How do you budget for the school year? What do things cost? Some expenses may be familiar and others might be totally new. The main categories are: Living (Housing & Food) Tuition & Books Transportation Entertainment Other Within each of these categories is a list of expenses many of which we all pay, some of […]

Not everyone is ‘good’ at math but all of us should be able to do our 1,2,3’s. The post secondary school year or a trade, technical or diploma program face similar challenges in that the money flows in and outs in an abnormal pattern. This makes it difficult to budget. The traditional monthly budget doesn’t […]

September will forever mean back to school but this year September means the start of school for our 5 year old. Entry into Kindergarten is very, very exciting. Despite the challenges of transitioning from full time child care to the school year calendar and a new before/after school care, the difference between the 2 monthly […]

If you finished the ‘Building a Budget in 3 Simple Steps’, you’re ready to take it to the next level! A budget is the best place to start but don’t leave your plan behind. Adding a plan to your budget is straightforward.Planning is the fun part because most of us know what we want and […]

Finally, Step #3. Use your budget A budget is only valuable if you use it. It is a guideline to ensure that your monthly income covers your monthly expenses. The simplest way to use your budget is to monitor your actual income and expenses against your planned/budgeted income and expenses. At the beginning, it may […]

Step #2 entails a little bit of math. Now that you’ve gathered and reviewed the information, it’s time to do something with it. Your budget will have 2 sections. One for income and one listing expenses (It’s generally easiest to work with monthly numbers). Make sure that all monthly expenses are included. Subtract the expenses […]

Does everyone dread having a budget? Most of us do. Creating and managing a personalized budget can be done in 3 steps. The first step is probably the most difficult and takes the most time but it is the foundation of a solid budget. Gather your financial information including pay stubs, tax returns, bills, bank […]

The variable and short term rates look so attractive! The question is – Can you sleep at night? How long do you plan to stay in your home? Answering these questions will help you decide what term to choose. Mortgage rates don’t always change when lending rates go up or down but often they do. […]

It’s a simple question, but there isn’t always a  simple answer. It really depends on 2 things: How much of a down payment do you have? What mortgage payments can you afford? A bank will use additional criteria to evaluate whether they will lend you money to buy a home including calculating your net worth, checking your […]

Chances are that your money concerns aren’t unique. Dear Piggy Bank’s clients often have several things in common: They are conscientious They want to be smart with their money They use adapted money systems to manage their money (jars, envelopes, bank accounts) They are uncertain where to start and what steps to take They want […]