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Take stock, revamp, overhaul: How to refresh your finances for 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

With the turn of the calendar signalling a fresh start, it’s the perfect time of year to take stock of your finances, update your goals and leave bad money habits behind.In doing a financial refresh for the new year, the first order of business, according to Saijal Patel, founder and CEO of financial wellness firm Saij Elle, is to identify what worked well for you over the past 12 months.“You can’t change what you’re not really aware of. So go through that process of what worked, what you’re proud of and the areas where you believe there is an opportunity to improve,” she said in an interview.“Maybe this sounds cheesy, but you have to have the right conversation.”She also advises clients to avoid feeling too guilty about spending habits they’re not so proud of, because it could get in the way of setting themselves up for success in 2024.Kalee Boisvert, a financial advisor with Raymond James, takes a similar approach with clients in that the first step needs to be identifying where t...

Vancouver skateboard community longs for indoor space as city policy tries to keep up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

VANCOUVER — When parents come into Michelle Pezel’s skateboard shop on Vancouver’s Main Street around Christmas, they often ask where their kids can go to practise. Pezel, who co-owns Antisocial Skateboard Shop with longtime pro skater Rick McCrank, then has to explain that skateboarding in Vancouver during the rainy winter months is “tough.” “They get a gift and it’s a skateboard and they can’t really use it that much,” she said.“It’s dark at 4:30. There are not that many facilities even with lights in our city.”As the sport morphed from a rebellious counterculture activity to making its Olympic debut in Tokyo, cities across the world have embraced the demand for facilities. But for skateboarders in Vancouver and elsewhere in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, there’s a lack of city-supported covered or indoor spaces. The region has produced and nurtured a long line of pro skaters including McCrank, Chris...

Daily horoscope for December 25, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or important decisions after 11:30 p.m. PST today. The Moon is in Gemini.Happy Birthday for Monday, Dec. 25, 2023:You have great strength and energy of purpose. You bring energy to everything you do. You are also a dreamer. This year you received accolades and recognition for your work. Next year you will finish a nine-year cycle and let go of whatever is holding you back from your goals.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★★Naturally, today is a mixed bag. It’s easy to be irritable with others. Therefore, zip thy lip and be patient. Think of your objective. Your objective is that you want to have a pleasant day. Fortunately, in the bigger picture, people feel mutually sympathetic to each other today. Tonight: Conversations!TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★★Squabbles about shared property, money or possessions might take place today. These disputes also might be about shared responsibilities. Fortunately, a stronger influence means that friends and partners are sympat...

Miss Manners: I find it rude that the TV stays on when I enter. Am I overreacting?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Growing up, when visiting my grandparents and other relatives, I remember the TV would be turned off when we entered as guests. I remember music playing when we had Christmas parties or other family get-togethers, but the TV was always turned off.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Maybe these new neighbors think their mock pity is cute. I find it annoying. Advice | Miss Manners: What should I have done when the groom insulted my wedding cake? Advice | Miss Manners: I had an awkward exchange with the friends I discarded Advice | Miss Manners: I try to make draft dodgers feel bad. Is this wrong of me? Advice | Miss Manners: People are noticing my watch and it’s making me uncomfortable But lately, when visiting friends, relatives and others, I’ve noticed more and more that the TVs are staying on. In many cases, they are not even muted.In my opinion, it is very distracting ...

How Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Liz Truss and more do Christmas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

LONDON — Plots, bills and parties give way Monday to family — and ritual. The little traditions we make for ourselves on Christmas Day pause time and briefly silence the rattle of the outside world.POLITICO London Playbook sent out the call for Westminster’s weird, wonderful or heartwarming traditions — the thing Christmas isn’t Christmas without. Pour a glass and settle in.Rishi Sunak, prime minister“I always brine then cook the turkey — I hate the cooking, but no one else will do it! — and watch The Snowman with my daughters on Christmas Eve followed by The Holiday on Christmas Day.”Keir Starmer, Labour leader“My kids get up at stupid o’clock to open presents, and afterwards we go to the memorial stone for Vic’s mum, who died three years ago. Then the pub is open for a couple of hours, so we go in there for a drink.”John Major, former PM“Two particular films, It’s a Wonderful Life and The Bishop’s Wife, are always a must-see for [Norma and I] and — on Christmas E...

Crews battle Christmas Eve blaze in Waltham

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

Waltham firefighters battled a blaze on Christmas Eve that left a home damaged.Fire crews responding to a reported structure fire on Barbara Road could be seen wearing masks as they cleared the home.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Lucas: Biden and the Democrats ‘wrecking democracy’ as they go after Trump, who keeps getting stronger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

Democrats talking about saving democracy sound like the military during the Vietnam War.That was when a famous, or infamous, quote during the 1968 Tet Offensive, in which the Viet Cong took over a contested town, made its way to the American people.“It became necessary to destroy the town to save it,” a U.S. Army major told New Zealander Peter Arnett of the Associated Press, a fellow reporter I met as a newcomer in Saigon.The seasoned war correspondent worked for the AP when, unlike today, the news agency was respected for its objectivity, accuracy, and balance.Reporters later reworked the quote to read: “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”Today, considering the latest progressive Democrat assault on Donald Trump and democracy in the U.S., either quote would do. But it would come out this way: “We had to destroy democracy in order to save it.”That is what Joe Biden and the Democrats are doing to democracy and the country in their dictatorial, scorched earth attempt t...

Celtics’ Christmas wish list: Jayson Tatum’s shooting stroke and some good health

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

Truth be told, the Celtics don’t need much for Christmas this year. But that doesn’t mean the rich can’t get a little richer.The Celtics have one of the best records in the NBA. They have, statistically, the best starting five in the league, and a second unit that has become deep and reliable. They’re well on their way to a top seed in the playoffs and their best chance at a championship since 2008.So what could possibly be on the Celtics’ Christmas wish list this year?1. Good health for Porzingis, HorfordThis is paramount for the Celtics’ championship hopes, and was under a microscope in this week leading up to Christmas as the team staggered rest for Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford in an effort to ensure their long-term health.There’s no question that the Celtics are a better team with Porzingis on the floor. Their starting five with him had a plus/minus of plus-102 through 15 games – second-best in the NBA – with a 14-1 record. He has fit perfectly in Boston’s system. But the b...

Egypt floats ambitious plan to end Israel-Hamas war and create transitional Palestinian government

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt has put forward an ambitious, initial proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war with a cease-fire, a phased hostage release and the creation of a Palestinian government of experts who would administer the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank, a senior Egyptian official and a European diplomat said Monday.The proposal, worked out with the Gulf nation of Qatar, has been presented to Israel, Hamas, the United States and European governments but still appeared preliminary. It falls short of Israel’s professed goal of outright crushing Hamas and would appear not to meet Israel’s insistence on keeping military control over Gaza for an extended period after the war.Israel’s War Cabinet, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet later Monday discuss the hostage situation, among other topics, an Israeli official said, but would not say if they would discuss the Egyptian proposal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to ...

The secret life of gift cards: Here’s what happens to the billions that go unspent each year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don’t stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays.Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the most popular, making up one-third of those sales.Most of those gift cards will be redeemed. Paytronix, which tracks restaurant gift card sales, says around 70% of gift cards are used within six months.But many cards — tens of billions of dollars’ worth — wind up forgotten or otherwise unused. That’s when the life of a gift card gets more complicated, with expiration dates or inactivity fees that can vary by state.Here’s what to know about the gift cards you’re giving — or getting:LOVED, BUT LOSTAfter clothing, gift cards will be the most popular present this holiday season. Nearly half of Americans plan to give them, according to the National Retail Federation. But many will remain unspent...