Published at 1:29 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
Use an anti-waste app
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Grocery shopping is a major cost and source of waste.
If you want to adopt more responsible behavior in general, food waste prevention practices are a good place to start. And they reduce the food budget.
Many corporations, retailers and apps offer less fresh or surplus food at a discount.
An example we like: “Too good to go”, where you can collect baskets of fresh produce (often prepared at the time of the reception!), pastries and breads that add that extra something extra to the meal. Weekly grocery store or even a restaurant meal that warms up the end of a busy day at a great price.
Track your expenses
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Grocery shopping doesn't just happen once a week. Additional races are often added throughout the week.
Regardless of your income, you need to know where your money is going.
“I have been making my budget for several years and continue to monitor my expenses at least once a week,” admits Annie Lauzon-Duguay, who two years ago launched Lists etc., which in particular offers tools for creating a budget.
“We have an unfortunate habit of forgetting what we spend,” she adds. Seeing it brings awareness. »
An example: We buy $150 in groceries and calculate that this is the amount we spent this week, not including the two or three small errands we run on the way home.
Select “Save” in the correct location
PHOTO PICSFIVE, GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
Increasing your mortgage payments is a great way to reduce your debt.
This could be to increase your mortgage payments or pay off expensive debts.
“Money is not a bottomless pit, you have to make the best choice with savings or surpluses,” says Caroline Marion, financial planner, notary and trust manager at Desjardins, who advises using the Quebec Financial Planning Institute application to determine your priorities.
The tool is neutral, she explains, and allows you to set clear goals at any given moment. Paying off certain debts can be more attractive than saving. The idea is to grow your wealth using the best strategy for your situation.
Get your job done…and your cleaning!
PHOTO LUCKYBUSINESS, GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
A protective order and a current will should be drawn up.
“Since we have some downtime during the holiday season, I encourage people to review or write their order of protection,” says notary Caroline Marion.
“Everyone over 18 should have a warrant,” she said. We do not decide when we will become incapacitated, if we do. »
The same applies to the will made a long time ago, which no longer exists at all.
And when cleaning up, Caroline Marion advises entrepreneurs to bring their documents up to date: Are your company's resolutions ready? to pay dividends?
Give regularly
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Donating to the SPCA can be part of one's resolutions.
Three out of four Quebecers have made a charitable gesture in the past year, according to a survey the results of which were released in November by the Mallet Institute. Monetary and in-kind donations are the most common gestures.
Another study by the same group estimated Quebecers' annual donation amount at $138. And yet sometimes we miss it for practical reasons. The solution: recurring and planned donations.
Several organizations offer them, from the SPCA to United Way to smaller local groups, making the entire process much easier.
Think about your value – and your values
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, THE PRESS
Stopping and pausing to reflect on your values is a useful exercise.
Both saving and deciding where you will give requires an exercise in introspection. Caroline Marion can highly recommend it.
“What do I really need next year? » asks the financial planner of Desjardins, who goes further and proposes to extend the assessment of finances to that of… oneself!
“Trying to determine your values is an extremely difficult and sometimes painful exercise,” says the woman who did it anyway.
How ? Firstly, there are all kinds of online tools, but you can also do it like this: “We start with 50 values and gradually reduce them,” says Caroline Marion, “until we only have 5.” Good luck!
See a financial professional
PHOTO CHARLES LABERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
We prefer not to think about financial planning…
Maybe you're more afraid of meeting with a budget advisor or financial planner than you are of going to the dentist.
This is often the case, confirms Isabelle Thibeault from ACEF du Sud-Ouest de Montréal. “People are ashamed,” she said. However, this is not to be expected: the relationship with money is rarely simple, even twisted, for many reasons. “No one is safe from financial difficulties, whether they are a doctor or an airplane pilot,” says the budget consultant, who recommends contacting credible and independent experts.
ACEFs (Cooperative Family Economics Associations) exist throughout Quebec and provide budget advice and financial training to everyone.
Start your emergency fund
PHOTO OLIVIER PONTBRIAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
A good cushion of money protects you from sleepless nights.
If you don't have one yet, now is the time to get started:
“People think it's bigger than it is because we recommend putting aside three to six months' worth of expenses,” says Annie Lauzon-Duguay, who clarifies that we don't build an emergency fund overnight. Anyone can start transferring small, realistic amounts each week.
“The bigger the pillow, the better we sleep,” says Annie Lauzon-Duguay, who is also a data analyst at a financial institution. “Of course you have to have the discipline,” she adds, “not to use it for something else.” »