In a recent newsletter, a reader asked for help in differentiating between a splurge and necessities. I want to share two of the responses from you because they illustrate how personal finance should come from the heart as well as the brain.
This reader and her family are trying to fine tune their household budget to balance necessities, saving and fun. Specifically, she wondered if fixing the front steps of her home and new mattress toppers for her children’s beds are necessities, or a luxury expense. The consensus was that more comfortable bedding for the kids is a necessity, and that fixing the front steps is likewise because it helps maintain the value of the family home.
Some comments from Peter Hambly, a retired financial planner in Hanover, Ont., added some emotional depth to the discussion. A few of his points:
- “We deferred a lot of (mostly necessary) home improvements. That was a mistake. Get your home how you want it, asap, for enjoyment and utility.
- “In our case, doing it again, we would live more for today instead of worrying about the future. That may not be typical.
- “If [this reader] has kids at home, live it up a bit now. Those relationships and memories may not be recovered later.”
I asked Mr. Hambly if the pandemic influenced his thinking. “The pandemic had no effect,” he told me by e-mail. “I realized, looking back various times, that a lot of financial decisions previously made were hard to understand after the passage of time.”
Now for a hard-nosed, rational take on budgeting, courtesy of insolvency trustee Linda Stern. Among the monthly expenses listed by the reader who asked about splurges was a payment on a consolidation loan to retire various debts.
“Being a trustee, in my opinion, the debt should be paid off first before vacation and RRSP savings,” Ms. Stern wrote.
Some thoughts from other readers
- Set up a monthly savings plan for home maintenance projects like the front steps
- Consider registered education savings plans for the kids
- Contributions to the group retirement savings plan this reader has access to at work is a must because of the likelihood of matching contributions from the employer.
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Rob’s personal finance reading list
Mom, dad and the housing market
A money manager takes a run through some ways parents can help adult children get into the housing market. There are some important warnings to parents about jeopardizing their own financial health.
How to improve your credit score
A useful rundown on how credit scores work, where you can find your score and what you can do to improve it.
The era of meme investing
A properly skeptical look at the mindset of people who are “investing by meme,” which means following trends and hype more than proven fundamentals. The questions these investors have to consider are how long a meme will last, and what happens when it fades? Stay nimble, meme investors.
Are you brushing your teeth too hard?
Go easy when you brush to avoid costly gum problems, and maybe not wear out your toothbrush as quickly.
Ask Rob
Q: What is the difference between a financial planner and a financial adviser? Should I see someone with a bank, or an independent firm? I’m 57 years old and, while I have investments and have contributed to an employer pension for four years, the older I get the more worried I get that I haven’t been doing enough.
A: Generally, planners build comprehensive financial plans and advisers manage investments. That said, some planners handle investing, and some advisers plan. Sounds to me like you want a planner. May I suggest considering an independent fee-for-service planner paid hourly or through a flat rate? Advisers, and some planners, are typically paid through fees and commissions generated by the sale of investment products or managing portfolios. A fee-for-service model offers transparency. You’re buying advice.
Do you have a question for me? Send it my way. Sorry I can’t answer every one personally. Questions and answers are edited for length and clarity.
Today’s financial tool
Is someone at the Canada Revenue Agency trying to contact you, or is it a scammer after your personal information? Some guidance here on how to tell if it’s the CRA on the line, and what to do if it is.
The money-free zone
Time to plan your summer reading: here are 38 novels to check out.
In case you missed these Globe and Mail personal finance-related stories
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More Rob Carrick and money coverage
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Even more coverage from Rob Carrick:
- 🎧 Catch up on Stress Test: Are your parents giving you money? • Why it’s time to stop shaming the renting lifestyle • Is now the right time to buy a house? • Why are young Canadians leaving the cities they love? • Eating in: How COVID has shifted our food spending • Crisis-proof your finances? • Can you afford to live downtown? • The cost of kids
- ✔️ The housing file: The housing boom is ripping apart the financial fabric of Canada • Shut out: A well-qualified millennial home seeker throws up his hands after losing multiple bidding wars • Big city housing affordability is over – now what? • She sold her Toronto house to retire somewhere cheaper, but it didn’t work • How young adults and the whole country win with a tougher mortgage stress test for home buyers • Can’t afford your house? It’s likely not your fault
- 📈 Investing: Robo-advisers have grown out of the novelty stage. Here’s help in finding one right for you • The 2021 ETF Buyer’s Guide: Best Canadian equity funds • The 2021 Globe and Mail online brokerage ranking: Who’s best for investing … and answering the phone • Are these the stock market returns of a lifetime? • On the cusp of retirement and wondering about an ETF that pushes the limits on aggressiveness
- 💰 Your money: The five most important numbers for checking the health of your personal finances • Today’s freakishly low mortgage rates can’t last. What will pandemic home buyers do when they rise? • There’s a cost in money, isolation and family stress when seniors choose to remain in their own private homes • Taking CPP early can cost you $100,000 and limit your long term options • Fleeing the city for the suburbs? Watch out for higher property taxes, more cars and other costs
Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to reference registered education savings plans and not registered retirement saving plans.
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