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I left big city life behind in 2020. I knew I couldn't achieve these goals living in a big city. I'd lived in big cities my whole life, including notoriously unaffordable cities in the world like Toronto, Zurich, and Geneva. I knew I couldn't do this, at least not in the way I wanted to, in a big city. If I want to live in a big city again someday and still have some space around me, I need to plan very carefully.

Persons: I'd, I've, I'm Organizations: Service, Mastercard Locations: Toronto, Zurich, Geneva

I get my tax documents in early. I've since found a reliable accountant who specializes in working with small business owners and I've leveled up my tax preparation to make tax season even smoother for me and my accountant. I've aligned my processes with my accountant'sMy first tax season working with Danny involved a learning curve and some unavoidable back-and-forth. This year, when I send him my tax documents for his next steps they'll basically be turnkey for him — plug and play. Aligning with Danny's systems makes my review and approval of the completed tax documents he shares with me that much easier as well.

Persons: —, I'd, That's, Danny, He's, I've, Danny's, they'll, I'm Organizations: Service

For people who don't need more things, buying experiences is a great way to feel good giving a gift. While I don't throw budgeting out the window around the holidays, I do prioritize feeling good about how I'm spending my money. This way, I'm all ready to shop those good, good markdowns. Even if I'm not spending money on the item, someone is. I'm taking my Dad out for dinner and a dance performance as the main part of his Christmas gift this year.

Persons: —, I've, I'm, thrifting Organizations: Service, Christmastime, Quicken

I worked for a nonprofit that taught financial literacy and learned a lot about money myself. I also learned the difference between good debt and bad debt, and the most effective way to save. A lot of my work was around raising awareness of the need for financial literacy and advocating for lifelong learning. While some schools have mandatory courses in other life skills, like home economics or civics, few have financial literacy in the curriculum. There's good debt and there's bad debt — and they feel very differentYes, it's true: There's good debt and bad debt.

Persons: —, parallelograms, I'm, aren't, they're, I'd, doesn't Organizations: Service, Studies, Technology Locations: North America

I've used several banks over the years, and I recently looked into switching to online banking. I've moved most of my investments to an online account so I don't focus on it every day. I inherited my first bank from my mother — the largest of Canada's Big Five banks, Royal Bank of Canada. When I lived in Switzerland, my husband and I had a shared bank account with United Bank of Switzerland. When I had all of my investments with BMO, it meant that I would see what my long-term investments were doing anytime I logged into my online banking.

Persons: I've, —, Scott, I'm Organizations: Service, Royal Bank of Canada, United Bank of Switzerland, BMO, Big Locations: Switzerland, Canada

My mortgage broker demystified the homebuying process and guided me step by step. Here's how my mortgage broker and I worked out a plan to make my dreams of homeownership a reality and how I'm preparing for mortgage renewal in the not-too-distant future. See Insider's picks for the best mortgage lenders »My mortgage broker ran the numbers for different scenariosI spoke with a few mortgage brokers before deciding to work with the brilliant Lisa Okun. Compare today's 30-year mortgage rates »I know renegotiating my mortgage will be complexI like to know how much I'm going to need to spend. Because the interest rates in Canada were so low at the time (around 2.5%), I felt good about locking into that rate.

Persons: Lisa Okun, Lisa, They've Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ontario, Canada

I should've known better than to travel during the holidays, and I paid the cost for doing it anyway. I let my travel partner plan the trip, and a delayed flight meant that all his plans went awry. The trip cost me thousands of dollars and put me off international travel. My ill-fated trip to Morocco in 2019 put the final nail in the coffin of my romantic relationship and a nasty dent in my finances. The impossibly brisk pace of the trip and the time difference meant that our cancelled flight resulted in thousands of dollars lost on cancelled hotels, tours, and transportation.

Persons: —, I'd, Mercedes, we'd Organizations: Service Locations: Morocco, Montreal, Old, Toronto

When my car salesperson learned I was paying with cash, they tried to change my mind. After speaking with my financial advisor and accountant, it was clear that I was looking to buy a used car outright, in cash. My car salesperson wasn't enthusiastic about it, but I knew what I wantedYou know that old saying, "cash is king?" Or so used car salespeople would have me believe. Still, it felt good to say that I was paying cash and politely decline financing options.

When my husband died, I had to figure out my financial future, which meant finding a financial advisor. I was able to find a great financial advisor by thinking about my specific goals and needs. Having an independent financial advisor isn't cheap, but it's been well worth the cost to me. Here's the checklist I used to settle on my fantastic financial planner. The New School of Finance, founded by certified financial planner and chartered investment manager Shannon Lee Simmons, is where I landed.

I'm careful to track my business expenses and don't shy away from spending money on valuable things. Working with my financial advisor and accountant helped me create a structure to make tax season a breeze. Be smart about business expensesOne of my biggest takeaways from the 2021 tax season was that eligible business expenses help grow your business and shrink your tax bill. One is for my invoices and business expenses and the other is for my personal expenses, bills, and contributions to savings. In my personal expense tracker, I cross-reference my bank accounts and credit cards with my bills and auto-deposits to savings accounts and investments.

Insider's experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). Instead of stressing over a recession, I'm taking my financial advisor's advice not to panic. My research into why my grocery bill has gone up so drastically led me to a fun new term: stagflation. I'm a natural worrier (world class) and I've had to fight this instinct when it comes to managing my money. Recent upgrades I've done to my home helped shave a few dollars off my recently increased home insurance payments.

My husband died when I was 31; we'd been diligently saving for retirement. As a widow, I'm spending on my home and mobility instead of saving for a future that's not promised. I hear some of you out there gasping at what may sound like a flippant attitude toward planning for my financial future. I'm saving for 3 things I care aboutRight now, I'm saving for home repairs and odd jobs around the house, driving lessons and a car, and a gravel bike. I've learned that life is short and I want to spend money on experiences and things I can enjoy now, but that doesn't mean I'm spending money recklessly.

Waste water from the city sewage pipe is flowing onto the drainless floor and washing away my short-lived homeowner's honeymoon. Insider's Featured Homeowner Insurance Companies Lemonade Homeowners InsuranceAllstate Homeowners InsuranceNationwide Homeowners Insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Bright and early the next morning, the plumbers, excavators, and insurance man arrived and set to work ripping up my driveway. I'm reminded of my baptism of fire — or, more accurately, baptism of waste water — every time I see that driveway. If it hadn't been for the safety net of my homeowners insurance, telling the harrowing tale of the first week in my new home would have been more tragedy than comedy.

I used the money from his life insurance to buy a home for myself and begin to rebuild my life. One such occasion was when we were reviewing and comparing life insurance plans from his employer and mine. Any life insurance there may have been would have gone to paying hospital bills, shipping his body back to Canada, and funding my relocation. Insider's Featured Life Insurance Companies Lemonade Life InsuranceNationwide Life InsuranceGuardian Life Insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Life insurance was one such saving grace.

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