When I was a kid staying at my Nonna and Nonno's house after school, I would wander around in their garden because there was nothing else for a kid to do - no cable TV, toys or games. You get the idea...

I remember one day walking through the garden and noticing all the big juicy tomatoes hanging off their vines.

All the tomatoes had sticks shooting up through the earth.

Some of them were big, some of them were small, and some of them were my previously used or broken hockey sticks.

When I asked my Nonno "Why do all these tomatoes have all these sticks?"

He said, "So they grow straight" as he hunched over and tended to a plant or two. (He was never much of a talker).

And I said, "What happens if you don't put the sticks in the ground?"

He said, "They grow all over the place, they get scattered and ugly and they don't come out juicy or tasty for Nonna's sauce like they should."

Money is like a tomato vine in a garden.

It needs structure: a pathway, a purpose and direction. Without it, it will sprawl and spiral out of control and become wasteful and ugly.

You? You're supposed to prosper. You were meant to live a good life. One of abundance and flourishing from your hard work over the years. But without financial guidance or "straight putting," you and your money will flounder about. Just like improperly grown and cared for tomatoes.

But with a proper set of principles and a plan to follow, your money will flourish and produce many a harvest and plenty of great fruit for generations to come, if done right.

It's said, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" and "Good direction keeps you upright." Proper support prevents waste. That's what my Nonno taught me. And growth needs tending, pruning, and cutting.

But 46% of Canadians are without a financial plan, according to CIBC, and even seasoned investors rely on mentors and frameworks because no one grows tall alone.

People who set financial goals, according to The Huffington Post, are said to save 2-3 times as much money than those who do not.

And traders know the faster that they get out of a losing trade, the less losses they'll have and the more they can use to invest in the next winner.

So make sure your tomatoes and your money are growing straight. Find the right set of financial principles to follow and watch your fruit produce many harvests for generations.

Do you have all the guidance you need? Or would a few more sticks help?

With love,

Michael