Finally! Mint.com is now available to Canadians! They’ve added Canadian banks so we can use one of the most raved about free online budgeting tools! Here’s some more information about Mint.com:
Mint allows you to do three simple things: See where your money goes, make budgets to stay on track, and set financial goals for the future.
Our tools help you understand how you spend so you can reach your financial goals, whatever they may be.
Since our start in 2007, we’ve become the most popular online tool to organize your money.
Think of Mint as a trusted partner in managing all of your finances.
It really is easy to save a buck here and there in order to reach some goals without feeling deprived. Each of the 10 ways I list below save a significant amount of money, especially over a long period of time, and when they're combined together, these tips save us a lot of money. No matter where you're at financially, implementing one idea can start to save you money instantly. Before you know it, you might even be inspired to start adding a bunch of things together to make your savings account grow in leaps and bounds!
Here are the 10 little ways we save money:
Cook at home:
You all know by now that I'm a huge advocate for menu planning. This has not only saved me money at the grocery store but it keeps me cooking at home.
When I know what to make for dinner that night and have all the ingredients on hand due to my menu planning, I have no excuse to eat out! But, I'm not going to lie, we do like to eat out about once a week. I enjoy cooking most of the time but occasionally, I like not having to do anything!
Bring a bagged lunch:
Going along with cooking at home, I make plenty of dinner in order to have leftovers to bring for our work lunches the next day. All I add is some fruit and homemade granola bars or muffins for snack time!
Use grocery bags as trash can liners:
You know all those plastic grocery bags that keep piling up? Especially when you forget your reusable shopping bags? Well, after recycling many of them, we end up keeping some of them to line our trash cans around the house. I double bag the kitchen bin for added leak proofing.
Pay our bills on time:
This is probably one of the most simple ways we save money. Many of our bills are set up to automatically withdraw from our account come due date time. Saves us the hassle of remembering to pay them on time and it saves us all those late fees that can really add up over time!
Since we have a rule of never charging our credit card with anything over and above what we have in our savings account, we never have to tend with interest rates either because we're able to pay our bill off in full each month.
Swagbucks:
Are you sick of hearing about Swagbucks yet? 🙂 Honestly, earning Swagbuckshas saved me a ton of money when it comes to my weekly Starbucks stop. I'm able to get $10 gift cards with my Swagbuckspoints! My husband and I have also been taking advantage of the $5 Amazon gift cards that Swagbucks offers to pay for another hobby, reading!
Buy Work Clothes from a Thrift Store:
Since my job at a local golf course does not require me getting all dolled up, I tend to buy all my work clothing from second hand stores. I wear through my knees often enough that I can't justify spending more than $5 for a pair of pants!
Shop around:
When we're on the market for something specific, we really take our time in researching the best possible deal for that particular item. Newspaper flyers and online deals really help us save gas money when it comes to research!
Enjoy the Outdoors:
We really like being outside. Especially since most of the outdoor activities we like to do are free! Exploring our local hiking trails, hitting a tennis ball, and bike riding are among our favourite activities!
Use Vinegar:
Seriously, I love vinegar! I use it for so many things! Vinegar has replaced fabric softener, commercial cleaning products and Jet Dry for the dishwasher at our house. I've written another article on why I love vinegar so much right here!
At-Home Haircuts for my Husband:
Now, this one might not fly with many of you, but my husband really doesn't like going out to get his hair cut professionally! I really don't mind cutting his hair since it saves at least $20 a pop! We really like our Wahl Hair Cutting Kit. Me on the other hand, I will not let go of my professional haircuts unless I really, really had to!
What are some of the little ways you save money? What are some of the little ways you could save money?
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?
