Lifestyle Creep with Cindy Marques

05/31/23 • 35 min

Why is it that our savings stay the same even as our salaries go up? Or that once we’ve hit our dream income, it still feels like we’re living paycheck to paycheck? The answer may be a phenomenon called “lifestyle creep.” On this episode of Half Banked, hosts Cadeem and Bethan sit down with Cindy Marques, financial planner and co-founder of MakeCents, to discuss what lifestyle creep is, why it’s such a problem for young Canadians, and what you can do to avoid falling victim. They also price-check Canadian grocery chains to see if shopping at a fancier store really has a noticeable impact on your bank balance.
Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:

Discover the different factors affecting the Canadian cost of living.
Learn the definition of lifestyle creep and who's most vulnerable to it.
Understand the value of financial freedom, and reframe it in a way that suits you.

About Cindy

Cindy Marques started her career in finance after realizing her lack of financial literacy as a recent physics and philosophy graduate. She decided to pursue a postgraduate degree in financial planning, determined to become a successful adult.

Despite feeling lost initially, Cindy leaned in and found her passion in finance, leading to a full pivot in her career. Today, she uses her expertise to empower others to take control of their finances.

Connect with Cindy through her website, or sign up at MakeCents. You can also contact her through her socials, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Discover the different factors affecting the Canadian cost of living.
Learn the definition of lifestyle creep and who's most vulnerable to it.
Understand the value of financial freedom, and reframe it in a way that suits you.

About Cindy

Connect with Cindy through her website, or sign up at MakeCents. You can also contact her through her socials, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you did, subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in, leave us a review.

Have any questions? If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, send us an email at [email protected]!

Previous Episode

Trauma's Toll On Your Mental Health And Material Wealth

How does your mental health affect your relationship with money? And how does money affect your mental health? From the pandemic to inflation, financial trauma and anxiety is a reality so many Canadians face every day. In this episode of Half Banked, Cadeem and Bethan talk with Alyssa Davies, founder of Mixed Up Money about the hardships and pressures of dealing with finances in your 20s — and the techniques she used to change her relationship with money. We also speak with financial trauma researcher and co-founder of the Trauma of Money training program, Chantel Chapman. She breaks down how your sense of safety, security and stress can affect your ability to make, spend and manage money.

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you did, subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in, leave us a review.

Have any questions? If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, send us an email at [email protected]!

Next Episode

Rewriting Real Estate Rules with Asif Kasim and Steve Saretsky

The Next Generation of Homebuying - Part 1
For many, buying a home is a big landmark in their adult life. Your parents and grandparents have built and bought their own houses to settle in and start their families. It's a goal the youth pursue whether they can afford it. Unfortunately, today is vastly different from the experiences of older generations. Buying a home in the Canada housing market[1] today isn't the same as when your parents did.

In this three-part series, Half-Banked focuses on what buying a house is like. For this episode, we examine the rules and advice older generations followed to buy a home and test them against today's market environment. Joining us are Asif Kasim and Steve Saretsky to share their insights on the financial and real estate side of buying a home. They pinpoint which rules still work and which ones ultimately need an update.

Join us in this episode as we change the rules of the Canada housing market and rewrite them to fit today’s generation of homebuyers.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:

Find out the best downpayment percentages, rates, and budget you should consider when buying a home.
Discover whether or not your home should be your biggest investment.
Learn updated Canada housing market rules for today's real estate environment.

Resources

● Asif A. Kasim: LinkedIn | Integrity Tree Financial

● Steve Saretsky: LinkedIn |Saretsky Group

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you did, subscribe and share it with your friends!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in, leave us a review.

Have any questions? If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, send us an email at [email protected]!

Half Banked - Lifestyle Creep with Cindy Marques

Transcript

Cadeem Lalor: Getting your first real job or your first big raise is exciting. You're making more money, you're feeling successful, and you're ready to level up your life.

Bethan Moorcraft: Maybe you decide to ditch your roommates and get a place of your own.

Cadeem: Maybe upgrade your beater car to something slightly less embarrassing.

Bethan: Or maybe, like me, you just order Uber Eats a few more times a we