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lifestyle

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Nearly 8 years ago, I quit a job without a backup plan – this isn’t the first time I did it. The first time I quit a job without another lined up was back in my first year of university, which in hindsight, wasn’t that big of a deal since I didn’t have bills or rent to pay. However, this time, I was paying rent, in addition to student loans, credit cards, and bills. I essentially entered the “real world”. In this job, I was an “office manager” for about a month. Notice the quotation marks around the office manager? Long story short, it was essentially a receptionist’s job that was not disclosed during the interview or on the job…

It’s that time of year again… back to school for everyone! Kids, teenagers, adults. After completing my certificate program last year, I’m happy to take a break from school again. I’m a big advocate for continuously learning so it’d probably be a few more years before I consider going back to school (for an MBA, perhaps?!), or taking an online course for something fun. Having finished my final semester of my post-secondary degree in 2016, I wanted to share my favourite tips on navigating and surviving post-secondary, all while balancing social circles, events, and a part-time job, whether it’s your first year or your final year! Over the past decade of studying, I’ve managed to balance it all (friends, events,…

Jealousy, envy, whatever you want to call the green-eyed monster, it’s all part of life. We all experience this negative emotion at some point in our lives; for some, they might experience it more than others. In the past, I remember being hit with envy in the cruellest way possible… via images on Facebook. Oh, what fun social media can bring to your life! The guy I had feelings for was tagged in some photos getting cozy with a girl on the beach. In the past, I’ve always prided myself on not being jealous, and I still do. When I’m in a relationship, I seldom get jealous because I trust my partner. However, when something isn’t mine, I get jealous/envious.…

When CBC first published their investigation into the exploitation of international students and the business of private vocational career colleges, it instantly brought me back to my experience as a Canadian in a private vocational career college. It’s something that I take a keen interest in because the grim reality is that these private vocational career colleges do not offer quality education, and it’s there to entice international students to come over to Canada in hopes of getting permanent residency and a “Canadian” education and work experience. According to the Globe and Mail, international students contributed about $ 21 billion to the Canadian economy with their high tuition fees and student fees. Simply put, they’re seen as cash cows for…

In the summer of 2013, I went through an eye-opening experience. I was a victim of fraud embezzlement. At first, I was extremely embarrassed to share my story with anyone so I kept it to myself and only ever shared it via an anonymous guest post on my friend’s blog a while back. To give you an example of how embarrassed I was, Dan and I have been together for almost a decade and I’ve only told him two years ago, and I’ve never shared this with any of my close friends. Now, I want to share my experience and raise awareness of a problem that could happen to anyone, even the “tech-savvies”. I grew up with computers, so, naturally,…

I hate to admit it, but… sometimes I jump on fads. I mean, you don’t know it’s your thing until you give it a try, right? I remember when I felt minimalism was still new and not many people were discussing it and then during my period of giving it a shot, the entire blogosphere blew up about minimalism and decluttering and overnight, every lifestyle blogger was a subject matter expert. This isn’t a beginner’s guide on how to declutter your cramped apartment (although, maybe it’s not a bad idea to write one…). This is just my experience with decluttering and my relationship with minimalism. Long story short, decluttering and minimalism helped curb my excessive spending. It didn’t happen overnight,…

Spring is just around the corner, and with warmer days, we’re more inclined to go out and have some fun, and let loose, but in today’s economy, it’s easy to feel like having fun can cost a fortune.Here are several ways to financially party smarter because it is possible to have fun without breaking the bank! 1. Stop by the lounges or pubs, not the clubs The first thing that comes to mind for the weekends is probably hitting the hottest club(s) in town.Clubs often include paying for coverage AND coat check (unless you opt to freeze without a jacket) and usually overpriced drinks. The music is so loud, you can’t even talk to your friends, and the place is…