Was that sound of a loud flush from my bathroom or the bank around the corner?
Or both?
So many questions.
I wish I could say I never worry about finances because I retired with a guaranteed pension and think I have my financial house in order (is that even possible now?) and, according to our Prime Minister, we aren’t in a recession because he would have told us already.
But I do worry on occasion.
We have an old economy dependent upon cheap fossil fuels, a PM who strongly supports ‘business-as-usual’, an environment that may soon be beyond repair and close to heaping greater costs upon our heads, and an invisible, ineffective Conservative Minister of the Environment - you know, old what’s his name.
And so I try to think of ways to get good and ready to face the tough times and hard rains ahead.
Can I save money by becoming more self-reliant in the kitchen?
["A True Canadian cooks oatmeal and whole wheat pancakes."]
Can I lower my needs related to clothing?
Can I sell things I don’t use or need very often and not replace them with things I’d like or want?
Can I learn to enjoy simpler pleasures?
To be continued...
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2 comments:
It is all very worrisome, isn't it? Some of the blogs I've been reading (Sharon Astyk, James Kuntsler, Nature Bats Last) for over a year now have talked a lot about this coming to pass, so it doesn't come as a complete suprise. Nevertheless, it is scary to see your RRSP amounts decline daily, and to have absolutely no confidence in any level of government to do anything other than just 'spin' things more and more to keep everyone in a state of denial. Some days I wish it would all just collapse already, so we can start over, before all the air and water are poisoned. And to think these things in the oblivious bubble province that is Alberta, makes things all the more surreal.
We live in Owen Sound, Ontario, a community of 20,000 on Georgian Bay. We have lots of local food, a good mixed economy, a hospital, college and thriving arts community. People with big "southern" mortgages would do well to consider trading in their houses for the same size for half the price. Our 4 bedroom, 2 bath Victorian brick was just appraised at $225,000. Most Torontonians could buy a house like this and have almost the same again in their pocket (or at least of their mortgage).
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