11 Tools Everyone Should Have + MORE

I drive a 2005 domestic sedan that is in good shape and has just under 100,000 kilometres on it.  It is in good  shape mechanically (I knocked on wood as I typed those words) and it’s only problem is the driver’s door.  The door freezes shut or open on really cold days.  On really cold days I just leave it shut and climb in through the passenger seat…

Updated March 2013
Those who live under a mountain of credit card debt quickly realize that their suffering has two components. First there is the principle, the actual amount of goods and services that was charged to their credit card. Secondly, there are the financing charges imposed each month on their balance…

Young children in grade school or middle school usually have little or no concept of how products are made, distributed, marketed and sold. They also lack much of an idea about how money itself is made, stored and distributed.
You can have a fun, and usually inexpensive time helping them learn by showing them companies, factories and banks in action…

Stock Market Investing
Have you been keeping track of the stock market lately? The Dow Jones and S&P 500 are at their record high. Hooray! If you are a beginner investor, you might think you shouldn’t miss out and it’s time to put some money in the stock market. However, if you have been investing in the stock market for a while, you are probably afraid that stocks are too high…

Whether you rent or own your home, having a good set of tools, along with a little basic knowledge, is essential.Depending on your skill level, professional help may be necessary for many projects, from installing flooring to plumbing problems.  But there are plenty of things you can do around the house with virtually no skills…

Three years ago I found myself at the lowest point in my life.
I was recently divorced and had moved my two young children and myself into my mother’s home.
I was without a job or any prospects of a job. I had a great deal of debt in the form of credit cards and student loans and my car had just lost its transmission…

You can’t even make this stuff up….
Welcome to the weekly Friday giveaway roundup! Every single Friday we post giveaways ending within the next week. If you want to make sure you never miss one of these posts be sure to subscribe via RSS or Email.
Happy Friday! How has your week been? Mine has gone by pretty quick…

A few years ago, new regulations mandated that 401(k) retirement plan administrators change quarterly statements to include more information about expenses about each fund in which the employee is invested. This was a good move. I have mixed feelings about 401(k) plans. Today’s world of employment is different than that from a generation ago…

Whether you’re planning a leisure trip abroad, or are travelling for business, it is imperative that you understand the ins and outs of what your health insurance provider will actually provide you if tragedy should strike.

In most cases, health insurance providers do not provide any kind of coverage while you’re out of the country, or they provide only very little; furthermore, that very little might be almost non-existent once it filters through all of the stipulations and requirements…

When my sister was home from college one summer, she applied for a job at a chain bookstore that has since gone out of business. Though they called and asked her for an interview, they told her they were really looking for someone with a degree.
At the time, she chalked it up to the possibility that they wanted a permanent employee, rather than just a summer hire, but it still seemed odd that a retail establishment would care about the education level of its non-managerial employees…

This week MoneySense discussed How Budget 2013 Will Affect Your Pocketbook.  You may be surprised.
Retire Happy delved into the many Stages of Investing.  What stage are you in?
Speaking of investing, the Globe and Mail listed out the results of their Crash Test: 11 Stocks That Made It Through.
The Canadian Personal Finance Blog answered a great question this week with his post, Dear Marketing Gurus: How Do I Get 7% Growth?
This week the Financial Highway shows you How to Craft Your Financial Mission Statement…

Moving out of your parents’ house just may be the most important step you take toward independence. You can finally live by your own rules, without curfews or restrictions, and take care of responsibilities on your own schedule and in your own way. However, as appealing as this may sound, the freedom of living on […

For a few days last week, I spent a lot of time reading and playing video games. It was kind of out of the blue for me, so it didn’t take long for me to start asking myself why I was doing these things.
What was triggering it was an avoidance of thinking about the pain in my lower legs. For several days, both of my ankles and calves were hurting quite a bit and, rather than addressing it head on, I tried to avoid it…

If I could pick one day a year to repeat over and over again it wouldn’t be Christmas. It wouldn’t be my birthday either. Nope, the best (or at least most profitable) day of the year for me is 401k match day.
My company gives a 100% 401k match for up to 6% of your contributions, and then gives an extra 2%…

Here we go with the second round of Free Money Finance March Money Madness (to follow all the action click on my March Money Madness category link and scroll down to read all the posts involved in this subject.) Today’s games are brought to you by the Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Visa® Card – $100 Cash Back currently offering $100 cash back after $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening and 5% cash back in select categories…

For the same reasons people bring their cars to mechanics and their taxes to CPAs, many who invest for their future do it with the help of a financial advisor. It could be a lack of time to do your own due diligence, or the inclination. Maybe it’s the idea that “most” financial advisors spend their entire career learning and training at their craft in order to help you…

And before you know it, it’s April, and hopefully, you’re starting to see some signs of spring where you live. Our first two challenges were about sowing some seeds, and now maybe we can watch them grow. Here’s our challenge to the GRS community for April: What will you invest in this month? Now, let’s be clear, we’re not telling you to sink your hard-earned dollars into your brother’s plan to design a “Business Snuggie” that you can wear to the office or decide that ponchos for kittens could be the next big thing and worth cashing out your 401(k)…

Well, happy Easter in a couple of days anyways! Figured I might as well wish you a joyful one before the festivities start 🙂
It’ll definitely be a joyful one over in the Money household now that I’ll be able to drink beer again! WOO-HOO!!!! Almost lasted 40 days without alcohol, and unlike other habits I’ve given up over the years, this one just gets harder each day, haha… I probably sound like an alcoholic sharing that, but it’s the dang truth! I miss my nightly beer! It’s good for your heart, you know? 😉
On the other hand, I’ve saved at least $50-$100 taking on this mission so far…

The good ole standard tax deduction. For when you can’t itemize.I remember back in the day, when life wasn’t as complicated as it is now, I used to take the standard tax deduction when filing my taxes. No itemizing required. No Schedule A required. Just a simple tax return with one number for my “below-the-line” deductions…