Recent Articles
Chapter 2: Getting to Debt Free (Part 6)
June 18, 201326 Comments
“Okay, so I’ll try to get a reduction in my interest rate” said Amanda, her brow furrowed as she wrote herself some notes. “If not that, then I’ll pay off all my consumer debt with a consolidation loan.”
“Whoa there sweetheart, a consolidation loan does NOT pay off debt.”
Rule #104: A Consolidation Loan Does NOT Pay [...]
Happy Birthday to Me!
June 17, 201357 Comments
I turn 54 tomorrow. I’m a proud 54. I don’t lie about my age and I don’t feel bashful about the fact that I’m getting closer to my best-before date. In a society that promotes “not getting old” and “staying young at all costs” it’s hard to accept that aging is normal. Yes, it’s okay [...]
Saving is a Marathon, not a Sprint
June 14, 201315 Comments
If you think you can put off saving because later you’ll be earning way more money and will have more money to save, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.
You may be making more and your professional prospects improve, but if you’re not in the savings habit, when will it be convenient to [...]
This & That: Geeze Louise Edition
June 13, 201314 Comments
BL Wrote: My husband had to file for personal bankruptcy three years ago because his construction company went under. This November he will have been discharged for two years.
We’re desperately trying to rebuild his credit and are finding it very difficult to do so. Luckily, I was not affected by the bankruptcy so most everything [...]
Happiness
June 12, 201325 Comments
I am a happy person. That doesn’t mean I’m always happy. Sometimes I’m pissed. Sometimes I want to just pull the covers up over my head and wait for tomorrow because today is just too hard. But those things do not detract from the fact that I’m a happy person.
While most people who aren’t happy [...]
Chapter 2: Getting to Debt Free (Part 5)
June 11, 201320 Comments
Josh walked into the living room with our tea and a plate of cookies just as I was delivering my final blow. “Until you understand how interest is charged and what it’s costing you to use a credit card, you should not have one. And if you don’t have the discipline to review your credit [...]
Save Your Food, Save Your Money
June 10, 201327 Comments
People waste a ton of food. They even have commercials on TV showing people throwing food into the garbage as soon as they buy it to demonstrate just what wasters we are.
The obvious answer is to only buy what you need. Duh! But that requires a plan. And using up what you have takes some [...]
Rescue Your Wet Cell Phone
June 7, 201316 Comments
A few summers ago, Darling Daughter dived into the lake with her cell phone in her pocket. Oy! The following year my cousin Van was telling me about how her daughter’s cell was swamped when a bottle of water opened in her purse. And last winter Alex sweated all over her phone after a night [...]
Gail's Tools
Now, easier to find than ever, here are the tools you’ll need to take control of your money and your life… like the Interactive Budget Worksheet. Make sure you read Gail’s Guide to Building a Budget or my latest book, Debt-Free Forever, before using the Interactive Budget Worksheet so you know how to put it to good use.
And have a look under Favorite Blogs for what I’ve written on topics people most often ask questions about.
Gail Vaz-Oxlade
Hello! I'm Gail Vaz-Oxlade. I'm a mother, step-mother, grand-mama, friend, confessor, writer, TV host, money maven, teacher, artist, and ex-wife. I'm loud, large and laugh a lot. I'm passionate about learning, committed to sharing and hell-bent on getting people to take control of their money and their lives.
I've written 13 books on personal finance, hundreds of articles for the financial media, published a financial magazine for women, hosted three prime-time television shows and worked with Canada’s leading financial services companies to help educate employees and clients. (I've been busy, eh?)
My corporate projects have ranged from the design of a product knowledge and sales curriculum to cover every product sold through the branch network, to the writing of several consumer-oriented brochures, the development of web content, the on-camera hosting of consumer-oriented videos, and myriad public presentations. I can make the most complex financial topic accessible to everyone, even kids.
For those of you who have detected an accent, go ahead and guess! I immigrated to Canada in 1977, lived in The Big City for a long time and then moved to the country. I have dozens of houseplants, read or listen to about 150 books a year and I'm a fabulous cook. I’m learning to knit and dying to get a new puppy… but the time’s not quite right yet so I’m practicing what I preach and being patient.
I’m all about change, and I believe that we can have anything we want in life…anything. It’s all a matter of what’s important to us and how hard we’re prepared to bust our butts. I also believe that a well-balanced life is one of the keys to happiness, and so I strive to achieve a sense of balance.
I’m happy with my life. I am determined to do interesting work and to be useful. I love to learn new things. And I’m practicing living in The Now. I am a work in progress.
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