Posted On: November 9, 2019

So many cheap and free things to do in Toronto in November 2019, it’s going to be a busy month. But, if you’re low in budget, and are out to save a few bucks for the gift-giving season, don’t worry about missing out. You can still have so much fun without breaking the bank!

Remembrance Day Ceremonies

Let’s not forget to take the time on November 11 to honour all those served, including the many who gave their lives for our country. There are several Remembrance Day ceremonies and events lined up throughout Toronto. You might want to plan to attend one.

You might also want to check out events and programs planned for Remembrance Day at the Toronto Zoo if you’re anywhere nearby.

Or why not go to Remembrance Day concerts with friends or visit museums for amazing exhibits?

Santa Claus Parade

It’s still on November 17, but you can start getting excited about Santa Claus coming to town! This will be a massive parade with all kinds of festive floats and special characters and of course, we will be waiting to see the star of the show, Santa Claus, make his grand appearance! There’s a new route this year that will begin at Parliament Street and travelling south on University Ave before ending at St. Lawrence Market. Be sure to activate your map and GPS so you can trod along without getting lost.

Toronto Christmas Market

You cannot miss out on the magic of the traditional Christmas Market! It’s the most anticipated holiday event of the year. Get ready to see the Distillery District transform into a magical winter wonderland filled with twinkly lights, Christmas decorations and tasty treats and drinks – there’s so much to see and do! You can shop around for homemade crafts, or visit Santa’s house, maybe explore a giant light tunnel and enjoy festive music and live entertainment. Admission is completely free, and you’ve got plenty of time as the market will run from November 15th until December 23rd this year.

Cavalcade of Lights

A free fireworks show will light up the dark night sky and Toronto’s official Christmas tree will once again be lit up this year. There’s also live music by some of Canada’s best artists and a skating party at Nathan Phillips Square – all for free. It will be on November 23, 2019, so save the date on your calendar now!

Chrysanthemum Show at Centennial Park Conservatory

It will run until November 25, 2019, this year, so you still have a bit of time to see creative displays of over 80 varieties of chrysanthemums. It will be a colourful show for sure! It’s open for the whole family and completely free!

Regent Park Film Festival

The organization is well-known for hosting Under the Stars Movies in the Park, year-round film screenings, school programs and workshops at no cost, and of course, the Annual Film Festival, which will be taking place on November 20-23, 2019 this year.

If you’re a fan of films that break stereotypes, such as those with themes about inner-city issues, immigrant experiences and multicultural relationships, or maybe you would just like to show support to local and international independent artists who are struggling to have their work seen, you need to make sure to add this event in your calendar.

One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale

From November 21 to December 1, 2019, be sure you plan a visit to the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place for North America’s largest event supporting crafts of all kinds and its craft makers. It will be a cultural and creative experience altogether. You’ll enjoy exploring the huge selection of unique gifts and decorating ideas created and handmade by local artisans – from chocolates to some very pretty clothing and very beautiful unique art pieces for the home. Oh, maybe you’ll want to get started on some serious holiday shopping there.

High Park Toronto in Fall

High Park is free all year round and you can go any time of the year, but you definitely have to see it during the Fall season. It literally transforms into a pretty magical place to enjoy the fall foliage. Imagine how remarkable it is to see some of the maple trees all ablaze in vivid orange and red colours. November is the remaining days of autumn, so it’s particularly beautiful right now. And while you’re there, stop by at the High Park Zoo and say hi to the animals.

From Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, Christmas markets and a chance to meet Santa Clause at the Santa Clause parade, there’s just a ton of free things to do in Toronto in November that will help bring you some early holiday cheer. The best thing is, you can do most of them for free or as cheap as possible so you won’t be blowing all your money and still be able to join in the fun!

Posted On: September 22, 2019

According to Statistics Canada, the average Canadian family of 4 people spends about $214 on food for each person every month. And, this is just for groceries and does not include eating out. Financial experts recommend cutting down this average budget to only $125 per person on food each month. That’s a pretty tight budget! Can you do it?

Try these money saving tips:

Make a Grocery List and Stick to it

The best way to shop is to have a list on what things you need to buy and to make it a point to buy just what’s on the list. This avoids impulse spending, and according to research if you make a habit of sticking to your list you can save up to 23% on your grocery bill. Now, that’s huge savings already!

A grocery list will also help you plan your meals for the week. When you’re planning your weekly menu make a grocery list based on your plan. So every week, you have a meal plan and a list to guide you to buy more nutritious and less pricier food items and you can avoid buying expensive and unhealthy food items on impulse.

Stock Up on food items on sale

The month of February is National Canned Food month in Canada. Did you know that? Well, it is and it’s during this time when you’ll likely find specials on canned produce, so take advantage and stock up on things like canned beans, tomatoes and even canned fruits.

Another themed month linked to saving money on food is on March which has been declared as Nutritious Food Month by the Dietitians of Canada. Frozen foods packed full of vitamins and minerals likely go on sale, so it’s a great time to stockpile on frozen veggies and fruits, and also bread and meat.

Canned and frozen vegetables and fruits can be a huge money saver especially when fresh produce is out of season and still very expensive to buy.

Another great way to look at what’s on sale is to take the time to browse through grocery store flyers, newspaper ads and online to see what items are on sale and which stores you can get them.

Remember to stock up on only things that you normally use. It’s the only way this will work. You won’t save if you go splurging on food items that you don’t need. By stocking up on grocery items that are on sale, you can save about ten percent to twenty percent or even more on your grocery bill for the month.

Go on a meatless diet

Canned and frozen vegetables and fruits are also just as nutritious as fresh produce. So, even if you’re saving big on costs you’re not going to compromise on nutrition. Now, here we have another way to bring down your monthly food shopping bill. Plan out meal recipes wherein you can make use of these canned and frozen vegetables and fruits, for example, you can make large batches of soups, chili, stews, pie fillings, cookie dough batches, or prepare meatless meals like bean burritos with salad, rice and bean casseroles with vegetables, vegetable and cheese omelets with whole grain toast and tofu vegetable stir fry on rice noodles, the recipe list can be endless.

When you serve meals with nutritious, fiber-rich meat-free alternatives, you eat less meat, which is healthy and good for the whole family, and you also buy less meat, which will cut your food costs significantly.

Skip Grocery Shopping

Another food saving hack you can plan your budget on is to skip grocery shopping once every month. When you stockpile on groceries when they are on sale, you can live off of what you stockpiled and then skip grocery shopping at least once every month. If you can’t do this every month, then aim to do it maybe once every three months for a start. It will still save you more or less 25% on your food costs for the year.

Yes, food is expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. There are many ways for Canadian families to save on groceries every month and still eat well and healthy. All it takes is some strategic planning. Use these money saving ideas to start with and then try combining other money saving hacks you can find and in no time you can make it possible to lower your grocery budget and save some serious money that you can put towards other financial goals.

Posted On: August 30, 2019

Building a lucrative side hustle that can let you make extra income can really be a lifesaver. For one, it can let you earn unlimited income. With a traditional job you have your regular income, now if you augment that with a side business that literally does not limit you to how much you can earn. Imagine what all that extra money can do to help you reach your financial goals — maybe it can help you pocket a few extra dollars to save up for that family vacation you’ve been planning for a long time, or maybe you can finally catch up paying some much-needed bills or maybe even start saving and building your emergency fund.

Looking for a side hustle to make extra money isn’t hard. Not with the advent of the Internet which has opened so many opportunities to make money online. Of course, you’ll have to choose carefully as some opportunities can be a scam. However, if you do it right and work really, really hard, you can make a decent income with a few of these legit online opportunities.

Earn cash by using apps

There are companies that will pay you to simply download and install apps on your cell phone and leave them there to run in the background and it will track your spending and purchasing habits. They pay you to use the data for marketing research purposes. If you’re interested in a passive way to make money online, try out these apps: Nielsen Digital Voice App, Smart Panel, Media Insider Panel.

There are also apps that pay you to do various tasks, like watching TV, exercising, or taking photos. You simply select tasks from their list of tasks and you earn money when you complete it. The Ibotta app, for example, let’s you take photos of your receipts and get rebates. Another platform, perk.Tv, lets you make money by watching videos on android phone. Inboxdollars is a search engine app that pays you to search the web.

Test Websites and get paid

There are companies that ask people to run through a site and perform user testing. You then give them feedback on whether the site is user-friendly or not, does it have too many pop-ups, can links be found easily, are the fonts and colors readable, is it easy to navigate, does it load fast, and is using the site in general a pleasant experience or is it a pain. You just basically have to have a basic understanding of what makes a website user-friendly, then you simply surf the web, click around on a site, take some notes, and you’re all done. You can earn anywhere from $10 to $15 for about 20 minutes of work. That’s not bad at all! If you think you can do this, here are some reputable sites you can check out : UserTesting, Enroll, TestingTime, TryMyUI, UserFeel, UserLytics and UserZoom.

Get paid to do a gig

If you’re a master at doing odd jobs, you can sell your services on Fiverr. You can sell just about anything on this platform, tarot reading, creating unique cartoon portraits, write resumes and cover letters, create social media graphics, create video advertisements, make crafts, any talent that you’re really good at that you can do for five dollars and someone will pay for you to get it done. All you need to do is sign-up to post a job, set your price and wait for people to contact you and request for your services. Prices start at $5, but you can set your prices higher if you can offer premium value for your service. Don’t give up if you don’t make money fast as there have been many sellers who ultimately earn six-figure-plus revenues annually.

Answer questions and make money

There are websites that can pay you to answer questions with your expertise. This is a great side hustle that can help you make money online, particularly if you have a high-level skills such as medicine, law, automotive, veterinary, information technology and other expert skill or knowledge in a particular field. JustAnswer is one of the best websites for earning money answering questions. It’s very high trafficked so you have more opportunities to connect with visitors and get thousands of questions a day. If you have technical expertise, you can try answering questions in FixYa which is related more towards fixing electronics and mechanical things. If you become a top expert, you can easily earn $1,000 each month just helping people solve their problems.

There many legit ways to make money online and avoid financial problems like debt and bankruptcy. However, just like a traditional job, it’s not something that is going to be easy. You won’t get rich quick. It’s going to take a lot of work and you’re going to have to really commit because it might take awhile to make more than a few dollars. Ultimately, hard work will pay off and you’ll soon be enjoying the benefits of having a side hustle or two to earn extra money.

Posted On: August 27, 2019

Tax season is here. Like many Canadians you may discover that you now have a tax debt to add to your regular commercial debts: credit cards, loans, etc. This can make it a very stressful time of year. Of course, if you are one of the lucky few who has minimal or no regular debts and have the means to pay what you owe in taxes, you have no problem. If you’re not, you do.

As nervous as all this might make you, keep your eye on the end target – being debt free. It might help you deal with things more easily. Taking control of your situation comes with its own rewards: first, you’ll have less stress, and second, you’ll have more cashflow to put to savings.

To start, if you’ve decided to tackle your debts alone, you need a clear plan to help you determine:

Whether you can do this using only your own resources
How much can you afford to put towards paying off the debt?
How will you find the money to pay the debt?
How long it will take to pay off the debt?

Next, your payment options may be:

Making monthly minimum payments
Using your tax refund
Talking to your creditors to change your payment terms
Or, getting a consolidation loan

Do you know exactly how much you owe? This is a simple calculation. Be sure to include auto loans, payday loans, credit cards and other loans like family loans and medical bills. Start by itemizing your debts by gathering your most recent financial statements for all loans and credit cards. You may also decide to check your credit report from each of the credit bureaus (Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada).

Next, list all our debts on a worksheet or computer program, specifying:

Name of creditor
Balance due
Interest rate
Minimum monthly payment

From this list you can create a monthly budget:

A: Add up our monthly income after taxes and other remittances.
B: Tally up all our monthly expenses, which will include our rent or mortgage payment, utility bills, childcare, student loan payments, insurance, groceries and other monthly household expenses.
C: Subtract all of our monthly expenses from our monthly income and what’s left is the amount we have left to pay off our debts. The formula would basically run this way: A minus B = C.

If you think the amount going towards your debt payments is too small, review your expense numbers and look for ways to reduce your spending. Also, consider ways to make more money so you can pay off your debt faster. It’s important to remember that the higher A is and the lower B is, the faster you’ll reach the finish line.

Another option is to try to obtain better terms. Now that you’ve come up with a clear repayment plan, you can try to negotiate better terms with your creditors. Remember: nothing is necessarily carved in stone. With a good plan, you actually have something of value to offer the creditors. Your main goal is to negotiate a more favourable interest rate. That would make the finish line closer still, which makes a big difference.

Here are some tips to use when speaking to your creditor about lowering your interest rates:

Ask if you qualify for a balance transfer on a zero interest or low rate interest credit card. This can save you a lot of money in terms of interest.
Check out student loan consolidation and income-based repayment plans that are exclusive to high level student loan debts.
Look into whether you can refinance a high-rate auto loan into a lower-rate.
Inquire if you can consolidate your debts into a personal loan or home equity loan.

Richard Killen, Licensed Insolvency Trustee and author of the new eBook The Glass is Half Full which is now available to be downloaded for free from iBooks, Amazon, Indigo and Kindle. Richard Killen & Associates, with offices conveniently located across the GTA, have been helping Canadians resolve their debt issues since 1992.

Posted On: August 16, 2019

Having a traditional 9-5 job is great. It will give you regular pay, that means having a steady income you can rely on to meet all your basic needs. But what about if you have a heavy debt load and need to pay off those debts? Your regular pay won’t be enough. You’ll need to look for ways you can make extra money and meet those extra needs so you can get out of debt quickly.

Making extra money is the best way to increase your income. Of course, you will need to cut your spending back. However, that can only get you so far. A lucrative side hustle can bring in much needed cash flow that you can use to put toward paying off your debt.

Here are some great ways to bring in more cash every month which you can all do in your spare time.

Sell items online

Selling stuff online is one of the surest ways you can make extra money. If you’re getting rid of any of your used items, such as household appliances, furniture, used books, collectibles, or pretty much anything you’re not using, you can try selling them on Kijiji, Craigslist and Ebay. All you need to do is list the items for sale and you can start selling right away and earn some extra bucks quickly. If you specialize in some craft or hobby, like knitting, painting and jewelry making, a great place to sell this is on Etsy. If you’ve got a really good product,  Amazon would be a great place to sell your stuff. You can even make the leap into entrepreneurship, start small and then slowly but surely build your brand and expand your business, who knows maybe one day you can build your own online store where you can sell all your products. If you don’t have your own product to sell, you may want to look into dropshipping as an option.  You  can also sell for others as an affiliate and collect a commission for each sale you make.

If you don’t want to create listings and ship items and pay a service fee for using these sites, there are many neat apps nowadays that make selling items online a much quicker and much easier process. There’s Let Go, where you can sell anything from smartphones to shoes. Poshmark is a luxury fashion app where you can sell your high-end handbags, shoes, clothes and accessories. 5Miles is an app that is much more location specific, so you can put up local classified ads and yard sales online and sell your stuff to buyers that are within five miles of your location.

Drive on your spare time

Why not drive for Uber or Lyft on your spare time? It’s another popular way for making money nowadays. Thanks to the boom of the sharing economy more passengers are in need of rides and Uber and Lyft drivers are sought-after by employers. The great thing is, they have this very neat feature where you can turn on and off your availability on their networks by just clicking a button on your phone, so in effect you can set your own schedule, run it as your own side business, and make good money in the process.

Rent your home or a spare room on Airbnb

If you are willing to rent out a spare room or even your entire home to travelers for a short period of time, AirBnB can be a great resource for you to make extra money. Just create an account and list your space or home for free and you can decide your own schedule, when your home or room is available, and also have full control of prices and requirements for guests. When your listing goes live, guests can start to contact you and you can communicate with them through chat message or any means you’re comfortable with. You get paid 24 hours after a guest checks in. Some people have managed to make this a very lucrative sideline for them that it has become their primary source of income source.

By earning extra money you can earn a respectable amount of cash that’s going to supplement your income and help you to get out of your debt plan as soon as possible.  It’s not hard to find opportunities at all as nowadays there are many ways you can make extra money and earn a few extra bucks to pay off your debt. All you really need to do is make the decision and commit yourself to it.

Posted On: August 13, 2019

When it comes to managing debt, do credit rating reports help?

There is a simple way to avoid taking on personal debt: never take out a loan without first knowing its purpose, the long-term goals and benefits it will achieve, and the plan to pay it back. Simply put, use credit with good judgment ideally to profit from your borrowing. But as we all know, we often borrow without considering the consequences, and then we find that our debts pile up quickly, resulting in an overall negative impact on our financial position.

Look before you leap

The best way to know how to control debt is to look before we leap. We need to ask ourselves if the credit is necessary, what it will involve, is there a better way to get what we want without incurring this debt and how fast will we be able to get rid of it. Also, it’s good to know where we stand with our creditors. If we know exactly who we owe, we can figure out how much we owe, either as a pay-out figure or as an amount to be repaid over time. If we’re not sure who we owe we can also pull our credit report from each of the two national credit bureaus in Canada: Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada. If we just need to see what debts we have and how much we owe, looking at our credit reports is a great place to start, though it probably won’t be able to provide current amounts owing.

These credit bureaus are companies who carry a file on each of us which was opened the first time we applied for a credit card and it contains all our financial information, at least where our credit is concerned. This information is usually supplied by the credit companies with which we do business. When we request a report, it will give a fairly detailed summary of our individual credit history including key information on all our financing transactions like our credit card balances, outstanding mortgage, auto or student loans. It will also note any negative events like a default collection record, bankruptcy or consumer proposal filings, or any other court-related event like a judgment or garnishee, tax liens and even promissory note defaults from personal loans, even from friends and family if they are reported. The credit bureau report will also provide past creditor information that we may have forgotten about because a lot of time has elapsed since we last paid them.

Ideally, obtaining a report from both credit reporting agencies is a good idea because there is no guarantee that they will both have the same information. But before requesting a report, it’s important to know a few things about how this system works and that our rights are protected. In Ontario, the credit bureaus are regulated by the provincial government through the Consumer Reporting Act. This law lays out:

● what a consumer reporting agency can report,
● how a consumer’s credit report can be used,
● when someone can request a credit report, and
● what consumers can do if their files contain any information that is wrong or incomplete.

The Consumer Reporting Act also recognizes that businesses, landlords and employers need to have correct information, but at the same time it must ensure:

● that agencies collect, maintain and report our credit and personal information responsibly;
● our right to know what is being reported about us and to whom; and
● our right to correct (or fix) information about ourselves that is inaccurate.

When we receive our report, we will see a score — a number on a scale — that indicates whether we are in good stead with our creditors or whether we have some adjustments to make to improve our score. Basically, every transaction we make, every application we file and every legal action we get involved with ends up on our file for others to see, and those actions are taken into account when determining our score. While on the surface, this process may seem daunting, but in fact it’s empowering. Not only can we ensure that our information is true and accurate, we can also use the knowledge to improve how we manage our debt, which is good news.

Richard Killen, Licensed Insolvency Trustee and author of the new eBook The Glass is Half Full which is now available to be downloaded for free from iBooks, Amazon, Indigo and Kindle. Richard Killen & Associates, with offices conveniently located across the GTA, have been helping Canadians resolve their debt issues since 1992.

Posted On: July 5, 2019

We’re now just getting into the start of summer and hot, humid summer days are coming. With the rising temperatures comes an increase in water use for most Canadian households, which in turn means a spike in your monthly water bill. So we thought we’d take this time to share some ways to save water at home this summer so you don’t get punched in the wallet with a huge water bill.

Many households experience a dramatic increase in water usage during the summer. Maybe it’s because we take more showers to avoid getting sweaty and smelly. And yes, also the lawn sprinkling, garden watering, car washing, and other yard and garden activities where we use a lot of water.  Of course, when we use more water we can expect to see our water bill go up. Now, for a homeowner with lots of debt to pay off and a very tight household budget to manage, a huge spike in your water bill is the last thing you want to see. You have to save money in the budget wherever you can, and reducing water usage, especially during the summer months when you use up more than usual can go a long way in helping to save money on bills.

These tips will greatly help save water usage at home this summer.

Let’s start  indoors.

Repair water leaks

The City of Toronto has confirmed to residents that leaky faucets or toilets attribute to higher bills. It is best, therefore, to regularly check if you have any water leak issues in your house that you need to attend to and fast so you don’t waste thousands of litres of water and end up with a massive water bill.

You can do DIY repair on many water leak issues in the home. If you have faucets that are leaking, all you have to do is replace worn-out washers. To check if you have leaky toilets, just do the toilet test.  Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank or drop a dye tablet into the toilet tank and lightly stir it. After a few minutes, if the water in your bowl turns color, then your toilet is leaking. You can fix this yourself by replacing with an inexpensive rubber flapper. However, if the toilet is leaking around the base, you will need some professional help to fix this.

Adjust the flow

An easy fix that will save you money and reduce your water use is to regulate the amount of water flowing out of the tap. One effective way is to install low-flow faucet aerators in your kitchen or bathroom sinks.  Aerators are inexpensive devices and they can reduce water flow by 25 to 50 per cent. Another way that can save you much in water costs is to use low-flow showerheads, which can reduce water use by about half the amount of water as with a standard flow rate shower head.

Retrofit your toilet

About 30% of water use in the home is caused by toilet flushing. Now, if you really think about it, you don’t need that much to cleanly flush your toilet. A full-flush toilet uses about 18 litres of water per flush, but if you use a low-flow toilet, you can lower water use to just six litres per flush.

Before buying a new toilet, check first if you already have a low flow toilet. Look between the seat and tank for a flush volume stamp. You might find this on the walls of the tank or on the lid itself. There might also be a date stamp inside the tank. If you see a “1.6 gpf or 1.28 gpf,” your toilet is already a low-flow model. If you can’t afford to buy a new toilet just yet, you can simply buy a $10 water retention, displacement or alternative flushing device which you can find at  most hardware stores to reduce the water flow of your current toilet.

Now, let’s go outside your home.

Outdoor water use during the summer months can spike consumption by as much as 50%. So, here’s what you can do to save water at home this summer when you are out on your garden or yard.

Garden smarter

One easy tip to follow is to water your lawn at night or early in the morning, ideally before 9:00 am. This way you avoid the heat of the day and reduce evaporation, allowing water to properly sink into the ground. Also, avoid overwatering. Generally, lawns need only about 2.5 cm of water every week. If you have a sprinkler system, you can plan a watering schedule by setting up the timer and making sure that the water comes on at the exact time you’ve scheduled it, and that it does turn off accordingly so that you avoid wasting water on your yard.

Deep watering

Another simple way to help reduce evaporation and thus use less water is to set your lawnmower to maximum height. This way when you cut the grass you leave it just a little taller so that it shades the soil and prevents water to evaporate giving time for the water to soak below the soil surface. The deep watering method lets you use less water because you only need to deep water once a week while at the same time you ensure that water gets to the roots of plants and trees.

Landscape using native and drought-resistant plants

Another advise that the City of Toronto would like residents to follow is to plant native plants and trees in your garden or yard. Common plants and trees like Sugar maple, Red maple, Canada anemone, Cinnamon fern, Lowbush blueberry, Balsam firs, Manzanitas, Black-eyed susan, Red osier dogwood are low maintenance and naturally drought-tolerant which means they will need less water to thrive in the local environment. Not only that, they’ll also help give shade, privacy, color to your property and will help keep your home and yard cooler in the summer – which will help lower your air conditioning costs, too! 😉

It’s really worth it to make the effort to save water at home especially during the summertime because it’s one of the best ways you can save money on your utility bills. It may not seem like a lot of money to save each month, but if you can maintain regular savings in this way every month it can add up significantly over the course of a year.

Posted On: July 2, 2019

The summer season is upon Canada and everyone’s excited for warm weather. Time to plan out some things to do in Toronto to enjoy the amazingly warm temperature of the Summer months.

Summer is one of the best times of the year in Toronto. Lots of delightful events and activities to lure us to go outside and see the wonderful sights and sounds of the city once again – music festivals, street fairs and parties, flea markets, food and drink events and nature trips.

Let’s go find them…

Capture the beauty of the cherry blossoms in High Park Toronto

First off, let’s celebrate the arrival of the Spring season with a visit to High Park and view the magnificent cherry blossoms on the Sakura trees along the hillside of Grenadier Pond. The cherry blossoms usually reach their peak bloom days in late April or early May, so it’s the best time to see them in all their full pink glory. It’s one of the most popular spring events in the city, so make sure you don’t miss this spectacular blooming experience – it’s totally free!

2019 Spring flower show

If you can’t wait for the cherry blossoms to be in full bloom, you can enjoy  the colourful display of fresh spring flowers at the annual Spring & Easter Flower Show held at Allan Gardens Conservatory & Centennial Park Conservatory which will take place until May 10, 2019.These gorgeous gardens and greenhouses are full of all kinds of flowers that are already blooming – daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, fragrant Easter lilies and hydrangeas! There are also a variety of trees, palms and plants from many climates and parts of the world. You won’t miss the coy ponds and the birds, too! A walk through these gardens will surely give you 30 minutes of natural therapy in a colourful and tranquil oasis right in the heart of the city — all for free!

Get back to Mother Nature

Another great way to come out of hibernation and enjoy a great day outdoors is to go walking and hiking at one of the city’s many hike-friendly parks. A great spot is the Humber Arboretum, a 250 acre parkland full of botanical gardens and nature trails for the whole family to enjoy.

The Evergreen Brick Works is another gorgeous place to go hiking in the middle of the city. What it has are tons of hiking trails, mountain biking trails and quiet streams where you’ll enjoy beautiful skyline views and nature walks. Don’t miss the Saturday farmers markets for wonderful local produce and other organic, fresh food items.

Go birdwatching or fishing at the Tommy Thompson Park

Birds have long been known to signal the arrival of Spring and many celebrate by heading to the Tommy Thompson Parks for the annual Spring Bird Festival which will take place on May 11, 2019 in line with International Migratory Bird Day. Tommy Thompson Park is one of the city’s largest green spaces and is a prime hotspot for different types of migratory birds, such as the Baltimore Oriole, Ring-billed Gulls, Black-crowned Night Herons and the Common Terns. You will surely enjoy watching the colorful birds swooping and diving and delight in their sweet chittering sounds as they rest on the branches of trees. It’s a unique urban wilderness full of natural areas such as wildflower meadows, cottonwood forests, coastal marshes, cobble beaches and sand dunes, and of course, the birds, butterflies and fishes! It’s just minutes from downtown so make sure to plan a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of noisy Toronto.

Cheer on the Jays

The beginning of Spring is also the start of the Blue Jays season. If you love baseball, then of course you won’t want to miss out on the chance to cheer for our home team the Toronto Blue Jays. They promise an exciting season, with 4 home games at the start of April to kick off the season and more throughout the month. You can grab tickets and watch them under the dome at the Rogers Centre or cheer them on with a group of friends at some of Toronto’s best sports bar – there’s Toronto Style Bar & Grill which has some outdoor seating,  The Dock Ellis is another good spot to watch sports and enjoy some tasty decently priced food items, and Homestand is Toronto’s newest sports bar and has all sorts of Jays-related events to hype up sports enthusiasts.

Spring festivals galore

Another perfect Spring adventure that’s not to be missed are the Spring festivals.

Kick it off with the exciting outdoor street festival ‘Spring Into Parkdale’ which is taking place on May 12, 2019. It’s an annual event which features a sidewalk sale with tons of outdoor vendors selling food, plants, cell phone cases and many, many more! Plus, there will be live entertainment and free family-friendly activities.

Art festival in Toronto’s Distillery District

The annual Artfest Toronto takes place this year from May 19th to 21st. Local artists from across Ontario, Quebec and other cities and provinces will be exhibiting their amazing art and craft at the beautiful Distillery District. Drop the kids at the Artfest Kids pavilion for a free art workshop while you explore the array of paintings, photography, sculpture, pottery, glass art, jewellery, designer clothing and more. Admission is free, so go and immerse in some fine art!

6th annual film festival

Who would want to miss the largest film festival ever? The annual National Canadian Film Day (NCFD) returns on April 19. This year marks an exciting milestone – the centennial year of Canada’s first blockbuster film,  its most successful silent film todate, and its oldest surviving feature film – Back to God’s Country starred by Canadian film actress Nell Shipman. In commemoration of this, the festival will host a selection of films celebrating 100 years of Canadian cinema. So, for the film buffs out there — check the NCFD website and book a screening!

We’re sure you won’t run out of things to do in Toronto this Spring, you probably won’t even have enough time to do all the things that are out there to explore. The best thing is, you won’t really need to open your wallet to have fun and enjoy. Some events and activities are cheap and will cost you just a few dollars but, believe it or not, there’s plenty of free things to do as well!

Posted On: January 25, 2019

Toronto is an exciting place during the winter and with these 8 cheap and free things to do you’ll definitely be in the mood to go out and enjoy all the not-to-be-missed experiences. If you’re tightening your budget after all the holiday spending, don’t worry. There are plenty of free and cheap things to do in Toronto in the winter.

From DJ skate nights to light festivals, there’s a long list of activities and events happening all over the city — we’re sure you’ll find something unique to do to lift your spirits and shake off the winter blues.

Toronto Winter Light Festival

The annual Toronto Light Festival lights up the long gloomy nights of winter from January 28 to March 3, 2019. This free event takes place again this year in the Historic Distillery District with local and international artists putting on a magical display of illuminated artworks and large-scale installations that will surely be a sight to behold.

Icefest

Another winter favourite, Icefest is a cultural event held every year to celebrate the winter season. Now in its 14th year,  the event showcases tons of ice-related festivities for the entire family to enjoy —  incredible ice sculptures, live ice carving demonstrations, ice exhibitions, photo booths, live DJ’s, scavenger hunts, warm food and hot beverages! All activities take place in the heart of the city at Bloor-Yorkville from February 9th to February 10th and admission is free for all ages. Icefest is also a charitable as it continues to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation in support of Heart Month in February. Everyone’s sure to have so much fun and its all for a good cause!

Go Ice Skating at the Bentway Skate Trail

Ice skating is a favourite winter activity, and if you’re one of those who loves to ice skate the figure-eight shaped Bentway Skate Trail located under the Gardiner Expressway is definitely a must-visit. The Bentway is open for the winter season until Feb. 18, 2019, and admission is free for all ages. If you don’t have skates, you can take advantage of the free skate rentals on Thursday nights from 5pm to 9pm. If you don’t know how to skate and are dying to learn, then make sure you check out the free drop-in skating lessons from 6pm to 8pm every Thursday until February 14. There’s also an event presented by Kahlúa for adults 19+, Après Skate Saturdays, where you can meet up with other skaters and enjoy complimentary samples with coffee or hot chocolate from 5pm – 9pm. If you don’t want to skate, you can take advantage of the snuggly blankets, warming lounges and fire pits all around the place and just warm up from the cold for a few hours. That’s lots of free stuff at the Bentway, don’t you think?!

Party at Toronto’s DJ Skate Nights

If you’re in the mood for an outdoor party – the kind with really loud music and a crowd of people, then lace up your skates and get into the groove at  Natrel Rink, Harbourfront Centre for DJ Skate Nights every Saturday from 8pm to 11pm until February 20. A stellar lineup of local and international DJs play lively beats of disco, hip-hop and techno so you can dance and skate the night away and beat the winter blues. The best thing of all, this nighttime winter party on ice is totally free!

Learn Something at Your Local Toronto Public Library

Reading is a relaxing pastime for many of us and if you’re in the mood to snuggle in a warm, cozy spot with a good book, you can enjoy a few bestsellers at a Toronto Public Library near you. But that’s not all that you can do in your local library! You can borrow the latest books and DVD’s, yes, plus you also have access to a variety of newspapers and magazines from different countries all across the world, so you don’t have to pay for a subscription just to keep up with current events. Then there are free classes you can attend to help you hone some skills, you can learn crafts and hobbies, workshops and livelihood projects and skills to help you look for a job and ace a job interview. There are also seminars where you can get the latest information on web design, web technology, health and employment. They also hold free concerts and exhibitions from time to time so make sure to check back regularly. What’s more, you also get free passes to museums, music, theatre, film and art events all year round with your Toronto Public Library card. So take advantage of these free resources and services!

See Frozen Waterfalls

Waterfall viewing is a winter must do in Toronto because these cascading beauties are transformed into a frozen landscape of intricate ice formations in the winter. There are hundreds of waterfalls scattered within Toronto and the surrounding area and most locations offer free parking and are only a short walk to the viewing platform. Just pack a picnic lunch so you save up on take out. Whether the flow is completely frozen or just a gentle trickle surrounded by snow and ice, there’s just an added dimension of beauty to these wonders that you can’t miss out on.

Tobogganing Fun

Tobogganing is one of the most fun free things to do all winter season. Just grab your toboggan or sled and head to a snowy hill near your neighbourhood and start sliding down the snow-covered slopes. Squeal with delight all you can and just have fun in the snow!

Winterfolk Music Festival 2019

The Winterfolk Music Festival is back for another year taking over Broadview and Danforth from February 22 to 24. You can listen to blues, folk and urban roots music from over 150 artists set on five different venues. There are both free and paid events, but you can get tickets for some of the paid events at just $10 if you buy in advance. A great bargain is the three-day weekend pass which cost only $15 and you can watch all the stages lined up except for the  five ticketed shows. So, don’t miss out on enjoying some great music to sing away the winter blues.

There’are tons of amazing free and cheap things to do in Toronto in the winter. So, explore your city every chance you get this season because you surely won’t need to stay in to save with these activities that won’t break the bank!

Posted On: January 23, 2019

You’re short on cash, its winter and are wondering what indoor or outdoor activities you can do with the kids for free or nearly free in Toronto. We love having our kids home for winter break. School is out, and they are at home most days with a lot of free time. Some parents like to go on vacation from work and spend time with their children. However, parents often wonder what they can do to keep the kids busy. Luckily for us Torontonians, there are lots of great ways to entertain kids in Toronto winter for free — and well,  maybe almost free.

The chilly weather may want you to stay inside more than you would like to. That’s no problem at all because there are many indoor activities throughout the city that will keep children busy and cognitively focused while it’s cold and snowy outside.  However, it’s also important for kids — and parents as well — to get outdoors and engage in physical activities during a holiday break or weekends.

You and the kids can simply go outside and have a snowball fight or make snow angels in your yard, but you can go and have fun around the city without breaking the bank.

Free Public Outdoor Skating

Winter is the season for ice skating, so time to grab those skates, hit the ice and spend some time with the whole family at one of Toronto’s outdoor public ice rinks. There are many free places to get your skate on in Toronto that will be open through to March 2019 if the weather permits. Brave the freezing cold and go practice those triple axels!

Fun Winter at Ontario Place

Ontario Place is a must-go-to destination for all your favourite winter activities and attractions. A winter festival that’s free to the public seven days a week until March 17, 2019. Enjoy the Winter Light Exhibition, an amazing 18 light exhibits created by local artists that showcase the artful effects of light. Try out the synthetic ice skating rink that will be open to the public all winter long. The Cinesphere features family-friendly films that you can watch on their massive screen with shows at 7:30pm daily. Bask in the glow of fairy lights wrapped around more than 100 trees as you go around and explore the West Island. There’s also a bonfire to warm up around while you sip hot chocolate and roast marshmallows.

Discover a Toronto National Park

It’s all fun and exploration this winter when you and the kids join in on a friendly and fun guided walk with Parks Canada. The park offers family-friendly trails for hiking that cater to all ages. You’ll get to discover a wide array of trees, plants, grasses and wildlife sightings. You can go on quiet nature walks to experience the beauty of the Rouge in winter or just to meet new people. Check out their website for their January and February schedule.

Winter Stations 2019

Okay, so the beach may not be the first place you would want to visit in the winter, but maybe looking at art installations attached to lifeguard posts will make it interesting for the adults and stimulating for the kids. The winter event is now in its 5th year, so it’s obviously a favourite activity around town that you would want to consider. Another thing that may change your mind, admission is free! Take the kids for a stroll on The Beaches and enjoy the playful art displays of international artists and designers showcased along Toronto’s snowy waterfront from February 18 – April 1, 2019. Last year’s installations included a wire nest sculpture weaved together by colourful fabrics and a nuclear cooling tower decorated with tiny pinwheels. Hmmm, wonder what this year’s winners will bring?

Escape to an Indoor Pool

The thought of swimming during the cold months may make you cringe, but swimming in indoor pools can be a great way to stave off the bitterly cold temperature. Swimming is a great workout, and it can help heat up the body naturally. The rise in your body temperature, will give you a soothing, calming effect and boost your mood. It’s just the perfect antidote for the winter blues. What’s more, the workout will keep your family’s immune system strong so it can fight off bacterial and viral infections. This is particularly important during the winter season when colds and flu rear their ugly heads.

Family Snow Tubing

Snow tubing is another winter family favourite activity because, really, what’s more fun than sliding down a hill! Many people say it’s a lot more fun than sledding because the snow tubes can spin in any direction, unlike in a sled where it just makes you go downhill in a straight line. There are many local parks and ski areas that offer snow tubing that rent out tubes for guests to use free of charge, so check out details before heading out. Don’t forget to check for weather updates too, as many winter activities are available depending on weather conditions.

Toronto International Boat Show

Spend the day with the kids at North America’s largest indoor boat show. You can ski and dine around,  take a look at the impressive fleet of 1200 boats of different sizes ranging from 6 ft. to 60 ft. or just browse through the wide array of marine accessories on display. Lots of other family fun events to look forward to: watch professional wakeboarders compete in the Toronto Indoor Wakeboard Championships, attend fly fishing classes in the world’s largest indoor lake, watch remote-controlled sailboats race on the lake just like in Central Park, and meet with pilots and technicians at the Royal Canadian Air Force exhibit. The event will take place from January 18 to January 27, 2019. There is free admission for kids with ages 16 and below, an admission ticket for only $5 after 5pm and free parking on weekdays after 4pm!

Go to a Model Train Exhibit

Model trains can be fascinating to some kids (and some older “kids”). If your brood is up for it, take them to a real train museum. The Toronto Railway Museum showcases interactive exhibits of steam and diesel locomotives so kids can learn about the city’s railway history.  Better yet, they can go on a guided tour in the outdoor museum and explore a collection of full-size trains, a live steam miniature railway and the main attraction, a fully operational 120-foot long locomotive turntable. The museum also has a miniature train ride operating on weekends, which cost $3 for adults and $2 for kids.

You don’t have to stay inside throughout the frosty season! So, when everyone gets bored and the kids start to bicker and it’s driving you bonkers, you know it’s time for a break. Round up everyone, bundle up, and have some free family fun with these affordable indoor and outdoor activities to entertain kids in Toronto winter for free.