

Cost of Living
CBC
Money talks. We translate. Every Friday, Paul Haavardsrud looks at the way money shapes our lives in ways big, small, obvious, and unseen. From Big Macs to Big Banks, the Cost of Living connects the dots between the economy and everyday life.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 12, 2025 • 27min
Why companies aren’t going public anymore
Only a handful of companies have gone public on the TSX in the last few years. Paul Haavardsrud explores why that’s bad for investors and the economy at large. Also, we explore why so many adults are now getting mid-life braces. But, first up, is our love of big SUVs making traffic congestion worse?

Sep 5, 2025 • 26min
Split up? In this economy?!
About one in three marriages end in divorce in Canada. But the high cost of housing has some people doing the unthinkable — continuing to live with their ex.

Aug 29, 2025 • 28min
From the archives: Your questions about the economy
This week, we dug through the vaults to find the best of your questions! Like, why does a deli roast chicken cost less than cooking one yourself? What's the deal with reverse mortgages? And do charities really make money from those giant clothing donation bins?

Aug 22, 2025 • 28min
Has Canada's EV dream stalled?
Canadians have hit the breaks on buying electric vehicles. But to meet the federal mandate, 10 years from now, every new vehicle sold in this country will have to be zero emission. So how are we going to get there?

Aug 15, 2025 • 27min
Why hasn't the tariff apocalypse happened?
Back in the spring, Trump's tariff threats had Canadians ducking for cover. We were bracing for massive job losses, inflation, even a full-blown recession. But for the most part, the economy is chugging along better than expected. So what gives?

Aug 8, 2025 • 28min
Should Canada join the EU?
It's not as far-fetched as it sounds. Canada needs new economic allies, and we meet a lot of the criteria for membership. So could we? Should we? Montreal political scientist, Frederic Menard, outlines the pros and cons of joining the EU.

Aug 1, 2025 • 1min
New to Cost of Living? Start here!
Money talks. We translate. Paul Haavardsrud looks at the way money shapes our lives in ways big, small, obvious, and unseen. New episodes drop every Friday.

Aug 1, 2025 • 28min
Rob Carrick on 3 decades of writing about personal finance
The world of money has changed a lot since the 90s, and Rob Carrick has seen it all. From the 2008 financial crisis to the recent rise in housing prices, Rob looks back at a career as the personal finance columnist for the Globe and Mail.

Jul 25, 2025 • 27min
This number is the magic key to your identity
Social insurance numbers are like snowflakes. No two are alike. That's what makes them so valuable to the wrong kind of people. So if SINs are so important to hold close, why are we asked to share them so often?

Jul 18, 2025 • 27min
Do you know where your retirement savings are? (Encore)
Some of us might forget $20 in a coat pocket, but what about thousands of dollars in pension payments? It happens more often than you might think. We'll explain why Canadians lose track of their own retirement savings and how to reclaim them.