Buying a new house for the first time comes with some obvious expenses. If you’ve already considered the deposit and down payment, then planning for closing costs should be your next focus. These often-unexpected costs might not be immediately obvious, and they can add up to thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Closing […]

When I was in my early 20s, I had a decent credit score, but it might not have ended up that way. Luckily, I had financially responsible parents who taught me the importance of using my credit card responsibly. That meant only charging what I could afford to pay off in full at the end […]

Unplanned and unexpected home repairs are an unfortunate fact of home ownership.  The problems that necessitate these kinds of emergency or urgent repairs seem to strike at the worst possible times, too.  Your heater might break down and stop working in the middle of the cold winter months.  You might need to fix a suddenly-broken […]

Do you have money invested in the stock market, but you’re finding it tough to keep track of all your investment accounts? You’re not alone. As much as I enjoy investing, something that I don’t enjoy is logging into various accounts, inputting my data in Excel and looking for financial data on the Internet. If […]

Minimalism is trending as more people start to see the benefits of a ‘less is more’ attitude. The word has been thrown around in both casual and serious discussions and is regarded as the new “it” lifestyle. But what does it mean? Minimalism has shifted from a trend to a philosophy, encouraging a lifestyle that […]

How would you like to earn extra income on your blog? You’re reading this blog post, so you must be interested. A decade ago there were limited options for you to make money on the side from your blog. Today the opportunities are endless, but some are better than others. You could write a sponsored […]

I’ve covered Borrowell many times on my blog. In 2018 I wrote about how Borrowell became the first company in Canada to offer FREE monthly online Equifax credit reports. At the beginning of this year, I wrote about the Borrowell Credit Coach, Canada’s first free automated credit coaching tool. If you already enjoy accessing Borrowell […]

Soup or salad? Cream or sugar? Fixed or variable? The decision to go with a fixed-rate mortgage versus a variable-rate mortgage is important. Since a mortgage is the single largest debt for most families, the type of mortgage you choose can have a major bearing on how soon you reach mortgage freedom. Fixed Rate If […]

The tax filing deadline is fast approaching. Have you filed your taxes yet? Unless you enjoy paying penalties and interest to the taxman (I have yet to meet someone who does), it’s best interest to file your taxes by April 30th. Filing your taxes on time is important, especially when you’re a homeowner. The Canada […]

Compared to renters; homeowners are often faced with additional expenses related to maintaining or updating their property. In many cases, some of these expenses are unavoidable such as replacing a leaking roof or your property taxes, but in some cases they may be elective such as a new kitchen. Either way, it’s worth exploring how […]