Today only, you can get PJ pants for the adults for only $15 from Old Navy Canada! Kids sizes are only $10. These are perfect pants for cozying up in front of a movie!
Shop online at Old Navy Canada here.
Offer valid February 20, 2021 only.
Growing up, my mom would plant a big vegetable garden every year so the idea of growing my own food has always been appealing. Due to our lack of yard space, I have tried a bit of container gardening in the past, but this year, I intend on going "all out" and documenting my progress!
Although I won't be able to grow enough vegetables to last all summer long, it's still nice to know exactly where they come from and to have the satisfaction of eating what I grow. Nothing beats watching your hard work come to fruition!
When it comes to container gardening, not all fruits and vegetables will successfully grow in containers. From my experience and online research, here are the best vegetables for container gardening.
When you're purchasing your seeds or starter plants, you'll want to look for varieties that say they're good for containers. I always have great success with patio tomatoes and Spring Mix type lettuce.
Will you be planting a container garden this year? What have you had success with in the past?
The Chapters Indigo Baby Event is on now! Save 20% off baby toys, clothes, nursery essentials and more by popular brands like Medela, Skip Hop, Aden + Anais, Burt’s Bees and more!
Shop online at Chapters.Indigo.ca here.
Offer ends February 21, 2021.
Save.ca has a new coupon for Healthy choice Power Bowls!
Save $1.00 on any one (1) Healthy Choice® Power Bowl (204 G - 280 G)
Setting a budget is one thing, but actually sticking to your budget each and every month is another! In today's society, you're constantly bombarded by temptations that can lead you away from your plan. TV commercials, an enticing "sale" sign and a beautiful store display can all tempt you to spend outside of what you can afford in your budget. Never mind that you may not like to delay gratification for something that you want today!
But, the truth is, what you decide to do today will determine your future. Having a budget in place to help eliminate debt and not consciously sticking to it, may make our lives enjoyable today, but will give us much misery in the future.
Here are some tips to make sticking to a budget a bit easier:
Since you've most likely put a budget in place so you can attain financial goals, it's important to get specific by providing numbers and deadlines for your goals. For example, instead of “My goal is to save enough for a down payment on a house”, a better one would be, “My goal is to save $2,083 a month for a 20% down payment on a $250,000 house in 24 months”. Setting specific goals gives an idea of how well or how poorly you're doing. In turn, possibly enticing you to be more disciplined with your budgeting or allowing yourself a pat on the back!
In terms of goal setting, it's important to set goals that are reasonable. Not ones that are setting you up for failure right from the start.
It's also important to be realistic when you're setting up your budget. Say you've discovered that you spend, on average, $800 a month on groceries after you've tallied up your receipts from previous months. Don't decide that having a budget of $500 for groceries is "totally doable" since you have to "reach your financial goals as fast as you can because you're so excited". This is just setting you up for failure. I'm not saying it's not impossible to eventually get your budget down to $500 a month, you'll just want to work slowly, one step at a time, at reducing your monthly grocery budget.
Think about the last time you started a workout routine or tried to kick a bad habit; having a partner by your side, holding you accountable is crucial. Involve your family (or a very good friend) in your plan. Explain why you need to scale back on some areas, and get their input and encouragement on those things. From here, review your budget once a week with your family (or very good friend) to make sure that you're on track. Not only is it good to have someone help keep you on track, it's great to have someone helping you celebrate your successes!
If you leave your debit cards and credit cards at home and only bring the amount of cash that you have budgeted, then that's all you'll be able to spend. So if your budget allows you $100 at the grocery store each week, then only bring $100 with you. (These printable Cash Envelopes are a fantastic tool to help you organize your cash.)
You'll be more likely to avoid those unnecessary items that might otherwise end up in your cart. They may not seem like a big deal because they're only a few bucks, but when you end up at the checkout with $110 worth of items, you'll be forced to put some things back, making you prioritize and forcing you to stick within your budget. If you had your debit card with you, chances are you'd think "It's only a few dollars", and you'll find yourself short at the end of the month.
As you go about the daily life of living within a budget, it's important to remind yourself often of why you're living on a budget. Is it because you want to save enough for that winter vacation? Or maybe it's to pay off your consumer debt. Regardless, it's important to constantly remember your financial goals to help fuel the excitement of what's to come, if you manage to successfully stick to your budget. It could help to write down your financial goals and carry them around with you in your wallet or purse. Every time you pull out your cash and look at those goals, you'll be reminded of the reason you have a budget.
When you divide your big goal into several mini goals, make sure you reward yourself each time you accomplish one of those mini goals. Not only will this help spur you on, you'll also start to feel as though your big goal could definitely become a reality if you stick to it. Your reward may be as simple as a long bubble bath or a bowl of ice cream; or as extravagant as a fancy dinner out. Of course, as long as it is still within budget! Here are some great ideas to treat yourself for free.
What are the things that you do to make sticking to a budget easier? Let me know in the comments below.
Here are the interesting links I came across on my travels around the web this week! Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Here are some posts that you may have missed from Simply Frugal:
My husband and I are on the market for a new mattress. We're going to upgrade to a king size bed so we will be purchasing all king size stuff to complete the mattress. However, I'm also a deal hunter through and through. I love buying used, but this time I think we will be buying all new things (because we've never had brand new before!)
So during my research, I came across the Zinus Upholstered Diamond Stitched Platform Bed in Dark Grey from Amazon on sale for just $292. (reg. $399). It has fantastic ratings as well! Here are some details:
Shop online at Amazon.ca here.
Offer valid for a limited time only.
Oooh, great sale on sale at RW & Co! For a limited time only, save up to 70% off sale items! Plus, an extra 20% off! I see cardigans, blouses, dresses, pants, skirts and more! There’s a great selection of sale items in the men’s section too!
Sale valid for a limited time only. Shipping is free on orders of $75 or more.
Can you believe we have reached the last day in the No Spend Declutter Challenge? It's so hard to believe we've been working away for nearly a month! I still have areas of my house that need some fine tuning, but overall, I'm quite happy! I think I brought in 5 boxes/bags to the second hand store.
One thing I wish I would have been better at, is using stuff we already have in our pantry and freezer. I feel like I still spent the same amount on groceries as I do every month.
We're going to close out the month with something that I like to do about once a month or so. A digital declutter. This is when I go though my email accounts and delete emails I no longer need. Unsubscribe from newsletters that don't interest me any longer. Unfollow social media accounts and delete photos off my phone and computer that are no longer needed.
It's sort of a mindless task, but feels so good to have only the stuff you need and the stuff you love in the end!
How often do you do a digital declutter?
Remember when a couple of weeks ago, our task was to create "wants" list? Well, today, we're going to revisit that list.
When you revisit your list, cross off the things you realize you no longer want. With the items that are still on the list, I want to encourage you to try buying used, borrowing from friends or family, or asking in a local Buy Nothing Facebook group.
I know you will will feel just as satisfied with those options when you receive the items you want!
I'd love to know, after nearly an entire month of not spending unnecessarily, how many things do you no longer want or need?
Thank you so much for joining me this month! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I will be posting each task in the Simply Frugal No Spend Declutter Challenge Facebook Group. This is where most of the discussion will be happening.
I will also be posting random progress reports throughout the challenge over at Instagram! Follow me on Instagram @simplyfrugal and use the hashtag #nospenddeclutter to get updates and see what others are up to during the challenge!
If you do not use social media, I would love to read your comments on each task, right here, below each challenge post on SimplyFrugal.ca!
