opinion

High payments for new vehicles can kill cash flow.

The triangle of sadness in personal finance is houses, groceries and vehicles.

Nothing in the outlook for 2026 suggests major relief is coming on any of those fronts, which leaves you to take action yourself.

After five years of oppressive inflation, you’ve likely pared down your grocery spending as much as possible. Selling your home to cut living costs is no real option, either; it’s a last resort and opens up a new set of problems.

This leaves us with new vehicles, the Great Canadian Money Suck. The average new vehicle selling price was almost $45,000 at mid-year, and the average monthly loan payment was around $850, according to J.D. Power. Canadians have been amazingly open to carrying this load, but there are signs that

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