Make a List

  1. Know what you have. If you can only spare $600, it's better to know that before you start shopping, instead of shopping without a budget then attempting damage control afterward.

  2. Remember non-gift expenses. Holiday expenses don't stop at gifts. They include travel expenses, gift-wrap, tape, food, household decorations, etc. Account for these things in your budget so there are no surprises.

  3. Best Option: Use cash. It's harder to let go of money when it's real cash. Handing over twenty-five $20 bills for a Play Station , might make you think twice. How about some new PS games instead of an upgraded player?

  4. Second Best Option: Don't spend more that it'll take to pay off in one month. Friends and family don't expect you to sacrifice your credit for their happiness. If it's going to impact your financial health and ability to reach your goals, they won't want you to spend it.

    5. Check it Twice

  5. Reduce the length of your "must buy for" list. Make up your "nice" list and then review it. Do your hairdresser and mailman really need gifts from you? Reduce expenses by sending cards, or letters of praise to their bosses, if you want to share your appreciation.

  6. Think outside the (gift wrapped) box. Write a poem, sing a song, bake cookies, make arts and crafts, spend time, or make a coupon book for free chores. If buying for more than one person in the same family, buy a group gift that can be appreciated by everyone.

  7. Shop online. Malls are designed to get you to spend more money. With online shopping, you can make more objective, smarter purchasing decisions.

  8. Get the best price. Use comparison-shopping sites like nextag.com, pricegrabber.com, and bizrate.com to find the cheapest price. Search Google for coupon codes to get free shipping or a percentage off your total.

    9. Plan Ahead

  9. Keep detailed records. Know what you bought, for whom, and for how much. Keep a tally of what you’ve spent and what’s left. This will ensure you don’t exceed your limits this year and will help you plan a budget for next year.
  10. Put money away. Starting in January, put money away monthly in a high-yield savings or money market account. At the end of the year, you’ll have what you need for your holiday shopping.

Prepare your home for old man winter!

With a cold Canadian winter approaching, it's important to prepare your home for winter weather.
Here are some tips to get started:

Clean your fireplace. Creosote, a flammable tar-like
substance accumulates in the chimney and flue.
To eliminate fire hazard, it should be removed
by a certified chimney maintenance
professional once a year. This is
especially critical for older homes.

Check your smoke and carbon
monoxide detector devices.
To protect your family, it's critical
to check your detectors once a
month. Most devices have a test
button that will beep or ring
loudly. If your device doesn't make
a sound, you should change the
batteries or consider getting a
new one. Replace your device
every 10 years.

Clean the filters on your furnace and
air conditioning systems. To prevent your furnace and air conditioning systems from breaking down, clean the filters every three months and have a licensed professional do a check up every year.

Clean the ducts on your home's heating and cooling system. Dust, dirt, pet hair and allergens accumulate in your home's heating and cooling system. To maintain a healthy and clean home, clean your ducts every four or five years. Duct cleaning typically removes five to six pounds of dirt.

Replace aging systems. By replacing your older furnace and central air conditioning system with a new one, you benefit in two ways. First you will avoid rushed last
minute decisions to replace your old system
at a higher cost should your older system
break down mid-winter. And second,
today's technology provides you with
the opportunity to lower your
electricity consumption and
energy costs.

Clean rain gutters. Gutters and
downspouts must be cleared of leaves
and debris at least twice a year. If they
aren't, drain outlets will dam-up and
rainwater will fill the gutters, back up,
overflow, and eventually pull gutters
loose from their mountings. You can
hire a professional to take care of this
or you can get a ladder and a hose, and give it a
shot yourself.

Assemble an emergency kit for your home and car. In severe weather, you may need to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. Create your own kit or purchase a 72-hour emergency kit from the Canadian Red Cross or at local retailers throughout Canada. Visit the Public Safety Canada web site at http://www.getprepared.ca/kit/kit_e.asp for more details.

A fresh start begins with an improved financial picture

Ina D. of Vernon, BC recently found herself in a new and unfamiliar situation and needed a little extra support to get back on her feet. “I wanted to consolidate my debts and get a fresh start as I have recently become a widow and my husband looked after the finances”, she explains. “I saw a Capital Direct ad and felt that your company seemed to know what people go through in real life.”

Ina worked with Ron Crick at Capital Direct to find the best financing option for her unique needs. A home equity loan was the ideal solution as it enabled Ina to have lower mortgage payments and increase monthly cash flow. “I feel very confident in myself now that a great weight has been lifted. Ron was very understanding and has made my life easier”, Ina says.

“I can now look forward as I have a mortgage payment I can budget with, and rest easy knowing that I can call my home - mine!" Ina raves, "I can't thank Ron enough for giving me this chance!”

So what about you? Your home equity is something you've worked hard to build, so why not 'let your house lend a hand'©

when you need it most! You can use your home equity to free up cash flow, lower mortgage payments and put you on the right path. Contact a Capital Direct mortgage specialist to discover your options.

“I feel very confident in myself now that a great
weight has been lifted.”

Capital Direct's Eco-friendly Calculator

Do you know how large your home's eco-footprint is? Under the ecoEnergy Retrofit program, homeowners can take advantage of available grants when improving the energy efficiency of their home. Not only will you be reducing your home's energy consumption but you can receive money back through available grants.

Visit Capital Direct's Eco-friendly Calculator online at, http://www.capitaldirect.ca/eco-calculator. Calculate the environmental impact of your household and find out ways of reducing it, then give us a call to learn how we can help you apply for available retrofit grants.


Holiday Season Super Puzzle

Get in the festive mood with our Holiday Season Super Puzzle.
Unscramble and then find the following words:

  1. laerefipc
  2. onswanm
  3. posnhigp
  4. ohyidsla
  5. lmyfai
  6. rtihmcssa
  7. yrekut
  8. ssernetp
  9. cceilsi
  10. accoo









E R C Z M B S A F O J Y U F H S C S O X S R O H X A P S P O Z U A J X G H X T H P H C Z L O U U L U M S I C S O V S V I T X S H P Y W O S P T E X K D Y O V P O E T G P T L J D O A T E E R R B R I A C L B Q S Y Q F K O F E N I
I B U N T C S 		I
I Z R V G S C F R S H T N N 		N Y V R U K I
E F B K L K R B 		N L O W D T U S N O W M A N T J I F S Q V N Z A T N R P E Z G M J O A V V A H N S I T L Y S A M T S I
R H C W R B L K Z 		Q F K P Q X Y A O C O C U N W

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