Cliffsnotes Creating a Budget for Canadians

Master the essentials. Gain confidence. Meet new challenges fast. That's the reason for CliffNotes. And that's just what you'll get from this easy-to-understand guide to building a budget and sticking to it.

Introduction Chapter 1: "You Are Here" in Your Financial Life-- Figuring Out What You're Worth-- Setting Your Goals--Determinging How Much Your Goals Will Cost Chapter 2: Looking at Where Your Money Goes-- Keeping a Spending Diary-- Using Other Tools to Track Your Spending--Evaluating Where Your Money Goes-- Identifying Your Money Personality Chapter 3: Creating a Budget-- Determining Your Essential Expenses: What You Need--Determining Your Non-Essential Expenses: What You Want--Recognizing and Avoiding Your Hidden Expenses--Factoring in Emergency Expenses--Taking Taxes into Account-- Paying Yourself First-- Setting Up a Basic Budget--Being Realistic Chapter 4: Sticking to Your Budget-- Good Discipline Equals Good Budgeting--Reining Your Impulse Spending--Rounding Your Support Team--Dealing with Emergency Expenses--If at First You Don't Succeed Chapter 5: Reducing Your Expenses and Increasing Your Income-- Finding Alternatives to Spending--Making Over Your Lifestyle-- Making Creative Cost-Cutting Fun-- Living on Less--Hanging on to your "Found" Money--Earning Additional Income Chapter 6: Tackling Your Debt-- Figuring Out How Much You Owe-- Reducing Your Consumer Debt-- Paying Back Your Loans-- Consolidating Your Bills as a Last Resort Chapter 7: Putting Your Money Away for the Future--Identifying Your Saving and Investing Personality--Understanding Different Savings and Investment Instruments--Analyzing Which Instrument Is Best for You--Investing Your Money: The Earlier the Better--Tracking Your Investments Chapter 8: Once You've Reached Your First Goal-- Enjoying the Fruits of Your Frugality--Rebudgeting for Change--Retaining Your Good Habits Cliff Notes Review Cliff Notes Resource Centre Index