Penny Daddy - Wealth Building through Living, Saving and Investing

Friday, January 29, 2016

Baby Car Seat - Diono Radian RXT

After lots of research, this is the one concluded by wife. It deals with all 3 stages for the infant.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Crazy House Sale - Toronto Real Estate Story

In my North York area - there was a detached house that was bought in 2015 for ~$776,500.

Under heavy renovations and relisted for sale at end of Jan 2016 - listing price of $1.2M with immediate for sale price of $1.35M.

The auction finished today and sold for ..... $1.35M.

Difference = $570k. WOW

Notes about the renovation:

Redid 4 bathrooms and flooring with new kitchen electronics
They didn't provide the washer and driver for some reason ...
new floors with new base boards (seems like something i can do myself)
New paint job and outlet switches to white
The kitchen tiles were spotty since they didn't use the spacers x to tile it probably ... (my negative note)

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Book Review - Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I found a copy of this book and started reading it leisurely.

Some of the main points I found are:

Assets => generate money for you
Liabilities => take money for you

If you use this logic, car and home would be liabilities!

It’s the differentiator between his “poor” dad (his real dad), and the “rich” dad that helped him understand business and become wealthy.

The rich don’t work for money
The importance of financial literacy
Minding your own business
Taxes and corporations
The rich invent money
The need to work to learn and not to work for money

Monday, January 18, 2016

Credit Cards - Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card (2/16/2016)

A new potential credit card coming to the markets is:

Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card

Benefits:

no annual fee

Deposited directly back onto your Credit Card to apply towards your balance, or into a Tangerine Savings Account, each month automatically.

2% Money-Back Rewards on your purchases in select 2% Money-Back Categories

Grocery

Furniture

Eating Places

Hotel-Motel

Recurring Bill Payments

Drug Store

Home Improvement

Entertainment

Public Transportation and Parking

1% Money-Back Rewards on all other purchases

1.5% Foreign Conversion Fee – one of the lowest in market (Amazon.ca Visa card is better …)

Retailer Cash Back Definitions:

Costco => 1% Cash Back
Walmart Superstores => 2%
Regular Walmart => 1%

Update: 2/16/2016

Got the card today in the mail
You can either pick 2 or 3 categories for cash back for the 2%

2 categories with the money going back into your credit account
3 categories with the money going back into your new/existing tangerine savings account

I picked Grocery, Eating Places, Gas

Source of Information:

https://www.tangerine.ca/en/spending/creditcard/index.html

Credit Cards - What do I use (as of 1/18/2016)?

Listed below are my current credit cards:

MBNA Smart Cash Card (MasterCard)

2% on Gas and Grocery Purchases (it went down from 3%)
1% on everything else
Cash out at every $50 bucks
Comments:

I try to make sure all the gas and grocery spending is normally done on this card to maximize returns.

President Choice MasterCard

Earned 20,000 PC points, which equals $20 in free groceries. Or redeem higher amounts in further increments of 10,000 PC points (which is equivalent to a further $10 in rewards).
10 points = 1 dollar spent => 1% back
I would probably cancel this card soon!

Capital One Aspire Cash (MasterCard) (this is no longer available, it's only 1%)

1.5% Cash back on everything

The 0.5% bonus comes at the end of the year (anniversary of when you signed up) as a lump sum

Cash out anytime
Comments:

This is my go to card for everything else other than gas and grocery

Amazon.ca Visa Card

Get a $20 Amazon.ca Gift Certificate instantly upon credit card approval
Earn 2% cash back per $1 spent on Amazon.ca

Earn 1% cash back per $1 spent everywhere else your card is accepted

No Foreign Currency Transaction Fees

No annual fee

Friday, January 15, 2016

Budget - Incomes and Expenses Categories

To help start my 2016 goal to understand where my spending is going in the previous years. I have build this initial list:

Income

Paycheck
Predictable bonus
Expense reimbursements
Investment

Rental income
Interest earned (on accounts, loans to others)
Dividends and capital gains

Misc.

Lottery / gambling winnings
Purchase refund

Expenses

Automobile

Gasoline
Maintenance
Registration fees
Auto loan payment

Bank Charges

Check orders
Service fees
Insufficient funds fee
Minimum balance fee
ATM fees

Charity
Childcare

Babysitting
Child support

Clothing
Credit Card Fees

Annual fee
Finance charge
Over the limit fee
Minimum usage fee
Cash advance fee
Late fee
Rewards programs
Monthly payment

Education

Tuition
Books
School supplies
Field trips
Misc. fees
Student loan payment

Events

Wedding
Moving

Food

Groceries
Dining out
Vending machines
Coffee house

Gifts

Birthday
Wedding / Wedding shower
Baby shower
Holiday
Anniversary
Just because

Healthcare

Dental
Vision
Physician
Hospital
Prescriptions
Over the counter medication
Vitamins

Household

Rent / Mortgage payment
Homeowner’s association dues
Furniture
Supplies
Decorating
Tools
Home maintenance and repair
Home improvement

Insurance

Automobile
Health
Life
Disability
Long term care
Roadside assistance

Job expenses

Reimbursed
Clothing
Professional dues

Leisure (daily / non-vacation)

Books
Magazines
Movie theater
Video rental / Pay per view
Sporting events
Sporting goods

Hobbies

Cultural events
CD’s
Video games
Toys
Tourist attractions

Loans

Loan Payment
Finance charge / Interest
Late fee

Pet Care

Food
Supplies
Veterinarian

Savings

Retirement
Investments
Emergency fund
Reserve funds

Taxes

Federal
Provincial
Local

Utilities

Water
Sewer
Electricity
Gas
Television
Telephone / Cell phone
Internet service
Garbage and recycling

Vacation

Day trips
Transportation
Lodging
Entertainment

Income

Paycheck
Predictable bonus
Expense reimbursements
Investment
- Rental income
- Interest earned (on accounts, loans to others)
- Dividends and capital gains
Misc.
- Lottery / gambling winnings
- Federal / state / local tax refund
- Purchase refund

Expenses

Automobile
- Gasoline
- Maintenance
- Registration fees
- Auto loan payment
Bank Charges
- Check orders
- Service fees
- Insufficient funds fee
- Minimum balance fee
- ATM fees
Charity
Childcare
- Babysitting
- Child support
Clothing
Credit Card Fees
- Annual fee
- Finance charge
- Over the limit fee
- Minimum usage fee
- Cash advance fee
- Late fee
- Rewards programs
- Monthly payment
Education
- Tuition
- Books
- School supplies
- Field trips
- Misc. fees
- Student loan payment
Events
- Wedding
- Moving
Food
- Groceries
- Dining out
- Vending machines
- Coffee house
Gifts
- Birthday
- Wedding / Wedding shower
- Baby shower
- Holiday
- Anniversary
- Just because
Healthcare
- Dental
- Vision
- Physician
- Hospital
- Prescriptions
- Over the counter medication
- Vitamins
Household
- Rent / Mortgage payment
- Homeowner’s association dues
- Furniture
- Supplies
- Decorating
- Tools
- Home maintenance and repair
- Home improvement
Insurance
- Automobile
- Health
- Life
- Disability
- Long term care
- Roadside assistance
Job expenses
- Reimbursed
- Clothing
- Professional dues
Leisure (daily / non-vacation)
- Books
- Magazines
- Movie theater
- Video rental / Pay per view
- Sporting events
- Sporting goods
Hobbies
- Cultural events (e.g. parades, carnivals, etc.)
- CD’s
- Video games
- Toys
- Tourist attractions (e.g. amusement parks, museums, zoos, etc.)
Loans
- Loan Payment
- Finance charge / Interest
- Late fee
Pet Care
- Food
- Supplies
- Veterinarian
Savings
- Retirement
- Investments
- Emergency fund
- Reserve funds (to set aside for planned expenses)
Taxes
- Federal
- State
- Local
Utilities
- Water
- Sewer
- Electricity
- Gas
- Television (e.g. cable, satellite, etc.)
- Telephone / Cell phone
- Internet service
- Garbage and recycling
Vacation
- Day trips
- Transportation
- Lodging
- Entertainment

- See more at: http://thefinancegeek.com/budgeting/budgeting-categories/#sthash.qBMvrQdR.dpuf

Income

Paycheck
Predictable bonus
Expense reimbursements
Investment
- Rental income
- Interest earned (on accounts, loans to others)
- Dividends and capital gains
Misc.
- Lottery / gambling winnings
- Federal / state / local tax refund
- Purchase refund

Expenses

Automobile
- Gasoline
- Maintenance
- Registration fees
- Auto loan payment
Bank Charges
- Check orders
- Service fees
- Insufficient funds fee
- Minimum balance fee
- ATM fees
Charity
Childcare
- Babysitting
- Child support
Clothing
Credit Card Fees
- Annual fee
- Finance charge
- Over the limit fee
- Minimum usage fee
- Cash advance fee
- Late fee
- Rewards programs
- Monthly payment
Education
- Tuition
- Books
- School supplies
- Field trips
- Misc. fees
- Student loan payment
Events
- Wedding
- Moving
Food
- Groceries
- Dining out
- Vending machines
- Coffee house
Gifts
- Birthday
- Wedding / Wedding shower
- Baby shower
- Holiday
- Anniversary
- Just because
Healthcare
- Dental
- Vision
- Physician
- Hospital
- Prescriptions
- Over the counter medication
- Vitamins
Household
- Rent / Mortgage payment
- Homeowner’s association dues
- Furniture
- Supplies
- Decorating
- Tools
- Home maintenance and repair
- Home improvement
Insurance
- Automobile
- Health
- Life
- Disability
- Long term care
- Roadside assistance
Job expenses
- Reimbursed
- Clothing
- Professional dues
Leisure (daily / non-vacation)
- Books
- Magazines
- Movie theater
- Video rental / Pay per view
- Sporting events
- Sporting goods
Hobbies
- Cultural events (e.g. parades, carnivals, etc.)
- CD’s
- Video games
- Toys
- Tourist attractions (e.g. amusement parks, museums, zoos, etc.)
Loans
- Loan Payment
- Finance charge / Interest
- Late fee
Pet Care
- Food
- Supplies
- Veterinarian
Savings
- Retirement
- Investments
- Emergency fund
- Reserve funds (to set aside for planned expenses)
Taxes
- Federal
- State
- Local
Utilities
- Water
- Sewer
- Electricity
- Gas
- Television (e.g. cable, satellite, etc.)
- Telephone / Cell phone
- Internet service
- Garbage and recycling
Vacation
- Day trips
- Transportation
- Lodging
- Entertainment

- See more at: http://thefinancegeek.com/budgeting/budgeting-categories/#sthash.qBMvrQdR.dpuf

Food - Kefir? What is that?

I have seen Kefir in the supermarkets and normally ignored them. Spoke to a few of my work colleagues and found out that they have been taking a lot of home made kefir products to keep their immune systems up. They say it works miracles on keeping them healthy when they are close to being sick.

When you have kids, you are share the love and the sickness too...

What is Kefir?

A sour-tasting drink make from cow's milk fermented with certain bacteria.
Made from Milk Kefir grains mixed with milk (that has lactose - milk sugar) to allow the bacteria strains to grow.
Can buy Kefir milk products from supermarkets and the cost is about 3.8 to 5 dollars for 1 L bottle

What are Milk Kefir Grains?

Milk kefir grains are a combination of live bacteria and yeasts that exist in a symbiotic matrix on a surface of a complex polysaccharide with a casein core. Kefir grain make-up can vary depending on culturing location and conditions, resulting in a highly variable community of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts.

Following is a list of bacteria and yeast strains found to comprise kefir grains from different regions and through 2 different scientific studies.* The strains listed may include numerous subspecies and variants.

Bacteria Strains Common to Milk Kefir Grains
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus brevis
Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis
Lactobacillus helveticus
Lactobacillus keﬁranofaciens subsp. keﬁranofaciens
Lactobacillus keﬁri
Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei
Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Lactobacillus sake
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
Lactococcus lactis
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides
Pseudomonas
Pseudomonas fluorescens
Pseudomonas putida
Streptococcus thermophilus
Yeast Strains Common to Milk Kefir Grains
Candida humilis
Kazachstania unispora
Kazachstania exigua
Kluyveromyces siamensis
Kluyveromyces lactis
Kluyveromyces marxianus
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces martiniae
Saccharomyces unisporus

Source Material: Link

Friday, January 29, 2016

Baby Car Seat - Diono Radian RXT

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Crazy House Sale - Toronto Real Estate Story

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Book Review - Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Monday, January 18, 2016

Credit Cards - Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card (2/16/2016)

Credit Cards - What do I use (as of 1/18/2016)?

Friday, January 15, 2016

Budget - Incomes and Expenses Categories

Income

Expenses

Income

Expenses

Food - Kefir? What is that?

Bacteria Strains Common to Milk Kefir Grains

Yeast Strains Common to Milk Kefir Grains