The Outlier Model

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Updates: April 29 – May 5

Brian / May 5th, 2012 / 1 Comment

This week’s update is coming to you live from the Surrey City Centre Library! As CF mentioned earlier in the week, she is volunteering as a human book today. Being the supportive guy I am, I made the trek out for a day of adventure in Surrey. I haven’t been here since the new mall was finished and with the amount of development going on (the library is new and gorgeous) it’s a very...

Posted in: Weekly Updates Tagged with: cost of living, post secondary, surrey city centre, tuition, university, volunteering

Avoid lifestyle inflation

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CF / May 3rd, 2012 / 5 Comments

When you’re used to following a certain budget, getting extra money can seem like an easy bonus – it doesn’t form part of your budget so it’s okay to spend it away. After all, if you’ve taken care of you bills and your savings, everything else is gravy right? But that’s where it is easy to fall into the trap of lifestyle inflation. Suddenly that extra bit...

Posted in: Money Tagged with: avoid lifestyle inflation, Emergency fund, irregular expenses, new job, save money, spontaneity fund

Being a volunteer

CF / May 1st, 2012 / 10 Comments

I’m pretty notorious for being anti-charity, for the most part. I am very suspicious of the amount of money spent on converting donor dollars to recipient works and cynical about the salaries of administrators and fundraising campaigns. But I do believe in giving back to others. How do I make it work? Well, I try to focus on what I can do to have a direct impact on others. I would...

Posted in: Career and Work Tagged with: Avalon Country Fair, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, extra income, mystery shopping, Vancouver Aquarium, volunteering

Updates: April 22 – 28

CF / April 28th, 2012 / 10 Comments

My two year adventure (ordeal?) is over! Last Friday, I wrote my last exam for the second degree program that I was completing. This past weekend, I’ve been doing absolutely nothing. It has been glorious. However, I’m also already starting to feel a little disgusted with my idleness. Time to move on to new projects! There are a few things that Brian and I hope to accomplish over the...

Posted in: Weekly Updates Tagged with: budgeting, early retirement, gardening, tax return