IF YOU’RE READING THIS RIGHT NOW, THANK-YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS YEAR. You might not think that frugal and finance belong next to each other but when you have control over your money situation with a plan things start to ease up. Money pressures don’t have to rule your life but to change that awful feeling you must endure some of the toughest decisions you may ever have to make. This past year I’ve been fortunate to chat with many fans of this blog about their financial situations, answered questions and offered tips. I even went as far to spend hours creating budgets for those that did not understand even when I had no time to spare. I care. In 2016 I was honoured to be featured a few times over at The Globe and Mail, The Brighter Life and Rockstar Finance. My posts have been showcased all over the personal finance world by bloggers sharing and you the fans spreading the word. I thank you for that support. How to curb holiday debt hangover– The Brighter Life/Sun Life Canada – January 4, 2016 How to include Fresh Produce in your diet when prices are high– The Globe and […]
The Magical Moments Looking Back On CBB 2016: The Saturday Weekend Review #203
What to Expect With Little to No Retirement Savings : Our June 2016 Budget Report
UNDERSTANDING HOW RETIREMENT WILL AFFECT YOU NOW IS BETTER THAN FINDING OUT LATER WHEN TIME IS NOT ON YOUR SIDE. If you’re tired hearing about how much money you should have in your retirement savings to live comfortable in the golden years and want to hide because you’re not part of this elite group of savers- you’re not alone. Company pensions, in particular defined pension plans are becoming a perk of the past and Canadians are left will few options when it comes to retiring without living the rest of their years poking through a tight budget. I’d love to retire early but since the birth of our son we’ve seen our life goals change significantly where we were content living mortgage free in our house and living happily ever after. Now we are talking about buying a bigger house to have more room for our son to run around along with an in-ground pool. That means we’ll need to save even more money if we hope to pay cash for the next house or face added debt of a mortgage loan once again. Related: Retiring Early Should Never Be Expected I received an email from a reader who […]
Your Personal Financial Report Is More Than Just Numbers : May Net Worth Update 2016 (+2.99%)
FINANCIAL INFORMATION CAN ONLY BE EXTRACTED BY THOSE WHO WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY ARE DOING WITH THEIR MONEY If I asked you what your monthly financial report would tell me you might say that you don’t care about what your net worth is or how you should fix underlying problems that lead to money stress if you’re worried about the outcome. If you do care good for you because you’re creating chapters in your financial book and know how important it is to understand your numbers and to run a financial report. Perhaps you were the person I first described above but have since had a changed mindset and wonder what took you so long to jump on board. That’s good we need to continue asking ourselves questions so we dissect the root cause and stop putting a band-aid over the problem. Some people complain about how net worth is calculated and others moan about using a financial advisor to complete investment transactions and that’s fine. Don’t let anyone get under your skin or bully you into thinking there is a right and wrong way and if you don’t follow it you will be poor the rest of […]
Ontario Budget 2016 Will Affect Your Household Budget : The Saturday Weekend Review #161
ROLL OUT THE FINANCIAL RED CARPET If you don’t think your household budget will be affected by the Ontario Budget 2016, think again. For the most part there are your typical increases but with every extra dollar spent that’s money you must account for. The new Ontario Budget 2016 lit up the internet and social media on Thursday when highlights of the new budget were announced. To be honest I wasn’t sitting by the computer waiting for the new Ontario Budget it kind of hit me in the face. It generated such a buzz that my Twitter and Facebook feed was littered with posts and comments. So over a cup of coffee I read article after article about the pros and cons but the bickering between students was outrageous on some Facebook pages. When money is concerned you can’t please everyone and the government knows this. You’re almost taking from one pot to fill another and hoping that they balance themselves. The deficit for 2016-17 is projected to come in at $4.3 billion and be reduced to zero the following fiscal year Ontario’s net debt will hit $308 billion in 2016-17, the largest of any sub-national jurisdiction in the […]
How To Calculate Your Monthly Grocery Costs: The Grocery Game Challenge 2016 #2 Jan 11-17
BUDGET ONE STEP AT A TIME One of the top questions I get asked is “How much should my grocery budget be?” and I reply, “How much are your current monthly grocery costs?” Before determining your grocery budget it’s important to know what your current situation is costing you. Most often my question goes unanswered or I get a response of “I don’t know” because for some consumers grocery shopping is simply buying food for the week and paying the bill. Unfortunately budgeting and frugality are not normally part of the shopping trip until it becomes necessary for some people. Don’t make this be you. A food budget should be essential for everyone unless you have unlimited income where money is of no object to you. Not many of us reading the blog are that fortunate I’m afraid. Typical grocery costs per month will differ from person to person depending on many factors such as size of the family, income level, health and special diets and so on. You can read all about that in the post I linked above. Currently it’s high-season for budgets now that new year has arrived and people want to get back on track […]
