Why Budget Culture Often Fails (and What to Do Instead)

We take a deep dive into budget culture, explaining what it is, the benefits and downsides, and provide an alternative, simpler model to understand your household finances.

Credit Scores: What They Are & Why They Matter (Plus Much More!)

Everything you've ever wanted to know about credit scores: the history, soft v. hard credit checks, why BNPL doesn't quite count yet, where to get it for free, and what counts as a good score.

Has the Rent Gap Between Large and Small Canadian Cities Ever Been This Narrow?

The long standing gap between big city and small city rents in Canada is shrinking, as asking rents in major urban centres cool and prices in smaller cities continue to rise, reshaping assumptions about affordability across the country.

Subscription Overload: An Easy Way to Audit & Understand When to Unsubscribe

Learn how many subscriptions the average person actually has and how to conduct a quick subscription audit to save money.

Summer Vacation 2025: What Families Are Really Spending, Where We're Going, And How To Make The Dollars Work Harder

Summer Vacation 2025: A rundown on what families are spending on their summer vacation, the top destinations, and tips on the best places to save and splurge.

CMHC Mortgage Consumer Survey: State of Homebuying and Mortgages in 2025

A review of the recent 2025 CMHC Mortgage Consumer Survey and what it means for Canadians looking to buy their first home or renew their mortgage.

Guide: How to Maximize the Value Of Your Credit Card Points

Nook's guide to maximizing the value from your credit card points for travel. We cover the target cents-per-point benchmarks for the major programs, a playbook for high value travel redemptions, and when cash back cards are a better alternative.

A Field Guide to Buying a Home in Canada, mid-2025

It’s May 2025, the Bank of Canada’s policy rate sits at 2.75% after seven quarter‑point cuts, and, despite this cheaper money, the national average resale price is still $678,331. This is down 3.7% from a year ago, but it still puts the majority of

The Science of Saving: Why Saving Money Feels Disproportionately Good

There’s a certain kind of joy that comes from saving money. Not life-changing amounts—just little wins. Driving ten minutes out of your way to save five cents a litre at the gas station. Waiting in line for half an hour to get a free donut you weren’t

Emergency Fund: Why You Need One and How to Start

Given the uncertain economic environment influenced by ongoing trade disputes and fluctuating tariffs, financial stability has become increasingly important for Canadians. Unexpected events like job loss, emergency repairs, or surprise car issues underline the necessity of having an emergency fund. In this article, we provide a straightforward guide to help

When Does an Uber One Membership Actually Pay Off?

If you regularly rely on Uber for getting around or grabbing meals, you've likely considered Uber One—Uber's subscription promising savings for frequent users. Still, with a monthly fee of $9.99, it's fair to wonder if the savings justify the cost. In this

Breaking Even at Costco: The Fastest and Slowest Ways to Justify Your Membership Fee

For many shoppers, a Costco membership feels like an automatic money-saver. But is it? At $65 per year for a basic Gold Star membership and $130 for Executive membership, the real question isn’t whether Costco has good deals, it’s whether those deals save you more than what you

How to Choose Between a Fixed & Variable Mortgage Rate

We've put together a framework to compare fixed and variable mortgage rates, including a calculator and a summary of what the experts are saying.

How to Die With Zero - A Helpful Way to Approach Life & Money + A Workbook Guide

"Rather than just focusing on saving up for a big pot full of money that you will most likely not be able to spend in your lifetime, live your life to the fullest now: Chase memorable life experiences, give money to your kids when they can best use it,

Magazine

Asking Rents in Canada Have Decreased for the First Time Since 2020. Here's Why (and What It Means)

Has there ever been a better time to... rent? It's not the headline we were expecting in this housing market era of perpetual sticker shock, yet here we are. According to the latest data, average asking rents for residential properties across Canada have dipped to a 17-month low.

6 Practical Ways to Save Money in 2025

Another year has rolled in, and while we might’ve hoped 2025 would bring a little relief from the cost of living crunch, our wallets are still under pressure. But here’s the silver lining: small, deliberate steps now can add up to big savings by the time we’re

Canada's mortgage renewal wave is coming. How to prepare if this includes your home.

"I took off on a wave, went down the side, popped out the other end, and went, shit, I'm still alive!" - Greg Noll Over 4 million Canadian homeowners are approaching a big moment: mortgage renewals in 2025 and 2026. Rates have cooled a bit recently,

2024 Black Friday Shopping Guide: Start With A Plan & Come Out With a Good Deal

Black Friday (November 29) and Cyber Monday (December 2) can be a prime time to snag deals, whether you’re looking for high-end headphones or tackling your holiday shopping list. However, these days can also feel overwhelming, with endless offers and limited time to sort genuine bargains from mere marketing

Easy Savings: Fall 2024 Edition

The best WiFi, mobile, and technology deals of the season. We're excited to bring something new to this week's newsletter: a curated list of the best deals and savings opportunities for Fall 2024. Inside, you'll find our top picks for Wi-Fi plans, mobile data

Kakeibo - The Japanese Art of Mindful Money Management 💸

After spending the last two weeks immersed in Japan, I was pleasantly surprised by the ubiquity of fantastic $10 lunches, refreshing $4 draft beers, and perfect $1 onigiris. In a country known for its innovation and efficiency, the accessibility of such delightful experiences got me thinking: How do the Japanese

New 🇨🇦 Mortgage Rules💰 & What a $4,000 Budget Gets You 🏠

This week, we're exploring the Canadian Government's new mortgage rules in more detail and comparing what a $4,000 monthly budget gets you in Toronto vs. Calgary, both as a renter and first-time home buyer. New 🇨🇦 Mortgage Rules The Canadian Government introduced new mortgage rules on

The Economy Starts All Over Again When It Gets Crisp in the Fall

As the leaves turn and a chill enters the air, signalling the onset of fall, the economic landscape seems to be undergoing its own seasonal shift. Long-held beliefs about homeownership and market stability are being questioned, making this an apt moment to reassess where we stand financially and where we&

Supermarket Sweep #2

Understanding Grocery Price Trends Welcome back grocery store aficionados, we're back with another deep dive on grocery prices. Our shopping list remains consistent, with one minor tweak noted below. This time, we're comparing Loblaws and Farm Boy. Let's unpack the carts. 🛒The Grocery List

Do Falling Interest Rates Mean It's More Affordable for Canadians to Buy a Home?

Let's start with the good news. Interest rates have been falling, which, on the surface, lowers the cost of borrowing money. The tricky part is to determine whether, over the medium term, lower interest rates will make it more affordable for Canadians to buy a home. The Interest