Money Saving Tips
Everyone is looking for ways to save money. As we become more committed to living debt free, saving, and having a great life too, we all know that the key is to not waste ANYTHING. So people come up with some really creative ways of spending less, making things last longer, or eliminating spending completely.
Websites abound. With the huge increase in gas prices, GasBuddy.com can help you find cheap gas prices in your city. Since prices can vary as much as 20% within only a few blocks, GasBuddy let’s motorists share information about low priced fuel with others. Hulu.com let’s you watch TV shows and movies on the internet for free, as long as you have high-speed access.
PJ, my producer, arrived on set with a refillable water bottle and announced she was out of the plastic-water-bottles-business. I subsequently saw an add on TV with a very clear message about water bottles and the environment, and decided we were getting out of the water bottle business too. (Who says TV is bad for you?) It’s going fine so far, and I find I’m actually drinking more water because I always have it nice and cold in the fridge.
We first started to buy bottled water when we were packing a bag for the kids. It was convenient, a case lasted a whole month, and, hey, it wasn’t an awful environmental thing, just a neat convenience. I’ve never gone in for all that fancy watch stuff because I just couldn’t see the point. But when it came to grabbing a bottle I could shove in a bag for the kids, I did. The next thing I knew we were up to a case a week. Insidious. Unconscious. Wasteful. That ad combined with PJ’s stand really opened my eyes.
I find my consciousness rising generally. When we moved out to the country five years ago, I decided to go with a front-load washer because it used far less water. We NEVER water our grass. And we are conscious about our water usage in generally because we live on a well.
Our home takes advantage of passive solar heating. The back of our house faces south and is full of windows, bringing the light and heat into the house in those cold months. And I’m considering getting my heat from the ground the next time my furnace must be replaced.
I also tend to turn my oven off early, when I’m cooking, and let the food finish cooking in the heat of the closed oven, saving a bit of energy. I started doing this to reduce the amount of heat in my kitchen in the summer and it worked so well I just kept it up. I always turn off the “heated dry” cycle on my dishwasher, and I load my washing machine to the hilt and then split the load in the dryer to save energy and drying time.
A friend of mine just sent me an email with this tip:
Using Swiffer wet replacement towels can get expensive so I decided to try using my old flannel pajamas cut to size and dampened with a cleaning solution of about 2 tbsp. Murphy’s oil soap to 2 litres water. Works great on my hardwood. Try it.
So I’m gonna. Since the cloths can be washed and reused over and over and the cleaning solution will cost just pennies compared to what I was spending, I’m thinking this could be a keeper.
For years my husband has bought socks all of the same colour and style and I do that with my son’s socks too. That way when one goes missing, it’s no big deal. I never had a problem with Alex’s socks because until she was 12 she purposely wore her socks miss-matched!
Speaking of Alex, she refuses to use anything but rechargeable batteries because she considers it a waste of her money. Funny how when you give a kid her own money, she becomes very careful about what she’s prepared to spend it on, eh?
Okay, it’s your turn. What are your favorite money saving tips?
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September 12th, 2008 at 8:06 am
My Mom always unwrapped bars of soap and put them in a drawer for a few months so they would harden and then when you use them in the bath or shower, they don’t turn to mush plus they last longer. I was mentioning this to a co-worker yesterday and her Mom does a variation on this. With scented soap her Mom punches holes in the wrapper and then puts them in their clothing drawers so that they smell nice, plus they would dry out as well. I am also considering making my own all purpose cleaning solution from a recipe I found on the internet.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:33 am
I love it when I can air dry my clothes….they smell terrific and it is free to boot! I also have a rainbarrel for watering my containers and flowers…little things add up!
September 12th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I make fast food at home! We have McDonalds burgers and fries, (cheese burger, or double patty “bigmac” - the secret dressing is thousand island!) we have subway (sub buns and meat are way cheaper from the grocery store). Also for kids lunches, I check what is in the snackables and kiddo takes our homemade version. Box of crackers, meat cut into small rounds with a cookie cutter - or shaped like when they went to the zoo!
I alos don’t buy swiffer pads. I use dollar store bought tea towels/wash cloths and wash walls and floors with them. They last way longer and do a better job, and regular dish soap and water clean just as well as fancy chemicals
September 12th, 2008 at 9:00 am
My most used cleaning agents include Borax and Baking Soda. Both scrub soap scum effectively, shine stainless steel and get the icky stains out of the sink. Plus, a little Borax in with the washing powder makes laundry smell and look nice and clean.
Also, micro fiber cloths are great for windows, mirros, stainless steel - pretty much anything. They have good grabbing power and only require a little water. Plus, they’re washable.
I have pets, so I try not to use any chemicals on the floors. They lick their paws ‘n all. But keep in mind that products marked “natural” and “organic” are NOT necessarily safe for ingestion and should be treated with caution i.e. Borax.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I hang my clothes in the basement to dry…saves on my dryer and money on hydro (our dryer is going on 20 yrs old). We bought the racks at Walmart. Also use the water from my dehumidifier for my plants, they clean up the air, and love the water. Saves the enviroment at the same time. We put water bottles in the freezer, instant freezer packs for lunchs and such, fill them half way and freeze, also great for water during the day, stays cold a longtime, top them up first. We have a espring water filter, so fill halfway and voilà, cheapo cheapo, saves the world, one little step at a time.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:18 am
buy no name. seriously.
i konw that there is sometimes a stigma with buying the no name brand, but seriously the products are (generally) good and in some cases even better then the name brand. president’s choice and the safeway no name brand have come a long way.
& i believe that everyone should compost. it doesn’t save much money, but it’s incredible for the environment.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:22 am
If you live in a city: imagine if you could do one thing which would save you +$7,000/yr and get you in good shape. Don’t believe it is possible? Dump your car for a bike and a transit pass. You’ll never ever go back and wonder why you didn’t do it years ago:)
I recently ran across the concept of “the green triangle” - the three points of the triangle are health, environment and finance (your pocketbook). The idea is that when you do something that is good for any one of those things, it’s most likely to also be good for the other two.
(I just watched the film that won the oscar for best foreign language film this year for free. DVDs from the library are an amazing freebie.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I just discovered grocery coupons online!
September 12th, 2008 at 10:14 am
@ Julie - agreed. Going to the library is one of my favourite money saving and personally rewarding things I do each week, and I get to do it ‘just for me’ and not feel guilty. Reserving and placing books online for pickup at my local branch is icing on the cake.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:44 am
One great way to save money, and to save items from going into the landfill is by checking out Freecycle groups at: http://www.freecycle.org/
There are groups in lots of cities/towns, and you post items you want, or want to offer, and people respond to you if they would like it, or have an item you want. You never know what you will find, and one person’s trash is another’s treasure! Listing is free - you just have to join the group.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
We live on Vancouver Island and there are so many beaches here that my kids just love walking on. We started picking up cans and bottles to recycle and last month we collected $6.50. We are out walking anyway and it helps to clean up the beach, it’s good all around!
September 12th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I shop the grocery flyers and plan that week’s menu accordingly. We eat in season and don’t use high priced ingredients in recipes. I use the slow cooker a lot for the nights when we have to rush off to something or are working split shifts. Fridays are a zoo at our house but its nice knowing that the slow cooker has supper in it - stews, chili, chowders etc. Some fresh bread or buns and fruit for dessert and we’re good to go.
We also have a few back up casseroles and frozen pizza in the freezer for nights when I can’t face cooking.
We take lunch and drinks from home everyday and only go out to each once a month.
I use a 1/4 of the recommended detergent when I do laundry and only 1/2 a dryer sheet if I use the dryer. Also wash as much as possible in cold water.
September 12th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I wanted to second Julie’s comment about the library-not only for DVDs, but books, magazines, CDs, internet access-the library is a haven for the frugal! You can save even more by getting books out about how to do things yourself, like cookbooks with inexpensive meals, gardening, decorating, DIY projects, how to make costumes for Halloween etc. Also, our library has great free or almost free programming too (like inexpensive yoga classes, storytimes for the kids, newcomers clubs, book clubs etc.)! They all have fab websites now to get all the info.
September 12th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
with four kids I’m always looking at ways to save
1.we reuse gift bags
2.every child has a thermos and they bring their drinks in it
3.they wear hand me downs (note:I put the word out to people that we are always looking for stuff)
4.garbage day is our favorite “one mans garbage is another mans treasure”
5.food outlets, we have a Vachon store and I can buy treats so cheap
6.we grocery shop every 2 weeks, so I never have to go into town (except for milk)
7.love thrift stores, amazing what we can find
8.we use the library all the time
I can go on and on, but these are some of main ones we use
September 12th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Last spring I sold my car (which I owned) and decided to use public transit watching my transportation costs go from over $600 a month down to $96.
In May an additional stop was added to my schedule which would add up to about 4 hours using public transit because of poor connections so I bought a new 49cc scooter. The purchase was about $2500, insurance is $35 a month and gas $3 per week tops (Yes, that is correct, $5.00 over-fills the tank and I get over 150km out of one tank in the city) plus I save myself 3 hours a day in travel time, it’s great fun and a terrrific conversation piece.
I also joined an auto co-operative so when I need a vehicle with 4 wheels, I simply reserve it on line http://www.cooperativeauto.net/ or http://www.zipcar.com (about a week before) and pick it up at the local shopping centre.
September 12th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I have tried hulu.com, but repeatedly get a message that their content is not yet available in Canada. Is this others’ experience as well?
September 12th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
(I can’t seem to get HULA to work for me… it says it only works in US?)
I have a recipe for homemade babywipes that saved me a small fortune when my babes were young and my sensitive baby’s bottom preferred them with no reaction. (Thanks to the Tightwad Gazette for this one!)
1 x Roll Bounty or good quality paper towels
1 3/4 cup Water
2 tbl tearless Baby shampoo
1 tbl Baby oil
Cut roll of towels in half so that you have 2 short rolls; remove cardboard center. Mix liquids in a plastic container (such as an old round baby wipes container or large peanut butter container). Place one of the half-roll paper towels into container; put lid on tightly; turn container upside down to let towels thoroughly soak. When ready to use, pull towels from CENTER of the roll.
I too recycle my worn out flannel PJs as rags for washing the windows and shining the chrome in the bathroom, then wiping the floor.
September 12th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
We try to cut corners everywhere we go.
1. Thrift Stores are my favorite place to shop… we even wait for the discount days to go sometimes. My daughter reads 2-4 books a week but loves to keep her collection, so 50cents for a book vs $7 is my kind of pricing. While I find many kids her age wouldn’t be caught dead in there, she is so excited that her brand new Old Navy skirt was $3 but it was probably around $30 at Old Navy.
2. Freecycle.org. Ones mans trash is another mans treasure. Not only can I stop my things from making their way to the landfill, I have picked up lots of treasures for myself there as well.
3. I am trying to live my life as a minimalist. For Christmas my mother loves to spend gobs of money regardless or what we ask for… so I ask for useful things, new towels, clothes, bedding, things I need for home projects ect and my stocking is full of shampoo and other bathroom necessities. I don’t enjoy owning ’stuff’
4. Vinegar cleans and disinfects almost everything, and its $2 for 4L of it! It also works as softener in the washing machine.
5. I do buy bottled water, but we refill it with Brita water until we loose the bottles.
6. We go places that are free, any festivals or events our town has to offer we try to attend plus parks, beaches and forests only cost the price of gas. (one of my daughters highlights of the summer were the days we took the dog to the forest and played in the creek and taught the dog to swim)
7. No Name food, last day of sale reduced meat/produce and some decent cheap recipes feed my family often. If you type frugal or cheap and recipes into a search engine, you might find out families next favorite meal (I did and they think its better than Taco Bell)!
September 12th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I LOVE books. In the past (when I was still living at home!) I would spend so much money on them… and years later, I still haven’t read them all.
Now I use the library more than ever! Not only do I have a time limit to get the book read, but it’s FREE!
Just the other day I posted a (free!) classified ad because I was looking for a specific book. One person replied and told me she would give me her old copy for (you guessed it:) free!
ps Gail, you rock.
September 12th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
This year, we switched all our light bulbs to CFL’s, plus we got rid of an old 2nd fridge. It cust my month budgeted power bill by $7/mth = $84 savings over a year which more than one month’s bill!
We rarely use our clothes dryer. We either hang it outside or use a drying rack. Plus we wash our clothes in cold water whenever possible. We also shut down our computer & electronics when not in use. We now are budgeted at $63/month for power.
I also can’t say enough about bringing your own meals & snacks to work. I watch my co-workers spend a bundle every week and think what a waste. I just bought some nice containers that have ice packs that attach to them. They are perfect for keeping my meals cold. http://www.fit-fresh.com
We try to be mindful of how much driving we do. We can’t go carless, but we can plan our trips.
I really enjoy cooking & baking. I often bake in larger batches so I can freeze part of my goods. It saves me money on power and time later on.
In particular, I like to make cheesecakes. I invested in small spring form pans and can make 3-4 small cheesecakes for the same cost/ingedients to make a standard size one. They freeze beautifully and I enjoy having one on hand for company or a gift. I find that most people are happy to recieve a small cake because a big cake often goes to waste. A small treat is a good treat!
Heather: Can you share the webiste for on-line grocery cupons??
September 12th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
We used to write up a menu plan by the week, but now we plan by the month. It sounds like a lot of work, but actually we have found it to be way easier to sit down for 20 minutes and fill out a monthly calendar with our dinners. This way we can try a few new recepies and plan for leftovers - without trying too many new (costly) recepies or eating leftovers for days in a row. My husband and I make it fun - we set aside a night and then make a pot of nice tea and go through our recipes together. It’s a cheap date night!
The biggest savings has come through being able to take better advantage of the sales; chicken’s on sale? Great, I know exactly how many times this month we’ll need it, so I can buy enought for the whole month on sale! My husband doesn’t get as excited about saving money on the grocery bill - so I just tell him it means he can have more meat!
Recently we’ve started hosting exchange students from other countries. It’s been our biggest budget booster! Not only do we get a big chunk of money to put towards debt repayment, but our son gets exposure to other cultures, and we set aside some of the host money for entertainment which is great too. We’ve had some great experiences, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone!
PS Gail, thanks so much for this website - I found it by accident - have you considered having a screen shot at the end of your show that says something like “for further info, see Gail’s blog at http://www.”?
September 12th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Holy cow you guys are awesome.. how I wish I was surrounded by such wonderfully frugal and creative people, truly.
@Geoff & psychsarah - Awesome that you enjoy the library so much. I wonder sometimes if I’m the only one that finds it a veritable goldmine. It honestly blows my mind that there is so much there for anyone to access anytime. Three cheers for public libraries!
@Melanied - The website smart canucks (google it) is a pretty good deals and freebies site (and you can RSS it so that new postings appear on your main page) - they have frequent links to on-line coupons.
September 12th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Craigslist is also a great resource. I’ve sold stuff on it + got a free stylish cut at Vidal Sasson and free top soil. I also gather together friends at work and we chip away at making our holiday gifts (this year it’s ceramics). With food I bake in bulk and freeze. Only brown bag it.
I pay my Aerogold VISA completely off each month and have accumulated enough points to take a free return trip to London, England; return trips for a family of 4 to Calgary from Toronto; and to send our daughter to Halifax multiple times for university.
We’re also hand-made people - finding thrown out furniture, refinishing it and using it. Once my husband found a box of thrown out plumbing pieces (small bits) which he incorporated into jewelery with disected VCRs and Computers - a ’shee shee’ Yorkville store wanted to carry his line. The best savings was giving up our 2nd car. Now I read a book every week and a half on the public transportation system & get a lot of walking in from the subway + prevent adding polution to our environment.
September 12th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
What GREAThttp://www.redflagdeals.com/ ideas!!! Library for books, thrift stores for hidden treasures, no-name brand food, hang drying clothes! These are all things i do as well. I always take my bottles to the depot as well and cash them in. Instead of buying cookies for lunches - i bake them. I live in an apartment building, on the top floor, as they say - heat rises and boy is it true. Last winter i didn’t have to put my heat on, the rest of the building was heating my place
http://www.redflagdeals.com/ is another one of my favorites!
September 12th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Many of our money saving tips have been covered by other fine folks on this site. However, I would like to add a few things (sorry in advance for being so long winded).
We take advantage of all our company benefits…. massages, chiropractor, homeopath, acupuncture, dentist, eye exams, discounts on gym memberships, etc. We are paying for it anyway so why not use it???
We also take advantage of any savings plan at our employers…. RRSP’s, Savings Bonds, Pension, stock options. Find out what your employers offer as far as matching - its all free money as long as you make your contributions.
I am fortunate that my employer will also split my pay into two seperate accounts. I have set it up so a savings portion is automatically deposited into our high interest savings account (Achieva.ca). I’ve done it this way because I can’t stand bank fees. Anytime we have been charged bank fees, it has only been no more than 3.95 per month.
Finally, we take our tax returns every year and invest in the kids’ education fund to the max amount, then put the rest on our mortgage. Once again, this is ‘found money’ so no need to take it out of our monthly budget.
We have made a point of getting to know our neighbours. We house sit, babysit, watch pets, share yard tools and expertise for each other. We each offer what we can when we can. My husband helped with electrical work while the other guys came over to help us build a deck this summer. Whoo-hoo!
As far as groceries, I shop the frozen meat section before I go to the fresh. This is particularly good if you are going to just freeze the meat anyways when you get home. I have gotten meat for less than 50% off the flyer price. Now in some stores you have to look for this section or ask the butcher. Almost every store I’ve been in from Safeway to Superstore has one.
I’m a No Name girl all the way including toiletries - body wash, lotions, feminine hygiene - and I also made sure that I bought a razor that will accept no name MENS blades. So what if they don’t match my pink & green handle - they cost half the price!
That being said, neither my husband nor I are ditch diggers and don’t feel the need to shower every day - a few times a week is enough. When we stopped doing this, we saved as much on energy than cutting hot water out of our laundry! Don’t get me wrong, we are still clean - I wash my hair in the sink and a facecloth can do the ‘important parts’ without running the hot water tank dry.
We decided years ago to stop exchanging gifts at Christmas - even stopped drawing names with our respective families. It was getting far too stressful and often we were just handing out gift cards to each other… silly! My husband and I have given up everything (birthdays, anniversary, valentines, Christmas) for each other. I have asked that he gives me a big hug and kiss and tells me he loves me every day - he truly is all I want in life. He asks that I do things with him that he enjoys - fishing, watching movies, etc. Our goal in life is to go to bed every night loving the fact that we had one more beautiful day together - no taking anything for granted.
Our kids get to pick one special present from us for Christmas, and they get money to buy their own special present for their birthday. Any other money goes into their savings or education fund. Because we are a blended family there are lots of grandparents that want to give STUFF to the kids at every event. We have asked all of our wonderful parents to make a choice of putting money into the kids future (savings, education) or giving a nifty gift for the moment. Some do one, some do the other, some split it up. Either way, we have planted the seed and they can choose. No hurt feelings either way.
With our friends, we now give the ‘gift of time’ at special occations. This is usually a home made voucher for a special cooked dinner (no pot-luck as its all about them), or for babysiting, housecleaning, or I’ve even offered to do a friends laundry (completely folded, ironed and put away). When we first proposed this, our friends thought it all sounded cheap. But, when we insisted that what we wanted was to spend time with them (or do something special for them that gave them a gift of time), they understood. Some even admitted that gift giving was getting out of hand.
I can’t wait to hear more of the savings tips out there!
September 12th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
careful with the reusing bottles for bottled water. they are impossible to clean and therefor breed bacteria. also if you’ll look after a few uses you can see the plastic breaking down by the little bumps at the bottom. it’s not a healthy alternative. by a steel one. they have them at walmart for $5.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
our zehrs has started putting fresh meat that expires in less than (5 days i think) on for 50% off. we always buy meat fresh to eat that day or the next or put it in the freezer.
so every time i’m at the grocery i see what’s cheap and if it’s a cut that we eat regularly i buy it and throw it in the freezer. soemtimes we build up a good stock and don’t buy for a month until it’s all gone, then stock back up again.
we have not bought meat at full price in over 5 months.
you have to go in the morning usually if you want chicken, cuz it goes fast. they do this with the produce too but i do not feel it is a deal as it is already showing signs of being on it’s way out.
but….yippee cheap meat!!! yippee!!!
September 12th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Gail has a good point with a Southern exposure. A Southern exposure in Canada gets full sun all day in the winter, but very almost no sun in the summer. It saves a TON on heating and cooling costs. When I bought my house, I ensured that it had the most windows on the Southern side. My furniture and bedroom are arranged so that I’m on the Southern side. On sunny days in the winter, my heating doesn’t come on. Not to mention, I drag my bed around the room so that I wake up/nap in a pool of sunlight.
Finally, if your driveway faces South (mine doesn’t, the back has more windows) snow will melt the fastest on it!
Houses with many windows facing West are the worst - in the summer, the sun beats into them in the afternoon, driving up air conditioning costs. East isn’t so bad, it’s cooler in the morning and the morning sun is enjoyable.
It’s not economic to move, but keep it in mind if you ARE moving!
For others: In the summer, nights are still really cool on most nights. Open up all the windows and turn on bathroom fans at night to expel hot air - as soon as the indoor temp is higher than outside. Close them up before it gets warm in the morning. It saves a ton in AC - in fact, it was cool this summer so I didn’t need AC at all.
In the winter, make sure your blinds are open to let the sun in! Especially if you face south. On sunny days, my temperature can read up to 10 degrees over what the thermostat is set at.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
-biblioteca
-the internet (I’m learning Spanish for free; I’ve never tried hulu but I occasionally use surfthechannel.com; etc)
-hardly ever going to malls/stores. no see, no buy.
-buy everything over $10 on my no-annual fee visa card. use points for free Rona and Starbucks gift cards, pay no service charges for using my bank card that many times.
September 13th, 2008 at 12:12 am
here’s some stuff we do off the top of my head:
- reuse gift bags
- use coupons (my friends and family call me the coupon queen haha!)
- sell stuff on ebay
- cfl lightbulbs
- shower every other day
- laundry once a week
- only grocery shop once a week
September 13th, 2008 at 12:13 am
I walk to and from work. Even at 9pm at night. I live about 3 blocks=1km. It’s great excercise and it’s good to get fresh air. On really hot days or super cold days, I take the bus.
I walk to the grocery store, and carry my groceries home, or wheel the cart home, then return it.
I watch the flyers for specials, particularly laundry soap, toliet paper and kleenex. I picked up two Tide Ultra in the spigot containers last summer, and still have half of the 2nd one left. I have gone to walmart, down the street from me and picked up bread because it was 50 cents cheaper/loaf than loebs, which is just across the street. I put the extra in our small freezer.
I get coupons from save.ca. They are usually proctor & gamble products, but ones we buy and use.
I use Borax to help whiten my sports socks. In winter when clothes get staticy, i mix in tide with downy in with my tide free. That help, and you extend the life of your bottle.
I have a brita water pitcher. I bring a bottle of water to work, but I reuse it. I bring my lunch 3-4x a week.
Oh yeah, I don’t own a car. And I don’t smoke.
September 13th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
“H” mentioned learning Spanish for free. You can download podcasts for learning languages for free at itunes. They offer “Coffee break” spanish, german & french. They are short 15 minute classes but very good!
H: How true - don’t see, don’t spend!
Julie: Thanks for the link!
Joanne: I’m intrigued by the scooter. I must look into one. Great mileage!
Gail: I’d love to see a post on saving money on holiday shopping and ideas from everyone for inexpensive yet tasteful/thoughtful gifts. I’m always looking for new ideas!
I just made 14 jars of blackberry jam. It cost about $1.07/jar. I will keep some and give some for Christmas gifts. Not only did I save myself some money, I was entertained for a few hours this morning preparing the jam. Plus my husband & I picked all the berries ourselves for free.
I’m really enjoying reading everyones tips & ideas!
September 13th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
There are some great suggestions here!
Here are some more:
- Consider a pre-paid cell phone plan instead of a contractual-based plan. Pre-paid plans often allow you to carry over minutes if you add more money before your expiry date, there is no system access fee (that alone can save you $83.40/yr), you generally get free caller ID (which can save you $60/yr), and you can often get “free” voice mail, paying only for the minutes of messages left/listed to, and not a monthly fee for the service.
- Research and compare prices before any larger purchase, and keep an eye out for sales AFTER the purchase. Most stores have a 15-30 day price guarantee and will refund you the difference if the product goes on sale at their store or a competitor within that time period. Also, some stores (e.g. Future Shop, Best Buy, Staples, Canadian Tire) will give you a product at a competitor’s price, plus 10% of the difference, if the item is on sale elsewhere.
- Watch when prices come up on the cash register. If there is a discrepancy between the price on the register and the posted price, you may be able to get it for free (depending on the store), or at least at the posted price. I’ve been able to take advantage of sales that ended several weeks prior at some stores, if they forgot to remove the sale price from the display (even when the sign says the sale ended weeks or months ago).
- shop at stores and/or with credit cards/loyalty cards that allow you to collect points (with this, I’ve been able to get free flights, train tickets, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards, car washes)
- adjust your driving habits
- if dining out, order tap water instead of pop/juice/alcohol, etc.
- make coffee/tea at home and/or if you have access to hot water at work, keep tea bags / instant coffee, etc at your desk to make your own
September 13th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Free iTunes… that sounds excellent as well. I have this… friend… who torrented Pimsleur Spanish and it’s just fantastic. My… friend… like to sit with an audio lesson playing in front of google translator and babelfish (altavista) to learn to spell and recognize the words at the same time.
Re: above - ITA, $3 is a such a rip for a twenty cent glass of watered-down Coke. I know restaurants have to make money, but crikey.
like many people here I’ve been biking to work this summer, when it doesn’t suck outside, which has saved lots of $$ on bus tickets (and given me legs of steel, lol). I’ve probably just broken even because I just bought the bike this summer, but I take good care of it and have a secure place to lock it at work so I expect it to last a long time.
September 14th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
- frozen vegetables - economic, nutritious money- and time-savers. Look for no name or private label. I usually buy 2 kg bag of mixed veggies (corn, carrots, green beans, green peas) from Longos for $4.49 here in Toronto. I’m sure you can get them even cheaper from some place else. And it lasts quite a while.
- when I buy a bottle of wine from LCBO, I go straight ahead to the “On Sale” shelf, and that’s 10-20% in instant savings.
September 14th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
kijiji.ca is really great in my area to buy used items off others. craigslist is not so great in our area. Today we bought a loft bed for our son for $65 which would have cost us $199 plus tax if we purchased it new. We were able to pay for it out of left over “jar” money. Thanks everyone for all the great ideas. I’m also happy to see that I do several of these things already and didn’t even think about them! Another idea we have started with our friends is entertaining at our homes instead of going out to restaurants, clubs, concerts, etc.
September 14th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I love the products from Yves Rocher (YR). In the store, I signed up for a loyalty card where you get a stamp for every $5 that you spend. For the 1st $100 that you get spend, you can receive a free product up to $20 value. If you don’t choose to redeem, then for the 2nd $100, you can get a free product up to $40 value. Then for the 3rd $100, you can get a free product up to $80 value.
I save up my stamps so that I can get my free perfume (a $60 value). In addition, if you have a YR loyalty card, they send every month a coupon where you can get products (of your choice) either at 50% or 2 for 1.
Also in addition, every month, they offer a gift to their loyalty clients. It can either be some sort of jewellery (inexpensive but very nice) or a free product.
Last Sunday I went in to YR to buy some products and to redeem my card. In all the value of my products were around $120 but I only paid $37.52! And this includes my perfume (not eau de toilette!)
When my boyfriend saw this , he just said that he finally has written proof of how cheap I am!
September 14th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
My favorite Money Saving Idea. I am a stay at home mom and frankly have more time than money. With small children in the house, we always need to have goodies for lunch. I take my favorite cookie recipes and cut and divide into logs (just like the ones in the grocery store) and freeze. This way we alway have fresh cookie dough, pull from the freezer and bake off as needed.
My crock pot is also my best friend, use it several times per week. I often take one day a week and prepare and freeze a bunch of meals all at once, ie chili, spagetti sauce, lasagna, hamburger soup etc. Basically all the same ingredients, make most of the mess all in one day and items can be individually frozen for later use. Can also be done with chicken, soup, chicken curry, chicken paprikash, chicken cacciatore etc. All of these items freeze beautifully and again most of the mess all in one day.
Frozen bread dough is also very versatile and quite inexpensive. Can turn these loaves into pizza crusts, pizza buns, cin buns, cin loaves etc. Much cheaper than purchansing at the grocery store or a bakery.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:24 am
The bottled water comments struck home. Yes, I buy bottled water (not everywhere in the world has 100% potable drinking water, even filters can’t get rid of the rust from the pipes, etc.). Now I buy the supermarket’s own brand, it’s still imported but I can buy 6 bottles for the price of 2 of a ‘branded’ water.
I also make sure all electrical equipment is switched off at the socket, particularly the tv, etc., to avoid the ‘vampire load’. I reckon the cost savings are approx US$15 a month, that’s US$180 in my savings account!
By planning meals for the week, my fridge is empty by the time of the weekly shop and there is no wastage.
Just wish supermarket coupons had caught on here, but the lack of competition makes it unlikely.
September 16th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Such great ideas!
Some things we do:
-purchase bulk food through a food co-op. Particularly helpful for things that are used a lot/store well.
-use refillable SS water bottles
-usually order only water in the restaurants
-purchase cases of on-sale wine directly from vineyards when they are clearing out stock for the new harvest
-use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning, lemon juice sometimes
-waash on cold/hang clothes to dry in the basement
-carpool/transit
-take advantage of company programs for health & wellness
-reuse, reuse, reuse, repurpose…gift bags, old clothes to rags
-cloth diapered and cloth wiped both children
-buy local/seasonal
I love the green-triangle concept. It’s amazing how it applies to so many things.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Ok, question about laundry and soap!
Did anyone calculate the cost of doing laundry with baking soda instead of laundry detergent? Baking soda is not cheap, so I wonder if it is cost-efficient to use it. How much per batch is very helpful in the math.
Vinegar is cheaper than fabric softener, if you control the volume you put in.
Thanks!
September 16th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Shoppers Optimum points can really add up if you use their bonus coupons available at the in store ATM. Also shop on 20x the points days and your points can skyrocket. And always save your points until you get to the highest level then wait for their redemption bonus days when you can get $200 of free merchandise instead of $150. I redeem my $200 about 3 or 4 times a year!!!!
We also love our PC Financial mastercard. We use it to pay for everything and pay off the balance each month. We also get free groceries every month because of this. Awesome.
We watch for bonus Aeroplan offers and have flown for free to Vegas, Miami and Ft Lauderdale.
I always shop the flyers and am extremely obsevant of what things should cost, if the item rings up wrong, I get the item for free at most grocery and department stores, up to $10 or get $10 off the total purchase. This happens at least 3 times a month. Watch your prices, you won’t believe how common this is. Superstore, Walmart and Dominion are the worst culprits. This is called the scanning code of practice and you can find the stickers at most cashiers. I’ve gotten free items at Toys’r'us, as well as the above mentioned stores. Sometimes the cashiers are not even aware of this practice! I point to the sticker and get the item for free.
This is a great post Gayle, thanks for all the great ideas!
September 17th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Diane, great ideas for bulk cooking. I like the idea of making cookie dough into logs for freezing. I forgot about that idea. I also like the idea of freezing bread dough. I usually bake the loaf then freeze it, but the dough would be a good alternative too.
If you enjoy wine, making your own can be very cost efficient. After you buy the equipment, it’s very inexpensive. If you re-use your bottles a $50 kit can workout to $2-3/bottle.
September 19th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Lots of wonderful ideas!
I have recently started using stainless steel water bottles. I have purchased the Klean Kanteen brand (http://www.kleankanteen.com) as they are toxin free and nonleaching. They do not leave an undesirable taste on the water as some of the other brands of SS water bottles seem to. They can be purchases through the company website and I have also noticed recently that they are availble in more and more retail stores. For those who are trying to avoid the BPA found in many plastic bottles it may be a good option.
I have also purchased a Laptop Lunch System (http://www.laptoplunches.com) for my 10 year old daughter. Unlike many other plastic containers these containers do not contain phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), or lead. I pack her a homemade nutritious lunch every day without using plastic wrap, plastic bags or paper lunch bags. I purchased my daughter’s at Credible Edibles in Ottawa but I have recently noticed that they are available at many Chapters locations. For her recess snack we purchased a really nice cloth drawstring bag. I paid $5. but I’m sure anyone who can sew could make a very nice one from a small piece of fabric for even less.
We never purchase school lunches (she says they look disgusting) . Her lunches are made fresh and she really enjoys having some nice things to transport them in.
September 21st, 2008 at 9:32 am
I have made my own laundry soap for years and it is much better than the store bought stuff! For the recipe go to http://www.savemoneytoday.net
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:02 am
Here’s a tip for not buying expensive dryer sheets. Buy a small bottle of
fabric softner( any kind). Take an old facecloth or any cloth and wet throughly with the fabric softner, then hang to dry. This can be used many times over in the dryer.Just redo the process when needed.
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:44 am
We just found out my daughter is allergic to fabric softener and many other household products that contain perfumes. After doing some research, we have found out that vinegar is a natural replacement for fabric softener and at less than $2.00 for 4 L, I think we’ll save some money as well. Also, because of my daughter’s issues, we have started cleaning with vinegar and water. It’s cheap, not harmful to us or the environment, and seems to work really well!
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I personally recommend stainless steel water bottles from CynerGreen. They come in really fun shapes and lots of different sizes and colors. They have bottles for both kids and adults. They also have a kids line called CGKidz which is designed by an 11-year old girl that includes a stainless sippy cup and smaller bottle. They are also a totally green company which is important to me.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Hey guys, love the money savings ideas. i live in a building and the price fo rhte dryer is in my opinion wastefull. i have made my balcony a drying station. so instead of spending 3.25$ on a load, i spend 1.75$.
One coworker gave me a link for a fantastic website: http://www.soscuisine.com this website gives you all the specials in flyers for your province and town and selects menus according to those specials and seasonal foods.
Also, if you have the chance, buying directly from the farm in a group is econimical. my husband is lucky enough to work delivery in rural areas sometimes and we get apples and corn (even meat like goat and really good beef) for a lower price than at the store.
If you buy large quantities and devide it with your friends and family you can really save a lot. one study done at the university of montreal showed that the student buying group was saving 30% on the price of veggies by buying bulk from local producers. SAVE MONEY, SUPPORT LOCAL AGRICULTURE!!!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
The other day I spent about 30 minutes on the phone and ended up cutting my insurance costs by $30 a month. Switching companies paid off. I had been afraid of change so was essentially spending $30 a month because of fear. Next up….switching to no fee banking. I am tired of giving companies more money than I have to. Great blog!
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
soscuisine.com - appears to only work in Quebec, not Ontario, from what I could gather, unless I was doing something wrong. Does anyone know?
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Mary: I just looked at the website. They say they are currently only focused on Quebec. They suggest you write to them if you’d like them to add your area. If they get enough requests they might do it.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
It’s ashame that people wait until the economy forces them to save and then it’s too late. If people could learn how to get honest with themselves and their money, they wouldn’t have to be forced into ever pinching pennies.
I think people want to stay ignorant about money. They teach you how to get a degree to get a job to earn money, but they don’t teach you how to handle the money you earn.
Dave Drew
Your Money Saving Coach
http://www.yourmoneysavingcoach.com
October 13th, 2008 at 7:50 am
I love the show! I learn something every time I watch one but I’ve never been able to write down your percentages of income that make up the various categories of ‘living’. Could you please post them on the website. I’ve been trying for years to set up a budget for my two government pensions. At 76 you’d think I might have figured it out!
Thanks for a LOT of information!
October 15th, 2008 at 10:50 am
There are so many great tips here! Here are a few of my suggestions:
- Cancel your TV and download shows on the net, or at slice.ca or other networks online. If you don’t cancel completely, bargain with the company for a deal
- Cancel your landline if you have a cell phone
- Seek out coupons & sales and comparison shop before buying anything, including groceries
- Mend and repair your shoes and clothes; worn down heels can be replaced, etc.
- Regularly launder and iron your clothing. If you have a full closet you will feel less inclinded to buy new clothes (at least that works for me)!
- Display your jewellry and handbags where you can easily see them and actually wear them (for the same purpose above)
- Take good care of your clothing and follow the washing instructions
- Don’t assume quality correlates with price when buying clothes - check the fabric, seams and look to see where the product is from.
- Shop at expensive stores during lucrative sales (mostly end of season sales)
- Take a travel mug of coffee to work. If you must buy pop, buy a case on sale and take one each day to work.
- Check the CRA guidelines to see what you can deduct off your taxes
- Make your own crafts, find fun, free activities in the city to do (opportunities are endless)
- Quit the gym and buy a pair of running shoes
- If you want to run with a group, go to The Running Room - free group runs on Wed. evenings and Sunday mornings (plus free technical expertise!)
- Make your own sports drinks, protein bars, and even gels
- Rent movies from itunes ($4 and no late fees!)
- Make your own “fast food” at home, like pizzas, tacos, and snack food like salsa, hummus, etc.
- Make gifts for friends for birthday, xmas, etc. You can also make gifts in lieu of cash gifts for charity (like knitted blankets or booties, etc).
- Reuse everything! Make the things you own become mult-purpose
- Avoid buying excess kitchen equipment - the basics are all you need - and you can find them in China Town for MUCH cheaper than homeware stores! (Let me know if you want suggestions)
- Use cloths instead of paper towels and napkins.
- Recylce your beer & wine bottles at The Beer Store
- Find inexpensive (but good tasting wine) through recommendations online
- Swap clothes, jewellry, books and movies with friends (temporary or permanent exchanges)
- Make cheap but healthy meals using lentils, beans, seasonal veggies, and tofu
The list is endless! (And I have more suggestions at my blog, saverqueen.com)
November 6th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Excellent ideas, everyone!
I already do the:
-coupons only for stuff I use, and shop on sale
-stock up when things are priced low
-walk the kids to school and back most days
-Freecycle and Thrift Store (ours is also a consignment store to which I take the old stuff once a week)
-Loved the Tightwad Gazette and have all the books, using tips there.
-I cancelled all but one magazine subscription and now read content online
-I read once that most recipes from those famous TV chefs are online anyway, so I not only stopped buying the books, I sold them.
-I make a whole loaf of bread into PBJs and freeze individually for the kids’ school lunches. This keeps the bread from going bad and works as a “meal plan”.
-I try to meal plan and coordinate with the coupons, sales flyers, and what the family wants to eat.
-I bought my toddler cloth training pants because he’d go through a good $15+ a week in the disposables. (I’m also trying to potty train him a year earlier than my other two.)
-For books I really want that aren’t at the library I use Paperbackswap.com . You can trade books for about $2.50US.
-I’m trying to get the kids into making gifts rather than buying them.
Love the tips about the swiffer wet. I quit using it because my Wiener dog is epileptic and I was afraid the chemicals would set him off.
I have lots of old towels and flannel sheets that are falling apart. Here I was saving them to make a quilt. Now I’ll just use the towels to clean the floor! Saves on the $10 mop too!