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Learn If It’s More Important To Save Money Or Pay Off Debt

In General Budgeting, Paying Off Debt by Phil McGilvrayLeave a Comment

I recently had the privilege to run a couple of webinars on ‘the principles of money management’ for a group of young parents. At the end of each of these sessions we had a wonderful period of question and answers that went for longer than the formal presentation itself did. There were a couple of recurring themes in the questions being asked so I thought it would be worthwhile sharing the answers I gave to these questions via a series of blogs.

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Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, Focus on Habits and Behaviours

In General Budgeting, Manage Money by Phil McGilvrayLeave a Comment

For the past month I have been saying to the kids each morning, “I wonder what we were doing this time last year?” For the McGilvray family, this time last year marked the last day of a magical white Christmas holiday in the UK and Europe.  The holiday had been years in the planning and a well-earned reward for finally having our home loan paid off!

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The Gift To NOT Give This Christmas

In General Budgeting by Phil McGilvrayLeave a Comment

Like most blokes, I have something of a phobia when it comes to shopping. Don’t get me wrong, I like buying stuff, I just hate going to the shops! Oftentimes that same sentiment around Christmas leads people to the quick and convenient solution – buying a gift card – but this is the gift you should avoid giving this Christmas! It might be nice for the convenience, but it’s bad on the budget. Let’s explore what we can do instead, to ensure your budget stays on track this Christmas.

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You Want To Be Debt Free? Here’s What To Do About It

In Budgeting Tips, General Budgeting by Phil McGilvrayLeave a Comment

At Grandma’s Jars we are passionate about helping people take control of their personal finances and get out of debt. We have seen first hand the impact that debt has on people lives when it gets out of hand. Debt causes financial stress and is a burden that robs us off tomorrow’s cash flow making it harder to save and get ahead financially.

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I Don’t Need A Budget – She’ll Be Right Mate!

In General Budgeting, Grandma's Jars by Phil McGilvrayLeave a Comment

I’ll admit it, as a financial adviser and budget coach I do tend to manage my finances on the conservative side. I don’t mind taking risks but I take calculated risks. By calculated I mean that when faced with a major financial decision I objectively considered what could go wrong, what I would lose if things did go wrong and weigh this up against what I believe I have to gain.