mikestopfive.com

March is here! Aside from Olympic athletes that inspired a nation going back to surviving on dorm food and begging for government hand outs. Mike's top five other ways you can tell it's March.
#5. Five months worth of doggie nuggets are simmering on school fields and playgrounds.
#4. We've been out of playoff contention for several weeks already.
#3. After missing the RRSP deadline again, you realize you've been mathematically eliminated from retirement.
#2. A lot more kids in elementary schools raising their hands to spell this month more than last month.
#1. You have soccer cleats, court shoes AND hockey skates in the back of the van.
#1a. Feels like you haven't heard the word Groundhog in quite a few weeks.

With the Olympics over, the TV can now be returned to it's natural state. Mike's top five signs the TV is back to normal.
#5. Nothing much worthwhile on.
#4. Jay Leno has a new job (his old one).
#3. Your eyes have to adjust back to a regular-def TV picture.
#2. The only talk of gold and silver is now from those "Cash for Gold" commercials (http://www.cashforgoldcanada.com/).
#1. World class elite athletics replaced by a rude British guy in a tight t-shirt, 20 castaways at Tribal Council and Uncle Charlie trying to put Tiger Woods out of business.

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The 2010 Winter Olympics wrap up on Sunday. Mike's top five signs the Olympics are almost over.
#5. More excuses than empties on Vancouver streets.
#4. You've totally memorized Germany's and Norway's national anthems.
#3. Note to self: Get kids out of hockey and into short track speed skating and curling.
#2. You've had enough of picturing fellow co-workers from around the office wearing those speed skater suits.
#1. The Team Canada jersey you've worn to work for the last two weeks is starting to smell a little 'game worn'.

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Auctionnet is online now. They say this year there is more than 400,000 dollars worth of merchandise and services up for bid. If you're new to online auctions, here are Mike's top five tips for CKPGAuctionnet.
#5. Unlike 'live' auctions, jumping up and down and waving your hands: perfectly fine.
#4. Be inventive with your screen name. Don'tTouchMyDrill, LeaveThisItemAlone002 or thisItemIsDiscontinued234.
#3. Avoid phoning every 15 minutes just to double check that we got your bid.
#2. If you're on Auctionnet at work. Every once in while, look at your desk and move a piece of paper around a bit.
#1. Remember the more people who know about this, the more competition, so whatever you do, try and keep it to yourself!

AuctionNet

This is RRSP season. Experts say it's important to have a strategy when it comes to saving for retirement. Top five signs your financial strategy is flawed.
#5. It involves selling your red Olympic mittens on Ebay for twice what you paid for them.
#4. It involves saving $1.10 a day by getting the combo, instead of getting your fries and drink separately.
#3. The last guy who gave you financial advice was named Ponzie.
#2. It involves getting two mediums instead of one large during Tim Hortons Roll Up The Rim campaign.
#1. You're getting financial advice from Mike's top five list on the radio.

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Psychologists have introduced the diagnosis FAD -- Facebook Addiction Disorder -- as a new kind of addiction disorder. If you've got FAD, maybe it's time to quit Facebook. Mike's top five signs it's time to quit Facebook.
#5. You suck at Farmville and Mafia Wars.
#4. You find your work is becoming a nice break from Facebook.
#3. You have run out of clever status updates and have become a frequent visitor to StatusIAm.com.
#2. You just realized you are so much less interesting than everyone else you know and you are reminded of that fact every day of your life.
#1. Honestly, it's really starting to eat into your Twitter time!

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Tuesday the Finance Minister announced new rules to make it tougher for first time buyers to get into the housing market (details here). You'll have to prove you can afford to handle higher interest rates and you'll need more of a down-payment. Mike's top five other lesser known changes to rules for home ownership in Canada.
#5. All homeowners must now do a 5k in under 3 minutes.
#4. There is a new complicated procedure for calculating the value of your first born (and your left nut).
#3. You'll have to line-up at the bank infront of a guy in a soup apron, who will decide if you get a "house for you" or "no house for you" [ala Soup Nazi].
#2. They're going to be dropping the 'Push Pull or Drag' deal of waving your down payment if you push, pull or drag in your old home.
#1. Buyers must agree to being submerged in a maelstrom of insurmountable debt for the rest of their natural lives [dramatic read].

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