In the interests of complete transparency, I’m going to say that I am a homeowner. I’ve owned my current home since 2004, and I bought my first home in 2001. I only ever rented for a few years – maybe 2? – before I got my very first mortgage and jumped on the property ladder. […]
When I started investing, I had no idea what I was doing. It’s true. I was in my early 20s, and my local newspaper had a column about personal finance. I’m older than the internet, so I grew up reading newspapers. I’ll never forget a column about David Chilton’s book The Wealthy Barber. That book […]
The chatter in the system is that inflation is coming. Hardly surprising. I would venture to say that inflation is already here. Groceries are more expensive than they were a year ago. Gas prices have risen in my corner of the world. Friends who need lumber are sharing horror stories about the price. There’s not […]
There are few among us who really and truly find deep life satisfaction from our paid employment. If you are one of these Fortunate Few, then you are truly blessed. For the rest of the good people reading this little blurb, I would urge you to err on the side of caution. Whatever do you […]
Last week, someone in the Twittersphere asked people to share their best money-making tip. Mine was simple – cook at home more. I’ve never hidden the fact that I consider my kitchen to be a magic money-maker. A few hours each week in the kitchen means that I’m not spending money on over-sized portions of […]
“Wow! I had way too much money to tide me over when I was unemployed and had bills to pay!” – said No One Ever By now, you may heard that it’s best to have 3-6 months of income in your emergency fund. You know your finances better than I ever will, but it seems […]
Every time you get paid, I want you to buy yourself some “No!” Whatever are you talking about, Blue Lobster? It’s simple. When you receive your paycheque, endeavour to not spend all of it. Now, I know that there are those who are barely surviving from one payday to the next due to a low […]
Based on my understanding of them, the Baby Steps have two main problems. One, the Baby Steps encourage people to work longer than they might otherwise wish. Two, people will pay higher than necessary management expense ratios (MERs). One of the more controversial figures in the personal finance section of the Internet is Dave Ramsey. […]
As I’ve said before, you need not make every mistake yourself. You can learn from the mistakes of others and make better choices for yourself. Luckily for you, my hindsight is 20/20. If you’re facing the choice between paying off your debt or investing your money for growth, perhaps my experience can offer you some […]
Sometimes, I think that people procrastinate about starting their investment portfolios because they don’t understand every element of how various investment products work. They’re afraid to invest and to lose their money. I can understand that fear completely. Believe me when I say that I share that fear too! However, it’s a fear that can […]