Give Me Back My Five Bucks

Is it better to buy or rent? I really like this rent vs. buy calculator from GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca because I think it’s realistic, and it takes into consideration most financial factors when it comes to making such a huge decision. According to my numbers, buying is better than renting after 2 years. But that being said, I’ve plugged my numbers into various other calculators (including the one on Moneyville), and got a completely different answer. I think the best thing to do is sit down and create a realistic budget based on both renting and buying scenarios, and see what you … Continue reading →

Just when I was starting to relax and get excited about the thought of moving into my very first home at the end of next week, I was informed by my Mortgage Broker yesterday that the bank won’t be able to process my request until the first week of May because they are so busy and overrun with mortgage applications. So much for a quick possession! There goes the perfect logistics of moving into my new place by the end of the month (since I need to be out of where I’m currently living by May 1st). My friend has … Continue reading →

My issue with TD Bank has been resolved. But I feel like the only reason it was resolved (and resolved quickly) was because of yesterday’s blog post, and my irritated Twitter messages. When I spoke to the last Mutual Fund rep on the phone on Monday, he suggested switching my e-series funds over to a Canadian Money Market fund. That way, they will be out of the tricky e-series funds as quickly as possible, and then I could go into a branch and someone would be able to cash them out for me using the Home Buyer’s Plan. The money … Continue reading →

If you follow me on Twitter, over the past few days you will have probably noticed my irritated tweets about how much I hate TD Canada Trust at the moment. It’s just one problem after another with them it seems. And the only reason I’m still a customer is because their e-series mutual funds can’t be beat. Anyway, this all started when I needed to withdraw those lovely TD Canada Trust e-series mutual funds out of my account for the First Time Home Buyer’s Plan. Seems simple enough, right? I’ve never heard of anyone else having a problem, so I was … Continue reading →

Monday 11th $4.42 Starbucks $30 hockey pool entry fee Tuesday 12th $4.36 Waves Wednesday 13th $3.75 Starbucks $4.47 Waves Thursday 14th No Spend Day! Friday 15th + $10.55 Great Canadian Rebates $61.50 ferry Saturday 16th $47.57 gas Sunday 17th $61.50 ferry $22 field hockey tournament fee WEEKLY EXPENSES: - $239.57 WEEKLY SIDE INCOME*: + 10.55 TOTAL: – $229.02 This week was a total fail in terms of spending and making money. As you can see, I didn’t make any extra side money. I also spent most evenings in coffee shops – either hanging out with friends, meeting my Realtor, or working. Then, … Continue reading →