Thoughts & Happenings

If you’re thinking about taking a trip down south, you’ll need to know about the “currency surcharge” tax that many tour and trip operators are changing Canadian travellers. An additional $35 fee on travel trips (sometimes more, depending on how much you spend) to make up for the difference between the Loonie and the Dollar might not seem like a lot, but if you’re travelling to multiple destinations those dollar signs begin to add up.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your home to save on energy, you might be surprised what you can do with a few tweaks to your daily routine. You’re going to need to look at your appliances, how much you’re spending on idle power consumption and if you’re really heating and cooling your home effectively.

Did you know that you can donate your unused loyalty reward points to bring down just how much you owe at the end of the year – and the more you give, the more you save. If you have miles or points on a card you know you’re never going to get around to using, it might be time to donate ‘em and actually get rewards you can use, like a lower tax bill in 2014.

A new study conducted south of the border has shown that pre-purchase mortgage counseling greatly helps people understand their mortgage, even if this is their second or even third time purchasing a home. If you want to be able to stay above the default line (it can happen to everyone) and make sure you don’t borrow more than you can afford, it might just be the right thing for you! Here we’re going to go over everything you need to know about mortgage counseling and how it can help you.