This is a post from simply Frugal reader Stephanie with some great, practical tips that I hope you’ll enjoy!
After my spouse lost his job, we started looking for ways to save money wherever possible. We live in the Greater Vancouver area where gas prices are always quite high (currently they are in the range of $138.9 to $145.9 cents/litre). I commute 70km per day and our weekly gas fill-up usually costs between $50-55. I need my car for my job so driving to work is a non-negotiable, plus taking public transit to my office is actually more expensive than driving.
Many people I know live close enough to the U.S. border (and have Nexus) so they typically drive into Washington to fill up, but this doesn’t work for our lifestyle. So, here are my favourite tips on how to save money on gas (while staying in Canada):
1. NEVER fill up your tank during your morning commute- gas usually costs an extra $0.05/L during this time. Always wait to fill it up in the evening, either on your way home from work or later at night. I’ve had good luck on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings with finding the lowest gas prices. GasBuddy is usually quite accurate in reflecting the correct prices at the stations near me. If it’s a fill-up day, I always check GasBuddy before leaving work. This practice saves us anywhere between $1.25-$1.75 per fill-up, which may not sound like much on a weekly basis, but in the long-term it adds up to $65-90 per year.
2. GasBuddy can also calculate the most fuel-efficient route for your commute, based on the make/model/year of your car. Plug in a few options for your daily commute and calculate the true cost of the drive (factoring in tolls, the likeliness of idling/being stuck in traffic, and the “life value” of the time you save by taking the most efficient route home- this is way more important than saving a few cents on gas!)
3. Certain loyalty rewards points can be exchanged for gift cards for gas stations. In the past I have used Aeroplan miles and RBC Rewards points to purchase Esso gift cards, and there are lots of other options out there- check to see what you can redeem for with your rewards points (Esso seems to be the major gas retailer participating in these types of programs). Make sure you know what your rewards program gets you- certain credit cards give you double or triple points at gas stations. In addition to your credit card points, the gas station’s own loyalty rewards points (Esso Extra, Petro-Points, etc.) can also be redeemed for gift cards or for fuel savings rewards.
4. Keep an eye out for gas promotions. For example, Kellogg’s is currently running their “Cash for Gas” promo on selected products when you send in proof of purchase from either 2 cereal boxes or 4 snack products. We are big cereal eaters in our household, so this is a good deal for us as we would be buying these products anyways. For extra savings, try and match up with the deals you see on Simply Frugal (ex. Nutri-Grain bars for $1.88 at Walmart).
And of course, always practice safe driving techniques- don’t speed, keep your tires inflated to the correct pressure, gear up, and don’t carry unnecessary weight (roof racks, cargo, etc.). Not only do these promote safe driving, they also maximize your car’s fuel efficiency.
In an effort to increase the inspiration levels around Simply Frugal, I’m reaching out to you!
First of all, I’m looking for your stories about your frugal journey. Have you recently paid cash for something you never thought you could? Has your family survived a layoff? How are you making things work financially? I’d love to post your real-life stories to inspire and encourage others who may be having a hard go of things or simply need a kick in the pants to get back on track! (or, for those that like a good story!)
Secondly, I’m looking for your frugal tips and ideas that I’d love to share on Simply Frugal. Do you know how to buy and sell a great used car? Are you a gardening guru? How are you saving on gas costs? How do you save an extra $100 a month? How do you successfully stay within your budget? Perhaps you have a great frugal recipe or a kitchen hack that will save time and money? What’s your favourite way to save your hard earned cash?
Those are just some ideas to get your ideas rolling. I think it would be so great to hear and learn from those of you in the Simply Frugal community. We can all make Simply Frugal an even better place!
PS: Did you know you can see a full list of all the articles I’ve written for Simply Frugal as well as all the articles others have written for Simply Frugal right here? 🙂
With summer wrapping up and the back to school rush beginning, there's no better time to get the dinner time chaos under control. Give this Slow Cooker Freezer cooking plan a try and have 9 meals ready and waiting!
I really wanted to try to get dinner time more under control and I know for me, having prepared meals (homemade and store bought) in the freezer really help me out. While store bought foods, (think frozen pizza, perogies...etc.) are okay with me once in a while, I love to have homemade meals on the table most nights.
I've been seeing freezer cooking posts all over Pinterest lately and knew I had to jump on that band wagon. Freezer cooking is a great solution to my problem and I haven't intentionally stocked my freezer with meals since before my daughter was born.
Another one of my favourite things is using the slow cooker. I love the ease of just throwing things into the slow cooker, turning it on, then coming back at dinner time to dish up! Sure makes that 5pm toddler crazy time more bearable. 🙂
So, with those two things in mind, I created a plan for 9 slow cooker freezer meals that I'd love to share with you all!
The plan consists of some of our tried and true favourite family meals. Here are the meals you will be making if you so wish to join in:
Peanut Chicken
Beef Roast and Carrots
Chicken Tortilla soup
Honey Garlic Chicken
Meatballs
Chicken Vegetable Curry
Beef Stew
Baked Beans
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
I hope you'll enjoy them just as much as we do! (It's actually 10 meals because the size I roll meatballs makes that recipe enough for two meals)
All told, everything cost me under $100. The cost could be much less since I didn't purchase any of the meat on sale. I also purchased everything from the Real Canadian Superstore for the sake of time. I think you'll have many of the ingredients on hand already which also makes the costs go down.
Since nothing in this freezer cooking plan has to be cooked beforehand, I think the best use of your time would be to chop the veggies and meat first. Then for any recipe that requires a sauce, mix those up. Finally, throw all the veggies and meat into a freezer bag and pour the sauces over top! Simple as that!
As for the labels included in the plan, simply cut them out, then place them on the freezer bags and use clear packing tape to cover.
If your household is a fan of Italian dressing, this Italian Seasoning Mix is going to save you a lot of money over time! It's perfect if you're on a budget and you keep finding yourself buying the expensive bottles at the grocery store.
While this recipe is meant to be mixed up as a liquid dressing, I'm sure sprinkling the spice mix over veggies or meat would be just as wonderful. We like to use Italian dressing as salad dressing (of course) and even as a marinade for chicken! Hint: throw some chicken breast into a freezer bag, pour this Italian dressing over top, then seal the bag and toss it into the freezer for a really quick freezer meal! It cooks up well in the slow cooker.
Eating well doesn’t have to be expensive. That’s what Leanne Brown is determined to show as she serves up a smorgasbord of meal ideas in her cookbook Good and Cheap.
Created as part of a Master’s project in Food Studies at New York University, the cookbook was designed for people with limited incomes — such as the nearly 47 million Americans who live on a $4/day food stamp budget.
This was originally published February 2012. It still rings true in my life today, so I thought I'd repost it!
I'm not entirely sure this post will come as a shock to those of you who have been reading Simply Frugal for awhile, but it's been on my mind for quite some time now!
Quite honestly, I don't really get the "extreme" couponing thing. I mean, I get it, but I personally don't see the benefit it could have for my family. And by no means am I saying that it isn't a great thing for other families! Sure, I post about coupons and deals all day long, and I really enjoy getting great deals with coupons, but I am by no means anywhere near extreme. (Maybe most of you are the same way?) Here are the reasons I'm not an Extreme Couponer:
Goes against what I'm trying to accomplish in my life: Simplicity
For me, it's another thing to add to the to-do list. It takes time. Hours to plan a massive shop. And then you actually have to go shopping after all that planning!
Since simplicity in my home means having less stuff, a years worth of supplies/groceries really defeats the purpose of extreme couponing for me. This leads me to my next reason:
There will always be a sale and there will always be coupons available
Items tend to go on sale for rock bottom prices every 6 weeks - three months. This fact alone keeps me from going crazy stocking up. I only buy what will get us through until the next sale. If we run out, we run out! Then there are the necessities that always seem to be on sale week after week. Can you think of a week recently where there hasn't been toilet paper on sale? Or pasta?
I don't have much room for stockpiling
We live in a two bedroom condo. We're about to have a baby. Space is at a premium. Enough said?
I can't be bothered
If I'm being honest, I really can't be bothered to spend all the time and effort it takes to have a shopping trip where I save over 50% off my bill. (or something like that) Mostly because I don't buy many of the products that have coupons and I'd much rather spend my time doing other things. 🙂
I like to save money by not shopping
Using coupons and getting stuff for free still comes with a price tag. You'll always pay taxes on the full price of the item, before coupons are deducted. Sometimes I think people buy things just because they have a coupon and the item will be super cheap or free. They don't think about all the tax dollars they're throwing away on an item that they won't use. Donating items could be used as an argument as long as they're okay with the fact that those items were not entirely free (taxes, gas money and their time). I love hearing about those that do donate items since there still is a bit of sacrifice in doing so, when you take into consideration the time and money that it does involve.
Of course, I do have to go shopping once in a while. I like to go once a week on Mondays. Usually to only one store, the store with the best deals that week. Since I menu plan, shop the sales and compare for best value, I'm able to see significant savings each week as I only buy what I need to get us through until next Monday. I spend about $60 a week on groceries and household basics. Quite often less than that because of the small quantity of items I do have in the stockpile.
I value health
On paper it looks like I “saved” money, but I really may have just come home with a bunch of processed foods that will sit in my pantry for months. I've been seeing coupons for more healthful products lately, but the majority of coupons out there are still for processed or chemical laden products. I'll admit that I do use coupons occasionally for some convenience items, (such as our favourite Ristorante pizzas!) but for the most part I buy fresh ingredients and the parts to create a meal from scratch because I value our health over saving a buck. I’ve decided not to use coupons on things we normally don’t use just to get things cheap or for free.
Here's how I do use coupons:
I do order most/all of the coupons I post about on Simply Frugal, but only so I can give some of them away to you. (I do giveaways over at the Simply Frugal Facebook page once in a while)
I see most of my coupon savings on things like toilet paper and toothpaste.
I only use a few coupons each shopping trip. Sometimes, I don't use any because all I'm buying is produce and milk!
I really like the free product coupons. Who doesn't? 🙂 Those are the ones I use most.
Did you find it shocking that I'm not an extreme couponer considering all the time I put into posting coupons and deals? How do you use coupons? Do you enjoy the thrill of extreme couponing?
Note: Since this post was actually hard for me to write but has been on my mind since the Extreme Couponing TLC show started, I felt it was necessary for me to write the following due to the nature of Simply Frugal: In no way were the words I wrote above meant to be taken as condemnation. Each family is different. Each person is different. My way is not the right way, but it is the right way for our family. We're all just doing the best we can do with the resources we have! I have nothing against extreme couponing, it just isn't for me!
