Budgets are pretty simple when you get right down to it. A budget is a plan to bring in enough money (income) to cover the money going out (expenses). If you can’t manage to pay your bills with the money you have or earn, you are short cash (deficit) and in the short term might […]

Not really sure how I got thinking about how Thanksgiving relates to needs vs. wants but I think it does. For most of us, it’s easy to think of reasons to be thankful but it also makes me think how precarious life as we know it can be. Life as in ‘lifestyle’. An accident, failing […]

You may not think of including Thanksgiving and Halloween in your budget and before you know it, it’s the Holidays. Once they’re upon us, it’s too late to budget for it! The little things add up quickly and occasions like Thanksgiving and Halloween are no exception. Although they may seem like low cost holidays,it doesn’t […]

I know that I was well organized in terms of a budget and longer term planning but this was also born out of circumstances. My parents helped with my first year and then it was part way through my second year that I started to think about my resources… I had done a couple things […]

By now the school year is in full swing, classes have started, assignments are in progress and midterm test dates are on the calendar. A few of the big bills are paid and you have a good idea of what to expect for expenses for the upcoming months. You have a budget. What’s next? To […]

A recent trip to the Okanagan brought back memories and satisfied the taste buds. Memories of trips to the garden for vegetables or fruit for the dinner table. Many items could be plucked, washed and eaten while a few like peas and corn took a tiny bit more effort. I have very clear recollection of […]

The first plus is that it’s a summer day in a not so summery Vancouver! It’s the end of July and finally a good day to go to Granville Island water park. The kids had a ball and free! It took a little effort to bring some food and drink which serves 2 purposes…food on […]

Who wants to think about budgets during the summer? Especially now that the weather has finally taken a turn for the better. Time to enjoy summer fun, weekends away, holidays, bbq’s, weddings and parties. The trick is to put enough in your budget to cover the bills so you can skip into the fall with […]

The short answer is anything between a few hundred (think City Hall, you and your spouse-to-be and a bouquet) and tens of thousands. The range is huge and the costs are driven by the number of guests and your vision. Here are some examples of typical wedding expenses: Meal & Drinks: $100 per person ($50 […]

Congratulations if this is you! It doesn’t take long to switch your thoughts to wedding planning. There are a lot of hats to wear when arranging the big day and it can get a little overwhelming…..project manager, PR representative and psychologist to name a few. Weddings are big business and it doesn’t take long to […]