Hi, My name is Hollie Pollard.

I am a woman on a mission. My mission here is to share the journey of one mom and how I am becoming a smart consumer who knows that cents matter. Money matters.

I am  also a  parent raising a special needs child. My teen daughter has an learning disability and some other issues at play which are yet to be fully diagnosed. We are currently waiting on a hospital bed, so she can undergo a full diagnostic, but the wait times here in Ontario are long.

I hate to pay a dime in interest rates and avoid debt as much possible. I love to find value in everything from the products we use at home to the lifestyle we live.  We also make sure we are giving back, because giving back matters.

Personally, I have known the riches of wealth and the lows of poverty. I have been homeless with a newborn in tow, made due with welfare, and clawed my way off the system.

At one time I was married and owned 5 homes and even a ranch.  I know what financial wealth is. I also know first had what it means to begin again with nothing. I have survived divorce, fire and a natural disaster and know what each can do to a person and their pocket book. I now work my dream job, earn a decent salary and enjoy writing and sharing what I have learned.

I have lived in may cities both in Canada and the USA. I have spent at least a year in the following cities or towns: Toronto ( the city of my birth and where  I spent 12 yrs as an adult), Montreal, Truro,Winnipeg (my university years), Brandon(my childhood), Vancouver, Halifax, New Glasgow, and Hamilton. In the US I have lived in Los Angeles, CA and in Carlsbad NM. I have experienced both the big city and the small town. Right now I write from Toronto. I have lived here off and on since I was born. My family has a long history here in Toronto and well I just love the city of my birth so I had to come home.

You can reach me:

Email me at holliep@live.ca

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy reading.

Hollie

PS. Some interesting stats:

Common Cents Mom is one of the top 20 blogs in the GTA written by one person according to Alexa

According to Alexa, Common Cents Mom is one of the top 10 Muslim Mom Blogs, globally.

Common Cents Mom is one of the top  30 Money blogs in Canada.

Common Cents Mom on Twitter is one of the top 100 Tweeters in the GTA with over 5,200

My current klout score is 52 and increasing each month.

Common Cents Mom has also been seen, or quoted on the CBC News, CBC Radio,  The Toronto Star, The NewYork Times and in Today’s Parent (Jan 2010).