We are back home after a pleasant night at Chapters in Bayer's Lake. Gail Vaz-Oxlade was there plugging her latest book, and all her books in general.
For those who don't know who she is, she is Canadian's financial guru, telling it like it is, getting us all to save for our retirement and so on. I have to admit that I have more time for her than I do many of her "colleagues", who extol the virtues of investing in gold, or retirement savings plans, or whatever. Her focus is for you to get out of debt while also putting aside something for retirement.
And she thinks it's mostly b.s. how you need to retire with millions in savings. Her rule of thumb is that you should be able to retire on about 70% of what you make when you're working, taking into account things like how you don't have to pay for lunches and transportation and fancy clothes and so on. If you have a pension through your work, as I will when I call it a day, then that along with some frugality should be enough. Makes eminent sense to me.
Last year, Patricia and I went to another such event, but sponsored by a company all of whose employees wear a blue sports coat and preach and scream about purchasing their retirement products, or you're doomed to twilight years eating cat food and fighting with New York's pizza rat for a slice of slightly-used 'za. I saw through their duplicity and convinced Patricia of it. We are having nothing to do with their crap. And shame on the co-worker who used work time to get people interested in this side-enterprise of hers.
I think I'm on a good course. I am contributing to a pension through work. I am paying down my debt, including my mortgage, in a relatively timely fashion. And I try to cut back on major purchases, although my car is getting to the point where it won't last me more than two more years if I'm lucky. I could have it worse. A lot worse.
On that count-your-blessings moment, I think I will turn in. Another long day.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
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