Get This: Are you living within your means?

Feeling squeezed by the cost of living and wondering if you’re actually living within your means? You’re not alone. In fact, according to the 2026 MNP Consumer Debt Index, 71% of Canadians expect the cost of living to keep rising—and 41% say they’re within just $200 of not being able to cover their bills month to month. 

In this episode of Get This, we break down how to tell if you’re living within your means, the credit card mistakes that quietly wreck your credit score and how to move past them. Plus, financial educator and CPA Lianne Hannaway joins us to reframe budgeting as emotions plus math—and she shares one actionable step you can take today.

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How to live within your means (01:01)

Does living within your means require a spreadsheet, a vibe check, or something in between? Neo’s chief credit risk officer Richard Goyder joins the chat to unpack the importance of tracking spending over a full year (not just a single month), why setting aside sinking funds matter for vacations and holidays, and how automating savings can keep you on track without obsessing over every transfer. Spoiler: Finding even $20 to $25 to cut can make all the difference when you’re that close to missing a bill payment.

Get more info:

• How to tell if you’re actually living within your means
• Do you really need $1.5 million (or more!) to retire?
• How to budget for debt while still saving

Credit card mistakes and how to recover (11:50)

We get into the mistakes that hurt most: missing payments, only paying the minimum amount and how accidentally using your credit card instead of your debit card at an ATM can translate to major fees and interest. And, surprisingly, carrying a small balance on your credit cards can actually work in your favour.

Get more info:

• How do credit cards work? A beginner’s guide for Canadians
• The seven cardinal sins of credit cards and how to avoid them

How to feel in control while cost of living climbs (22:18)

Financial educator and CPA Lianne Hannaway shares how to know you’re living within your means when the math looks fine, but the feeling doesn’t. From asking yourself what makes you feel safe, to putting a name to your emotions when dealing with your finances, she explains why controlling what you can matters more than perfection—and why the first step might be opening that unopened bill.

Get more info:

• Money coach Gina Judge on how to conquer a scarcity mindset
• How to be emotionally calm despite market volatility

Watch more Get This:

1. Are you leaving free money on the table?
2. How much should you tip in Canada?
3. The AI effect on your job, your money and your everyday life
4. The money math behind dating, prenups and breakups
5. The biggest money mistakes newcomers to Canada make
6. How to split the bill, cut your phone plan, and negotiate a win-win
7. The realities of freelancing, gig work and passive income in Canada