Time is money, as the saying goes. And if you’ve got extra time on your hands but not a lot of extra money, maybe you’ve thought about starting up a side gig. Whether or not you decide to turn your side job into a flourishing career of its own, it won’t really feel like a job if you’re enjoying yourself at the same time. Plus, having multiple streams of income is highly recommended as a safety net.
With the following side jobs, you can prevent yourself from getting run down and ragged by being your own boss. You can set your own schedule, accept or decline jobs as your availability dictates, and adjust your prices so that it’s all worthwhile in the end.
You can start getting clients by reaching out to friends and family and growing via word of mouth from there. In time, you might find that a web presence will help you reach even more people. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a website; a Facebook page can be just as effective if managed well. In some cases, professional certifications can also bolster your reputation.
House Sitting
House sitting is an excellent way to earn some extra cash on the side, and it’s a very relaxed gig. You’ll be responsible for making sure that nothing goes awry while the homeowners are away. Your mere presence will deter would-be burglars, but house sitting goes beyond just sitting in a house, as you may need to handle other emergencies or simply bring in the mail and take out the trash.
After reading this new post from Broke Millennial, I feel lucky to have been spared the first few years of the “wedding apocalypse.” At 24, I have yet to have any of my close friends or relatives tie the knot, and now I know that in addition to being thankful for this budgetary hall-pass, I should really be taking this extra time to start saving for “other peoples’ weddings.” I know I’ve got at least another few years before I will need to start paddling the wedding wave, but knowing it’s something I will eventually need to factor in is important.
Millennial Illusions
The pressure to have our lives together has, I would assume, always been a very real and stressful issue for millennials. Since the onslaught of social media “dream lives” we see on sites like Pinterest, Etsy, Apartment Therapy etc., it’s extremely easy to fall into a pit of expectations that no normal 20-something should be expected to live up to. This is a huge issue I’ve found with becoming a grownup. We see snippets of peoples’ lives and we want our lives to look just like that, but we forget what it’s taken for them to get there. Continue Reading…
Valletta, the Capital City of Malta in early morning.
By Ashley Watson
Special to the Financial Independence Hub
If you are nearing pension age, chances are you are thinking about settling down in a foreign retirement destination.
Low cost of living, better climate, adequate healthcare facilities, convenient transport system, and friendly people could be your next small world. Obviously, you might have personal preferences but if you’re looking for options, here are five of the top retirement destinations for 2016:
1.) Malta
Malta is a southern European island country that’s small in size but densely populated. Spread across 122 square metres, the country has a headcount of over 450,000. The reason why it’s so densely populated is because of the luxuries it offers to its residents. Over here, you get more than 3,100 hours of sunshine every year and the average temperature is only around 19 degree Celsius. Any senior citizen would love that! Most of the local residents are fluent in English and there are multiple tourist attractions to explore.
2.) Portugal
Portugal is famous for its pleasant climate, good healthcare centers, and rich cultural heritage. Even if you are getting a minimal pension amount, you will find it incredibly easy to live here. The low cost of living is one of the major plus points about settling down in this country. In fact, you could buy three homes in Portugal for the same price that you would spend on a single home in France. What’s more, Portugal is also the third biggest expat community in Europe only next to Spain and France.
3.) Spain
Spain has the biggest expat community in Europe and the crime rate is really really low here. If your age isn’t going to stop you from exploring new places, then you will love Spain. There is lots to see and experience in this part of the world. The country is a unique mix of modern and traditional cities. Head to major cities like Barcelona and Madrid to see the developed side of Spain and visit islands such as Menorca, Ibiza, and Tenerife to immerse yourself in the nature.
Tropical sea landsape. Philippines, El Nido.
4.) Philippines
The Wall Street Journal named Philippines as one of the best places to retire in the world in 2016. The country is home to more than 7,000 tiny islands and is widely preferred by western retirees, mainly because of its low cost of living. It costs only about 300 pesos or $7 to consult a doctor and X-rays are only about $20. Plumbing and carpentry services are only about 400 pesos or $10. Dirt cheap, right? If you love to spend time outdoors, then try your hands at Golf. It’s the most popular retirement sport in the country.
Editor’s Note: Retirees considering this destination may wish to monitor the news about kidnappings in southern Philippines. See for example this recent National Post news story headlined Visit the southern Philippines at your peril.
5.) Thailand
If you are looking forward to living a completely new lifestyle from that of United States or the United Kingdom, then you must check out Thailand. The country boasts a number of renowned temples including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha), and Wat Indravihan and some historic buildings such as The Grand Palace (built by King Rama). Thai cuisine is one of the most popular food in Asia and this is the best place to taste them. Foodies can look forward to relishing a wide variety of dishes here.
What’s more, cheap property prices and discounted fuel prices are other factors that have drawn over 41,000 expats over the years.
Conclusion
Of course, there are dozens of other countries to settle down and lead a happy life after 60. But, we’ve picked some of the retirement destinations that are predominantly suggested by travel blogs and globetrotters. If you have retired in any other country and having a great time, please let us know in the comments.
Ashley Watson is a globetrotter who blogs mostly on travel and tourism. She is the chief writer and social media strategist at GolfPh.
When it comes to investing philosophies, there are two camps that are almost diametrically opposed: so-called “active” security selection practiced by mutual funds, hedge funds and similar vehicles; and the low-cost “passive” approach epitomized by index funds and ETFs.
A good summary of this old chestnut can be found in the latest FWB TV video, which runs just under four minutes. It can be found by clicking on this highlighted link: He said, she said: the active versus passive argument. In the investment industry, “she” is correct and her name is SPIVA® (S&P Indices Versus Active).
Last Friday, ETFs (Exchange-traded Funds) surpassed the magic $100 billion mark in assets under management in Canada and hopefully, continued growth in the markets and sales will keep us moving forward. But this milestone signals that many investors are gaining greater appreciation for these powerful, low cost and transparent investment vehicles.
And the industry is growing rapidly with new providers and products joining the ranks, regulatory changes on the horizon and technology changing the investment management field, like it has many others.
But the doubling of assets and tripling of ETF providers since 2010 is an indication that ETFs are being integrated into more investors’ portfolios. We see this every day with a growing number of ETF options and lower costs across the industry.
While there are a multitude of factors for the rising popularity of ETFs, I wanted to take a deeper look into four in particular.
The rise of indexing.
Increased competition.
Regulatory efforts to increase the transparency and awareness of investment fees.
More fee-based financial advisors.
The rise of indexing
Canada was an early innovator in ETFs, as the first ETF in the world was listed here in Canada 26 years ago. Continue Reading…
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By Cathy Habas
