I think most of us enjoy the little thrill that comes from a Halloween scare. My kids like to be surprised by just the right amount of ‘boo’ or mechanical spider lunging toward their feet as they cross the threshold. What really frightens them though is the unknown, the uncertain and the down-right scary – […]

It may seem like months away but yet it always seems to sneak up so quickly, settle in like a tornado and then depart leaving us a little heavier in body and lighter in the wallet. Here’s how to get a jump on the holiday season to make for less of a dénouement in the […]

It gets back to the old question of needs versus wants. Layer on the ease of obtaining credit and the complexity of today’s world, and we collide with this simple question. We are often able to buy the things we want such as cars, homes and furniture on credit without saving for them first. Which […]

For many of us back to school marks a fresh start milestone – similar to the New Year. There’s a flurry of organization in terms of new routines, registrations and shopping. I feel a bit like a squirrel with all the effort going into restocking our cupboards, fridge and freezer after a summer of coming […]

It’s a year away and going to be a big one so best we start saving our money now. How much to save? And how to save?    We are planning a trip to the UK to visit family and see the sights over 3 to 4 weeks. The biggest expenses will be transportation and […]

Ok – here we go. Let’s look at the numbers.     $2,800 Flights $245 Hotel $344 Rental Vehicle + Gas $360 Gifts $100 Tourist Stuff $325 Amusement Park $500 Food, Drinks, Miscellaneous   A Grand Total of $4,674!   Ironically, my ball park estimate was the closest at $5,000 and funds saved and set […]

We just got back from a two week to visit family in Ontario and the numbers are in! Did we do a good job budgeting and saving for our trip? The key is to plan well for a big vacation because once the flight has left the airport we are committed to the majority of […]

Okay, after a small discussion and a little bit of negotiation I think we have a plan. We did it in 3 steps: Understand fixed expenses or savings that we can’t or don’t want to change. Review previous year expenses to understand where we’ve ignored our budget and seek out opportunities to cut spending. Set […]

My husband is proposing radical budget cuts and I do mean radical! He read an article about a couple that didn’t spend any money for 1 year other than rent, utilities and food. Their estimated spend avoidance was $36,000. A very tidy sum. You’d think being a financial blogger that I would happily jump on […]

Both of our girls are summer babies which means summer birthdays. I was always envious of my brother’s birthday in the summer because it meant fun presents like dingy boats, flippers and masks. Compared to a November birthday (mine) which is an ‘in between seasons’ birthday.   Some moms seem to plan their childrens’ birthdays […]