Archives

All the posts since 2014 are here!

2023

• 4 ways to save money everyday
• Protecting yourself from scams
• The many costs of being unbanked or underbanked
• Bye 2022, hello 2023

2022

• My 2022 in review
• What’s in a living wage?
• That week I didn’t spend money…
• Tips to save on groceries
• Avalanche, snowball or consolidation?
• Employment insurance basics in Canada
• Mortgage trigger rate explained
• What’s a saving rate and why it matters
• Retirement basics in Canada
• Stop keeping up with the Jones’
• Money magnifies who we are
• Credit card churning explained
• Generosity: giving more to have more and be more
• Collateral vs. conventional mortgages
• I’ve been quiet quitting for years
• Stop having these 2 conversations about money
• Living below your means isn’t about lack
• Can retail therapy be a good thing?
• That time I quit my job….with nothing lined-up
• 6 suggestions to see your friends without spending tons of money
• 4 tips to avoid the “lottery effect”
• Pay yourself first
• My open letter to high-school graduates
• FHSA explained
• Inflation protection
• Money 101 for kids
• Where does it all go? 3 strategies for money management
• 5 examples of wealth that aren’t money related
• Looking at your past can shape your financial future
• Understanding child support laws in Canada
• When to seek advice from an expert
• 7 tips to save on your vacation or staycation
• When she earns more than he does
• Addictions and your money
• 6 Money Do’s and Don’ts in Relationships
• How to budget without fighting in 8 steps
• 10 reasons why couples fight over money
• 6 reasons every couple should talk about money (featured on Personal Finance Blogs, January 24th, 2022)
• Wanna earn more? Never say these 14 things at work
• Bye 2021, Hello 2022

2021

• I spent $101.65 to celebrate Christmas
• 2 tips for sticking with your budget
• 10 inexpensive or free family activities
• 3 signs it’s time to consider debt relief
• Recognizing loan scams
• What are effective budgets?
• 3 steps to reduce debt
• 6 signs you need a budget (featured on Personal Finance Blogs, December 2nd, 2021)
• Best before vs. best by: you probably got it wrong
• Should you join the Great Resignation?
• Catching-up on retirement savings
• Dabbling in real-estate crowdfunding
• My MBA cost me $ 102 300!
• 7 posts for 7 years of blogging
• Hello Fresh review
• The case for accepting an employer’s counter offer
• How long should you keep your documents?
• How my spending has changed after a year of Covid
• When contributing to an RRSP doesn’t make sense
• Should you use a TFSA for retirement savings?
• Covid-19 a year later: what I learned
• Developing an abundance mindset
• I deferred my mortgage, now what?
• Health insurance isn’t really insurance
• What’s new this tax season

2020

• How gratitude helped me through 2020
• A Merry Covid Christmas
• More than funding, you need planning
• Switching my retirement savings to all-in-one ETFs
• CERB transition
• Alternate paths to FIRE
• Feeling bamboozled by your Realtor?
• Addressing privilege in personal finances
• Collection agency protection-updated
• Deferring your property taxes in BC
• Protecting your computer from hacking
• 200th post: reflections on 7 weeks of semi-lockdown
• CESB explained
• Lost your job? Don’t make these 3 mistakes
• CERB updated
• How I am managing my finances and coping during Covid-19
• CERB explained
• Here for you is all relative
• Coronavirus and your expenses
• Coronavirus and your income
• Coronavirus: Canadian economy edition
• Don’t trade on the news: coronavirus and your money
• Ridiculous bank offers’edition
• Return since inception vs. yearly return

2019

• My year in review
• Avoiding Christmas Financial madness
• Mindful Consumption
• PC Express review
• Book review: The 4-hour work week by Tim Ferriss
• Being consumer-debt free: one year later
• Blog Anniversary: 5 years
• The value of time
• Forgot to file your taxes, now what?
• Opportunity cost
• Handling a no-fault car accident in BC

2018

• Life update and musings
• When to sell your stocks
• Tips to ask for a raise
• Why I don’t really blog about my own finances
• Could your cosmetics be bad for you?
• My health is my most precious asset
• Handling an at-fault car accident in BC
• Can money buy happiness?
• That time I decided to work part-time
• That time I refinanced my mortgage
• Financial milestone: consumer-debt free!
• Alternatives to big cable companies in BC
• High-interest savings accounts and GICs in Canada
• When financial literacy is not enough
• 10 Financial killers
• F.I.R.E. explained and debunked
• The importance of the emergency fund
• Time-weighted vs. Money-weighted rate of return

2017

• The higher-tax bracket myth
• To combine finances or not
• My personal tips to save money
• Stress-testing your finances
• Why I don’t automate all my finances
• Annuities basics
• Book review: Stock Investing for Canadians for dummies
• Retirement-planning mistakes-part 2
• Retirement-planning mistakes-part 1
• Labor-sponsored investment funds explained
• Thoughts on the financially privileged and the not-so privileged
• The cost of dog ownership
• Curbing Summer expenses
• Valuing a stock with the Graham formula
• The dog years of compounding (in investing)
• Managing lifestyle inflation
• Buying a rental property (or not)
• Buying vs.renting
• Book review: the Wealthy renter
• No-fee banking in Canada
• Another important reason your mortgage is denied
• Book review: Pound Foolish
• The problem with personal finances blogs
• Book review: Burn your mortgage
• How I increased my savings by 850% in 4 years
• Buying a foreclosed property
• Segregated funds explained
• Choosing a Financial advisor
• Term vs. permanent life insurance
• Financial milestone: consolidation loan paid off!
• Is paying an annual credit card fee worth it?
• Consumer proposal explained
• New fee disclosure rules for Canadian investments
• Travel insurance explained
• Should you ever take a pay-cut?
• 4 phases to Financial freedom
• Buying a pre-sale property
• Fun and cheap Valentine’s Day ideas
• When and how to financially cut-off your adult children
• Suburban life ain’t cheaper

2016

• It is not just the latte (factor)
• Financial things to do in your thirties
• RRSP myths debunked
• Back to life and Financial basics
• Mortgage penalty explained
• Closing costs in real-estate
• New Canada Child Benefit explained
• Auto insurance basics in BC
• A different money style for a different lifestyle
• The costs of working
• In favor of the “starter home” concept
• Mortgage basics for the self-employed
• Why your property is not selling
• Choosing a Realtor when selling
• Building your net worth
• Condo inspection basics
• 3 tips to sell your property faster
• How being organized will save you money
• Why your business is failing
• Corporation vs. sole proprietorship
• How to take free classes via MOOC
• 100th post : the importance of volunteering
• How I fed myself for a week with $ 14.89
• Top reasons people get into debt
• Understanding a stock table
• Limitations of peer-to-peer landing
• Free or low cost exercise options
• Common tax deductions and credits for individuals
• Perceived wealth vs. actual wealth
• Condo-buying mistakes
• Choosing a reward credit card
• Being judgmental on other people’s personal finances
• Debt will always be debt
• Other Financial mistakes I made

2015

• Gratitude and personal finances
• Avoiding Christmas’ financial madness-part 2
• Maternity leave budgeting
• Pros and cons of group benefits
• Home-buyer plan explained
• Shifting your financial perspective
• My ways to save money
• What not to do when applying for a mortgage
• How to handle a market downturn
• Target date funds explained
• Protecting yourself from identity theft
• Strata (condo) myths debunked
• Saving on your wedding
• Understanding payday loans
• The tale of the Christmas dress or how I got into debt
• Financial mistakes I made
• Are home renovations worth it?
• Insurances your probably don’t need
• Realistic budgeting
• Unsuspecting costly habits
• After filing your tax return
• Is couponing worth it?
• Why my home is not an investment
• What I won’t do to save or pay-off debt
• Financial “rules” I like to bend or break
• Things I refuse to pay for
• From saving to investing
• Mutual funds vs. ETFs
• The case for earning more money
• Car refinancing traps
• Mortgage refinancing traps
• To tip or not
• To leverage or not
• Learning to say no: friends edition
• Landlord myths dispelled
• Thoughts on becoming self-employed
• Learning to say no: co-workers edition
• The cost of being single
• Money talk for couples
• Understanding fees in mutual funds
• Mutual funds basics
• Be your own financial advisor
• Basic tax glossary
• Large tax refunds aren’t that great
• TFSA vs. RRSP
• RRSP basics

2014

• Easy financial boosters 
• TFSA basics 
• Bare-bones budget 
• Competing financial priorities 
• Credit score basics 
• Financial set-backs and debt fatigue 
• The personal aspect of personal finances 
• Avoiding Christmas financial madness-part 1 
• Overspending triggers 
• Life insurance needs and being single 
• Emergency fund basics 
• Tackling debt 
• RESP basics 
• Numbers to look-at when condo-buying 
• 5 saving tips on back-to-school shopping 
• Understanding your credit card(s) 
• Condo insurance 
• Do you need insurance? 
• Bankruptcy explained 
• 5 financial items to consider when home-buying 
• Financing post-secondary education 
• Home insurance tips 
• The ugly truth about government student loans 
• Should you use a credit counselling service? 
• The cost of eating-out