The Best Advent Calendars in Canada for 2025

Oct 13 | Frugal Living, Holidays

best advent calendars in Canada

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The Best Advent Calendars in Canada

When I was growing up, the only advent calendar I knew of were those little chocolate ones that were a bargain from the grocery store or dollar store. But those were still magical and fun!

These days, advent calendars have evolved to include everything from beauty products to toys to crafts! Advent calendars in 2025 take things to a whole new level!  Imagine the excitement on your kids’ faces when they open up mini LEGO sets or Polly Pocket figures. Imagine your own excitement when you open up something you love each morning! 

For today’s post, I thought it would be fun to round up the best advent calendars in Canada for 2025! You’re sure to find something for everyone. They range in price from frugal to not so frugal, but I made sure to only list the well rated advent calendars and legit retailers!

Best Advent Calendars in Canada for Kids

best advent calendars in Canada

Best Advent Calendars in Canada for Adults

Please note: I listed the regular price on all the advent calendars, but they may go on sale too!

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How to Create a Budget Binder

Aug 2 | Budgeting, Frugal Living

budget binder

(Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy here.)

A Budget Binder for your financial success

Setting up a Budget Binder in your home is a terrific strategy for staying on top of your finances.  It should not only be a record of what is spent, but it should include your estimations for what will likely be spent in the coming year(s).  This binder or manual should be a go-to for all of your questions regarding what you can afford and how long it will take to reach your financial goals.

Here’s how to create a Budget Binder:

1. Find a binder that works for you. I really like this binder, but any binder will work. I would choose one that has at least a 1″ spine width.

2. You will also want to have some tabbed dividers so that you can separate your budget binder into sections. These Removable Index Tabs are perfect to add to each section. The tabs are writable and repositionable so you can move them around or use the same one if you need to refresh the page.

3. I like to divide my Budget Binder up by months. (One section for each month of the year, January – December) In each section/month, I include a Monthly expense tracker, a Monthly budget and bill tracker, a Monthly debt payoff tracker, a Monthly reflection sheet and Month at a glance calendar sheets. In the back, I have a yearly finance goal worksheet and spending trackers.

These pages can be found in The Budget Planner:

printable budget planner

The Budget Planner

I have created an easy to follow printable budget planner that takes the overwhelm out of budgeting! Use this planner to dream about yearly financial goals, track your bills and spending, discover what you did well, what you need to improve on and so much more! This planner will help keep you focused and ensure nothing is missed.

Get the Budget Planner here!

4. Also in the back, create a section for account information and include names of financial institutions, addresses, contact information, passwords and any other details that would be worth having at a glance.

5. You can also add pouches to hold receipts, a page to record prices on your favorite items, or anything else that might be useful in keeping your family in the black!

how to create a budget binder

There you have it! It’s that easy to set up a budget binder. Do you keep a Budget Binder? What pages do you keep handy in your family budget binder?

Amazon Canada Prime Day Deals

Jun 25 | Canada Deals, Frugal Living

Amazon Prime Days are coming! July 8 – 11, 2025 are going to be GREAT for finding deals!

To take advantage of the deals, you have to be a Prime member. BUT! If you haven’t been an Amazon Prime member in the last 12 months, you can sign up for a free 30 day trial!

To sign up for the Amazon Prime free trial:

  1. Go to Amazon Prime.
  2. Select Start your free trial.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions if prompted.

In the mean time, here’s how to get ready for Prime Day:

  • Make sure you’re a Prime member. The best deals will be Prime exclusives. (sign up for a free trial above!)
  • Make a list of things you’re shopping for. Think of birthdays, Christmas, essentials you use every day, and even “want to have” items. This will help you to remember what you’re shopping for and stay in control of your spending.
  • Add items to your Amazon cart that you are hoping go on sale. That way, if they drop in price, you can find them quickly.
  • Bookmark or keep my Amazon Storefront page open all day so you don’t miss a deal. I’ll be updating it many times throughout the four days.
  • Follow me on Instagram and watch my stories for the hottest deals.
  • Alternatively, you can join my Facebook Group, Frugal Finds in Canada, if Facebook is more your thing.
  • On the days of the sale, check out multiple times rather than waiting for a full cart. Many deals sell out quickly.

Other Amazon Links:

How Frugal Are You? Take the Bingo Challenge!

Jun 6 | Frugal Living

Frugal Bingo Challenge

Think you’re pretty frugal? Love finding deals, stretching your dollars, and getting creative with how you save? Then you’re going to love this.

I created a Frugal Bingo Card to celebrate all the little things we do to save money—without sacrificing fun. Whether you’re a coupon queen, a library lover, or someone who can whip up a full dinner from what’s in the pantry, this bingo card is for you.

It’s packed with simple, relatable, and proudly frugal wins. Some are everyday habits, others might give you a new challenge to try. Either way, it’s a fun way to recognize just how resourceful you really are.

So grab the free printable, play along with friends or family, or even share your progress on social media. Let’s see how many squares you can check off—and who in your circle is the most frugal of them all.

Download and print your frugal bingo card below:

Frugal Bingo WorksheetDownload

7 Mother’s Day Gifts That Don’t Cost A Cent

Apr 26 | Money Saving Tips, Frugal Living, Holidays

7 Mothers Day Gifts That Don’t Cost A Cent

Mother’s Day comes just once a year, so why not do all you can to make sure it’s a special day? If you are worried about your budget being too tight to celebrate sufficiently, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to enjoy a nice Mother’s Day without spending a dime. Look below at these 7 Mother’s Day gifts that don’t cost a cent, and see how you can celebrate Mom for free.

1. Give her the gift of time.

Don’t try to fit in time for Mom on Mother’s Day, make it a priority. Give Mom the gift of your time to enjoy the things she may want to do, such as go for a hike, watch a movie, or just spend time together around the dinner table.

2. Give her the gift of appreciation.

Show Mom you appreciate her by writing her a list of all of the things you love about her. Make a list of 20-25 things (even more is better!) that make her special. Use your best writing, put the list in an envelope, and gift it to her on Mother’s Day. She will keep it forever.

3. Give her the gift of rest.

Sometimes, Mom just needs a break. Give Mom a little time to herself on Mother’s Day. Quiet the house down and let Mom get a nap in. Or, give Mom some time to sleep in that morning. Even just an hour of quiet time will be much appreciated and make her feel like a million bucks.

4. Give her the gift of affection.

Moms love to hug and hold their babies! Take the time to hug your Mom, hold her hand, and truly connect with her. The older children get, the less often this happens, so take the time on Mother’s Day to get those hugs in.

5. Give her the gift of help.

Are there tasks around the house Mom needs help with? Start tackling those tasks. Do what you can to get these tasks done so Mom can take them off her plate. This will be a huge relief to her and she will no doubt love the help.

6. Give her the gift of truly being present.

Put cell phones and electronic devices away and be present on Mother’s Day. Let Mom know that she is your focus for the day and that nothing else is as important. We get so caught up in devices, this will be a refreshing change for her to see.

7. Give her the gift of patience.

Be patient with Mom today. Mother’s Day is about celebrating her and meeting her needs. Be patient with your own needs on this day and instead make the focus about her.

Don’t let a limited budget keep you from showing Mom how special she is. Consider these 7 Mother’s Day gifts that don’t cost a cent, and see how even a frugal Mother’s Day can be a memorable one.

I’d love to hear your ideas or memories of celebrating Mother’s Day! Let me know in the comments below!

Easter Basket Ideas You Won’t Hate

Apr 7 | Frugal Living, Holidays

easter basket ideas

Easter Basket Ideas You Won’t Hate:

I love giving my kids gifts—it brings me so much joy to see their excitement! But you know what I don’t love? Filling our house with more random stuff that gets tossed aside not long after.

Do you feel the same?

That’s why I have started asking myself:

“What are my kids going to need later that I can buy now?”

It’s my way of still treating them (and scratching that deal-hunting itch!) without filling our home with unnecessary extras.

Easter is right on the horizon, so Easter baskets are currently on my mind.

When I think of the question above, I know the weather is changing and we will be spending a lot more time outside. So instantly, bathing suits and pajamas come to mind. It’s pretty much guaranteed that they have outgrown their things from last year.

So think through your current family situation. Will you be going to the pool or beach? What about a family vacation? What do they like to do outside? What are their favourite snacks? What about something to do inside on rainy days?

To help get your creative/practical thinking rolling, here are some of my favourite Easter Basket ideas.

(Note: The links in this post may be affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy here.)

WATER & SUN GEAR

My kids always need new bathing suits. Currently my favourite places to get their bathing suits are Old Navy and Gap because of how they fit, but also because they have great sales often. (You know I love a deal.) I really like these one piece rash guard suits because of the built-in UPF sun protection.

Swim goggles are also really useful. My oldest will be getting a new pair of these this year.

Pool toys and bath toys are also a solid choice if your kids will enjoy them. My youngest has been asking for some diving toys, so she’ll be getting this set.

Here are a few other items to give you ideas:

OUTDOOR TOYS

There’s nothing better than sending the kids outside to enjoy some fresh air! It’s even better when they have something fun to ignite their imaginations.

There’s always the classics that need to be replaced such as chalk or bubbles or water guns. But here are some other ideas that are sure to be a hit:

CRAFTY GIFTS

If you’ve got kids that love to be crafty then you can’t go wrong with some new craft items!

I like to pick up some new craft supplies or kits from Dollarama or Dollar Tree. But here are some other ideas:

PRACTICAL GIFTS

Let’s just call this category the “things your kids need anyways” but we can disguise them as thoughtful and fun gifts. Okay?

CANDY & SNACKS

No Easter basket is complete without a chocolate bunny or some sort of treat! There are Easter themed candies all over the stores. Grab one or two things you know your kids would like and call it a day.

You could also think outside the box a bit and grab their favourite snacks. Could be things you don’t buy very often that they’ll be excited to receive. Or just things you know they’ll enjoy no matter what. Pringles. Mini bags of chips. Cereal. Ritz crackers and cheese dip. Bear Paws. Goldfish crackers. Apple sauce pouches. Fruit snacks. Bunny Grahams. The ideas are endless.

I hope these ideas help you build Easter baskets for your kids that are practical and enjoyable for everyone! Remember though, Easter baskets aren’t mandatory!

easter basket ideas