Everyday money
A budget that survives the second month
Most budgets fail on irregular expenses, not willpower. A four-part structure that holds up in real life.
EdmontonIndependentEst. 2026
Money notes for Canadians.
Short videos and written notes on taxes, credit, TFSAs, RRSPs, FHSAs and the fine print. Calm, exact, and sourced to the CRA, the FCAC and the terms themselves.
12 notes · every figure dated and linked to its source
TFSA room, 2009 to 2026
$109,000
If eligible every year since 2009 and never contributed.
- 2026 TFSA limit
- $7,000
- 2027 TFSA limit
- Not yet announced
- RRSP deadline, 2026 year
- Mar 1, 2027
- Filing deadline
- Apr 30, 2027
Topics
TaxesBrackets, refunds, deadlines and the forms behind them.
3 notes →
CreditHow cards, interest and credit scores actually work.
2 notes →
Saving & investingTFSA, RRSP, FHSA and the emergency fund that comes first.
4 notes →
Everyday moneyBudgeting, cashback and the fine print on bonuses.
3 notes →
Latest notes
Recently written down
Saving & investing
An emergency fund, sized and placed
How much to keep, where to keep it, and why it comes before almost every other money goal.
Saving & investing
The FHSA, explained in one sitting
Deductible going in, tax-free coming out for a first home. The rules that matter, and the one reason to open it early even with $0.
Credit
Credit scores in Canada: Equifax, TransUnion and what moves them
Two bureaus, one 300-to-900 scale, and a short list of habits that actually change the number.
Credit
How credit cards work: grace periods, interest and minimum payments
A credit card is free if you pay the full statement balance by the due date, and expensive if you don't. The mechanics, in order.
Taxes
Key dates for the 2027 tax season
From December 31 to June 15: every date that matters for your 2026 return, and the ones the CRA hasn't announced yet.
New to all this? Seven notes, in order.
From a budget that holds to the FHSA: the foundations of Canadian personal finance, about 21 minutes of reading in all.
Begin the path- 01A budget that survives the second month
- 02An emergency fund, sized and placed
- 03How credit cards work: grace periods, interest and minimum payments
- 04Credit scores in Canada: Equifax, TransUnion and what moves them
- 05How Canadian tax brackets really work (2026)
- 06TFSA vs RRSP in plain numbers
- 07The FHSA, explained in one sitting
What Carnet is
A notebook, not a sales pitch.
Short videos
Sixty seconds on one rule, one deadline or one clause, on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram and Facebook as @carnetca.
Written notes
Every video points to a note here with the full numbers, worked examples and the date it was last checked.
Official sources
Figures come from canada.ca, the CRA, the FCAC and providers' published terms. If something is a projection, we say so.
Featured offers
Programs we cover
Disclosure: Carnet may earn a commission when you use some of these links. Links are placeholders until each program approves Carnet. How we disclose.
Not yet active
Cashback portal
Rakuten.ca
Cash back on purchases at partner retailers when you start from Rakuten.ca or its app. Paid quarterly by Interac e-Transfer, cheque or PayPal.
Check before you sign up
- Store-specific exclusions (gift cards, some categories)
- Coupon codes not listed by Rakuten can void cashback
- $5.01 minimum before a payment is sent
Not yet active
Online brokerage
Questrade
A Canadian online broker offering self-directed and managed investing in registered (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA) and non-registered accounts.
Check before you sign up
- Trading, account and foreign-exchange fees on the current fee schedule
- Bonus conditions and holding periods, if any
- Which account types the offer applies to
Not yet active
Investing app
Wealthsimple
An app for self-directed trading, managed portfolios and a cash account, including TFSA, RRSP and FHSA options.
Check before you sign up
- Plan tiers and what each one charges
- Currency-conversion costs on U.S. trades
- Terms of any referral or transfer bonus
One note a week. Nothing else.
Every Sunday: the week's note, the deadlines coming up, and any rule that changed. Five minutes, sourced, no hype.
- The week's new note, in three sentences
- Deadlines coming up, with dates
- One clause from the fine print