Freedom from pain is one of the most important elements as well as enjoying the simple pleasures. I think that’s often missing from our society. It’s not often people sit back and try to enjoy a bowl of cheerios, but maybe we should start being a little more amazed by the little things.

The other interesting element in this philosophy is that money will not make you happy. Well not excessive amounts at least. Under the Epicurean philosophy you need enough money to take care of the food and shelter question. But after that it can’t make you happy because it’s more about attitude and relationships, which can’t be bought.

So take a page from Epicurus’ book and stop trying to be happy by looking at new cars. Call a friend and start appreciating the little things that make up your day.

Related links:

• Does Money = Happy
• Eight Principles of Fun

Booking trips, whether for business or pleasure, has never been easier.

Like most people, I like to do my vacation planning online, while I’m supposed to be hard at work. It’s pretty easy to look like you’re performing an important task as well; just furrow your brow, get really close to your computer monitor, and start clicking away at the mouse. It’s a foolproof system, unless of course, your job does not involve a computer. Then the whole activity would look pretty foolish and more importantly, you would not actually be booking a trip.

There is a number of quality websites dedicated to finding a number of different trip options in a matter of seconds. Travelocity, CheapoAir, Travelation, Kayak, Orbitz, Lowfares, Priceline, and my personal favourite Expedia – and this has little to do with preferential service, and everything to do with singing out a twangy “dot com”, just like in the commercial, as I type in the web address.

Every once in a while however, flight prices take off and border on the outrageous. Especially, if you are booking on short notice and need to fly on less than 7 days notice. With limited notice, these websites will return flight prices from their search engines, double what they were a few days prior. At this point there’s no need to type harder on the keyboard, throw the mouse or curse the twangy little “dot com” diddy.

It will save a lot of time – and more importantly, money – to pick up the phone and get a little personal.

Call a travel agent.

It may be a little unorthodox in the wonderful world of technology, but actual people can help. Travel agents will have access to flights a typical search engine will not; because if they didn’t, well travel agents just wouldn’t be around anymore.

On 8 days notice my flight to Dallas was about $550. On 7 days notice the exact same flight was $1275. On 6 days notice, after talking in person to the wonderful people at Flight Centre, the flight was $650.

So if you can’t book early, or maybe if you’re just looking for a better deal, just pick up the phone and get a little personal.

Coincidently enough, it’s also pretty easy to look like you’re busy at work while on the phone as well, so it can even still be done while pretending to work.

The company I work for really supports health. They have recently developed a department called “Wellness” which focuses on keeping employees active. A gentleman from this group created a challenge earlier this year which did just this. Employees created a team of 10 individuals, the goal was via man-powered activities to accumulate enough kilometers to cover the perimeter of Australia. This could be running, walking, rollerblading, cycling, swimming, etc…

Obviously, of your options cycling is the fastest way to accumulate the clicks. However the catch is that only 75% of your total distance can be from cycling. This was to allow runners to contribute a significant amount.

The total distance around Australia based on our “virtual stops” added up to an incredible 12,023km. Roughly 1200km per person on the team. We had from June 1 until August 31 to complete this.

The team we put together was a team of powerhouses, extremely dedicated people. 10 individuals that vowed to put in their weekly clicks no matter what (I recall several rainy rides throughout June). Our goal was to complete the challenge in 2 months, not 3. Therefore our 1200km per person turned into ~150km per week. Our team had 2 pure runners and therefore the cyclists took up a few extra clicks for them.

I used to ride my bike all the time, and then stopped for a few years. No real reason why. Just before this challenge began I thought I would try riding in from my house to work as a way to fit daily exercise into my hectic schedule. The ride was about 10km each way. The first time I rode in it was rough and I thought I was going to die. After a few weeks of this I was getting better. That’s how I was recruited for this “powerhouse” team…others saw me ride in.

At first thought 150km / week seemed absolutely insane. If I rode in to work and back, I would get 20km. That meant of course I would have to ride in 5 days a week to reach my 150km.

Long story short, our team of 10 highly dedicated corporate junkies finished the challenge in 55 days. We were 1 of 28 teams in this challenge. We were the only team that actually completed the distance within the 3 month time frame. As a result of being champions, we were awarded plaques, and jerseys.

Personally I became a machine by the end of this challenge. At the peak of it, I was riding in 29km to work, and 29km home. In less than 2 months I went from bursting a lung riding in 10km to work, all the way to riding 29km at high speeds. I joined 4 other riders on a 100km day. We all rode our bikes directly into work (between 10-15km). Then after work we all rode out of the city and back in. By the time the 5 of us all reached our homes, we had rode between 100.1 and 101.1km each. I’ve never done that in my life…it felt incredible.

Over the 55 days it took to dominate this challenge, I had put in just over 1800km of cycling for the team. I found it incredible how at first I was worried about 150km / week when my best week hit 300km. If you’re wondering, yes that meant that all I did for a while was work, bike, and sleep. But it was an incredible accomplishment.

Shortly after this challenge, I realized that although I rode 100km in one day, I had never actually ridden a “true century”. A century in cycling terms is when you nail out 100km in one ride. So one sunny summer day I decided to give it a shot. I rode out of the city and half way to the mountains. By the time I got back I had did about 105km in just under 3 hours and 45 minutes. It felt amazing. Power gels and power bars were my best friend that day.

I haven’t been on a bike for about the past month due to cooler temperatures and a craving for lounging on the couch. However, in this summer alone I had racked up an outstanding 2,420km. I started racking on a few extra pounds from pizza and beer, however all of this cycling helped a lot. During all this I ate whatever I pleased to fill the stomach, and I still lost 7 pounds. My lungs doubled in size along with the size of my calf’s and thighs.

The point of this entire story is twofold. First, you’ll be surprised what your body can accomplish if you put your mind to it. Second, if you’ve never ridden a road bike, give it a shot. Yes you will feel completely nerdy with your slicks, tiny 15 pound bike, and full out spandex, but it’s a rush. I’ve hit 63km on my road bike coasting down a small yet steep hill. I’ve reached 55km in a full out sprint on flat path. Of course you think for a second that if you bail you’re going to be in serious trouble, but it’s a risk worth taking I think.

Give road bikes a shot, you’ll be surprised.

If you’re not a fan of NASCAR, there’s a good chance you’ve never driven a stock car. There’s also a pretty good chance you don’t like the taste of Budweiser, you probably don’t have a “good” pair of sweatpants or have a buddy with a hyphenated first name ending in Bob; and there are probably no barbeque sauce stains on your wifebeater – that is assuming you own a wifebeater, which you probably don’t.

But all those little extra bonuses that come with being a NASCAR fan will happen with time, trust me and don’t worry.

The first thing you have to do is experience a race. And I mean have to.

Let’s be clear though, I don’t mean experience a race by watching it on television in HD on surround sound; or even going one better by purchasing a ticket and seeing a race in person. (Actually, this might not be a bad second option. The sound of the cars racing past your spot in the crowd is deafening and when the stands shake, you know you’re part of something special. Depending on how fast you acclimatize yourself to the aforementioned taste of Budweiser, will also affect how exciting the live experience is.)

You do not actually have to drive a racecar to appreciate the beauty of the sport, but experiencing a race from inside one of the famous left-turn only vehicles, is a must. And, actually inside the car; not theoretically in the car via a camera strapped to the driver’s helmet and witnessed on HD.

You have to physically get inside the car.

Many speedways across

However, for about the same price as taking a date to dinner and a movie, you could sit in the passenger seat of a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series car for a few laps around the track at speeds in excess of 160 mph, which is roughly 258 km/h. Which is exactly what should happen when you’re in

Climbing into a fire retardant suit and strapping on a helmet in 100 F temperatures, was not exactly a prime selling point; but anything billed as a “Ride of a Lifetime…” is enough to peak my interest. Climbing into the racecar through the passenger window, instantly made it a unique experience, but it was about to get 160 times better.

Reaching speeds that actually force you into the contours of the seat and toss your body as far right as the numerous safety belts allow, is an amazing experience. Reaching speeds that for no explicable reason will make you want to scream, but you can’t because the air is rushing past your mouth faster than the sound comes out, is again pretty amazing.

But what makes it incredible is being in the midst of the pack.

Being surrounded by nine other cars, just inches from the front and back bumpers, and close enough on the side to reach out and touch – if your arm stayed attached while reaching out the window, that is. Traffic so tight, if you were in the city it would not be moving faster than 5 km/h.

The calmness and control of the driver is amazing. The fact that you will somehow walk away from this is amazing.

Coming around the first bend, you’ll instantly reach for your brake pedal - which is imaginary since you’re in the passenger seat - and think that what if this a#$hole in front of me brakes? After the first lap, the sheer terror will fade. For the next two or three laps it will be nothing but pure enjoyment and bliss; and within a couple of days the colour will slowly return to your cheeks.

If you find yourself in a NASCAR city, it’s worth a trip down to the track for the “Ride of a Lifetime…” and it may even make your next Budweiser taste a little better, while adding a bit of dignity to that stain on your wifebeater.

Most people can agree that one of the best feelings in the world is driving a car for the very first time. Nothing beats that feeling of pressing your foot on the accelerator and pondering just how fast the car can go. If you live in Canada, you get the joy of winters. Winter brings icy roads for you to slide right into two foot snow banks. Anyone ever have the pleasure of pushing your own car out of a snow bank? I have.

Although the feeling of driving a car for your first time is hard to beat, I find that nothing tops the feeling of owning your first car. The freedom is what captured me. Being able to cruise anywhere you want at any time. Not having to ask your parents to borrow their car anymore. Not having to stare at the gas gauge of your parent’s car wondering if you should fill it up or not.

My first car (as well as my current) is a ‘99 Toyota Tercel. Just over a year ago I paid $6,000 for it. It was originally listed for $7,200, and then was dropped to $6,400. With my brother helping out the negotiations to get the car down to $6,000. I now realize a year later how much of a steal my car really is.

$6,000 bought me a ‘99 Tercel with a few less than 104,000km on it. Keeping in mind that this is a Toyota, with proper care I’m willing to bet I can get this beauty to last until 300,000km. The single most awesome fact about my car is the fuel economy. I’m just like most of you, I drive in rush hour to and from work 5 days a week. Only instead of sitting in the seat of a $60,000 monstrosity of a truck getting 15mpg, I’m going the same speed with a car that was a tenth of the cost, and I’m getting 40mpg+ in the same traffic. Take me out to the highway and I can break 50mpg.

Now there are a few drawbacks of my ride. For example, I have a mere 93 horsepower driving two wheels. That’s right, 93hp for both wheels, not per wheel. My car can hit 140km/h if need be, it just takes some time to get there. With a manual transmission I’m usually in 3^rd gear by the time I’m out of most intersections, and I easily hit 5^th gear many times a day.

However I didn’t have to take out a second mortgage for my car, and I’ve never had the pleasure of spending more than $35 on a full tank of gas that gets me ~600km. The point I’m trying to make is I don’t understand why people put themselves in so much debt just to have a cool ride. Sure I would love to drive a brand spanking new Subaru Impreza WRX. However, I also like having extra cash to buy other stuff. For your next ride, take a look at the fuel efficient side of the market…perhaps you’ll find something enticing.

You quickly realize when you have no space that you can’t buy things. There’s just no where to put things. But this makes you look at what you really want in life. And it’s not a panini press or the ornate vase with dead sticks in it. For me it’s a great book or a case of beer, shared with my closest friends.

Oh and don’t think 490 square feet’s not enough space to have your friends over. So far we’ve had 12 at once. Yeah it’s a bit tight, but if you have a 3,000 sq ft. house everyone just end up in the kitchen anyways, and that can’t be much more than 500 sq ft. (okay, it probably is).

The other benefit of living in a small space is the ability to live comfortably financially. I’ve heard of too many people who are living paycheck to paycheck paying off a gigantic house that they really don’t need. So next time you’re thinking of buying the Taj Mahal, try checking out a smaller apartment. It’ll be cozy. It’ll be fun. And best of all, you’ll find out that there’s funner things to do on the weekend than to see what new fabric the Poang chair comes in at Ikea.

so what can you fit in 490 square feet:

• 2 people (oh yes, it’s possible)
• 1 - 52″ plasma, 1 - 13″ bedroom TV
• 1 office/bedroom
• washer/dryer
• 1 over sized couch
• 1 armless sofa chair
• 1 ottoman
• 1 adjustable kitchen table w/2 seats
• And of course 1 soaker tub

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• Buying Your First Property
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Anyway you look at it though, holidays are becoming about experiences, not just about laying on a beach drinking a resort out of its margarita supply.

Read the full article here.

Within the past 1/3 of a year, I’ve had the pleasure of moving out for the first time.
In a city that has gone through quite the boom, even renting is expensive. I’m fortunate enough to have the financial help of a girlfriend to help make it through the bills however.

We’ve spent a few months fine-tuning our budget that’s proving its worthiness.
I’m on a yearly salary, and my girlfriend does shift work and therefore has varying paychecks. To make it even more exciting, I’m paid semi-monthly whereas she is paid bi-weekly.

To figure out who pays how much of the overall bills, we’ve implemented a percentage system. Over a month, whoever pulls in more money pays more of the bills. It was the fairest system we could devise that wouldn’t lead to arguing over who pays how much of what bill and leave me sleeping on a couch.

This percentage that goes to bills, we transfer into a joint account. The rest of our paychecks remain in our own accounts. This way when she goes on any mini-shopping sprees, I can’t argue. Likewise, she can’t argue if I suddenly come home with a new video game just because it looked awesome.

We didn’t break our budget into a percentage system like many people might. We’ve calculated how much we anticipate each of our bills to amount to, and then each of us pays our respective total %’s based on the total amount.

For example, we anticipate that our gas, electricity, water, and sewer bill will never top $275/month. During the summer months it’s nowhere near this amount, so the extra amount goes to savings. This amount was calculated after talking too many, many home owners and renters who pay full utilities.

Our HD TV and cable internet run about $105/month. This was calculated from speaking with other individuals who have the same cable package as we were planning on subscribing to.

My girlfriend and I thought it seemed unreasonable to have a land-line when we both have cell-phones. Why pay for what you don’t need right. As a result we budget about $100/month for both of our cell bills. This is usually on par.

Our rent is the largest dent in our budget at a solid $1225/month. As mentioned earlier, in a booming city rent doesn’t come cheap. We opted for a reasonably large duplex a few blocks from downtown which added to the slimmer wallet.

Budgeting for food came with some trial and error. I’m not one to say no to seconds at any meal, and am proud to admit that I have a cupboard dedicated to junk food. We put aside $600/month which is usually spot on.

In an attempt to flee the renting scene and become a home-owner, we’re putting aside $800/month to try and help understand what the term down-payment really means.

A new addition is $30/month for things like renting movies. Being a new proud owner of a 42″ plasma TV, it sounds more enticing to watch a movie in the comfort of your own home versus going out to a movie theatre with a crowd of high school kids.

Although some may view this budget as being too specific, it’s working well for my girlfriend and I. Of this total amount, whom ever pulls in the larger number has the satisfaction of paying more…sounds a lot like your taxes doesn’t it.

Related Articles:

• Become Rich the 60% solution
• Buying Your First Property
• Budgeting - Why Cash is King
• Does Money = Happy
• Investing - What 90% of Your Return Depends On