Or is your money in control of you? Ladies, it’s time to take charge! Money is a tool which we all use to varying degrees. Some people can live on very little, some enjoy extravagances and indulgences while the majority work hard to make ends meet.

Part 2: How to calculate how much annual income you’ll need. Take a moment to review your estimated retirement expense budget. Have you included needs, wants and lifestyle expectations? Have you included large items such as vehicle replacement or home maintenance? Once you’ve included them, calculate the total annual amount. (Note that this is an […]

How much do you think you’ll need to retire? That depends on a couple things. What kind of lifestyle do you want? What will it cost?

I thought we might finish the holiday season under budget this year. Realistically we will be $200 over budget. We can deal with that. Especially since January is generally more low key. It can be a challenge repaying the holiday bills at the same time as your paycheck decreases (those pesky EI and CPP deductions […]

Dear Piggy Bank has been in the limelight. Yoyomama: Family Financial Planning Basics – An interview http://www.yoyomama.ca/2011/01/new-years-financial-resolutions/ and case study http://blog.yoyomama.ca/2011/01/dear-piggybank/. Yoyomama – keeping mums on-the-go in the know. 24H Daily Paper – Vancouver: Household Money Management Plan – A snapshot article January 11, 2011 under Yoyomama’s column. http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/PDF/2007/10/10/daily0111web.pdf Enterprising Mom’s Network (EMN) Monthly Newsletter: […]

It’s easy to say but how do you do it? Short term versus long term objectives, money for this but not enough for that too…these are common questions and challenges. The first step is to identify your goals. What do you want and what will it cost? When do you want it? It’s easiest if […]

Happy New Year! The holiday season is barely over but it’s not too soon to think about the 2011 holiday season! This is a great time to do a couple things to set yourself up for next year’s holiday season.

The holiday season is fun and busy! Time flies and before you know it, it’s the new year. Start 2011 on the right foot. Here are 3 steps to take care of your financial business. 1) Set a simple plan – 1 to 3 goals 2) Make it easy on yourself – Set up auto-transfers/savings […]

Do you have a financial plan? Is it for 2010? Does it cover a few years? Once you decide on your priorities and goals and set them to a timeline, it can be an easy exercise to review the plan. It may need some small adjustments but if you’ve put some thought into it, the […]

It’s the holiday season and a time many of us are reminded how fortunate we are. There are many ways to contribute to our community to help those who are less fortunate. Cash donations, gifts, clothing, our time and/or our skills. Some people ask and some don’t. As a consumer it can require some thought […]