MONEY OUT THE WINDOW OR MONEY WELL SPENT- THE CHOICE IS YOURS! You might be paying banking fees for every bank account you own whether it’s with the same financial institution or not. I know plenty of people who bank with several Big 5 banks and I’m not sure if they understand the costs of monthly banking fees and how it may be affecting their overall yearly savings power. Banking in Canada seemed fairly straight-forward to me when I arrived as a permanent resident. I was fortunate to set up my bank account at the time through President’s Choice Financial since my wife banked there but before I moved to Canada. It made life far easier for me especially when I needed to transfer money from my UK bank account to my Canadian bank account. What I loved about PC Financial what is now known as Simplii Financial Canada was that there were no banking fees. We didn’t have to pay for cheques either. If we had any issues we could make a phone call or visit any Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada (CIBC) for help. In total since I moved to Canada over 10 years ago now we’ve […]
Yearly Banking Fees of $1000 Seniors Could Have Avoided : Net Worth Update 2018 March (+0.51%)
Waiting For A Living Wage To Start Budgeting Is A Bad Idea: The Saturday Weekend Review #252
MONEY IS YOUR BOX AND A BUDGET IS YOUR KEY TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM Understanding the difference between a living wage and minimum wage is just as important as knowing your financial numbers from start to finish. Just the other day on Facebook I was reading through the comments after a sponsored post by a popular budgeting app popped up on my screen advertising their service. I suppose reading what others think about budgeting is important to me since this blog revolves around budgeting and frugal living topics. Two of the most important comments I wanted to talk about today which I read stuck in my head because I wanted to speak up and tell them, don’t wait for a living wage to budget, do it now. I’m not budgeting until I have a living wage Why should I pay to use a budget when I’m broke Your debt costs more than you think once you factor in all the interest calculated over the term of paying it back. In fact reading the bottom of your credit card statement might just shock you when you see how long it would take to pay off whatever you charged. Go have a […]
The Ultimate Guide To Protecting Yourself From Rental Scams : The Saturday Weekend Review #249
The best way to protect yourself from rental scams is to meet face to face. It’s equally important to be aware of red flags that fraudsters dangle at unsuspecting renters. If you value the money you work hard for ( I know you do) and want to protect yourself from perplexing rental scams it’s time to get informed. One of the worst decisions we can make in life is signing something we don’t know anything about. The days of searching for a rental via print media are far less than they were 20 years ago since most people take to the internet for rental property listings. Even though word of mouth is top-notch in the rental community even then you must keep your guard up. By now everyone should know that letting your guard down when it comes to doing business online may come back to haunt you. Parents, if you have a young adult new to the rental scene pass along this vital information about rental scams so they’re protected. Most often students moving away for University and College looking for student housing get stung along with those who post wanted ads on social media or websites such […]
Why Are Hospital TV Rental Costs Beyond Ridiculous? : The Saturday Weekend Review #248
WHEN YOU REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT A HOSPITAL TV IS TO A PATIENT THE COSTS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN AN EMERGENCY EXPENSE WELL SPENT. When you’re in an all-white room in a not so comfy bed where not all patients are able to take care of themselves that hospital room becomes a very lonely world. For many patients and care-givers in Ontario the price of a hospital TV and WiFi is beyond over-priced and a topic I wanted to discuss with all of you. I’ve always been the first to say if you can’t afford it, don’t buy it but there are times in our lives where money is not the objective, life is. This is something that Mrs. CBB and I have learned through personal experience and just recently with my sick father-in-law who says, “You can’t bring money to the grave”. Hook me up, but at what cost? What I did learn recently is that not all hospitals in Ontario offer the same perks and prices for technology based services such as a hospital TV or internet. For example these are the charges for Wi-Fi at Hamilton Health Sciences hospitals yet the University Hospital in London, […]
The Ultimate Guide For Buying Real Food : The Grocery Game Challenge 2017 #1 Oct 2-8
THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS WHY WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF THE FOODS WE PUT INTO OUR BODY. We hear the term ‘real food’ splashed around social media constantly and grocery stores market fresh organic produce and other products to entice shoppers to consider what they eat. My father-in-law swears by his garden and says nothing beats organic produce but consumers may find they get lost in translation towards the food industry. What’s good? What’s not good? Costs? Health? Grocery shopping for the most part seems like a simple chore but many consumers are left wondering what they should and shouldn’t be eating. You might be reading this right now and not give a rats a$$ about real food and eat whatever you want and that’s fine. Your choice. Are we mindful enough of the food we put into our bodies or do we shop for quantity over quality? In our house it’s a bit of both although it truly depends on the person behind the grocery list and the grocery budget. Cooking skills are a must as are the ability to follow recipes or even create your own. If cooking isn’t your thing you might struggle with real […]
How Thieves Scam The Self-Checkout System : The Grocery Game Challenge 2017 #2 Sept 11-17
IT’S NOT WORTH CHEATING THE AUTOMATED CASHIER Should customer service workers worry about shifts in the job market with more stores introducing self-checkout systems? I’d believe so because the more we automate the less we will need human interaction although there will always be customers who pass on technology for a traditional checkout with a cashier. Will self-checkout systems replace jobs as technology moves forward and the crunch of cost-cutting and increased minimum wage blanket consumers and retailers? Possibly and we’re seeing self-checkout systems pop up just about everywhere. Questions upon questions which can only be answered as time goes on and not only from the customer and employee perspective but also the companies that introduce the self-checkout system. If keeping costs lower is the name of the game for a company they most likely would do it especially if that means lowered costs to the consumer. Most often this is just a dream but noteworthy. Stores with the self-checkout system seem to be on the rise in Canada with Walmart, Home Depot and just about every grocery store following suit. With the rise in minimum wage topping $15 in Ontario we are hearing more shops are aiming to […]
Debt Free Mom Admits Becoming A Thrift Shopping Shopaholic : The Saturday Weekend Review #235
SPENDING MONEY NO MATTER WHERE YOU SHOP IS STILL SHOPPING I can count off the top of my head about 6 thrift stores near me and we go to all of them at least once a month. Sounds shocking but it’s not especially when we are looking for something we need. Most often it’s clothes, craft supplies, CD’s and kitchen items. On occasion we find furniture or home decor but we really don’t need any of that stuff any longer. Shopping online sites like Kijiji or Craigslist is just as naughty as shopping secondhand because most often items purchased are well-loved or deeply discounted by the owner. Thrift shopping online can be far more dangerous than going into the shop because you can do it from the comfort of your home. Sarah a mom of 2 young boys emailed me looking for some advice to help her curb her obsession with thrift shopping. She’s not alone in her plight to cut costs yet over-spend buying used and in some cases brand new items with or without tags. Here’s her story… Dearest Mr.CBB, My name is Sarah and I live in Hamilton, Ontario with my husband and two boys aged […]
The Ultimate Off-Campus Student Housing Needs List : The Saturday Weekend Review #232
DON’T PACK MORE THAN YOU NEED WHEN MOVING AWAY FOR SCHOOL. I’m already getting emails from students asking for advice about moving into their first apartment to attend University or College. I thought student housing would be an excellent topic to discuss before students rush out and spend money on things they really don’t need. When we are younger we have a preconceived notion about what living on our own is like because we typically associate living at home to be the same but on a smaller scale. It is and it isn’t which is why you don’t need to hire a moving truck unless you plan to stick around for a long time. When students start returning back to town typically we see trucks and U-haul trailers filled with stuff for students living off campus. Most first-year students tend to stay on campus because student residence is a great place to meet people. It’s also a security blanket for many who also have meal cards and eat at the university and college as well. Other students who may have older siblings at the same school or a few friends may opt to rent a house or 3 bedroom […]
