Home ABOUT TFSA & RRSP ETFs Tools All articles Quizzes Offers Emergency Fund My journey
FR EN ES
Open Wealthsimple →

Reading · Learning · Financial education

Read, learn and
manage your money better

"There's a difference between knowing something and truly applying it in your life. Sometimes, hearing the right idea at the right moment is enough to change everything."

I must admit that the advice I share can sometimes seem simple — even obvious to some people. These aren't revolutionary strategies or ultra-complex concepts. But over time, I've understood that there's a big difference between knowing something and actually applying it day to day.

Sometimes, an idea heard at the right moment simply acts as a reminder. A reminder of notions we already knew, but had set aside. And that's often how real changes begin — with a small moment of awareness.

Why financial education matters so much

The problem with finances is that when you don't understand a money-related topic, you tend to avoid it completely. You tell yourself it's too complicated, that you don't have the necessary knowledge, that you'll look into it later.

But years go by fast. And financial mistakes accumulate: bad habits, no savings, debt, fear of investing, poor tax management. At some point, you have to accept talking about it — and getting serious about it.

"All the knowledge I've acquired, I developed on my own. I'm neither a financial planner nor an advisor. I'm simply someone who loves to learn."

How I learn — my main sources

Personal finance books
The psychology of money, financial habits, long-term investing — I've always genuinely loved reading, and books remain my favorite source of learning.
Podcasts while working
I listen to podcasts on finance, investing and tax while I work in my business. By regularly consuming educational content, the concepts naturally integrate over time.
Online courses
Revenu Québec offers free training for self-employed workers. Cégep Beauce-Appalaches offers tax training for entrepreneurs. Accessible resources that prevent many costly mistakes.
Blogs and honest accounts
Reading accounts from people who speak honestly about their relationship with money — their mistakes, their successes, their reflections. Money remains a very sensitive topic in our society, and talking about it in a healthy way really helps.

My recommended books

You'll see several book recommendations on this site. These are works that personally helped me change the way I think about money.

01
Die With Zero
Bill Perkins
→ Rethinking the balance between living today and preparing for tomorrow
02
The Psychology of Money
Morgan Housel
→ Understanding your emotional relationship with money
03
The Richest Man in Babylon
George Clason
→ The timeless basics of saving and investing
04
The Simple Path to Wealth
JL Collins
→ Investing simply with long-term ETFs
05
I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Ramit Sethi
→ Automating your finances and stopping the guilt
06
Millionaire Next Door
Thomas Stanley
→ How real millionaires think and live

Free resources in Quebec

Going further — for free

Revenu Québec — Formations gratuites Bookkeeping, tax management for self-employed workers. Essential to avoid costly mistakes.
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) lautorite.qc.ca — Free guides on TFSA, RRSP, investing, retirement. The Quebec reference.
Cégep Beauce-Appalaches Tax training for entrepreneurs. Knowledge that can save thousands of dollars.
YouTube — Monsieur MMQ French-language content, Quebec-specific. TFSA, RRSP, ETFs, retirement explained simply.
retraite101.com Quebec blog on retirement, investing and financial freedom. Very accessible.

I'm starting a tax training program myself soon. Once completed, I'll write an article to share what I've learned and how I plan to apply it in my own reality. Stay tuned.

The money I save, I reinvest

For people who aren't comfortable managing their finances alone, there are competent financial planners. Personally, it's not an avenue I use for now — simply because I love learning, understanding and managing on my own.

And honestly? Every dollar saved in fees or bad decisions, I prefer to reinvest. Because ultimately, every dollar saved today can become an asset that keeps growing through compound interest.

You don't retain everything you read. But sometimes, a single idea is enough to change a habit — and small repeated changes over many years can have an enormous impact on a person's financial stability.

I am not a financial advisor. This article shares my personal experience and favorite resources — not official financial advice.

Start somewhere

A book, a free resource, a TFSA account. The important thing is to take the first step.

Open Wealthsimple → Read: Die With Zero →