Credit card bills, utility costs, mortgage costs and groceries are only a few of the common costs that we face while running a household. These costs are often high and many families are finding that the dollar does not stretch as far as it used to. Rest assured, there are small changes that can be made in your frugal lifestyle that can help you to simplify and leave more money leftover in the budget at the end of the month.
Here are 5 Tips You Should Know To Start Your Frugal Lifestyle:
Ditch the Debit Card
A few dinners out, a stop at the movie store and the mall – grabbing a coffee on the way into the Supermarket, these are all money traps. Leave the debit card at home and it will be just that much harder to reach into your wallet and grab the last twenty bucks. Do this for one month and you will likely be shocked at how much you are impulsively-overspending.
Cut One Luxury
Something as simple as cutting the movie channels from the home cable network can save up to twenty dollars a month. It doesn’t have to be cable, it could be that expensive latte on the way to work, or that splurge on expensive eye-makeup can save you hundreds of dollars each year.
Brown Bag It
Brown bagging it has come a long way since cold sandwiches. Choosing recipes for dinners that would refrigerate well to make hot lunches for the next day is a great way to repurpose meals and avoid waste. Finding inspiration through Bentolunches, and having fresh options available can be a great way to give the Brown bag a make-over.
Bring the Restaurant to Your Kitchen
With a little research through popular recipe websites or Pinterest; you can bring your favourite restaurant meals home. These popular copycat recipes are readily available and ready to be made in your kitchen. With the ingredients purchased, it’s quite likely that those ingredients on the shopping list will make more than one meal. Plus, it’s often less expensive than eating out. What a great idea for date night!
Stop Buying New
Bright and shiny items from the store only remain bright and shiny until you bring them home. Why not buy used from Facebook groups, Craigslist/Kijiji, local garage sales and even swaps for baby and children’s gear. Purchasing these gently used items can save up to fifty percent on the items that may have been purchased in store anyway! Give your wallet a break and break the addiction to new items.
Frugal Living doesn’t have to mean that you have to change all the aspects of your lifestyle. By making slight changes in the way that you live can help you find the extra money in the budget to reduce the pinch that comes with increased living expenses.
What was your first step to frugal living? Let me know in the comments below!
I'm always looking for great dollar stretcher tips for our grocery budget and thought I'd share some of my favorites with you. These are great ways to make simple grocery items go further, therefore saving you money on your grocery budget. I love being able to feed my family great meals they love, but still stay on budget and meet our financial goals. 🙂
Dollar Stretcher Tips For Grocery Budgets
Add powdered milk to your milk.
If you're feeling more adventurous this idea may be for you! (However, you may find you get used to the taste pretty quickly.) Split your 4L jug of milk into two cartons. Prepare a gallon of powdered milk and divide between the two now half gallons of milk. Mix together and use as normal. Powdered milk is much less expensive and mixing like this will still taste the same while saving you money on one of the most often purchased and used items for a family budget.
Add beans to more than just soups and chili.
Dry beans are always super cheap and easy to cook in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. I love making large batches of pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans and garbanzo beans then putting them in 2-cup portion bags to use in everything from soups and chili, to mashing into my ground meat for spaghetti, tacos or casseroles. They take on most flavors they are seasoned with, and their texture is great for all kinds of dishes. This can make one pound of ground meat go twice as far in a casserole or soup!
Don't fear using carbohydrates.
Starches and carbohydrates tend to have a bad reputation, but as long as you are including a lot of great nutrient-dense vegetables into your diet as well it's not a bad thing to include things like rice and potatoes as a base for casseroles. Rice and potatoes are a great dollar stretcher for almost any meal. In fact, roasted potatoes, green beans, and roasted chicken is one of the easiest and cheapest meals you can make for your family. It's healthy, satisfying and easy to manage. The potatoes add bulk to the meal without being high fat or unhealthy, and they are so cheap it makes your meal very affordable.
Batch cook your meals.
You may wonder how or why this can be considered a dollar stretcher for your grocery budget, but it really is a great way to save. When you buy larger quantities of meats and produce, you often save a significant amount of money. Next time you find chicken, pork or beef on sale in large “family sized” packages don't hesitate to grab them, then cook in simple ways and portion to freeze. Chicken can be roasted and cubed for everything from salads and soups to casseroles or fajitas. Pork shoulders can be roasted and pulled for use in BBQ, casseroles or tacos. Batch cooking meats, produce and even whole meals and freezing for future use saves you time, money and tons of frustration each evening when you need to throw a simple meal together fast.
These are great dollar stretcher ideas for your grocery budget. Just a few simple changes can save you hundreds of dollars in grocery expenses over the course of a year.
How do you make ordinary grocery items stretch further? Let us know in the comments below!
As the saying goes, ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. So while this is true, it can also be the least expensive and easiest meal to make of the day. With using items like sausage, veggies, eggs, and other ingredients that are easily accessible, you can easily make breakfast for the whole family for under $5.
Here are my favourite Healthy Breakfast Ideas for under $5:
Greek Yogurt and Fruit – You can usually pick up a tub of Greek Yogurt for under $4. Use some frozen fruit and maple syrup for a topping and you have a delicious breakfast.
French Toast – One of my family’s favorite meals is French toast… for breakfast or dinner ;). For some reason, we can’t get enough of it. I don’t mind because using whole wheat, I can make the French toast semi-healthy! We add fruit topping or peanut butter instead of real maple syrup sometimes.
Banana with Peanut Butter – Is there anything more delicious than bananas and peanut butter? I think not! It also makes for a very filling breakfast for little ones. If your child doesn’t like bananas, try cutting up an apple for them. Delicious, healthy, and simple!
Breakfast burritos – Using low carb or whole wheat tortillas, mix up eggs, salsa, and cheese to make a yummy breakfast concoction.
Fruit salad – One of my favorite healthy meals for under $5 is taking all the leftover fruit in the fridge and mixing it together to create a fruit salad. Sometimes I add a bit of yogurt on top. Yum!
Veggie omelet – A dozen eggs can be bought for a little over $2. Make a yummy veggie omelet to feed your family a healthy meal for under $5.
Sausage and Eggs – Keep breakfast simple by making sausage and eggs for your breakfast of choice. My family never complains about this meal.
Homemade banana muffins – If you have old bananas in your possession, make some muffins out of them. A simple breakfast that will save you money! These are my most favourite Banana Chocolate Chip muffins.
These 9 healthy breakfast ideas for under $5 will help you stay on budget and keep you feeling great all day long. It’s easy to swing through the drive thru and get caught up in a $20 breakfast for the family. But instead, it’s just as easy to make your own breakfast at home for $5 (and stay in your pajamas!).
What healthy breakfast ideas do you have for under $5?
From the laundry detergent you use, to the gifts you wrap and place under the tree, here are 101 Ways To Save Money fast on Everyday Purchases! Sometimes it means doing a little bit of extra work, and other times it is as simple as printing a coupon. These easy tips will help you to always get the best deal, and still have the things you need and want.
Get discounts on appliances when they are dinged, dented or cosmetically damaged
Use social media to get discounts by tweeting, sharing or emailing
Become a loyal customer and receive rewards
Negotiate for service oriented things like automotive repairs, appliance service or even roofing on your home by getting estimates from several people and asking your choice to give you the same price as other bidders
Compare prices for home insurance to get the best price
Shop the manager's special deals for meat at your grocery store
Buy clearance produce in bulk then prep and freeze for later
Earn gift cards and rewards to pay for purchases through Swagbucks
Use your medical insurance to pay for a gym membership (many policies cover this, you simply have to ask) US only
Choose a Nurse Practitioner instead of an M.D. when paying out of pocket for quality treatment at a lower out of pocket price US only
Use the no name prescriptions instead of the brand name prescriptions to pay less
Ask to buy the display model of electronics and furniture for lower prices
Use Priceline, Expediaor Trivago when planning vacations to get the lowest prices on flights, hotels and rental cars
Shop drug stores like Shopper Drug Mart for makeup, cleaning products and household supplies using their rewards program to earn money toward future purchases
Rent items you will only use once or twice like formal dresses, tuxedos or even small tools and equipment for home improvement projects
Skip kids meals and order a la carte for lower priced food for kids
Watch YouTube videos to learn new dances, makeup techniques or even how to market your business instead of paying for pricey classes
Use conditioner as shave gel (cheap and works great!)
Stock up on select items during seasonal sales: Baking supplies during holiday events, turkey during Thanksgiving sales, hamburger and steaks during summer BBQ events, condiments during the summer and so on
Take advantage of free samples on new products, they often come with coupons. Check websites and social media for freebies
Email or snail mail to companies of brands you like to ask for free products or coupons (many will send you at least one coupon for a free item)
Use discount nights for local events, fairs or carnivals
Use CAA discounts for hotel rooms, rental cars, movie tickets, bookstores and even coffee houses
Shop the butcher counter right before store closing for deals on meats
Before placing an online order, shop through Rakutenfirst to earn cashback on your order
Shop the grocery store's clearance racks for deals on bread, produce, medicine, hair care and more
Go to matinées instead of later showings for cheaper movie ticket prices
Attend high school and college plays instead of professional productions for fun without the high cost
Change your own oil at home instead of taking to an oil change center
Become a mystery shopper to get reimbursed for eating out and auto maintenance
I'm sure there are many other ways to save that we could add to the list. What are your favorite ways to save?
These 101 ways to save on everyday purchases are all about thinking outside the box. Rather than accepting the price of everything, evaluate and see how you can save by making it yourself, doing without or waiting for a coupon or sale.
Summer doesn't have to be boring for anyone when you're armed with these 45 free & cheap summer activity ideas!
45 Cheap Summer Activity Ideas
1. Bowl for FREE — Kids can bowl 2 games for FREE every day throughout the Summer. Visit KidsBowlFree.com to see which bowling alleys are participating.
2. Get a FREE Slurpee — July 11 is always FREE Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven. Take your family out for a free tasty treat that will help cool you off during the Summer heat!
3. Make Slime — Both my daughter and I have so much fun creating and playing with this Inside Out Sensory Slime. It's just so fun to see how it works.
4. Make Homemade Iced Tea — Try brewing a batch of my favourite sun tea. You'll have fun watching the water change colour and even more fun adding your favourite flavourings like lemons, mint or even raspberries.
5. Visit a Park — Why not visit a nearby provincial or national park that you've never visited before? You could explore the trails or just do some day camping by bringing along the hot dogs and marshmallows.
6. Visit the Beach — Living in the Okanagan, we have a ton of beautiful beaches at our fingertips. We like to grab a book or magazine and head to one to relax while our daughters play in the sand or on the playground.
7. Go Fruit Picking — One word. Cherries! We love to get out as soon as our favourite fruits are in season. U-Picks are a great way to spend an afternoon with friends or family and are always much cheaper than the grocery stores!
8. Plan a Picnic — Picnics are one of our favourite things to do. We've got a system down to make things easy: It's always bunwiches with deli meat, cheese and pickles. I always throw in some fruit and veggies too. As a treat, I pack some cold pop and a bag of chips. Simple!
9. Fly a Kite — Well, I haven't flown a kite since I was a kid, but it still sounds like a fun idea! Don’t own one? This one has great reviews on Amazon.
10. Pitch a Tent in the backyard — Give the kids a fun experience by pitching a tent in your own backyard. Build a campfire, or use a propane fire ring like we do (because of campfire bans) to roast marshmallows.
11. Make Art with Sidewalk Chalk — Sidewalk chalk is something I always have on hand so Sienna can go out to create some masterpieces on the sidewalk or the basketball court we have at our townhouse. This is something she likes to do on her own so I can get a little work done. 😉
12. Plant Flowers — Now, you have to be careful with this one as buying "only a few" plants can really add up! (Trust me, I know!) Rather than planting an entire garden, you could concentrate on filling up a planter to keep costs down. While you're at it, why not create this Milk Jug Watering Can so the kids can help water.
13. Plant an Herb Garden — Another fun planting project is to plant an herb garden. Fresh herbs are so great to have on hand to make meals delicious. Growing your own herbs can also save you a bundle at the grocery store.
14. Plan a Scavenger Hunt — Want to get the kids outside? They can spend their summer outdoors with a fun scavenger hunt! Buggy and Buddy has 30 free printable options - you're sure to find something appealing!
15. Run Through the Sprinklers — Cool off in the backyard with sprinklers or even the garden hose. Even water balloons would be a blast! You can pick up water balloons at the dollar store or even one of these neat Fast Fill kits from Amazon.
16. Blow Bubbles — Bubbles are always a hit around here! When I see them for the first time in the spring, I'll pick up a few of those bubble wands that cost only $1. You could even try whipping up your own bubble solution for the kids to play with in the yard or at the beach.
17. Have a Garage Sale — Gather up all your unwanted items and host a garage sale one weekend to make some extra cash. Let the kids join in on the fun by setting up a lemonade stand for customers. Here are some garage sale tipsfrom Simply Frugal readers that you may enjoy!
18. Visit a local Festival or Event – Our city hosts regular free music events, movies in the park and even summer festivals that are fun for the whole family. These events are free for everyone to enjoy. Check your newspapers and city website to see what's being offered this year near you!
19. Visit the Library — The library is a great place to visit over the summer months. I believe most libraries offer reading challenges that are sure to encourage reading even while school is out. Check out this post for more ideas on how the library can save you money.
20. Head to the Farmer’s Market – Support your local farmers, and check out a couple of the markets in your area throughout the Summer. You really can’t beat the quality of the produce and the neat homemade items. Here are 5 reasons to buy local produce.
21. Go Swim in the Pool — Since most of us don't have a swimming pool, head out to one in your community to cool off. Some may require a small entrance fee, but can be loads of fun for the kids.
22. Stop By a Splash Park — Another fun option for the especially hot summer days is to stop at a local splash park. We like to meet friends there since my daughter has a bit more confidence when she's not surrounded by strangers trying to get her wet. 😉
23. Play on a Sports Team — Love to play sports? Why not gather a group of friends and put together a beach volleyball team? Or maybe ultimate frisbee? If you'd rather, you could sign up your group of friends for a weekend tournament instead.
24. Go to the Movie Theatre - Every Saturday, Cineplex movie theatres offers family favourites for just $2.99 per person.Take a look here for more details.
25. Snag a Daily Deal — Keep an eye out on Grouponand WagJag for deals and local activities for huge savings. You might be surprised at everything that’s offered in your own city!
26. Go Hiking— Our family loves to go for hikes, they're not quite as long now that we have kids, but it's still an enjoyable activity! Visit a local bookstore for trail maps or check CanadaTrails.ca for hiking trails near you.
27. Attend a Home Depot Workshop — The Home Depot offers these great FREE workshops where kids can build a different project each month. Check this page for the schedule.
28. Watch Fireworks — Canada Day is known to be a day where fireworks will be involved. Why not find a special vantage point to enjoy this year's show?
29. Take a Craft Class — Michael’s Canada offers classes for adults and kids featuring all sorts of different projects. I have noticed that every once in a while they offer a substantial discount on classes so keep your eyes open for that.
30. Volunteer — Why not take some time to give of yourself this Summer? Volunteer at a local food pantry, woman's shelter, or soup kitchen. Ask around, I'm sure the opportunities are plentiful!
31. Find the Best Ice Cream — Go on an ice cream date once a week in an attempt to discover the best ice cream in your city. Places like Marble Slab have coupons often and locally owned shops may have daily specials for you to save.
32. Take an Evening Walk — An evening walk in the summer is just so, so nice. The temperature is somewhat cooler. Plus, there's just something so nice about the evening light.
33. Try Geocaching — Geocachingis an outdoor activity of searching for and finding a hidden object by means of GPS coordinates posted on a website. We thought this sounded so much fun, so we borrowed my parent's GPS to give it a try!
34. Do a Puzzle — Puzzles are a hit in our household. Both my husband and I enjoyed doing puzzles growing up and now our oldest daughter likes them too!
35. Learn a New Skill — Summer is a great time to learn something new, whether it be gardening, knitting, or discovering your artistic talent. Read 52 Things to Learn for Free to get started.
36. Start a New TV Series — Why not use Netflix to start a new TV series during the Summer, and catch up on all the seasons just in time for the Fall premieres. While there won't be a Fall premiere, I think I might try to finish watching Downton Abbey!
37. Do a Science Experiment — Help your kids learn about our fascinating world by trying their hands at a fun science experiment? KidsActivitiesBlog.com has links to a ton of fun projects!
39. Make Homemade Playdough — This is my current favourite no-cook recipe for playdough. Sienna can play for quite some time making me "food" to eat. You probably have all the ingredients on hand already!
40. Go for a Bike Ride — Rather than walking, why not put those wheels to good use! Go for a ride around the neighborhood or ride along a nice path your city may have. You could make a day of it if you pack lunches and lots of water.
41. Make a Sock Puppet - This adorable monster sock puppet is anything but scary. Plus, it uses dollar store items to make for a cheap summer activity!
42. Sort Through Clothes — Maybe I'm weird, but I actually get a hankering to do more organizing projects in the summer. (Not just in January.) I find Summer is a great time to clean out my closet and donate what I don’t wear anymore.
43. Paint Your Nails - Summer time means I must have my toe nails painted in pretty colors all the time! I don't normally put nail polish on my finger nails, but my toe nails are fair game for anything bright and fun. Why not have a simple spa time by giving yourself a pedicure?
44. Color a Picture - Coloring isn’t just for kids anymore! Print off coloring pages for adults, and pull out the kid’s coloring books for a fun family time. Play some music for hours of good relaxing fun!
45. Have a Nap - Finally, why not have a nap? No better spot than outside in a nice shady area!
I also whipped up this printable Summer Activity sheet that you can print off and hang somewhere convenient so you're always full of ideas.
Summer doesn't have to be boring for anyone when you're armed with these frugal ideas! Leave your fun and frugal ideas in the comments below!
If you are considering purchasing an Instant Pot, or even if you already own one, you should know that your purchase can help save you money in the long run. Owning an Instant Pot doesn’t just save you time, but you will find that it can also help you keep a little more cash in your pocket. How? Look below at 6 ways owning an Instant Pot can save you money, and see if investing in one is for you!
6 Ways Owning an Instant Pot Can Save You Money
1. You avoid grabbing take out.
Since an Instant Pot can cook your meal so quickly, you might be less inclined to grab take out or go out to eat, which can be quite expensive! The convenience of the Instant Pot can be helpful after a long day, and prepare your meal just as quick if not quicker than ordering take out would.
2. You can try thrifty new recipes.
There are thousands of recipes on the internet for you to try out in your Instant Pot. You will find $5 dinners, thrifty dinners, and many other frugal living recipes. These recipes allow you to try out new meals even on the tightest of budgets.
3. You may be more inclined to menu plan.
Menu planning can save you some serious cash. When using an Instant Pot, you may be more inclined to menu plan. Find some recipes you wish to try in your Instant Pot and add them to your menu for the week. Preparing a plan ahead of time can help you avoid impulse purchases and takeout later.
4. An Instant Pot can help with freezer/batch cooking.
Do you love to freezer or batch cook? Then an Instant Pot can help. Create stews and pasta dishes in your Instant Pot then freeze them for enjoying later. Instant Pot can help you create these dishes quickly so you can create a stockpile of meals for later. In fact, in just one afternoon you can whip up as many as half a dozen meals, perfect for freezing and reheating later.
5. An Instant Pot doesn’t use a lot of electricity.
An Instant Pot is quick, easy, and doesn’t use a lot of electricity! This means you are free to pull the Instant Pot out whenever you wish without having to worry about those utility bills going up. It is a budget friendly appliance you can afford to use again and again.
6. Most recipes use ingredients you can buy in bulk.
Many Instant Pot recipes use ingredients you can buy in bulk such as noodles, rice, and beans. This means you can create meals for less, buy many of your ingredients in bulk, and create meals even on the tightest of budgets! How is that for frugal eating?
Did you ever think that owning an Instant Pot could help you save money? Consider these 6 ways owning an Instant Pot can save you money and help stretch your family budget while still enjoying wholesome and filling meals everyone will love.
doesn’t like bananas, try cutting up an apple for them. Delicious, healthy, and simple!
