Thanks CC:
this is a website that offers information about personal finance... We are not certified or licensed in any industry... as such we only offer opinions.

People aren't paying for advice on the site.

I once paid my lawyer a few hundred dollars for 'advice' on something... it was well worth it, but it wasn't free advice.

I believe the reason people pay tax is so that when and or if, they do come into a financial crisis, our federal government steps in. I don't think the burden of responsibility should be placed on the shoulders of the general public, and far be it from any of us to give such sensitive guidance to a person in major distress.

What if you're wrong ? It's not up to anyone here to tell someone else how to go about such private matters. It's one thing to suggest someone to go to an agency or website, it's something totally different to start telling people what to do. You're setting yourself up for liability. The site is called Canadian money advisor, not Canadian guidance Councillor...

Hi Hankety.... this is a nice post about something positive that I did to save money... it's an example of saving money by fixing stuff at home....

I will be pleased to post an answer to people's questions... you can see by my 3700 posts that I have answered the same question over and over and over again.... what I really need to do is create a directory of answers to the same question...

It is not my "job" to answer every question... but I will sure do my best...
Along with the 3700 posts, and 750 blog posts that I've written... I've also spent YEARS building the site from scratch. I've written every line of code that makes the site.

Not only that, Hankety, but I've spent years studying the topic of personal finance so that I can help people... mind you I've had a few years off, but, when I started the site in 2005 this type of information in Canada was nowhere to be found...

I've been in touch with every consumer protection branch for every province in Canada... I've been in contact several times with Equifax and transunion....

I've actually been part of helping change the Credit Reporting Act in Saskatchewan...

So... Hankety... I've been there and done that... several times... my attitude is such that I and the members of this site have helped hundreds of thousands of Canadians understand personal finance... that was the goal in the first place...

When I first started in credit repair... most people that I talked to had no idea who Equifax and transunion were... the landscape has been a little better educated since CMA started 8 years ago....

And Hankety... I and the other people you've helped appreciate your help... many thanks for that... this is a discussion forum.. it's free for people to ask questions and free for people to get answers... I make a small amount of money to facilitate the discussion...

Going forward, I want to address the attitudes of saving money... saving money by putting into a bank account and saving money by not spending as much on items...

People need to know about a broad spectrum of topics and they include contracts and how to deal with creditors all the way to how to save money...

Hankety... thanks for your input today.. it's always appreciated...

(P.S. I don't have to prove myself to you... I've done much more than most Canadians have to spread the word about personal finance)

When people write in about a crisis, they need something more specific than, "Be frugal and save for a rainy day."

I think Monty's point is, instead of readily discarding your older property for a newer item, ( If you can ) fix it. In order to change a person's current living conditions ( If they're not happy ) they need to re-evaluate what their wants vs their needs are.

We as a society in general live way beyond our means. New house, new cars, new toys, New appliances, More credit. Instead of hiring someone to cut your grass or clean your house, do it yourself. You may be able to afford the finer things today, but what happens in a family emergency tomorrow.

Do you really need a bigger flat screen ? the latest I phone ? I think his whole message is: Simplify today, be prepared for tomorrow...

Nothing wrong with offering a little encouragement on how to save. Nobody is going to change the world on one forum... Given Monty's recent experience I think he's really offering useful advise.

Being frugal and a little sweat will go a long way.... Interest free !

Mr. Loree, it's nice that you fixed your clothes dryer.

However, you have people in traumatic financial situations daily writing in for information and advice. Since it's your website, you have a responsibility to respond to those people and not leave it to others. It isn't sufficient to get up each morning, post a couple of credit card ads, tell everyone to save for a rainy day, and leave it to others to do the work you are getting revenue for.

You are treating other people as suckers. It's all very well to talk about respect for others, but talk is cheap. What you are doing by blithely ignoring the misery of others is completely inconsiderate and disrespectful. Your attitude, as chronically expressed by your actions, is unacceptable. I can't be the first person to have remarked that.

I decided to take on the task of fixing things around this house this summer.

To date I have fixed the following:
1) My wife's dresser drawers: the wood drawers were coming apart...

2) The kitchen stove - needed a new temperature sensor and bake element
3) The clothes dryer - needed a new drying element, and needed a good cleaning.
4) The front wood sash windows - needed paint and repairs
5) The front yard - I dug out the grass as the ground was rock hard, and needs restoration..

6) The living room project: we replaced the electrical, insulation and drywall...
7) fixed roof rafters and created proper air circulation in the attic.
8)The front steps - we repaired the concrete steps by pouring new concrete.
9) Put a new door jamb on the front door.

These are some of the repairs I did over the summer.. I am not a handyman by any means.. it took a lot of research & courage for me to get involved in these types of projects. I saved a lot of money doing it myself, and it gave me a huge sense of satisfaction over the summer.

The cost to hire out this work, I would have had to borrow for, and pay inflated prices on the material and labour, and the interest on the credit card...