How to Save Fuel and Money Too!
When it comes to driving, there is one cost we can (somewhat) control and that’s fuel. Let’s face it owning a car gets expensive. Fuel is your biggest on going cost so looking for how to save fuel makes the most sense. Luckily there are a lot of easy things you can do...
Disney FastPass Secrets: The Best Strategy to Optimize Your Disney Fast Pass
Disney World is a group of theme parks like no other. With all there is to see and do you have two options. Show up and figure it out as you go (not my cup of tea) or have a plan in place where you can maximize seeing as many attractions as possible (Yes! I'll take...
How Much Do You Know About Life Insurance Medical Exams?
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Health IQ, for more information please see our disclosure There's a significant gender gap that no one's talking about. While our attention is focused on narrowing the gender pay gap, many don't realize that fewer women...
Why it Makes Sense To Rent Our Belongings
Meet Tom. As a freelance filmmaker based in Hackney, it can be all or nothing; some weeks he will be swamped with work and others the phone might not ring as much. As such freelance industries can be unreliable when it comes to pay, so Tom, rather than roll with the...
Is a Lump Sum Mortgage Payment Right for You?
"So... lump sum mortgage payment or increase my monthly mortgage payment?" This was the big question that was thrown at me over dinner with friends last week. Invitably the topic of mortgages come up when we are with friends. A mortgage is your biggest...
Epcot FastPass+ Tiers Complete Guide with Strategy 2019
Disney World's Epcot is an amazing theme park that often gets dismissed for the other Disney World theme parks. Epcot (which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorow) is broken up into two main sections, the Future World and the World...
7 Surefire Ways to Save Money at Target
Before I tell you some great ways to save money at Target I need to get something off my chest. Full confession. Our family is a little obsessed with Target. K. That's a lie. Our family is HUGELY obsessed with Target. Phew! I feel better getting that off my chest. I...
Ultimate Travel Packing List: Free Printable
There's nothing quite like a great travel packing list to make you feel that you have everything under control for your next trip. Vacations are fun but the planning can be stressful. To help minimize your stress we created a re-useable travel packing list that you...
The What, Why, and How of Emergency Savings Accounts
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Health IQ, for more information please see our disclosure Whether your goal is to pay off debt or save up enough money for your dream vacation, working out your budget is the first step. You can find countless articles...
Blogging Tools To Take Your Blog To the Next Level
Since i didn't do a blogiversary post this year I thought this would be more useful. After a year or so of blogging I decided to invest in this site and purchase a few blogging tools to improve my site both on the front and the back end of it. Since I'm at the end of...
Blogging Courses I’m Using To Level Up My Blogging Game
There will come a point in your site where you will need to decide where you are going to take it. For this site I'm starting to treat it more like a business. I realize that I need to have some kind of consistent return on investment with...
7 Great Ways To Make Money Right Now
Are you looking for some great ways to make extra money but haven't found the right one yet? I've been there. I'm always on the hunt for some great ways to make extra money, and lately I've found a few proven ones that can be done whenever there is some extra time....
The Biggest Issue With Most Money Problems (And How To Fix It)
In the next few minutes I'm going to show you the answer to your money problems and how to fix it. But First A Quick Story (I promise it's worth it) : There once was a small child who lived in a village. Every morning the child would go to the well to help...
These 6 Sites Offer Sign Up Bonuses
There are a lot of companies out there that want you to try out their services. From credit cards that will waive fees, or give you reward bonuses, to start ups that want to incentivize you to try out their new service. There are always new companies that want your...
How to Get Paid to Lose Weight
Have you ever thought, "If someone would just pay me to lose weight THAT would get my butt in gear”? Well, there's some good news about getting paid to lose weight if you are willing to think outside the box. Here is the good news, there are things you can do to get...
How to Earn Money from Home Without Any Investment
Whether you're on the hunt for a new side hustle, or want some extra money, it's a good idea to have a list of ways you can start from home without any investment. When I first started to make money online, I didn't want to put any money out. I quickly found that...
How To Make Money On Your Professional Sports Team Without Gambling
A professional sports team can be a goldmine for a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about the players and their multi-million dollar salaries. There are tons of ways to make money on your local sports team without gambling a dime of your own money. Here's how...
Questrade Review and Discount Offer Code for $50 in Free Trades
For the past 11 years, we have been using Questrade. So I find it fitting that I offer you why in this Questrade Review. If you are wanting to get started with Questrade you can get $50 in free trades using this Questrade promo code link. Questrade Bonus Code - $50 in...
How to Manage Money Wisely in 10 Easy Steps
You've been wondering how to manage money wisely, and you feel like it should be easier than what you have seen. What if I could show you the 10 steps I took 10 years ago to drastically change my financial situation for the better? Would you be interested? Well you're...
A Gift We Can All Give Ourselves and Everyone Else This Year
This will be my last scheduled post for 2017, thank you to everyone for reading, it's been an amazing year. I can't wait to see what 2018 brings. A Gift We Can All Give Ourselves and Everyone Else This Year One night after my hockey game the guys were sitting around...
How To Save Money On Electronics
With the fast-paced changes happening in the world today, especially around of technology, finding ways to save money on electronics and cut costs has become even more important. Here's a few ways to save money on your electronics below none of which will cost...
How to Save Money on Alcohol
Often the biggest drains on a family's finances can be the little things that add up. Take alcohol, you probably don't spend a ton on it. But a drink here, another one there. Then that one glass of wine that somehow turns into the whole bottle over the course of the...
21 Surefire Ways to Save Money with Kids
Do you have young kids? Are you living paycheck to paycheck or looking for new ways to save money with kids? Having young children can be very expensive. Even though they don't physically take up much space, the stuff that comes with a child and the dent in your...
Another Option for the Debt Free Scream
The debt free scream is probably one of the most important things you can do when it comes to closing the door on the chapter of your life. For those of you who are new to this, it involves getting out of debt and then screaming at the top of your lungs "WE'RE DEBT...
Forget The Global Economy, This Should Be Your First Focus
Full confession: I used to be glued to CNBC and all the talking heads on anything related to the economy. I made a point of keeping up to date on currencies, the latest stock prices and anything news worthy related to money. If it had to do with the economy or the...
15+ Things to Buy Before Going to Disney World
Disney World theme parks are incredible! But they can get pretty expensive. There are certain Things to Buy Before Going to Disney World that can help you cut your costs and having you saving BIG! Most of these things you can get in Disney World, but like all things...
Are LED Lights Worth The Cost? How to calculate your LED Savings in 5 Easy Steps
There has been a trend to switch from the old-style incandescent lightbuld to the new LED (Light Emiting Diodes). The question always comes up is: Are LED Lights worth the money? Is the extra savings of electricity going to cover the bulb? Let's take a look at...
26 Quick Family Dinners that Can be Ready 15 Minutes
It's back to school time, and that means there are even more demands on our time as kids start to head to activities and the schedule takes priority over all things. Somewhere in there we will need to eat. If you are looking for some new recipes that you can do...
25 Tasty Must Try Budget Dinner Recipes
Your food bill is by far the biggest line item in your budget that you can control. You can only change your house payment when you refinance your mortgage. Transportation is set for the most part. But your food budget, that is where you can find places to save money...
How to Manage Finances in a Marriage
Marriage is a wonderful. thing. But trying to figure our how to manage finances in a marriage can be tricky. We don't all have the same values and ideas. Plus we bring with us the past experiences of how our own parents managed (or didn't manage) their money. Since...
Dad, How Do I Make Money?
As a parent you want to have all the answers. You bring a child into this world and, for some reason, they believe that you are the all knowing deity in their life. The last thing you want to do is disappoint them. But as parents we all know we aren't perfect and...
10 Products that Save you Money
In this post I'm going to show 12+ products that save you money. These items can reveal how you can save over $5,000 dollars a year by buying a few things and putting them to good use. If you are just starting to create a budget, then these items will be a great way...
250 Money Saving Tips
Do you want a boatload of places to save money? This is it. All the money-saving tips you will ever need. Here is our collection of ideas to save money over 250 ways to save money. If you need to save money, I get it. Here are a lot of ways you can do it. But it's...
Butterfly Saves Review – The Easiest Way to Get Cash Back from Online Shopping
It's never been easier to save money shopping online than it is today. There are so many different ways you can save it's nuts. So when I saw Butterfly saves I thought. "Here's another product..." But after trying it I think this could be my new favourite. Mostly...
How to Handle Your Credit Card Being Stolen
You know how you worry about a ton of things. Then something happens to you that you have never worried about. And it throws your whole world of worries into disarray? That’s what happened to me this week. Tuesday afternoon my phone rang. Since my phone hasn’t rang...
How Much Does It Cost To Go To Disney World Really?
Disney World is a once in a family lifetime trip. It's that trip the kids dream about and that us as parents want to give them. There is just one little problem. The cost. How much does it cost to go to Disney World? The answer will depend on your situation but I will...
7 Proven Ways To Make Extra Money for Canadians
As a Canadian I get it. There are a ton of ways to make extra money, but usually they are all for people living in the US. That's just not fair. But more and more opportunities to make money in Canada keep coming up It's awesome! Here are some easy ways for you to...
why i’m choosing not to pay off my mortgage early
Hey everyone! I have a great guest post from my buddy over at Britt and the Benjamins. She recently wrote about how she isn't rushing to pay off her mortgage. I thought it would be a great way to show that there are many roads to becoming a money master. This post...
Should You Buy or Rent a Cottage?
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own cottage? A place where you can go and escape the buzz of the city and enjoy a simpler life? More and more people we know seem to be buying into the idea of a second home. Usually in the form of a cottage. A place they can go on...
How to Save Money On Back To School Clothes
Every summer brings around more ways to know how to save money on back to school clothes. Because as your kids get older there will be more and more pressure to express their individuality. They are developing their own identity, and they want to be unique. That's why...
Disney World Countdown Ideas
It's coming up on to a year since we told our kids that we would be going to Disney World. We wrestled with what was the best way to go about it. Do we do a Disney world countdown? Do we surprise them and just go to the airport on the day of the trip? In the end, we...
5 Lessons I Learned About Investing in A Losing Stock (Why I Don’t Give Stock Recommendations)
When I was growing up I was a bit of a loser. Not that I was a bad kid or anything. I just found myself in losing situations more than I felt other kids did at my age. Maybe we all feel that way in our teens. Or maybe it's just the sting of losing is so much more...
What are Digital Assets?
A big part of your financial security can come from assets that you own that pay you a residual income. It's a big part of our family money plan. We continue to buy assets and add them to our portfolio. Some of the more common assets that provide income are: Stocks...
8 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Used Car
Hey Everyone! I have a great post today from David, the founder of CarUnderstand. He's offered to share some insights into buying a used car and how to avoid some of the mistakes we all make. Owning a car is a privilege because you can get to many places without...
What Would You Do If You Saw A Kid Literally Throw Away Money?
This past weekend we had a boys day where 3 generations of us boys (Grandpa, my son and I) go out for a burger and hang out. This day had us end up in a lower income area (to quote my police officer friend "You shouldn't go in that area"). Never the less, grandpa...
3 Ways to Save Money on Hotels
One of the most expensive parts of travelling is the accommodation. This one grinds my gears in a lot of ways. As an adult travelling, I don’t care what the hotel has amenity wise, its primary purpose when I travel is to have a bed. But as a parent, I need...
What A Concussion Taught Me About Life and Money
Back in December I was playing one of my usual back-to-back games of hockey (I point this out to feel like less of a "money nerd" and more "jock-ish"... it's not working too well). Like every other game I fell (not so jock-ish). After 30 years of playing the game I‘ve...
The Best Books on Personal Finance to Change Your Life
23 Personal Finance Bloggers Answer: The Personal Finance Book That Had The Biggest Impact On My Life Quick Link Index For The Bests Books On Personal Finance Are These the Best Books On Personal Finance? What are the best books on personal finance? Is it the ones...
Why I Fired My Financial Advisor
I had a long overdue conversation with my financial advisor this past week. For the longest time, I have been putting a little bit of money in to mutual funds. These funds haven't exactly been performing too well (understatement of the year). To give you a...
Watch out for Gateway Expenses
Not all expenses are created equal. Some things we buy and that's the end of it. Like a cup of coffee. It's just a coffee. Yet, other expenses are the beginning of a much larger more expensive pursuit. Those expenses are gateway expense. Gateway Expense...
28 Things We Gave Up To Be Mortgage Free
If you are new to this site, we became mortgage-free at the beginning of this year. More recently, we just became debt-free this past week!!! One of the questions I often get is, "How did we do it." While I usually allude to having a big "Why," it is more important...
How to Become an Uber Driver
Hey guys! I have a great post by Dave Chen, owner of Millennial Personal Finance. How to Become an Uber Driver If you are looking for a side gig to make some extra money, you may want to check out Uber. A lot of people are starting to join and are becoming Uber...
Top Non Rollercoaster Rides to Get Fast Passes for Disney World
Some Disney rides can have long lines an hour into the day. If you aren't careful you could spend hours in line everyday. If you have checked out our strategy to optimize your Disney Fast Passes, you will know there are things that you can do to get the most out of...
What is a Scopist? How to Become a Scopist and Work From Home
What is a Scopist? How to Become a Scopist.Sometimes you hear a word and your not sure exactly what it is. That's what it was for me when I heard the word "scopist" I wasn't sure exactly what it was. Luckily I was able to get a good description from Linda on what a...
4 Things You Must Do Before You Go To The Grocery Store
4 Things You Should Do Before You Go To The Grocery Store When it comes to the big 3 for daily spending it's Home, Food and Transportation. Food is by far one of the more challenging ones. The big issue with food comes from lack of planning. When you don't have a...
The Simplest Way To Control Your Credit Card Spending
The Simplest Way To Control Your Credit Card Spending I was at a get together recently and I had this conversation with someone, that if I'm being 100% honest, I think I have had mentally about a thousand times before I actually had it out loud. "I need your...
Short Term Financial Goals You Can Still Crush This Year
Short-Term Financial Goals You Can Still Crush This YearIf you are like me, this year is moving pretty fast. If you haven't started on your money goals yet this year, maybe it's time you set some short-term money goals to get the ball rolling. Short-term money goals...
7 Critical Things To Save Up For Every Month
When it comes to my extra savings accounts, I love a good plan. There are key things you can save for every month and should be doing routinely. Because things inevitably breakdown (like the hot water tank that only breaks at 2 am for some reason). Having these...
If you were to start your money journey all over what would you do differently?
25 Personal Finance Bloggers Answer: If you were to start your money journey all over what would you do differently? Quick Link Index Do you ever wonder what you would do if you could start your money journey all over again? I've often wondered if what I think is the...
Are You Living Your Story?… or is it someone else’s
Are You Living Your Story? ...or is it someone else's? Have you ever had one of these those conversations that changes you at the core. A talk that affected you so much, you can't help but draw on it over and over as you make your way through life? I had one...
What’s Your Investor Personality? Take the Quiz!
What's Your Investor Personality? Take the Quiz to Find Out When you think about investing, something inevitably comes to mind. Maybe it’s the opportunity to create wealth, maybe it's fear of losing money , or maybe it’s somewhere in between. Without knowing your...
6 Side Hustles You Can Do In Salt Lake In Your Spare Time
We can all use some extra money. Luckily we live in an age where you can make money anytime you like. It's truly amazing. Here are some great side hustles (a.k.a. ways to be your own boss) that you can start making money with in Salt Lake City whenever you want....
The 2 Most Dangerous Words To Your Money
The 2 Most Dangerous Words To Your Money When you are growing up you probably had a people tell you to speak a certain way. One that comes to mind was: "Say: 'Pardon me?', not 'Huh?' or 'Eh?'." People knew that what you said could change the way others look at you....
What is the biggest money obstacle you have overcome?
20+ Personal Finance Experts Answer: What is the biggest money obstacle you have overcome? Quick Link Index Last year I was very fortunate to interview some of the best and brightest personal finance bloggers out there in the blogosphere. One of the questions was...
7 Great Ways To Make Money In The Bay Area Right Now
Did you know that the average American has less than $1000 in their bank account? It’s true according to GO Banking Rates, over half of Americans surveyed have less than $1000 in their bank account. That just ain’t right. No wonder we are all feeling stuck when it...
The Budget That Helped in Changing My Life
The Budget That Helped in Changing My Life This past month we finally paid off the last of our debt. We are officially debt free. To celebrate this, I thought I would share the budget that we started with 10 years ago that has been the catalyst for changing our...
7 Proven Ways To Make Money In Toronto Right Now
We can all use some extra money. Luckily we live in an age where you can make money anytime you like. It's truly amazing. Here are some easy ways for you to start making money in Toronto, whenever you want. 1. Deliver Food in Your Spare Time with Uber EATS - ...
Debt Free Isn’t What I Thought It Would Be
Debt Free Isn't What I Thought It Would Be This month was our first full month being debt free. No more loans, mortgages or lines of credit. It's been great, but it wasn't what I expected. The past 5, 10... ok all the years of my normal adult life have had some sort...
How to Become a Transcriptionist From Home
One of the great things about the internet is that it's opened up a ton of new opportunities for earning a living. You are no longer required to find a job in your city, or even country, to earn a decent living. The best part is that many of these jobs and businesses...
How to Pay Off Your Mortgage in 5 Years
While buying a home is a memorable first experience full of pride and excitement, getting to pay for that home over the next 20-30 years is something ..ahem… shall we say less memorable. But you can become mortgage free. Quickly paying off your...
What’s Your Daily Spending Rate?
What's Your Daily Spending Rate? I was sitting at dinner a few weeks back with some friends and we got to talking about money. I had been playing with the idea of a personal daily spending rate and really wanted some insight. As we waited for our entrees, I not...
How to Make Money Online with Affiliate Marketing – With Michelle from Making Sense of Cents
How to Make Money Online with Affiliate Marketing An Interview with Michelle from Making Sense of Cents How to Make Money Online with Affiliate Marketing - An Interview with Michelle from Making Sense of Cents A few months ago, I decided to give this...
Save More Money
Save More Money (This is an updated version of a story I heard about a preacher, I adapted it for personal finance community) There once was an amazing personal finance blogger who posted incredible material every week. People from all around the world would flock to...
7 Critical Things to do Before Buying a House
Being a first-time homebuyer can leave even the most balanced person feeling a little off. There are so many things do before buying a home that you need all the tips you can get. Buying a home is a huge rite of passage for everyone and if done right can actually be...
Our First Blogiversary and Income Report
Our First Blogiversary and Income Report It's amazing how time can zip by. A little over a year ago I decided to take on a new challenge. With no knowledge of the internet (seriously before this past year my internet surfing consisted of Google and a few other sites),...
6 Cool Tips to Save Money and Avoid Debt on a Family Vacation
(Today's great guest post is from financial writer Patricia Sanders. Enjoy!) Family vacations are a must for me since they give me an opportunity to recharge my batteries. They give me a chance to have unlimited fun without any worries about business meetings and...
How to Stretch Your Household Income
Income disparity is growing, leaving many earners to make do, with less. But even if the middle class is shrinking, there are still ways to stretch a small income. With discipline and commitment long-term budgeting success is possible, regardless of income level and...
How to Handle Your Kids Allowance
When it comes to kids getting allowances, I'm a huge fan. There are many pros to kids starting to earn their own money. But like every parenting move, I'm also left wondering if what I'm doing is right. Is what they are doing to earn their allowance too much? Too...
10 Ideas to Save Money at Work
Going to work is a fact of life. One thing that we don't always think about is that work is expensiiiiiive. For all the time we spend at work making money, we rarely consider ways we can save money at work. After all, we go there to make money. So thinking about how...
8 Ways to Get Your Kids Tuned In To Scholarships
8 Ways to Get Your Kids Tuned In To Scholarships (I have a great guest post for you today from Andrew at SchorlashipFly.com I'm not at the point where my kids will be needing scholarships but it's something that I'm starting to think about as my kids get...
Earn Money with Surveys Online: Top 10 Sites to Get Started
Our family is always on the hunt to make extra money. Having full-time jobs can put a hurt on your timelines for earning more money, so you need to be stealth when it comes to making money. Part of our plan to become financially free involves making more money...
8 Super Useful Tips to Save Money On Car Expenses
Remember your first car? Having the freedom and flexibility of driving anywhere you wanted. It was like discovering a brand new life. Shortly after you start to realize that for all the freedom a car can offer there are many more expenses that come along with it....
Dad, How Do I “Do Money”?
Dad, How Do I "Do Money"? As a parent, anytime you kids start something new there is a part of you that wants to hold on to the old way. Because every new step in life your kids take reaffirms that they are getting older and that means you're getting...
Dad… What is Money?
Dad... What is Money? (Quick note our email course: The Money System that Changed My Life is now available. Check it out here) “Dad, what is money?” my 5-year-old son asked me on a bright summer afternoon as I sat in the yard. Catching me totally off guard from the...
Should You Pay for a Cash Back Credit Card
Sometimes doing smart things with money can feel counter intuitive. I had an interesting thing happen this past week and I thought I would share it with you. A friend and I were out having lunch, nothing fancy just a good burrito. When it came time to pay, he pulled...
The Best Rides at Disney World (Get FastPasses For These!)
Some of the best rides at Disney World can have long lines as soon as the park opens. If you aren't careful you could spend hours in line everyday. Let's avoid that. These are the Best Rides at Disney World for each of the parks. If you have checked out our strategy...
How Often Should You Track Your Net Worth?
Once you have started tracking your net worth, the next obvious question is going to be "How Often Should You Track Your Net Worth?" I believe that it should be done every month. Here's why: The first time you track your net worth you will find...
This Mortgage Change Will Save You Thousands
The 1 Thing You Should Change on Your Mortgage Today I just got off an email and I couldn't wait to share it with you. I was being interviewed on paying off our mortgage and I have to get this out quickly. The question went: "When you switched from a 30 year to a 25...
The Benefits of High-interest Savings Accounts
The Benefits of High-interest Savings Accounts RateHub.ca (Hey Everyone! I'm on holidays this week so while I'm away check out this great post from Rate hub about the benefits of High Interest Savings Accounts) If you want to save, you have a number of options of...
Why you should automate your savings (Automatic, more like AutoMAGIC!)
When I look at people who have seen success with handling their money. There are usually a few themes that come up. Watched their spending. Didn't go crazy. Looked for discounts. But the one that I see the most is that they automated their savings. If you want to get...
What Financial Health Means to Me
What does financial health mean to me? When I think of what financial health means to me there are two things that come to mind: Taking Action and Confidence Being financially healthy means to be taking the active steps in your life towards being financially fit. Just...
How to build your family’s emergency fund
This is a sponsored post When it comes to handling family budgets as well as personal savings, couples need to set aside extra funds in case of any emergencies. In fact, experts call it ‘a necessity’ even though there’s an increase in the amount of people who feels...
Ebates Review: How I Used Ebates to Save over $100 in minutes
There is nothing worse than buying something and feeling like you have paid too much. Or finding out you could have saved more money if you had only done things a little differently. This is how I just about threw away an extra $100 this past week. This is the beauty...
Passive Income 101 – Vending Machines
Passive Income 101 - Vending Machines Welcome back! As I make my way along the different passive income sources we are looking into, I thought it would be nice to revisit one of the first passive income sources I had looked into over 15 years ago. Vending Machines....
Passive Income 101 – Intellectual Property (a.k.a. Stuff from inside your head)
Passive Income 101 - Intellectual Property There are a lot of way to create passive income. For most of us, it is a matter of finding out which one works best for us and then pursuing it. So far we have covered stocks, real estate, web businesses and interest. Today's...
Passive Income 101 – Web Based Business
Welcome to our 3rd installment of passive income 101. Today we are going to look at everything web-based. If you think you would like to start your own website you can get started in as little as 5 minutes with my guide. How do websites make money? Since...
Passive Income 101 – Stocks
Passive Income 101 - Stocks This is the next instalment of our Passive Income 101 Series. If you would like to get all of these posts in a nice guide simply si gn up for our mailing list and I will send it to you when it's done. What is a Stock? A...
Passive Income 101 – Real Estate Rentals
Passive Income 101 - Real Estate Rentals Last time we talked about passive income and how there was only one true source of passive income. Interest. Take a look at the post to see if you need to upgrade your passive income knowledge. Today we are going to delve into...
Does Passive Income Really Exist?
Does Passive Income Really Exist? I am declaring June as passive income month here on Family Money Plan. This month I will be going into the different types of passive income that are out there. Our 5-year plan is starting to turn in to a more-than-likely 10-year...
A Tale of Two Bankers – Always Think For Yourself (My First Rant)
Something has been gnawing at me for the past couple of days and if I don't let it out I'm going to burst. So bare with me here. A few weeks ago, one of my coaching clients went to their bank after our first coaching session to renegotiate some of their banking terms,...