Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s School of Personal Finance

If you’re looking for someone that is going to be completely real with you about money – Gail Vaz-Oxlade is your gal. She is one of those people that speaks the truth, even if you don’t want to hear it – and that’s what I love about her. She doesn’t sugar-coat personal finance issues, like so many others seem to do.

Some people may find her a bit harsh, but I personally think that she’s perfect the way she is. Sometimes the truth is hard to hear, but we really do need to hear it.

Gail Vaz-Oxlade is the host of Til’ Debt Do Us Part and Princess on Slice TV, where she helps families, couples and single women get back on track with their finances. I have been a huge fan of Til’ Debt Do Us Part for years now. It’s one of the few shows that I can actually watch repeats of… I always seem to learn something new that I missed the first time.

If you’re looking for a great author of personal finance books, Gail has you covered in that department, as well. She has written over a dozen of them! Debt Free Forever is my favourite.

Gail was even kind enough to answer some of our personal finance questions last year.

Things Gail will tell you about personal finance that you probably didn’t know:

You can (and should) receive your credit report twice a year for FREE. That’s right, not a single cent.

You can (and should) negotiate annual fees, such as those on a credit card, every year.

You can change your billing dates to make bill-paying more convenient for you (ie. your bills are paid as soon as you are paid).

You can ask the government to reduce your income tax (in which case you will increase your income) each month, instead of getting a lump sum at the end of the year.

Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s top 5 personal finance tips:

1. If you’re in debt, dig yourself out. Start today.

2. Create a budget. Everyone should have one.

3. Spend less money than you bring in. It sounds simple, but many, many people don’t follow this simple rule and then wonder why they never seem to have any money left at the end of the month.

4. No matter how much money you make, you should ALWAYS be saving at least 10% of your net income.

5. Eliminate impulse purchases by shopping with a list. Groceries, clothing, gifts – make a list before you shop.

Gail Vaz-Oxlade is successful because she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to money. Her tips have helped thousands of people, not just in Canada, but around the world.

She’s one of the few people that I actually believe truly wants to help others with their finances, and not just make a quick buck. If you are desperate for financial help, I highly recommend checking out Gail’s website.