Holiday Reading: Merry Christmas!

Invest It Wisely will be on holiday until 2012. I am grateful to all of my readers and commentators, and I wish each of you and your families a very merry Christmas and happy holidays! There is also still a day left to enter the $300 Christmas charity giveaway, so don’t miss out!

Things I am grateful for

Here are just a few of the things that I am grateful for this holiday season.

One year of condo living.

We’ve lived together in this condo now without any major hassles, and our neighbours seem mostly civilized and decent. As I’ve had bad neighbours in the past, this is definitely something to be grateful for!

My grandmother is in good health.

My grandmother is like a mother to me, and while she is getting older and her physical and mental faculties are slowly diminishing with age, she has also made an amazing recovery since her stroke three years ago. I would not be where I am in life today without her influence and support over my entire life.

My girlfriend is doing really well at her job.

I am also grateful that things have really turned around for my girlfriend at her job. A year ago, the upper chain of management was quitting, large groups were getting laid off, and salaries were being slashed. Things looked dire, and it looked like the company might go into receivership due to some accounts receivable issues. The company, however, still had plenty of business, and things eventually turned around.

With much of management gone, the doors were wide open for my girlfriend to grow and advance. She has become highly respected by her colleagues and things are going good now. I try to be grateful since now I am the one on the sinking ship and the comparison sometimes makes me feel it even more!

I started to monetize my blog this year.

I am grateful that I finally have a real side income from my blog, and it is in large part thanks to the support of my readers and fellow bloggers, especially the great group we have at the Yakezie! It is most certainly not enough to replace my full-time income, but it is a start. I want to concentrate on growing this because I believe strongly in achieving financial independence.

Good health and opportunities.

Above all, I am grateful for having good health and having access to good opportunities. Sometimes as people we try to catch up with the Joneses and forget how good we have it. I know that I can fall victim to this. I have travelled to places like Ethiopia where there are little opportunities and no developed market, and to places like Korea where the people are fantastically hard-working and warm, but where the culture can also be stifling and there is no room for going against the grain. Being born in Canada is like winning the lottery, even with our weather and taxes. 😉

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Holiday Reading

Carnivals

• Canadian Finance Carnival #67 (Canadian Finance Blog)
• The Best of Money Carnival #134, The Christmas Songs Edition (One Cent at a Time)
• Yakezie Carnival – 10 Tools I’m Thankful For in My Personal Finances – December 18th, 2011 Edition (My Personal Finance Journey)
• Yakezie Roundup (Green Panda Treehouse)

Christmas

• ‘Twas the night before Christmas…Personal finance and bloggers edition (My Own Advisor)
• Bah Humbug! Presents Make No Economic Cents (My University Money)
• Pay It Forward: A True Christmas Story (Afford Anything)

Goals

• Top 5 Hits And Misses For 2011 (Financial Samurai)

Investing

• Dividend Income – December 2011 (The Passive Income Earner)
• How Canada’s Banks Let Canadian Investors Down: Part 3 of 7 (Andrew Hallam)
• Reader Question; SHOULD I INVEST IN A CLOSED END FUND? (Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance)
• Stock Trades: Sold Perpetual Energy (Beating the Index)
• You’d Be Crazy To Not Own Apple (AAPL) (Intelligent Speculator)

Lifestyle

• Live to work or Work to live (Thirty Six Months)
• Retiring Abroad — A Few Things to Ponder (101 Centavos)

Miscellaneous

• It’s Date Night! 6 Cheap Ways to Sweep Each Other Off Your Feet (Budgeting in the Fun Stuff)

Motivation

• 4 Reasons You Should Set Unrealistically High Goals (Roshawn Watson)
• Decisions: How YOU Can Improve! (Dr. Dean)
• Thoughts For Thursday: Warm Weather and Perspective (Everyday Tips and Thoughts)

Real Estate

• China Bubble About to Explode? (Financial God)
• Here’s What Happens When You Rent to College Kids (Darwin’s Money)
• How to Rent out Your Basement Suite: Part II (Young & Thrifty)

Stay safe on the roads, and see you all in 2012!