and agony.

Week 1

I walked into an HSBC branch located on 1940 Eglinton Avenue East in Toronto to apply for a Business Direct account. I was told by the branch that for this account I had to apply online and the branch was unable to provide me any help. So, I returned home and applied online. I was told on the confirmation email that I should hear from an HSBC Business Banking representative within 1 business day. However, 3 or 4 days passed and I did not receive any emails or calls from anyone regarding my application status. Finally, I ended up calling their business customer service. The business banking representative was friendly and apologized for not getting back to me. He interviewed me intensely regarding Internet entrepreneurship. I had to explain to him what a domain is, how we make money from ads on websites, the various faces of Internet entrepreneurship and much more. I had to show him a few of my websites and after a long conversation he seemed to be satisfied. He mentioned that I should be hearing from someone at the branch to visit and produce my corporate documents once my account is approved and that it should not take more than 2-3 days. A point worth mentioning is that I received a bankcard from HSBC in the mail even without even having my bank account approved.

Week 2

About 5 days passed and so far I did not receive any calls or emails from anyone. My Cuba trip was approaching, so I decided to call HSBC business customer service again. To my surprise, this rep asked me the same questions I was asked by the first rep. So I had to explain everything to him all over again. It was like a job interview. I was getting a little agitated. However, he apologized for the delay and mentioned that it should not take more than 2-3 days to get an answer. I mentioned to him that I would be in Cuba for a week. He assured me that I should have an answer before I return.

Week 3

Upon returning from Cuba, I checked my email and Canada Post mail box for any correspondence from HSBC. There was nothing. No rejection notice, no acceptance notice, no nothing. I called their business banking number again. This time, I summarized what happened so far so he did not have to start interviewing me again on Internet entrepreneurship. After listening to me, he mentioned that HSBC never dealt with business bank accounts for Internet entrepreneurship before and they are unable to issue a business bank account. I should be receiving a formal rejection letter within the next few days from HSBC. This rejection letter came to me after 2 weeks, not after a few days. And the funny thing is, although they declined opening an account for me, I still have been receiving a statement every month from HSBC. Their one department keeps issuing a monthly statement not knowing that other department declined my account. I am attaching a copy of this statement on top left of this post.

Final Word

I wasted all of December trying to open a bank account with HSBC Bank Canada. When I went to RBC Royal Bank to open a business account, they managed to do that in one day. I regretted going to HSBC the first time. HSBC claims to be “The World’s Local Bank.” However, they are far from providing world-class service to be considered the world’s local bank.

How to Choose A Place to Retire

Choosing A Place To Retire

First Published Published Date : May 4, 2011 ADawnJournal.com

When you are approaching retirement age, there is a chance that you will want to move. This is often because your family has probably moved away, your kids are out and you may want to have some change of scenery. If you live where it snows, you may also want to spend the rest of your days in a nice warm location like Florida.

Of course, when you are choosing a new place, or state, to move to in your retirement, it is important you choose right. Choosing wrong could make your retirement anything but enjoyable and you could find your money slipping away because you made the wrong choice for the place you are going to spend your golden years.

To help you make the right decision, here is are some things to keep in mind for your retirement.

1.    Climate: You want to be in a place where the temperature and weather is normal so you don’t have to worry about severe storms, shovelling snow and more.

2.    Economics: You want to live in a place where the cost of living is normal, the tax burden is minor and there is not a high amount of unemployment, just in case you wanted a part-time job to supplement your income.

3.    Life Expectancy: You want to live in a state that has a high amount of people living well into their old age.

4.    Crime: You want to feel secure, so moving to a place with a high crime rate is probably not something you want to do. You want to find a place where there is little crime so you can feel safe in your golden years.

So, what are the best and worst places to retire? Well, according to TopRetirements.com, these are the choices you have in the USA:

The worst states are (2010 edition):

50. Illinois

49. California

48. New York

47. Rhode Island

46. New Jersey

45. Ohio

44. Wisconsin

43. Massachusetts

42. Connecticut

41. Nevada

The reason Illinois is the worst state is because it does not have a high amount of economic action going on and it has had to borrow money just to fund the pension obligations of the state. That is not a good sign. In addition, there is no security income or tax pension, which is something many retirees rely upon heavily.

The best states are(2010 edition):

1. Florida

2. North Carolina

3. Tennessee

4. South Carolina

5. California

6. Arizona

7. Texas

8. Colorado

9. Oregon

10. Delaware

Florida has the warmest winters in the United States, there is no income tax and there is a high amount of property tax protection, which is very important for retirees.

You will also notice that on both lists, you have California, this is because the best list was based on visits to the state retirement guide of TopRetirements.com, while the other list is based on certain criteria. The biggest plus for California though was the climate.

So, where are you going to retire to spend your golden years?

How To Get Free Internet (No Kidding)

Get Free Hi-Speed Internet for Your Home and Save $50 or More per Month

First Published: May 11, 2011 ADawnJournal.com

Is This A Trick To Make Me Read Your Article?

The purpose of this article is not to trick you to read it by giving unrealistic tips such as going to an Internet cafe or Wi-Fi hotspot zone and sit there all day long to have free Internet access; or not to give you an even more nonsense tip such as drive around the neighbourhood to find an unsecure Internet network and sit in front of that house in your car with your laptop to have free Internet access (and oh yes, don’t forget to keep an eye out for police cruisers).

The purpose of this article is to give you enough information to have free Internet at home and at outside – without paying for a separate Internet connection. I will tell you what you need to save around $50 per month, and I will also tell you what you can do to overcome some technological limitations – if you are not a tech savvy person. However, after learning about all the tips and tricks, just like anything else, some of you may not want to go through the pain and hassle (if you think it that way) to save $50 a month – and that is perfectly understandable. However, I will tell you this that I have been using free Internet and saving $50 a month for 4 months now since I discontinued my regular Internet service in January 2011.

What You Must Need To Have Free Internet

Here is what you must need to have this work for you:

An Android smart phone (same procedure mentioned here should work for other smart phones; however, I use Android and am only familiar with Android)

A phone plan with unlimited data. In Canada, Mobilicity and Wind Mobile offer unlimited data plan.

A tethering app or software

A USB/micro USB cable

What Is Tethering?

Tethering is the process in which you use your smart phone to get Internet access for your laptop or desktop. Your smart phone and your computer can be connected via USB cable or wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection.

How Do I Actually Connect My Smart Phone and Computer To Get Free Internet Access?

The way I do it, and this is the easiest way to tether with an older version of the Android operating system, is to use a USB cable and very user-friendly tethering application such as Easy Tether.

Here are the steps in order:

You need to install tethering software on your computer and smart phone. There are many available on Android market so you can pick the one that suits your needs. I use Easy Tether.

Connect your computer and smart phone via a cable.

You may need to change some settings on your phone. The tethering software’s website will tell you what settings need to be changed and it should not be that complicated.

What If I Am Not Tech-Savvy Enough To Do It On My Own?

Tethering is not hard to do; however, I realise that some of you may not be able to do it. What can you do in that case? Find someone else to do it for you. If you know a high school kid who is on the Internet 24/7 in your neighbourhood or even in your home, most likely this kid will be able to do it for you.

Another easy way to find someone is to check cell phone stores. The folks who works there are usually very tech-savvy and they can do it for you in a snap. One geeky guy at my phone store did a lot of work for me when I first bought my smart phone, as I had even no idea how to pick up a call on a smart phone. As a token of appreciation, I gave him some cigars upon returning home from Cuba. This is the guy who also taught me how to tether. One point here – don’t expect someone to work for free for you. Offer them money and they will be happy to go the extra mile for you and it is only fair. For example, offer someone $100 to set up tethering for you and I can almost tell you with certainty that this will be an offer someone won’t be able to refuse. Don’t worry about spending $100 when you will be saving $50+ a month on a regular basis.

Technology Makes Life Easier

In newer versions of Android phones, you will not have to go through setting up tethering and so on to enjoy free Internet. Google has added built-in tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality so you can tether easily or use your smart phone as a high-speed wireless modem to share an Internet connection among many computers.

The Last Word

My smart phone does not support Wi-Fi hotspot functionality – so I am limited to have Internet only on one computer at a time. I am hoping to get a new version of the Android phone shortly so I can have Internet on all my computers at the same time. And yes, with the money I am saving after disconnecting my regular Internet – which comes out to be about $600 annually (12 X $50), I can afford to buy a new phone shortly.