My 2 Golden Rules of Saving

There never seems to be a simple way to save. Life seems unfair sometimes because all the good things happen at once or the other way around. Especially with money. You better be able to cash in on your savings whenever you need the money or even otherwise.

Why save?

We always think savings is for a rainy day. According to me, the whole notion of saving for a rainy day isn't the intention that you must have while saving. It's as simple as "paying yourself first"!

RULE 1: Pay yourself first.
I love this rule.

Make sure, each time you earn money and get a cheque. Pay yourself a little amount and then forget about it. Go about your life. But religiously do this and you will get into a habit of saving. I was always tempted to put the money that remains at the end of a month,  in my savings account and it was rare that I got to doing that. Then I started paying myself religiously first as soon as I received my paycheck.This worked wonders. Its the only way we will get into the discipline of accumulating some money for yourself.
Also remember to not task yourself to save half your paycheck. Not possible for most people I guess. Start with a small step and increase it gradually. Saving is fun, don't stress yourself a lot!

RULE 2: Spend less than you earn

There are 3 ways to spend your money and this results in 3 cause and effect situations.

1. Spending all that you earn. - Results in 0 savings. Dangers - Any sudden expenses, you will fall into Category 2. 

2. Spending more than you earn. - Results in -ve balance. - Any sudden expenses or just normal expenses will make your -ve status more -ve. This is a death hole. Get out as fast as possible. Solution: Spend less or earn more.

3. Spending less than you earn. - Results in +ve balance. Hurray you have savings! Any sudden expenses you will manage. Even if your savings dont cover your sudden expenses, you will get through because you have the discipline of spending less than you earn! 

We work. We Earn. We live. We spend.

Living your life and spending always goes hand in hand. But just remember a simple rule - Spend less than you earn and when you earn, pay yourself first. These 2 rules will get your started in creating your wealth!

Virtually You

The Internet has always amazed me. As most earthlings born in the past few decades and with the literacy to type on a keyboard, the Internet has captivated me in ways I don't even realize.

The book "Virtually You" by Elias Aboujaoude, attracted my attention immediately. Its a well written book and I would also recommend it to parents, to help them know what all can happen on the internet. He clearly describes the effects of an internet associated life with both adults and children. In his career, he meets lots of people who seem to have messed up the real and online worlds. Affairs with people on second-life, Avatars that people create as perfect mates, husbands on their wives infidelity in the online world, kids who seem to enjoy the terrorizing violent games of Warcrafts! It is a screwed up world out there...thats what I felt as I closed the book.

These may seem like abnormal addictions but this is the life for many individuals caught in the web.
I read an article a few days back, where the author describes as to how much we could reduce the use of gadgets daily:
1. Schedule a e-mail viewing time or an Online Time each day. Stick to checking your emails, facebook accounts and all online activities to that 1 or 2 hours.
2. Never keep the iphone or laptop near the place where you sleep.
3. Curb the urge to check emails / facebook news updates every hour. Try to do that once everyday at the Online Time , that you set.

I can't remember the rest. But these 3 points were key. As a step towards this I even got my data subscription off because I just couldn't stop checking the mail and facebooks app every other time my mind was just drifting to the do-nothing idle time. Its working for me, but I still haven't been able to put away my phone in another room as I sleep. Working on that now :-)

Little India

The sound of an Indian language, the sight of Indians , Chats, Indian food , Indian snacks, Indian temples and yes Indian movies!I get plenty of this in Vancouver and sometimes more than what I could ask for. From Priya pickles to Parle G biscuits. Can you believe it , the Indian stores sell Pan Pasand and our 'cool drinks' Fanta!

As I shop in Indian stores, it startles me how much the world has become a global village. As I ponder about this, I am drawn to the weight of something added to my shopping cart. My husband just added a tin of my all time favorite ;a tin of Haldiram Rasagulla's and smiles at me. I smile and reach out to add the Good Day biscuits.As I head towards the billing counter, my eyes search the racks if there is anything I can add, smelling the cloves and cardamom in the spice section. I spot the 'pori urundai' , balls of puffed rice and jaggery that is generally made in South India while celebrating Karthigai, a celebration of lights. I couldn't resist picking a packet. In addition to getting Indian specific food items , there are Tamil Stores, more specific to where I come from. Thanks to the Punjabi's and Sri Lankan Tamils who have made our cuisine so accessible in these parts of the world. As we finish our shopping, we keep the bags of Indian groceries in our Car and head back to the Indian restaurant across the street. This street , a part of a long Street,Main Street , is called Little India in Vancouver. The boards are in Punjabi and Hindi. We walk past merchandise of an array of Indian salwars and Saree's. As I look and feel the happiness of our bright colors , my eyes catch a phrase 'Gol Gappa' in one of the side streets. Indian aunties in Saree's walk past with a bags of groceries. Few feets away a group of Indian elderly men in kurta's gossip and chit chat. I chance upon another shop window with Indian idols, a big statue of Ganapathi and Lakshmi adorn the shelfs. I smile as I glance the names of the shops . Our Indian shop names are so unique to what I see here.They are so Indian and thats what makes them unique. We enter one of the Indian Restaurants and I order my Delhi Chat with kachori's. My husband decides between hot Samosa's and Kachori's.Our order is served and we relish the chaat listening to Bollywood music as we glance across to a television above where  Rani Mukherjee is dancing around Salman Khan!

Do I miss India?! Except for parents and relatives I get pretty much everything. As I finish the chaat and order coffee, I remember the Tamil Nadu famous 'Saravana Bhavan' here on Broadway with their Dosa's , Idli's , Adai's and steamy Chennai coffee.Dosa's and my mind travels to a shop called Dosa Corner where you get so many different kind of dosas! Our recent favourite is 'Dakshin' a restaurant in Surrey. I love their paneer Tikka Masala and Daal Makhni. Their roti's are awesome. My husband loves their Chettinad style delicacies.

After our fill of samosa's and chaat, we pay the bill and walk out with a spoonful of sounf in our mouths.

Food makes you feel so alive and it carries such a personal baggage. Life is good with good food around especially when you are so far away ,across oceans and lands from where it came from! Feels so much in India without the two thousand dollar India ticket.Now, thats a bargain :-)

P.S. Chance upon my food blog which I recently started! http://eatsoulfull.wordpress.com/

The common cold ...achoooo!

"Ahem!Sorry I am sick with common cold. My head feels heavy.Throat feels sour and I keep sneezing with every breadth I take. I feel like all my body parts are going to tangle apart. My tongue is dry and my throat hurts from coughing in between all words I speak and don't speak! No, Im not whining and I'm not cribbing , I'm just sharing my feelings. "

Don't I sound terrible and ya its true, I must be a tough person to handle when I am ill! From memory I just feel like quoting this that we studied in eighth grade:

 From where I caught it found it or came by it 

and such a wantwit sadness it makes of me ,

 that I have much ado to know myself!

-Shakespeare Merchant of Venice beginning lines

These are the first lines from Merchant of Venice and Bassanio/Antonio , Im not sure ,gives this speech that he doesnt know wher he caught this feeling and he is having trouble to find out what he is feeling. This is exactly I feel about this damn virus. From where did it come and especially spoiling my weekend! Anyways blog is a place not just to write about all the things I feel good about. It's also a place where I cant crib and whine. Happy reading my whining.Feeling light as I write this and wait...Achoooooooo!

Have to go!