The Mogo Blog

The Economy of Halloween

Don’t fool yourself. Halloween is big business. As a continent, we spend billions of dollars in the fright department. As predicted by the National Retail Federation, our neighbors to the south (Americans) will be spending $6.86 billion on Halloween this year. That’s the 10th ranked most expensive holiday, averaging out about $72.31 on treats, tricks, costumes and parties. Halloween expenses have jumped up about 8% since 2008, so the spooky spending is definitely on the rise. Rather than try t

Money Can’t Keep You Out Of Jail

Money: you can’t take it with you when you die, and it can’t keep you out of jail when the judge swings the gavel. Straight up billionaire and hedge fund manager, Raj Rajaratnam, is heading to prison for 11 years after being convicted of insider trading – for those of you scoring at home, that’s the longest insider-trading sentence ever laid out in the United States. In addition to the 11 years of jumpsuit time, he’s being fined $10million and giving up $53.8million. I mean, the guy can probably

5 Halloween Costumes Under $10

As I told you last time, getting a store-bought Halloween costume can turn into a sweaty, expensive, candy-coated mess, so here are 10 nearly free costumes that are either: • easy • awesome • cheap • kind of funny • all of the above As you’ll see, this list doesn’t cover everything, but hopefully you’ll be able to find something in there to boost your Halloween trick or treat cred. 1. Sexy _____ Girls have this one locked down. You can turn ANYTHING into a sexy version for Halloween. Oth

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftover Plan

I plan Thanksgiving dinner around the leftovers. As I mentioned before, I’m really doing my best to not ruin Thanksgiving this year [http://bog.mogo.ca/why-thanksgiving-won%E2%80%99t-be-a-disaster-this-year/]. Whether it’s a success or not, will probably come down to how much wine we have at the table. Realistically, it should just be an easy dinner with my folks and wife – what I’m really concerned about is the post-Thanksgiving leftovers. I doubt I’m alone here, but I prefer the leftovers-exp

Save $100 in 10 Min: Cut Your Banking Fees & Save Big Bucks

Saving money can be expensive! Your paycheck is automatically deposited into your account, months come and go – and many of us don’t keep close tabs on what it does while it’s in there. It’s probably been years since you established your bank account and agreed to the terms and conditions. Do you eagerly read all the updates and emails that your bank sends you? If you’re like most of us, probably not. Here are some tips for spotting banking fees, getting them cut down, and getting the most out