Budgets are funny things because you can go to all the trouble of crafting a great budget but then…it doesn’t seem to work! There are all the usual reasons, some of which I’ve posted about but I think sometimes budgets are designed without 2 other key components.   A budget needs some support such as […]

You’ve done the math and set the plan. How is it going? A plan is the key and a budget is simply a tool you use to reach your goals. What happens if you go off track?   The first step is to check in and see how it’s working. Compare your actual spending to […]

Before we move straight to making the 2014 plan, now is a good time to consider the reasons why this might not work. Not to be negative but often I hear people say ‘I’ve tried this before’ or ‘It never seems to work’ so let’s get the barriers to success right onto the table. They […]

Once you’ve got your goals in mind it’s a good time to step back and review them to make sure they are in line with your values. Try to prioritize them despite that some may be longer term goals. If you’re having trouble deciding between two or more goals, take them two at a time […]

It’s the time of year when we tend to indulge and treat ourselves, our families and friends to  special food, drink, celebrations and gifts. When the holiday bills arrive we open them with some trepidation and ‘gulp’, figure out how we’re going to cover it. Sometimes we make conscious decisions to forgo this to buy […]

Common sense tells us that keeping in good health is the right thing to do but sometimes, you can’t control what happens. Last Friday I had knee surgery to reconstruct my ACL (due to a soccer injury) and I consider myself very lucky. Granted, going in for surgery provokes anxiety and the rehabilitation process is […]

This is a great time of year to start saving because summer is over and it’s ahead of the holiday season. How much is enough? That is the question. For many of us, we assume we are limited by what’s left over at the end of the month. How about approaching it a different way? […]

Whether it’s flying the nest to college or sending your little chicks off to school for the first time, it’s a good idea to set a school budget. Knowing what expenses to expect and what money you have to pay for them will allow you to make wise choices. Here’s a quick and simple budget process: […]

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 […]