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The holidays can be hectic, with a lot of work going into gift-giving, cooking, setting up decorations, and planning parties. Fortunately, there are ways to find time to slow down, take it all in, and enjoy time with family and friends.
One of the top holiday stressors is dealing with finances, which is also one of the last things that we want to think about during this time. According to Kerry Reynolds, head of consumer marketing at PayPal Canada, awkward conversations about money can be avoided.
“The average Canadian is down $462 in outstanding IOUs, partly because they're uncomfortable asking to be paid back,” she says. “Using PayPal, we can quickly and easily make peer-to-peer payments at the touch of a button so that uncomfortable follow-ups can be a thing of the past.”
Here are some more tips to reduce stress this holiday season:
1. Make a list of dates. Mark your calendar with key dates like events or travel and include important milestones leading up to them. Consider when you need to pack, hire a babysitter, purchase an outfit, and arrange transportation so you aren't left coordinating at the last minute.
2. Do as much work in advance as possible. If you're hosting a dinner party, pre-chop veggies and make your salad dressing in advance for easy assembly. If your meal can be pre-cooked and frozen for reheating later, take advantage and get the work out of the way well ahead of time.
3. Get out of line and go online. Spend more time playing and less time paying when you shop online from the comfort of your home. And be sure to leave yourself enough time for delivery to avoid any unnecessary stress.
Fall weekends get extremely busy, especially at the West Gate.
Planning your arrival to avoid these times will minimize wait time at the park’s entrance gates, and reduce potential crowding on already busy trails and other park facilities.
If you can only visit on a weekend, come early. The trails get busier as the day goes on.
The West Gate and East Gate open at 8:00 am until Thanksgiving, but day use permits can be purchased at self-serve fee stations at both locations earlier.
Also, consider visiting on rainy or overcast days. The colours really pop, and there will likely be fewer visitors.
Here’s a secret: most of our park visitors arrive through the park’s West Gate (travelling eastbound along Hwy 60 from Huntsville). This is where you may encounter traffic congestion.
If you’re coming from the GTA, consider entering via the East Gate. Here’s how: take Hwy 35/115 north to Peterborough, 28 north to Bancroft, and 62 and 127 north to Whitney, and access the park through the East Gate. Generally, there is less traffic congestion and quicker access to park facilities taking this travel route.
Also, while the Highway 60 Corridor gets extremely busy, Algonquin North is the perfect spot for some autumn solitude. Why not plan a trip to Achray, Kiosk or Brent Campgrounds?
Bonus: driving around the northern edges of Algonquin is a can’t-miss autumn adventure all on its own!
Absolutely. For many people, the driving route is part of the fall colour viewing experience.
If you’re coming from the GTA, check out our Algonquin-Peterborough route (and remember: follow this route counter-clockwise to avoid the West Gate crowds).
If you’re an Ottawa native, or visiting from Quebec, follow this route:
We work hard to process visitors as efficiently as possible. Please have payment ready.
For those wishing to access the park via the West Gate, here are a few trip planning tips and new services that the park is offering this year.
Remote debit/credit machines and cash lanes will be available to process daily vehicle permits upon your arrival. Please take advantage of this service asyou can remain in your vehicle and be back on the Parkway Corridor in minutes and avoid potential line-ups at the West Gate permit office.
Staff will be available in the parking lot to provide information and answer any questions that you may have on park facilities and programs.
Moral of the story: this isn’t a good place to stop. Try to pass through West Gate as efficiently as possible, stopping for washroom breaks further inside the park.
The 511 travel information service — offered by the MTO — provides up-to-date information on traffic and traffic accidents on provincial highways. Please check this service the day of your arrival and avoid any potential delays.
While there are washrooms located at the West Gate, there can often be long lineups during peak times in the day which can result in traffic congestion.
Instead, please take advantage of the other park facilities, picnic grounds and many of the park’s trailheads which have flush and vault toilets.
Before heading out, always check the length, difficulty and time required to complete the trail. Allow enough time to get back to your vehicle before dusk (we suggest leaving a 30-minute cushion). Don’t forget to wear trail- and weather-appropriate footwear and clothing.
Note: The Hardwood Lookout Trail will be closed on three weekends in 2016: Sept. 24-25, Oct. 1-2 and Oct. 8-10.
While there are concessions open along the Hwy 60 Parkway Corridor,consider packing a picnic and stop at one of the many of the park’s picnic areas.
Picnic areas include Tea Lake and Kearney Lake campgrounds (both of which feature comfort stations with flush/vault toilets), as well as Western Uplands, East Beach, Lake of Two Rivers, Canis Bay Lake and Costello Lake campgrounds.
When disposing of food containers, use the animal-proof garbage/recycling containers (found at all major facilities).
Please don’t picnic or bring outside food — including boxed lunches — into any restaurants.
Again, proper footwear is a must. Visitors should also dress for the weather, including warm layers when appropriate. A raincoat or waterproof shell is always a good idea.
Visitors should also consider packing: water, snacks, map/compass, phone (check our list of neat hiking,photography and citizen science apps), and camera.
If you’re planning a bigger roadtrip, we suggest the Lake Superior Coastal Route. This renowned route follows Lake Superior’s majestic north shore between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay. And it’s absolutely breathtaking in the fall!
Tough to say — cell service is limited along Highway 60 and the trails, particularly between Kilometre 20 (Algonquin Art Centre) and Kilometre 30.6 (Mew Lake Campground).
Free wifi is available in the Algonquin Visitor Centre.
Possibly. Remember to watch for moose while driving — they pose a serious danger to motorists. Stay alert, never exceed the speed limit and use extra caution at night.
If you do pull off the road to observe wildlife, ensure your vehicle is safely off the pavement and don’t pull over in any of the designated “No Parking” Zones. Watch for traffic, and stay a respectful distance from wildlife.
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With skyrocketing prices in many major cities, owning a home has become more of an option than a given. For some, homeownership is the best investment they'll ever make, while it's not the way to go for others. Here are some questions to ask yourself before taking the plunge.
Do you really want to own? It sounds great, but are you sure you want to be a homeowner? It's not only a huge expense, it's a lifetime of maintenance, renovations, paperwork, and dealing with neighbours. Remember that ownership isn't the only way to build equity. Regular retirement contributions can also serve you well down the road without the headaches that come with that white picket fence.
Can you service the debt? The hardest part of affording a home isn't saving for the down payment — though that's not exactly a cinch. It's affording the over 25 years of mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities, and home repairs that'll really test your finances. Meanwhile, owning a home doesn't mean you can ignore life's other costs like retirement, an emergency fund, travel, education, daycare, vehicles, food, and more. So take a good hard look at your income, deduct regular expenses and contributions, and ask yourself if you can make the monthly payments.
Are you prepared for the unexpected? Just because interest rates are low now doesn't mean they'll stay that way forever. If you buy, make sure you're in a position to afford higher interest rates down the road. Always use rate comparison sites like LowestRates to keep your eye on rates and stay informed about the mortgage climate. And speaking of unexpected costs, don't forget to factor in the hidden closing costs including legal fees, the land transfer tax, and Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) insurance.
Are you where you want to stay? Although playing the buy-and-flip game can be tempting, it's a very risky move. There are no guarantees in real estate. Sage advice says that if you're in a position to afford, buy in an area where you're planning to stay. Hopefully you won't have to take a loss if you ever do need to sell, but buying with the intention of staying tends to be the safer bet.
Whether you're investing for your retirement, your kids' college fund or a fabulous vacation, you need your investments to work for you. That means knowing exactly how much you're paying for the management of your investments. You may think this is easy to figure out just by looking at your statement, but the reality isn't that simple.
In the past, Canadian financial firms weren't required to disclose the details of their investment fees, which often made it difficult for investors to tell what their total costs were. Some experts believe this lack of transparency is one reason Canadians pay some of the highest mutual fund fees in the world.
But change is coming soon with the Client Relationship Model — Phase 2. CRM2 is a series of investment reforms that are being phased in over three years by Canadian regulators to improve disclosure. “CRM2 responds to a need for much greater education and transparency in the industry,” says Silvio Stroescu, vice president of deposits and investments at Tangerine. “Too many Canadians still believe they're not paying fees for their investments. Going forward, Canadians will be more empowered with the kind of knowledge they need to make smarter decisions with their investments, and this is something we have always advocated for at Tangerine.”
For the first time ever, in July this year, your financial firm will have to provide two annual reports that detail:
1. What you're paying your dealer in dollar amounts. The Management Expense Ratio (MER) of an investment fund is made up of two main components: the management fee the fund company charges for the administrative and operating costs of running the fund, and the trailing commission the fund company pays to your investment dealer. CRM2 requires your investment dealer to send you an annual report summarizing their earnings such as trailing commission(s), in actual dollars, as well as any other earnings like deferred sales charges or referral fees. This report will also provide a summary of other account charges like annual administration and transaction fees – all of which will help you see how much you're paying for the services you're receiving.
2. Your financial firm will also have to disclose your personal rate of return. Previously, firms only had to disclose the rate of return for the fund overall but with CRM2 your statement will provide your personal investment returns for the previous year and since opening your account. Now you'll be able to tell if you're actually making money or not.
All drivers need auto insurance and many know the common tips for saving money on your premium, like bundling home and auto policies, keeping your driving record clean, and installing winter tires. But here are five secret ways to save you may not know about:
1. Smarty pants discount. Are you a bright college or university student? You may qualify for a “Good Student Discount.” That's right — some insurance companies will cut you a break for hitting the books. Depending on the provider, certain averages will need to be maintained. Those late nights in the library could pay off sooner than expected.
2. Private parking discount. If you have access to a private garage, your ride is less likely to be damaged. This means you may qualify for a discount on your premium.
3. Empty nester bonus. Enjoy more than a little peace and quiet when your kids have left the nest. If your son or daughter isn't a full-time driver on one of your vehicles, ask your broker about the “Student Away from Home” discount.
4. Brush up on your skills. Even if you already passed driving school, honing your expertise is never a bad thing, especially when some insurers offer discounts for drivers who have recently completed a safe driving course. So ask your broker if they'll recognize your newly polished road skills.
5. Shop around. Sure, it's easy to just renew your policy, but shopping around isn't just for the first time you take out insurance. If you don't compare, you'll never know if you could be saving. So at least once a year, take a few minutes to check out your options on a price comparison site like LowestRates. Who knew that shopping could actually save you money?
