What’s your motto? Live like a pauper and graduate a princess or prince? You may think the goal of graduating without student debt is lofty to say the least. It’s not easy but a challenge worth accepting. Just like any other budget, if it doesn’t balance (that is to say that expenses are greater than […]

One more week of summer means a last scramble to get organized for back to school. Now that you’re on your own, are you looking after yourself? It’s easy to work through the checklist of registering for courses, gathering supplies and packing your bags but have you taken the opportunity to work through the dollars […]

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 […]

Dear Piggy Bank, It’s most of the way through July and we’re going to blow our summer budget if we’re not careful. How do we stay on track during the summer? The kids are out of school, we’re taking some holidays, there are bbq’s and less hours at work? Simmering Summer Budget Dear Simmering Summer […]

Dear Piggy Bank, I am expecting my first child and just about to go on maternity leave but I’ve been so excited about the baby I haven’t really thought past getting ready for the baby to arrive. I finish work in a couple weeks and realize we haven’t thought much (ok, at all) about how […]

Dear Piggy Bank, I’m an elementary school teacher and as June draws to a close I battle with two feelings. I can’t wait for the break after another busy year but I also feel guilty that I haven’t set aside the money. I know that I’ll have a big credit card bill by September. I […]

Dear Piggy Bank, It doesn’t matter how old I get, I still remember the anticipation of summer holidays. The end of the school year is always the trigger! July 1st long weekend is a great way to kick things off and even though it doesn’t look like the weather is going to be stellar…it’s a long weekend […]

How much do you spend on transportation? It can easily add up to a chunk of your budget when you add it all up. Do you… Own your own vehicle Use public transit  Bike or walk Have the use of a work vehicle Use a car co-op Cab it Rent Each mode of transportation comes […]

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 […]

The 80/20 rule can apply to most anything. Even financial planning! If you’ve been meaning get your financial house in order, don’t wait for the perfect plan. You might be surprised how many steps forward you can take once you’ve got the majority of the thinking done. Details can always be added or refined as […]