Carrying A Tiny Home on Minimum Wage in Canada

Photo by Hama Haki on Unsplash

If the politicians are listening....this is my wish for my country.

Canada, specifically Ontario, which is my province in Canada, has had BIG raises to it´s minimum wages over the past several years.

The current minimum wage in Ontario for an adult is 

$16.55 per hour.

Based on a 40 hour work week that would bring in $662 gross income per week before taxes and other deductions are taken off. Based on a 4 week month, that would total $2648 per month gross income.

If the politicians and social service networks want to make Ontario a livable region for all income levels in the coming years, then they need to address the viability of tiny homes. Tiny homes are the only possibility to relieve the severe financial stress that many low income folks are experiencing just from trying to keep a roof over their heads. 

Ontario has a large portion of students and single people who simply want to have an affordable housing option that is safe and does not require them to get into debt. Tiny homes are a way out of the current housing mess in Ontario.

I have spoken to a lady who is spending 2 thirds of her income just paying for her mortgage and that does not include her car payment and other household expenses. This kind of nightmare is not unusual in today´s Ontario. Although there have been significant raises in wages for certain segments of the population, much of these raises still do not equal the rise in the costs of living for the average Ontario resident.

The biggest hurdles for tiny home developers is the zoning and construction laws. Municipalities must be willing to host tiny home villages, that have significantly different property taxes embedded into their ¨formula¨. I believe that we would not have the same ¨BRAIN DRAIN¨ in Canada if we successfully built up viable tiny home villages. Folks still love our schools and employment opportunities. It is the cost of living that is chasing folks out of our country while we have spent thousands of dollars educating them, only to lose them to countries with lower costs of living.

We can not reasonably expect folks to stay in our beautiful country if the math does not add up.

Yes, we have a high standard of living compared to third world countries, but the average income is finding it hard to maintain that standard and still save for retirement and emergency cash reserves.

Middle income Canadians are forgetting about vacations because their incomes are consumed by the plethora of costs just for basic needs.

We need to foster a ¨tiny home positive¨ atmosphere into Ontario´s building codes. Property taxes and building codes MUST become FRIENDLY to the Tiny Home Movement. The ideal tiny home owner´s dream would be to be able to successfully own a tiny home on a full time minimum wage job. Do we have the political will to get this done? Are we going to make life more reasonable for the entry level working men and women in our country? New Canadians are not asking for mansions on entry level wages. They are asking for the ends to meet. They are asking for life without the assumption of debt.

I believe that tiny homes are the answer to this riddle. Do you agree?

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How to Make Money from a Public Park

Ok, everybody wants to learn how make more money. Enter the phenomenon of the public park.

What folks don´t realize that the City and provincial planners who design public parks have already done a lot of the leg work that commercial real estate enterpreneurs invest in. 

Regional planners want public parks in places that are beautiful and convenient and easy for humans to access. Therefore it is a logical step for an entrepreneur to take advantage of these same attributes.

What do many consumers hate about public parks? The high parking fees! Therefore if you have property near a public park that you can monetize into temporary or event based parking spaces, you have yourself a new cash cow. Folks who take advantage of the high traffic of special events that occur in public parks are the smart money makers. They see what tired travellers want. Cheap parking and good quick food that they can gobble on their way in or out of their favourite concert or event venue.

Maybe you know someone who has a Hot dog cart but doesn´t know where to place it? Hot dog carts or ice cream trucks or french fry trucks are prime examples of businesses that should take advantage of popular tourist attractions, such as public parks.

Popular concerts and music festivals are often hosted within public parks and by lakesides. Instead of paying heavy rental fees for participating in the festival itself, consider seeking out small places where you can set a fast food cart of truck near the festival, but not ON the festival grounds. That way your fast food business will have access to the festival traffic without the high cost of renting a festival tent or booth.

Well, that´s all the juicy money nuggets I have for you today. Stay tuned for more.....

Peaceful productivity,

Carla

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When A Leader has Lost His Authority

I had noticed..... the words were similar, similar to what I had heard from the same pastor years ago....and yet something was different.

Years ago, when I would listen to a certain preacher, I would be rapt with attention. I would take note of the principles he was teaching and chew on them mentally and spiritually for days....weeks ...months, even years.

A few months ago, I heard that same preacher preach and the words lacked any kind of sense of authority. I was a tad bewildered. What had changed? Was it me? Probably....Was it the preacher? Maybe....maybe not. Maybe my spiritual journey was different now than it was years ago. I suppose I had to give myself permission to change and grow.

As in Ecclesiates chapter 3..... there really is a time and season for all things that God encourages. Perhaps this too was occurring in my spiritual walk for a purpose.

I suppose there is a rosy phase we go through when we think that nothing a preacher can do could possibly be less than angelic....until we come to grips with the fact that we are living in an imperfect world. While we may experience ¨heaven on earth¨ when we sense God´s presence.....we need to be grounded enough not to fall when we don´t feel so quite so comfy, cozy and sweet. 

When we feel that we are no longer being fed adequately by a certain church leader, it is up to us to ask God to lead us to the spiritual meat that we are meant to consume... And yes, that always leads to the bible.

Sorry to be so boring about this...but it needs to be said. You want to be strong in your christian walk? You want to learn to stand on your proverbial feet? You need to dig into the bible in whatever format you are able to consume it....visually or through audio formats. It isn´t just a one time snack....a hobby you pursue once in a blue moon.  For Believers, the bible is a lifetime dancing resource, that may become  a part of the fabric of one´s life. In season and out of season, the word of God stands alone. He does not ask for our approval. He simply is.

It is non-negotiable. So, instead of playing favorites finding a trendy pastor or preacher of the day, become a cheerleader of the One who wrote the book, God Himself. Follow God with your heart, with whatever means you can and are able to.

You don´t need to fall apart if your pastor misses the mark in his/her sunday sermon. You don´t need to start skipping church the because some sermons have lost their zing. 

You can stand and pray. Pray for your pastor or pastors, whomever they are..... male or female. Pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to rest upon them. Pray for their access to God´s Word, for their minds to be opened to the holy bible.

You can take your favorite hard copy of the bible to church with you, no matter if they have bibles on a back table or not, or even in the pews. The presence of a bible in your hand says something in the spiritual realm. I have seen it. People tread differently in your presence when you have a bible in your hand.

Learn to trust God´s Spirit. Ask Him for His leadership. Proverbs 3:6 says ¨in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight¨.

Brothers and sisters, we are human, and sometimes we put preachers and pastors on impossible pedestals. We think that they can do no wrong. But our faith is in our Heavenly Father who sent his Son Jesus to redeem us and feed us and lead us by His Spirit. We are strong in God and sometimes we need to 

abide in prayer for our leaders. Perhaps I shouldn´t say ¨sometimes¨. Perhaps we should ALWAYS be in prayer for our leaders. Pray for their health and wealth and character. Pray for their spouse and for their children. Plead the blood of Jesus over their family and their investments. Pray that their incomes will be secure. Pray for their safety and peace of mind. Pray for protection upon them from the wolves.

And when you sense that things are not quite as anointed as they used to be....try not to point fingers....but do... dig deeper into God, deeper into His Word, and stand strong. Stand strong by kneeling regular. Strength is born in confident humility. We walk under God´s command, not our own. As much as  I love democracy...(and voting day is always a happy privilege)...I realize that there is no democracy in heaven. God rules....and His authority has no end.

Well, that´s all for today, friends. May your spirit be blessed this friday, as we approach the weekend. May your hearts be secure in the love of your Heavenly father. May your minds be secure in the foundations God has built into your life.

Peace,

Carla.

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