Laundry Room Stock Pile

Creating a stock pile will save you lots of money in the long run. Often when people think about a stock pile the first image is of canned goods.
Using coupons, and pairing wi5h sales, most of the items in my laundry room stock pile were free. Building a stock pile doesn’t happen over night. It takes time and patience but it is worth it in 5e long run.
Canadian Tire has promos a few times a year for instant rebates with the purchase of energy efficient light bulbs.  I get the maximum per person and put them in storage.
Glad currently has a coupon to save $5 on a box of bags, I matched it up with a no tax sale at Super Store and now have a life time supply of kitchen catchers for free
I put a small container to store all of the samples from the mail and Costco on laundry detergent. When we travel I throw one in my suitcase and do a load of laundry at the hotel. This allows us to fly with just carry on and also save on baggage fees.
I have a lot of scrubbing bubbles that were free ei5 matching a coupon. I don’t like the product but free is free. We often throw them in house warming baskets, or donate to the food bank or shelters.
What items do you stock pile in the laundry room?

What to do with your Christmas Cards?

Christmas cards are  beautiful and I hate to throw them away.  Last year I used a half off coupon at Michael’s (Michaels.ca will send you emails when you join their newsletter) and purchased this Tag hole punch for $10.
I used it on the Christmas cards this evening to create gift tags to use on gifts next year.
I will store the gift tags with my wrapping paper as I clean up Christmas 🎄

What's that coffee costing you?

On Thursdays I like to grocery shop early in the morning before work.  The crowds are smaller and it ensures I get the items on my list. 
My Thursday route has me driving by two coffee shops to get from the grocery store to work.  I am amazed at how many people are getting coffee at coffee shops this early in the morning.  I am an addict, for those that don't know I probably consume on average 6 cups a day so I get the addiction. But when you leave your home to get coffee you are wasting money.  Plus, is it safe for a coffee junkie to leave their house and operate a car before they have a mug of java?

I make a mug at home, and one for my to go cup for my commute.  Today I saw lines to these coffee shops that went to the road.  I am speechless, and spent my drive to work thinking about how much this is costing the take out coffee drinker.

You have all heard of the latte factor, but let's just think about the regular coffee factor.  Let's assume you go two times a day for a cup of coffee at the coffee shop.  I did the math in the car on the way to work.   Each cup would be $2, so $4 a day.  Let's pretend you do this each week day for a year.  That low $4 a day is $20 a week.  Over the span of 52 weeks, that is $1040.  WOW that's a big number. But hey, you need a treat and a fix I get it.

Curiosity got to me. I am asked almost daily how we paid off our house, these little things are how.  I hopped on my Ipad to my favourite mortgage calculator website.  I typed in a $100,000 mortgage, for 25 years.  I ran a one time payment of $1040 into that mortgage and wait until you see what those two cups of coffee are costing you over the term of your mortgage... $2781!!!!!  Putting that coffee money on your mortgage is going to save you $2781.  I needed to state that again.
Hopefully reading these numbers will help you see that you can be in charge of your financial destiny.

I'm not saying don't get a coffee from time to time, I'm saying cut back. I'm even going to give you permission to buy a fancy reusable mug to encourage you to use it.
It pays to be frugal. 

What's Your Networth?

Have you ever sat down and dreamt about your future?  If not, I encourage you to do it with your partner soon. Talk about all the things you want to do in your retirement years.  My husband dreams about going to all the ball parks to watch baseball games.  I want to explore in an RV and see where we end up.  These two dreams can mesh together.
We also want to explore Europe  ( one of us wants to stay in hostels, one of us wants nice hotels) but for these dreams we need money. We will compromise and do a bit of both.
Below are 2 great calculators to help figure out if you are on the path to see your retirement dreams come true.
I change the rate of return on the Chris Hogan  RIQ I don’t get 10% on my investments, I am a moderate risk investor.
The NETWORTH calculator also puts your spending and possessions into perspective.

https://www.sunlife.ca/ca/Learn+and+Plan/Tools+and+Calculators/Net+worth+calculator?vgnLocale=en_CA

https://www.chrishogan360.com/riq-tool/#slide=0

It pays to be frugal.

Pay Down Your Mortgage

(I used to use the PC Financial mortgage calculator to help figure out the savings, since it is no longer available I am using the CIBC calculator that can be found at the bottom of this post.  All numbers are on $100,000 bi-weekly payments so you can multiply by 2 if your mortgage is $200,000 or 1.5 for $150,000 etc. )


There are lots of arguments to talk you out of putting extra money on your mortgage.  Some people told us things like "You will always have a house payment" or "My money makes more in investments" but we didn't see it like that.  Yes, your money will make more in investments most of the time, but the peace of mind to know that there aren't any more payments is priceless. 
However, we worked hard to pay ours off quickly, and it was worth every moment.

Without making any extra payments, the first five years would see $10,993 going to principal and $24,933 in interest!  GROSS more for interest in the first five years then to the principal.  You would be left owing $89,007. 

We started small, and every Friday we used to order pizza and it cost us over $20.  Instead, we bought frozen pizza or Pink Sticker deli pizzas. The deli pizzas are very yummy, but aren't always in our freezer.  They freeze and cook very well.  We  put the extra money each Friday from this one choice on our mortgage.  $20 a week x52 weeks is an additional $1040. WOW we used to eat over a grand in pizza a year! Chomp on that for a moment.
Sticking that extra $20 on as an extra payment every Friday sees $17,085 in principal, and $24,040 in interest and $82,915 owing.  Your 5200 in extra payments is saving you $892 and time off of your total months owing on your mortgage.  (Assuming you did this for the whole mortgage)This example has the house paid off in 19 years.
Your extra payments from PIZZA will have saved you $21,486 off your mortgage and 6 years off your amortization.

Once we saw the principal going down a bit each week, we got motivated.  We began to find other ways to pay it off fast.  Play around with the calculator and see what inspires you.
I also suggest making a chart to track your progress.
It Pays to be Frugal.

https://www.cibc.com/ca/mortgages/calculator/mortgage-payment.html https://www.cibc.com/ca/mortgages/calculator/mortgage-payment.html

Vacation Fund

Oh I’m a planner.  To the point those that know me well know I have vacations planned for at least two years in advance.  While many don’t want to plan this far ahead, it helps me be able to travel without debt when it is in the budget.  There are times we are spontaneous but not often!

Our trips to Disney are always planned at least two years in advance. I know that they cost roughly 5,000 so we need to save $210 a month in our trip budget. 

We also budget and plan our other vacations.  We do a google search for flights and hotels in the area and divide it by how many months until the trip. We add $100 for each day we are away for food to get a close estimate on the price. 

We have a bank account to deposit our vacation funds.  Monthly we deposit all of our change, money from selling things we no longer use, Cash Back Apps Cheques, money from cashing out loyalty points,SCOP money and coupon money.   

Traveling is fun but doing it on a budget and planning also makes it stress free

It pays to be frugal. 

Coupon Terms

I made a post this week and used the Phrase "Cashed Out" and it caused a bit of confusion.  My life has been immersed in the couponing world for over 10 years and I often forget that terms are not known to everyone.
I'm going to make a list of terms and abbreviations that I use to help you out as a resource guide.  If there are others that I use that I don't include fire me off a message and I'll gladly respond.

CASH OUT-  I look at all the points that are sitting in loyalty cards as money.  While they only have a value within their loyalty card, there is a cash equivalent.  When the points are redeemed that is referred to as  CASHING OUT. For example, 20 000 PC Optimum points has a value of $20.  Upon 'cashing out' redeeming the points, I take $20 out of my budget and place it either on debt or in my vacation fund.

SCOP  (SCANNING CODE OF PRACTICE) Almost every store in Canada practices this but some need to be reminded since it is a loss to the company.  Always watch the register. If the shelf or flyer says the item is $5.99 and it rings in as $6.25 or any amount higher, you get the first one for free and all the others at the correct price.  If the item is over $10, $19.99 on the shelf and rings up as $20.50 you receive $10 off the item and should only pay $9.99 for the item.  If you end up getting the item for free it is a surprise.  Take that money from your budget and flop it on your DEBT it is FREE MONEY

PM- Price Match   No Frills, Giant Tiger and Walmart Price Match.  If you see the exact item advertised cheaper at another store show the flyer or the FLIPP app to the cashier and the first 4 items are at the competitor's price.  This will cut down on racing from store to store when shopping  No Frills no longer will PM to drug stores

BOGO- BUY ONE GET ONE FREE  Be careful with this.  There are always items that this is truly a remarkable deal, but most of the items are cheaper to buy 2 when there is a sale in the flyers.  If you are using coupons during a BOGO only one is permitted since only one item is being purchased

MIR- MAIL IN REBATE  Sometimes items have a MIR form on the back.  When the bar code and receipt are mailed with the form 4-6 weeks later the company sends you a cheque for a predetermined amount.  I then deposit this money back into my bank account since the money came from the budget originally.

NO NAME- Store brand of item vs the brand name.  Our Compliments is the No Name brand vs Lays

ONE COUPON PER TRANSACTION- Some coupons have written on the back that only one coupon can be used per order.  Not many actually say this, but if they do break your items into 2 transactions if you have more then one item with that coupon. 

ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE- Oh this one confuses people.  This means that one coupon can be used for each of the items.  For example, a coupon to save $1 off of a yogurt stating one per purchase you can use 15 coupons if you have 15 yogurts.

STACKING-  Back in the glory days of couponing, as long as each coupon had a different bar code some stores would let you use multiple coupons for one item.  This has pretty much been stopped

AM- Air Miles

GC- GIFT CARD  I try to use Gift Cards in my budget it helps me stay within the budget and it also helps earn me more points a few times a year when there are promotions with bonus points with purchase

OOP- This one stands for OUT OF POCKET  There are times when a deal is so good that only the tax is what I need to pay for, and that is referred to by couponers as Out of Pocket, the  money actually spent on the item.  For example, I had a $2 off coupon for shaving gel last year and it was on sale for $1.99  I just had to pay the taxes (taxes are ALWAYS on the item price before coupons) so OOP I paid 30 cents per can.  SCORE

CO51- Check Out 51 is a Cash Back app on your devices.  Receipts are uploaded and when $20 is hit in the account you can cash out and have a legit check mailed out to you

SDM- Shopper's Drug Mart

SS- Super Store

GT- Giant Tiger

PC PRESIDENT'S CHOICE 

It pays to be frugal.  Join Guess Who's Cheap on Facebook and my EBOOKS by Meghan Savings on Amazon

Jugs of Water

Ok, I have no idea if this idea saves you money, but it does save water.
I fill our water bottles and water jugs and keep them in the fridge.  I read online that if a fridge is full of items and water bottles and it will take less energy to power the fridge.  If nothing else, this tip helps my will.  I no longer turn the tap on and let it run until my water is cold.  Storing water bottles in the fridge at least keeps my water cold.
It pays to be frugal.

Know How Much You Use

Ok, this post and tip takes planning.  I wanted to know how much toilet paper my family uses.  I get coupons for toilet paper from time to time, and stock up.  However, there are times when I think my stock pile of toilet paper is excessive.

I wanted to know how much we use in an average year, and try to always have a year supply of it on hand.  In order to do that I needed to do some calculating and test my patience.
I filled up a section of our hall linen closet with 90 rolls of toilet paper. It took us 4 months to use it all.  Now I know that I need 270 rolls of toilet paper for the year.  As I fill up the linen closet with toilet paper, I will look to replenish the same amount when coupons are available.  No way would I pay regular price for toilet paper, sometimes its $9.99 and I get it for $2.99 with coupons.
It seems like a lot of work for me to figure this out, but it is one of the tips I do to save money.
It pays to be frugal.

Ebates, Free Money

A fast way to earn some free cash is Ebates.   If you are an online shopper, you can log into Ebates before shopping.  Each purchase earns a % back and once $5 is accumulated in  the account a cheque is mailed out.  Use this money as an extra payment on your debt, or sock it away in your vacation fund.
Sign up from my referral link and comment that you did, we each will earn a kick back.
Ebates:  Log in and earn cash back from your online shopping
 https://www.ebates.ca/referrer?referrerid=dmI00Ysp2yY%3D

It pays to be frugal.
Available on Amazon:

Make a New Outfit

I have a lot of clothes, yet I often feel that I have nothing to wear.  I get most of my clothes at Frenchy's or Value Village piece by piece rarely getting a whole outfit at a time.  Yet I have a lot of tops and bottoms.
I do like shopping in stores and seeing a complete outfit and purchasing it for that "together" look. 
My frugal tip gets messy!  I take all of my sweaters out of my storage trunk and put them on my bed.  Then I take all of my tops put them on the floor. I try to match up a top and a sweater or blazer with something that I haven't paired together before. 
I also usually find a few items during this process that don't fit properly and purge it at the same time.
At the start of a new season I do purchase a new top at a store that is trendy and throw it into the outfit rotation. 
This process takes less than an hour, and keeps me from going to the store and purchasing a few new outfits and that in turn can save hundreds of dollars!
It pays to be frugal.  

Lunch Box Idea

It's that time of year again...back to school.  Packing lunches every day can be just as hard on the head as the pocket book.  This past month I have been picking up items when they are on sale that would make treats in the lunch boxes for the girls and also for me. 
This week Special K bars are on sale for $1.99 at Sobeys, and also Quaker Granola bars are $1.67 a box.  The week before 4 packs of pudding was $1 a package. 
These are definitely treats, as well as a good deal.  I took a bin that was empty in the basement and dumped all the treats inside.  Then I put a note on the outside labeling 1.  The kids get to pick one each day to be in their lunch box.
My hope is this makes the mornings run smoothly!

You've Purged, Now What?

My house is FULL of stuff we don't need.  Now that I challenged you to fill a milk crate or box with items you don't need, I did the same thing!

What to do with it all?

Sort the items that were collected.  Some things may not be worth more than a dollar if they were to be resold.  I put those items into another box that is marked Yard Sale to sell at a future date.

Then I take pictures of items I feel will make some money  with my Ipad.  These aren't always the best pictures, but I find uploading a picture online much easier from an Ipad.  If an item is a name brand and excellent condition I sell it as an individual item. When I have a few similar items that are not a brand name I sell them together.

In my local area there are many Facebook Buy and Sell groups. I think this is the way it is in most areas now. Hop on Facebook and search Market Place for the names of local buy and sell groups and request to join them.

I find items sell much faster on the Facebook groups then on Kijiji, perhaps because people get notifications.

I list the item description and price and wait.  I usually have many ads online to sell at any given time. To help organize it better for me, once an item is posted on Facebook for sale I put it in a Rubbermaid Container. This way I keep track of what items are already posted, and it makes it faster to find the item when it is sold and ready for pickup.

In a few days, if an item doesn't sell on Facebook I put the item on Kijiji if it is an item over $10.  Selling this way I find there isn't as much traffic. Perhaps this is because most of the items I sell are kid items, which are very active on Facebook.

Items on Facebook  I write available under my picture to bump it up, or write my price that I will sell the item for, which also bumps the item up the Facebook page.

A few times a year I make an album on Facebook of all the items and just write pm if you are interested to see if any of my friends are interested in the items.

I suggest avoiding meeting people for pick ups.  Many people don't show up on time and I've been left waiting for people. I have people come to my house. 

Selling online is a lot of effort. I find it worth it, every little bit helps towards the final goal. I don't find adult clothes sell often, but a lot of my items aren't brands this may be why. In two years we made enough to pay for a trip to Disney World using this method. 

IT PAYS TO BE FRUGAL

Purge Challenge!

Ok, my house has a lot of stuff that we don't need!  Tell me it isn't just me that has this problem?  I took a year and went through my house on a regular basis and would throw things into a container to sell or donate. 
Today, I did another sweep of the house.
Grab a milk crate or a small tote and walk through your house and grab some things that you don't love.   Let the crate sit in your basement or in a spare room for a week, and then re-visit it.  You probably won't want to bring the items back into your home. 
You will find it easier to clean your home as an extra bonus.  I also find it easier to sit down and relax, my eyes aren't constantly scanning all the STUFF in the room.
I just filled up a milk crate with kid shoes that they have outgrown but are sitting in the mudroom, and with some containers that I have been cursing in my kitchen this past week.
Are you ready to accept the challenge?

Rain Barrel

Finally it has rained!  At the end of the gutters at our house we have a rain barrel.  The barrel collects rain and we use it to water the plants and gardens outside. 
Perhaps this isn't a frugal tip since water is free, but it is a great tip to use what we have.

It pays to be frugal. 

Share your books

I love to read, it is one of my favourite pass times.  Being frugal, I don't often buy new books at a book store.  I get most of my books at yard sales. It works out well because I do most of my reading in the summer and I find books frequently at yard sales.  Usually books are prices at a dollar a book, that price can't be beat!  Sometimes I get books that are still popular since most people don't keep books after they read them and more people are reading in the summertime.
Another thing I do is share my books.  I have a few friends that we exchange our favourite books.  This works out great  because it gives us something to talk about as well as being frugal. 
I also get books from the library if I am unable to find a book that I am wanting to read.
Happy reading!


It pays to be frugal.

What's it worth?

Well, if you frequently visit Guess Who's Cheap? you will see my torn love hate relationship with Air Miles. 
I love it when I am getting something for free! Air Miles are always free, and whether you have Dream or Cash Miles, it is a great deal.  But let's talk about what Air Miles are worth in each situation to help make decisions about what to do with all those Air Miles that are racking up.

Cash Miles is the easiest math, let's start there.  If you have your Air Miles set to the cash setting then your Air Miles are worth money.  Shop at the participating stores as you normally do, and at the checkout tell the cashier that you are redeeming Air Miles.  95 Air Miles is worth $10 cash.  This means that one Air Mile has a cash value of 10.5 cents.  
Keep that in mind when you are shopping.  If you see that an item in the flyer has 5 Bonus Miles with purchase, that is about 50 cents in future savings when you redeem.  Before you make the purchase to gather bonus Air Miles take the cost of the item and subtract the Air Miles value (example $3 with 5 Bonus Air Miles is like paying $2.50 for the item) and determine if the item is indeed a sale.  It may be cheaper to purchase the item at a different store for less money.  If the item is on sale at a different store for $2.25 then the item is cheaper at the different location.

Dream Miles are a bit harder to calculate.  To figure it out with merchandise, I used a night at the Best Western as the example.  I figured out that it would be 1490 Dream Air Miles before taxes for a night and the same hotel on the same night would cost $166.50 before taxes.  That makes one Air Mile worth 11.5 cents an Air Mile. 

After seeing these two scenerios it appears that it makes close to zero difference which way your miles are being saved.  When I redeem Cash Air Miles I used to put the money on our debt from our budget. Example: Redeem 95 Air Miles towards $10 cash at Sobeys, take $10 out of the grocery budget and slam it on the mortgage.  Now we do this and put the money towards our vacation fund.

WHERE DREAM VS CASH matters is booking flights.  Recently my family went to Orlando. I redeemed 3000 Dream Miles for each flight ticket( there is always a tax on flight redemptions).  3000 Cash Miles is worth $310, there is no way that my flight was anywhere near this cheap had I paid cash for the flight.  It is difficult to find flights but when they are found they are worth it! 

Keep all this information in mind when deciding how to redeem your Air Miles, and before you make a purchase just for the Bonus Air Miles.

It pays to be frugal. 

The Forgotten Currency...SCENE POINTS

If you carry a loyalty card in your wallet, chances are you are leaving money on the table. 
Most loyalty cards allow you to cash out with minimum points, but the more points that accumulate the better the rewards.
When we were getting out of debt we would redeem points on items we needed, such as groceries.  Then we would take the amount we redeemed in points and take the cash from the budget and put it on the debt. For example, if I redeemed 20,000 PC Points, I took $20 from the grocery budget envelope and put it on the debt.
Today, I am going to give you a tip on what to do with the points that you can't redeem for cash value and are non-essentials.
Today, the SCENE card.
Movies aren't an essential item.  Going to a movie is an expensive outing, and is a treat.  You can use your SCENE points for a movie, or dining at East Side Marios, Montana's or Swiss Chalet.
SCENE points can be collected from visiting the previous places, or from using your Scotia Bank debit card or Visa and both are FREE annual fees.

Here is my suggestion: redeem them as gifts.  Although you can't actually get a gift card with the points, you can be creative.  We used our Skittles movie package points and SCENE points to be stocking stuffers for our daughters. 
We made up a "COUPON" with the name of a movie that was in the theatre during the Christmas holiday and wrote the date we would be going.  It was a great way to redeem the points and save money on giving a gift.  Who doesn't enjoy a night out?
2500 SCENE points is enough for 2 admission, 2 pop and 1 popcorn.  Paying for 4 people to go to a movie with snacks can be close to $100. 
Use your points, be creative and remember IT PAYS TO BE FRUGAL.

Cable

I love to sit back and get lost in a TV show, but often I get sucked in watching things I don’t overly enjoy. 

We don't have cable.  Five years ago we cancelled our cable and home phone.  This has saved us almost $75 a month.  

This has been great and I have found that it has cut down on our mindless watching of TV. We do binge watch shows, and they can be streamed online or on Netflix. 

It takes a bit of getting used to, but worth it.  My friends know not to talk to me about tv shows without asking me if I’ve seen it yet, NO SPOILERS!

This little thing saved us a lot of money! 

I also find that since we don't go to the movies often, we are ok watching older movies.

Holy Heat Wave

Oh my gosh, is it hot enough for you?  If you leave your house, I guarantee you will be asked this question at least 3 times!
We have a heat pump which thankfully provides air conditioning in the summer.  Our first year having it we kept the AC on 18! That was until we got the first power bill and that quickly stopped!
Now to save money on our power bill while still feeling refreshed we set the AC on 22.  The fan speed is set on high.  Our house feels cool, but not cold enough that we need to put on a sweater or pants. This will help save us a big on our power bills.
Also I drink a lot of cold water, and throughout the day run cold water on my wrists to help cool down.

It pays to be frugal. 

August Budget

It is August. Where in the world is summer going? It is time to make or tweak your August budget. There may be a few things that you have forgotten to include.

If you have children they will need school supplies, a backpack, lunchbox, water bottle, 2 pairs of sneakers and maybe some clothes if they took a growth spurt to get ready for back to school.

There are only a few weekends left and you may want to plan a day trip or sneak away for a night.
Put all of these things in your monthly budget.

CHRISTMAS! I have 11 pays until Christmas 🎄 last week I went through my bins and made a list of what I have and what I will still need to purchase.  I figured out the cash I need and will save that during the next 5 months.

What did you forget for your August budget?

July 30...my addiction

Today I am going to be real with you. I have a confession to share only with my frugal pals.  I am addicted to second hand shopping.
I love Yard Sales and thrift stores.  I buy clothes way in advance for my kids if it’s  in good shape and a good brand.

In our basement we have 3 long wooden shelves with shoes and boots waiting for our kid’s feet to grow.   I tried many ways to store footwear and if you have space old wood nailed onto the wall is the best solution for us, and could also work for you.

In the basement I always had kept the kids clothes in totes with the sized written on the outside.  Now the girls are getting older and I don’t have as many sizes in advance. I now use an old dresser and each drawer is a size and a season for the future.

Their closets also have a section for storage of the next size.  At Frenchy’s I bought hanging organizers that are labelled for each day of the week.  In our home they store t shirts, pants and hoodies.

I know many of you think second hand clothes are dirty, out dated and expensive for what they are.  Know your prices, and dig.  I am very careful at Value Village.  On Thursday I saw kid jackets for $18.99, yet got a North Face one marked $9.99


Here are my scores for the week:
Value Village ( after price had a voucher for 30% off since I donated items)
Kid North Face jacket $9.99
Iviva hoodie $14.99
Books 1.79 every 4 get one 1 free, my kids read a lot
Under armour sneakers 2.49
Coach purse 7.99
Marble maze building game 3.99

Frenchys for the week
Kid under Armour spring coat $4.99
Michael Kors pants for me $5.75
For $9.80 kid under armour long sleeve shirt, J crew tank top and J Crew dress for my girls

Often I leave without making a purchase but I am ok with that.  Dig Deep, have patience and Resolve spray and enjoy the treasure hunting.

It pays to be frugal.

July 28...Take your lunch

This frugal tip is BORING, but it works.  Take your lunch to work. 
When I am cooking supper the night before I try to make enough to have leftovers.  When I am cleaning up from supper, I pack the leftovers into reusable containers right away to be my lunch the next day.  I don't think clearly at 620 in the morning, so it is a two fold bonus, I don't have to think just grab while I am waiting for the coffee to kick in.  It also saves a lot of money.  At first, buying your lunch doesn't seem like a big expense.  Realistically, even being frugal, a lunch from the grocery store deli would be about $7.  That number is conservative but is still $140 a month.
I work in a school and we have a super cheap lunch at $4.25. Even so, that's $85 a month.  I order lunch once a week, unless it is a week that hamburgers are on the menu, then twice :)
Sock your lunch money savings away towards your debt, or your fun money and watch it add up fast!

It pays to be frugal.  Check out my ebooks on Amazon.ca  A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid. 

July 27...snacks

I love to eat and I always feel hungry!
This week I did two days of road trips.  Knowing that I would be driving a lot and would need some treats.  Stopping at coffee shops along the way for treats can add up quickly.  I packed a cooler each day and was ready to go.
I made a coffee before I left to bring with me.  Most coffee shops give a 5 or 10 cents discount if you bring your own mug. Every bit helps plus it’s  one less cup for the landfill.
I also peeled a bag of carrots to make carrot sticks and put them in a Tupperware keep fresh container.
I packed a few bananas.
I popped popcorn and brought it in a bowl with a lid, it made it easy to eat in the car.  This was the first time I’ve done that and it was great and hit the spot.
I also packed water bottles and granola bars.
We were not hungry over our two days and it saved us money.
Do you pack snacks when you leave the house?

It pays to be frugal.

Donat Dollar$

No Frills
2.00 arm and hammer laundry detergent 50 loads
1.00 ragu sauce
1.00 cucumber
2.00 dole fruit cups 6 pack

SOBEYS
Spend $100 in store 50air miles or 10 cents off a litre of gas
33 cents cob of corn
2.49 bag spinach
59 cents bunch green onions
1.79 pound of mussels
2.49 bag of pretzels 🥨 buy 4 6 Miles
2.49 source yogurt
2/5.00 cavendish crispy fries use coupon

Suoerstore
1.99 pound grapes
2.99 Mickey Mouse eggo waffles new product EXCITED

Giant Tiger
2.85 pack avocados

Shoppers Drug Mart
Saturday spend $75earn 25,000 points
1.88 Christie crackers
1.88 eggs

Lawton’s
95 Air Miles with $35 our compliments products
4/5$ compliments chips

July 22...More Laundry

I don't know about you, but I feel I am always doing laundry!  I don't mind the task, there are worse cleaning chores, like vacuuming!
I stockpile bottles of laundry detergent and they take up a lot of room. Over my washer and dryer there are 3 shelves where I keep my cleaning supplies. 
I had a glass lemonade pitcher from a yard sale that I fell in love with instantly.  I put it in my laundry room and poured 3 jugs of laundry detergent into it. 
It had a slow leak, and because I am frugal and hate to waste solved that problem quickly. I cute a plastic pop bottle and hung it around the hook and it catches detergent and when it has enough in it I use for a load of laundry.
Now, the point of this blog entry and frugal tip: I use one tablespoon of laundry per load.  A bottle lasts forever this way!  When I bought our front end washer a plumber told me they don't need to use all that detergent, and using a lot of detergent leads to the machines needing to be replaced more often. 
I happened to hear this tip on the morning that I fell in a puddle at Walmart and was covered head to toe in mud!  I washed my clothes in a tablespoon of detergent and they were clean.

It pays to be frugal.  Check out my Ebook on Amazon A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada, and A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid. 

July 20 Stock Pile

 I love a bargain.  When I see a great deal I buy multiples of the item, this is called "stocking up".  I started to build my stock pile slowly, and over time it has become quite large.
Stock piling toiletries is a great place to start if you have storage room. 
Did you know that if an item is on sale you can also use a coupon on the item? Sometimes cash back apps also have money back options on the item, or bonus points with your loyalty cards.
I stock pile body wash, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toilet paper, paper towel, cleaning supplies, razors and shaving cream just to name a few.
Mail in Rebates are around a few times a year for items and take advantage of these for your stock pile. 

 Shopping your stock pile helps save you money.  I have not needed to buy some items for a long time, which allows money from the budget to go towards other financial goals. such as paying off det or saving for a vacation.

It pays to be frugal.

On Amazon check out my Ebooks A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid. 

Donat Dollar$

No Frills
3.91 watermelon
2.97 10 pound potatoes
2.47 a pound yellow, orange, red peppers
1.88 poi yes with $10 spent on goldfish crackers and Campbell’s soups
1.97 source yogurt

Sobeys
200$ in gift cards is 100 Air Miles
3.99 watermelon
2.00 ciabatta baquette
2/5 El Paso slash and shells and bowls spend $10 earn 15 Miles
1.99 sensations chocolate bars
3.00 3 pack romaine lettuce

Super Store no tax Saturday

Giant Tiger
99 cents celery
4 pack peppers 2.47

Walmart
6.94 950 g Folgers coffee

Lawton’s
BOGO 3.99 planters peanuts
BOGO 3.69 nail polish

Pharmasave
BOGO nail polish but not sure of price it wasn’t stated

Shoppers spend your points Saturday

July 17, Portion Size

Everyone needs to wash their hair and their body...or at least I hope so lol.
I was noticing that I was going through a lot of shampoo, conditioner and body wash monthly.  I took a minute about 3 years ago and really read the label for the amount needed per use. 
Each bottle gives a different and vague answer in the directions on the label. 
I know it sounds foolish to read the directions on basic items, I felt a tad bit silly doing it too.
What I have come up with that works for my shoulder length hair. I use the size of a quarter for shampoo and conditioner to wash my hair.
I use body wash and use the size of a pea or a dime and put it on my loofah. It really does foam up and do the trick.
Paying attention to the portion size of these items has paid off, and my toiletries are lasting longer.

It pays to be frugal.

July 16

Today's post is self explanatory.  Hang your clothes to dry.  I don't have an outdoor clothesline at my house but I improvise. 
I have a clothes drying rack always set up in the basement.  It can hold one full load of wash and I use that to dry our clothes. On nice days if my kids aren't playing outside I take the drying rack outside to dry faster. 
In our basement bathroom my husband geared up a large drying system for me.  He hung bungee cords back and forth to be able to hang our towels.
Also if you look closely at the photo I bought two racks at yard sales to hand on the drying racks.  These racks have clips that hang small      items.

July 15 Financial Advisor

Once upon a time, when we first were asked if we had a financial advisor we responded that we didn't have any money.  Our friend that asked us quickly responded that we never would if we didn't have a financial advisor.  That night my husband and I talked to each other and decided we should meet with someone.
We had an appointment and talked to them about our dreams to retire at 55, pay off our home, and to pay for one degree for each child.  A plan was created and we began our journey with one small step.
Fast forward 9 years and we are on our second financial advisor for a few reasons. 
Trust your gut, and ask many questions to your advisor. 
We are very happy with our current Financial Advisor.  We meet with him twice a year.  We go over what has changed in the past 6 months both from our current financial situation and we also review our investments. Sometimes we make changes to the type of portfolio we have, other times we just do an educational re-visit into the types of things we have in our portfolio and what they mean.
Talk to your advisor about all your dreams and plans etc.  This year we were debating a new to us SUV but were having a hard time pulling the trigger.  An honest discussion into the reasons we wanted it, the impact it would have on our portfolio etc. We decided to go with a great second hand one and took our time to find the right one for us and our desires.  The honest discussion with our Financial Advisor helped. 
No matter where you are in your journey to building wealth, a Financial Advisor can help. The plan is able to change with you, start today!

It pays to be frugal. Check out my Ebooks on Amazon A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and a Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid.

July 14

We are a family of 4,2 kids and 2 adults and a golden doodle dog.  This means we do a lot of laundry.

Laundry seems to pile up here very quickly.  We do our laundry on the cold wash setting.   This avoids paying for the water to heat up during the cycle.

There is even laundry detergent that can be purchased created specified the cold water setting.

My husband is a Massage Therapist and his laundry is done on hot, I feel better knowing ours is done and cold and cutting down a bit on the laundry costs.

It pays to be frugal.   On Amazon check out my EBooks A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid and A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada.

July 12 Price Match

Flyer Time!

Wednesday after work there is a little  plastic bag in my driveway that saves my family lots of money.  I love the flyers! I make a mug of green tea and get ready for 20 minutes of home budget work.   

 

When I first started to watch my prices, I would write down when I got home from the store how much I paid for an item, and record the size of the item.  I would then figure out cost per unit…how much the item costs per ml, L, g and kg.  It gets a bit tricky as some items are priced per pound, be aware.  I am not the math person, and my husband gets calls from me time to time at the store asking him to figure this out fast! It can get over whelming at the store to do this when you are in the moment.  Getting to know the prices of the items you regularly purchase will help you know when the item is a great deal. 

I first sort the flyers by the grocery stores that I prefer.  

 No Frills in my town is my favorite grocery store and I start there. The owner is present, and is very helpful with the customers.  No Frills also has the PC Optimum, where you collect points on every day purchases and points when you charge to your PC Master Card. And….No Frills will Price Match.

 

In my town ( and across Canada) Giant Tiger and Walmart will Price Match.

How Do I Price Match?

If you see an item in the flyers advertised cheaper than what it is at No Frills, Giant Tiger or Walmart you may Price Match. I circle item in the flyer, and take it with me to the store. You are allowed to Price Match as many items as you like, but can only get 4 items of the same product. For example, if Dawn liquid dish soap was on sale at a Lawtons, I take the flyer to a store that will Price Match and get the exact item for the advertised price.  I could get 4 of the Dawn liquid soap, and then also Price Match other items, such as bread. 

Flipp App also allows you to price match.  It has all the local flyers on the app, and when you are at the cash, before the cashier rings in your item, show the Flipp App on your phone and the cashier will adjust the price.

Why Would I Price Match?

I price match to cut down on my driving to other stores.
Also, I price match to get points with my loyalty cards.   No Frills belongs to the PC Optimum program, I try to buy as many of my groceries there as possible to collect points.

Donat Dollar$

NO FRILLS
2.97 4 pack danone oikos 4pack
97 cents cucumber
$2 36 pack of ice cream cones

SOBEYS
2/5.00 Villaggio breaad
6.99 375 ml Compliments Maple Syrup
2.99 Dole Pineapple Juice cans

SUPERSTORE
2.77 General Mills Cereal

GIANT TIGER
1.88 IOGO tubes
99 cents sour cream

LAWTONS
2/5.00 Ben's Buns collect 5 and text for a Burger Pool Float

SHOPPERS DRUG MART
20x points on Saturday when you spend $50
1.88 wonder bread
3.99 royale/majesta brand toilet paper
1.99 lysol wipes
3.99 1kg Kraft Peanut Butter
1.88 eggs

July 11

I love a glass of wine now and then.  Ok, quite often I enjoy a glass of wine.  My favourite bottle of wine costs $16.99 a bottle. Two bottles a week and I am looking at over $30 a week on alcohol. 
12 years ago my husband started to make beer and wine.  Our friends had started making it around the same time.  We would go to various wine and beer stores and buy different kits and then share them with each other.  Now, we use it all:)
Wine and beer making materials are often at yard sales and and on Kijiji for sale.  Starting to make your own booze is quite cost efficent.
Pick a store that sells wine and beer kits and be store loyal.  Most offer reward clubs and you can earn towards free product or money off of supply kits.
Now a bottle of wine costs less than $4 a bottle and tastes good.  I still purchase my favourite bottle from time to time as a treat.  $16.99 every few weeks is much easier on our budget then twice weekly.
We went to the local bottle depot and asked them if we can buy the beer bottles that self close.  This was very cost efficient for beer making.
Save your bottles for your kits. 
Now, it is 5 o'clock somewhere enjoy!

It pays to be frugal.  Check out my Ebooks on Amazon A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid. 

July 10

Today I am at an airport on my way home from a fun trip in Orlando.  We are not taking advantage of the available lounges because we only had less than an hour between flights. 
I took advantage of an offer exclusive to World Elite Master Card holders  and will never look back again!

Priority Pass Lounges are something that I have seen at airports when I travel, but I never knew how to get inside.

Last year, before a trip to New York I had phoned Master Card to ask questions about traveling outside of the country. I was told about the insurance that was available to me, and also that I was able to gain access for myself and a guest to the Priority Pass Lounges.

Inside the lounge are comfortable chairs and sofas. That alone was worth using the Priority Lounge. 
If you don't have access to the lounge card, you can pay a walk in fee which varies from $25-$50 depending on the airport and services. There is a bar with free drinks, with a small fee for the premium beverages. Coffee, tea, pop and bottled water are also available. Since you are through security, you can take it right onto the plane with you. There were also sandwiches, veggies and desserts along with WIFI. Some lounges also offer a shower and hot meals. 

Despite me being cheap and frugal, after this airport experience at the Priority Pass I would go out on a limb and suggest it is even worth the fee to sit in the Priority Lounge vs purchasing a meal at the airport and waiting for flights in uncomfortable chairs. 

A list of all available lounges can be found at https://www.prioritypass.com/  

July 9

Be grateful for the things that you have in your life. 
Sometimes we spend money on things that we think we need, to make us happy.  Look at your life, the basics.  Try to find the happiness that surrounds you daily.  Our family phrase is that we are rich with love.  Since we have adopted this, it really has made us happier, and realize money isn't needed.
Be grateful.
It pays to be frugal.  On Amazon check out my Ebooks A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and also A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid

July 8

I love to eat out.  What is better than a meal that it cooked by someone else, in a kitchen that I don't need to clean up the mess!  If you are on a budget, then eating out is still an option. 

I do find that serving portions at some restaurants are HUGE!  There are some restaurants that we know there is no way that we can eat the whole meal, so we share.  Or we know that there will be enough for lunch the next day and take some home in a Take Away Tray.

I find every single restaurant in the US the servings are massive and we share there too.  We can't take a Take Away Tray when traveling.
Sharing meals is cost efficient and is also good for the waist line!  Almost every single time the servers respond positively when we order an entree to share and say that their portions are huge. 
A few times we have ordered something at the end to eat when we were still hungry, but it hasn't happened often.

It pays to be frugal.  On Amazon check out my Ebooks A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and also A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid

July 7

On a recent trip to Las Vegas I knew that there would be a lot of walking.  Before we went we had discussed renting a car for the duration of our stay.  Quickly we did some research and discovered our hotel charged a daily parking rate that was quite steep.  With having car rental fees and the stress of not having clear directions we decided to skip car rental. 
I had heard about UBER from listening to the Dave Ramsey show.  It is very easy to pick up rides, but you do need to have a data plan.  If you are doing any travel I suggest UBER vs a taxi, much easier. Here is my referral code, I earn $5 if you sign up from me, thanks.
meghand3515ui


 It pays to be frugal.  On Amazon check out my Ebooks A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and also A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid

July 6

Hotel loyalty earned us 3 free nights on our summer vacation at the Best Western.  I can't see any better deal than that!

I used to spend time on Expedia and other sites choosing hotels, and go with one that was even $5 cheaper than the others.   Then last year we stayed at a Best Western ( found through Expedia) and signed up for a loyalty card. Within 24 hours they sent me a statement with my status in an email.

We noticed that with each stay it accumulated for a free night's stay.  Within the email there is always a survey to complete and receive more Best Western Points. Usually it is 250 points and less than 2 minutes.

This is just the beginning.  There are a few options when booking a Best Western night there a few ways to make your reservation.

Ebates.ca allows you to earn cash back on each stay, it is usually around 2.5% cash back!  With Ebates, when you hit $5 in your account you can redeem for a cheque to be mailed out to you.
Sign up here for EBATES: https://www.ebates.ca/referrer?referrerid=dmI00Ysp2yY%3D  (comment below if you sign up from me, thanks)

Airmilesshops.ca allows you to earn Air Miles with each Best Western Reservation.  Every $35 spent is 1 Air Mile.

bestwestern.com often has special deals, with bonus points attached to them.  With your membership you will often get an email of special promos, sign up for these emails on their website.  A popular promotion is a $10 gift card with each stay to be used in the future.  There are often deadlines attached to these promos.   If we don't have a hotel stay planned before the promo ends, I go to my local Best Western and use it towards a pool pass.  They sell 10 swim punch cards for pool use.  I stick these aside and use them as a stocking stuffer for my girls.  The gift cards can also be used at restaurants within the Best Western hotel.

Best Western points can also be cashed out for gift cards to other stores, merchandise and aeroplan or Air Miles.

This next part is only if you are financially responsible, and completely positive that you trust yourself!
Best Western has a Master Card, and with the first charge you earn enough points for 1 night hotel stay!  I applied for this card, and charged $5 and paid it off the same day. I earned enough points to redeem for one free night when we go to Universal Studios in Orlando.  Then my husband applied for the card during a bonus offer, and earned enough points for 2 free nights with his $5 charge!!!  We will keep these cards open until we come back from our trip to Universal Studios.

If you think that opening up a credit card will lead to you charging things and building up debt DON'T DO THIS, THE HOTEL NIGHT IS NOT WORTH IT!!!
https://apply.mbna.ca/applicationform/generateApplicationForm.htm?src=DAAB91&locale=en_CA

It pays to be frugal.  Check out my Ebooks on amazon.ca A guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid

July 5

I try to buy things second hand, but that isn't always possible.  Whenever I get the chance I try to shop near an outlet mall.  When we take vacations I like to go to hit up the outlets.
Always sign up in advance on the website of the outlet you will be visiting home page.  If not, hit up Guest Relations when you arrive. Members receive special deals available only to VIP shoppers.
My friend and I were recently shopping at a Michael Kors outlet and got an extra 10% off coupon from a salesclerk on the store floor.
It isn't always possible to get to outlets but if you can, I suggest knowing your prices.  A few of the outlets were selling items at the same price as home and not worth purchasing the item.
When I have friends traveling to outlets I ask them if they see anything at a great price to text me.  Having shopping buddies is great! Just make sure you return the favor somehow, perhaps with giving them extra coupons or picking them up items from a thrift shop from time to time.
When I hit up outlets I make sure I let the friends that "scratch my back" know and get their shopping lists also.

It pays to be frugal.  On Amazon check out my Ebooks A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada and also A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid

July 4

Say NO!!!
This is the most unglamorous part of becoming Debt Free.  It sucks to say no to things. 
Many people won't understand why you are trying to save money.  Before we began this path we used to go to dinner on the weekends, go to the movies and spend money like crazy!  Doing these fun activities with our other couple friends was part of our social life.

We started to say NO to events that cost more money than what was in the budget.
HOWEVER, we always suggested FRUGAL things as an alternative to events.  Saying NO! to suggested events but yes to others helps cut back on your finances.  For example, instead of going to the movies and spending $30 for admission and popcorn we started to ask friends over to watch movies.
Another huge perk... once I began to say no, I started to feel better mentally.

It pays to be frugal.  On Amazon check out my Ebooks A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid and A Guide to Collecting Air Miles in Canada.  

July 3

 I used to spend a lot of money on groceries.  I would go to the grocery store and buy a few items and then would come home only to find out that I had the items in my pantry already. OOPS!
I went to Zellers one day to buy baskets and containers to organize my pantry.  Yep, it was that long ago that there was a Zellers!
I was about to purchase all the containers when I realized it was a lot of money for containers. I  went home and thought about how I could organize on the cheap.  I am a teacher and had a bunch of plastic fish tubes in the basement. (Grocery stores sell them for $1 with the lid) I grabbed a bunch of them and lined one shelf with them.
I wanted a container that was a bit higher and bought dish bins at the Dollarama and lined them up on my second shelf.
One day I was at my mom's and noticed she had 2 pop cases out for the recyclables and thought it was genius for soup cans.
When I took a look at the pantry it was all mismatched and wished that I had something to look uniform.  I went back to the Dollarama and picked up thick tape in a bold pattern and applied it all over the front of the containers.  There wasn't any point to do the back and sides since they can't be seen. Another bonus frugal tip.
I also picked up 2 canvas shoe racks and use those for snacks and spices.
I love that each bin has a theme when I organize it.  Not only were the containers cheap, but I save a lot of money at the grocery store since I know what is actually in my pantry and it cuts down on the grocery shopping bill.

It pays to be frugal.  On Amazon check out my Ebooks A Penny Saved is a Mortgage Paid and A Guide to Collecting Air Miles.