The 80/20 rule can apply to most anything. Even financial planning! If you’ve been meaning get your financial house in order, don’t wait for the perfect plan. You might be surprised how many steps forward you can take once you’ve got the majority of the thinking done. Details can always be added or refined as […]

As the weather improves and the temperature warms up, so does the fun. Weekends away, barbecues, weddings and summer holidays start to fill the calendar. It’s easy to accept many invitations and deal with the bills later. Save yourself some spender’s remorse and check whether your budget can handle all the holidays. Take a look […]

The first question always seem to be ‘How much?’ and if they’re not asking it, you probably are. The amount can be determined with a couple considerations: What do you expect them to do for the allowance? What can they reasonably buy with the money? Will you place any restrictions on what they can spend […]

I’m not sure where she got the idea from but she’s been asking for an allowance. Thinking back to the days of when I got an allowance I very clearly recollect 25 cents and 50 cents. The reason I remember is because 25 cents bought either a bag of chips or a chocolate bar but […]

Our two kids have taken an interest in money lately. Not so much the big dollars but they have spent time categorizing different coin denominations and moving their piggy bank stash from one container to another. The different values of the penny, nickel, dime, quarter, loonie and toonie are lost on our 3.5 year old […]

How is 2012 going for you? Did you make financial resolutions and are you meeting them? Here are some handy and simple tips to help keep you on track with your budget: · Buy on sale · Buy second hand · Make a list for what you want to buy – this helps avoid impulse […]

Sometimes the expenses you face are out of your control. Take this week for example, BC kids have no school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The first question is whether or not existing child care can provide additional coverage and the second is what to do if they don’t. As it is, Spring Break begins March […]

Isn’t it amazing what effect the date February the 14th has on the prices of certain things? Every year it comes around, right in the middle of the stat holiday drought and it doesn’t matter if it falls on a Tuesday or a Saturday there are a few things you can count on: Restaurant reservations […]

How’s it going with your 2012 resolutions? Even though it’s already the beginning of February, 2012 is hardly underway and there’s always time to get started on the right financial path. Many of us start the year with fresh resolve to improve, change and/or get organized. What can you get done before that impetus to […]

You may ask what these have in common? Even if you didn’t watch any of the games, you may have heard that they achieved their goal of qualifying for the summer Olympics. Even though they didn’t win or score against the US team, they competed in the tournament with a disciplined focus on their objective. […]