Good morning. Sometimes the best financial move isn't a new strategy — it's paying attention to what's already there. Money has a way of hiding in plain sight: in grocery habits, in dormant accounts, in caregiving costs that quietly compound until retirement is the thing that gets cut.
On The Money Today:
A Vancouver couple capped their grocery bill at $160 a month — and made it work
BC is holding $222M in unclaimed funds, and fewer than 10% of residents know it exists
1.8 million Gen X Canadians are caught between their kids and their aging parents — and retirement is paying the price
Let's get into it. But before we do…
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Michelle and Thomas Nijdam decided to fight back with a hard cap: $160 a month for two, spread across four grocery stores and built almost entirely on bulk dry goods and beans. With meat almost entirely off the menu, the Metro Vancouver newlyweds are proving that eating on $40 a week is possible — and their system is worth a closer look.
SPONSORED BY Loans Canada
Do you feel like paying off your credit card debt is a constant grind? You're not alone.
At the end of 2024, Canadians' credit card debt increased by 9% year over year, according to TransUnion.
Credit card interest compounds — meaning your interest accumulates interest. If you're only making minimum payments on multiple cards, you could end up paying more at a higher rate, keeping you in debt longer.
A better option is to consolidate your debt with a single loan at a lower rate. With Loans Canada, you can compare competitive rates on personal and debt consolidation loans across multiple lenders — no minimum credit score or income required to receive personalized loan offers.
More than 185,000 BC residents may be owed money they don't know about, with the average payout coming in at nearly $6,000. The funds come from dormant bank accounts, unpaid wages, pension funds, estate distributions and more — and fewer than 10% of BC residents even know the program exists. Checking takes minutes and costs nothing.
They're still paying the mortgage, their adult kids have boomeranged home and now mom and dad need care too. For 1.8 million Gen X Canadians, the sandwich generation isn't just a catchy label — it's a financial pressure cooker that's quietly draining retirement savings. Here's what that tradeoff actually costs, and what caregivers can do to protect themselves.
ALSO MAKING THE ROUNDS TODAY
INSURANCE: Not sure if you actually need life insurance? Answer these 3 questions before you buy
NEWS: Booking.com confirmed a data breach and Canadian travellers are now targets — here's what to watch for
INVESTING: Could the space economy be Canada's next big investment wave? Here's how to get involved
MANAGING MONEY: Her fiancé called off their engagement over her debt — here's what The Ramsey Show told her to do
RETIREMENT: Looking to downsize? Many older Canadians say suitable housing options are hard to find
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