It can be hard for Canadians to know what we pay for with our tax dollars, especially when we rarely discuss some of the largest expenditures. This is especially true when more money goes into programs that are well known and long established, like Old Age Security (OAS).  Even though increases in spending on OAS dwarf expenditures on things like the green economy, child care or housing, they are seldom discussed or debated. Canadians hear more about new boutique programs with small price tags, than they do about the billions treated as ‘baked in’ for seniors’ income security. We should be proud that these investments helped make seniors the least poor age group in Canada – but we also should be concerned that same urgency (and money) is lacking when it comes to addressing poverty and vulnerability in young families.