Dear Piggy Bank, Each year I promise myself I’ll have a better handle on back to school expenses and here I am again, it’s three weeks until school starts. What should we budget for and how much? Baffled on Back to School Budget Dear Baffled on Back to School Budget, It’s hard to believe it’s […]

Putting together a nutritious meal after a long day at work is not something I look forward to. There are the added pressures of getting the food on the table quickly and serving something they will like. ‘They’ are two kids under 6 who seem to burn through food very, very rapidly and yet perk […]

It didn’t take too long but a few minutes spent re-arranging the shelving unit beside my desk has made such an improvement! I knew where things were (mostly) and the biggest change was grouping ‘like’ items in the same sections. I do Lean Continuous Improvement in my ‘other job’ and a 5S can really apply […]

A chore few people like to do but one that must be done! The due date for filing personal income taxes to Canada Revenue Agency is April 30th. If you owe taxes, submitting by this date means you will avoid fees and penalties. I read an article recently that said that most Canadians would rather […]

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 […]

After Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) season there is a lull. RSP’s are in the news a lot early in the new year because of the deadline to invest to deduct against past years! Sixty days after January 1st to be precise. 2011 Tax Time – You’ve probably started received most of your tax information in […]

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 […]

What should Betty do? Her concerns are quite clear. What can she do to increase her confidence with respect to her finances? The first step is to take a look at past patterns. How much does she make each month (after tax) and how does spend it? Does her income cover her expenses? This is […]

Yummy appetizers are sometimes a meal in themselves. How to make them pleasing, tasty and healthy? Here are 5 ideas that fit any budget: Heartwarming soup – brilliant on a cold day Humus and pita A selection of sliced meats and bread Fruit Dollar size pancakes with jam, syrup or shredded cheese Easy to prepare […]

It wasn’t that we really set a budget for Halloween this year but it turned out to be a lot of fun with great friends without much expense or aggravation. Coming from me, that says a lot. Halloween is not my favourite day of the year. Not for any reason other than I really don’t […]