Like most things, when there’s an abundance of something (supply) and it’s availability at premium condition is shortlived…it’s a buyer’s market. Fruit season in BC means plentiful varieties of fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, plums, apples to pears to name a few. The issue for many of us city folk is how to store it when it’s […]

I’ve signed on the dotted line to reduce my ‘work’ week to 60% = 3 days per week. With two  kids in elementary school we wanted to find better balance in our lives so that we weren’t quite so frazzled by Friday. The idea sounded good but it took a little bit of figuring to […]

Mortgage rates were 9 to 12% when I started working at the bank in the early 90’s! They went up slightly before coming down and they’ve been so low for so long, I cringe at the thought of what higher rates will do to mortgage payments. Depending how much of a mortgage you have, an increase […]

For most of us who own a home, mortgage payments are are greatest monthly expense and of us who live in the Lower Mainland, mortgage payments can eat up a disproportionate amount of our income compared to other expenses.   The first thing to do is gather some information: What is your current mortgage rate and term (for how long will you […]

I am often bewildered when I receive our credit card bill each month. Why is it so high? Why are we not on or under budget (ha ha!)? In reality, I know I’ve done a good job with our financial plan and budget and the only category that we have trouble with is ‘entertainment and […]

This may well be the case but before you think about setting a new one, ask yourself a couple questions. When was the last time you did your budget? When was the last time you looked at it? Do you compare your actual income and expenses to the ones in your budget? Have you experienced […]

It’s that time of year again, yard work (if you have a yard) and property taxes. Vancouver, like many other places bills property taxes for the beginning of July…a whopping bill and that’s after the advance payment made in February! The bill arrived yesterday and because our bank collects and pays the property taxes on […]

We look forward to summer…a lot. Blue skies, sunshine and vacation. Here are some ideas to have a fun summer without blowing the budget: Activities: Purchase a multi-day or multi-use pass Parks and community centers Discount programs (on-line, coupon books) DYI rather than a tour Accommodation: Book far in advance Purchase in advance Pre-pay Discounts […]

The weather in Vancouver last week was stellar to say the least but this week I hear there’s snow on the Coquihalla! We took the snow tires off weeks ago. I am working under the premise that summer weather is on the way and here to stay. On that note, it’s time to take a […]

Do you expect a tax refund? What will you do with it? It may not be a lot of money but a little can go a long way, especially if you have a plan! How about splitting it between a couple of things? A little for you, some to savings and some to pay down […]