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On Tuesday April 21st, Finance Minister Joe Oliver tabled the federal budget for 2015. Election year budgets are typically more generous than usual, and despite a projected $1.4 billion budget surplus for the fiscal year, this one nevertheless contains a spread of handouts to Canadian families: a mixture of tax cuts, tax credits, and extra spending. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few of …

Sometimes, buying the cheap option can cost you more in the long term. Consider the following example. You go out and buy a pair of winter boots for $50. They last their first winter, but during their second one the leather is cracking, the soles are worn down, and you end up replacing them. Meanwhile, your rich friend buys himself a new pair of boots …

Not everyone is born knowing how to balance a budget or save for retirement . Many people, when it comes to financial planning, just close their eyes and cross their fingers. For those people, the first push towards educating themselves about finances often comes when disaster strikes: say, they are refused a mortgage . Bad credit can sneak up on …

Last December, the media and data company Bloomberg estimated that the average Canadian spent a little under three percent of their income on gasoline in the fourth quarter of 2014. While gas prices are lower than they have been in years, you are still probably spending more than you need to on keeping your vehicle fuelled. Even if you don’t have money in the …

Coupons, coupons, coupons! The word “coupon” comes from the French couper , meaning “to cut”, and it’s very appropriate: coupons are great for cutting your grocery bills . Redeemable for money off or even for free products, you can save a bundle by clipping before your trip to the store and arriving with a bundle of them. But where do savvy shoppers …

We have already covered how to secure a pay rise here, but what if you don’t even have a job yet? For many Canadians, particularly those just about to leave education, getting a job is the single biggest factor in improving their financial outlook. After all, the bigger the income column, the easier it is to build a successful budget …

A filing cabinet is one of the most important tools that any financially-literate person can have. While electronic records are getting more and more common, we are still a long way indeed from a paperless society. Your tax receipts and utility bills need to be kept safe and accessible, and a filing cabinet is the perfect place to organise them. But it’s also possible …

With Valentine’s Day approaching rapidly, what are your plans? With the average price of a movie ticket sitting at around $8, the traditional dinner-and-a-movie can take a big chunk out of your entertainment budget. No-one wants to look cheap, but you don’t have to spend money to have fun. If you need to put together an impressive date night for an unimpressive price, this guide will give you …

RRSPs and TFSAs are great places to put your savings, but they are not the only options. Making smart investments in the stock market is a great way to diversify your portfolio and make some money. This guide will not turn you into the Wolf of Wall Street, but it should show you that getting started in the stock market isn’t difficult. So, where should you start?

When you go shopping, it can be difficult to know how much more than the sticker price you will be made to pay. Like other taxes, figuring out the Canadian sales tax system can be very complicated. How much do you have to pay? What do you have to pay for? Where does that extra five to fifteen percent of your bill go? This guide will answer those …