The goal of this post is to teach you some of the hacks to take advantage of the cheapest possible stay at Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara. Obviously, you may choose to travel at a different time of year, or spoil your little ones with French fries and ice cream – and that is all perfectly...Read More

Is it worth having insurance on my kids? The debate around insuring children is such a difficult conversation because of the emotions that inevitably surface when talking about the death or injury of a child. On one hand, from a purely financial perspective, children do not add any income to a household.  Quite frankly, they...Read More

“I’m looking to buy a used car, but I don’t know how to figure out how much I can afford?” In a previous life I suspect I was once a used car saleswoman.  Not in the greasy, polyester-wearing, dishonest kind of way that’s often stereotyped – it’s just the thought of buying a new car...Read More

“We are setting aside money each month for our children, but we haven’t opened an RESP because we don’t want the money to be locked in for solely education purposes.  What if we want to give them the money for a house down payment, or a wedding?” In this world nothing can be said to...Read More

We’ve been approached about signing up for a Group RESP, what is that? Group RESPs (they come in many names, Scholarship Trusts, Scholarship RESP Plans, Educations Trusts) are independent pooled education savings plans.  Contractual members of the plan contribute on a scheduled basis, along with all the other members over a set period of time...Read More

Dear @financial_laura, I’ve recently made a gofundme donation and I’m wondering if I should be claiming that on my taxes? Over these last few weeks the waves of tragic events have been overwhelming.  I’ve been having a hard time reading the news without feelings of incredible vulnerability in the face of these devastating moments in time. It’s...Read More

Dear @financial_laura I feel lost and embarrassed when I’m talking about my money.  How do I improve my financial confidence? On the heels of International Women’s Day last month, I learned about a new initiative that is sponsored by Equitable Bank called Stnce (not a typo). Even though the perfectionist in me had a hard...Read More

Dear @financial_laura, Our credit card is just not ‘optimal’ anymore.  We’re overwhelmed by all the options, so can you tell us which one is right for us?? UPDATE September 2018: MBNA recently announced major decreases in reward benefits and increases in fees for their card.  In addition, Rogers launched a new cash back credit card.  As...Read More

Dear @financial_laura, I’m just so exhausted every Friday that I find we eat out at least once a week, if not more.  How often can I afford to eat out? Life. Is. Busy. I get it.  Competing priorities often trump any time you have to dedicate to meal planning.  And it’s not enough to just...Read More

Dear @financial_laura, You mention the Smith Manoeuvre on your website, but what is that exactly? While watching the Olympics and writing this article, I couldn’t help but wonder what an average Canadian thinks when they hear the term ‘Smith Manoeuvre’.  Maybe it’s a type of figure skating jump, or a tricky bobsled corner? This relatively...Read More