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Politicians? Who cares

Apparently, we have a new Prime Minister of Canada. From what I've gathered on Facebook, he's a young, good-looking fella (just like me) who is smart enough to win elections (so not like me) and brave enough to steer an entire country into the Great Unknown. Oh, poor guy. 

Before this one, we had another gentleman running this country who was into sweaters and had a somewhat creepy smile.

At any rate, the election thing happened and now the old guy is out, the new guy is in. Despite what people were saying, the sky hasn't fallen, and everything is exactly the same as it was before. 

I still have to go to work, pay bills, be nice to my wife, buy groceries, take out the garbage, be nice to my wife, fill the car with gas, shovel my driveway, and be nice to my wife. 

People who were rooting for the old guy are now saying the country is going to hell in a hand basket. 

People who were rooting for the new guy say our future is bright and awesome. There will be puppies and rainbows for everybody.

I, on the other hand, missed the whole thing, because I was probably preoccupied with things that actually matter. Or muffins.

Whenever somebody starts talking to me about politics, my eyes glaze a little, and I go find my happy place inside of my head. There I am, at Dunkin' Donuts. Or perhaps I'm on a beach in Florida with my wife. Who happens to be Natalie Portman for this particular fantasy. Basically, I'm anywhere but in a conversation about prime ministers, parliament, election promises, and lobbying.

When was the last time a politician did anything for you? People running around obsessed with politics are the most hilarious thing to watch. Ask yourself - when was the last time a politician did anything for you? Yes, you personally. When was the last time they fixed your car? When was the last time they improved your work conditions? When was the last time they helped your financial situation by saving 15% on car insurance by calling GEICO for you? They don't do any of it. You do all of it.

You go through life doing different things. You get educated, get a job, fall in love, get another job, and buy a starter house. Life gets better, and who do you have to thank for that? Mostly yourself. Plus maybe your parents and your friends. You were the one who got educated. You were the one who got a job. You were the one who made smart decisions with money. You are the one responsible for all of those things.

While you were doing all that important stuff, politicians argued about budgets, tax rates, global warming. They haven't done anything aside from producing hot air, which is probably the cause of the global warming to begin with. They didn't care about you. They haven't done anything for you. They don't even know your name.

People say to me, “But you should care! You blog about money, economy, and great bright future for your family!”

Yes, and while politics might have some effect on these things, paying attention to them doesn't make sense. Your attention is a precious commodity, you only have a little free time on any given day. Shouldn't you be paying attention to things that actually matter? To things that can improve your life right away?

Politicians might change the tax code a little, and give you some extra money at the end of the year (yeah, right). But, kicking ass at work can completely change your financial picture by scoring a promotion. 

Shouldn't you be more concerned with what really makes a difference, as opposed to something distant and nonsensical?

Our prime minister might have some effect on the economy, but your decision today to, say, open an investment account to save a portion of your pay check for retirement will have a much more profound effect on your future. 

We've been saving a percentage of our income towards early retirement (or gold teeth, I haven't decided) for a few years now, and it has changed our financial trajectory a whole lot more than some pretty boy in the office.

Suits in Ottawa might argue for days and days, and come up with an economical protocol that changes the way Canada does business in Asia. Not sure how this will improve the number of bills I get in the mail or the size of my pay check. Oh wait, because it won’t It will not make any difference.

People say to me, “I just want a good future for my kids, and this particular candidate will give it to them.”

You want great future for your kids? Go hug your daughter. Hug her as much as you can, as often as you can. Tell her to be a strong woman who knows her worth, so she doesn't end up marrying a dirt bag, and becomes successful in life.

Hug your son too, but not as often. Maybe take him to the gym and show him how to squat with a barbell to get some confidence in him. Tell him to shovel the driveway. Better yet, take him around the neighbourhood and get him talking to your neighbours about shovelling their driveways as well as yours. It might not be a real business, but he'll understand how to get out there and earn money instead of waiting for politicians to ‘create jobs’ while he plays Xbox.

Politicians have very little to do with your kids future. You have everything to do with their future. Pay attention where it's most effective.

People say to me, “You just don’t understand the value of democracy because you are an immigrant.”

Oh, whatever. You know I'm right, and you're afraid to admit you've been wasting your time being preoccupied with nonsensical noise.

Also, don't confuse my dislike for politicians for a dislike of Canada. It's a great country which I'm proud to call home. But politicians are not Canada.

And maybe I am a bit of simpleton - after all, I've met dogs and cats smarter than me. So perhaps my logic won't work for everybody, but paying attention to things that can really improve my life before I start paying attention to politicians running for office makes a lot of sense to me.

And if you still disagree with me, have a muffin. It will make you feel better.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

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About the Author

As somebody who grew up in a poor family, I lacked common knowledge about money from day one. If you can think of one dumb thing to do with your money - I did it. No paid college education for me. No inheritance, no financial help from my parents.

I may be a financial underdog, but through building good personal finance habits and educating myself about how money works, I hope one day to achieve financial independence for myself and my family.

Yes, I do believe an average person can enjoy a wealthy lifestyle as a result of smart decisions. Given enough time and proper education, anybody can change their financial future for the better. This can happen even if you start very late into the game - but your financial habits have to change.

If you'd like to know more about my struggles and wins with money, feel free to visit my website http://www.MoneyRamblings.com where I ramble about everyday money issues.

Contact me by email or connect on Twitter 

 

 

 



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