helping canadians be savvy, informed and thoughtful about their money
Posted in case study on Jul 4th, 2009
Photo Credit: flattop341
Sometimes people really are broke.
Not the I can’t take the holiday I want this year broke, but the world is closing in on me, and I’m going down broke.
Tell-tale signs of the real deal include
inability to pay bills on time, over an extended period
chronically “robbing peter to pay paul” (ie. using money intended [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, case study on Mar 4th, 2009
Forewarning: I’m in rather a mood. This is going to be a rock-n-roll post re: economics and faith, so faint of heart or sensitive ears go back to watching Rush Limbaugh.
I’m a christian. A practicing high anglican. This post isn’t to explain this choice (short story: it was an [...]
Posted in case study on Jan 10th, 2009
On Day 4 (Thursday) as Dee’s crash-course money coach, we start to move into decision-making.
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First, high-virtual-five on all the work you’ve done to date.
By now you will have a clearer picture of exactly where you stand.
As you continue completing your spreadsheets, you will discover more important data as well – the fine tuning.
Today, we move [...]
Posted in case study on Jan 7th, 2009
It’s the 3rd day of Dee’s crash course in getting out of debt, and today, she get’s a hardcore assignment. I gave her a spreadsheet with some debt calculators in it – if you’d like one, e-mail me at nancy at your money by design dot com.
Here is the assignment:
Today, your assignment is to really [...]
Posted in case study on Jan 6th, 2009
One of the key assignments in my work as a money coach is for clients to track their spending.
Here’s a question for you:
What percentage of your money could you account for, if asked, off the top of your head?
Most of us think we have a fairly solid sense of our spending.
When clients actually go through [...]
Posted in case study on Jan 5th, 2009
Happy New Year!
Photo Credit: GarrettC (who is himself out of debt. kudos!)
I thought I’d kick things off in 2009 with a day-by-day case study. Dee and her husband Chris were selected by CBC Radio 1 to work with me this week – some of you may have heard the initial interview on the Early [...]
Posted in case study on Dec 14th, 2008
PhotoCredit: Joannao
It doesn’t happen often, but from time to time my clients come to me not because they spend too much, but because they absolutely can’t bear to spend a dime, and it’s driving them nuts (and likely those around them!). This expresses itself in at least 3 different ways:
1. Some clients find they are having to [...]
Posted in case study, praxis on Nov 29th, 2008
Photo Credit: Michael Blanchard
I’ve been having a few conversations with clients/prospective clients on how to save yourself from yourself vis a vis your money.
Here are 3 of my fave quick-and-dirty tricks:
Set up a high interest savings account anywhere other than your primary bank/credit union. Set up an automatic savings plan, even if only $10/paycheque (start small if [...]
Posted in case study, smart shopping on Nov 8th, 2008
Photo credit: TheTruthAbout
I bet you receive irresistible visa balance transfer offers from time to time.
They go something like this:
BIG PRINT: BALANCE TRANSFERS 2.9%
Medium Print: for the first 6 months, then….
Fine Print: I’ll get to that, but first,
These can be a good deal, but you do need to read the fine print. Be savvy. You [...]
Posted in case study on Nov 2nd, 2008
What to do when you get screwed, financially? Stories I’ve heard:
One senior’s husband secretly maxed out their joint $10K line of credit, for his own purposes, knowing full well that he did not and would not have the wherewithal to pay it back. She was stuck with the debt, and the lost dreams of her [...]
