# Sinking



## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

Hello,

I feel like I am sinking ever deeper into a financial hole with no way out. Here is my current situtation:

-I am in a 24 month lease, not even one year in. My rent is $779.00 per month for my 1 bedroom apartment. That is a rental incentive price, otherwise I would be paying $919.00 or more.
-I lost the decent paying job that I had when I got my apartment. Now I earn $12.00 per hour over 34 hours a week.
-My credit card is almost maxed out at around $800.00.
-I had to borrow money from my friend while waiting for EI. I currently owe him $800.00.
-I have about $1235.00 to my name right now with rent due on Sunday.
-I plan to pay my friend $400.00 tomorrow and then struggle through until payday on Jan 7th.
-I have no education and I am finding it extremely difficult to land a better paying job.
-I live alone.
-I have 4 years of income tax returns to do up, and I plan to tackle them shortly. Hopefully I can do them myself so I can get the full returns plus GST cheques.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks


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## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

Sorry to hear, if your lease agreement or landlord allow it you could try subletting the apartment, even if it means subsidising a bit. That's all I can think of. Long term, you need to find gainful employment, and never sign another lease without at least 6 months worth of rent in savings. If you don't mind me asking, what was your previous job? Could you have seen your discharge coming? Going by your credit limit, I'm assuming this is one of your first jobs... you always have to be careful what you commit yourself to, a 24 month lease sounds like you were pretty serious.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

First, you may live alone........but you are not alone.

A lot of people are finding themselves in a similar position.

Some suggestions..........

1) Move back home if possible.
2) Find someone to share the apartment and costs.
3) Contact Ontario Works.......they may provide temporary assistance.
4) Enquire at the local communty college or private training school about the "Second Chance" program, which provides retraining and will pay living expenses up to 28,000
5)Look for opportunities to work for cash.


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

Not sure what Province you're living in. I've included a link to the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Act: Tenants Frequently asked Questions.

http://www.ontariotenants.ca/law/law.phtml

Read this section (about 1/3 way down the page): 

*LEAVING YOUR APARTMENT:*
Q3: Can I end my lease early? And do I have to give notice of termination?

They suggest the best way to get out of a Lease is by finding a 'suitable' Tenant willing to take over the Lease.

In Ontario, the Landlord cannot "... arbitrarily or unreasonably refuse consent to an assignment of a rental unit to a potential assignee under clause ...". The following link shows you what the proper, legal process is for notifying your Landlord of your intention to find a suitable tenant, and what to do if the Landlord refuses:

http://www.ontariotenants.ca/law/act06.phtml#RTA95-4

Read the section on: *Refusal or non-response*

There are also other options provided in the first link above. However I think in your situation, the one I've suggested above should be considered, but only if you have an alternative living arrangement lined up when you leave your apartment.

Familiarize yourself with the Landlord and Tenants Act in your Province.

If you decide to stay in the apartment, get a roommate. At $12 per hour, 34 hours per week, I'm assuming your monthly take-home pay is at least $1300. I know it's not easy getting by on that wage, however it can be done for a short while until you get a better job, or go back to school with some assistance money from the Government.

Good luck!


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

linux i sincerely hope & trust that the new year will bring you better times.

there are some ace suggestions in sags' message above. I don't know that moving back home will solve the rent issue unless you can find a sublet ... although subsidizing the sublet to a certain extent while living back home could work.

finding a roommate could work. Signing up for training could work. I like that suggestion about Second Chance, are you able to check this out.

baby steps are good when times get challenging. Just accomplishing one baby step makes all the others feel less daunting.

one last thing. You mention you "have no education," yet you write beautifully. There are graduate students in graduate schools all over the country with far less command of the language than you have.

very best wishes for 2012.


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## hystat (Jun 18, 2010)

you don't say how old you are, but if I assume 20 something, 34 hours / week shouldn't be that tiring. 
I would have looked for a second job when I was young. I always worked 50 to 60 hours/ week in my 20s


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Although this is extreme, I would suggest the following if you're serious about getting your "stuff" together:

1. Look for a second job with all of your spare time. No procrastinating or wasting time. Time is money.

2. You need to be cheap. Not frugal. Cheap. You can only afford to drink water. When you buy groceries, I highly suggest half your list is Mr. Noodles for $0.35 a package. If you are overweight, this is the time to kill two birds with one stone. Lose weight and save money. Don't buy foods that cost money. If you are young, don't worry too much about your health. Eating poorly for a couple months won't kill ya.

3. You cannot go out. At all. Anywhere. You can't afford it. Not even one dollar of entertainment.

4. I know you borrowed money from your friend, but maybe ask your friend if you can pay him/her less. Here's why: The interest on your credit card is accumulating. It would make more sense for you to pay off your credit card first and then tell your friend you will give them a 5% interest payment on top of that $800. Your credit card is probably around 12-20%. But, I know these situations with friends can be sticky....... so you'll have to decide. It depends on how close you are with this friend and how comfortable both of you are with this suggestion

5. If you can't move back home, I would place an advertisement on Kijiji or Craiglist for a room mate. Yes, it's going to suck, but you can probably find someone that will sleep in the living room for a few hundred bucks a month, and if you're working a second job, you won't ever see them. 

6. Make your own second job. Offer up services. Not sure where you live, as people have mentioned, but the winter season is here. I used to shovel driveways for $5/pop. The trick is to find an "elderly area" or go to houses that look like people are too busy or old to get it done. Older people will gladly pay ya $5 to do the driveway, and if you can do 3 driveways in 1 hour, thats $15 cash money per hour. Way better than making $12 taxed at your current job. I used to do this years ago. It sucked, but it's a quick way to make some cash. The key is to realize that you can't be greedy. You need to go below the line in order to make extra cash, because your credit card is cutting off your circulation, along with your rent. If someone doesn't want to pay you $5 to shovel, well, you've already wasted 5 minutes going up to their door and asking, so tell them you'll do it for $2. They more than likely won't say no, and when they realize you really need the money and you are trying your hardest to make it work - they will be glad to give you the original $5 you asked for. JUST TRY IT. It works. 

As I said, my suggestions are extreme, but they will work.

Good luck to you, in everything that you do. Happy new year!


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## blin10 (Jun 27, 2011)

get a second job as everyone says... it will suck but try to save up some cash so you don't need to borrow or use credit cards any more.... 800 of credit card is not too bad, some people have 20-30g's maxed out, now that would suck


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

good post *KaeJS* except for #2


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

zylon said:


> good post *KaeJS* except for #2


Awesome picture lol.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Now, now, I said only _half_ his grocery list should be Mr. Noodles.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

What was the cause for losing your good previous job?Is it in the private sector?If you lost your job because of events that were not tied to performance ect is it possiable to go talk to your former employer?That might not be ''dead" yet.

New yr ahead and your old employer might be re jigging things and maybe you can work your way back into the fold?Depending of course on what happened and everything.


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## DrMatt (Dec 11, 2011)

zylon said:


> good post *KaeJS* except for #2


Priceless


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

Good advice KaeJS and nice follow-up by Zyon and would agree. 

Noodles are good - Mr Noodles not so much. Sodium is almost 1000mg per package. Recommended daily amount is around 1500mg. Besides pasta in bulk is less expensive and can be done up quite nicely. Don't forget to get some balanced protein!


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

KaeJS said:


> Although this is extreme, I would suggest the following if you're serious about getting your "stuff" together:
> 
> 1. Look for a second job with all of your spare time. No procrastinating or wasting time. Time is money.
> 
> ...


K
very, i mean very great advices.
for i youngling u will be way better off than anyone on this board if u really mean what u said above.
i am an immigrant and arrived in this country with my family with 4 suitcases and some cash .
worked very, very odd jobs.
if one really needs they will clean toilets to make a living.
damn glad to meet someone young like you online.
for the original poster, u should have stayed at home and earned income.
independence is not a free lunch, at the same time i am very sorry to hear ur situation but you are young and this country offers everything for u to get an education.
u should get one.
without education u go nowhere imo.
GLTY anyway, and start doing what u do want to do to get out of ur situation.
if u were older or ill then things would be different.


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## londoncalling (Sep 17, 2011)

There may be many reasons for the OP not to return to home which I will not go into as they should be obvious. As others have said, cutting spending and seeking more/better employment is your first best option regardless of your situation. I commend your courage to reach out for help. Many others would just wallow in their sorrows and ride the welfare train. As others have posted pay down your debt, increase your income and savings, and fix your rental situation. Once those are taken care of get assistance to improve your level of education. An education is a necessity for advancement in this era. Keep the faith. I have been in a similar situation where I was unable to work for a long period and maxed out my credit lines and cards as well as borrowed from others. It has taken many years to dig myself out of that hole but trust me it can be done. Best wishes! Remember that there are people here that can listen and offer some possible solutions. Most importantly believe in your self.

Lastly, cut your spending but not at risk to your health. maybe only 20-25% grocery budget on Mr. Noodles  there are many ways to get a balanced diet cheaply and somewhat tasty without all the sodium.


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

londoncalling said:


> Lastly, cut your spending but not at risk to your health. maybe only 20-25% grocery budget on Mr. Noodles  there are many ways to get a balanced diet cheaply and somewhat tasty without all the sodium.


Work at a restaurant . Free food and good money .


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

londoncalling said:


> Lastly, cut your spending but not at risk to your health. maybe only 20-25% grocery budget on Mr. Noodles  there are many ways to get a balanced diet cheaply and somewhat tasty without all the sodium.


I agree. Our grocery store has a bin for fruits and vegetables that are a few days old (bananas starting to turn colour). This stuff is typically 1/2 price. Great way to eat healthily on a tight budget.

I would be interested to see their budget, and where the money is being allocated. Even with $800 rent, that should still leave around $500 for food, transportation, etc.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I had never even heard of a 24 month lease, I thought 12 months was the max? Why would anyone sign that?


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

Sherlock said:


> I had never even heard of a 24 month lease, I thought 12 months was the max? Why would anyone sign that?


good point man .
i remember leasing way back then for 12 months


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## slacker (Mar 8, 2010)

Maybe a touchy subject, taking advantage of the foodbank may be an option if you are truly in need.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

If you need help getting the taxes done I can give you some help with that.


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

You need to keep your tax filing up to date, I have the same issue with my kid he waits until there is a problem.
The GST rebate will help also where I live medical premium assistance is based on tax filing. 

Find a cheaper place to live and tell the person holding the lease sorry I can't do this any longer. In my province you can only be held for one month's rent.
If needed find an older person to help you talk.
My wife has had much experience having to step in and speak for our kids.
What people think they can get away with dealing with younger people verses someone older is night & day.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

Yeah, he should tell his mommy on his landlord, great idea.


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

Sherlock said:


> Yeah, he should tell his mommy on his landlord, great idea.



Your ignorance about the real world is showing.


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## slacker (Mar 8, 2010)

Here is a song, hopefully will cheer you up. 

http://www.zefrank.com/chillout/


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

*zylon*

Just wanted to let you know that I am now using my gravestone picture that you so finely crafted as the wallpaper on my iPhone.

Thank you for the constant chuckle. Haha!


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

marina628 said:


> If you need help getting the taxes done I can give you some help with that.


Wow! That is good of you. Kudos


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*KaeJS*

Glad you have a sense of humour.

Use it in good health


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## Guigz (Oct 28, 2010)

newbie said:


> K
> very, i mean very great advices.
> for i youngling u will be way better off than anyone on this board if u really mean what u said above.
> i am an immigrant and arrived in this country with my family with 4 suitcases and some cash .
> ...


In order to preserve the quality of the posts on this forum, I would propose that we make efforts to create intelligible sentences in proper English. 

Re-reading a post before pressing "Submit Reply" can often make the difference between a valuable contribution to the forum and gibberish.

This only takes a few minutes and really helps to preserve the quality of the advice that is provided.

Thank you for taking the time to make this place even better.

To the OP: 

I would not like to be in your situation. Definitely try to get a second job and a roommate. For the time being, nothing should be below you. 

You may want to look for things that you own that you could sell to make some cash on the side (e.g., TVs, computers, laptops, cell phones).

You do not need ANY services except heating and electricity. Cancel all your extra services. You can use internet or a computer at the library and skype if you need to call or receive a call.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

_
" Make your own second job. Offer up services. Not sure where you live, as people have mentioned, but the winter season is here. I used to shovel driveways for $5/pop. The trick is to find an "elderly area" or go to houses that look like people are too busy or old to get it done. Older people will gladly pay ya $5 to do the driveway, and if you can do 3 driveways in 1 hour, thats $15 cash money per hour ... If someone doesn't want to pay you $5 to shovel, well, you've already wasted 5 minutes going up to their door and asking, so tell them you'll do it for $2. They more than likely won't say no, and when they realize you really need the money and you are trying your hardest to make it work - they will be glad to give you the original $5 you asked for. JUST TRY IT. It works. "_

i love this from kaeJS. If a teen or 20-something rang my doorbell & offered to shovel my drive & maybe i refused at first, like because i have a regular snow-removal contractor who's already been paid for the whole season but who hasn't showed up yet,

& if that 20-something then said he'd lost his job & needed $$ real bad so he'd be willing to shovel for $2, then for sure i'd hire him for $5 or whatever his original price had been, even if my regular snow-removal guys would arrive an hour later & get all the benefit.

you can do this, sinking. There's a 20-something in my neighbourhood who washes windows. It's not the season - need warmer weather - but come march/april he's booked up.

ps $5 for a driveway is not enuf. Five is a small city sidewalk. Ten or more is a driveway depending on the size.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I don't know, shoveling driveways and things like that is not gonna provide any significant income, I think it would be better to focus the effort on getting a higher paying job.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

sherlock it's an emergency. He needs a cash bridge for a couple of months until he can move to cheaper living quarters & sign off the expensive apartment.

shovelling snow is more than the current job pays - that was 12/hr i recall - plus it's all cash, no deductions. Good enough for a couple months.

next priority should be the education. The OP writes well, clearly is trainable for better jobs. Sags as i mentioned offers excellent suggestions upthread.


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## kaleb0 (Apr 26, 2011)

I sincerely don't mean this to sound negative but I think this situation is a textbook reminder of why it's so important to have an emergency fund and to be living _below_ one's means in the first place -when we _do_ have decent employment - so that we can more easily get through a sticky situation like this.

With that said, I think everyone in this thread has offered a lot of good advise, I might also add that perhaps you could try asking your co-workers if you can take over some of their hours at your job, especially if any of them have super-early or later shifts that might only require you staying later or coming in early while they enjoy some extra 'relax time'. This would of course also depend on if your company would let you come in in place of someone else, etc. but it's worth a shot.

You could even put a poster up in the company cafe - "Are you looking for extra time off? I'll work your hours!" etc.

Good luck!!!!


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## Mall Guy (Sep 14, 2011)

kaleb0 said:


> I sincerely don't mean this to sound negative but I think this situation is a textbook reminder of why it's so important to have an emergency fund and to be living _below_ one's means in the first place -when we _do_ have decent employment - so that we can more easily get through a sticky situation like this.


Kind of a "prepare for war in times of piece". 

As for shoveling snow, washing windows, mowing lawns . . . I know of a gentleman, immigrated to Canada with "nothing", learned to do drywall, and is now one of the largest private landlord's in Canada. In fact . . . I know several very similar stories, but not all were drywallers. Just saying, get enough driveways to shovel, you get to buy a snow-blower, clean more driveways, and suddenly you need to hire other people to help . . . think outside the box . . . what are you good at doing . . . do it, and keep doing more. And always add to your education!

BTW, where did OP go as I wish him well and all success in 2012! Class act for Marina628 to make such an offer!


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Its not ideal and not something you would want to do long term but im thinking of a few things you could look into that are high chances of extra employment for extra income.

-Paper route?early mourning.
-fast food restaturant(late shift)mcd/tim hortons ect(im sure these companies struggle for these shifts)
-Blue collar entry jobs that are a challenge from a employers perspective-junior for a moving company,gas jockey,stock person at supermarkets ie:safeway ect.
-Cleaning companies(late shift)hospitals,government buildings,offices ect(probably always looking)....Target low level entry jobs that have high turnover.
-Door to door rep for plan canada
-Telemarketing jobs
-pizza/chinese delivery boy
-sign holder for companies on intersections

You just want to find something fast to get back in the swing.

And if i were you why not go back home and live temporary if you can?There is no shame in it.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

OP: I'm sorry to hear that you're in a jam, and hope that 2012 is much better. The fact that you recognize there's a problem, and are trying to get out of it is hopeful. In the big scheme of things, the amount of your debt, and everything is not the end of the world, and with some creative hard work, I'm sure you'll be able to get out of it.

You've already been given some good suggestions. I know when my spouse was laid off 3 weeks after our second child was born, right after Christmas, and I was on mat leave, facing a potential lay off when I returned, it was really stressful. We were down to about 19% of our regular income, and did some extreme measures to make sure we were able to weather it through.


Here are my random thoughts (I hope there are few things that can help):

There is no job or task that you should be too proud to do, as long as it it's legal and not immoral. We both went from six figure incomes, and turning down job offers weekly, to nothing. 

Some things we did were -
Mystery shopping
On Line surveys
Yard work
Watching other kids
Delivering flyers
Retail
Focus groups
Telemarketing
Fixing computers/tech support
Selling items on ebay/kijiji

Some of these only paid a few dollars (on line surveys), but I was able to do it on my own time in the middle of the night. We did whatever could to make a few extra dollars, and between everything was able to bring more than $1000 sometimes $2000 month. 

I would also be looking at additional training programs, and a better job.

Cut out anything unessential that won't have longer term implications -
Cancel/change your phone, tv, internet, cell phone
Call for reductions in your insurance.
See if you can find a sublet, or a roommate. You should take the living room, and let the other person have the bedroom. 
Don't drive unless absolutely necessary, and then see if you can combine trips
If you smoke, drink, eat out, all of this must stop. 

For food, I have to disagree partially with the Mr Noodle or instant noodles. I do think that you can eat healthy without resorting to this at about the same price, with much higher nutritional value. I initially went with cheap low quality foods for me (though I did not ever buy instant noodle), and kept the good stuff for my kids, I found I felt awful, and gained weight. With some changes, I was able make healthy foods from scratch. I bought only on sale, and made batches of food from scratch, and then froze them for meals. Use ziploc bags if you don't have money for container. Nothing went to waste, I used the peelings from vegetables to make broth, and scrapes of leftovers went into a freezer bag to make soups later. There are lots of things you can do here. I was able to make my meals on average for about $1.50 per portion. 

I also checked flyers and coupon sites really quickly before going out to shop. I was often able to save up to 40% on my groceries.

Check out to see if you have a local good food box, it's a local coop to buy cheap fruits and veggies. We have one in my city that I still use, because it's a great deal. You can get up to 40lbs of fruits and veggies for $25 (at least in my city), and it was high quality. They had options for single people for something like $15 for 20lbs of fruits and veggies.

See what services your city offers. I was surprise at all the programs they had to help save people money, including meal preparation, activities, etc. 


Also, I may be in the minority, but even though your loan from your friend is at interest free, I would make sure I pay that off first, unless he says it's alright to wait a bit. Even though it sucks to be paying high interest rates, once you get back on your feet, your debt will be over. Your good will, reputation, and integrity would be much harder to get back if you become one of those people who don't pay back those who helped them out while in need. 



Despite how difficult it may seem, this IS temporary and you will get out of it. Don't make rash decisions that impact your long term future. I know it seems like this will be overwhelming to do everything, but the harder you work now, the faster you'll get out of it.

Also, if post what you're spending money on, perhaps people here can come up with more tailored suggestions.


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

LinuxMint said:


> -I have no education and I am finding it extremely difficult to land a better paying job.
> -I live alone.
> 
> 
> ...


Get an education, in 10 years you will be sorry you didn't take the step when you had your chance. Living alone means you will qualify for all kinds of student loans and grants, take advantage of it. See what your strengths are and figure out what you should study to get a well paying job you can live with, it can be university, college or trade, just do it. 

Good news you are realizing the issues before you get really deep in poop.

All the best.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

kaleb0 said:


> I sincerely don't mean this to sound negative but I think this situation is a textbook reminder of why it's so important to have an emergency fund and to be living _below_ one's means in the first place -when we _do_ have decent employment - so that we can more easily get through a sticky situation like this.


The problem is that if you are just starting out at the bottom rung of the ladder - these things are practically impossible.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Biggest payoff in the shortest time period right now is probably that four years of unfiled taxes, presuming the OP will get the GST credit and any other refundable tax credits (i.e., Ontario rent credit), plus any tax refunds.


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## slacker (Mar 8, 2010)

MoneyGal said:


> Biggest payoff in the shortest time period right now is probably that four years of unfiled taxes, presuming the OP will get the GST credit and any other refundable tax credits (i.e., Ontario rent credit), plus any tax refunds.


Once upon a time, I shamefully left 5 years of tax return unfiled. Until the CRA sent me an angry letter demanding that I start filing my taxes.

I did, and they sent me a cheque of of almost $20k. That was before my financially responsible days.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I think most of us have been where the OP is now and a few words of encouragement will go a long way.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

I'm not sure whether you are saying that what's been posted so far is helpful, or not helpful, as you didn't add any words of encouragement yourself, Marina. 

If the OP has tax questions, I think lots of people here have shown their willingness to answer tax questions as they arise. 

I was just reading one of my favourite (but controversial) bloggers, Penelope Trunk, and she has this to say about living below your means:

_Austerity is not fun. But you can call it something trendy, like minimalism or slow food. Your ability to manage your life will be nil if you are ruled by financial problems. So that means no big house, no expensive car, no huge vacations. You need control over your life more than you need that stuff. You have more career flexibility, more time flexibility, and more personal flexibility if you can keep your expenses way below what you earn._

Now, that advice isn't necessarily helpful for the OP, but that attitude has been a helpful frame for my own life - and it is my (spoken or unspoken) retort any time anyone suggests that people can postpone saving or that frugality is overrated.


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## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

*MoneyGal*

The paragraph you quoted is *perfect*!

I'll have to google P.T.

Thanks for posting


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Moneygal I was referring to the nice posts and words of encouragement many has said here.He has been given much sound advise and probably if he did his taxes he will have the funds he needs anyway.
As a landlord I admire the fact he is trying to honor his lease and his word to his friend to repay the debt on time.$12 per hour is probably better than EI so hopefully after a few weeks he will catch up on his debt.I agree he should try for a 2nd job ,even a few hours a week minimum wage will make a difference.


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## hboy43 (May 10, 2009)

hi:

I think that if the OP lives in Ontario, a lease for 2 years would not be enforcable, so if the year is up you are free to walk away. Am I wrong?

I also agree that food can be a source of economizing. First thing I do at the grocery store is check the discount stuff. 

hboy43


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

hboy43 said:


> hi:
> 
> I think that if the OP lives in Ontario, a lease for 2 years would not be enforcable, so if the year is up you are free to walk away. Am I wrong?
> 
> ...


where did the OP go>
so many people pitched in and no signs of the OP.
interesting


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

^ Hopefully read this thread and started looking for a job.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

Guigz said:


> In order to preserve the quality of the posts on this forum, I would propose that we make efforts to create intelligible sentences in proper English.
> 
> Re-reading a post before pressing "Submit Reply" can often make the difference between a valuable contribution to the forum and gibberish.
> 
> ...


I'm a bit late with this comment, but I just now read this thread, and I must say that I found the above comment extremely unkind and arrogant. The person to whom Guigz is addressing his comment stated that he is an immigrnat to Canada; I assume from his written English that he had little or no English before he came here, but he's learning and he is at least trying, which is more than many immigrants in my part of the country do. Since I speak no other language but English, I would not presume to criticize someone who is working hard to learn another language. And I might add that I had no trouble understanding what he was saying; if you did, Guigz, then I would assume that it's because you didn't want to - it's easier to criticize.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

humble_pie said:


> sherlock it's an emergency. He needs a cash bridge for a couple of months until he can move to cheaper living quarters & sign off the expensive apartment.
> 
> shovelling snow is more than the current job pays - that was 12/hr i recall - plus it's all cash, no deductions. Good enough for a couple months.
> 
> next priority should be the education. The OP writes well, clearly is trainable for better jobs. Sags as i mentioned offers excellent suggestions upthread.


Pie, you realize you're advising our OP to evade taxes, right?

Shovelling snow is fine, when it snows. It would have been a hungry month in Toronto if that had been your plan for the last month.


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## Guigz (Oct 28, 2010)

@Karen

For the record, the comment was addressed at newbie, not the OP. Have a look at his many previous posts and you will see what I mean.

The fact that a person is immigrant or not has nothing to do with what I describe. The problem is not the English, it's the textese. 

"u no wht i mn?"

This is hard to read and provides little content.

PS: English is not my first language either. Maybe this came out unkindly, and for that, I apologize.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

Yes I agree the textese is harder to read, I have to go over it a few times before I know what he means. Wouldn't bother me if it's done once in a while but when the entire post is like that it's difficult to read.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

andrewf said:


> Pie, you realize you're advising our OP to evade taxes, right?


Cmon, who pays taxes on snow shoveling money? I don't think the government expects money made on things like that to be taxed.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

[shrug] It isn't tax evasion unless it's taxable income. I suspect "the government" expects people earning money $2 at a time to be babysitters and teenagers with paper routes, not adults. 

My babysitters report their income, not because it's taxable (it isn't) but because I claim the childcare deduction for it and that income is recorded in their names on *my* tax return. But we're talking 13-year-old girls, here. 

But earning cash income doesn't necessarily equal tax evasion. It's only evasion when the income isn't reported on a tax return.


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

Sherlock said:


> Yes I agree the textese is harder to read, I have to go over it a few times before I know what he means. Wouldn't bother me if it's done once in a while but when the entire post is like that it's difficult to read.


Agree, there is a value in newbie's posts, but usually I just don't read them, I just can't be bothered trying to decode them, usually get lost after second line and ignore the rest.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

newbie said:


> where did the OP go


OP wrote on Dec.31st; perhaps he has no internet at home and wrote from a friend's place or the library, in which case, he would not be able to reply until after the holidays.

1 year leases are the standard, but LinuxMint said he has a 'rental incentive price', so I'm wondering if a 2 year lease was required to get that price.  If not & it's not legal, perhaps he can break the lease with no consequence. 

Regarding the taxes, LinuxMint, you may want to check these links for free services:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/vlntr/clncs/on-eng.html

http://www.drtax.ca/en/UFile/tips-and-tools/UFilefreefiling.aspx

I agree with HP, LinuxMint does not sound uneducated at all, and indeed writes very well. 

*Zylon: post #9*  [KaeJS, you reminded me of my uni. years with those noodles & I'm still alive & well].


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Quick txt is a by-product of technology,fast paced world,instant communication,low effort.....and i hate to say it but seems to be in vouge.

Its a generational shift....i bet in 25 yrs because of the world moving to devices and growing up early using them...and them being the choice to use instead of human contact this form of txt speak is here to stay.

Our english langugage looking back 100 yrs from now will look different....everything is word play/different form ect.

U knw wht i mean,how can it b any other way lol....welcome 2 the 21st century move over oxford dic.......think of how proper and ridgid the writing of shakesphere looks....samething will happen i bet....tech word play-maybe im wrong thou(gh).kk coo(l).....i know educated people use tech slang.....does nobody else notice this?the rules are different on devices it seems.My 2cs


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

donald said:


> U knw wht i mean,how can it b any other way lol....welcome 2 the 21st century move over oxford dic.......think of how proper and ridgid the writing of shakesphere looks....samething will happen i bet....tech word play-maybe im wrong thou(gh).kk coo(l).....i know educated people use tech slang.....does nobody else notice this?the rules are different on devices it seems.My 2cs


That's way too long 

U knw wht i mean, hw cn it b n e othr way lol.... welcm 2 the 21 century mve ovr xfrd dic.........

Who need vowels?
Gotta be honest, I don't even bother reading posts that aren't articulated at least semi-properly. 
If it's a lack of language skills, that's okay, I can tolerate it. But it's often just laziness or an attempt to portray a certain persona.

I have no problem with certain abbreviations in an email or text, but if you're writing a paragraph in a forum, write it properly. 

Newbie, as much useful and interesting information as you may have, I cannot and will not read anything you write because of your writing style.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

There are [native] people that have terrible grammar/are recent and not so recent immigrants/post from phones/have limited time to stay online, etc., etc. & as this is a public/free forum after all, as long as I understand the text, I'm not bothered by any of it. If I don't understand, I either don't read or ask for clarification if I'm interested, but I'm surely not going to lecture anyone's writing as I'm not the forum's teacher. I have bigger issues to worry about than how people write on a forum. As well, there are different age groups here, so I don't expect a 20 year old to write same as a 40, 50, 70 year old.

Having said the above, I love proper English and would not mind a grammar thread. 

You're right Donald, times have changed, do I like it? Not necessarily, but c'est la vie!

http://www.squidoo.com/new-words-added-to-dictionary

brb.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

^ totally agree. 

Everyone's writing style is very different. I find that when I do post, I am often doing it between other things that I am working on, so may miss words, and have typos. Even when I do reread it (which I usually don't have time for), I miss it, because I actually type like I speak (fast). If I'm typing on my IPad, then it's game over, because I can't figure out how it keeps changing my words and stuff.

If people don't want to read my posts that fine. I really try to look past the actually typing, and see what the message is saying. To me that's the real value of this forum. If I want proper grammer and spelling, and everything else, I will continue with my formal education.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Plugging Along said:


> grammer


grammar.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

*lol* at least this time I didn't put gramma. 

This is another reason I will not critisize on someone elses gramma (or grampa), or anything language related. I make up words all the time.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I have some younger friends on facebook and in real life(mainly guys who work for me)when they text me or i read whats comming off there facebook posts its clear to me text speak is different and its the norm.

_Hey don wht tyme u picing me up 2morrow?shld i bring robert?I cant get a hld of him rite now because i dont knw where he is tnite but im sure he will b ard.

-ill pick you up @ 7 and ill call robert....see you tommorow.

-kk coo.(this means ok and cool)

This is the way 16-21 yr old txt each other....and they talk like this through all the popular tech avenues ie:fb,i-phone,netflix...and any all tech.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I cant figure out what bugs me more about 21 yr old guys there txt speak or the way they talk to adults/superiors.lol

When i worked for my old boss he would tell me to show up @ 7(end of story....it wasnt open ended dialogue)

I noticed when i deal with 21yr olds in the work force they talk to me like were both "down" with each other and were equally.....thats off topic thou.

Every time i gave this guy instructions(over the phone) everything was kk...cool....yo... guess im getting older and dont get it lol.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

lol... I think you're getting older... me too (I'm older than you). I figure this is how my kids will probably 'speak' too. The funny thing is, that my neice and nephew are 21 & 23, and they are very considerate in writing properly to us older folk.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Pa,lol....ya im getting older(32,noticed my sideburns are showning a touch of grey already damn it)lol.

Tmi....woot made the dic wow....wonder what half of those words are...bromance...wth is that word?Nice link Tgurl.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Homerhomer said:


> Agree, there is a value in newbie's posts, but usually I just don't read them, I just can't be bothered trying to decode them, usually get lost after second line and ignore the rest.


+1 I just skip his/her posts.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

I guess I will write in full words. I am surprised that no one mentioned dumpster diving. This is how most bottles and cans get recycled in West Van. And occasionally, a rare find can be sold on ebay or craiglist for much profit. It would be great right now because the haul includes NY eve. Plus pizza and McDs dumpsters often contain food. Not weather dependent and only requires inexpensive bags.

(You can see I have given some thought to my worst case scenario  )


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Dumpster diving for McD's or pizza is beyond a worst scenario. I would have to say, I don't like eating at some of those places when it didn't come from a garbage. 

I do have to admit that I save all my bottles and containers from work, and bring them home to recycle. Our friend was looking to buy a TV, and had a bet with someone that he would get it through raising funds from bottles. All of our friends gave him our empties, and it only took 18 months for him to pay for his big screen using bottles.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

Maybe all your experience is with uneducated young people?


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

Homerhomer said:


> Agree, there is a value in newbie's posts, but usually I just don't read them, I just can't be bothered trying to decode them, usually get lost after second line and ignore the rest.





Guigz said:


> @Karen
> 
> For the record, the comment was addressed at newbie, not the OP. Have a look at his many previous posts and you will see what I mean.
> 
> ...


i will be very honest with both of u
i am really not interested if u guys understand my english.
actually i was just waiting for someone to criticize my spelling.
as if spelling makes money for anyone.
and i do nt care if u read my posts or not.
if u both knew as many languages fluently as i know i would be impressed, but that is another topic.
actually from the get go i was pushed around by two"senior" members here .
as per my few posts to the original OP, i think he should do what i said based on my life experience, which i assure you is much more extensive than yours .


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## londoncalling (Sep 17, 2011)

kcowan said:


> I guess I will write in full words. I am surprised that no one mentioned dumpster diving. This is how most bottles and cans get recycled in West Van. And occasionally, a rare find can be sold on ebay or craiglist for much profit. It would be great right now because the haul includes NY eve. Plus pizza and McDs dumpsters often contain food. Not weather dependent and only requires inexpensive bags.
> 
> (You can see I have given some thought to my worst case scenario  )


I personally know a couple of individuals who dumpster dive.  They don't do their grocery shopping or eating out in this manner but they have shown me some of the things that our society throws away mostly out of laziness and the need to "keep up with the Jones's" . Treasures include working aplliances such as blenders, TV's, AC's power tools. Other items include hand tools, garden tools, picture frames, bottles, cans, end and coffee tables.

Another person I know frequents the Walmarts, Home Depots and Zellers of our city. He has amassed several new but slightly damaged BBQ's lawn mowers and power tools over the last few years. It can be quite a lucrative business if one is able to get there before the rest of the divers. 

I think the OP could seek out this revenue stream but would only use it for a food supply as a last resort. It seems to me that our OP is not at that emergency state yet and if things go well they may not need to go to this extreme.


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

Karen said:


> I'm a bit late with this comment, but I just now read this thread, and I must say that I found the above comment extremely unkind and arrogant. The person to whom Guigz is addressing his comment stated that he is an immigrnat to Canada; I assume from his written English that he had little or no English before he came here, but he's learning and he is at least trying, which is more than many immigrants in my part of the country do. Since I speak no other language but English, I would not presume to criticize someone who is working hard to learn another language. And I might add that I had no trouble understanding what he was saying; if you did, Guigz, then I would assume that it's because you didn't want to - it's easier to criticize.


thank you for the post Karen.
and i am glad that u understood my postings.
i hope you do benefit from some of them .
good luck in ur endeavours


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## Guigz (Oct 28, 2010)

newbie said:


> i will be very honest with both of u
> i am really not interested if u guys understand my english.
> and i do nt care if u read my posts or not.
> if u both knew as many languages fluently as i know i would be impressed, but that is another topic.
> ...


Are you really bragging about how many languages you can speak fluently?

Is there an ignore button/list? Maybe this could be an interesting feature to add to this forum. 

------------

I am not sure I would recommend dumpster diving as a source of income. 

Unless you have a truck and the necessary space, you would need to invest some money in getting needed equipment.


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

Guigz said:


> Are you really bragging about how many languages you can speak fluently?
> 
> Is there an ignore button/list? Maybe this could be an interesting feature to add to this forum.
> 
> ...


ha 
the ignore button.
u want me to teach u how to find it
and u r here since 2010?
no i am not bragging anything to u my friend.
i am actually making an affirmation to u.
u know what i find most interesting in canada?
is the small talk, even online like here.
where is the OP?
in the meantime everybody has an opinion for him.
mine was very simple .
work ur butt off to make a living


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## Guigz (Oct 28, 2010)

The reason I did not know where the ignore list was is because I did not need to use it until now.

If anybody else is looking, from the FAQ:

"Can I block posts, emails and messages from specific users?

If there are particular members that bother you and you do not want to see their posts or receive Private Messages and Emails from them, then you can add these members to your 'Ignore List'. There are several ways to do this:

Through your User Control Panel: User CP, Settings & Options, Edit Ignore List. Then, click on their name and choose: User List, Add to Ignore List"


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

Guigz said:


> Nevermind, found it:
> 
> From the FAQ:
> 
> ...


taht a boy guigz
now ur free from me lol
and i will ask again where is the OP?


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

newbie said:


> i will be very honest with both of u
> i am really not interested if u guys understand my english.
> actually i was just waiting for someone to criticize my spelling.
> as if spelling makes money for anyone.
> ...


Many people require the ability to write English properly for their employment. Try to get a reasonable job with a resume written in textese.

You think we should be impressed by the number of languages in which you are fluent. You have yet to demonstrate fluency in even one.

Finally, you write here because you want other people to read and understand what you write. It is not too much to ask to put some degree of effort into it.


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

andrewf said:


> Many people require the ability to write English properly for their employment. Try to get a reasonable job with a resume written in textese.
> 
> You think we should be impressed by the number of languages in which you are fluent. You have yet to demonstrate fluency in even one.
> 
> Finally, you write here because you want other people to read and understand what you write. It is not too much to ask to put some degree of effort into it.


ha
another one to criticize lol.
i love criticism , specially towards immigrants.
do u have any idea as to how many illiterate canadians i know by now?
look u dont like it add to ignore also.
today i am bored cuz it is a holyday otherwise u think i would be wasting my time here?


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

newbie said:


> ha
> another one to criticize lol.
> i love criticism , specially towards immigrants.
> do u have any idea as to how many illiterate canadians i know by now?
> ...


You clearly *can* write properly, you're just choosing not to. It just takes away from your message when you don't. I'm sure you have a lot of worthwhile advice and points to make, and it seems like you're an experienced trader with some valuable insight, but when you write in the way that you do, people either won't take you seriously or will ignore you outright.

I'm sure you don't care if you're ignored here, it's not going to change your life. But why bother posting if you do so in a way that makes it difficult or too time consuming for others to read?


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

newbie said:


> if u both knew as many languages fluently as i know i would be impressed, but that is another topic.
> 
> what i said based on my life experience, which i assure you is much more extensive than yours .


How do you know my life experiences, or how many languages I speak ;-)



newbie said:


> ha
> 
> i love criticism , specially towards immigrants.
> ?


Why do you love criticism toward immigrants? He is not addressing immigrants in the first place so why bring it up.

U right lots crap, y dont u wnt ppl to undstd som ofit, bing ignornt isnt gd 4 u, u act like u r all tat and u thing ppl will take u srsly ;-)

Get it?


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## buaya (Jan 7, 2011)

newbie said:


> ha
> another one to criticize lol.
> i love criticism , specially towards immigrants.
> do u have any idea as to how many illiterate canadians i know by now?
> ...


Newbie, a lot of us here are immigrants too. My first language is not English, but I do make an effort to write better English. Certainly there are as many illiterate Canadians as there are illiterate immigrants, but being illiterate is not the same as being ignorant.
You mention the ability to speak different languages. I am not sure which languages you speak, but if you are a linguist, you will certainly learn and appreciate the differences and nuances in languages that make them unique. 
Your inability to accept and appreciate the comments/criticisms about your writing style make me feel that you think that you are far superior to everyone here especially the "illiterate Canadians" who are not as hard working as you, an immigrant, who came, conquered and out to show these "illiterate Canadians" that they are "nobodies" who do not know what they are talking about.
You can now put "ME" on your ignore list.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

newbie said:


> K
> very, i mean very great advices.
> for i youngling u will be way better off than anyone on this board if u really mean what u said above.
> i am an immigrant and arrived in this country with my family with 4 suitcases and some cash .
> ...


This thread isn't about newbie, is it? 

Anyway, I am quoting newbie's post that apparently started all the criticism, and frankly, what is there not to understand? 

'GLTY' = good luck to you. Or was it perhaps 'youngling' that people did not understand?

Let us remember the purpose of this thread.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

buaya said:


> You can now put "ME" on your ignore list.


I realize I'm hijacking this thread like many of you have done and I apologize for that, but Buaya, I would just like to point out to you that you have been a member for a year, yet you have not made many contributions to this forum and starting with the above comment is not very helpful either.

One last point and I'll leave this thread; there are at least 2 other members here that have very bad grammar and is difficult to understand them, yet those members have never been criticized. Interesting how so many of you jumped on newbie's writing style.

Do you see what you have started Guigz? Do you see how many followers you have & do you think you were really helpful with your comments?


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## jsut (Dec 14, 2010)

newbie said:


> I will try to improve my social skills , but those wont help me m,ake any money.


Really? They might not help you make money on the market (directly), but they will help you in nearly everything else.


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## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

Did you just end your sentence with a preposition?










I think newbies syntax is reasonable, he is just a little heavy on short form and double spacing.


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## Guigz (Oct 28, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> Do you see what you have started Guigz? Do you see how many followers you have & do you think you were really helpful with your comments?


Talk about the proverbial can of worms. 

Although I am sorry for having derailed the thread, I think that raising the issue was and is important. If we want this community to continue to blossom and not fall into decrepitude and/or monosyllabic trolling like other online communities (who shall remain nameless), we all have to make efforts to submit quality contributions.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

little bear did you get to the joke about the giant panda ?

guigz you are right & i am so sorry, but as the royal mail pointed out a long time ago, i have the frugal kind of keyboard that doesn't have a Shift Key.

i try to make up for any dyslexic text by offering decent recipes whenever i can though ...


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## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

The title was named after that joke. 



> A panda walks into a bar, sits down and orders a sandwich. He eats the sandwich, pulls out a gun and shoots the bartender in the foot.
> 
> As the panda stands up to go, the manager shouts, "Hey! You just shot my bartender and you didn't pay for your sandwich! Who do you think you are?!?"
> 
> ...


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## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation: we do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have these because we have acted rightly; 'these virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions'; we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit: 'the good of man is a working of the soul in the way of excellence in a complete life... for as it is not one swallow or one fine day that makes a spring, so it is not one day or a short time that makes a man blessed and happy'" - Will Durant


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Jesus Christ...

Would you all just quit your bitching? (Sorry CC/FT for the language )

The reason the OP isn't responding is because you all just scared him/her away with your useless banter over text/grammar/language and the like.

Relax... Life is good.

People are too picky these days. You folks will turn me senile at 21 years of age.


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

LinuxMint, how are you doing so far? Did you manage to make that $400 payment to your friend? 

Most of us have gone through hardships, especially when we first started out in the workforce, so we know how rough it can be. Trust me when I say that things do get better. You seem like the type of person who is willing to take charge of their finances, and life. This will take you a long way


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## freshjiive (Jul 26, 2011)

Seems like this thread went to the dogs. To the original poster, if you have the internet and some spare time you can make some extra $$ on freelance websites like oDesk, Guru, and Elance. People hire you to do jobs like data entry, translation, proof reading, website design and customer service. The money isn't the greatest but you can get a lot of work out of it to make some extra $$ to make ends meet. Hope this helps.


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

KaeJS said:


> Jesus Christ...
> 
> Would you all just quit your bitching? (Sorry CC/FT for the language )
> 
> ...


heheheh
one little quote from my end towards barbaric individuals and look at what happened
and I ask again, where is the OP?
anyway I will leave this thread as it is an useless thread IMO.
In this country you will not find work if you dont want to find work.
i stand firm with what i mentioned originally.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

In my own industry, we are literally begging for individuals who are willing to work hard physically... and would start out earning 22 bucks an hours right off the bat. But it seems everyone wants to work in a warm building, with computer internet access so they can keep up with the goings on of Facebook. 

There is money to be made and demand for workers out there...

Not entirely sure what my point is with this post, just needed to vent I guess.


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

Jon_Snow said:


> In my own industry, we are literally begging for individuals who are willing to work hard physically... and would start out earning 22 bucks an hours right off the bat. But it seems everyone wants to work in a warm building, with computer internet access so they can keep up with the goings on of Facebook.
> 
> There is money to be made and demand for workers out there...
> 
> Not entirely sure what my point is with this post, just needed to vent I guess.


ha
finally another person with the same thinking that i have.
one has to get off their arse and work for a living.
if i could work more aside from my job and daily trading i would.
i have one day off from both to be with my family, and it is saturday.
u r not venting , u r saying the truth.
most of the rest posted here is useless


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Been trying to hire somebody for almost a year full time @ $20 per hour to start and can't fill it .Jobs are out there for sure and my position has no physical work lol


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

^ I'm in. 

Night shift available?


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

marina628 said:


> Been trying to hire somebody for almost a year full time @ $20 per hour to start and can't fill it .Jobs are out there for sure and my position has no physical work lol


there ya go.
where is the OP?
are u willing to train if he needs training?
1 year and u cant fill the position.
i rest my case , now i am really done with this thread
at my workplace i see this new generation being hired and all they think is that everything belongs to them without earning it.
i said to KAEJS that i am impressed with his attitude in this board as a youngling because 95 % of the younglings take everything for granted.
that is it my last post about this OP BS that cant get out of his troubles.


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

KaeJS said:


> ^ I'm in.
> 
> Night shift available?


see?
speaking of the devil
there he is .
i think u r an youngling that is in an extinction process.
again congrats on ur attitude man.
If I was an employer i would probably hire u.
if i had my own brokerage firm u would be in


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

newbie said:


> i said to KAEJS that i am impressed with his attitude in this board as a youngling because 95 % of the younglings take everything for granted.


Thank you.


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## newbie (Dec 12, 2009)

KaeJS said:


> Thank you.


ur more than welcome man.
u r going to be very successfull in ur life, trust me.
just keep doing what u r doing man, u putv a lot of effort on it.
look at the clock and i am sure u r reading about world mkts as we speak.
do not be afraid to be greedy when others fear and cut ur losses according to ur standards.
when u r 40 years old u will probably have ur first million bux.
sometimes follow ur gut and be bold.
i told ya last week that i was prepared for being on the red on my shorts and if FAZ trades below a certain range i will buy more.
same with TZA.
just FYI take a look at the amount of debt coming due for G7 countries.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I need a html coder who knows dreamweaver  And no I don't train as I charge my company quite a bit more than $20 per hour lol. That is our issue hard to find them ,I would pay $50 an hour if they had the experience to warrant that pay .I hired a guy from Scarborough and he wanted to convert the site to joomla as he really could not work with raw coding ,padded his resume .He lasted 11 hours before we realized he was full of it lol


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## hboy43 (May 10, 2009)

Dmoney said:


> I'm sure you don't care if you're ignored here, it's not going to change your life. But why bother posting if you do so in a way that makes it difficult or too time consuming for others to read?


I came across the idea somewhere that the major burden in communication should be on the part of the writer because the writer-reader relationship is a one to many relationship. In the long run in civil society it is more efficient. If you believe in your ideas, why make it difficult for readers?

hboy43


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I can forgive honest grammatical errors, which I why I seldom comment on them (or some posters' lack of capitalization). It is textese that bothers me--deliberately making the text less clear and harder to read. Textese is fine when you're texting (though I'm not lazy and don't use much shorthand when texting, I'm not a 13 year old girl sending 3k texts a month).


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

marina628 said:


> I need a html coder who knows dreamweaver  And no I don't train as I charge my company quite a bit more than $20 per hour lol. That is our issue hard to find them ,I would pay $50 an hour if they had the experience to warrant that pay .I hired a guy from Scarborough and he wanted to convert the site to joomla as he really could not work with raw coding ,padded his resume .He lasted 11 hours before we realized he was full of it lol


I hate to take this thread any further off base, but since OP hasn't returned, I will.

Are you looking for someone local, or is something you're willing to let the right person remotely for? We do know alot of people in the industry, and I may be able to find someone for you. It wouldn't be the $20/hour the people we know.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I am looking for somebody that will work exclusively for us ,my best coder lives in USA but we have met personally and know him from the industry for many years. What has happened to me is people send their resumes and they look fantastic but when they start the jobs it is at a level my 8 year old can probably do.We have a WEBMASTER POSITION open ,one company local charged us 75 per hour only to hire people in India $6.00 per hour .I prefer to deal with the people who are doing the job than having a dozen people make a profit off of them.It really depends on the person if I am comfortable with the remote situation.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

You need to hire a web developer, not a web designer or webmaster. Look for skills like ASP, JSP, and/or PHP. If they have at least one of those then they can handle HTML no problem.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Sherlock I have a team of web developers ,we have about 200 websites .We are always needing people to put up more content than we have hands on deck Webmaster/jack of all trades is what we need ,They work under our Programmers .<a href=" <br> <br> a writer who knows how to make a simple webpage has better training than the junk I have found on job bank .I think I will just go to my competition and give their employees an incentive LOL


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

I was just curious. I know people who who fit the bill, however, they are contractors, and I don't know if they would be exclusive for that rate. The one I had on mind is in the US and starting out, but has a really good work ethic.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Dream weaver? A true developer uses notepad or as I like to use Vi in Linux.

There should be tons of HTML developers around its simple. I'm proficient in HTML and php. Wrote a few sites fom scratch but can't work exclusive as I ave a better paying full time job. After hours I code for $50 an hour.

Oh but if you only need HTML my wife is capable for much less as she is currently unemployed .


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I do appreciate your feedback Plugging Along ,has this person done similar work for you?.We need full time people dedicated to us as we have sites that need daily updating.The three top guys we have earn from $52,000 -$86,000 a year and we have entry level writers and support staff under them that earn from $29,000 -$41,000 a year plus benefits and all are located in Canada.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

LOL James I started out coding in Notepad myself but the younger people these days learn on applications .Here is the thing the job may be 10 minutes of coding 45 minutes of writing .I have paid as much as $150 per hour to have some work done but as stated before it is very simple work .It is not a job that deserves $50 per hour which is why I do not like the higher paid guys to do it .Anyway enough of this as it is way off topic and OP must be frustrated with us.
And I cannot understand why people run windows servers , I have my own linux servers .PM the wife's email and I will have a chat with her ,she may really like this project too!


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Marina - That makes a lot of sense. We used to do web hosting and design, and all that other stuff. We had some people do similar things for us, but it was usually on contract when my hubby didn't have time to do it himself. Some of these guys were really experienced in their areas, and did this more on the side, as they had other contracts going on for other customers.

I am surprised at that you cant find someone qualified for the rate you're offering. Have you thought about having a student do this for experience?


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

@Marina - I'm not clear on exactly what you are looking for - you said you need an html coder who knows dreamweaver, but you also mention a lot of writing? 

I've hired people on Elance & Odesk for writing and tech tasks. Elance has produced a mixed bag, but Odesk has only given me good people. Mind you, I've only hired one person from Odesk so the sample size is a bit small. I'm sure the stinkers will appear soon. 

My advice:

Write a clear job description - split up the job into different jobs if necessary. Writing content and coding are two separate jobs/tasks.

Either spend the time doing trial and error with hiring or hire someone to do this for you. You are the brains of the operation - you shouldn't be spending time pouring over online ads and emailing potential employees. Hire someone else should do the screening.

If you are looking for writers who can do some basic coding - that's called a blogger and http://jobs.problogger.net/ job board is a great way to get some of those. I know a number of people who have successfully hired from there.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

We need an extra team member or two or three that can be adaptable but this is not a job posting site so will just say thanks lol.I have twelve people on staff now,I guess I will know when I find the person .
I refuse to let anyone else do the hiring and firing ,there are people here in Canada I could probably trust to do that but just not comfortable.Just 5 years and 1 month I will retire and sell everything lol.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

marina628 said:


> I refuse to let anyone else do the hiring and firing ,


I never suggested you should. I suggested having someone else do some of the legwork to find candidates and screen them down to a manageable number.

Anyway - I was just trying to help, since you did post that you were having trouble finding someone.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

I think she as not found someone because the requirements are well-known to her and she will not compromise again.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I wonder if you could contact the coop departments of universities, and let them know that you are looking to hire a student for a semester. The student would be motivated to do a really good job as his grade for the coop term would depend on your feedback to the coop dept.


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## blin10 (Jun 27, 2011)

Sherlock said:


> I wonder if you could contact the coop departments of universities, and let them know that you are looking to hire a student for a semester. The student would be motivated to do a really good job as his grade for the coop term would depend on your feedback to the coop dept.


are you serious? she's going to call up universities ?


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

We used coop students but there is significant overhead in hiring and training them. I would not recommend it for marina. Continuity became a problem too when they got hired for much more than I was willing to pay for their experience.


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

MoneyGal said:


> I was just reading one of my favourite (but controversial) bloggers, Penelope Trunk, and she has this to say about living below your means:
> 
> _Austerity is not fun. But you can call it something trendy, like minimalism or slow food. Your ability to manage your life will be nil if you are ruled by financial problems. So that means no big house, no expensive car, no huge vacations. You need control over your life more than you need that stuff. You have more career flexibility, more time flexibility, and more personal flexibility if you can keep your expenses way below what you earn._



Minimalism, I find, often comes with more expensive gear that condenses space and better design. It also requires more time thinking and debating whether or not an item is needed and researching the actual action that you wish to do with an item.

So wouldn't fooling yourself with a trendy name taking away from the severity of what you have to do? I think one of the biggest problem we have, is that when our net worth goes negative, we fool ourselves. Until one day, you wake up with $15000 in the hole because the interest from the credit is starting to hurt. Austerity needs to hurt, so you'll never do it again.


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## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

*Thanks Everyone!*

Wow, 13 pages full of responses to my message!

I haven't looked through the responses yet. My anxiety gets triggered and so I just find this whole thread upsetting.

I appreciate the responses and I will read them all!


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## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

*Possible Good Coming*

I had an interview with a temp agency. It's not the first with them but it's the best possibility to land a job with them since I applied in September. I definitely have experience for this job so we'll see. Also, I am likely to be promoted to a better position with my current employer in the next couple of months. I have been given paperwork to study to see if I want to make the transition.

I've gotten more disciplined with my spending, though I still over spent for the first half of this month. Basically, I can't eat out at all, or maybe just one $5 eat out meal each week. Blah...


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## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

*LM*



ddkay said:


> If you don't mind me asking, what was your previous job? Could you have seen your discharge coming?


 I ruined my life with gambling in the past and was living in a shelter for a while. I rebuilt my life, had a job paying $17 per hour and was eager to get my own place again as I had a very difficult roommate. I didn't have 6 months in savings, not at all. I could see my discharge coming due to the lack of business we were getting, though I thought the other person doing my job would have been the one to get let go, as a lot of people disliked her.

I am angry though that life has gotten this tough. I used to work a low paying job, pay my rent and order pizza once per week. Now I can barely get by.

LM


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## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

*LM*



sags said:


> 4) Enquire at the local communty college or private training school about the "Second Chance" program, which provides retraining and will pay living expenses up to 28,000


 Sounds like a plan. My friend keeps telling me about training opportunities I can get here in Alberta.

LM


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## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

humble_pie said:


> linux i sincerely hope & trust that the new year will bring you better times.
> 
> there are some ace suggestions in sags' message above. I don't know that moving back home will solve the rent issue unless you can find a sublet ... although subsidizing the sublet to a certain extent while living back home could work.
> 
> ...


  Thanks for the kind words. I am a bit of a Grammar freak.

I wish you a happy & prosperous 2012 as well!

Moving back home isn't an option. I'm 34 

LM


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## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

I can't keep replying to individual posts. Thanks for all of the suggestions and the Mr. Noodles humour. I will work my way through all of the suggestions and take notes!

Thanks again!


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## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

Sherlock said:


> I had never even heard of a 24 month lease, I thought 12 months was the max? Why would anyone sign that?


 To save money. I got an additional $100+ off by signing a 24 month lease. Maybe it was dumb but I had no references and I was offered a place here and I wasn't sure if I would get anything else. I jumped at the opportunity. I rebuilt my life after I fell apart and was irresponsible in the past.


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## LinuxMint (Dec 31, 2011)

mind_business said:


> LinuxMint, how are you doing so far? Did you manage to make that $400 payment to your friend?
> 
> Most of us have gone through hardships, especially when we first started out in the workforce, so we know how rough it can be. Trust me when I say that things do get better. You seem like the type of person who is willing to take charge of their finances, and life. This will take you a long way


 I did, and he was surprised and happy. It's just a matter of making the next one, which I really can't afford. He's a sweet guy though.

Also - as a response for others - I didn't get scared away because of the Grammar Wars, I just couldn't handle the anxiety/stress of looking at this thread. I suppose I needed a vacation from my worries.

I'm still working and I am hoping to somehow finish under budget this month. I made a super-strict budget that actually should work according to my calculations, but I was undisciplined and ate out too many times due to not preparing food for work lunches. I can hopefully cover that with other money from other areas of my budget. Money is fine right now. We'll see how I am doing January 31st. That's when the stress level will rise again.


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