As the year draws to a close, I have started my annual financial review and goal setting process for the year ahead. This is an important step in any financial planning. For me, the exercise helps me determine where my family’s finances stand and if adjustments are needed. It also gives me a clear picture of our current accounts and…
Tag: emergency fund
Welcome to tags! Here you will find all the relevant blog posts and content tagged with or discussing the term “emergency fund”.
Money News – July 2020
Personal Finance in the News – July 2020: Here’s a summary of Money News – July 2020: Read & Watch: Last month I wrote about a nationwide coin shortage in America. Turns out the Americans are not alone! Here at home, there is a shortage of $50 bills as Canadians hoard them. This may not be a bad thing though…
Investing for Beginners
Intro Investing is a broad and far-reaching topic, and one that can be completely overwhelming for beginners. Over the years, I’ve had so many friends and family members ask me how to get started. In this piece, I’ll try to break it down for you, and share the steps that I went through myself. What follows is a summary of…
Liquid Net Worth
Liquid net worth is an unfamiliar term for most people. Many know about net worth, but few understand liquid net worth, what it means, and why it is important. This article will explore the term and unpack its usefulness. What is liquid net worth and how is it calculated? While net worth measures the value of all the assets you…
Money News – May 2020
Personal Finance in the News – May 2020: Here is a summary of May 2020’s Money News. This time around, topics that grabbed my attention included mortgage deferrals, COVID-19 scams, and changes in consumer behaviour. Read & Watch: Canadians are falling victim to a variety of new COVID-19 scams. These articles by BNN-Bloomberg, CBC, and Richmond News detail the common…
Preparing your finances for a second wave and a new normal
Have you been preparing your finances for a second wave and a new normal? A lot of people are returning to work or are starting to receive government aid, and this has more than few people wondering “What should I do with my money now?” Even if you’ve been lucky enough to keep your job, answering this question is important.…
Personal Finance and the COVID-19 Coronavirus
Introduction: COVID-19 is a real wake up call for how we should be managing our finances. Aside from the health impacts, COVID-19 may result in real financial hardship for many. Quarantines, school closures, and lockdowns could result in lost time at work and reduced incomes. In the bigger picture, employers may be forced to lay off workers and reduce staff.…
Money Saving Strategies
Money saving strategies are important, but it’s not always easy to know where to start. On top of that, in these days of information overload it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with complicated schemes that are tough to stick to long-term. As an easy antidote, to help jump-start any strategy, here’s a list of my favorite saving habits. These are simple…
Tracking My Spending
This blog post details how I go about tracking my spending, and why it’s important. Do you know how much you spend? It may be more than you think. Once you’re done, check out the Building a Budget post that goes along with this topic. Why is Tracking My Spending Important? Tracking your spending lets you see how much money…
Having an Emergency Fund
What is a financial emergency fund? A financial emergency fund is cash you’ve stashed away in case of unexpected expenses. It’s often the first line of defense in your financial safety net, and you can also use it as a source of money to pursue opportunities when they arise. Why is an emergency fund important? There is no telling what…
Why I Always Carry Cash
Learning the Hard Way: Why do I always carry cash? Way back when, in my first year of university, I was on my way home for Thanksgiving. It was my first trip after starting my undergrad. At the time, I was at school on Vancouver Island, and was taking a ferry back to Vancouver. Getting to the ferry using my…
Seven Financial Rules I Live By
Personal finance can be complicated. For me, I’ve found that simplicity serves me best. Here are some of the basic financial rules I use with my money: 1. Budget & Track Your Spending No matter what your finances are like today, they’ll probably be better if you start tracking spending each month and building a budget. This will let you…