The Basic Rule of Personal Finance: Needs vs. Wants

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is a famous song by the Rolling Stones. This song speaks to the difference between desire and need. Sometimes, when you’re chasing something you think you need, life can be tough. But in the end, you often find you get what you actually need. This idea is central … Read more

Simple Steps to Financial Success for Canadians

Embracing Reality Understanding Your Limits and Rising Above The hardest truth for most people to accept is that they are average. We’d all much prefer to be like the few people gifted with special talent. The reality is that a very, very small percentage of the population ever achieves greatness. At the Olympics, there can … Read more

How to Use Timing to Your Financial Advantage

When it comes to being successful, timing can make all the difference. The timing of your decisions can often determine the results. Making important decisions early can increase your chances of success, while delaying them can lead to missed opportunities. In many cases, institutions use timing to their advantage, often at our expense. How you … Read more

How to Save More and Spend Less: Needs vs. Wants Explained

These top ten lists are everywhere but are most annoying to me when it comes to managing your finances. Whether it’s the top ten ways to save more, spend less or trim your budget these lists all have a common theme: the importance of tracking your expenses. We only have eight here “8 Sensible Living … Read more

The Definition Of Insanity Applied to Family Finances

I’ve been told that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result can be used to label a person as insane. If that were truly the case I suspect that more than half the population would qualify. We are creatures of habit after all. What that means is we often learn … Read more

Eliminating Personal Debt with a Debt Consolidation Loan

It’s no secret that many Canadians are drowning in debt. With the average consumer debt soaring over $21,000, it’s a stark reality that confronts many households. But is there a way out? For some, the solution lies in debt consolidation. Let’s delve into what debt consolidation entails, its pros and cons, and whether it’s the … Read more

Convenience or Cost: Digital Temptation

Within Arms Reach Thus was born our current state of instant spending and gratification. If you want it, you can have it, NOW. Is instant gratification and the ease of on line purchases a good thing? Absolutely. The concept resulted from the demand for convenience and I happen to like that convenience. When used sensibly, … Read more

Set Yourself Up for Financial Success not Failure

During my working career I’ve seen important people come and go and sometimes wondered why well intentioned professionals were axed. In most cases, people were shown the door because they didn’t meet expectations placed upon them. What I didn’t realize until after the fact was that sometimes the expectations were unrealistic and simply used to … Read more

Spend Like a Drunken Sailor and Rue the Morning

There’s an old joke about the drunken sailor who was asked if he had a financial plan. Well, sure he said “I spend a third of my money on women, a third on drinking and the other third I spend foolishly”. While it’s meant to be a joke, unfortunately it describes how many people are … Read more

Mastering Sensible Living: How to Balance Wants vs. Needs

In my books and posts I constantly harp on the concept of living sensibly. So what exactly do I mean by this? Living Sensibly Living sensibly is the concept of allowing oneself to enjoy life but also prepare for the future, by establishing a balance between wants and needs. Life is to be enjoyed, but … Read more

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