Canadian Mom Blogger - Product Reviews, Travel and Parenting
Do you ever wonder what Mom REALLY wants for Mother’s Day? Ebates Canada recently commissioned a study to find out what moms would most like on Mother’s Day compared to what they actually receive. Spa treatments and vacations are at the top of a mom’s list of wants, and flowers and gift cards are what she usually receives instead.
It’s only natural to want to look and feel your best. Beauty products and treatments tempt all of us at one time or another from the pages of magazines, websites, stores, salons and friends’ recommendations…and all too often come with seriously high price tags. Here are a few tips for cutting costs when it comes to your appearance so you can stay beautiful on a budget.
It doesn’t take long for your little ones to realize that the green paper in your wallet has a special ability to get them things. Before long, they start wondering what it is and how it works. If you want to help your kid out in a big way, teaching them the basics of how to manage money at an early age is critical. Here are a few tips to try out when you want to help your child in this area.
1. Let Them Earn ItFrom an early age, you should associate money with doing something to earn it. Let your children do odd jobs around the house to earn $.50 or $1. Once they get older, you could let them mow the neighbours’ yard or do other miscellaneous jobs. You don’t have to just let them trade work for money either. For example, you might want to let them set up a lemonade stand or sell something else. Help them foster the spirit of being an entrepreneur as much as possible.
One of the most important lessons that most people learn is to give some of their money back to charity. Whether that’s giving money to a local church or giving it to a special cause, it can make a big difference for those who need it. Show your child how to take a percentage of each paycheck and give it to a charity. This will not only help them make a difference now, but it will also give them some nice tax breaks in the future. [Read more...]
If you are like most busy parents, refinancing your mortgage is the last thing that you think about on a daily basis. Instead, you may be caught up in the details of day-to-day life, such as if your son will pass his math test or how much your daughter’s braces will cost. Of course, your family’s finances play a major role in many of the decisions that you make on a regular basis as well as on how you plan and prepare for the future. With how busy you are, however, if things aren’t broken, you may not consider taking the time to make an improvement. While this is understandable, the fact is that there are three key reasons why you should think about refinancing your mortgage today.
Unless you only recently obtained your current mortgage, chances are that your interest rate is considerably higher than the rates currently available. Why does a low interest rate matter? Your interest rate will affect how much money you throw away in interest charges each month. A lower interest rate means that a greater percentage of your payments are applied toward principal, and this can help you to build more equity in your home. In addition, it can also lower your monthly payment. [Read more...]
We can all agree that raising a family is one of the greatest experiences ever but it can also be quite expensive. With after school piano lessons or hockey on the weekend, extracurricular activities can start to add up. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your tax bill this season and help with some child-related expenses. Cleo Hamel, senior tax analyst at H&R Block Canada, offers the following tax advice for Canadian families:
Most of us consider insurance a notion similar to taxes – we pay a lot of money, yet see little return for that money. Some forms of insurance such as life insurance are optional, though it’s risky for us to live without a plan. On the other hand, auto insurance is a requirement for us to legally drive on the roads.
However, our personal situations are unique and finding the right insurance coverage is often more difficult and more expensive than is necessary. Insurance agents are more concerned with commissions and making quotas than helping Canadian families obtain affordable coverage. Fortunately, the internet has made the process easier and websites such as LowestRates.ca can help us find the most affordable insurance quotes in a matter of minutes. [Read more...]
Whereas December is all about family, celebrating, and resolutions, I find January a time for analysis and reflection on the previous year. Even the most disciplined of us find ourselves slipping during the holidays. Whether it’s in our diet, our fitness regime or our spending, it seems the entire world around us gives us a free pass in December.
In January we get that cold dose of reality. It might be an extra few pounds on the scale, feeling out of breath after walking up the stairs or a credit card bill that you’re sure belongs to someone with 18 children.
So let’s do a bit of reflecting about your financial situation and do everything we can do to minimize this kind of shock in January 2014. [Read more...]
Happy 2013! There’s nothing quite like the start of a new year to give you a renewed sense of hope, purpose and motivation to accomplish just about anything. Tap into the power of this season and get your family budget in shape for the new year. A little effort now could really pay off by the time we’re saying hello to 2014.
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