The squirrels are busy, busy this time of year. The chestnuts hardly hit the ground and they’re gathering them up and stashing them away. How about you? Are you setting aside for your future? It’s not easy to do with all the competing demands on our pay checks but if we don’t save for our […]

I’ve signed on the dotted line to reduce my ‘work’ week to 60% = 3 days per week. With two  kids in elementary school we wanted to find better balance in our lives so that we weren’t quite so frazzled by Friday. The idea sounded good but it took a little bit of figuring to […]

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 […]

I am often bewildered when I receive our credit card bill each month. Why is it so high? Why are we not on or under budget (ha ha!)? In reality, I know I’ve done a good job with our financial plan and budget and the only category that we have trouble with is ‘entertainment and […]

This may well be the case but before you think about setting a new one, ask yourself a couple questions. When was the last time you did your budget? When was the last time you looked at it? Do you compare your actual income and expenses to the ones in your budget? Have you experienced […]

We look forward to summer…a lot. Blue skies, sunshine and vacation. Here are some ideas to have a fun summer without blowing the budget: Activities: Purchase a multi-day or multi-use pass Parks and community centers Discount programs (on-line, coupon books) DYI rather than a tour Accommodation: Book far in advance Purchase in advance Pre-pay Discounts […]

How many accounts do you have? How many differenct banks do you bank at? What about credit cards, loans and investments? Spreading around your business is one thing but it can be tricky to manage. Fewer arrangements and relationships to manage will help to keep your money management simple. Here are some suggestions: 2 Major […]

If you took Making Your Money Management Simple – 1 to heart, you are now organized! This post is about paying bills on time and in no time. Our household bills all seem to naturally fall due towards the end of the month. This is okay as I sit down once per month and set […]

Our lives are busy enough, who wants more administrivia? Keeping track of bills and money can be kept to a minimum with a few simple strategies. The next few posts will include suggestions and tips to manage bills, banking, investments and debts.