Weird & Wonderful

It's that time of year, if you don't get out of the house with the kids or at the very least get the kids out of the house you're likely to lose your sanity. I recently did a run-down of kids sports programs and what you get for your money, but not every child is on her way to becoming the next Cassie Campbell. It's important to remember, some kids excel at activities of the mind. (And don't nerds make more money eventually anyway?) So here are some financially viable options to consider to keep your child busy and mentally motivated this winter.

Art classes
If you want a fun math problem, add up the cost of playdough, paints, markers, crayons, crate paper and easels that have passed through your rec room. Multiply this by the cost of carpet cleanings.
Cheaper and less frustrating are art classes at your local gallery. Here your pint-sized Picasso will have the artistic freedom to pursue his life's work surrounded by somebody else's white walls. In most art classes offered your child will at the very least get to experiment with painting and drawing. In some sessions, sculpting and printmaking are offered.
Weekend classes range from about $100 - $180 for four weeks depending on the gallery, which means paint on the canvas is a lot less than re-painting your kitchen.
Rating: Not Bad but be sure your minuscule Monet knows that what happens at the gallery stays at the gallery.

Money can't buy you love but strategic spending can greatly increase the chances that you'll be on the receiving end of a few more "come-hither" looks from your partner this Valentines Day. And you don't have to be rich to get them to, ahem, appreciate your assets.

Start a Modest Savings Plan for a Vacation Together
Central bankers are telling you to save a little more but when what you've socked away disappears into the car repair fund, all those pennies seem for naught.
You're more likely to be disciplined about putting cash aside if it's for a specific reason like a surprise few days in Paris or the Caribbean for you and your partner. It doesn't have to be much. Set aside $150 a month and you can get away in October or November when low season deals make airfare and accommodation very reasonable for most sun-kissed destinations and European capitals.

My three year-old was recently given a piggy bank by his grandmother and has taken great interest in putting money into it, taking it out and looking at it. He's interested in organizing the money and when we recently went to the store and bought two freezies with his saved-up change, he was proud of making the exchange with the store owner. Until now, my son has accumulated money by finding change my husband and I leave lying around on the kitchen counter and on our dressers. (No more coffee change for me). But seeing his early interest in money made me wonder when is a good age to introduce your child to the value of a dollar and how. I approached Canadian parenting expert and author Kathy Lynn and asked her to share some tips on introducing your little ones to the big world of money.

The First Step
You can show a toddler dollars and coins but wait until the preschool age before giving him his own money, Lynn advises. The first step? Lynn says simply let him pay for something and then talk about the transaction.

Remember cute 12-year-old Haley Joel Osment in the film Pay It Forward? In case you missed it, the film is about a young boy who tries to make the world a better place by helping three people who, in turn, will help other people. This Hollywood film sets an excellent example for anyone who wants to succeed in life and in business.

On occasion we may hear stories about how a millionaire paid a financially struggling woman's late electric bill or a celebrity who left a 200% tip to a waitress. Kind gestures, indeed. But you don't need to have the wealth of Oprah and her 1% peers to make a positive change in someone's life.

Everyday people can and do make a big difference.

Are you a highly successful middle aged man? You too can date sexy college co-eds at the University of Toronto, as long as you've a steady stream of cash.

The global economic climate combined with massive student loan debt have forced some girls on the UofT campus to find a creative solution when it comes to making money. It seems a lot of them turn to Seeking Arrangement -- a website that matches perspective sugar babies with the sugar daddies willing to pay them for their time (However it happens to be filled).

According to statistics recently released by the site, UofT has the second highest number of college girls, with 471 users taking advantage of the site's matchmaking capabilities. The number is second only to New York University with 498 users. In general, women out number men on the site five to one and while most of the girls leave their fee negotiable, the average seems to be between $1,000 and $5,000 per month for those that do list it on their profiles. Inevitably, there are some women who over value themselves, posting requested amounts between $10,000 and $20,000 per month without the Perfect 10 looks to back it up.

Related Links:

• Risque Business: Ads that Use Sex to Sell
• More Sex, More Income?
• In Dating, When Should You Reveal You Have a Large Debt?

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Happy New Year!

Do you have resolutions? Do they involve hauling yourself to the gym? Have you been yet this month? If not, save the money you might otherwise spend on a membership you won't use, start small, pick fun activities (don't spend a cent) and get started right here, right now.

Note: If you have other ambitions, say you want to learn how to knit, take up some other crafty-type hobby, learn to play an instrument or even just how to whistle (actually gave myself a headache with that one), this post can help you too.

We all have a name, whether it's associated with the glam set like Angelina or Brad or a moniker with older associations like Norma or Edward. As much as we'd like to think how well we do in life stems from our inner beings, recent studies claim that the way others perceive our names can actually influence our success.

A new study suggests that women who keep their maiden names are seen as more professional and are more likely to be favored for a job. The research also suggests that women who keep their original last names earn a higher salary, as much as around $1,122.00 a month compared with women who take their husband's name or women with double-barreled surnames.

The Dutch study, performed by professors at Tilburg University, looked at 2,400 married women. The researchers found participants in the study thought a woman who changed her name to her husband's or used a hyphenated name was likely to be more caring, dependent and emotional whereas a woman who kept her maiden name was seen to be more intelligent and competent.

Walletpop Canada found an interesting video of an iPad being dropped from 100,000 feet.

G-Form launched an iPad clad solely in the company's 6oz Extreme Edge case into space and then let it free-fall back to Earth. It appears the iPad continued to work just fine upon landing.

Okay, we're impressed.

Click below to view the video. Also, check out some other Walletpop iPad stories at the bottom of this post.





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Redemption Inc. is a CBC reality show that sees ten ex-cons vie for an opportunity that has been "Kevin sent" -- as in, Kevin O'Leary.

The chairman of O'Leary Funds, best known as the most acerbic venture capitalist on Dragon's Den and Shark Tank will be showing his softer side in 2012 by investing $100,000 of his own money into the business of a reformed criminal, giving them a second chance at a productive and fulfilling life, when no one else will employ them.

If you ask him though, he's the same money loving free-market philosopher he's always been. He's simply responding to an entrepreneurial spirit that has always been there among these people and redirecting it to the right side of the law.

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