I wish we could call a "time out" for politicians. Wouldn't it be great if we could send them to some dark room in Parliament and make them think about what they're doing? I'm talking about the tax you pay on your RRSP and all other types of investment accounts. Tax on TFSAs, RESPs and RDSPs. Yes, you're reading this correctly.

From an early age, we've all been taught that learning to save is a good life skill. It seems, however, that once the kids grow up, they reject this practice and spend, spend, spend. When asked what they would prioritize if they could only save for one thing, 43 per cent of people would save for a vacation before retirement. What are the solutions?

When I'm lecturing to students I like to ask them how much a $100 pair of shoes costs. The most common answer is $100 plus tax. Would you believe me if told you it could be as much as $1,376.46? As a 20-year-old, if you convinced yourself not to buy the shoes, and invested it instead -- with an assumed rate of return of 6 per cent -- you'd have $1,376.46 by the time you were 65 years old.

What is princess math? Your favourite department store is having a half price sale. The gift was originally $200 but you are saving $100. Princess math says -- I was going to spend $200 anyway so now I can buy that purse. The reality is, though, most women aren't flush with money. The problem is that deep down, we know our actions have consequences.

An overwhelming majority of Canadians say that they still manage to save for the future, while many acknowledge that they have had to cut back on both spending and saving since the economic downturn. While nine out of 10 Canadians have some form of savings, which is indeed good news, 72 per cent also carry some form of debt. But there are ways to help find a better balance between spending and saving.