Debt Free in 30

The best way to control your auto expenses is to buy a car you can afford. This keeps your monthly car loan payments low (since you borrow less) and ensures that you don't over-finance. But how do you buy an affordable car that fits within your budget? Should you buy new or used? If it's used, how can you know it's reliable? Enter Scott Marshall. With 30 years of experience in the driver training industry, he shares his first-hand knowledge of how to make car ownership affordable. He also suggests that there is a correlation between safe driving and saving money. 8 Ways to Make Car Ownership Affordable Scott shares the following tips for successfully keeping your car buying costs low: Buy used. According to Scott, a used car is a great way to achieve affordability. A used vehicle can be reliable if you're strategic in your purchase and maintain your car well. Buy a car that's only 3 or 4 years old. Your car will still be very close to the most modern vehicle, but at only 60% of the cost. Don't worry about newer features because the most important ones (anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, and airbags) are all standard anyway. Buy from a credible dealer. Browse websites like Auto Trader, where you can find a car that is certified pre-owned, meaning it's backed by the original manufacturer. That also means it's been through rigorous inspection. Save on insurance proactively. Your insurance payments depend partly on the type of car you buy. Minimize these monthly costs by asking your insurance company how much your payments will be based on vehicle models. Test-drive more than one car. Don't give up if you're unhappy with your first test-drive. If you've found a model that fits your budget, test multiple cars. They will each drive differently, even if they're the same make. Save money on tires by alternating them. Scott suggests buying winter tires in the colder months to replace your all-seasons. Even at a temperature of plus 7 degrees Celsius, all-season tires will harden and wear more quickly. By investing in winter tires, you can extend the life of your all-seasons by 3 or 4 more years, saving you a lot of money in the future. Consider getting a CAA membership. CAA memberships cost less than $80 a year. While this still sounds like an added expense, it saves you hundreds of dollars on a towing service in the event of a roadside emergency. Determine the kind of car you'll need 5 years from now. Think carefully before you buy your vehicle. If you think you'll need a bigger car in the future, don't buy a smaller one now. You'll save a lot more money because you'll avoid rolling over auto loans and risking financial trouble.

Every financial guru says that achieving success starts with setting a goal. I disagree. While there is some benefit to setting goals, you are more likely to achieve success if, instead of focusing on goals, you have a system. I discuss goals vs systems on today's podcast. Listen or read the transcript below. This is our first episode of 2019, and I've got a question for you: how did you do with your New Year's resolutions last year? How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions this year? If you're like many people, you've probably already given up. If your goal is to get out of debt or to save more money, you might be a little frustrated knowing another year has come and gone without improving your finances. So what if your goal this year is to get out of debt? Or save more money? What's the best way to achieve any goal? The answer may be to not focus on the goal at all, but instead to create a system to reach that goal. Today on Debt Free in 30, I want to explain why, in most cases, systems are better than goals.

It's been a long time coming, longer than Ted Michalos and I predicted in our past year-in-review podcasts. We predicted that 2014 and 2015 consumer insolvencies would remain flat, and they did. However, last year, we predicted that the seeds of a debt crisis had been planted, and we fully expected consumer insolvencies to begin to rise. And they did, albeit not until the end of the year. As of October 2018, year-to-date Ontario bankruptcies and consumer proposal volumes were up 0.6%. That growth came mostly in the latter part of the year, with 5 of the previous 7 months showing year-over-year. We believe a consumer debt crisis will hit us in 2019; on today's show we analyze the numbers, and give you our predictions for 2019.

If you just earned a bonus from your employer or received an unexpected sum of money, how should you use that bonus if you also have debt? On today's show we talk with Scott Terrio and we outline what to prioritize to get the most bang for your buck. We also take a look at common mistakes people make when they receive a surprise lump sum of money and discuss the impact a bonus can have on a bankruptcy filing.

Financial technology, or fin-tech, has come a long way. Much more than just a budgeting app, now you can do your banking, money management, investing and even borrowing, online. In addition to apps, fin-tech companies are following the chatbot trend. On today's show I talk with Alan Whitton, (known as the Big Cajun Man), who has spent 35 years working in the tech industry, about whether chatbots are good for us financially and security issues around fin-tech in general. Alan interestingly points out that there isn't a lot of fin-tech companies helping people get out of debt. Most fin-tech companies go where the big money is - and that's selling new stuff. There are very few apps that tell you to prioritize savings, create an emergency fund, or pay off debt. Instead, we hear about robo-investors and companies like Borrowell that make a lot of money offering 'free' credit scores to entice you to borrow more. Are chatbots just a sales pitch, or can they really help us? Tune in for more on today's show.

When you have debt, Christmas is a stressful time. With pressure to spend on family, friends, co-workers, and maybe even your barber, the season turns into more of a financial burden than a time to be merry. And even though you want to give, your budget is limited. Is it possible to say no to holiday spending without feeling guilty? Actually, it is. It's all in your approach. On today's show I talk with Lisa Orr, an etiquette and protocol consultant, and we take a look at how to navigate the holiday season without awkwardness and forced overspending. Lisa also shares etiquette advice on common and sometimes uncomfortable spending scenarios like charitable donations, tipping, and re-gifting.

The death of a spouse and divorce bring an emotional burden, but sadly such catastrophic events also create financial consequences. In fact, the death of a spouse or divorce are both common reasons why people file bankruptcy. Without proper financial planning, people can find themselves unable to cope with existing debt and often take on new debt to pay the bills. Doris Belland, our guest today was left with $400,000 in debt after the death of her spouse. After struggling to repay that debt and rebuild her finances, she embarked on a mission to learn more about how to cope financially with a traumatic event like a death or divorce and now works as a financial literacy educator to help people be prepared when it comes to money. On today's podcast Doris shares her advice that is good for anyone struggling with debt or who want to be prepared financially for any unexpected life event including job loss, illness, divorce or the death of a spouse.

If you are out of work or laid-off and need to upgrade your skills to improve your employment potential, how can you do this without incurring more debt? The Ontario government has a Second Career program that offers financial support to retrain for in-demand jobs for those who qualify. On today's show we talk with David Shumaker, an employment counsellor at The Working Centre in Kitchener, where he coaches program applicants through the process. We look at how Second Career works and provide advice on how to manage debt while you are retraining.

Indebted Canadians pay at least $24 million a year for what is often unnecessary debt advice. How does this happen? Well, when you have overwhelming debt, you're not just thinking about the money. There's also an emotional element: You're stressed, anxious, and worried about your future. Enter unlicensed debt consultants. They know that you fear going bankrupt, or even talking with a bankruptcy trustee. They take advantage of your vulnerability and offer you a comforting sales pitch about how they can get you a better plan to eliminate your debt. In the end, they do nothing except refer you to a Licensed Insolvency Trustee for a consumer proposal. But before they do, they also have you sign a contract to pay them thousands of dollars in fees for that referral. On today's podcast, we get some insight from our special guest who experienced this exact scenario and explain how you can avoid falling into this same trap.

Being injured or in an accident can have broad reaching financial implications. In addition to the costs of care, you can lose income if you are off work and may incur additional legal costs. Finding ways to recover some of those expenses can help you avoid the debt problems that can occur after an injury. Our guest, personal injury lawyer Lisa Morell, explains when you might want to talk to a personal injury lawyer to review your benefit options.