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.