This page is where I share guides, checklists, trackers, and digital downloads for Canadian families trying to get more organized with money and life.
Some are free, some are paid. Either way the goal is the same ā practical, easy to use, built for real life. Not overwhelming. Not fancy for the sake of it.
š§ The Financial Road Trip ā Part 1: The Garage
Get the vehicle road-ready before you hit the highway.
Nobody fires up the truck, hits the gas, and figures it out at 120 on the highway. A real road trip starts in the driveway ā you check the tires, top up the oil, and make sure the brakes work before you need them.
That’s what The Garage is. Part 1 skips the flashy investing talk and fixes the foundation first ā because a car that won’t get out of the driveway doesn’t need better directions. It needs to be fixed.
Inside, you’ll build three things:
- šŖ The Seatbelt ā an emergency fund built in phases, so surprises don’t turn into disasters
- š The Steering Wheel ā cash-flow control, so you know where your money’s going before it’s gone
- š The Parking Brake ā a plan for killing high-interest debt, so you stop working against yourself every month
It comes with 24 fill-in-the-blank worksheets ā emergency targets, debt snowball trackers, sinking funds, automation setups ā made to be printed, stuck in a binder, and actually used. No spreadsheets. You’re a dad, not an accountant.
Written for Canadian families, with the realities baked in: bi-weekly pay, furnace repairs in January, winter tires, TFSAs, EI gaps, and vehicles that aren’t optional outside the city.
Not about getting rich. About not breaking down on the side of the road.
Educational purposes only. Not financial advice.
š The Financial Road Trip ā Part 2: The Backroads
Start moving forward ā without flooring it.
Once the vehicle’s road-ready, you don’t merge straight onto the highway. You ease onto the backroads first ā steady speed, eyes up, building momentum in the right direction.
That’s Part 2. This is where your money actually starts moving: the accounts that grow it, and the first investments that fill the tank. No jargon. No get-rich-quick. Just the stuff nobody ever explained to me until I’d already wasted years.
Inside, you’ll make three stops:
- ā½ The Fuel Tank ā the TFSA: what it really is, what to put inside it, and why “my TFSA earns nothing” is almost never the TFSA’s fault
- š° The Toll Booth ā the RRSP: the whole TFSA-vs-RRSP question made simple ā when do you want to pay the tax? ā plus the refund loop, the employer match, and the Home Buyers’ Plan
- š» Choosing Your Fuel ā your first investments: cash, GICs, ETFs, and stocks in plain language, why boring and diversified usually wins, and how fees quietly drain the tank
It comes with 14 fill-in-the-blank worksheets ā contribution trackers, a TFSA-vs-RRSP decision sheet, a fee check, and your own starting plan ā made to be printed, filled in, and actually used.
Written for Canadian families, with the 2026 numbers baked in: TFSA and RRSP limits, pension adjustments, the Home Buyers’ Plan, and the rules that actually trip people up.
Not about racing. About finally moving in the right direction.
Educational purposes only. Not financial advice.
More on the way
The Garage is just the first stop. You need to learn the rules of the road before you even think of tackling the highway which is why we go on The Backroads. The rest of the Financial Road Trip is in the works:
- Part 3 ā The Highway: bigger contributions, RESP, smarter investing, long-term planning
- Part 4 ā The Freeway: side income, skill building, more aggressive investing
- Part 5 ā The Destination: lifestyle design, financial independence, legacy planning
New resources get added here as they’re ready.