Life likes to deal us surprises from time to time — a job loss, a chronic illness, an unfortunate fender bender. As a homeowner, any one of these sudden changes can throw you off your game, financially speaking, but if you’re house poor, even a minor expense change can have catastrophic consequences.

House poorness occurs when a large portion of your income goes towards your housing expenses, leaving little leftover for savings, discretionary spending or emergency funds. House poorness is not uncommon; an Ipsos poll by MNP published in January found that nearly half of Canadians are $200 or less away from being unable to pay their bills. A fluctuation in interest rates or a sudden expense can bring a house poor owner to their knees, Laurie Campbell, CEO of Credit Canada Debt Solutions explains.

“You’re really fighting a situation where anything that happens becomes too much,” she says.

Watch: Stunning energy-efficient mansion for sale in Vancouver. Story continues below.

House poorness falls on a spectrum of intensity. For some, not having much financial wiggle room means no vacations or new cars. For others, it’s the difference between paying the mortgage and saving for retirement.

“The more serious version of house poor that I think people are just starting to see, and possibly for a couple more years, is people who not only can’t afford to do those discretionary spending types of things, but who also cannot save for retirement, save for children’s education, other things that are really important to do as well,” says Jason Heath, managing director of Objective Financial Partners Inc.

While the prospect of house poorness is frightening, it can be prevented through detailed planning, budgeting and thinking into the future. Campbell and Heath share how you can avoid house poorness, even before you sign those mortgage documents.

Want to retire? Buy from the bottom

While it’s expected that Canada’s hottest housing markets won’t cool off entirely this year, affordable housing remains inaccessible for many. Campbell is concerned that in the current market conditions, some new buyers are still purchasing above what they can afford. In the event of a interest rate rise, she says that those who’ve bought beyond their means could be on a course for financial hardship.

“Even a quarter point could result in immediate financial discord for a family that has really bought at the top of their income,” says Campbell.

Heath has worked with a number of clients, who, after several years of house poorness, have not been able to efficiently save for retirement. In order to recoup their losses, Heath says that house poorness has forced some homeowners to make downsizing an inevitable part of their financial plan. He fears that those overpaying in today’s market will follow the same fate.

“Particularly if and when home interest rates rise, mortgages payments will rise accordingly,” says Heath. “I worry that you’ve got a whole generation of young people who may be putting a lot of their retirement plans into their home as opposed to saving in a traditional manner.”

Preventing house poorness starts with buying at the bottom of the market, where the prices are the lowest, but Campbell adds that it also requires ignoring the pressures of needing to buy right now — home prices may decline further yet. By monitoring the price of homes in the markets in which you want to buy, you’ll build your knowledge of a fair evaluation of prices in your desired area and skip overpaying, Campbell explains.

“Even if you want to buy a house a year from now, start doing your research now,” she says. “Know what the real cost of housing in the area you want to buy is so you can make sure you’re evaluating the houses that are up for sale with experience.”

Taking on a smaller mortgage loan may also prevent house poorness, especially in the event of an unexpected income change. Borrowing under the maximum amount a mortgage lender approves you for, Heath says, leaves a good buffer in your financial budget in case any unanticipated changes should occur.

“I think it’s a really good lesson to people before they buy to appreciate that job loss happens, health issues happen,” says Heath. “There are extraordinary financial situations that you may not be able to anticipate that could put you into difficulty if you bite off more than you can chew in the first place.”

Skip the McMansion — think long term

Like we keep a spare tire in the event of a flat, or a box of bandaids for those little accidents, avoiding house poorness requires establishing some safeguards in case of unforeseen circumstances. This means having a well thought out financial budget, and a good cushion of emergency funds.

When it comes to budgets, Heath says it takes a very personalized approach to get it right. The mortgage stress test does not factor in personal spending, so financial budgets for homeownership should reflect your own spending habits and expenses.

“The mortgage qualification process does not take into account things like your discretionary spending or the activities that your children are enrolled in, for example,” says Heath. “You can have two families with the same income and the same mortgage approval, but spend very different amounts of money month to month on housing related stuff.”

Beyond budgets, Campbell says it’s also important to account for the long-term lifestyle you’ll want under your mortgage. Owning a home in your early thirties with no children will mean different financial priorities compared to your late forties with post-secondary education fees and retirement in mind. It’s important that your mortgage accommodates your long-term savings and planned changes to family and income. Campbell says this starts with sticking to a budget.

“You don’t need the McMansion,” she says. “A lot of people think the bigger the house, the better it is and a lot of people regret that. So make sure that it’s within the budget that you have within an emergency fund that you need to develop around that budget and you’re able to do the things that you’ve wanted to do over time that won’t be impacted by the decisions you make with that home.”

Don’t give up everything

Owning a home ain’t cheap: there’s renovations, regular maintenance, seasonal upkeep and at least one emergency repair that you’ll need to fork out for at some point. Heath says that new home buyers tend to overlook these expenses — but they are critical to account for in any homeowner budget.

“I think it’s really important to, either on your own or with a professional, to try to assess what the true homeownership cost is going to be in that home,” says Heath. “Particularly, if you’re moving from a condo into a house, or from a rental into a homeownership position.”

Failing to accommodate regular home upkeep and extra costs in the budget can skew the true cost of homeownership. It can also be a drain on your finances. House poorness is marked by a lack of disposable income, which not only leads to skipping those needed repairs, but also the inability to go out and enjoy living life.

“People will often say, ‘We’ll give up everything to buy this house,’ but everything gets really boring very fast to have given up everything,” says Campbell.

Heath recommends making a detailed budget for the medium- to long-term financial outcomes of buying a home in order to assess true ownership costs.

Breaking up is hard to do

If you’re in a position of house poorness, don’t give up — there are options.

Campbell says that boosting your income is a good first step. You can do this by getting a part-time job, or creating side hustle from your home by renting out your extra rooms on Airbnb. But, if your mortgage payments have simply become too much, Heath says that you may need to consider selling and downsizing.

“There are situations where people need to consider the home that they own and whether it is too expensive,” he says.

If selling is the last resort, Campbell advises not to do so hastily. While there could be a mounting urge to get cash — and fast — selling quickly could cost you value in your home.

“Don’t wait until you really hit the dirt, and then try to sell your house, because chances are you’re going to have to sell it very quickly, and if you need to sell it very quickly, you’ll probably going to sell at a lower rate than you wanted to get,” says Campbell.

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Hulu is a great way to watch some of the best shows on TV whenever and where ever you want, and right now new subscribers can get a full year of Hulu for just 99-cents per month. The offer was supposed to expire last night, but it’s been extended through 10 AM PT/1 PM ET today.

HOW TO GET THIS DEAL: Open up this page and click on the Hulu icon in the upper left to see the 99-cent offer.

This deal expires today, so if you want to get yourself complete access to every episode of shows like Rick & Morty, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as well as movies, Hulu originals, anime, documentary series and more.

After the first year, the plan switches to only $7.99 a month for the limited commercial options, but you can cancel whenever you want. So if you decide it’s not for you, there’s no commitment. For 99 cents, what more could you ask for?

The deal expires today, so if you want to get Hulu for what might be the best possible price of any streaming service right now, you don’t have much time.

Reminder, to get this deal you need to open up this page and click on the Hulu icon in the upper left to see the 99-cent offer.

Seth Macy is IGN’s tech and commerce editor. You can find him on Twitter @sethmacy.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senior Michelle Duncan tossed her second straight shutout of the championship as No. 4 Dixie State blanked Adelphi, 2-0, in the second winner’s bracket game (Game 6) of the 2015 NCAA Division II Championship, on a cool and wet Friday evening at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

With the victory, the Red Storm (51-7) earn a day off and a trip to the semifinals on Sunday, May 24 at 2:30 p.m. at OGE Energy Field. The Panthers (31-21) fall to the elimination bracket and will face the winner of game seven between North Georgia and St. Mary’s (Texas), tomorrow, May 23 at 5:00 p.m. CT.

Duncan improved to 31-0 with her strong performance in the circle. She scattered five hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Adelphi hurler Lindsay Mapes (19-10) held her own, putting forth another solid showing. In a complete game effort, she only allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two to keep her Panthers within striking distance.

Dixie State scored in the first and fourth innings. A bases loaded hit-by-pitch in the top of the first gave the Red Storm an early 1-0 lead. Dixie State doubled its advantage in the fourth, courtesy of a two-out RBI triple by Josie Hartman. Hartman and three other Red Storm recorded hits on the evening.

Both teams had their chances in the game leaving a combined 15 runners on base (DSU 8/AU 7).

Krista King was 2-for-4 and Megan Lewis went 2-for-2 with a double at the plate for the Panthers.

— Photo courtesy of Richard T. Clifton

OSHAWA, Ont. — Unionized workers at the General Motors assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont., are holding another sit-down protest over the planned closure of the facility.

The union confirmed the work stoppage this morning following an earlier protest on Tuesday.

Watch: Canada’s auto industry has an expiration date, but a turnaround is possible. Story continues below.

Unifor president Jerry Dias sat down with GM on Tuesday to talk about proposals the union had made to extend the life of the Ontario plant, but came away empty-handed.

The company has said the options suggested by the union, including extending the life of the Chevy Impala and Cadillac XTS produced at the plant or shifting production slated for Mexico to the plant, are not economically viable.

David Paterson, vice-president of corporate affairs at GM Canada, says the union should instead work with the company on timing and transition plans for the approximately 3,000 workers who are losing their jobs.

GM said it has identified job opportunities, is willing to pay for retraining and is open to negotiations on packages for workers on top of what is already included in contracts.

Also On HuffPost:

It was the Emmy win Canada was hoping for: a Tatiana Maslany vs. Sandra Oh trophy face-off. An “Orphan Black” swan song, up against a television veteran who became the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated for a lead acting Emmy, returning with the female-driven show “Killing Eve.”

Instead, the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series statue went to Claire Foy for “The Crown.”

Foy opened her acceptance speech with five simple words, “This wasn’t supposed to happen.” And perhaps it was a shocker.

But do not cry for Maslany, Canada. She’s an Emmy veteran, having won back in 2016, nabbing a viral embrace with Amy Schumer in 2015, and winning five (out of five!) Canadian Screen Awards for embodying all those clones. This year, she came to have a ball, win or lose.

“To be part of that category, [which] is so stacked with such incredible artists in it, I look up to so many of them,” said Maslany in a pre-show interview with PeopleTV. “I’m just in awe of their work, so I’m very happy.”

Her glee was hard to contain on the gold carpet too, or while clapping for Regina King’s triumph.

Dressed in a custom lime, chartreuse and black Christian Siriano jumpsuit, accented by a silver Planned Parenthood pin at the waist, Maslany’s look had a hybrid halter neckline with a long piece of fabric draped from her left shoulder to her waist. Dressed by Lupita Nyong’o’s stylist Micaela Erlanger, she tied her ensemble together with slicked-back hair and a bold coral lip. Her plus one? Since longtime boyfriend Tom Cullen is filming in Prague, her “Orphan Black” co-star Kristian Bruun stepped in; a fellow Canadian, and her clone Alison’s lovable oafish husband Donny.

The Regina-born star will appear opposite Nicole Kidman in the gritty cop thriller “Destroyer.”

During her pre-show interview, she also gave a nod to Sandra Oh.

“Sandra Oh is incredible,” said Maslany, to PeopleTV. “She’s a fellow Canadian, so very proud of that, but also her work has always been incredible, and ‘Killing Eve’ is amazing. And she’s also just a really good person. You get that sense from watching her, and just meeting her. It’s incredible.”

In fact, Maslany and Oh first met at a BAFTA (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts charity) pre-Emmy party over the weekend, which gave us all the feels.

It remains to be seen if the two will cheers to their shared Emmy fate, but Maslany did tease about how she planned to celebrate her big night.

“Oh man, you don’t want to know,” said Maslany. “I’ll probably be in bed by nine with a puzzle and a tea.”

True or not, this 32-year-old will next have her shot at a Tony, when she joins Bryan Cranston in the stage adaptation of “Network” this fall, in her Broadway debut. One way or another, she’s struck the motherlode.

More on HuffPost:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – SIU Edwardsville’s Haley Chambers’ perfect game and Weber State’s Sara Hingsberger’s productivity at the plate earned those student-athletes 2015 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Pitcher and Player of the Week honors, respectively, for games played over March 16-22.

Chambers, a native of Coatesville, Ind., put on a masterful performance in her final outing of the week against Ohio Valley Conference foe Morehead State. The junior lefty twirled a near perfect, perfect game striking out 20 of a possible 21 batters in a 1-0 road win.

“It not only means a lot to me, but to the coaching staff, the team, and to the school,” Chambers said. “Not only do they know my name now, they know who SIUE is. It puts us on the map, which I think is the most important thing that comes out of this.”

Selected the OVC Pitcher of the Week, Chambers struck out the first 17 batters of the game and after a fly ball to end the sixth, she calmly sent the final three batter back to the dugout on her own. Her career-high strikeout performance was one shy of the Div. I seven-inning record set in 1991 by Michele Granger of California.

“It really didn’t sink in until coach told me I was the National Pitcher of the Week,” continued Chambers. “I really didn’t think a lot of it (perfect game) after it happened. I think it finally clicked that I did something that doesn’t usually happen. It’s almost like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of achievement.

For the week, Chambers was 3-0 with a 0.76 ERA, allowing two runs on 11 hits with 37 strikeouts and two walks in 18.1 innings of work. After picking up a win in relief against in-state foe Bradley (4.1 IP, 4K), she posted a complete game four-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 5-1 win over Eastern Kentucky. It was her second perfect game and fourth no-hitter of her collegiate career.

“Obviously, it’s a great award for Haley,” said SIUE head coach Sandy Montgomery. “She has worked hard as a pitcher and has made a lot of strides this year from a command standpoint and her presence on the mound. I think this award is a direct reflection of that. What it means to our program is national recognition for a mid-major. I think that’s huge from a recruiting standpoint. I think it’s great for our kids and our institution to be on the national map in whatever capacity. What a better way to do it than for one of your players to get an honor even if it is just for a week.”

Montgomery on the perfect game – “I told Haley after the game that I have been involved in many perfect games in my lifetime as a player and as a coach and none was as mind-boggling as this one. To get 20 strikeouts in a game and be virtually unhittable shows the tremendous focus that she had at that moment in time. Everybody on the team knew what was going on. I think our team was extremely excited for her and certainly excited to be a part of it.”

Hingsberger was 10-for-14 (.714) at the plate with nine runs scored and seven RBI helping Weber State post a 5-0 week, including a three-game sweep in a Big Sky Conference-opening against North Dakota. The Eagle, Idaho native recorded four doubles and a home run, and scored the game-winning run in two of the Wildcats’ wins, which also catapulted her to a Big Sky Player of the Week honor.

“The biggest thing I focused on was trusting myself and having fun,” said Hingsberger. “Whenever I would start thinking too much about an at-bat or what the pitcher is throwing, I’d just stop and tell myself to have fun. “On Wednesday, before our games against UVU, Coach Amicone told me not to worry about mechanics and just have fun, and it really stuck. I couldn’t be happier with how our team has been performing. It’s a great feeling to know you have an entire team to back each other up.” 

Posting a .778 on base percentage, Hingsberger, who also walked three times and was plunked, reached base safely in 14-of-18 plate appearances and did not strike out. In addition, she slugged 1.214, scored twice in four games and recorded four multi-hit contests. The sophomore right fielder was a week-best 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored in game two versus UND and closed out the week with two doubles and three RBI in the series finale. Her long ball came in the Wildcats’ first game of the week at Utah Valley State.

“Sara is a tremendous competitor,” commented Weber State head coach Mary Kay Amicone. “This week she really lit a fire under all of us. Her determination and athleticism are top notch. We are really proud of her.”

Player of the Week
March 24 – Sara Hingsberger (Weber State)
March 17 – Bianka Bell (LSU)
              – Shelby Pendley (Oklahoma)
March 10 – Kacie Burnett (Idaho State)
March 3 – A.J. Andrews (LSU)
Feb. 24 – Jenna Lilley (Oregon)
Feb. 17 – Lauren Haeger (Florida)
Feb. 10 – Lindsey Stephens (Texas)

Pitcher of the Week
March 24 – Haley Chambers (SIU Edwardsville)
March 17 – Ally Carda (UCLA)
March 10  – Ally Carda (UCLA)
March 3 – Delanie Gourley (Florida)
Feb. 24 – Cheridan Hawkins (Oregon)
Feb. 17 – Shelby Turnier (UCF)
Feb. 10 – Miranda Kramer (Western Kentucky)

Selected Top Performances

LSU’s Bianka Bell batted .700 (7-10) with a double, three home runs, nine RBI and a 1.700 slugging percentage to garner her second straight SEC Player of the Week recognition… UCF’s Shelby Turnier earned American Pitcher of the Week plaudits as she tossed a no-hitter and one-hit shutout with 27 strikeouts in two complete-game wins over league rival East Carolina… Louisiana-Lafayette’s Lexie Elkins batted .529 (9-17) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, six runs and did not strikeout in 21 plate appearances to garner Sun Belt Player of the Week honors…James Madison Megan Good was 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 20 innings of work to grab CAA Freshman of the Week accolades…  Georgia’s Chelsea Wilkinson was tabbed SEC Pitcher of the Week with a perfect 3-0 record, 18 strikeouts and a 0.50 ERA, and was part of a combined no-hitter versus Georgia Tech… Louisville’s Kelsi Jones collected ACC Player of the Week recognition after batting .556 (10-18) with a double, home run, six RBI, six runs and a .692 OBP (8 walks)… In her lone start, LSU Carley Hoover limited the nation’s top hitting team, Oklahoma to just two hits and three total base runners to earn a complete-game shutout and SEC Freshman of the Week honors… Manhattan’s Elena Bowman smacked five home runs, knocked in 12, scored nine times and posted a .552 OBP to garner Metro Atlantic and ECAC Player of the Week honors… CAA Pitcher of the Week, Morgan Lashley of Hofstra, was 3-0, struck out 20 and did not allow a run in 20 innings… Western Kentucky’s Miranda Kramer, theConference USA Pitcher of the Week, was 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA, a two-hit shutout at then-No. 14 Tennessee, and 30 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a 0.95 batting average in 14 innings… Southern Illinois’ Merri Anne Patterson slugged two game-winning home runs and finished the week batting .462 (6-13) with three long balls, seven RBI and five runs scored on her way to Missouri Valley Player of the Week honors… Big South Pitcher of the Week, Kensley Loudermelk of Presbyterian, was 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, two shutouts and 17 strikeouts in 16 innings of work… Arizona’s Katiyana Mauga batted .533 (8-15) with a double, four home runs, 10 RBI and five runs scored…Co-CAA Player of the Week, Lisa Stacevicz of Delaware, batted .611 (11-18) with seven doubles and seven RBI… Omaha’s Jaylee Hinrichs earned Summit League Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing two one-hit shutouts with 12 strikeouts in 11 innings of work… Big East Player of the Week, Kristen Boros of Butler, batted .556 (10-18) with a triple, three home runs, 10 RBI… MEAC Player of the Week, Emerie Germ of North Carolina Central, batted .562 (18-32) with four doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and 11 runs… Longwood’s Emily Murphy blasted five home runs, two multi-homer games, with nine runs and seven RBI to take home Big South Player of the Week honors… Marshall’s Shaelynn Braxton earned Conference USA Player of the Week recognition after batting .500 (6-12) with a grand slam and nine RBI.

The death-defying feats of British magician Drummond Money-Coutts, or DMC for short, will make their way to Netflix in a brand-new series, titled Death By Magic.

Premiering on Netflix on November 30, “British magician DMC travels the globe to recreate the stunts that have cost famous magicians their lives. From being buried under wet concrete to escaping a collision with a speeding train, DMC must avoid the fate that met those before him,” according to the synopsis. 

For an exclusive look at Death By Magic, check out the thrilling trailer below.

A seasoned veteran of the magical trade, DMC has been performing for over 15 years. During his journey on Death By Magic, DMC will not only try to discover what went wrong during those disastrous stunts, but he will also share his love of magic with others. The series “spans four continents and eight cities around the world,” according to Netflix. DMC definitely brings a distinct flair to his shows, with his tailored suits and lovely British accent.

The production company is A Smith & Co. Executive Producers are Arthur Smith, Toby Gorman, Martin Turner, and Simon Dinsell. Drummond Money-Coutts is also an executive producer on the project. Death By Magic premieres on Netflix on Friday, November 30.