CRA Leaves the Dark Ages

Posted by Tim Stobbs on October 6, 2009

I really do feel some sympathy towards the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) as they are always the last to add some technology because they have to be absolutely sure they won’t have any problems with it (people are a bit touchy about their taxes).  Yet at the same time they FINALLY just added the option to pay your tax bill online called My Payment.

Gee whiz folks, thanks for finally joining us out of the Dark Ages.  I’ve been filing my returns electronically for years now, but they ‘just’ figured out how online banking works.  But before you all get too excited there are some limitations (big surprise).  Currently you have to bank with Scotiabank, BMO, Royal Bank or TD to use the service.

Yet at the same time I’m fairly thrilled with this idea since now my wife can actually pay her tax bill electronically rather than mailing a cheque each year.  Which should speed things up overall when it comes to getting our tax summaries back from the CRA.  I’ve always found it odd they can issue me a tax refund electronically, but they could never accept payment that way.  Oh well, at least they added it.

So will you be using the new My Payment service or do you always get a refund?

Getting Ready for Cold Weather

Posted by Tim Stobbs on October 5, 2009

Well regardless to my wishes otherwise the temperature outside is starting to creep lower.  So with that in mind I thought I would review a few simple ways to get ready for winter (and hopefully save a bit of money).

1. Invest in weatherstripping and expanding foam insulation. They don’t cost much and they do a great job of stopping leaks in your house which saves your heating bill.  Even if you did it last year keep looking, you are bound to keep finding a few leaks here or there.  I’ve been in my house for three years and I still keep finding spots to seal up.
2. Toss an extra blanket or two on the bed.  Then turn down the heat a bit move overnight.  It’s amazing how well I sleep when I turn down the heat a bit more and I’m saving money.
3. Clean out your eavestrough.  It will prevent ice build up during the late fall and early spring and save you a potential mess you would have to clean up later on (not to mention the potential costs of big ice build up).
4. Put up your LED house lights now.  Save the work of worrying about ice and snow and get it done now.  Also keep an eye out for seasonal promotions for turning in your old lights for LED lights for a discount and then save money with a timer for your lights during Christmas.
5. Invest in a block heater timer.  Again you can often find sales right now so if you don’t have one and live in a cold spot invest and save on your power bill.
6. Load up on the harvest.  Potatoes and squash are cheap right now and last a very long time.  So load up and put them into a cool dry place for storage.  I did this last year and had potatoes and squash for most of the winter at a dirt cheap price.

So what are you doing to get ready for the cold weather?

Wanted: Blogger

Posted by Tim Stobbs on October 2, 2009

So after some careful consideration I’ve realized this blog is going to be taking up more time than I can give to it.  With me taking on a second job (see yesterday’s post) I know I’ll have to cut back on the blog, but at the same time I do like to see five posts a week here if possible.  So I’m looking for a someone to help.

I’m looking for someone to come up with one post a week on any of the following themes of the blog: early retirement, happiness or the environment.  I would also be willing to accept other posts as long as they are mainly personal finance focused (I’m not going to require you to write on those themes, but your posts should fit into the blog overall).  Posts would be submitted one week in advance of publication.  Rate of pay is negotiable and will be paid out via Paypal.  This is a contract position.

If after a period of time the blogger is working out well I would also be willing to consider switching the pay to a % of revenue as pay and handing over a larger portion of the writing work as well.

To apply please submit two sample posts, a resume with your previous writing experience (if any), links to any previously published posts or existing blog and a short summary of why you want to write for this blog to: candian.dream.free.at.45[at]gmail.com or use the contact form link above.  Ideally I would like to have a candidate selected by Oct. 30, 2009.