House & Home

Every month WalletPop searches the MLS listings for attractive homes at a reasonable cost. We've limited our picks to homes selling for less than $400K for a survey of homes that most people can afford. The average home price was $360,396 in November across Canada, and many of the properties we highlight are even less than that. With mortgage rates at record lows, there's no better time to go house hunting and lock in at a low rate.

Have a look and see if anything surprises you this month.

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There may be a lot of economic uncertainty out there but it appears quite a few Canadians are sure of one thing -- they're still expecting to get their annual bonus.
A recent poll by BMO suggests that one third of Canadians in the workforce expect to get their year-end bonus which usually arrives between now and the end of February. It seems that those anticipating the reward also have high expectations when it comes to how much they'll receive -- 79 per cent of respondents who said they think they'll get a bonus said they expect it to be the same amount as last year or higher.

In January, most stores put their storage containers front and center. They know that after the holidays, when people have acquired new possessions, they're looking for ways to bring a sense of order to their living spaces.

Dollar stores also have many options that can help on your quest for order and I've personally used and liked many of them to help corral clutter. Here is some dollar store storage that works and how it can also save you a trunk-load of money.

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Be on the lookout for a few items that may have been brought by Santa in this week's recall report:

Health Canada has issued a recall for Little Tricky multi-purpose helmets that can be used as bicycle helmets. The helmets do not meet the safety requirements for collision testing.

The recall includes the Triple Eight S/M EPS helmet in black, white, bone, blue and green and Sector 9 S/M EPS helmet in gray, white, black, blue and green, both with the logo on both sides of the helmet and can be used for kids or youth.

Almost 1000 helmets were sold from August 2006 until December 2011, and consumers are asked to contact Triple Eight Distribution for a full refund at 1-888-548-8518.

Its all about the little ones items in this week's recall report - so keep your eyes open for these products:

Health Canada has issued a recall for Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street and Spider-Man water bottles, as the stopper can potentially come out, posing a hazard to children.

The plastic water bottles have a pull up spout, are marked with the brand FAIGIE and the item #10-3003582.

Consumers are asked to stop using the water bottles and dispose of them. Almost 350,000 bottles were sold at Dollarama from December 2007 until December 2011.

For more information, please contact Dollarama at 1-888-755-1006.

The number one question I get from home owners is the never ending, "fixed vs. variable" rate debate. And although it depends on a number of factors (your personal preference along with the accuracy of your crystal ball to predict where interest rates are headed), real estate expert Don Campbell, and president of the Real Estate Investment Network has a unique twist on the old argument.

Campbell touts opting for a variable rate mortgage, but being disciplined enough to make the payment that a five year fixed would offer thus paying more on your principal and paying off your mortgage sooner and less interest over time.

Here's the numbers he crunched based on a $300,000 mortgage over a 35 year amortization:

Every month WalletPop searches the MLS listings for attractive homes at a reasonable cost. We've limited our picks to homes selling for less than $400K for a survey of homes that most people can afford. The average home price was $360,396 in November across Canada, and many of the properties we highlight are even less than that (ie. a condo in Edmonton condo for $270K and a Winnipeg fixer upper for $199K).

Have a look and see if anything surprises you this month.

CLICK ON PHOTO TO LAUNCH GALLERY

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We're always racking our brains, trying to come up with novel ways we can save a few more dollars each day. We hope that by employing just one or two of the 20 ideas in our list, you'll be able to shave a little off your living expenses, pay off your debts quicker and start to save instead.

Click on the image below to learn how you can start saving.



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Happy New Year! 2012 kicks off with recalls around the house - and a list focused on some popular items that could have appeared under the Christmas tree.

West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma Inc., as well as the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada have issued a recall for the Dover Dining Table, a tempered glass-topped dining table with a brown wood base, with SKU# 2188233.

The table base is not able to support the weight of the table top and can collapse, posing a safety hazard. There have been 14 reports of table base collapses and almost a 1000 tables sold in Canada and the United States between July and October 2011.

Consumers are asked to contact West Elm for a full store credit and to arrange a free pickup of the table at 1-855-369-4335.

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We know that when it comes to food, we know that presentation is everything! Even Kraft Dinner tastes better on fine china. We wouldn't invest in preparing a gourmet meal only to serve it on a paper plate now would we?

I know shopping can be stressful and finding the perfect gift a delight. But don't skip the small investment and that little extra effort to make your gift look extraordinary. You might have spent hundreds of dollars on presents - so what's a few more dollars to create the wow factor. Alternatively, if you're gift giving on a budget, those homemade shortbread cookies that you're giving as a gift will taste so much more delicious to the recipient elegantly wrapped in cellophane with an organza bow?

And you guys that think this process is a little girly, I learned my wrapping lessons not from Martha Stewart, but my uber macho brother growing up.

Read more for the step-by-step process of wrapping fun!