Our Bill Pickle

Baby must-haves: 0-6 months

October 14, 2021

When it comes to baby gear, everyone has different opinions about what's essential. These are my 12 baby must-haves.

It’s been more than six months since my husband and I brought our child home, so it seems like as good a time as any to put together my first baby must-haves list.

In preparing to welcome our first child, I spent a lot of time talking to friends and checking out lists online to determine what we would need for those early days of parenting.

It did not take long to realize when it comes to baby gear, everyone has opinions about what’s essential and what’s not.

And that now includes yours truly.

This list includes 12* items I found most useful for baby during the first six months — and a shorter list of things that have helped me adjust to life as a mom.

*Note: one of the items on this list was recently recalled. I’ve removed the purchase link and I’m including a link to the recall notice. I left it on the list because it was useful for us at the time but I would not necessarily recommend purchasing it in light of the recall.

Note: this post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no additional cost to you. I only share links for products I use and love. Thank you for your support.

Maternity leave in Canada: 6 tips to help you prepare

September 30, 2021

Planning to take maternity leave in Canada? Here are six simple steps you can take to prepare your finances.

Before getting pregnant, I knew very little about maternity leave in Canada.

I knew I would be eligible and that I would receive less money…and that was about it.

Of course, my lack of knowledge about the ins and outs of maternity leave in Canada makes sense. Before having a baby, I didn’t have a reason to have experience with the program.

That changed as soon as I found out we were expecting. Understanding how having a baby would impact our finances was important to me from the start.

Today, I’m sharing a snapshot of what I learned, my experience with maternity and parental leave in Canada so far and a few tips based on my experience.

Four steps to assess big purchases (and get what you want)

September 16, 2021

Preparing to make some big purchases? Here are four tips to help you shop confidently and get what you want.

There are two things we’re all about here at Our Bill Pickle: keeping it real and sharing this space with those who can provide perspective on matters outside our expertise.

Today, I’m sharing a special guest post…from my husband, Jeff.

Although Jeff does not have a blog, he does have a lot of knowledge in a unique area: procurement.

He’s been working in the industry since 2016. I’ll be honest: there are definitely elements of his work that go over my head. But there have also been times where his training has helped us a great deal. This is particularly true when it comes to making big purchases.

Today, Jeff is sharing some simple steps that will help you assess big purchases, shop confidently and get what you want.

(Interested in guest posting at Our Bill Pickle? Click here for more details!)

Where I’ve been (and where I’m heading) – a life update

September 2, 2021

A lot has changed over the last six months at Our Bill Pickle. This life update talks about where I've been (and where I'm going).

How does one even begin writing a life update covering a six-month span where their life completely changed?

Hello. It’s been a while — certainly longer than I intended.

When I hit publish on my last post, I did not anticipate it would take me so long to get back to this space. If you go by that date, it’s been more like five months, but most of that post was written in advance. Realistically, it’s been closer to six months since I actually sat down to write.

That’s wild to me considering I kept a pretty consistent twice-weekly schedule for almost two years.

But a lot has changed. Life today looks very different than it did at the beginning of 2021.

And while I am hopeful things will be a little less chaotic coming into the end of the year, some of the events are going to continue impacting my life and this blog.

Here’s a glimpse at where I’ve been and where I’m heading.

Our number one financial priority

April 4, 2021

Our financial priorities are changing. Here's a look at how -- and why -- we're making adjustments to our financial plan.

I have to be honest: saying this post is about our financial priorities is a little misleading.

I mean, yes. Our financial priorities will be part of it — this is, after all, a personal finance blog.

But it’s only one element.

I have been working on this post for a while now. It was my intention to have it finished a few weeks ago, but things changed.

Almost four weeks later, they are still changing but things are starting to feel more manageable. So I wanted to pop in to give a bit of an explanation about what’s been going on.

You probably think I’m going to tell you I’m pregnant.

I’m not…anymore.

On March 14, Jeff and I welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world.

To say our lives — and our financial priorities — have changed would be an understatement.