How much do you use?

OK it’s no secret that I love to stockpile items.   When I see a deal I love to take advantage of it and maximize it to the full potential.
There are items that I stock pile excessively, most of which are toiletries.  I know I am always going to use razors, soap and toilet paper and these items will never go bad.
I encourage you to take a moment and do a little inventory of your items.  Count how many you have and then see how long it takes to use the product.  This will help you be aware of how much you truly use and be able to begin to maximize the deals.
I’ll use toilet paper as an exa,ple. Oh I have a lot in this house, oops, but we’ll it was cheap and I have the space to stockpile. In the linen closet I stock the shelf and count each roll once a year and out a piece of paper by the item or a note on my iPad.  I know on March 9 I filled the shelf, and I know that  July 14 it was empty. During this 4 month and 5 days period we used 76 rolls of toilet paper.  I know for sure that 6 packages of my favourite brand lasts 4 months, or on average 18 packages a year.  This will help me plan out the buying cycles of the year.

 I encourage people to shop the flyers and take advantage of loyalty offers and coupons to get the best bang for your buck.
It pays to be frugal.

Be aware of loyalty points

I was grocery shopping early this morning, and I noticed a lot of bonus Air Miles on items. Now we all know I love my miles, but I want to take a moment and warn you about them.  I will use this product as an example.  Usually this box is on sale for $1.89 at various stores.  If you are shopping to just collect Air Miles you would spend  $19.74 on this to get $1 worth of Air Miles.  Or, if you wait for a sale you spend $11.34 for the same product. I would rather have the $8.40 in my grocery budget envelope then 10 Air Miles.  

Yes, miles and other loyalty points are awesome but I strongly urge you to know your prices before you make your decision.  

It pays to be frugal 

This gadget saves me $$

Ok, so I have no clue what this item is called! Do you have one?
It slips on the bottom of a tube of toothpaste.  Every single drop ends up getting out of the tube with this.
I am sure I get an extra week out of a tube once I out this on.  I’ve not taken the time to notice how long a tube lasts, but I am sure I save a few bucks a year with it, and that’s worth it to me!
It pays to be frugal 💰
#itpaystobefrugal

Reusable Containers

We try to re-use things that are around our home.  Folgers containers are air tight and great for storage of many different types of items. BUT they are ugly.  On the weekend I found a half used can of paint, leftover from when we painted he house.
I decided to paint the ugly Folgers containers. They each received 2 coats, honestly it was less than 2 minutes per can, per coat.  They aren’t perfect, but I love them 100% more than the original packaging.  I don’t t know how they will hold up since the paint wasn’t t made for plastic, but I’m will to chance it for 20 min  of free labour.  I plan to put chalk board labels from the Dollarama on each container.  
It Pays to be Frugal. Join Guess Who’s Cheap on Facebook

Time to get Serious...

Wow, where have I been? It has been a very long time since I have blogged but it is time to get back in the game.
.
  Together with our Guess Who's Cheap community we can achieve great things!
STAY TUNED!
It pays to be frugal.

April Budet

What’s that expression...a day late and a dollar short? Well I am a day late sharing about the April Budget and I want to make sure you aren’t a dollar short!
In Canada the Carbon Tax came into effect yesterday.  I feel this is going to see a rise in every area of our budget. For this month I am adding an extra $20 to be a cushion to feel out the transition of implementing this tax in each category

April sees a few new Budget Lines
-our daughter’s birthday
- Easter
-paying our tax professional for Income Tax Prep
-away for a day for a dance competition

It is important to create a budget each month  because no two months are the same.

Maximize Your Offers

By now you have figured out that I love coupons and deals.  I also love to share them with you. 

Today I did my grocery shop at my favourite store, No Frills.
Before I went I checked my PC Optimum App on my phone to see if any offers jumped out at me.   Today was the Holy Grail of offers with 600 points on each can of No Name canned vegetables.  Regular price is 77 cents again.  After points it makes the cans 17 cents each!
I bought 12 of each can that my family eats, and I also bought can tomatoes making it 40 cents a can.
When you have a great points offer, maximize it and make it work for you.  It is the perfect time to build up your stock pile

If time permits I try to walk through the grocery store and search for coupons. Today I found a coupon booklet as seen in the picture.   I bought two boxes of Cheerios for $2.77 each and used a coupon for a free box of Maple Cheerios!
It Pays To Be Frugal   Join Guess Who’s Cheap on Facebook