From the category archives:

General

Lenders beware.

February 9, 2012

It can be so difficult to say no; whether it be a friend’s invitation when you are pooped from a long hard day, a favor from your work colleague when you just don’t have the time or that second giant helping of grandma’s lasagna when you are absolutely stuffed. Most of us try to please [...]

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Pet Smarts

January 31, 2012

Did you know that pet owners tend to be happier and more confident than their petless counterparts (according to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)? It’s true, little Fido or Fluffy offers as much emotional support as family members do (maybe even more so depending on the case!). We love our pets. And why [...]

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ATM got the munchies?

December 8, 2011

Get ready for a rant.  We have all been inconvenienced at some point or another by intense security measures: taking off your shoes at airport security, answering a million questions on the telephone to access any personal account, and for me most recently, having the ATM eat my debit card.  I’ve heard of this happening [...]

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Thanks, in so many ways.

October 13, 2011

This Thanksgiving in Canada, I gave thanks for a lot of things. How about you?

I gave thanks for:

• Every self-aware soul who watches their spending.

• Every family that follows a monthly budget.

• Parents who teach their children about the value of money from a young age.

• Fathers who spend their earnings on their family rather than at the bar.

• Young couples who save and invest for their eventual retirement.

• All couples who don’t play mind games with money.

• People who give up bad habits that cost them a fortune.

• All those who come to realize that chronic debt problems most often result from bad attitudes towards money.

• Individuals with money problems who seek aid from those qualified to help.

• Risk takers who never gamble more than they can afford to lose.

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Good people do exist.

September 27, 2011

This is one of those stories that’ll make you love the world all over again! So last Friday I headed downtown for a girls’ night out with some old friends. Lately I have been getting too many transaction fees when using my debit card so I decided to budget how much I was allowed to [...]

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Don’t let the bedbugs take a bite out of your wallet!

September 20, 2011

So the other day while looking at my Facebook account, I saw a friend’s update. She made what she felt was the find of the century and was showing it off in living colour. Emily is a dedicated, efficient shopper especially when it comes to garage sales. One Saturday after completing her regular garage sales [...]

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What’s a babysitter worth?

September 1, 2011

Among parents, questions abound these days about what to pay babysitters, especially if babysitting is frequently required within a household. Answers are available. There are norms providing guidelines. But before I get to them, I’d like to offer a few comments about the subject in general. With babysitting, it’s not just a matter of getting [...]

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Food For Thought!

August 30, 2011

Statistics Canada recently trumpeted in the news, that food prices are getting higher around the world and that this is finally affecting us. Food inflation is alive and well in Canada and at its highest level in 2 years. As gas prices are beginning to soar they are having an impact on consumer’s shopping patterns [...]

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‘Waste not’ those fresh zucchini handouts! Store-bought pickles are pricey so why not make them yourself.

August 11, 2011

Summer is quickly coming to an end and the weather is still sizzling hot (not counting today).  Plants love the sun so if you have a vegetable garden there’s likely an abundance ready for harvesting, especially the zucchinis and other summer squash, and it should last into fall. So what should I do? For anyone [...]

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Movies in the Park.

August 9, 2011

As the weather gets hotter you can’t help but want to have some good old-fashioned summertime fun but these three long awaited months can be a very expensive time for those of us who can’t live without a social life. I completely understand, and the ‘Bargain Queen’ aka ‘The Diva On a Budget’ is here [...]

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