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If you're trying to make better money decisions, Credit Canada’s Future You program offers free tools to help you plan, save, and manage debt.
The Retail Council of Canada recently announced its holiday spending forecast, and there’s a mix of good and bad news. The good news is that Canadians are planning to spend an average of $911 on the holidays compared to the $975 average they spent last year. They’re also more focused on finding deals or giving meaningful gifts rather than prioritizing expensive presents.
The bad news? Total consumer debt in Canada reached $2.7 trillion in the second quarter of 2026. That quarter also saw the highest number of consumer insolvencies since 2009.
Holiday spending is a good reminder that what you buy today, you often pay for tomorrow (or the following year). What would your future self say to you if you charged $900 to your credit card and it ended up costing you $1,800 after making all your minimum payments?
Credit Canada, the longest-standing non-profit credit counselling agency in the country, was intrigued by this idea. As part of Financial Literacy Month, the agency launched the Future You Money Project.
The goal of the program is simple and answers an important question: How do you know which money moves to make today so your future self will actually thank you?
Future You resources give you the tools and knowledge to gain that 20-20 hindsight without having to make financial mistakes or deal with regret first. Even better, all the program tools are free and available on Credit Canada’s website. Here’s a quick look at the program highlights.
Credit Canada developed Mariposa, an AI-powered debt management and financial agent. Instead of trying to chat with AI bots that can’t give tailored advice, use Mariposa’s prompts to get personalized answers to your money questions or see how your current spending habits might play out in the future.
Here’s how you use Mariposa:
You can save the conversation or play around with the prompts to see how the money moves you make today could impact you down the road. Note that Credit Canada never sells or shares your information with third parties.
You’ve probably been told multiple times how important it is to save because compound interest will add up and do much of the heavy lifting. If you’re curious about how much you could earn, try the program’s compound interest calculator.
You’ll get the option to see how your money changes over time by:
You can customize your responses for a precise outcome. For instance, select how much you have, how much you’d like to save, how long you’d like to save for, and what type of account you want to invest in.
You’ll see results for each of these paths, which can nudge you to make money moves that your future self will appreciate.
Did you ever use index cards as a memory aid? Reflection cards are pretty similar. These digital flashcards have prompts that are meant to help you think about your money habits. They can also help you consider what kind of financial future you want.
Here are a few examples:
The cards also feature affirmations and actions like the following:
The last resource we want to mention is the plan’s workbook. Here, you’ll find everything you need: a budget planner, debt calculator, savings worksheets, and templates to help you set personalized goals.
Start by filling in the check-in and listing your goals for the future. Get curious about your financial habits and brush up on your financial literacy, so you know the exact steps to take. Refer to the workbook regularly so it becomes your go-to financial guide.
And if you feel like you need a little extra guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to a non-profit credit counselling agency like Credit Canada. Your future self will thank you.
Taking advantage of the Future You resources can help you prepare for holiday expenses. Instead of making last-minute purchases or accidentally overspending—things that could make you pay for years—you can empower yourself. And isn’t that the best gift this holiday season?
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