Recently in MONEY MATTERS Category

We can all justify why we have so much stuff and often we will argue that what we are doing is financially savvy. You need to buy things to save money, right?

But are you in denial? We have all probably seen the television shows about hoarders and figure if our lives are not that bad we don't really have to worry. But as an antique dealer part of my trade was buying from estates and making appraisals and some of the homes were eye popping in what I saw.

There is a difference between a person that saves, stockpiles and hoards but it can be a slippery slope and you need to know if you are in danger of becoming out of control.

With the development of outlet malls the real outlet sales have almost all but vanished. Businesses now often run a second cheaper line that they sell at outlet mall trying to fool the consumer. There truly is no real money saving.

Are you saving money with your great thrifty ideas or are you making a lot of mistakes.

A Canadian passport allows you, as a Canadian citizen, to exit and enter Canada  to and from other countries. Issued by Passport Canada they are valid for 5 years (unless it is a child under 3, they are valid for 3 years).

Since travel rules have changed so much in the last 10 years they are the easiest document to own to prove citizenship and can be one of the documents required if you are traveling into the US.

Passport Canada is trying to make it easy to get a passport and are trying to make the long lines at the Passport office disappear. 

This is a great time to buy your favorite berries and freeze them to be used latter in some great birthday, Thanksgiving or Christmas desserts.

Who hasn't heard of someone that always seems to be traveling and living life full of foreign adventures.

That being said I have no problem tipping and have taught my children from a young age why it is important to tip and how much they should generally tip.

But it can get a bit confusing. Truthfully you don't want to under tip but you also don't want to be throwing your money around. So how much should you be tipping the doorman at the hotel and what is the norm for a hairstylist?

Hotel rooms with stunning views and down filled pillows, 5 star restaurants with exotic ingredients and sparkling crystal on the tables, leather goods from the finest Italian shops are just a few of the images that can come to mind when you are talking about luxury.

Even though for many of us the summer has only just started summer items are already going on sale. 

In my neck of the woods the oldest and best has to be, by far, the Aberfoyle Antique Market.

It has been up and running since 1961 and has over 100 dealers on 20 acres of land.

The bargains can be unbelievable but you do have to hunt for them. 

Like my mother and grandmother before me I seem to be a fountain of constant information, so she tells me and yes, she has heard this all before.

Quite frankly it is what mothers do, try to make sure that their kids are prepared for when they leave the nest.

Here are 25 things that I had learned from my mother  that will always stay with me and I think helped me deal with life.

Traveling can be a great pleasure and there are so many interesting places to see in the world. Europe is one of my favorite destinations as every region, let alone country, is so diverse.

What is wonderful about shopping at this store is that I am supporting an organization, Habitat for Humanity, that does great work throughout the world.

Wizpert is an online advice site where you can ask experts in a variety of fields, from decorating to finance advice, using Skype.

You simply go to Wizpert.com or use the button on my sidebar and follow the instructions.

This is really exciting for me because I love helping people get the most bang for their buck.