Brendon J. Wilson

 by Brendon J. Wilson

Good-Bye Student Loan!

Funny story: the Government of Canada issued me a tax refund check. For tax year 2000. For roughly twenty-eight thousand dollars! Whoa, good-bye student loan payments!

How did this come about?

Well, a couple years ago I was working in Anguilla. It was only for a short period of time, and I was pretty surprised when I got back to Canada and I had to pay tax (given that I’d been out of the country for the majority of the year). Though I looked through all the documentation, I was pretty sure I had to pay the tax – so I rolled up my sleeves and paid it over the next year. Ouch.

Then in 2002 I got a notice from Revenue Canada regarding the GST credit (in Canada, you get a refund for Goods and Services Tax if you’re in a low income bracket). Previously, you had to specifically apply for a GST credit, but that year they started automatically checking GST credit eligibility for everyone who filed a tax return. Two months after I filed my tax return and had already gotten my refund, I received my GST credit notice which stated:

Please keep this notice for your records

We have established that you are not eligible for the GST/HST credit because:

– you are not a resident of Canada.

“Hmm…interesting – because that’s what I thought too!” I thought, “So how about you give me all my damn tax money back?”

And now, after a bunch of adjustment filings, updates, and a strike by the union responsible for processing the paperwork, I got the money back. With interest (at a better rate, I might add, than any bank account).

Now, if only we could just finish putting the Sauder School of Business through the legal wringer for breach of contract (they quadrupled the MBA tuition, among other things), the majority of that money would end up back in my long-term savings.

in Personal 2 comments
 by Brendon J. Wilson

Wish List

As soon as Thanksgiving ends, stores fling open their doors at 5:30 (AM!) the next day to entice Christmas shoppers. And inevitably, people start asking what you want for Christmas so they can just get the whole shopping thing over with as soon as possible. Merry freaking Christmas!

In an effort to get this out of the way in one go, I’m going to post my Christmas shopping wish list here. But first, some advice – I don’t really need you to buy me anything for the following reasons:

  1. I’m doing pretty well for myself: Good job, good money, and a happy home. I’ve pretty much got it all. What the hell else do I need? Even if there were something I really needed, I’d probably have bought it for myself already, except….
  2. I usually don’t buy stuff: I’m pretty minimal in what I need. Most of my input is in the form of bits not atoms. All told, there are some things I really want but…
  3. When I do, I have expensive taste: The few things I do want tend to be on the expensive side. I’d kind of like a nice house – I doubt you’re in the position to provide that, nevermind stick it under the tree. I’ll take care of those things myself, but thanks for the thought.

What’s left? Well, let’s see:

  1. Amazon Wish List: My Amazon Wish List has a pretty sizable list of books, CDs, and DVDs. Now, some might think this a bit boring – after all, they’re just bits packaged in atoms! Well, there’s always…
  2. Froogle Wish List: For the few atom-based goods I actually want, my Froogle Wish List contains the details. Yeah, they’re all basically proxies for bits (gadget stuff) – what can I say?
  3. Organization Memberships: There’s a few organizations in the Bay Area that are worthwhile joining. A “General Support – Couple” membership for the Computer History Museum would be nice (it gets you into the receptions prior to the events so you can rub elbows with the speakers). Similarly, a Passport Membership for the SDForum and the CSPA would be nice.

Beyond that, there’s nothing else I would like. Let me repeat that: Nothing. It may seem a bit harsh, but that’s the way it is – buying anything else is a waste of your money, a waste of your time, and, frankly, simply a waste. We live in a world of excess, of people chasing stuff that doesn’t bring them any happiness – don’t contribute to it by buying stuff that serves no purpose.

If all else fails, you could always just donate some money to a worthwhile cause and pretend to be me while you’re doing it.

in Personal 0 comments