10 Most Expensive Cities in the World

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Mark

One of the biggest factors in comparing cities is the exchange rate of the country vis-a-vis your own. With the economies of nearly every country going crazy over the last few years, the list of the most expensive cities in the world has seen some dramatic changes. Every city is compared against the standard of New York City. The list was compiled by UBS Bank, an entity which measures the world’s financial temperature and these are the results:

1. Oslo, Norway

Oslo in Norway - the Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by Fiulploii, Wikipedia

Those poor Norwegians in Oslo: although they earn more than nearly anyone else in any major city, their money doesn’t go that far. Everything in the city is horribly expensive – and that was before the economies of the world went crazy. It has been the number one most expensive city in the world for two years in a row.

2. Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich in Switzerland - 2nd Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by Andyindia, Wikipedia

Here’s another European city, but this one has a happier story. The citizens have some of the best purchasing power compared to other cities on the planet. However, it’s still the second most expensive city in the world in which to live, so it doesn’t go very far. You can’t win for losing.

3. Geneva, Switzerland

Geneva in Switzerland - 3rd Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by Bart van Poll, Flickr

Those Swiss – gotta love ‘em. The capital of the country boasts the third-highest salaries in the world and also has great domestic purchasing power. Though still the third most expensive city in the world, its citizens are a bit better off than their countrymen in Zurich.

4. Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo in Japan, 4th Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by Morio, Wikipedia

The capital of Japan isn’t so fortunate. The city is the fourth most expensive in the world and their workers are paid an average salary compared to others. In other words, they don’t make all that much and what they do make goes almost entirely towards just surviving.

5. Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen in Denmark, 5th Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by Martin Nikolaj Christensen, Flickr

Yet another European capital on the list (are we seeing a trend here?). Compared to last year, the Danes are doing a bit better than the previous year, having moved to spot number five from spot number two. The cost of living decreased slightly, but was accompanied by a slight decrease in overall wages as well. Again – you can’t win for losing.

6. New York City, United States

New York City in the USA - 6th Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by Terabass, Wikipedia

Since NYC is the baseline score, it’s kind of hard to compare it to anything else on the list. However, according to other reports, the cost of living hasn’t changed much in the city for the past few years anyway.

7. Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm in Sweden - 7th Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by Max Anderson, Wikipedia

This is the third Scandinavian city on the list, Stockholm’s story is somewhat like its economy: depressing. Rental prices were driven up while wages fell along with domestic purchasing power. They got the worst of everything, moving them from the previous year’s No. 16 to seventh.

8. Toronto, Canada

Toronto in Canada - 8th Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by caribb, Flickr

Toronto’s growth has been great for its citizens. But the city just can’t seem to break the economic laws of supply and demand. With an greatly increased median wage income comes increased prices – for everything. Like Stockholm, Toronto is also suffering from high rental prices, driving its cost-of-living rate to eighth on the list.

9. Montreal, Canada

Montreal in Canada - 9th Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by S. Lacasse, Wikipedia

Montreal jumped a number of spots on two different scales. Like Toronto, it saw its wages increase quite a few spots compared to other major cities. Also like Toronto, rental prices skyrocketed, taking the city from the 31st most expensive city in the world to 9th.

10. London, England

London in England, 10th Most Expensive City in the World, Photo by dirac3000, Flickr

Completing the list at number ten is the last of the European capitals. While the median salaries of its inhabits didn’t change much from the previous period, the cost to rent a place to inhabit did. The city witnessed nearly as dramatic of a change as Montreal, zooming from 21st to 10th.

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Charles Stewart Parnell and the History Behind the Word Boycott

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Angie

When you withdraw your support, patronage, respect, attention and involvement from an event, you are boycotting it. But where did that expression come from? What is the origin of and the history behind the word boycott?

The Irishman by the name of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846 – 1891) was a landowner and politician. He came from a distinguished family, even having links to royalty. Despite his comfortable personal background, he upheld the rights of the impoverished Irish tenant farmers. It was common in those days for absentee landlords to evict tenants when they were unable to pay the originally agreed-upon rent. These hard hearted managers would also announce huge rent increases and brutally enforce evictions when the tenants could not pay.

Charles Stewart Parnell, Photo by Mathew Brady and Levin Corbin Handy, Library of Congress ID cwpbh.03648

Charles Parnell was in favor of land reform. He advocated the strategy of refusing to leave when evicted, and of standing firm against all attempts to be dumped homeless into the countryside. Charles Parnell promoted the idea that landlords who refused to be fair enough to lower prohibitively high rents, should be ignored and cold shouldered by his supporters. Likewise, people who moved into the empty homes of evicted peasants were to be ostracized and ignored. These were strong tactics, and naturally there was much opposition to this system. Parnell’s words struck a chord with the tenants of the big estates. They extended their “cold shoulder” tactics to the agents who carried out the work of the absentee landowner.

The Earl of Earn in County Mayo was an absentee landlord who held vast properties in Ireland. In 1880 the Earl hired an experienced military man to act on his behalf on his Irish estates. That man was Charles C. Boycott. His dedication to his employer’s interests was such that he followed his instructions to raise rents and to evict tenants to the very letter. Parnell’s Irish Land League became involved, and Charles C. Boycott and his family soon found themselves completely isolated, and barely able to survive. Their servants all quit – both the farmhands and house staff. When Boycott tried to go and buy provisions for himself and his family, no one would sell to him. His household was even refused mail delivery.

This concerted ostracism of the Boycott family was further aggravated when the crops were ready for harvesting. The locals refused to do this seasonal chore. The landlord would have suffered financial consequences if the crops were left to rot in the fields. Although 50 men from outside the local area offered to harvest the crops, they had to be protected and escorted by a force of 1,000 policemen and soldiers. Parnell had specifically insisted that violence was not to be a part of the isolation tactic. We’ll never know if violence was ever likely. None took place. Needless to say, these security services cost more than the amount realized by the harvest.

Charles Cunningham Boycott (1832-1897), Caricature by Leslie Ward for Vanity Fair Magazine, Image in Public Domain

The outrage caused by this entire episode was reported far and wide, and Boycott’s name began to be associated with the withdrawal of all social and business contact from a person or organization. By November of 1880, the Times used the term “boycott” with the meaning that it has today.

The term Boycott has now grown and widened to encompass many different situations. The boycott is used to make a point in labor disputes, as well as to highlight perceived social injustices. I’m sure the people who still bear this name look toward their famous ancestor with mixed emotions.

5 Things to Do Before You Quit Your Job

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Mark

It seems like just about everyone has an idea for a business or endeavor that could free them from the drudgery of their current job. Entrepreneurship is an awesome way to take control of your life and make more money than you will probably make working for someone else. But before you break free of the shackles of employment, here are a few things to do before you quit your job.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Job vs Self Employment, Photo by arimoore, Flickr

Do Your Homework

Don’t quit your job today, then wake up tomorrow without a clue of how you’re going to make money. While you have an income, start doing some research on your business idea. Is it plausible? Are there people already doing what you have in mind? If so, can you learn from them before you begin? Is the market too saturated for a newcomer? Don’t just quit your job – quit your job, knowing that you are leaving it for something better.

Make Money

Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, said, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” Before even thinking about quitting your job, make some money first. If you can’t make at least a few bucks with devoting a little time, why would you think you can make a lot of money devoting a lot of time? When you have some cash in hand, you can say, “There – I’ve proven to myself that I can make money doing this. If I can make this much money with the investment of a few hours, I can probably make more money by investing even more time.”

Test It

It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing type of decision. You can begin your own business even while you’re working for your current employer. After you’ve made some money doing what you have in mind, start gearing up for serious business. Devote even more time to your endeavor to see just how much you can achieve in your current situation. If you can make it work while you’re also working forty hours a week, just think of how much success you’ll have when you can devote all of your time to it. Moreover, you’ll already have an established business to step into when you finally quit your job for good.

Do the Math

Crunch the numbers and make sure that you can survive without your current income. That may include living off of savings for a period of time, but the better option is to already have the business established to the point that you don’t need to. By cutting back your lifestyle and accelerating your business, you may be able to smoothly transition from full-time employee to full-time entrepreneur.

Don’t Burn Bridges

Do not burn your bridges. Your former employer may become a great client and your former coworkers may become great sources of referrals. When you begin your venture, you’ll want as many contacts as you can. As the quote goes, “You have to do it alone, and you can’t do it by yourself.”

3 Classic Business Books

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Mark

Rich people read – that’s a fairly general, yet fairly accurate statement. When you read interviews with entrepreneurs or their biographies, you’ll notice that they were influenced by a number of business books. This list comprises the 3 business books that nearly every successful businessperson or business owner said were the best sources from which they learned about business.

Think and Grow Rich

Written by Napoleon Hill, this book is the result of interviews with 500 of the richest people in the United States from around the beginning of the 20th century, such as Andrew Carnegie. It is one of the most widely-read books on business thought because its message is timeless and (seemingly) easy. We become what our minds dwell on. Thus, if we want to become rich, we should dwell on riches.

As a Man Thinketh

This book is really more of an essay because it’s so short. Yet it’s declared as one of the most influential books in business history (and beyond). James Allen’s primary idea is taken from Proverbs 23:7: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” It echoes Hill’s sentiment in stating that we become what we think about – what pervades the innermost places of our heart. By constantly plodding down the same path in our mind day after day, we create a path in our lives fulfilling the dreams in our heart.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

This classic by Dale Carnegie examines our relationships with other people. Successful business people know that working with other people – be they clients, employees, bosses, or friends – is the key to success. Carnegie’s book gives some fundamental advice on how to treat others the way they want to be treated and, in doing so, achieving what you want at the same time.

Alberta Mortgage Statistics

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Angie

Have you ever looked at Alberta’s Mortgage Statistics and tried to see the personal stories that go into the number crunched results? If so, were you able to reconcile the statistics with what you know of real life? Were these numbers useful? What can we learn from these dry columns of figures? Do they ring true for you?

Alberta Mortgage Statistics, Photo by Rev Dan Catt, flickr

CanEquity.com Alberta compiles all of the online Mortgage enquiries information for its website. It does not count e-mail, fax, phone-ins, walk-ins or contact forms. It does not include business loans, concentrating on the residential sector of the marketplace.

What can we learn about Albertans’ mortgage habits from this government site? You can find out when the most mortgages were applied for between 2002 and today. When would you imagine that the lowest time for mortgage applications was, in that time period? Would it surprise you to know that the all time low was in December 2003? What was going on then that stopped prospective home-owners from applying for mortgages at that time?

There was a big scare about gambling in Alberta in 2003. The Alberta gaming research institute reported that gambling was a big local problem. The pro and con rhetoric surrounding gambling usually becomes heated enough to kill even a spendthrift’s desire to go for broke. And for many people, the idea of signing a 25 year mortgage is akin to taking a gigantic gamble. They’re gambling that their health and employment status will not take a downturn, and that unforeseen emergencies won’t blow their budget out of the water. The atmosphere was decidedly cool toward speculation at that time. And of course Alberta was experiencing high unemployment at the time, with 92,000 people looking for work.

You’ll be happy to know that things have changed greatly since then . The record high for residential mortgages was in January 2008. Now, that’s good news. It means that we’re hopeful and secure and ready to sign on the dotted line. That’s the kind of thinking that feeds on itself and gains momentum as it moves through our vibrant community.

There is plenty of other information on this website, some of it quite unexpected. You can discover which month is the most popular among would-be home owners when it comes to applying for a mortgages. It turns out that January is the biggest month for mortgage applications in Alberta, followed closely by March. Hmm. What’s wrong with February, I wonder? I’d hazard a guess that it’s the most depressing month of the year, and that people are just trying to survive it without getting suicidal.

Now, which weekday do you suppose is the most popular for applying for a mortgage? Tuesday! Did you guess? Try this one. When is the most popular time of day to apply online for mortgage information? Noon hour. By far.

Calgarians apply for more mortgages than anyone else in Alberta. The average age of these applicants is 36, and the average loan taken on by them is $195,604.

This may give you an idea of where you fit into Alberta’s home-owning picture.

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