spending money

No matter how much solid financial planning we put in, life cannot be reduced down to complete predictability. Indeed, there are always unexpected expenses, large and small, that can crop up. And, you never know when something catastrophic, like a major illness or a job loss, will happen. The reality of unexpected financial situations should [...]

You can save a lot of money by making an effort to be frugal, and you can use that extra money to do many things.  Whatever the reason, being frugal can be great in most instances. I stress ‘most’ because sometimes spending a little bit more will mean you get a far superior product. Sometimes [...]

Since passing my CFP® exam, more and more of my friends are coming to me for financial advice. Sometimes they have a specific question, sometimes they want to create a plan to get out of debt, and sometimes they just want some advice on how to manage their finances going forward. No matter what they [...]

Vacation is one of those luxuries that can easily cause you to go over budget. Even the best budgeter gets caught up in the spur of the moment. I know no one really wants to budget on vacation.  But, I promise you, there is one thing worse than budgeting on vacation — that is, being [...]

As many families were hit hard by the recession, it became difficult for them to provide for the human needs let alone man’s best friends needs. In some sad cases, long-time pet owners had to give their beloved pets up to shelters when they could no longer afford to care for them properly. Shelters around [...]

Santa Claus is one of our most recognizable holiday characters, known for his love of children, holiday spirit, and giving personality. Most people would agree that Santa is a good guy. He gives unselfishly and the only thing he asks for in return is good behavior. However, has anyone ever asked what this all costs [...]

I had a really bad banking experience last week – actually, it took place over 7 days and is still not quite over. I was going to blog about it and rat out the bank, but then some halfway decent customer service changed my mind. When I logged into my account today and saw YET ANOTHER [...]

Many people that create a budget have a difficult time sticking to it for one reason — incidental expenses. Although incidental expenses are only a small fraction of your expenses, they can have a really big effect on your budget. These tiny expenses often go unaccounted for and can destroy your carefully crafted plans. Here [...]

As the closing of my home loan draws nearer, I have been diligent about making sure my personal finances have stayed in order. While it has been a long process, it has gone relatively smoothly. We are set to close in just two weeks. Unknowingly, we could have delayed our closing by doing a number of [...]

So how are you getting on with your New Year’s resolutions?  Yes that’s right, all those promises that you made to yourself back in January about doing more exercise, eating healthier food and cutting back on spending. We are now more than half-way through the year and for many, those good intentions are long forgotten [...]