Saving MORE MONEY
Saving money is the key to that thing you want to do, whether it's buying a house or taking a year off work to travel. Here's how to save more money, no matter what your current income is.If you want to save more money, you’re in the right place.
After spending almost four years writing about money—mostly with the goal of figuring out how I was going to save enough to do the things I wanted to do, like save a five-figure down payment for a house or save up for a wedding—I’ve read pretty much everything out there about savings tips, and tried just about every tool pitched to help you save more of your hard-earned cash. Here are the best tools and tips out there to help you save more and hit your goals ASAP.
Best tools to save more money
Online savings accounts that pay 1.70% interest with an easy-to-use interface, unlimited Interac e-transfers, and custom goal setting.
A prepaid Visa card with built-in features to help you save more automatically. Earn an extra 1% cashback for 90 days with code HALFBANKED.
You’re Probably Right to Stress Over Money — But There’s No Good Reason to Spiral
A friend once told me they expected to have the job of their dreams, be married with kids and live in a house by the time they turned 30. That’s what happens in the movies, right? So what went wrong? I know several people who feel as though their finances are...
Why It’s Probably Time to Rethink Your Bank Account (And Other Accounts, Too)
The way I see it, life milestones are the perfect time to re-evaluate your finances — whether you’re finally escaping school, getting hitched, buying a home or making more money at a new job. Your needs are changing, so your accounts might need changing, too. I’ve...
Do You Have The Right Chequing Account? Here’s How (and When) To Check
There was a day — a simpler time! — when all I needed from a chequing account was the ability to receive direct deposits and a card that let me buy things. Slowly, gradually, that has changed. For a while, I got around it by relying on my business bank account, since...
Why We’re Not Paying Off Our Mortgage Early
Paying off your mortgage early is one of those things that sounds impressive and Very Financially Responsible when you hear someone’s doing it. What’s not to like about being truly debt-free earlier, or getting rid of most homeowners’ biggest monthly budget item,...
Does Your Credit Score Really Matter?
Like most questions in personal finance, this one has a short answer, a much longer answer and in the end it really just depends. To kick things off with the short answer, yes, your credit score matters — but there are some pretty big caveats here. When it comes to...
Managing Your Money Online: How to Do It Safely, From Home
Global pandemic or not, your time is valuable—and I think it’s safe to say we’re all being a bit more cautious about the number of errands we’re running and the people we’re seeing right now. Who knows how long we’ll continue to think twice about errands that used to be just a regular Saturday, you know?
The Best Way to Build a Personal Money System (It’s Not Spreadsheets)
A personal money system isn't actually that complicated: It's basically just how money comes into and moves out of your account, AKA cash flow. And yes, cash flow sounds like a business term, but when you think about it, understanding your personal cash flow is most...
We Need To Talk About Privilege in Personal Finance
There are two ways to look at personal finance: one of them is dismissive of the power of privilege, and one of them isn’t. It stems from a simple cognitive bias: We tend to attribute our own great money moves to internal factors, like personal choice, and focus on...
How to Get (Or Renew) a Mortgage Without Leaving The House
Even though a lot of things have stopped right now, the housing market hasn’t, and that means mortgages haven’t either—but can you get (or renew) a mortgage from home? Luckily, based on my recent experience, the answer is 100% yes. Here’s how.
How I’m Managing My Money During the COVID-19 Chaos
Wow, pals. It’s only been three weeks, but what a three weeks it has been. I’ve been really quiet here as this situation has escalated, for a few reasons. One, I started following the story a bit earlier than it seems like many people in my circle did, so I have...
9 Actionable Ways to Prepare For a Recession
With the way the world is going right now, it’s no surprise that you might be wondering how to prepare for a recession. Luckily, there are some solid, common-sense, basic things you can do to prepare your finances for a recession, although quite frankly, your mileage...
Wealthsimple Cash Review: Earn 0.7% on Your Money
Wealthsimple Cash is a new spending and saving account announced in early 2020—and I've received more emails about it and whether it's a good fit for people than pretty much any launch in recent memory. That makes sense, because it's not just a savings account or just...
A Millennial’s Guide to the TFSA
Everything you didn’t learn in school about what the TFSA is, how it can help you retire a rich lady, and why it’s basically the worst name ever given to a tax-advantaged account.
A Millennial’s Guide to the RRSP
Your RRSP is a heckin’ powerful account that can save you a lot of money in taxes—if you use it properly. Figure out all the nuances of the account and how to use it right this way.
The Financial Advice I’d Give Myself As a New Grad
I spend a lot of time thinking about financial advice.But even though my days right now are focused on things like my house emergency fund, I still often think about financial advice for new grads—specifically, the financial advice I wish I had received back then.
Tax Credits, Tax Rates, and Tax Deductions: Decoding the 2019 Election Promises
Money is political. There, I’ve made a (very, apparently) controversial statement, so now let’s talk about taxes. Specifically, all the tax terms that are being tossed around in the Canadian election that even I, a certified personal finance nerd, am having a hard...
KOHO Review: Best Prepaid Card for Everyday Use?
Even though I've personally used KOHO as a prepaid credit card for over a year now, I’ve never done a full KOHO review—and trust me, it’s not because no one has asked. That’s why it’s high time I took this conversation out of DMs and onto the blog, because quite...
KOHO vs. STACK: Which Prepaid Card is Best For You?
When you’re looking at prepaid credit cards in Canada, you’re likely deciding between KOHO and STACK. They're the two leaders in the Canadian prepaid card space, and they both come with apps and extra perks to help you manage your spending and save more money. ...
Why I’m Not Saving Half My Income Anymore
When I started this blog, it was for a simple reason: my goal was to save half my income, and I thought it’d be interesting to write about. While I’ve never shared exact numbers on my income, I like to think I’ve always been transparent about what has worked—and...
Tangerine Review—Best Online Bank in Canada?
When it comes to online banking in Canada, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better, more complete, or more user-friendly option than Tangerine Bank. Tangerine used to be the Canadian branch of ING Direct, and was acquired by Scotiabank in 2012. While the name and...