Sarita Harbour

COVID-19 has devastated many businesses over the last six months, including a bakery in Aylmer, Ontario - Grandma’s Oven. Martha Zacharias, a Meridian Credit Union customer and business owner, established this bakery in 2008 with her mother, Anna Hiebert, who has since retired. The pandemic effectively wiped out both Grandma’s Oven’s weekend event business and the busy in-store foot traffic they’d enjoyed for years. “We were doing 12 to 15 weddings a weekend,” says Martha. “With COVID, that’s...

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and celebrate abundance, yet it can also mean excess waste. This year, make simple, eco-friendly changes to reduce environmental impact while enjoying a festive celebration. Whether you’re new to sustainability or already making eco-conscious choices, use these practical tips to ensure your Thanksgiving is meaningful and mindful.
Eco-friendly food prep
Thanksgiving feasts generate a lot of food and, with that, much waste. Plan to make your food prep more ...

By Sarita Harbour
When Christina Daves broke her foot in 2010, she discovered the opportunity for a new business among the inconvenience and pain of a broken bone.
“I had recently sold out of my retail store and had officially ‘retired’ when a freak accident left me with a broken foot and an awful, big, clunky medical boot,” she says. “I was headed to New York City the following day and thought to myself, ‘I cannot go to the fashion capital of the world in this boot.’”
Dismayed at the look of...

By Sarita Harbour | The Associated Press
Hands-on hobbies and vintage skills are making a comeback. Today, more people turn to sourdough baking, canning, gardening and fermenting, driven by a growing interest in self-sufficiency and a simpler way of life. Here’s how old-time practices find new life in kitchens and backyards across the United States.
The rise of old-time skills and their modern appeal
Whether sparked by a desire to reconnect with the past or fueled by modern-day concerns, a re...

Your great-grandparents were on to something. Growing budget-friendly ingredients is a smart way to save money and enjoy fresh produce right from your home. Recent rapidly rising grocery prices suggest that now might be the time to follow their lead.
But before you start digging, review these tips and tricks for growing the right plants with the best yields.
Start seeds indoors
Start seeds indoors to get a head start on gardening. Make sure you have the proper setup. Invest in trays, good qua...

As winter approaches, you may feel more down and out than usual. This could be due to a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD is a type of depression. It occurs at the same time each year, often during the fall and winter seasons when there’s less natural sunlight.
Seasonal affective disorder impacts up to 3% of the general population. And as Johns Hopkins Medicine reports, it can increase with age.
According to Johns Hopkins, while research hasn’t identified a direct caus...

Are You Ready To Retire?
If you're considering retiring early, you'll forego not only the headaches of working but also the additional earnings that could have made your retirement even more comfortable. Make sure you're truly ready before you leave.
Key Takeaways
Start debt-free, with a solid retirement account that will support your extra years not working.
Make sure you can withdraw some money from your retirement accounts without penalty.
Plan to pay for your own health care coverage unti...

Ever wished for cleaner air inside your home? An air purifier could help keep the air in your living space free of dust, smoke and allergens.
Air purifiers offer a simple solution to reducing or eliminating odors and pollutants indoors. Learn how they work, how to choose the best model for your home and the maintenance practices that will keep your machine running smoothly.
Understanding air purifiers
Air purifiers pull in your room’s air and run it through filters that catch and trap polluta...

Stories about weather-related property damage have become more common in recent years. Snowmelt and frozen rain, coupled with frozen ground, has led to widespread overland flooding, seepage, and sewer backups.
Over the past decade, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) calculates that extreme weather events caused at least $1 billion in losses. In 2020 alone, the IBC reports that January’s record-breaking high temperatures in southern Ontario and Quebec already caused more than $95 million in ...

PUBLISHED January 17
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7 MINUTE READ
It's no secret that the cost of living continues to rise—it's causing financial stress for many households across the nation. In fact, almost half of Americans believe that cost of living is the biggest threat to their financial security and long-term investments.1
When inflation rates are high, you might find it difficult to manage every expense. It can be tough to balance your budget and save extra for the future. However, there are ways to prepare for a...

We hear all the time that life insurance is important and should be considered when planning our family’s financial future but, how do we know how much is enough? Understanding the different types of life insurance and itemizing what’s important to your family will help determine what coverage would be best for your needs. Here’s what you need to know.
Life Insurance Basics
A life insurance policy pays a tax-free, lump-sum death benefit to your beneficiaries when you pass away. It is a way to...

When disaster strikes, having a well-prepared go bag can save precious time and reduce the stress of the situation. Here’s a quick guide to packing your summer go bag so you and your loved ones are ready to face any emergency.
Go bag basics
A go bag is packed with essential items to help you survive in the first three days of an emergency, should you and your family need to evacuate your home. Each family member, including pets, should have a go bag tailored to their specific needs. This ensu...

No one ever said parenting was easy. And when it comes to talking to your tween about money, things can get tricky—especially if you're unsure of where to start.
You want your nine-to-twelve-year-old to be prepared for the future and make wise financial choices. Yet you also want them to understand the realities impacting your household budget and money decisions right now. So how do you strike the right balance?
Use these 6 strategies to teach your pre-teens financial responsibility when tim...

By Sarita Harbour
Spring has arrived, and with it, patches of green sprout up in urban jungles across the country, transforming landscapes and lives. Learn how community gardens grow more than food in neighborhoods.
While gardening doesn’t always require teamwork, digging in the dirt with neighbors can certainly foster community. These green spaces offer outdoor community hubs in cities grappling with food deserts and isolation amplified by screens. People of all ages and from all walks of li...

WASHINGTON — April 1 isn’t just for fools; it’s also National Sourdough Day. Sourdough is making a big comeback in American kitchens, and it’s not just about the unique tangy taste. This resurgence taps into deeper cultural and health trends reshaping food relationships. Learn why the sourdough craze has taken the country by storm.
Although sourdough bread harkens back to pioneer days and beyond, it’s enjoying a comeback in American homes and bakeries. “The resurgence of sourdough now is due ...