Everyday money: Canada.

A take-home sheet for people at the session. Other countries: United States · United Kingdom · Australia.

Moraph for Good · Fluent

Everyday money: Canada

Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/fluent/everyday-money

This sheet goes with the Everyday money session. It is general information, not advice about your own situation.

A budget that survives a real month

Write down what comes in and the date it arrives.
List the bills that can’t move, next to their due dates, and match each to a payday.
Add up the costs that don’t come every month, divide by 12, and set that aside monthly.
Check once a week, so a bad week can be fixed before the month is lost.

When income goes up and down

Plan on a lower month, not an average one.
Keep a holding pot and pay yourself a steady amount from it.
Pay housing, power, food and getting to work first, and call before you miss a payment.

Starting an emergency fund

Start small and make it automatic on payday.
Keep it separate from everyday spending, somewhere protected.
Use it for real emergencies, then refill it.

If the month doesn’t add up

Free, confidential help with bills and debt exists; see below.
Nobody needs to charge you to deal with your creditors or apply for help.
Ask companies about hardship plans before you fall behind.

In Canada

Budget Planner. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s Budget Planner lets you create a personalized budget and save it online. It gives tips and next steps, and shows charts of where your money is going.
Setting up an emergency fund. The FCAC suggests keeping an emergency fund in a savings account separate from your day-to-day account, with no or low transaction fees and withdrawals without penalty. It suggests an automatic transfer set for the days you get paid.
Insured deposits. The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation insures eligible deposits at member institutions. Each deposit category is insured separately up to $100,000, including principal and interest. CDIC publishes a list of member institutions.

Official places to check:

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/make-budget.html
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: itools-ioutils.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/BP-PB/budget-planner
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/savings-investments/setting-up-emergency-funds.html
Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation: www.cdic.ca/depositors/whats-covered

General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 19 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/fluent/everyday-money