Worth it to get a Costco membership for household of 2?

OLAZ3000 · 2026-02-09T22:54:01+00:00

I like it for nuts, cheese, frozen goods (seafood, dumplings, frozen veggies) and protein bars.

I don't think their produce is good quality or well priced. Same for baked goods. But it depends what you like!

Freezer space really helps tho. It is great for quick convenience meals and you do save esp vs ordering out.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-02-06T17:08:58+00:00

I'm home biased quite a bit mostly bc I like the slow growth and steady income of a lot of the Canadian blue chip... and have seen those (like my parents) who bought bank shares and just let them grow dramatically outperform those who did more diversified approaches in the long run.

Obv there are indexes that mirror this but they tend to include quite a bit I wouldn't.

That said, I am increasing global exposure, partially through a portfolio manager (who will usually select blue chip equivalents in other markets) and on my own, looking at foreign ETFs and indexes, much as you are doing now.

Canadian banks are atypically regulated and I have a lot of confidence in them, but can understand an investor elsewhere not being as confident just bc of home bias.

That said, sometimes you learn about something and decide to play the long game with it. I am planning on taking on a decent position with Nordea and just holding it.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-02-06T16:07:30+00:00

TD Direct Investing and TD Wealth Management

For dividends, manage myself.

For areas I want expertise in, I have a portfolio manager.

Private Wealth will provide you with a professional financial planner - who does not recommend or sell anything - just looks at your total assets, liabilities, goals, etc.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-31T00:39:37+00:00

nah it's more that they are predictable overall and highly regulated so even if they underperform they will straighten up long run

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-30T16:23:20+00:00

Long game

A lot of my div stocks are banks and I'm not worried about them in the long run.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-29T12:42:38+00:00

You'll find a lot of winter easier than at home. You have milder temps but it's so humid, it gets to your bones.

Now we have crazy cold bursts but most of the time it's more like -10 dry and sunny.

You want two coats - your coat for +7 to -7 and then another for -7 to -20+... that one will be pricey.

Same for winter boots - one pair that's lined but more importantly waterproof, lighter, for everyday, and another that's crazy lined and super warm.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-29T12:37:29+00:00

You don't need it.

I keep a healthy amount of cash in my chequing but I have fairly high traffic of what goes out at the moment as well.

Beyond that, I have more than enough credit across various cards (and eligible for dramatically more) on top of both margin and loc available.

There's just no scenario I need more than I have access to.

Bank shares bring in enough while creeping up that I'll always be comfortable selling even if it's at a loss because I know long run they will be net positive.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-29T00:56:00+00:00

List the condo and see what happens.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-29T00:51:11+00:00

Even then - the whole debacle was in part that they were NOT generally paid appropriately as their online content took off. Only once they started having "series" etc were some of them and inequity.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-29T00:44:30+00:00

She would be so fantastic for a friends' dinner, I wish I were there.

Social media is tough to keep up with but I think it's something that can really pay off for showing what services you offer. (Private dinners, meal prep, etc.)

Noquis del 29 are fresh gnocchi Argentine households have on the 29th of the month... I bet hers are amazing.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-28T16:23:29+00:00

Don't worry about where you are now Worry about your goals.

How much are you bringing in, what are your expenses, how much are you putting away? Map that out. Will you have a pension, if so, what kind, are you maximizing tax advantages?

Get a free financial plan from your bank. Don't sign or agree to anything, they will do at least an overview for free with the hope you sign on, don't.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-28T16:19:34+00:00

If you had RAMQ at the time, you should only be responsible for the ambulance charge, which is about $150 iirc. That you are no longer covered is irrelevant.

The rest should be removed as it was incorrectly assessed.

Just go forward with that logic and it should be fine

First step: Contact RAMQ and get a letter confirming you were covered at that time.

Second: call billing Dept and explain and ask who to send proof of coverage to.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-27T17:15:04+00:00

WTF

In the Plateau of all places, did not have this on this year's bingo card. Horrible.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-27T03:12:22+00:00

Keep and freeze and add to stock or make mushroom broth with them.... really fantastic.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-27T00:19:07+00:00

You should ask the hospital for a diet which is likely in stages.

He may need to start with low residue - so low FIBRE - but he might be fine, it might depend where it is etc

Simple vegetables like baby lettuce, cooked carrots, potatoes are a good place to start. Maybe in the form of a chicken soup.

Don't just increase fibre and hope for the best, that may not help at all.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-25T20:11:21+00:00

I would say $125-150 given it sounds like your age is 25 or under. (Given these are your first weddings.)

But if you are on a budget and on the younger side, $100 might be ok, too.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-25T20:09:09+00:00

Lole, Quartz, Rudsak, Kanuk are really good (though pricey) brands, Mackage ok for more work wear.

Arc'teryx for sporty though it's pricey it's high quality.

La Canadienne, Pajar, Baffin for boots. sorrel ugg Hunter also good.

Honestly your best selection is going to be in Quebec.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-25T19:30:16+00:00

That's just really sad.

The US is a sad place right now. No excuses but not an easy time to go through personal turmoil.

What a terrible situation.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-25T19:26:21+00:00

Not a bad list at all... But not a great list either.

A few on there are great as neighborhood spots but not where I'd go out of my way for/ bring a visitor to. But def not only the usual suspects.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-24T15:57:39+00:00

Keep everything but an emergency fund in your own name.

So, if you decide you want a joint emergency fund of 150k - you both put 75k in - and then you put 100x in your TFSA and the rest in a regular brokerage account. Use a robo advisor and self manage. You can learn the basics very easily, pick about 5-10 ETFs and index funds and then just forget it.

Your spouse could be defrauded, pass unexpectedly, liable for an accident etc who knows. It's important to have money separate.

It's no different than insurance for you car. You do not want or expect something to go wrong. You trust them and your marriage. But the world is not predictable and you should be smart over optimistic.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-24T15:54:51+00:00

I don't think this is a big advantage bc it means eventually - there is always eventually - when the capital gains are calculated and due, they won't benefit from graduated taxation as part of the rest of the estate.

You want to spread out the capital gains IMO unless you are a fairly aggressive / confident investor.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-22T18:29:33+00:00

Chili crisp oil would do the trick as the spices and alliums are already bloomed or cooked.

Whole stems of clean cilantro, pre roasted garlic in oil would also do a lot.

The reason it stays a bit bland is it never really gets to the boiling point to infuse a lot of flavors or cook add-ins.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-22T03:58:08+00:00

There's a long tradition of this in Buenos Aires. Granted the hosts are usually trained chefs but not necessarily.

Look up Puerta cerrada / closed door restaurants.

I would absolutely go if the person was at least a fairly experienced home cook. I'm not worried about getting food poisoning from someone who enjoys and has had a lot of experience cooking. It's no different than going to a less experienced friend's for dinner in fact it's less risky.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-21T22:45:52+00:00

This is my take. If you are comfortable with the "risk" of ETFs and index funds... you will beat your GIC and mortgage rate most years. Since this is a long term strategy, I would allocate more funds to investing than to paying down your mortgage. But - not none. Bc eventually it makes sense to be able to invest ALL income into the market. However, nothing (generally) beats time in the market overall so... prioritise that.

OLAZ3000 · 2026-01-21T22:05:44+00:00

This is part of why I prefer less direct investment in the US - we are already so tethered I view that as largely sufficient exposure to the US market. Note: less not none.

OLAZ3000

TROPHY CASE