Credit Canada

On Tuesday, January 19th at noon ET, I will be participating in an online discussion on how to tackle holiday bills and dig your way out of the holiday debt.  Join me in the discussion at globeandmail.com at noon.

It’s not the money, it’s the mindset. Just ask some unlucky lottery winners.

Over time I’ve landed on some strange shores while surfing the Internet. What I’ve found is sometimes appalling. Like stories about big lottery winners who end up being big losers simply because they have no clue about what to do with their winnings.

Well, it actually goes deeper than that. It’s not just that these people lack money management skills, it’s that their attitude towards money is deeply flawed. These are people who by and large believe that money in and of itself solves all of life’s problems. The notion that money is just a tool, and that the (more…)

So, a new year is upon us and with it comes the challenge of making and managing money. Or not.

I address myself to those who are making money but not managing it very well. If 2009 proved to be a difficult if not disastrous time for you money wise, listen up. I bet a dollar to a donut the trouble comes from your insistence on living dangerously – spending beyond your means, and not making what little effort is necessary to create and follow a budget.

Yes, you heard correctly. A budget. In fact, a monthly budget that turns into an annual budget – something that will take you right through to 2011.

Life can be very troublesome without this little aid. You find suddenly that (more…)