Can you guys give Marie any great tips?
Just wondering if you know of good financial institutions in Canada to bank with that have low or no service charges? Also, do you have any advice on how to close a bank account and not be charged a fee for doing so? Thank you.
Have you got a question that you would love Simply Frugal readers to help answer? Send it my way and I’ll possibly post it as a Reader Question!
The following post is a guest post by Leah! Enjoy!
According to Industry Canada, revenue from cosmetics, beauty supplies and perfume stores, reached 1.4 billion in 2014. It is so easy to get caught up in the latest products and spend money needlessly. Here are a few tips for looking great and saving money!
6 Ways to Save Money on Makeup
1) Simplify your routine. Stick to the basics. Moisturize, apply foundation only where you need it, a little liner, blush and lip gloss and you’re done!
2) Double duty products. You don’t need expensive under eye cream if you have normal to oily skin. Just use your existing moisturizer. Cream blush can double as a lip stain. Use light pink shimmery eye shadow as highlighter for your cheekbones.
3) When purchasing products, check for bonus packs. Most will come with a great basic like black mascara or liner. Get to know where your favorite store keeps their discounted makeup and buy what you need not just because it’s cheap.
4) Get more out of what you already have. Use a lip brush to get the last bit of lipstick out of the tube. Foundation tubes can be cut to access more of the product (store in a sealable bag so it doesn’t dry out). If you buy a lipstick that is the wrong colour don’t throw it out! Be a makeup artist and mix it with other colours you already have for a custom look.
5) Look for inexpensive alternatives for the products you love. I was shocked the last time I had to replace my liquid eye liner. I then decided to give Essence cosmetics at try (you can find them at Shopper’s Drug Mart) their liquid eyeliner is a mere $2.99 and it is amazing. They also have tiny bottles of nail polish for next to nothing. Great if you want to try a new colour without spending a fortune and finding out you hate it. They have a complete line of products so have a look and see what you can discover.
6) Don’t get caught up in the frenzy of a new product. If you know something works well for your skin, stick with it. This is especially true if your skin tends to be sensitive. In the long run you’ll save by not wasting money on products that just end up sitting on the shelf.
We’re all going to buy products we “thought” we were going to use. Yes, I was the one that bought the dry shampoo – oh well! Just remember that above all else you’re beautiful because you’re you – and that is priceless!
Leah Leitch is a mostly stay-at-home mom to two wonderful teens. She loves to write and wonders why people exercise when they can get just as many endorphins from scoring a great deal?
Although this idea isn’t a new one, I really like the idea of giving “want, need, wear and read” gifts each year for Christmas. I think it’s a great idea to not only help keep costs down, but to possible reduce some of the spoiling!
I’m wondering: How do you keep Christmas gift giving in check? Do you?
Checkout 51 is a mobile app that provides you with a list of offers (coupons) each week and then gives you cash back when you upload a photo of a receipt that proves you purchased products on the list! It’s like a mail-in rebate program except it’s all done on your smartphone! The Checkout 51 app makes it quick and easy to save on everyday products!
Currently Checkout 51 is only available for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch but they’re working on getting something available for all smartphone users.
How it works
1. Open the Checkout 51 app to see this week’s offers (new every Thursday)
2. Buy any of the products on offer from any store in Canada and keep the receipt
3. In the app, tap “Upload Receipt” and snap photos of the receipt
4. When your account reaches $20, we send you a cheque!
Here’s a screenshot to give you an idea:
Check out the help section for more details on how the program works.
I think Checkout 51 is going to be fantastic for those of us that aren’t extreme couponers, but still enjoy saving on basic grocery purchases! This week, I even noticed a couple of offers that have manufacturer coupons available for extra savings!
Give Checkout 51 a try, I think you’ll really like it!
Christmas is usually a tough time to stay in check financially. With all the extra activities occurring, parties and of course the gifts, we could all use some help with keeping ourselves in check. Here are three tips that will help you resist holiday overspending!
Along with creating a budget for holiday spending, when you're limited to using only cash, you're way less likely to spend more than you have. When you're out of cash, you're out of excuses to spend.
Whether it's knit, baked, or glued, any gift you make not only feels meaningful to the recipient, it can also help keep you away from the major stores and malls. In turn, keeping you away from a lot of temptation to spend!
Check out the Homemade Christmas Gift series here on Simply Frugal for some great ideas to get you started!
Take a look at your calendar for the weeks leading up to Christmas and figure out all the activities, parties and gift exchanges you'll be attending that require you to bring something along. Think of everything you could do to prepare ahead of time so you’re not rushing and making unnecessary stops at the store, which could lead to unnecessary spending. Freeze some sugar cookie dough so it’s ready for that cookie decorating party or available to bring to a neighborhood party. Dig through your closet to find an outfit for the office party. Buy or make hostess gifts to have on hand for last-minute party invitations.
The more you put your cold hard cash to good use, have fun creating and plan ahead for the Christmas season, the less likely you are to feel the effects of your overspending in January when your credit card statements will be due to arrive! After all, now is the time to focus on celebrating the season for it's true meaning.
What are your tips for resisting holiday overspending?
Looking to add a bit of fun or class to your Christmas decor this year? Check out these 5 budget friendly DIY project ideas:
Make some beautiful Christmas tree snow globes by re-purposing empty canning jars!
For a neat twit on the typical Christmas village, try your hand at creating a vintage paper house village!
This snowflake wreath would be so simple and cheap since it uses only popsicle sticks, wooden disks, paint and optional glitter!
I quite like this Chalkboard Christmas tree art because you could easily use the chalkboard all year long!
Light up the outdoors or a dark corner in you home with these tomato cages wrapped in lights!
What sort of projects will you be making for your home this year?
