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People love clever life hacks, especially the ones that save time, money, or effort. But while many popular hacks come from convenience‑driven trends, some of the most practical and effective ideas come from those who’ve mastered living on a tight budget. Their resourcefulness turns everyday items into smart solutions and stretches every dollar with surprising … Read more
A September grocery reset can help households rein in summer overspending by planning meals, checking pantry supplies, comparing prices, and reducing food waste. Small weekly adjustments can make a grocery budget more sustainable without sacrificing the foods your family enjoys. (Pexels). September has a way of exposing how much summer spending quietly changed your grocery habits. Between backyard cookouts, road trips, extra snacks, convenience meals, and relaxed schedules, your grocery budget may look very different […]
Your grocery bill jumped again this month. So did your car insurance, your kid’s daycare bill, and the interest charge on the credit card balance you keep meaning to pay off. None of that is in your head. Household debt across the country just climbed to one of the highest levels ever recorded, and the pattern behind it looks a lot like your own budget: not one big purchase, just everyday costs outrunning what people […]
September can bring a costly mix of school purchases, utility bills, fall maintenance, travel, and early holiday shopping. Planning for these September expenses before they arrive can protect your monthly budget. (Pexels). September can feel like a financial reset after summer, but it often brings a surprising collection of bills along with cooler weather and changing routines. Families may be finishing back-to-school shopping, homeowners are preparing for fall, and Labor Day can add one last […]
If you’re new to budgeting, the paycheck method is one of the simplest ways to get started. And if you’ve been budgeting for a while but want a change, the “budgeting by paycheck” approach offers a practical alternative to the traditional monthly system. Rather than creating one budget for the entire month, budgeting by paycheck has you build a new budget each time you’re paid. This means that if you are paid weekly or bi-weekly, then you can have a budget that works better for you! Here’s how to make it work. Want to do this properly? This simple guide will help you get started in just 10 minutes! Get The First Payday Plan now! Choose a Calendar or Planning Tool A monthly budget planner, a printable calendar, or a digital calendar app all work well for a paycheck budget. If you prefer spreadsheets, that’s a solid option too. Whatever tool you choose, make sure it’s easy to access and something you’ll actually check and update regularly. Don’t have a budget? This simple guide will help you get started in just 10 minutes! Get The First Payday Plan now! Log Your Income and Bills Once you’ve chosen a planning tool, add your paycheck dates and fixed expenses. This typically includes rent or mortgage payments, car payments, debt payments, and loan installments. Now, take that amount and divide it by the number of paychecks you expect to get each billing period. That might sound confusing, but if you get paid every other week and pay rent every 4 weeks, you will divide your rent payment by 2. Then, each paycheck, set aside half for rent. For things like debt payments or car payments, or even sometimes a mortgage, you can pay the amount every time you get paid. So every two weeks you will pay half the bill. This will not only help you keep on top of your bills, but it can also lower your interest charges and overall bill (since you are prepaying). This also works well for bills that are more infrequent. For example, insurance or taxes. Track Your Spending Next, account for variable costs like groceries, pet care, and other necessities. Then set aside a portion for discretionary spending, such as subscriptions, vacations, and time out with friends. If you’re not sure how much you typically spend in these categories, reviewing last month’s bank statement can help you calculate a reasonable average. Build in Savings and Sinking Funds Ideally, you’ll have money left over after covering your bills and expenses that can go toward a savings account, an emergency fund, or a sinking fund. These reserves are essential for covering unplanned or infrequent costs without derailing your finances. How much should you save? The right amount depends on your income and existing financial obligations, including loan payments, rent, and mortgage costs. As a general guideline, aim to save at least 20% of your income each month if your budget allows for it. Match
Whenever someone asks how much it costs to homeschool, I never quite know how to answer. Because technically? You could homeschool for very little. There are free resources online, libraries full of books, used curriculum sales, hand-me-down materials, and approximately 47 pencils hiding somewhere in my house at any given moment. For years, we’ve used the free curriculum from The Good and The Beautiful (highly recommend it). But that’s not really how I think about […]
My Sweet Retirement Delfi share price: is it worth buying after 1H 2026 results? Delfi Share Price has become a topic of renewed interest among investors following the release of the Delfi 1H 2026 Financial Results. As someone who holds Delfi as 2.5% of my stock portfolio, I always … Delfi share price: is it worth buying after 1H 2026 results? My Sweet Retirement
After a rough summer, I’m glad to be back to sharing our budget updates. I’m also proud of getting August’s budget update posted so promptly!;) If you’re new here, I have been sharing our family’s transparent finances since 2013 when we were in six figures of student loan debt. I realized that most people have never looked at someone else’s real budget numbers before. If you’ve never been taught how to budget, you’re not alone. […]
Last year, I took an official Certified Financial Planner (CFP) course, which satisfies the “Education” requirement of becoming an official Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Mine was online and self-paced at the University of Georgia with a net cost of around $3,000. I did not take the official CFP Exam ($925), nor did I satisfy the “Experience” requirement of 6,000 hours of “professional experience related to the financial planning process”. I don’t want the actual certification […]
It’s hard to believe that September is almost here! Here’s your friendly reminder to get your September budget ready pronto – and don’t forget to include these potential expenses in your September budget! The post THREE IMPORTANT EXPENSES TO INCLUDE IN YOUR SEPTEMBER BUDGET appeared first on a life on a dime.
Fifty years ago today (August 31, 1976), Jack Bogle and Vanguard launched the first index mutual fund: First Index Investment Trust, which tracked the S&P 500 index (and which is now known as the Vanguard 500 Index Fund). It’s hard to overstate the significance of that event, in terms of its impact on individual investors. Today, using low-cost, index-tracking funds is largely the default way to invest. The success of Vanguard’s index-tracking funds — and […]
All retirees and near retirees need to run the numbers. They need to create an optimized retirement cash flow plan. A cash flow plan will show you the optimal time to take CPP and OAS, and then how to create income from your RRSP/ RRIF/LIFs, TFSAs, Taxable accounts, pensions and other sources of income. You’ll discover the most durable and tax-efficient approach for your retirement. A successful retirement cash flow plan often ‘finds’ tens to […]
Previously we’ve run through how to open an online broker account and how to buy and sell ETFs. Today we’re going to look at purchasing an index tracker fund. Next stop, the world – muhaha! (Oops, did I say that out loud? I meant to write: ‘Next step, a globally diversified passive portfolio’…) What is an index tracker fund? An index tracker fund is typically an Open Ended Investment Company (OEIC). In normal-person speak, this means […]