Tag: Work Life Balance

Small Changes, Big Impact: A Dad’s Guide to Sustainable Living for Earth Day

admin   ·  

As a dad, I always look for ways to make positive changes in my family’s life. With Earth Day just around the corner, I have been thinking a lot about our impact on the planet and what small changes we can make to live more sustainably.

Living sustainably doesn’t mean uprooting your entire lifestyle or making drastic changes. Small adjustments can make a significant difference. Here are some simple ideas that families can implement to live a more sustainable life:

  1. Reduce Food Waste: One of the easiest ways to reduce our environmental impact is by reducing food waste. Plan meals ahead of time, freeze leftovers, and use up all the produce before it goes bad. Composting is also an excellent way to reduce food waste and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden.
  2. Use Reusable Bags and Containers: Plastic bags and containers contribute to the ever-growing plastic pollution problem. Switch to reusable bags and containers for grocery shopping, meal prep, and packed lunches. Not only will you reduce your environmental impact, but you’ll also save money in the long run.
  3. Cut Down on Single-Use Plastics: Single-use plastics significantly contribute to plastic pollution from straws to water bottles to coffee cups. Invest in reusable options and encourage your family to make the switch. It may take some time, but the planet (and your wallet) will thank you.
  4. Choose Sustainable Products: When shopping for products, look for environmentally-friendly options. From cleaning supplies to clothing to personal care items, there are sustainable options available that can reduce your environmental impact.
  5. Use Energy-Efficient Appliances: Appliances can be a significant source of energy use in the home. Consider upgrading to energy-efficient appliances that use less energy and save money on utility bills.
  6. Walk or Bike More: Cars contribute to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Try walking or biking more often for short trips, and consider public transportation or carpooling for longer journeys.

These are just a few small changes families can make to live more sustainably. Every little bit counts and even small actions can significantly impact. By making sustainable choices, we can help protect our planet for future generations.

As a dad, I must set a good example for my children and show them the importance of living sustainably. We can all contribute to a healthier planet and a better future by making small changes in our daily lives. Happy Earth Day!

The Frugal Father

David Pierre   ·  

Frugal is Different Than Cheap

Okay, first things first, before I even get into this I have to clear something up. I am a frugal person, not a cheap person. I have this debate with my friends all the time. Both frugal and cheap people love to save money. However, a frugal person won’t save money at the expense of someone else.

An example, say you are out to dinner with some friends. The bill arrives. A cheap person will simply add up the things they got and pay that, maybe even try and “forget” the drink they had.  This, of course, is all at the expense of their friends, leaving them to make up the difference for tax, tip, and the “forgotten” drink.

Continuing with this example. A frugal person would never forget the drink they had with their meal, they would simply wouldn’t order a drink. They know that the same drink can be purchased at the store for a fraction of the price and if they really want to enjoy a drink like that, they will just go to the store tomorrow and get it at the reduced price!

Okay? Does that clear it up? I hope so because this is how my mind works.

How Do You Live Like This?

So how does this translate into my everyday life? It means every purchase is an opportunity to investigate details such as quality, warranty, and of course price. This isn’t restricted to just large purchases, this is also how I approach things as basic as grocery shopping … in case you’re wondering, the answer is no, my wife doesn’t go shopping with me anymore. 

Now before you think to yourself, “how can you live like that”, remember, this is how my mind works and I actually enjoy the investigative process of it all.

About Those Large Purchases

Obviously, the financial stakes are higher for purchases over others, such as buying a house over buying a loaf of bread. So when it came to buying our first home, many of my friends believed I would never be able to make such a financial commitment.

For months, I investigated different homes, neighbourhoods, and financial models of how long we would have to own under normal market conditions until owning made more sense than renting … 17 years, in case your wondering. During this phase, I relied heavily on online calculators for things like payments, amortization schedules, and interest saving by altering mortgage terms.

Many different banking sites that offer these free calculators, however, the one that I kept coming back to time and time again was the TrueNorthMortgage.ca calculator. For one, they’re Canadian. Second, I like orange. And finally, banks hate them and I hate banks.

These days, banks are just part of life and for the majority of my life, I’ve dealt with banks. I say majority because I tried the whole money under the mattress thing once, but putting 10000 pennies under my mattress made it uncomfortable. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have taken all my money out in pennies, lesson learned.

Anyway, I’m sure the people that work at banks are trained to be nice to people with millions of dollars. However, they were never that nice to me. Now, I don’t mean that they told me off at the counter or anything, I am talking about small devious type things. You know, high fee chequing accounts and student credit cards that had insanely high credit limits and low-interest rates (until you graduate). Those types of things. Turns out I wasn’t the only one either, BIG BANKS DUPE CUSTOMERS.

So, What About That House?

Okay, so I got off track there. Back to the house hunt. As I said, I spent months pouring over the details of buying a home. Calculating numbers, looking at different homes … More calculations. Then it happened!

We found a place we wanted to buy. Inner city, close to work, close to a grocery store, close to parks, and within our price range. We just needed to be approved for a mortgage.

Despite how terrible the banks usually treat me, I still checked their interest rates and compared them against one another. For the most part their rates didn’t differ much. I also got the sense that choosing a bank for a mortgage is about as technical as throwing a dart at a board. They all seem about the same. However, during this whole process we also learned something about mortgages.

Remember That Online Calculator?

All those months spent on the True North Mortgage website I learned something else besides how much I could save on interest by adding 5 dollars to every payment. I learned that I had more options for getting a mortgage than the old idea of going to your bank.

True North Mortgage is a mortgage broker, meaning, they work to find competitive rates for individuals seeking a loan. This also meant that when my wife and I decided to visit one of their stores in Calgary, we got the sense their agents were working for us to secure the best rates. Not simply, trying to trick us into something that would benefit their shareholders.

Fun Fact! I was once told by a bank manager at one of the major banks, that their only concern was making sure their clients were happy. And who are their clients? Shareholders! Not me. While technically correct, I thought it was an absolute terrible mindset.

This wasn’t the attitude we received from our True North Mortgage agent. She was down to earth, clear, and at no point made us feel like we were tricked or duped into a product that we didn’t need or want. It was simply a conversation about the process and paperwork that was needed to secure a mortgage.

A Frugal Father’s Final Thought

Alright, if you’ve come this far you’ve likely learned two things about me. One, I am a frugal person, NOT CHEAP! Two, I dislike banks because I always feel like someone is trying to trick me into spending more money than I have to,  a frugal and cheap persons worst nightmare.

And now that you know that, it should come as no surprise to you that when I needed a mortgage I ended up at True North Mortgage instead of a traditional bank. Because, as their CEO said, “Saving you money is what we do. That is what our clients love about us, and our competitors’ hate .”

Enough said!

Don’t you Miss Working?

David Pierre   ·  

Thanks for Asking, Mom

A question that has come up quite a bit in the last little while, mostly from my family, is, “Don’t you miss working?”

First off, I find it comforting to know that spending all day catering to the needs of a semi-neurotic person isn’t work.

I guess it depends on how you define work.

From Dictionary.com

  1. “Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.”

 I would argue that full time parenthood fully meets the requirements for so called “work” based on that definition… and anyone who has driven in a car longer than 15 minutes with a tired or hungry toddler would not dispute this point. On the highway, toddlers have an amazing ability to estimate the distance to the next off ramp. Shortly after passing an off ramp, its melt down time. Kicking, screaming, and turning beet red is all part of their strategy. However, the melt down isn’t actually about getting out of the car seat, it’s about testing your mental stability. Need proof? Within a few miles of the next off ramp, a toddler will calm right down to the point that you think another unnecessary stop isn’t needed. Once the ramp is a safe distance behind you, its melt down time again.

The mental and physical toll it takes on a parent to accomplish even the most basic task is challenging. The battle grounds are everywhere; diaper changes, dressing, baths, naps, food, not to mention the millions of things you never considered a safety hazard until you had kids.

Another Definition

Clearly, the definition above acknowledges the massive amount of effort that is required in order to raise another human being. So what else does Dictionary.com say?

  1. “Mental or physical activity as a means of earning income; employment.”

And there it is!

This is most certainly the definition society (minus physicists) think of when it comes to work. Heck, this is how I think of work! Work has always been about making money for me and probably always will be.

Raising another human being is different, though, and it’s honestly the most difficult ‘job’ I’ve ever had.

Well, now that I say that, I remember the summer I spent landscaping.

So, raising another human being is the second most difficult ‘job’ I’ve ever had.

Even with all the difficulty, however, being home with Benjamin is also the most rewarding and fulfilling ‘job’ I’ve ever had.

In between the battles, I get to see him grow every step of the way. I’m the first to witness his new words, his new toddler jokes, and I’m there to receive those rare hugs and kisses. I don’t wonder if his caregiver is mistreating him. I don’t wonder what he is being fed because I’m there to see it. All of it.

So, do I miss work?

As you’ve likely guessed after all this rambling, the answer to that question is complicated.

Are there days I wish I had an income? Yes.

Are there days I wish I could hang my head over my desk at work and listen to podcasts all day? Yes. (Favourite Podcast)

The all expenses paid work trips to Europe, very nice!

In reality, however, the perks accounted for a very small part of my work.

The majority of the time, work was a grey, stale cubicle setting. I sat at a desk all day listening to dull corporate conversations going on all around me. The heat was either too hot or too cold depending on whom you talked to in the lunchroom. I drank 40 liters (10 gallons?) of water a day just so I had a reason to get up from my desk and walk to the restroom.

9 hours a day, 5 days a week. It was in one word, depressing.

So, while I don’t actually miss work, what I would love is a bit more balance for both my wife and I.

My Wife Works

I am fortunate that my wife does all the working for our family. But I will admit, it isn’t fair. I often think about going back to work solely so that my wife can have an opportunity to be home with Benjamin.

In my mind, it doesn’t matter how many errands I run, diapers I change, or bathrooms I clean, it will never add as much value as bringing money into the home. That’s because our society runs on cold hard cash. I tried to pay for a latte the other day with used diapers and I was asked to leave.

Value is Nice and all

Salary.com had an interesting info graphic showing the value created by a stay at home mom.

(I ignored the “mom” part and read “parent”… what is this the 90’s?)

Anyway, the graphic estimates that a stay at home “parent” creates $112,962 worth of value in 90 hours of work.

Sadly, when I tried to use the graphic to buy a latte at another café, I was asked to leave once again.

All I can say is, the majority of families have two working parents. With no one staying home and both parents putting in at least a 40-hour work week outside the home, who does the 90 hours of staying home work??

It sounds exhausting!

Guilt Free Balance

I’ve had this discussion with my wife several times. Because my wife and I are both Geologists, in a perfect world, we would share one job. Both working 2.5 days a week while the other person is home with Benjamin. The 2 days on the weekend? Family time!

In my opinion, shared jobs create more value for families, parents, and corporations. Both parents share in the frustrations and benefits of cubicles (I would list the benefits if there were any) and both parents are adding to the latte fund.

Additionally, both parents share the frustrations and benefits of raising their child. One parent isn’t alienated because they don’t know the routines, behaviors, quirks, inside jokes, etc.

Finally, a corporation gets increased knowledge and increased productivity for the same yearly salary. Win-win for everyone.

Sadly this isn’t an option for us yet. A quick google search on job sharing in Canada reveals that the concept is used as a method for avoiding layoffs, but not as a method for creating better work-life balance.

You tell your Mom all that?

Okay, if you were smart and quickly scrolled through the above text, you now get the benefit of the shortened version:

When someone asks me if I miss work, I usually say, “hell no”!

What I DO wish, for ourselves and for all families, is a situation that yields more balance, where the efforts of both income earning and parenting are shared.

Until that perfect scenario comes to fruition, I’ll just be here making lattes at home and laughing at toddler fart jokes.

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