Welcome to The MapleMoney Show, the podcast that helps Canadians improve their finances to create lasting financial freedom. I’m your host, Tom Drake, the founder of MapleMoney, where I’ve been writing about all things related to personal finance since 2009. Have you thought about downsizing your home to reduce expenses? Or maybe you’ve been saving for a down payment on your first house, while watching the real estate market continue to rise, making you feel left behind? What if you considered something more extreme to meet your housing goals while helping your finances? Michael Bartz is an ac ..read more

Welcome to The MapleMoney Show, the podcast that helps Canadians improve their finances to create lasting financial freedom. I’m your host, Tom Drake, the founder of MapleMoney, where I’ve been writing about all things related to personal finance since 2009. Do you find yourself going broke every Christmas? Do you feel yourself losing control over your spending? If so, you’re not alone. Thankfully, my guest this week is here to help. Lauren Greutman is a financial coach who has appeared on The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and Good Morning America, sharing simple, easy ways families can ta ..read more

The list of cashback apps designed to save Canadians money is a long one. I’ve covered most of them right here on the site – Rakuten, Paymi, and Drop App, just to name a few. Another one you may or may not have heard of is Checkout 51. Based in Toronto, Checkout 51 Canada was launched in 2012, expanding to the US in 2014. Today, they serve thousands of discount-oriented shoppers in both countries. Checkout 51 allows you to earn cashback on grocery store items without the use of coupons. In this Checkout 51 review, I’ll cover everything you need to know to help you decide if you want to become ..read more

Whether you are trying to save money, increase cash flow or break the paycheque to paycheque rut, learning to live below your means can be a financial game-changer. Here are 17 simple rules to help you live within your means. These tips are simple but may not be easy. Try not to apply them all at once. Take your time and implement small changes for the most significant results. Know Your Income Knowing your net take-home pay will help determine what your spending limits are. Without knowing how much you earn every month, how can you live within your means? To track your income remember to add ..read more

A long time ago, long before the invention of Google, there were actual price tags on items. Customers could easily make sure they were charged the correct prices. But when retailers moved towards scanning UPCs, consumers had to trust that shelf prices would scan correctly. The Competition Bureau, a federal agency, developed The Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code, formerly known as the Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP). Retailers can voluntarily participate in this program to assure consumers they strive for accurate pricing. And if an item scans incorrectly, you may receive free products by ..read more

Welcome to The MapleMoney Show, the podcast that helps Canadians improve their finances to create lasting financial freedom. I’m your host, Tom Drake, the founder of MapleMoney, where I’ve been writing about all things related to personal finance since 2009. How do you react when you hear the word frugality? Does it have a negative connotation? Do you equate it with being cheap, or having a scarcity mindset? My guest this week explains what frugality is all about, and shows us how we can develop an abundance mindset. Aaron Nannini founded the website, Cash Uncomplicated, and is the author of a ..read more

If you’re a senior (or you know a senior) looking to save money, look no further. I have put together the following list of discounts available to seniors in Canada, fully updated for 2021. Here you’ll find details such as the specific discount, the minimum age requirement, and a link to more information. I will add more discounts to this list as I come across them. If there are any you’d like to see added to the list, feel free to include them in the comments. The Benefits of a CARP Membership Throughout this article, you’ll notice several references to the Canadian Association of Retired Per ..read more

It’s an unfortunate reality that Canadians pay among the highest rates for cell phones anywhere in the world. Much of this is because our largest providers (Bell, Rogers, and Telus) are making money hand over fist without the threat of serious competition in a highly regulated Canadian telecommunications industry. There are cheap mobile phone plans available from various discount providers, with the tradeoff being slower upload and download speeds and poor connectivity. Many Canadians are willing to accept the drawbacks, however, to save on their monthly cell bill. If you’re one of those peopl ..read more

Christmas is right around the corner, are you prepared? It can be tough to make sure that you have what you need for everyone on your list, and it can also be expensive. If you want to avoid breaking the bank this holiday season, I’ve come up with 14 tips to help you save money on holiday spending. But first, let’s start by making a budget. Make a Budget If you don’t have a plan for Christmas spending, things can quickly get out of control. That’s why you should always begin the season by making a budget, and then sticking to it. I recommend that you create a list of spending categories, and a ..read more

Most Canadians are familiar with the shopping extravaganza that is Black Friday, but in recent years another date is being circled on the retail sales calendar: Cyber Monday. Perhaps the best way to describe Cyber Monday is that it’s Black Friday for online shopping. The term was coined all the way back in 2005 in a retail industry press release after reports showed that US retailers saw an increase in online shopping activity immediately following the Thanksgiving weekend. Of course, now that online shopping has become mainstream, the fancy titles aren’t all that relevant. What you need ..read more