Financial Library

In a December 2021 poll, 87% of Canadians surveyed reported that the rising price of everyday goods was their top source of anxiety¹. The last period that caused this level of financial concern for Canadians was the 1990s², when inflation reached a high of 5.5%. Today, it sits at about 4.8%, primarily due to transportation and supply chain issues and a sharp rise in energy prices. The associated increase in cost is passed along to Canadian consumers, who are concerned about how to pay for it.

A year ago, Faye and David decided to get smart around saving money. "We both love the idea of retirement," says Faye. "But we could never seem to close the gap between what we earn and what it costs to run our life to increase our savings." As the couple approached their fifties, they decided to find innovative ways to save. "One of the ways we could do that was to spend less on the things we needed," says David. "We love a challenge, so we decided that we wouldn't make any major purchases for a year without comparison shopping or a money-saving coupon."