Organizing childcare is a challenge whether you’re returning to work or it’s school break. It’s one of the most important support systems if you’re a working parent but also one of the most difficult to get! Do you know how much childcare costs your family each year? I think we’d all be surprised when we […]

No one said it’s going to be easy peasy lemon squeezy but if getting rid of your mortgage is number one priority for you, then it can be done.   There are 2 strong motivating factors to pay off your mortgage as soon as possible:     No more mortgage payments = more of your […]

I worked for one of Canada’s Chartered Banks for seven years and not once did I hand a client their mortgage discharge papers. That may not seem significant but I’ve heard stories from those in our parents’ generation who worked hard to pay off their mortgages as soon as possible, in 15, 10 or even […]

Whether you rent or own…we pay a premium to live in Vancouver. The question is – what can you afford to pay? The recommendation is that you do not pay more than 32% of your gross (before taxes) monthly household income towards housing. This calculation includes the housing payment (principle and interest or rent) plus […]

The bad news is … there is no easy way to do this. The saying ‘buy now, pay later’ rings true no matter how hard you try to ignore it. The good news is … there are steps you can take to reduce the interest you’re paying, reduce your debt and ultimately be rid of […]

Spring has arrived! The weather in Vancouver is fantastic today and it got me thinking….Debt can be such a burden. Especially if it’s invading your thoughts, interrupting your sleep or debtors are calling. Whether your debit is stressing you out or whether you just wish it would go away a little faster, spring is a […]

It’s that in between season after RSP’s but before Tax’s. The perfect time to get organized – you’ll see the benefits immediately. Just as soon as you sit down to do your taxes or if you hand them off to someone else, they will appreciate it! To do a thorough job, it will take a […]

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 […]

It’s a daunting task for sure but worth the effort and easier than you think. Figure out how much monthly income you’ll need to live, pay your bills and lead the retirement lifestyle you’d like to have. How much do you need to save to achieve this? How much monthly income will you receive from […]

There are lots of reasons to procrastinate: I don’t have my taxes figured out yet I don’t know how I don’t know where to start I don’t know how much I’ll need I’m young and have lots of time until retirement I don’t have any extra money to save for retirement, I need it now […]