Budgeting & Planning

It's that time of year, if you don't get out of the house with the kids or at the very least get the kids out of the house you're likely to lose your sanity. I recently did a run-down of kids sports programs and what you get for your money, but not every child is on her way to becoming the next Cassie Campbell. It's important to remember, some kids excel at activities of the mind. (And don't nerds make more money eventually anyway?) So here are some financially viable options to consider to keep your child busy and mentally motivated this winter.

Art classes
If you want a fun math problem, add up the cost of playdough, paints, markers, crayons, crate paper and easels that have passed through your rec room. Multiply this by the cost of carpet cleanings.
Cheaper and less frustrating are art classes at your local gallery. Here your pint-sized Picasso will have the artistic freedom to pursue his life's work surrounded by somebody else's white walls. In most art classes offered your child will at the very least get to experiment with painting and drawing. In some sessions, sculpting and printmaking are offered.
Weekend classes range from about $100 - $180 for four weeks depending on the gallery, which means paint on the canvas is a lot less than re-painting your kitchen.
Rating: Not Bad but be sure your minuscule Monet knows that what happens at the gallery stays at the gallery.

Ahh the joy of retirement - benefitting from the spoils of many decades of hard work.

For most Canadians after almost 50 years in the workforce, taking time with family and friends is the Life of Riley well deserved.

But like any age group, retirees can still be financially vulnerable, and as one of the largest growing age groups in North America, there are still many possibilities of what can happen to affect the nest egg.

For those retirees who want to make sure they're still the kings and queens of their money, here's six tips to avoid any problems in the golden years.

Money can't buy you love but strategic spending can greatly increase the chances that you'll be on the receiving end of a few more "come-hither" looks from your partner this Valentines Day. And you don't have to be rich to get them to, ahem, appreciate your assets.

Start a Modest Savings Plan for a Vacation Together
Central bankers are telling you to save a little more but when what you've socked away disappears into the car repair fund, all those pennies seem for naught.
You're more likely to be disciplined about putting cash aside if it's for a specific reason like a surprise few days in Paris or the Caribbean for you and your partner. It doesn't have to be much. Set aside $150 a month and you can get away in October or November when low season deals make airfare and accommodation very reasonable for most sun-kissed destinations and European capitals.

Aging is not for sissies. Not only will your body start reminding you of all of those merry days and nights when you ignored it, hoping faintly you could do so for ever and with impunity. Your income will change dramatically, too.

Now what? Well, you have a simple choice: accept it, sit down in your rocking chair and wait till death do us part. Or, on the other hand, you will NOT accept it and live life to the fullest. You will find that – theoretically, at least – you ought to have much more time to live life to the fullest now that you don't have to be in the office from nine to five. Guess what? You're barely coping.

That's called the Parkinson's Law effect: work (or any other activity, for that matter) fills the time that is available. (You should obtain a copy of the law in any good bookstore. You won't regret it. It will add more laugh wrinkles to your face, and these are the best wrinkles one can have.)

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Retailers and consumer products companies are on charging toward a touchdown on Super Bowl Sunday.

Consumer spending related to the big game Feb. 5 is expected to reach an all-time high this year, with the average watcher projected to shell out $63.87 on Super Bowl-related merchandise -- from team apparel and TVs to snacks -- up from $59.33 in 2011, according to a new survey by the National Retail Federation's Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, conducted by BIGInsight.

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My three year-old was recently given a piggy bank by his grandmother and has taken great interest in putting money into it, taking it out and looking at it. He's interested in organizing the money and when we recently went to the store and bought two freezies with his saved-up change, he was proud of making the exchange with the store owner. Until now, my son has accumulated money by finding change my husband and I leave lying around on the kitchen counter and on our dressers. (No more coffee change for me). But seeing his early interest in money made me wonder when is a good age to introduce your child to the value of a dollar and how. I approached Canadian parenting expert and author Kathy Lynn and asked her to share some tips on introducing your little ones to the big world of money.

The First Step
You can show a toddler dollars and coins but wait until the preschool age before giving him his own money, Lynn advises. The first step? Lynn says simply let him pay for something and then talk about the transaction.

By John Rosevear

Toyota (TM) may have lost the U.S. sales lead, but it still leads in one key survey -- and that lead should give fans of the automaker hope as it gears up to retake lost ground.

Toyota retained its crown in the latest edition of Consumer Reports' annual survey of auto-brand perception, a sign that many consumers remain loyal to the company despite its struggles in recent years.

But the survey also showed that homegrown competitor Ford (F) is rapidly closing the gap. And other brands aren't far behind.

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By Chuck Saletta, The Motley Fool
According to a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management, some 83% of HR professionals think that personal financial challenges have at least some impact on employees' performance. Those same HR professionals aren't blind to economic reality -- 80% of them believe that employees at their organizations are facing more financial challenges than they were five years ago.

And it's not a stretch to connect the dots: How you manage your own money can have an impact on the work you do for your company.

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Walletpop Canada sat down and interviewed Gail Vaz-Oxlade and discussed her new book 'It's Your Money: Becoming a Woman of Independent Means' at the offices of Harper Collins Canada.

Vaz-Oxlade hopes her book will get people to stop being scared and start taking action. While the book is geared toward educating and empowering women about issues such as divorce, becoming a parent, or becoming widowed, there's also lot of great information for men as well. It's never too late to improve your financial health and the sooner you do, the better.

"I think it's really important that we come to realize that life is about balance, that it's not all or nothing. It's not spending every waking moment thinking about money or spending no time thinking about money," says Vaz-Oxlade. "Managing money isn't really that hard. It requires some discipline and there is some detail involved, but in reality it doesn't take that much time and the payback is huge."

Click on the picture below to view our gallery 'The Top 9 Financial Mistakes People Will Make in 2012'. Vaz-Oxlade interview continues below.


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Come Super Bowl Sunday, the pressure will be on the New England Patriots and New York Giants as they battle in Indianapolis for NFL glory. And it will also be on you, as you aim to plan the Super Bowl party to end all Super Bowl parties - without sacking your savings account. Here are some tips for hosting a Super Bowl party that doesn't blow the budget.