the course
The money class we never got.
No shame. No finance-bro vocabulary. Just a way to finally connect the dots.
A plain-language course for getting to know your numbers, making a plan, and building a money system you can actually live with.
free · pay-what-you-can · lifetime access
start here
The whole thing is free.
No cost, no catch, no paywall later.
All fourteen lessons are open right now — no sign-up, no email required. I put a lot of time, testing, and care into building these tools for people. They're completely free to use, but if you get real value out of the course and want to send some appreciation back, feel free to contribute any amount by e-transfer or PayPal — nobody gets a better or worse version.
donations: e-transfer or paypalsamanthataekema@gmail.com
start the course →01 — why this exists
I didn't grow up learning any of this either.
The free tools are a place to start: ask the honest questions, see a number, breathe a little. But I wanted somewhere you could take the next step without having to piece together twenty tabs of advice on your own.
So I'm making the class I wish someone had handed me: one thing at a time, in a sensible order.
02 — what's inside
The whole picture, piece by piece.
I'm building fourteen short stops, from where your money beliefs started to a system you can keep using.
00 — module
Start Here
What this is, how to use it, and why there are no stupid questions. General education, not personal advice.
open lesson →01 — module
The Basics Nobody Taught Us
Income, expenses, net worth, savings rate, lifestyle inflation, and asset vs liability. The emergency fund becomes a real number — three to six months of expenses, not a vibe.
open lesson →02 — module
How Credit Actually Works
What really drives your score (utilization, not whether you carry a balance), building credit from zero, and what actually happens when you miss a payment.
open lesson →03 — module
Your Money Story
Go a little deeper than the free reflection tool. Where did your ideas about money come from?
open lesson →04 — module
Pay Yourself First
Give every paycheque an order of operations, then automate the important bits so willpower can take a day off.
open lesson →05 — module
How Taxes Actually Work
Marginal brackets (no, a raise can't shrink your take-home), deductions vs credits, why your withholding isn't your real tax bill, and what self-employed folks should know about instalments.
open lesson →06 — module
Retirement Without a Pension
What CPP and OAS actually pay in 2026, and how to work toward your own retirement number. A target, not a vibe.
open lesson →07 — module
Where the Money Actually Goes
TFSA, RRSP, FHSA: what each one does, and how to think about which to fill first for your situation.
open lesson →08 — module
Investing Basics, Stripped of Jargon
Saving vs investing, why boring index funds usually win, and what a fund's fee actually costs you over thirty years.
open lesson →09 — module
How Much, By Age
Benchmarks by decade, adjusted to your own numbers. A compass, not a report card.
open lesson →10 — module
Debt: What to Kill First
High-interest versus so-called good debt, avalanche versus snowball, and how compound interest works against you in debt the same way it works for you in savings.
open lesson →11 — module
Building Your System
Set up the accounts and automatic transfers that make saving happen out of sight, without daily negotiations.
open lesson →12 — module
Adult Paperwork Nobody Teaches
Wills, power of attorney, beneficiary designations that override your will, joint accounts and debt in a relationship, and what's actually on your pay stub.
open lesson →13 — module
Keep It Going
A low-drama way to revisit your numbers, make adjustments, and keep money anxiety from running the show.
open lesson →also included
A glossary for the words nobody explained.
Searchable and linked from the lessons, so you can look things up without losing your place.
browse the money glossary →03 — built-in calculators
Not just a bunch of reading.
Built right into the lessons, so you can try the ideas against your own life as you go.
- 01Your Retirement Number
- 02How Much By Age — personalized
- 03Pay-Yourself-First Split
- 04RESP / education savings estimator — skip it if you don't have kids
- 05Debt Payoff Comparator — avalanche and snowball side by side
Already here and free to try: the Decade Calculator, Savings Planner, and Coast FI Calculator.
04 — who this is for
For anyone who's ever thought, "Shouldn't I know this by now?"
You don't have to know where to start. You can come in with a spreadsheet, a pile of unopened statements, or just a question.
General financial education for Canadians, not personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. Figures current as of 2026.