Emergency Fund

An emergency fund seems daunting.  It is when you add up all your expenses in your budget for 3-6 months.   If shit hits the fan this is your...you guessed it emergency fund. It also seemed crazy to me to have such a thing. This money isn't touched unless there is an emergency. I got this once I started following Dave Ramsey.   It's goal is to avoid you from going into debt something happens beyond your control. Today our 8 year old car went in for a regular service and then we got the call.   You know the one when your mechanics number appears on caller id and you have the feeling of dread. We got that call.  Guess what? It sucked to know we have to pay this large amount. I had a freak out moment. Then I calmed down a bit and thought wait we have an emergency fund.  It took us a  loonnggggg time to collect this emergency fund. It certainly didn't happen fast.  
To build up our emergency fund we saved everything we could u till we got to our number.
Selling things on kiji and Facebook helped. Coupons to lower the other budget categories helps.
I can't say enough about the importance of the emergency fund.  I will be able to sleep tonight, if not for this emergency fund I would be freaking out!

Receipts

Yesterday we went to the city to take the kids to watch an Elsa and Anna show. On our way home we went to Montana's for a late lunch/early supper. My oldest daughter has decided to call this meal Lupper :)
We had a gift card with some money left on it from the fall. Our kids shared the hamburger kids meal as it comes with two burgers. My hubby and I shared a wrap and salad. It was plenty of food for the four of us.  When the bill came our server told us our gift card has a zero balance. I insisted there was money on it, and he checked it on another machine. Turns out I was right, so don't throw those gift cards away if you think there is money left on it, ask they to check it.
BACK TO THE RECEIPTS...I noticed on the bottom of our receipt there was a survey code.  If this is filled out in the next 21 days I will get a free appetizer with a $25 order.  (side bar if anyone local wants the receipt, it needs to be present with the code pm me it is yours)  This got me to thinking that Walmart, No Frills, and Shoppers Drug Mart also have surveys on the bottom. I fill these out weekly when I do my credit cards, I have never won anything, but hey, someone must?  Take a close look at your receipts who knows what you will find, the free appie was news to me.  

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Hanging Baskets

We built our dream house three years ago.  Since then we have been trying to work on landscaping, and man is it every expensive!
I wanted to get some hanging baskets for our Shepard hook in our front garden but didn't want to spend a lot on them. They start in price at $16.99 and I saw them all the way to $39.99.  On Sunday when we were driving home from the beach and noticed two empty hanging baskets on the side of the road for spring cleanup. We stopped and I picked them up and put them in the trunk.
Yesterday my husband went to Canadian Tire and picked up some flowers for $6.00 and planted them for me. We had soil from gardens that were planted this year.  My husband surprised me with doing it, it was on my list for this weekend when school is out.  I am so happy that for $6.00 we have two nice hanging baskets, compared to $34 we were close to spending.  We saved $28 and I think they look great.  We will keep the baskets to continue to plant them ourselves, and I will continue to look road side and yard sales for another blue one. I love the colour!

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Store Punch Cards

Some stores offer perks when you shop loyally. I have talked about Airmiles, PC PLUS and Optimum.  One card that came in handy today was the Pharmasave Buy 10 get 1 Free Card.
At the Pharmasave, when you purchase their Pharmasave brand items you are eligible for their buy 10 get 1 free program. The cashier will ask for your card if they item is over 1.99. After you collect 10 you get 1 item free, up to a $15 max value. 
Today I am sick with quite a sore throat....it hurts to swallow my coffee and to talk.  If you know me you know how these two things kill me!  After a doctor appointment he suggested Ibuprofen and I knew I was out.  In the parking lot of the Dr office I did a quick wallet check and found 3 Pharmasave cards each with a few on each card, and noticed I had 12  stamps in total...JACKPOT. 
I picked up the pills for free, which would have been $13.99 plus tax.  I also got a bonus airmile. 
This stamp card is a great perk when shopping at the Pharmasave, where you also receive Airmiles. I also use the Pharmasave as my pharmacy, I enjoy my pharmacists there:)

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Cheap Water

We mostly drink water, and avoid pop and juice. Not to say we don't have other beverages, but water is the choice most of the day.  When we go to Disney World I always have a Brita Water Bottle in my bag, with a built in filter. There are water fountains everywhere, and no way will I ever drink out of water fountain!  So, this style of water bottle is the go to.  I buy things when they are on sale, and bought this tonight for 50% off to put away for when we go on vacation 2018. But now I am thinking I will be throwing this in the car and anytime we are on the go this summer we will have 300 free water bottles before needing to replace the filter. At Disney World a bottle of water is around $4, and around here at a store usually $2.  Go out everyone and buy one of these money saving items!
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This and That

I have been thinking I haven't done anything to save money in the past few days as I haven't spent any money since Thursday. Here are some things I have done in the past few days that may give you some ideas:
1) went to the movies Friday night and used Costco passes.. $12.99 each kid including kid pack and a movie pass for us 29.99 2 passes and 2 pop and 1 popcorn also collected scene points when purchased tickets
2) threw a cheap birthday party...made our own vegetable trays and had the party at our house kids played outside and played on a water slide
3) oops did spend money buying vegetable transplants for the garden...this will pay off for us soon
4) shampoo using a quarter size portion
5) body wash dime size portion it lathers up a lot
6) drank home made wine
7) went through the house and posted things on Facebook to sell that we won't be using....made $102 mostly selling a home base business products that I no longer sell and were left over I. My inventory that is no longer needed.   PUT THE $102 ON THE MORTGAGE AS AN EXTRA PAYMENT
8) watch Seinfeld episodes on TV
9) took coffee to work
10) bought strawberries and dip using sobeys gift cards and collected airmiles again
11)made a rain barrel to collect water to water the plants
12) ghoulish as a cheap easy meal for supper
13) wash dishes by hand instead of the dishwasher

Have you done any frugal tips? Comment below

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Lots of Airmiles!!!!

Ok...this post sounds very complicated....think about it step by step.  As many of my followers know, I am a Cheapskate. I am working very hard with my hubby to pay off our house by June 2018. Our goal is to drive to Nashville and see Dave Ramsey and do our Debt Free Scream. After that trip we plan to go to Walt Disney World for 5 days, and then Universal Studios, Sea World and home.  I have discovered that if I collect 33,000 airmiles we will get our Disney Vacation part for free. We are currently sitting at 25000. Gathering Airmiles is my second area I am focused on after making the budget small and throwing all money at the mortgage. This week I found an amazing Airmiles Promotion. Here goes:

Airmiles has a promotion buy $ 200 in Sobeys gift cards get 95 miles
I bought 5 sets for 475 miles
I charged on my Sobeys Master Card earning 1 mile every $20 spent, it is 50 miles right away
Because in the  first 3 months I get 3x miles base miles charged at Sobeys is extra 150 miles
AS AN EXTRA BONUS...
This week Sobeys has promo buy 50$ gift card for  Boston pizza get 60 miles 
I bought $200 worth and paid using my 200 Sobeys gift card I just bought earning 240 miles...
For a total of $1000 in Sobeys gift cards I  earned 915 airmiles!!!!!

Now, I know that looks like a lot of money tied up in gift cards, but remember to read my other blogs. A Sobeys gc is able to be used at Sobeys, Shell and Lawtons Drug Store. I can also buy other gift cards with my Sobeys gift card.  My month budget will be funded with these gift cards.
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Comment any questions below I will talk you through this...