With each passing year, we’re moving closer and closer to a cashless society. Being in an increasingly cashless society has its benefits – convenience, earning rewards, building your credit score and security. But going cashless isn’t without its drawbacks. Mainly, it’s easier than ever to part with our cash. With our credit card constantly at […]

A personal finance book written by an insolvency trustee can’t be interesting, right? Wrong. Straight Talk On Your Money by Doug Hoyes promises to cut through the biggest myths and mistakes about money and, boy, does it deliver! Full disclosure: I’ve known Doug for a while. I was a guest on his podcast when I […]

Pre-authorized payment (PAP) seems like a convenient way to pay your bills. With PAP, you can “set it and forget it.” The money is automatically deducted from your bank account each month like clockwork. But PAP isn’t without its risks.  The biggest risk is over-billing. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of […]

When I purchased my house in August 2012, I had no idea I’d end up spending upwards of $25,000 on home renovations and repairs in my second year as a homeowner. Like most homebuyers I got a home inspection; nothing major cropped up, although the inspector mentioned I would eventually need to get the retaining […]

Are you tired of shelling out thousands of dollars to your cable company each year for hundreds of channels you don’t watch? Have you considered joined the growing trend of ditching cable TV? About 16 per cent say they no watch conventional TV and strictly stream online content, according to a report by comScore. Living […]

Affording a home in Toronto, Canada’s second most expensive housing market, was tough. With home prices skyrocketing, many first-time homebuyers start out as condo buyers before eventually upsizing to a house. Despite being single, with a sizable down payment of $170,000, I had the luxury of choosing between a house and condo. Here are some […]

A U.S. shopping tradition is once again heading north of the border. Thanksgiving may have already come and gone in mid-October, but that doesn’t mean we can’t partake in Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have taken Canada by storm – Boxing Day is no longer the busiest shopping day of […]

With Financial Literacy Month coming to a close, I thought it would be the perfect time to discuss why financial literacy matters. In high school we learn about algebra, chemistry, history and even physical education, but when it comes to personal finance we’re on our own. The fact that we even have to have a […]

Are you sick and tired of being dinged with unfair charges by big business? You’re not alone. CBC Marketplace aired an episode on Canada’s Dumbest Charges. Consumers fed up with being taken advantage of by corporations submitted their ideas for the dumbest charges. The top five dumbest charges were Ticketmaster fees, airline seat selection fees, […]

After a long, stressful day at the office, it can be tempting to give in to temptation and order take out. Who feels like slaving over a hot stove, when you can have pizza delivered conveniently to your doorstep under 40 minutes? Even frugal old me used to be guilty of ordering takeout pizza on […]