IntenseDebate - jasonhanley

13 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - The First Move of 2011... · 1 reply · +1 points

For portable scanning, you might want to check out a few cheaper ones at: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/category/c...

I'll be getting something like this when we move to Europe next year.
My recent post Why not private healthcare

13 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - TV isn’t evil or a w... · 1 reply · +1 points

+1 for Nikita!

There's so many awesome BBC shows. Check out "How not to live your life" and "The IT Crowd".

HBO/Showcase/AMC have some great shows too. "Entourage" is hilarious. "Califorinication" is funny but a bit harsh. "Breaking Bad" is grippingly harsh, but also has its humorous moments.

On US network TV, there's a few tolerable comedies:
- Modern Family
- How I Met Your Mother
- Outsourced
My recent post How to combat the obesity epidemic

13 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - Fast Food Ads versus R... · 1 reply · +1 points

LOL. I love those comparison pictures. Thanks for giving a good dose of laughter today :)

13 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - Living in a Hotel FAQ:... · 1 reply · +1 points

It's truly annoying that nobody does shorter term rentals in Canada.

In the States, I've had no problem getting 4 and 6-month leases, but good luck finding them in a Canadian city.

In New Zealand most rentals have an initial "letting fee" (of about one week's rent) but no fixed term at all!

I wonder why Canadians are so bent on the one-year lease, and what the situation is in other countries.

13 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - Stop organizing your c... · 3 replies · +1 points

This is a really good point, but it's actually really hard to "let go" of stuff.

I sold nearly everything I own a while back to move overseas, but I still have a good six or seven boxes in my parents' garage.

There is definitely stuff in those boxes I could get rid of, but it was much easier and less painful to just pack it away.

So you've definitely identified the "what" to do. Any good tips on the "how"?

13 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - Why I don't carry my c... · 1 reply · +2 points

I think if you own and pay for a cell phone, it's good to have it with you in case _you_ need to use it :)

Here's a slightly different idea: Carry the phone with you, but have it in 100% silent mode -- no sounds, no vibrate, no nothing.

That way you can have a glance at it if you have some downtime (if you're on the bus, waiting for an an appointment, etc.) but it never interrupts you when you're busy (driving, having a conversation with a live person in front of you, etc.)

14 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - The negative side of h... · 0 replies · +1 points

The whole "busy busy" work culture really bugs me too. Don't give in to it! :)

I think one of the primary causes is that, from an early age, we're rewarded for our _efforts_ rather than _results_.

People feel better when they're on the treadmill, even when it's not getting them anywhere.

So don't feel bad about getting off the hamster wheel for a bit and catching your breath :)

14 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - Enjoy the feeling of n... · 0 replies · +1 points

Your best bet in that case is to get hired for a full-time job by a large corporation that will take care of all your visa stuff, starting with a TN, moving to H1B, then Green Card and citizenship.

A long road, but doable.

Oh, and if you're no longer a resident of Canada for that tax year, you will only pay taxes in the States. So the second year you live there you won't have to file Canadian taxes anymore.

Note, however, that once you become a US green card holder, you will pay US taxes on your world income indefinitely, no matter where you live.

14 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - Enjoy the feeling of n... · 4 replies · +1 points

Here's a tip if you want to work for American companies -- Incorporate!

It's relatively cheap and easy, and unlike us lowly individuals, _corporations_ can do work for other corporations in _any_ country.

It's no good for on-site work, but you can go down and meet with them to _discuss_ the work, then come back and do all work in Canada.

There are tax advantages too -- like being able to carry profit and losses backwards and forwards several years.

Have a quick chat with an accountant and an immigration lawyer and see if it'd be worth your while.

14 years ago @ The Everyday Minimalist - We don't decorate for ... · 0 replies · +3 points

I can see taking that comment as offense, but I honestly think she's just confused. A lot of people are so locked into the "norm" that anything else is just "wrong" to them.

Life is all about choices and compromises. You chose to to "minimalize" your life, pay off your debt, and build up some net worth.

Other people feel that it's more important to have a big house packed with fancy stuff, even it it means significant debt and living paycheque-to-paycheque.

6 months ago, my girlfriend and I got rid of nearly all our "stuff", got on a plane, and went to live half-way around the world for a year.

Best decision ever! Some of our friends and family may have been a bit upset, insulted or confused at first, but in the end they understood that it was nothing personal -- just an adventure we needed to have!

Don't feel the need to defend your life decisions to your blog commenters or anyone else! You're doing what works for you. They're doing what works for them. Everyone's happy. :)

Keep up the great posts! :)

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