What do you consider a necessity? Are there things or services currently in your life that you can do without?
There are many things my husband and I do without in our pursuit to live within our means. I'll be honest, I was very reluctant, at first, to do without a couple of things I've listed below. But I've surprised myself and found I'm very content without those items! Who knew! I've actually come to enjoy life without them!
Cell Phones
My husband and I used to have two cell phones. One for each of us. Two bills every month. Both phones used to do a lot of sitting around doing nothing while our landline was getting all the exercise. When we were first married, my husband had a job that pretty much required a cell phone, since he was on call most of the time. But as my husband moved on from that job, he cancelled his phone plan. I still had mine. I had it for so many years that I wasn't sure how I was ever going to get rid of it. But eventually, with my husband's gentle prodding and the satisfaction of knowing we'd be saving $50 a month, I cancelled my plan. I really don't miss it! And if there ever was an emergency while I'm out and about, do you know how many people have a cell on them these days? Tons!
New Cars
Before we were married, I was seriously wanting a brand new Mazda 3. It was my dream car. One day, I decided I'd go out and get one since I could do whatever I wanted with my own money. But I decided to lease the car since the dealer was offering 0% interest. That was a poor decision on my part. Especially since I didn't own my own business where I could at least write off some of the costs. I was paying $250 a month to rent a car that, in the end, I would give back. I had nothing to show for all the money I spent on my dream car.
My lease contract ended after we were married and my husband did not want me going out and getting another brand new car that way. We looked into buying the car out, but that meant we would have to take on debt. Since that time, we've agreed that we, personally, will not take on debt for things that decrease in value over time.
I'm happy to report that we paid cash for a great used Toyota that should last us a long time! And the best part? I'm extremely content driving the Toyota because I know I don't owe anything, the gas mileage is great and my insurance costs are lower!
Cable TV
Ever since I've been living on my own, I haven't had cable TV (or whatever the fancy systems they have available these days are called...PVR's?). TV is actually the one thing I did not have a problem with not having. I don't watch much TV. We do own a TV though, for movie watching or when we occasionally feel like seeing what's available on our one channel. If there is a show I would like to watch, more often than not, I can find it online, for free!
There you have it! Three of the more substantial things we're doing without at the moment. Now, hear me when I say this, I don't think any of these things are bad. These are just some of the things we're choosing to live without for the moment! Each person or family knows what is a necessity for them personally. But ask yourself this, are there things or services in your life you can do without for a time to help your reach your financial goals faster?
Stay tuned for my next post about the smaller things we're doing without, to save a buck or two!
The following post is a guest post by The Happy Geek! Enjoy!
Birthday Parties. A phrase that strikes fear into the heart of most parents. The noise, the confusion, the mess and the cost. While I cannot help you manage the chaos, I do have a few suggestions for throwing a party that doesn’t break the bank.
Don’t have one.
Seriously. My kids get their first friend birthday party when they are 6. And it will be alternating years after that. Not only is it pocketbook friendly, it makes the party even more special when they do have one.
This doesn’t mean that we don’t celebrate the birthday, we certainly do, but it is with family, not friends. The day is still dedicated to the child. They get to pick all the meals that day, we have a cake with dinner and we hit Chuck E Cheese as a family.
There are many birthday clubsthat you can register your kids for and they can have a special treat at little or no cost to you.
But sooner or later, your child is probably going to want to have friends for a party. Here are some tips to keeping it fun and inexpensive.
Make your Own Cake
Cake mixes are really cheap, icing is easy to make and who doesn’t love a cupcake. It is nearly impossible to ruin a cupcake.
If your child would like a shape cake, there are a number of websites dedicated to helping you out. My favorite was Howdini as they had step by step videos on how to do it. If I can make a unicorn cake, you can do it too!
Have the party at home
Kids really don’t need much. A craft, a few games, cake and presents can easily take up two hours.
Also, no one charges you for the rent of your house!
Scared to death at the thought of being alone with ten grade-schoolers? Hire your favorite babysitter to come and be an extra pair of hands. Or swap with a friend, if she helps at your party, you’ll help at hers later.
Have it at a park
If you are lucky enough to have a birthday in the spring, summer or fall, why not hold the party at your favorite playground?
Commandeer a couple of picnic tables, put out a festive tablecloth and some balloons and you are set. Parks are fabulous for fun birthday parties on a budget.
The internet is your Best Friend.
You can find great free printable invitations, games, crafts and decoration ideas online. Some of my favorite sites are:
For a sleepover party, buy inexpensive pillowcases and have the kids decorate them with fabric paint.
Or have them paint wooden picture frames and then include a picture from the party in their thank-you note.
You are only limited by your imagination in this one and the results are much more fun than a little plastic bag filled with toys that break as soon as the guest gets home.
If you would rather hold it away from home, shop around.
Find out if there are discounts for off-peak times, if you can share the party with another group and split the cost, and if there is a discount for just using the facility and not their party room.
Birthday parties are for making memories, not keeping up with the Jones'.
I may be the only one who feels guilty that my child is not doing what “everyone else is” but in case this applies to you too, here’s what I tell myself: "If I make it fun and exciting, and personalize the party to my kid’s personality, then they won’t care that it cost $25 and not $250!
So, what about you? What do you do to create fun while keeping costs down at birthday parties? How do you create birthday parties on a budget?
The following post is a guest post from Breana! Enjoy!
Summer is a time of abandon. Kids run wild day and night, riding bikes, having water-balloon fights, frequenting the public pool, and generally running amok. And families enjoy the warm weather with BBQ's and parties throughout the long summer months. Unfortunately, the bountiful foods we use to celebrate summer (fresh fruits and veggies, potato salad and pie, sodas, chips, burgers, etc.) can do a fair amount of damage to both wallet and waistline. But don’t despair! You can keep your diet and your budget on track with simple summer treats and a do-it-yourself attitude.
Here are a few you can try:
Popsicles.
They’re both easy and delicious. You don’t need any special equipment (ice cube trays or small paper cups with toothpicks or popsicle sticks will do the trick), although you can certainly look online or in local discount stores for freezer-safe popsicle trays or novelty ice cube trays. Then you just add fruit or vegetable juice (choose light juices for less sugar), lemonade, or iced tea.
Smoothie pops.
While they are a little more work, these tasty treats are well worth the effort. You can go super healthy by using fruit, juice, and ice, or add in some soy milk or yogurt to make it creamy. So blend up your favorite smoothie and freeze it like a popsicle for a healthy, creamy treat filled with all the fruit you love.
Fudgesicles.
If what you crave is chocolate, but you’re worried about the calorie count of the frozen options at the store, you can make your own healthier pops by picking up a pack of sugar-free pudding mix. Just whip it up (with some skim milk), pour it into trays, and freeze it up. It’s just as good as store-bought, only less expensive and lighter on the hips.
Frozen fruit.
This one is really easy. Just get some fresh berries, or cut up freezer-friendly fruits like bananas, mango, and papaya, stick in some toothpicks, and freeze. As for cutting the cost on fresh fruit (which can get a bit pricey), check out the delicious offerings at your local farmers market. They often have a better price than the market anyway, but if you buy a lot, you can usually haggle. Then eat as is, or dip your frozen fruit in chocolate or caramel sauce (you can usually find light options), or even yogurt or honey.
Ice cream.
Okay, this is not the healthiest option out there. It does, after all, require the use of cream (skim milk just won’t give you the right consistency). But if you’re going to buy it anyway, you might as well save a little money and make your own. It’s easier than you think and the kids will have a blast making it. As for equipment, all you need is a large and a small freezer bag (large for ice and rock salt, small for ice cream mixture). Here's a great looking freezer bag ice cream recipe. I'd also check out Pinterest for other DIY ice cream recipes.
I'd love to know, what is your favourite summer treat?
The following is a guest post brought to you by Lina Zussino of GroceryAlerts.ca! Enjoy and happy coupon clipping!
My husband and I love to use coupons to save money on purchases. We use coupons when we go golfing together, going grocery shopping, and dining at nice restaurants. The availability of many coupon websites and great blogs has given many Canadians the ability to save a little extra money using coupons. Some people think that couponing is a waste of time and too much effort but we enjoy it and see it as a way to save our after-tax income to take an extended holiday to Hawaii this summer to making extra payments on our mortgage. I wanted to show how we track and store coupons. It really can become a fun challenge with your spouse to see how much you can each save.
Acquiring and Storing
It is important to acquire as many coupons as possible to make it easy in the future to use them or to give them to friends. What we do is if we see a new printable coupon from the Internet we print it off as soon as possible. Additionally, we also clip coupons that are stored at the aisle level and in magazines.
Whenever we see coupons, we clip them right away and put them in the folder just in case we need them. Our rule for clipping is to clip if the product is something we would use like toothpaste. If the item is something like dog food (we have no dogs) we will not clip any coupon for that item.
Getting Organized
Envelope system
This is fairly popular system for some people. They write the category on the front of the coupon (i.e. “Pets”, “Dairy”, “Laundry”), and stuff each envelope with the coupons that belong to that category. It is a fairly inexpensive system. One of the problems with this is finding the coupons later could be a hassle. Additionally, many coupons are printable (like the ones from Grocery Alerts) that are fairly large and when you fold them up it is difficult to find at the store. Thumbing through a stack of coupons is a waste of effort and reduces the benefit of coupon clipping.
Couponizer system
My husband and I recently received this in the mail as a giveaway product. It was great. Inside are small slots clearly labelled that keeps you organized.
The Couponizer system contains a wire-bound booklet, a guide to smart savings, a sorting mat for all your clippings, a shopping list, a monthly savings record, scissors and a carrying bag. It is available at TheCouponizer.com. We have only used it for a week but like most of the tools included.
Coupon Binder
I have seen many bloggers swear by this method. It is just a photo album with clear pockets (for storing baseball cards) and a binder that allows you to move pages around as you wish. For me, it would take too much time to organize with this method. It depends on how many coupons you would use.
My advice, is to start with the envelope system first and if it doesn’t work try the other two.
Thumbing through reams of coupons is a giant waste of time and drastically reduces the benefits of a coupon clipping time investment. Couponing is clearly worth it in our case. The relatively small time investment it adds to our shopping is well worth the real cash savings we realize from our system.
Do you have any coupon storing strategies or tips to share?
The author is Lina Zussino, Co-founder of Grocery Alerts Canada, home of grocery deals and money saving coupons. She is becoming a mortgage broker and enjoys teaching group fitness and saving money in beautiful Victoria, BC with her husband Steven.
The following post is a guest post by Cristina from FabulousSavings.ca! Enjoy!
This post is for all of you frugal brides interested in planning a wedding on a budget. Since neither my fiancé nor I am rolling in pools of money, we, like most of you, have to be smart with our spending. Along the way, I've kept track of any new way to save, so I can share my knowledge with fellow brides. Hope you enjoy them!
Announcing Your Engagement
Buy sophisticated stationery from Wal-Mart or Michaels & make your own.
Create free engagement card online & e-mail your announcement.
Create a wedding website & let your family & friends follow along with your wedding plans. (eWeddinghas a free website option, as does The Knot for its members.)
Visit Wedding Tradeshows
Most companies with booths offer special tradeshow deals. (I saved over $500 on my DJ!)
View examples of invitations for inspiration if making your own.
Watch bridal wear fashion shows for dress ideas, especially if you're considering having a dress made.
Create Budget & Checklists
Create a budget spreadsheetto keep things in check. Always update deposits left & what's owed.
Keep a wedding planner with contracts, checklist & a copy of your budget.
When you feel the urge to spend more on cake or decor, review the budget list to see where else you can shave expenses. Seeing the numbers will keep you in check.
Saving on/at the Venue
Book your venue during months like January, February (excl. Valentine's Day) & March to keep plate prices lower.
If you want a golf course for your venue, book in the off-season (Oct-March), like I did.
Book Sunday instead of Saturday.
Ask the venue rep if you can supply your alcohol to save money.
Ask the venue rep about any hidden fees for bottle corking, wine/champagne pouring, chair covers, etc.
Shopping for the Dress
Tell your bridal boutique rep your budget & to only bring you dresses within it.
If shopping for a classic design, browse last year's rack of dresses that are always in style but reduced in price.
Shop the sample dress rack. Your dress will be cleaned, steamed & pressed before your day.
Have one made! A seamstress is ideal & frugal for brides who have a specific look in mind or want to mimic celebrity styles.
Shop vintage stores for something simple & add embellishments (bows, ribbons, lace, etc.) to personalize it.
Rent a dress to avoid the post-wedding maintenance costs.
Found "the dress?" Write down the dress number, designer & size you need & comparison shop online at reputable sites like www.bestforbride.com to see if it's more affordable.
Music, Photography & Videography
As mentioned before, visit wedding trade shows for special deals.
Make sure you read your contracts & negotiate prices before signing.
Always ask for references & examples of his/her work to assess the value.
Hire a friend or family member who's a photographer or videographer. They might donate their services as a present, so you only pay cost.
Place disposable cameras at guest tables for more affordable pictures of the evening.
Ask the DJ about extra charges for overtime in case the party lasts longer than expected.
Ask the DJ about extra charges for using any props he/she owns.
Ask the DJ if he/she is insured. Insurance covers your behind should an equipment malfunction damage the hall or injure a guest.
Flowers & Centrepieces
Move decor like flowers & bows from home to church to venue to save money. Assign a friend or family member to leave a bit earlier & deliver them.
Make bouquets yourself with silk flowers. Shop flea markets with a discerning eye for authentic-looking artificial flowers.
For real flowers in bouquets or centrepieces, choose affordable in-season flowers. Use more baby's breath & rose buds to make an arrangement look fuller.
Buy inexpensive centrepiece vases from Wal-Mart or Dollarama & fill them with non-floral (more affordable) decor like rocks, water & floating candles.
Ask bridesmaids to set their bouquets at the edge of head table after walking into venue for effortless decor.
Wedding Invitations
Find online invitation software to download & make your own. Take advantage of free trials to sample different styles.
Make your own by shopping at craft stores for card stock, ribbons & other embellishments.
Have an online company like VistaPrintmake customized invites. Use free VistaPrint Canada coupons for a discount.
Make one invitation complete with its RSVP card & have it weighed to determine postage fees. If costs are too high, buy thinner card stock & cut down on embellishments.
Wedding Favours
Donate a small amount per guest to a charity. Most, provide you with an elegant certificate you can frame & display & cards you can give to individual guests to say "thank you."
Give out small decorated boxes filled with chocolate treats. To save money, see how to make your own origami boxes out of paper & accent with ribbon.
Create a CD with classic love songs – a frugal yet meaningful favour!
Honeymoon
Book all-inclusive to get the most bang for your buck.
If you don't mind honeymooning a while after your wedding, let the vacation price determine when you go! Book a last-minute package for huge savings.
Let guests help you out! Register for your dream honeymoon at a site like TravelRegistry.ca. Guests can either put money towards your honeymoon or purchase gifts like a couples massage.
Keep in mind that the planning can get pretty hectic at times. But if you have a budget spreadsheet and some folders to keep things organized, it'll be a lot smoother. I hope you enjoyed my tips. Good luck and congratulations to you all!
We at FabulousSavings.ca offer online coupons for Canada, and our team is proudly frugal obsessed. We love sharing and hearing about money-saving tips on Twitter (we're @CanadaCoupons) and discovering other Fabulous Savers in the frugal blog and personal finance community. Connect with us and share your savvy saving secrets!
Here we are at the final installment of Eating Healthy on a Budget! This week it’s all about Cooking it Slow. By that I mean, using your slow-cooker to make dinner! This is one of my all time favourite ways to cut costs on my grocery bill.
Not only does a slow-cooker use less electricity to heat than an oven, but since it cooks slowly using low heat, it’s perfect for tenderizing less expensive cuts of meat! Love that!
Another reason I love Cooking it Slow? It’s super easy (I can’t mess up!) and there’s no maintenance! Many times I make a recipe using some meat and a sauce. I put the meat in the bottom then cover it with an easy sauce that will make it taste delicious! Then I go about my business for the rest of the day knowing that dinner is basically making itself.
I’ve also noticed that I use less meat in a slow-cooker meal. The meat seems to go much farther then when I prepare it in the oven or stove top.
Below, you’ll find a bunch of our favourite slow-cooker recipes:
I have seen many bloggers swear by this method. It is just a photo album with clear pockets (for storing baseball cards) and a binder that allows you to move pages around as you wish. For me, it would take too much time to organize with this method. It depends on how many coupons you would use.
The author is Lina Zussino, Co-founder of 
