Happy Friday! Today we have a very special treat for you - we have a HUGE awesome giveaway! Yes that's right, today starts two weeks of Mother's Day craziness here at Lowest Rates and we're kicking it off with over $750 in prizes with our #takeabreak giveaway. Let me say that one more time, there are over $750 in prizes to be won!

Caveat emptor, buyer beware, due diligence -- whatever the term, we all get the basic idea: the onus rests on us, as customers, to understand the product or service we’re purchasing. Canadians usually take this concept to heart when buying big-ticket items like cars, televisions, appliances -- even houses -- but sometimes they don’t do the work they need to when it’s time to get a mortgage. They see a great rate and simply say ‘that’s the one for me’ without paying enough attention to the all-important fine print.

What's in your wallet? What kind of credit card are you using?

Your credit card is one of the most important financial tools in your wallet.

“If we put all of our savings together we might be able to scrape together a mortgage down payment.”

I couldn’t believe what my friend was telling me. She was ready to buy a place with her boyfriend already. They were a fairly new couple and they both had barely any money saved. This situation really bothered me, but I didn’t want to be a jerk by giving unsolicited advice.

It’s tax season again and the deadline of April 30 is quickly approaching. If you haven't filed yet you're probably rushing around trying to get all your documents in order so you can file your taxes on time - and avoid late fees. Here are a few weird and wonderful tips that might help you save money on your taxes.

Happy Friday! If you're looking for something to do this weekend may I suggest going to see the movie Furious 7. If you follow us on Twitter you know I went to see it this week and I have to say it was a good movie, not the best of the entire series, but nevertheless a good way to spend a couple of hours. The good-bye to Paul Walker was touching and if the saga continues I'm sure the movies won't be the same without him.

Editor's note: Good morning! Today we have Cat from Budget Blonde joining us. I sat down with Cat to talk all about having her credit card stolen - surprisingly there are no hard feelings. Cat is a mom to two lovely twins and a wife to the man of her dreams. Please welcome her to our blog as she gives tips on what to do and how to stay calm if your credit card is stolen.

Nobody wants to walk everywhere. Most of us all will need to buy a car at some point to get around. Very few of us will be fortunate enough to walk to work and not everyone’s a fan of extreme lifestyles. The only problem is that a car can drain your wallet.

“What’s the big fuss over taxes?”

A friend asked me this and we ended up having an extended discussion about taxes. Not a fun topic, but nobody can escape the Tax Man.

Hey folks! Welcome to our exciting new (and virtual) game show about spring cleaning! We'll offer you carefully crafted spring cleaning tips with two possible answers and it’s up to you to guess which one is right! One will help you make your spring cleaning experience a dream and the other one…won’t.