Coupons, flyers, meals and deals--Frugal Friday

I don't often spend time clipping meaningless 25 cent coupons. To me, my time is worth more than that. But what I do like to spend time on is surfing several websites from time to time that offer some great deals. And depending on what they are, I will also sign up for their newsletter or e-mail of the month or whatever so I don't forget to check them out regularly. A lot of the time there are very valuable deals to be had.

Smart Canucks For across Canada. Deals, coupons, flyers, heads up on flight sales, etc. It's a catch all of frugalness.

Home For Dinner local food blog that is no longer updated but has very valuable information on shopping and eating right here in our fair city. The shorter your food has to travel the cheaper and better it is for us. Plus I like to support local business.

Get Rich Slowly this encompasses North America but has a huge amount of financial Q & A that can be really helpful. You can click around in here forever.

Got No Dough A personal blog that has a bit of everything...meal ideas, financial stuff, product reviews, online rewards stuff...you name it, they have it.

Hillbilly Housewife All about cooking from scratch which is far cheaper than buying ready made meals or processed stuff from a box.

This really is just the tip of the iceberg. I have a whole file in my favourites called "Saving Money" and every time I come across something interesting, in it goes. Hope this helps! happoy reading!

Waste not Want not-Frugal Friday

I have recently become cyber-friendly with a gal out of Alberta who has taken her family on a very interesting journey. Jessica from Nothing New Nothing Wasted has set her mind to the challenge of not buying anything new for one year. Yes, there are a few exceptions like toiletries, underwear, etc. But for the most part the challenge is really about being more thoughtful with your spending dollars and considering the impact that purchase has on the world. She has been featured on webites, national newspapers, radio interviews and local media and I highly recommend you surf her archives. It might make you more aware of where your money is going. And one thing Jessica and I totally have in common is I am a HUGE fan of Kijiji.ca I never make a purchase without hitting that site because you just never know what someone wants to get rid of. Have a fabulously frugal weekend! xo

Parties, Parades and Fairs OH MY!

Tis the season...for spending your life away at all the wonderful summer festivals and parties!!! I looooove summertime in our city. SO MANY fabulous things to do. But there are a few things you can do to keep costs down and still have a great time!

Oh those wonderful small town parades...my kids love them because they still throw candy off the floats! They don't at the Ex parade (Aug 10th, don't miss it!) but we attend several fair days in the surrounding area and let me tell you, bring a shopping bag. They can be a little... generous, shall we say? And I have never been one to ply my children with candy so, what to do? This tip goes back to my Easter post...remember C-O-N-F-I-S-C-A-T-E? I let them carry the bag around all day, chomping on taffy, sucking on suckers and trying to figure out how to blow bubbles. Then when they crash later on at home I take the bags and separate all the candy. There is the bag that goes in the lunch cabinet (parades never have anything suitable for this, just Grandma's Easter's baskets and stockings do), the {small} bag of acceptable treats that are suitable for after supper, rainy afternoons, etc and then there is the mother load bag. The bag where the majority of the candy goes, hidden away on the very top shelf of my cold storage room and I use it for Halloween. I am a huge Halloween nut. I love the treat bags we make for the nieces and nephews, I love the costumes, I love driving all over to see the Aunties, Uncles and Grandparents and eating ourselves sick with those evil but delicious mini chocolate bars. It's just a fun family night! So of course I also used to strive to have the best candy on the block because when we were kids it was a big deal. There was the pic-a-pop house, the full size chocolate bar house, the house that gave away the coupons for the small fries at McDonald's. You knew which houses rocked and which ones gave out the stale Halloween molasses candies from 12 years ago. So in the first few years of our married life I spent a lot on Halloween. The house was decorated to the nines {I still do that} and the candy was outrageous. And we would get on average...6 kids. Are you kidding me??? But really, less and less kids are trick-or-treating these days and if there are more, they sure haven't been at the last 4 houses I have lived in. So I thought to myself, "Self, what is the most important thing to you on Halloween?" And the answer to that is of course to give my own children the best time ever. So I focus more on decorating our house, carving pumpkins {the boys did their own last year!}, roasting seeds, baking monster cookies, doing the costumes and visiting friends and family. We make a point to not even be home on Halloween now and I put out a HUGE bowl of candy on our front step with a friendly sign wishing everyone a Happy Halloween and to please leave some candy for the next kids to come along. But I have always wanted to set up a video camera to see if it's the first, second or third kid who dumps the entire bowl into their bag. LOL

Long story short, over the course of the year I collect an insane amount of candy for my Halloween stash. It saves us on average around $50 to $100 per year depending on what candy you buy. One year I gave out full size chips and chocolate bars. Together. And I was finding we had over half left over, even when I was super super generous. So instead of wasting money buying stuff I will just eat later anyway, I avoid the extra calories and give out what we already have. It's a win-win situation!

Another money sucker...the exhibition itself. Oh my but that can be a trying day. One year I tried to be super frugal about it...limited things to one treat per person, 2 rides, 3 games, one prize, etc. I said "NO!" 857 times and when we left everyone was crying. And I still spent $125. For a day where nobody had fun. Nobody appreciated the time together. It was hot, miserable and nobody got to do what they wanted. So I pose this question to you: Who is the exhibition for anyway?

I have come to the conclusion that the Ex is for us adults to get out for an evening and feel like kids again. I have plans to attend this year sans children. Did I put that bold enough? LOL There is a concert I want to see at the bandstand, some major disgusting calories I want to consume, I looooove the "infomercial building" as I call it and one night during the week I am going to be a "Creative Superviser" for the showcase of arts. Which really just means Corinne and I are going to sit and chat with each other while doing a few little projects while people browse around at the art exhibits. And maybe they will ask us what we are doing. :0) I got a free pass for the day for my volunteer work {volunteering=free stuff!} and I fully intend to take advantage of it. Walk around holding hands with the Hubs feeling like we are dating again. We will spend far less than what we would spend if we brought the boys...unless Hubs let's me buy stuff in the informercial building. LOL But, long story short you need to analyze if your children are really at an age to enjoy something like this. I know, I know, I am a Mum too. I like to give my children all kinds of cool experiences and spoil them with my time and effort. However {and this is a big however} is what you are doing actually for them or is it for you? Some kids just can't handle the overstimulation of the fair so why would you force them to participate in the face painting just so you can get photos for the scrapbook?

Before you make the Ex a family excursion, ask yourself these questions:

*Can afford it?

*Are the kids old enough?

*Are you going for them or for you?

If you answered yes all the way around and are headed out {with sunscreen and hat of course} here are a few tips to save some dollars:

*Pack a backpack with your own drinks. On average a small drink is $4. Times 4 people. $16 for drinks that last 8 seconds. And if you are there for several hourse you can bet you will be doing that at least 3 times. And that's if you say NO 12 times. That's almost $50 just in drinks. Bring your own!

*If you like to do the rides, plan ahead and buy the superpass. As soon as you do...what...more than 5 rides...you are riding for free. I am not up to date on how many tickets rides are these days...but a pass is $38 in advance and in my previous experience it cost around $7 for one midway ride.

*Pick the meal you want to eat at the fair. It's a very pricey day if you go right at lunch when everyone is starving and stay until supper. Plan ahead.

*Take in the free stuff! There is all kinds of free entertainment to be had! Seek out the reptile show, the sharks, the wandering clowns. Walk through the art exhibits. You are there...see it all!

*Choose the day that is best for you. They have special rates on different days that can save you a few dollars.

*Save yourself the frustration of parking and take public transit. It's free with a superpass and pretty cheap without one. And if you have the kids with you trust me, they will love riding the bus. If that is not an option, carpool. If you have more than 5 people in the vehicle, parking is free. Take advantage!

*Come heavily armed if you are bringing the children. Pack that bag like you have never packed it before...wet ones, washclothes, changes of clothes, waterbottles, bug spray, sun screen, camera, extra batteries, sunglasses, small first aid kit...trust me, if you are all comfortable and well prepared it makes for a fabulous day! And don't forget the double stroller. Even my 5 year old can't walk a whole afternoon at the fair.

Do you have any tips for having a fun day at one of these huge festivals? Share them! And have a fabulous rest of the summer!

It's Frugal Friday and the Laundry Soap Saga continues...

If you are friends with me on Facebook, about once a month you see the laundry soap thing on my status. I do make my own laundry soap but let's just say it comes with it's own set of challenges. For one, I have dirty little boys in my house. And a dirty big boy too. Lots of dirt and grease on the pants...and the soap recipe that I started out with did just fine at removing said stains. Right on! But after a week or so I was headed to the gym with freshly washed workout clothes that stunk to high heaven. And I didn't notice until I got to the gym and put them on. Oh. My. WORD. Ok, that is a challenge that needs to be addressed immediately. So after fiddling a bit I adapted the amounts of ingredients and it seemed to do the trick. Thank the heavens. But I still wasn't getting that "Fresh washed" smell and the Hubs was starting to mention that he missed the smell of the bought stuff. Here's the thing...we can afford to buy laundry soap. It's not a big deal. But I save where I can and that was one area I thought just because you can doesn't mean you should. Buy it I mean. We were spending $240 a year on laundry soap. That does not include stain removers, fabric softener or any other laundry type accessories. After I discovered the homemade stuff that figure plummeted to about $20 a year. Then I had to adapt the amounts for the stink factor and it climbed to about $40 a year. So that is a savings of $200. Sigh. What to do? I did break down and buy a bottle of soap and fabric softener to conduct several small experiments.

A) Do you really get as many loads as it says on the bottle?
B) How much do you actually have to use to get stuff clean and smelling great?
C) Could I continue to use my homemade stuff and just augment the smell factor with a tablespoon of fabric softener to make the Hubs happy?
D) How much would it jack up the laundry money to do C? How many loads in a bottle of Gain fabric softener?

B has been going well...you actually need very little to get the suds going, get stuff clean and have it coming out smelling great. I am filling it to just below the 1st line in the cup, the one they say to use for small loads. Well, I do a huge load and that still does the trick. And C is actually already confirmed. I had a few loads of homemade soap left when I got all the store bought stuff so YES, I can augment the smell with the softener while still getting my clothes clean with the homemade soap. So with Sharpie marker in hand I will keep track of how many loads I actually get out of each bottle and will report back in a future Frugal Friday. Don't forget to save a few pennies and use that sunshine to dry your clothes! And then you even get a bit of free exercise when it starts to rain {in the sunshine} and you have to dash outside and rip everything off the line in record time. Don't ask how I know this...let's just say the neighbours got a bit of free entertainment. :0)

To gift or not to gift...it's a loaded question.

With summer comes a LOT of anniversaries. What to get? What to do? We have a "no gift" agreement for ours that the hubs loves to break but we do try to go out for supper or I cook something special. A small splurge to celebrate our special day. It doesn't have to cost a lot, but no matter what you spend there is still the agonizing decision of what to do.

One of said anniversaries is that of my dear sis-in-law and her sweet hubs. They have a mortgage, a mini van, a budget and children. Sound familiar? My sis and I go back and forth with each other about our feelings, what makes us happy and what our hubs can do {or not do} that make us light up. Or just make our lives easier. So she calls me the other day and definitely had something to gush about. And I have to admit, my already high admiration level for my brother-in-law went up exponentionally. He is a wonderful man but this was the icing on the cake.

So my sis looooves crossword puzzles. Initially she was doing sudoku and actually was the one who got me hooked on them several years ago. Recently she has switched to crosswords and her hubs noticed. In a big way. For their anniversary he made her her own crossword puzzle and all the clues were all about them before they had kids. What was our first lunch together, where did we meet, that sort of thing. I melted into a puddle on the floor when she told me. It was FREE. It was THOUGHTFUL. And she said she fell in love with him all over again. Sigh. Another fabulous example that things do NOT have to cost money to touch your heart. Bravo sir, you have raised the bar for other hubs around the world. xox

Loyalty pays!

You've heard me preach before about how instant gratification {and our insatiable quest for it} ruins our budgets time and time again. If something is that important to us, it is worth working for. If it's not worth working for obviously it wasn't that important to you in the first place. So waiting to make a purchase also forces you to really analyze whether or not you need that item. That's how it's been for me over the last 10 years with my cell phone. You also read all about my complaints about this very item in THIS POST. I know, reading 2 of these is time consuming but if you are not familiar with the cell phone post please read it first. It fully explained why I have kept this phone for so long. Now I am going to explain why I am getting a new one today. That's right. Write this day down, make a scrapbook page commemorating it, I am going to have texting capabilities! And it is all thanks to 2 people down at the Telus store. Justin and Amy were just fabulous. I walked in with my regular chip on my shoulder. My "Don't laugh or I won't buy anything" attitude. I just thought there was no way I could get a better package because of that all holy "billed by the second" thing. Well people, it's not easy to admit when you are wrong but sometimes it's necessary. I was wrong. Amy started out by showing me some phones that would suit my needs and how I could get them for free or at a discount and explaining the different packages. Justin was doing his thing on the computer and asked if he could interrupt us. Will it save me money? LOL But of course, interrupt! He suggested that since I had been with them for so long {the longest off contract he had seen} that I should give the Loyalty and Retention section a call to see if they could put together a better package for me. Wow. I've never actually had a salesperson tell me how to spend less money before. They sent me on my way and I hopped on the phone. It took a few hours of back and forth between Telus and Amy at the store because I kept bothering her to ask questions but eventually I was offered an amazing package just to sign another contract. So my other post still stands...don't rush to sign things just to satisfy that instant gratification. But when you are in a position to gain by signing, think it over, talk it over with the Hubs and weigh the pros and cons. The pros in this case far outweigh the cons of signing and losing my by-the-second billing. 200 anytime minutes, evenings and weekends free, unlimited texting, caller ID, voice mail and 75 free long distance minutes every month for only $25+tax. I can certainly handle that...since my regular monthly bill to date has been $30 and up depending on my usage.

So I wanted to give HUGE props to Justin and Amy with Telus. You guys ROCK! Thank-you for making my "new phone" experience a GREAT ONE! Even though there are fabulous new gadgets released all the time, it was so worth it to delay replacing my phone. I feel like I got an excellent deal and that I worked for it. Which makes it that much sweeter!

Mum, we're BOOOOOORED!

This Frugal Friday post is brought to you by the makers of Advil. Do you have a headache from your summer vacationers yet? LOL

Free summer fun! You know it's out there, you just have to go jump on it!

* Garage saling. Not free if you buy something but the kids will love the hunt. I give my kids each a toonie and they can buy whatever they want. Good family fun. And if you happen across something you have been looking for you can just add it to your frugal finds!

*Grab your public library schedule. Puppet shows, reading incentive programs, prizes, parties, etc. They all have summer programming and we can't wait!

*The Leisure Guide. Our local guide has all the free days for different attractions in the city. Mark them on your calendar and take advantage! Now to truly enjoy this, you have to make a day of it and plan ahead. Don't try to "quickly" zip over to the zoo on free family day, it won't be fun. Go early, pack a picnic, bring some little activities for the kids for potential line ups. It's worth it.

*The mall can have free things too! Ask at the info desk about special appearances of all your fave characters. Dora and Diego were the last ones we saw. Again, planning ahead and going early is a MUST. My girlfriend and I hauled our kids (all 7 of them) out at 8am for a 10:30am appearance. We packed a huge picnic breakfast for our crew and they coloured. A few people ended up ahead of us due to some VIP online contest thing {which we hadn't heard about} but we got in, snapped a few photos and were out in no time. The kids loved it!

*Speaking of online stuff...take advantage of websites! Google what to do in your area. Lots of community associations have fun day in the park.

*Speaking of parks...USE ONE! And not just the one close to your house. It is such an adventure to head out to a new playground/paddling pool/spray park. Go armed with your bug spray, sunscreen, snacks and water to make the day hassle free.

*Amp up your own backyard fun. Your computer isn't just for Facebook. Google recipes for different play dough {edible, yum!}, do a little pudding painting {on yourselves!}, do a scavenger hunt {complete ones are downloadable} or make some hats out of old flyers. It doesn't matter what you do...interacting with your children is priceless.

*Nature walk anyone? Check around for your local conservation area. Hike some trails, spot some birds, take some photos.

*Love history? Every city has some kind of historical society interested in passing on the stories of yesteryear. Some have an entire centre dedicated to it. Check it out! Take a walking tour and learn about the history of your very own hometown. You may learn things you never knew before.

*Stores can have free things too. During the summer, bookstores hold free readings for kids. Get a hold of their summer schedule!

*Got a science geek on your hands? I do! Get on that Google again...set up a science lab right at your kitchen table. Some food colouring, vinegar and baking soda will keep your little Einstein busy for hours. Great rainy day activity.

This really is just the tip of the iceberg! If you are in the Saskatoon area, check out the SaskMom website. They are AMAZING!!! Not everything they promote it free but there is such a wealth of info on that site. So much summer fun awaits and it doesn't have to break your budget. Plan for those special events that have a price tag...but just know that it doesn't have to be every day. "Mum, we're BOOOORED" shouldn't make your wallet cringe! Have a great one!

Should I? Could I?

No ground breaking frugal news for you today...except maybe that I got $161.70 in free stuff from the cable company last week! Another reason to always, always keep track of your paperwork and it really does pay to make a phone call or 6. Basically what happened is they kept making the same mistake. Over. And over. And OVER again. I had to explain the situation like 14 times. To 7 different people. Always be polite but firm. If someone can't offer you a solution, ask for their manager. Yes, I was on hold forever. But how long would you stay on hold for $161.70? I was multitasking at the time...no skin off my nose so to speak!

Lots of people have been asking me questions, telling me all about their frugal conquests {which I love by the way...way to go on that water bill Barb!!!} and just generally taking interest in where their money goes. KUDOS TO YOU PEOPLE! It's our own business how we spend our money...but we need to be conscious of what we are doing. With our eyes wide open to the consequences. That's it. For every action there is an equal reaction. So my point this week is the reason I am all about the frugal-ness in my world is so that I will have the extra cash for those things that are important to me. Some might say that it is wasteful of me to spend the money I do on the 2 scrapbooking events I attend every year. But really, compare it to someone who buys coffee everyday. For the sake of easy math let's say they don't drink what I drink {which costs $4.79 and that's why I don't do it all the time! LOL} $3 per day times 5 days a week times 4 weeks a month times 12 months a year. $720. That amount covers most of my "scrap event budget" for the year. So I choose that over the coffee. I can't speak for everyone who does the frugal thing but in our world we live comfortably. I have been working on this for a few years now and don't really feel it as "a pinch" anymore. I just choose carefully where I want my fun money to go! I would rather lounge on a beach in Mexico every 2 years than buy new jeans every month. I'd rather drive a newer vehicle than go out for supper every week. {For a family of 4 that's almost $2000 a year extra at a cheapo restaurant-wow!}. And I would much rather hit every concert that comes to town than unconsciously twenty my money away. Budget binder {write everything down}. Save your receipts. Plan for those credit card purchases. When I buy concert tickets, I take the cash and put it in an envelope. Or any credit card purchase for that matter. Cash goes into an envelope, then when the bill is due it's right there. A fabulous example of how twenty-ing your money away can get you into trouble is when you travel with others. Camp Croppin' was a whale of a good time. Megan puts on one amazing event! Went with some fun gals and for the sake of convenience I put 2 registrations, all gas and hotel on my credit card. There were 4 of us, we drove 6 hours away and we stayed 2 nights so that can amount to a good chunk of change. At the end of the trip I tallied everything up, divided it and everyone paid their share. Now if I would have put it in my wallet and just twentied it away, that credit card total would have been very scary when the bill came. Well, it was already scary actually because the Hubs opened it before I did! LOL His eyes goggled out of his head like the Coyote when the Roadrunner runs right past his trap and he realizes that now HE is going to blow up. :0) Before he even blinked again I handed him the envelope of cash and asked him to deposit it the next day. He smiled {HUGE}, gave me a kiss and sent me out the door to my gym class. Now that situation could have gone a lot different. Could you imagine the stress if I had chosen to spend that money elsewhere and just closed my eyes to the bill coming in a few weeks? Chaos. So in a long winded, round about way my point is that being conscious of how you spend your money means you shouldn't have to live hand to mouth. It saves you grief and argument in the long run. Because life is far too short to be stressing about money right? I'd rather be at the spray park with the kids. Have a lovely summer weekend!

Frugal Dayz of Summer

Winding down...and down...and down!~ School is almost done! So what do we have coming down the line in the way of wallet busting activities? PRESENTS. The teacher, the lunch room lady, the Principal, the piano teacher, the coach, the list goes on and on. To gift or not to gift...that is the question. Gifting is a touchy subject...and I look at it like so: To me, a gift is like a tip. I gift for good service, good feelings, good times. If you are totally gelling with your teacher throughout the year, love the interaction between the coach and your kids, had a particularly warm and fuzzy feeling from the piano teacher you may choose to give them a gift at the end of the year. But hear this: It is NOT a requirement. There is nothing stated in the rules that says you must send your teachers on an all expense paid trip to Hawaii. Got it? {Sorry teachers, you know I love you!} There should be no feelings of "Keeping up with the Jones'" here. A gift from your family to a person who is helping to shape your little people should be personal. From the heart. Something that says "Thank-you so much for your valuable time." So here are a few things to stay within your budget but still tell them you care.

-Anything from your oven, complete with a handwritten recipe card is always a nice touch. And if you aren't the baking type, there is absolutely nothing wrong with calling in the professionals. If you are in the Sasaktoon area check out Cupcake Delight {insert shameless plug here} for an amazing way to show your teacher how sweet they are!

-Something from the craft table. A handmade card, mini album of some activities through the year, or a decorated, blank album that they can fill with their own photos would be a delightful, personal gift. If you are crafty, share the craftiness around!

-If you are very familiar with the person you wish to give a gift, a framed photo of your child or whole family may be appropriate. Decorate the frame yourself! But remember to keep it on the small side...an 8x10 glossy of your fam might look fabulous on your coffeetable but might not be as welcomed on the soccer coach's wall.

-Do you know that the person in question is awfully busy and may not have the time to cook? Are you a Martha in the kitchen? Why not put together a freezer meal with a ribbon on it? Make up a lasagna complete with baking instructions and a little card that says thank-you so much for your time, I thought I would save you some by making your family supper. Something along those lines would put a smile on anyone's face.

-Your time can be more precious than a spa day. Offer a few hours to help clean the classroom, sort library books or take down bulletin boards. Saving some time and sharing the workload can be priceless to an overworked teacher looking forward to the first week of summer vacation!

-Group it together. Take charge! Nab the other parents at pick up time and ask them if they are interested in getting a group gift. If one person gives a $5 gift it might not seem like much. But if 25 people get together and each give $5 it can be one heck of a gift certificate. Think outside the box...I mean, a spa day is always nice but times are tight for everyone. Teachers are no exception. WalMart, Superstore, M&M Meats...they all have gift cards. Get everyone to sign the card, throw in a great gift certificate and you have a wonderful thank-you from the class!

-How about a pet you don't have to feed? Have your child paint and decorate a flat rock. It's a sweet little paperweight to remind the person they are cared for. Don't forget the name and date on the bottom.

I am going with a little of everything this year...a basket of all our fave things! Cookies, bread, etc with a few little crafts done by my son. That is for the teacher and her EA in our classroom. For the extended staff I will be putting out a mini cupcake buffet in the staff room with a card that says thank-you to all for their dedication and hard work.

Remember, saying that you appreciate someone doesn't have to break your bank. It's not a contest to see who can bring the biggest bouquet of roses or who can give a card to the most expensive restaurant. The point of a gift at the end of the year is to say "Hey. You spent time helping to shape my child. And I value that. Thank-you so much." So don't feel overwhelmed by it. A card costs a dollar but says so much more.

Frugal Weekend

Well, maybe not so much as the Hubs did some last minute "supply getting" for the Relay For Life which included a bunch of stuff I would never buy. But such is life sometimes. We had a great time on Friday! Then yesterday I took all the kids to a movie and we watched the UFC pay per view at my sister's place with most of the family {we are such rednecks LOL}. And now today the Hubs wants to car shop and we have a birthday party. Such a full weekend! So when you have a weekend like this when do you fit in last minute shopping for the birthday present? I don't. And that's the frugal tip I have for you today.

I don't shop just to shop. That can get you into a lot of trouble. But when I am out on my weekly missions I do keep my eyes open for anything I can stow away in the "Gift Closet". I have a cold storage room in my house and I reserve some of the highest shelves for extra things I pick up through the year. This actually serves 2 direct purposes. 1) It eliminates the last minute over-spend when you are faced with "That party is today???" and 2) it really helps around Christmas time with staying on budget. So throughout the year I watch the flyer sales. It has to be really, really on sale for me to pick it up but when I do find some good scores it always gives me a sense of satisfaction! For instance, I was at Toys R Us the other day for one item. I can't just browse in that store LOL I have to go in with a plan or I bust the bank! On my quest for the one item I saw a large bin with 50% off all ages and types of ColorWonders. THAT is a great deal. So I got one for each of the kids including nieces and nephews. That's half their Christmas gift right there! Woo Hoo!

Other ways I augment the gift closet is by re-gifting. Yes, I do this but in a tasteful, considerate way. The only way a gift to us makes it into the gift closet is if we already have that item (I almost never return items to the store in this case) or if it is not age appropriate for my kids and will take far too long for them to grow into it to be worth saving. A good example is this past Christmas my 5 year old got this really cool juggling set. It wasn't your conventional juggling. It was metal balls attached to the ends of colourful strings and you swung the balls around and around in different patterns. There was even an instructional DVD and glow in the dark strings. It was a really neat set, no kidding. But more appropriate for a teenage only child. Could you imagine if I let the 5 year old open that? It would be an instant concussion for the 2 year old. I am just looking into the future here people. So when your kids are opening gifts, don't let them take them out of the package unless you are sure this is something you want in your home. On that same note the 2 year old received a set of Little Tikes toys that we happen to already have. I love Little Tikes, they are fabulously durable and well worth the money! So I tucked that away in the gift closet and will be thrilled to give it to another little munchkin somewhere down the line. And not all the gifts I set aside from my kids birthdays and Christmases are given away to other people. How many gifts do your children receive? And how many do they actually play with at once? Kids will inevitably cling to one or 2 of their immediate faves and that's that. So I gather up the others to be pulled out on the next rainy/snowy day. "Remember? Grandma gave you this for your birthday!" And all of a sudden a toy that probably would have gotten lost at the bottom of the toy box has become a new favourite and will get far more use. It's all about thinking ahead. As I've said before, ongoing instant gratification is NOT a good thing. If something is worth having, it is worth working for. And the same goes for our kids. One of the biggest mistakes we could make as aspiring frugal parents these days is teaching our children that instant gratification is normal. Especially in this "All about me" generation. It's the little steps that make a big difference.

No matter how frugal you are...sometimes you just can't avoid it.

This edition of Frugal Friday is dedicated to those *wonderful services that you can't live without and only use in emergency type situations.

*And by wonderful I of course mean annoying, dishonest, highway robbery types of things.

No, this was not my originial Frugal Friday post for today. Was it spurred by an incident? Why of course it was. After the school assembly this morning I was wrestling the small one into his seat {it has been quite a wrestle lately} with my keys in my hand. I must have hit the button by accident {and not heard the beep due to the screeching} because I got him in, threw my purse and keys on the front seat, shut both doors and went to get in on my side...CRAP! Totally locked everything in. Keys, cell phone, toddler. Everything. In that second a wave of panic comes on. My only frugal tip here is to take a breath and calm down. What are your options? Where are you? Far from home? Do you have a spare set of keys? Anyone you can call to help you? Quickly review all the free options in your head and execute your plan of action. My plan of action consisted of my Hubs being out of town and nobody having a spare key to my house which is 5 minutes from the school. Sigh. I ran into the school to call a tow truck. The dispatcher said it would be not even 10 minutes {I was a tad agitated by then and was blunt. If you can't get here NOW don't bother as I had a baby in the van}. She assured me they would be quick. Over 15 minutes later this dude comes rolling up and sloooowly gets out of his truck. Are you kidding me? By this time my little man is screaming blue bloody murder even with me making goofy faces at him which 10 minutes ago was making him laugh. I politely made the impatient face {can you do that politely?} and he got on with business. All of 23 seconds later the van was open. And then I braced myself, for I knew what was coming. That will be $36.75. Wow. I am certainly in the wrong darn business. I knew it wouldn't be cheap. I knew it would make me mad. Maybe if the dude looked like this:

it would have been a little easier to handle. So I already have steam coming out of my ears as I hand him my credit card and he has the audacity to say "If you have cash I could cut you a deal." Oh brother...you have no idea what you just did. You just annoyed the dragon. And you are crunchy and delicious with ketchup. Don't rob me blind {Completely a dishonest business practise if you ask me} and then on top of it try to get me to actually break the law and rip off the company you work for. I gave him a firm set down about what I thought of that and he quickly did up the paperwork.

Now don't get me wrong...I am not a person who thinks every service in the world should be free. People have businesses...they need to make money. I am all for that. But what I am against is the type of services who prey on people's desperation. I dsperately needed to get my son out of a locked van. $36.75. You desperately need to fix your vehicle so you can get to work. It goes on the 12% credit card. You desperately need your pay cheque early so you can feed your children. Pay day loan places charge as much as 30% interest {or more}. Some things we can't avoid. Break downs, furnace issues, etc. But we can try to be smart about them. If you find a cycle of these things happening, try to break that cycle of paying more than you have to. Ask yourself "Is this really an emergency or do I just think it's an emergency? Baby locked in van...emergency. Furnace explodes in the middle of winter...emergency. Sally's birthday party isn't big enough, let's rent a band...not an emergency. New scrapbook supplies...not an emergency. Do you see where I am going with this? There is a definite line between needs and wants and we have to be honest with ourselves. Institute one or two frugal tips per week to stretch those actual pay cheque dollars so you don't have to go for that payday loan. Take $20 per cheque and put it away so you have a small fund set aside for emergencies. Ideally, you should be saving 10% of your wage for such emergencies. But really, when you are starting out to try to get things on track $20 is plenty. You won't miss it. Because really, don't we spend $20 per cheque on silly things you can't even remember the next week? Yes we do. So beat yourself to the punch and put it away before you give it to Starbucks. You'll thank me for it later.

Vay-cay the frugal way

I don't really consider summer "vacation time" but to the majority of people it is. I like to have my off time when it is freakiin' cold here and I can go somewhere like...oh, I don't know...Jamaica. That was my fave spot so far. Breathtaking. And warm. LOL Now that's what I am talking about. But this is Frugal Friday so you know where I am going with this.



First things first: Ask yourself "Can we afford this?" Now don't close your eyes, put your hands over your ears and start singing row row row your boat. We are all adults here and believe it or not, vacations are a luxury not a right. I know, hurts to hear doesn't it? Vay-cay time is here and you have planned an amazing trip so go on and ask yourself that big question. Come on, you'll feel better afterwards...can you really afford it? No? Then it's a good thing you are here! Vacations should never be taken on the credit card. Ever. Honestly, do you really want to be paying it off a year or two down the road? And with the interest, instead of costing you $3000 it costs you more like $4200 depending on your rate. That's where that whole instant gratification thing comes in and it can get us into a lot of trouble. So whether you are craving a hot sunny beach, a long roadtrip across the border or a quick weekend at the lake here are a few hints and tips to get you started within your own realistic budget.



Overseas excursions

*The internet is a wonderful resource for trips like this. My first stop is always tripadvisor.com to check out the reviews of different places before I choose. Then when I sort of have in my head where we want to go, I give Dawna a call at redtag.ca. Yes, that was a shameless plug but that lady seriously knows what it means when I say budget. You wouldn't believe the last deal we got to Mexico. Wow. In short...research, research, research. Going by the seat of your pants can be very expensive in a foreign country. Now, I am talking familiarize yourself with the area and what you want to do. Don't go buying everything up on the internet. Which leads me to my second point.

*Isn't it enough that you are in a beautiful location with delicious food, fabulous entertainment, a warm beach and great company? Do you really have to swim with the dolphins? Go ziplining in the jungle? Drink all day on a catamaran with a bunch of strangers? I'm not saying don't have fun. But choose your fun wisely. And in all our travels I have learned a valuable piece of advice: ask the locals. If you are bent on going scuba diving, horseback riding, whatever, we have found it's cheaper to ask around in town before committing to anything. And don't fall for all the excursions the reps try to sell you the morning after you arrive. I listen politely, smile, put my sunglasses back on and saunter out the door after the meeting is over. My beach chair is lonely.

*If you do an all inclusive, stick to the resort when eating. You've already paid for it so why go somewhere else? And lots of places have so many restaurants to choose from you can't possibly get bored.

*Take advantage of each and every single thing your resort has to offer. City tours? I am in! Spanish lessons? Si, por favor! Dancing? Let's cut up that rug baby! See what I mean? You can make your own all inclusive fun.

So enough about that...because we are talking frugal holidays here. How about roadtrips? The lake? Camping? What do you like to do? I've done it all and loooove it all! I am a traveller through and through. Let's start with the fabulous:

cross-country roadtrip

*Probably better when your kids are older and can appreciate all the interesting stops. What interesting stops you ask? Oh, I hope you googled your map before you left! Your fun here relies on research {is there a theme happening?} If you map out your route ahead of time and check out the spots along the way you will be fully prepared with a long list of free to cheap fun to keep your vacation rockin'! Check out local points of interest, parks, recreation sites, pools, museums, etc. It doesn't always have to be the huge touristy spots that are the most fun. And you know they are usually the most expensive.

*Bring on the food! Restaurants every meal, every day can blow your budget faster than a diamond tennis bracelet. But there are grocery stores everywhere. Plan a few special meals out at restaurants and come on people...get interesting! Don't go to the same old thing you can find at home. Then for other "on the road" meals make sandwiches, cut up some fruit, veggies and dip and good old fashioned jerky will keep your crew happy! A plug-in cooler for your vehicle is a very sound investment. Watch the flyers for sales at this time of year, they are worth their weight in gold.

*If you are travelling in the USA, be careful where you buy gas. They actually have competition there! I know, shocking isn't it? You can find gas at one price and then 2 blocks down it will be a few cents cheaper.

*A well tuned car is a happy car. It will be cheaper for you in the long run if you are nice to your vehicle and get it looked at before you leave. Get an all points inspection, oil change, fluids topped up, etc. These services don't have to be expensive though so make sure you are well aware of what you are getting for a set price before you commit to anything.

What about the shorter roadtrips? A weekend at the lake isn't expensive, is it? Wrong. A weekend at the lake can break your bank if you are not careful. So let's talk

camping, cabins and the lake

*Research. Again with the research! But really, it's the best way to get the best deal. If you aren't a roughin' it type of family be realistic about things. Don't decide that this year is the year you teach your teenagers how to camp and go clean out Canadian Tire. Be honest with yourself about what will be fun for your family. But then also be realistic about your bank account. Renting a cabin can get pricier than a resort hotel without the all inclusive meals! Be sure you know the reputation of the site, what it includes, what you need to bring {some places require you to bring everything but the kitchen sink. Even your own toilet paper. Be careful!} and at what price before you sign on the dotted line. This is where it pays to know people. Ask around and see if someone is willing to lend out their cabin. Ask, ask, ask.

*There are some wonderful out of the way campsites in our fair province. It just takes a little {say it with me now} research. Camping rates can vary by a lot. And it's no fun taking your little ones for a quiet weekend at the lake when there are a bunch of partying teenagers 2 sites down ripping up the campground on ATVs. Ask a bunch of questions of the site manager. If they are not helpful, they obviously don't want your business that badly.

*Friends and family are a wonderful resource. Have they been anywhere good lately? Did they like it? What were the pros? The cons? Would they go back? Keep in mind that places often up their prices yearly so don't rely on Uncle Buck's price quote from 1997. Hop on the computer or get on that phone. Many places have comprehensive websites with virtual tours and everything.

*So you've decided on a campground. Do you have tents? A trailer? What are your sleeping arrangements? Is it fully equipped for the needs of your family? And now the big question: Where to park yourselves? Over the years I have learned a number of great tips when at campgrounds. And again, it all comes down to grilling the manager upon booking. {People love me, can't you tell?} Are there any large groups there that weekend? You want to be far away from that. Where are the bathrooms? Are there pay showers? Where are the outhouses? {Being parked next to an outhouse in +30 weather=well, you can do that math}, is it a long walk to the beach? Does it even have a beach? Study the map and choose the best parking spot for you.

*Here is the most important phrase I will teach you. "Do you have any discounts or specials?" Don't be embarrassed to ask. Ask. Ask some more! "We are a family on a budget, do you think you can do better than that price?" Prices are rarely set. Hotels are famous for this. For our mini honeymoon right after our wedding we went to Edmonton and stayed in 2 different rooms at the FantasyLand hotel over 3 nights. For around $180. Not a night. Total. We went from Tuesday to Friday and even got a bunch of passes and coupons thrown in for free. All I had to do was ask.

*Spend a little to save a little. Often there are sports teams or other charities who sell coupon books for your area. They are anywhere from $25-$50 and are an excellent investment for some good summer fun. But of course buyer beware...flip through it before you purchase it! Lots of 2 for 1 dinners and passes that can be used on your vacation.

*Keep in mind vacations do NOT have to break your budget or be very far away. There are campgrounds within the city limits {I like Holiday Park} with fab golf courses. Do you enjoy the links? Book a room for 2 nights during the week {discount!} and play a round, see a show or hit a pool. It's still a vacation. You don't have to take out the garbage, make the beds or answer the phone!

*For a fun, silly little getaway trade houses with a good friend across town or in a different town. Have you heard of those trading holidays? Check out the movie The Holiday. You can google this topic all over the place. There are whole websites dedicated to people trying to find others to trade with. I don't know how I would feel about strangers staying in my house but wouldn't it be a fun project with the kids to set up like a little bed and breakfast with mints on the pillows and swap houses with your friends for a night or two? It's practically free but still out of the ordinary!

What I am saying here in my loooong rambling is that we need to rewire our brains about what defines a "vacation". Ask questions, find the deals. If you are dedicated to saving money and getting yourself out of any debt you may be in, it's important to be realistic about what you are able to spend. No need to keep up with the Jones'. They are probably drowning in debt and you just don't know it.

Don't save it all...but a few things help

A Frugal Friday on thriftiness...or better yet, "How thrifty should I be?" My Grandmother who I miss dearly always had a rubber band around her wrist and a tissue in her sleeve. She saved everything from bread tabs and twist ties to each and every dry heel of bread to put in the paperbag under the cupboard for her delicious stuffing at Thanksgiving. She was a waste not want not kind of lady. But how much is too much? I try so hard to be reasonable about the things I save. Yes, you could use that rubber band again but do you really need 11,675 of them? Yes, that re-sealable bag has a lot of life left in it but if you can't cram it in the drawer is it really worth finding them a new home just to store more? And the big one...Yes, you could probably use that on a scrapbook page some day but really...are you actually going to do it? The answer to all three of these questions {no matter what} is a resounding NO! Let's expand on the last one with a few frugal tips I use myself. I keep one medium sized bin of "ephemra" and if it gets too full, well, I just have to prioritize. I also started looking at my stash with an opened eye wondering what I could re-purpose or start to make on my own. You know Mod Podge? It's watered down white glue. {Thanks Sasha!} There was a time when I asked myself if I really needed to keep spending the money on my yearly membership at my local scrapbook store. I wasn't shopping there all that much anymore {trying to use my stash!} and it was $28. That's a haircut. So I was seriously considering letting it expire when a friend showed up on my doorstep with an armload of cardboard. If you think the two are not related, you apparently aren't a scrapbooker. One of my fave embellishments is chipboard. It comes in all shapes and sizes, colours and finishes and will cost you a pretty penny. And a HUGE dent was made in my budget purchasing said chipboard. Oh how I love it so. But if you want to go the frugal route, you can start saving the cardboard you come across in your daily life like cereal boxes, the packages enlarged photos come in, calendars {thanks Barb!} and the like. With a little imagination, some paint, ink and glossy accents and a $28 yearly membership at Just Scrap It I turn all that scrap cardboard into anything my heart desires. They have a very large selection of diecuts there and let me tell ya if they don't have it, you don't need it. I think over the last few years there has only been once that they didn't have the shape I was looking for. That's worth the price of admission right there! So skip all the over priced pieces of chipboard. Scout around, you just might have some sitting in your recycling bin waiting to be transformed!

Let's leave John Hancock out of this

Frugal Friday...finally! I scrapbooked tonight trying to slide some last minute stuff in for the Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine call for Fall. It was worth being late for the whole blogging thing.

So let's talk about your John Hancock. Not into obscure references to politicians past? This is the post where I harass you about fees and tell you not to rush into contracts. We live in such an advanced age that really, you don't need to sign your life away anymore even if that's what the companies want us to do. If you are trying to get your budget under control, the worst {and I mean WORST} thing you can do to yourself is get into a lengthy contract no matter how inexpensive you think the payments are. Cell phones, gyms, cable, vehicles, you name it...there is a contract for it. Usually they are taking advantage of people with less than glamorous credit by making them commit to a year {or 2 or 6} of payments right up front. So as a frugal gal, I am telling you to STOP SIGNING FOR STUFF. If you need a cell phone, get a pay as you go. Yes, in the long run they are more expensive per minute of talk...I've crunched those numbers. But if you are rearranging your finances and need to cut back for now, the pay as you go {of course paired with limiting your talk} is the path to take. And on that same topic...don't get sucked into the cycle of constantly upgrading your phone because the company gives it to you for free if you sign another contract. I have a great cell phone story. And must post a photo because you won't believe me until you see it. I have had the same cell phone package for a little over 10 years. Nope, not kidding. And I've had the same cell phone {yes, the very same one} for about 8. Years. Yup, you read that right. I love technology but the only reason I have a cell at all is for emergencies. So I can call the Hubs if I get a flat tire. So my son's school can always reach me. So my Hubs can keep track of me when I am out of town. So I can call my girls when I find an amazing sale. My cell has saved me many, many times. But let's face it, I am not Ivana Trump. I don't need to be that hooked up all the time. I am a SAHM who does not need to check Facebook while in line at the grocery store. And I'm pretty sure I won't die if I don't receive my e-mail the second it is sent to me. Even though I have complained many times about "The shoe" {it's as big as my hand}...it has served me well and I have saved money sticking with what I have. But Kate, strangers make fun of you when they see it. Friends snicker when it rings. People have asked you {more than once} "Your house phone works this far away from it's base?!" And I take all the ribbing with good humour because of one thing and one thing only: I am billed month to month {no contract} and by the second people. Nobody has that anymore...it's all by the minute now. This is the reason I have not changed my package. Oh sure, my company tries to entice me to change all the time with new "Free" phones, offering me a bunch of free minutes on a new package, even going so far as to send me personally addressed letters in the mail explaining all the wonderful technology I am missing out on. They will do anything to get me to change because I pay $30 per month (including all fees, taxes, etc) for 150 anytime minutes and I am billed by the second. It's sweet. And I have only ever gone over my minutes twice. Once the month I got married and once the month my sister got married. That's it. And they hate me for it. LOL So analyze your use, is your large package really that vital? Is your fancy phone all it's cracked up to be? If you are trying to cut some corners this is a great place to start.



Gym? I touched on that yesterday and highly suggest you ask around to see if they have a babysitting program you could volunteer for. Works for me. Or check out your local community association classes that are held in neighbourhood school gyms. Waaaay cheaper! Right in my area there are aerobics and Step classes!



Vehicles...don't even get me started here. Now there are certainly situations where your need for something far outweighs the best possible scenario for purchase. We've all been there. However, don't let that warp your belief of what you are actually in need of. If you are having a baby and want to get something bigger than your Civic Hatchback there probably isn't a huge need to jump right into a Cadillac Escalade with the pimped out rims. Catch my drift? This falls under the category of just because you can doesn't mean you should. The banks and finance places want to lend you lots of money. The longer it takes you to pay it back, the fatter their pockets get due to those two wonderful words: Interest and Late Fees. Ok, so that's 3 words.



This all goes together with things like overdraft protection. They call it protection...but what it really is is a chance to take a bit more money from you. This is something I learned the hard way. Going into overdraft is like bouncing a cheque...you get in less trouble but end up paying way more. When we moved up North our finances were screwed up for the better part of 4 months waiting for reimbursement. I thought overdraft was my friend, "protecting" us when we were a tad short for a day or two. We'd be in OD for a few days, get out then the next week slide back in. What I didn't realize was those nifty little "NSF-$25" charges coming out of my account. YIKES! There was one month I paid $75 in fees because of going in and out of overdraft so many times right around my billing date. It was nasty so I started asking questions. Believe me...overdraft is not your friend...knowledge is your friend. Ask your bank about different accounts and packages and what is right for you.



One last point...don't get caught up in the cycle of late fees and collection charges. And gym memberships are a great example here. When you let something lapse or are consistently late there are extra charges involved. And at the time you think "Well, it's only $1.25" Let's say you are late with 2 seperate bill payments per month for a year. Quick math...{oh who am I kidding, I used a calculator} you just wasted yourself $30. $2.50 in late charges every month x 12 months. $30 pays for a haircut, dinner out, a movie night or if you want to hit a little harder on the heart it pays for a box of diapers, a whole lot of baby food or could be put away towards some other big event your little one had her heart set on. It all adds up. So leave John Hancock out of it for a while and see how frugal you can be.

Frugal Friday? Well, it's frugal somethin'...

Being frugal has left me computer-less. The darn thing decided not to live anymore {oh why do we have these issues every 2 years???} and in our bid to get a good deal and not waste our money we have taken a week or so hiatus from the internet. "Unplugged" if you will. Hopefully we'll be back up and running by Monday but I guess we'll see. On with Frugal Friday!

Do you go to the gym? Ever wonder if you could get your gym membership for FREE? I DO. No really, I do. And all it takes is a few simple questions. My gym has a babysitting service and for just 2 hours of my time per week I get a free membership. It is a sweet, sweet deal. So I come in for my 2 hour shift, I am allowed to bring my own kids, I watch the other kids, wham bam thank-you ma'am I am working out for free. And the icing on the cake is I really, really enjoy my gym. The classes are fantastic, the instructors are second to none and the atmosphere suits me. If you live in my area and want to learn more, drop me an e-mail and I'll tell you all about it!

So let's crunch the numbers, shall we? The average gym membership runs you about $50-$60 per month. That's the cost of a basic membership at my gym anyway. PLUS you still have to drive there. We figured I was spending around $350 a year when I was going 6-7 times a week before my sister's wedding. Now I go about 3-4 times a week. So for the sake of easy math let's say I spend $200 a year driving over there. If I had to pay for my membership too that bumps it up to $800-$920 per year just going to the gym. Wow, that's a lot. If your schedule allows you to commit to a regular 2 hour volunteer shift, it could save you big money. And in the infamous words of KC and the Sunshine Band...That's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it.

Prizes anyone?

Short post...I have commendeered Barb's laptop and am not giving it back until I reveal the winner of the fabulous tickets to the Saskatoon Soaps, tell a bit about Camp Croppin' and of course leave you with a little Frugal Friday tidbit. So the whole post revolves around prizes...woo hoo!

Kim D and the gang! Hope you enjoyed the Soaps tonight! Tell me all about it when we get home. Glad you could use the tickets.

Camp Croppin' has so far been a roaring good time...I already won a door prize and got to read my top 5 reasons why I love Camp Croppin'. Good times. More on that later.

And Frugal Friday. My quick tip of the day has to do with planning and getting the most you can out of your special events. The event that I am at right now has the potential to offer you a number of free products and promotions. Plan ahead and take advantage! If this is what you enjoy, schedule yourself a day of getting free stuff! I am planned down to my last minute here and consequently enjoying every one of those minutes. I like to get the best bang for my buck and all it takes is a little forethought. Planning ahead really does save you money. More on that another day... I think I am annoying my roommates. LOL

Frugal Friday---Back to school!

Oh praise the heavens we go back to school soon!!! WOO HOO!!! Today's Frugal Friday post will be short and sweet. A "use what you have" type of thing.

Easter. Wasn't it great? I gained 4 pounds. No seriously...4 pounds of pastel M&Ms and Cadbury mini eggs. And now it's back to the treadmill. Easter was especially lucrative for my boys. Remember last week...I posted tips on how to keep your own personal Easter slim. But there are a few variables there that you really can't control. The Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles, generous friends, neighbours, etc who ply your children with gifts and treats. Remember the confiscate part? LOL Spell it with me C-O-N-F-I-S-C-A-T-E. I'm not all mean...I let my boys gorge themselves for the morning of Easter Sunday when they are opening their gifts and hunting for eggs. My little guy had 6 chocolate eggs unwrapped before we even realized what he was doing. The finding part was not so hard for him. But after breakfast (whole wheat pancakes!) I take 3 large Ziplocs and go to work. One bag is for items that would be appropriate to send in school lunches. Bag #2 is for sugary treats that I would allow the boys to have one piece of after supper. And Bag #3 is the "Absolutely NOT" bag that gets stored in the cold room and put out at Halloween. Oh yes, I do this. But that is a whole other post all on it's own! Mostly what goes in that bag is gum, weird colours of licorice and other things that are so out of this world sugary that they are generally unrecognizable as food. Like those little fake "hamburgers". What are those even made out of? Anyway...I am seriously off track here. Back to bag #1. Items appropriate for school lunches. The Grandmamas tend to go all out for Easter but these days the bags are also filled with puddings, Jell-O cups, goldfish crackers and applesauces. All things that my kids don't eat every day but I don't find it to be a horrible choice to toss into a lunch now and again. Even in Kindergarten I hear "So-and-so had pop, chips and LUNCHABLES today. Why can't I have that?" It's tough to explain to a 5 year old that his lunch probably cost $1 with tons of nutrition for his growing brain and his friend's lunch was $6 and loaded with preservatives. I did explain the money part at the grocery store because he does understand which is bigger and smaller when it comes to numbers. But when you are 5 you don't care about the budget. You care that so-and-so dissed your multigrain bread sandwich, apple slices, triscuits and cheese and batman water bottle. And I get that. I also am well aware that it won't kill him to eat something not made in my kitchen every once in a while. So this is where the frugal part comes in. When the baskets roll in, they are divvied up. And now I have a HUGE Ziploc filled with stuff. There has to be 2 months worth of appropriate lunch treats in there. My boy is happy, my budget is intact and Easter has saved the day.

Any specific Frugal Friday posts you'd like to see? Curious about how I do this, that or the other thing? I'm not shy! I love comments! xox

Frugal Friday---Quality vs. Quantity

Happy Good Friday! And a Frugal Easter to you too! No mid week post again...but at least Frugal Friday keeps me blogging weekly. LOL I sort of have an excuse...I am going hard getting ready for Camp Croppin'. It's going to be a FAB time!

Back to Frugal Friday. Do you have children in your life? Sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends...it doesn't matter. Do you ply them with a plethora of Easter treats on this fine long weekend? I am not going to bore you with a lecture about needs vs. wants. We are all aware of the needs and wants in our lives and how to tell the difference. What I want to talk about today is Quality vs. Quantity. This year we have decided (The Hubs and I) to get one large gift for each child instead of filling a basket with 25 things from the dollar store. I LOVE Dollarama. Love, Love, LOVE it! Don't get me wrong, you can get some wonderful stuff there. BUT, let's think about Easter specifically. How much of the stuff that gets into the basket is still functioning by May long weekend? In my house...the answer is NONE. Nothing. Nada. So here's the deal...crunch those numbers. Let's say you go to Dollarama and get $20 worth of stuff. The cute plushy, the bunny ears, the little Easter games, etc. The children love it for the day. Maybe even the weekend. Then you step on the game by accident and it goes in the trash. The plushy gets coated in chocolate so you try to wash it. It comes apart in the wash and then goes...that's right. In the trash. The bunny ears get fought over and snap in half. Then? The trash. Not to mention the huge quantity of chocolate they get in the basket...only to end up in their blood stream. Which leads to a huge quantity of frustration for Mum and Dad. You paid $25 for all that nonsense? This year, we spent $25 on a scooter for our older son and a little more than that on a remote control for our younger son. They will last quite some time and provide an immense amount of playtime outside. Great family time! Yes, Grandma and Grandpa (x2) will have baskets for the kids. Do I confiscate it? ABSOLUTELY. To be doled out in teeny tiny manageable amounts throughout the Spring/Summer. So when you go to fill the Easter baskets this year (reusable ones of course! My boys have metal Spiderman buckets.) analyze each thing you put in. Is it reusable? (I even save the Easter fluff from year to year in a Ziploc bag) is it strong enough to withstand your children for more than an hour? Will it be a good toy in the long run?

Some excellent frugal Easter ideas:

*Hide coins instead of chocolate. Then they can practise counting it and put it in their piggy banks.
*Kids love outdoor play things! Sidewalk chalk, skipping ropes, jacks, a new bat and ball. It doesn't have to be expensive.
*Let the Grandparents do the candy thing. 3 giant chocolate bunnies are yummy but not needed! LOL Bake cookies with the kids. They LOVE that!
*What about movie tickets? Rainbow theatre has great cheap seats for kids.
*Don't undervalue an afternoon of good old fashioned egg colouring! Let them get messy. Let them do whatever colours they want! Fun fun FUN!
*Go to a museum, park or local show. If you live in my area, go to the Draggins Car Show! The original Batmobile will be there. Now that's fun for the whole family!

Have a wonderful, blessed Easter weekend. Remember what Easter is all about. Not gaining 6 pounds worth of Mr. Munchy Bunny. It's about our Lord and Saviour. Spend time with your family and remember that love does not equal money. Love is all about time spent and the laughs that follow. Happy Easter! Go eat some free ham at your Mother in Law's house!

This edition of Frugal Friday is brought to you by our fine sponsors Technical Difficulties and Pure Frustration

who ask...Have you thrown your computer out a window today?

I have felt like that for DAYS AND DAYS now. My tiny tip of the day is computer related...sorry about the lack of post yesterday BUT I am trying to be frugal which meant not calling the computer guy. It meant letting the Hubs do whatever he does...which takes for-freakin'-EVER. Patience, patience, patience, right? WRONG! I don't watch a lot of TV and that's fine with me but if I don't get my Facebooking in {is that a new verb?} I go a little crazy. That's my not-really-related-to-anything computer frugality tip of the week. But the real Frugal Friday tip of the week actually does have to do with patience.

Have you ever been in line at the grocery store and it's a relatively short line but it's taking some time because there is a sweet old lady at the front paying with pennies and nickels? And you stand there all tolerant and smiling until she is done, then when she moves on you roll your eyes at the person in front of you as if to silently say "Oh thank goodness...now we can get on with our rushed, busy day!" The person in front of you doesn't actually have too many items and you think it will roll along swiftly until the person in front of you starts asking the cashier questions and then...you know. This is going to take forever...and a day. Um yeah, that person in front of you is probably me. And I'm not even going to apologize for it. On average, the grocery store makes a 10% mistake on every grocery bill. Whether it be something that is keyed in wrong, misadvertised in the flyer or posted incorrectly on the shelf. 10%. 10%!!! That's $10 on every hundred dollars you spend. Let's be generous and say they don't make quite that many mistakes and call it 5%. On a $100 per week grocery budget that is $20 a month you are just handing the grocery store for no reason. $240 per year. Call it a tip. For good service? Well, I don't know where you shop but my store does not have good service. For me, grocery shopping is a mission. I go in heavily armed and I come out alive every time. Because I am prepared. And one of my weapons is The Scanning Code of Practise. Click on it to learn more {plus the frugal shopper website is pretty good}. In short, this rule protects you from getting overcharged if you are willing to watch for it. They aren't going to help you out here. Ideally, watch the items as they are being scanned so you can catch it right there. No, I am not kidding I actually do this. Now, I am also a realistic Mummy with 2 little boys. So if I don't have my eyes on the scanner {because they are otherwise occupied making sure the boys don't shoplift gum by accident} I pay, bag up my groceries, put the boys back into the cart, pull some snacks out of my purse {remember, I go in heavily armed} and I park beside the Customer Service desk and carefully review my receipt to make sure it jives with the prices I saw when I picked the items up off the shelf. If I see a mistake, I am already where I need to be. Customer Service will take care of it and refund you right away. This saves me money almost every single week. And not little money either. My best purchase-for-free to date has been hair colour. I'm always asked "How much is your time worth? Do you do all of these things every single time?" No of course I don't. You pick and choose what is important to you and your schedule at the time. So the day of the hair colour mission I was at one store that happened to be right across from a drugstore. I knew I could get the hair colour at a different store for $7.99 but didn't have time. So I thought I would pay the extra $3 and make a quick stop at the drugstore. The regular price was $10.99 but was on for $8.99! Right on! It was my only purchase so I went up to the counter where the lady proceeded to ring it in at the regular price. Now this is where I remind you that this is not OK. The item is advertised at a specific price. Don't feel embarrassed about pointing out a mistake and saving yourself a few dollars. Let's say you did this just twice a month at $3 per item. $72 dollars a year back in your pocket. There is the "Oh, it's just $2" thing again. It matters. So when you see a mistake, all you have to do is politely ask "Do you adhere to the Scanning Code of Practise?" If they don't know what you are talking about get a manager. The lady at the drugstore said yes they do, re-rang in my purchase and because it was under $10 I got it for free. FREE! That's a $9.89 saving right there. And that excites me. This post could branch off a hundred different ways, but here is a list of do's when at the store:

~Go heavily armed. If you must take the children make sure they are happy and occupied. I always go right in the morning when the older one is in school and the younger one has just been fed. I often carry snacks in my purse and will have the DS or MP3 player for emergency situations only. If the children are happy, Mummy is happy.

~Try to adjust your budget so you shop once a week. This cuts down on stocking up on unneccessary items and makes it easier to keep track of your purchases. Meal plan and stick to your list. This is a whole post all on it's own...stay tuned!

~Bring your own shopping bags. {I often forget but I am working on it!} at 5 cents per bag the average week's worth of groceries could cost you another 40 or 50 cents. That's around $20 per year in savings just by bringing your own bags. Wow. $20. I have to work harder at this!

~Dump your embarrassment at the door. Pointing out an error isn't embarrassing. It might take a few extra minutes but it's worth it. Remember: You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Be extra polite and if you are met with hostility, put on your best smile and ask to speak with the manager. If you are met with even more hostility, smile even bigger and ask for the number of his manager. Believe me, it works. And if it saves my family money I am willing to go that extra mile. If I save $5 on my grocery bill a few times a month that is a nice lunch out. Period.

~Frugalness is all about thinking long term and avoiding instant gratification. Yes, I want to get out of the store, yes I want to get home and crack open that toblerone bar, yes I want to make sure I am not ducking daggers on my way out from the people behind me. BUT if you crunch those numbers it's just too much money to pass up. Would you walk up to someone on the street and just hand them $240? If you would, please make sure I am standing right next to you! LOL No, of course nobody would willingly give away $240 for no reason. So stop doing it unknowingly. I've given you the knowledge, now stop the cycle!

~And of course all the regular rules like don't shop hungry, distressed or 5 minutes before the store closes. You are likely to spend far more than what you actually went in for.

Watch for next week's post...it will tie in nicely to the whole grocery store theme. Questions? Any good scores lately? {Never mind Kags!} Post them here and let's help each other out! xox

Frugal Friday - It's all in the Baby Steps

Who knew Frugal Friday would be such a hit? Thanks peeps! xox And also who knew Frugal Friday would be my only posts this week on a scrapbooking blog? LOL Well, it's been that kind of week my friends. I have been cleaning, cleaning, CLEANING the scrapbooking room so I can get in there and create some art. Camp Croppin' is coming up fast and I want to be prepared. It's going to be a FAB time! So now that you know why I am so negligent in the blogging world we can get on with things.

Today's Frugal Friday is all about Baby Steps. Being frugal, striving to be debt-free and eventually stopping the stress caused by money doesn't happen over night. You can't wish for it, it doesn't just appear, a money fairy doesn't drop it on your head in your sleep. It takes days, months, years to achieve your financial freedom. But mark my words, you will achieve it. So take that first Baby Step:

Gather up every bill in your house. All of them. Even the ones you have hidden in your glove box, the bottom of your bag and tucked away at the back of the bread box. Now sit down with your husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/life partner/roommate...or just sit down with yourself. Whoever is affected by this. I can hear the collective gasps happening all around the world. "But Kate, then they will SEE the bills!" Yes, they will. It's time. It's time to air the dirty laundry my friends. But there will be no judgement here. This is your first Baby Step. Don't fight about...it has to be done. You may not be ready for this and that's ok. But you need to start at least thinking about it. Because if you don't know what you owe, how will make a plan to get rid of it, right? So this Frugal Friday is all about getting those bills into one spot. If you want to go buy one of those fancy office boxes from Staples, go for it. They aren't too pricey. If you already have a filing cabinet, great. If it's an old Xerox paper box, that's good too. No excuses, just get them all together and if you get inspired and want to take it one step further, sort them according to what they are. Utilities, credit cards, etc. When you have that done, it's one Baby Step crossed off the list. Now eventually what you want to do is analyze each bill. They need to go into a priority sequence according to which one has the highest interest rate. Pay those first. Higher interest=more money being taken out of your pocket every day. I know some of the Divalicious peeps are sooo very savvy when it comes to the banking world so this part is not for you. But for the babysteppers, this is where you need to get down and dirty and dive into some unknown waters. Talk to a banker about consolidation. That's taking all your debt {or at least some of it} and putting it all together on one loan or line of credit. Often they will give you a MUCH better interest rate than whatever department store credit card you have.

***Frugal Friday Tip of the Week*** STAY THE HECK AWAY FROM DEPARTMENT STORE CREDIT CARDS UNTIL YOU HAVE THINGS UNDER CONTROL. When you have everything settled, then by all means take advantage of all the great sales and deals offered with such cards {I do-but that is an entire post all on it's own}. But until then {re: all debt paid} just avoid the life sucking little pieces of death all together.

Points to ponder:

* Learn about interest rates. What are yours? Can you get a better one? Don't be afraid to pick up the phone! Ask questions, that is what they are there for.

* Late charges add up! Even if you can't make a full payment, never, ever make a late payment. Write your due dates on your calendar. And if you are short, call the company immediately. You get more flies with honey than vinegar and a friendly phone call works wonders in eliminating those late charges.

* Credit cards are not cash. Period. If you don't have the money, don't spend the money. Give them a break and live on cash for a while. You'd be so surprised what you learn about your spending habits.

* The bank machine isn't always "magic". LOL OK, this is a little tidbit from my childhood. We always called it the "Magic Money Machine". Convenient? Oh yes. But those little suckers can kill your budget. Do you actually look at your bank statements? {I do the paperless on-line thing, it's brilliant} If you use a different bank's machine, your fees can run you anywhere from $1 to $5. When we lived up North, there was one machine in like a one hour radius and we were 4 hours from civilization. And our charges were $5. Each time. Ouch. If you went to the machine just 4 times in a month, that's $20 which equals a pretty nice lunch out. "Oh it's just $2." adds up pretty fast. Every penny counts. How often do you visit the magic machine?

* When it comes to your finances there are no stupid questions. What's stupid is to be unaware of things. If you feel uncomfortable or belittled when you are dealing with your banker then it's time to get a new banker. That is allowed. Did you know that some banks actually want your business? They will cover any fees or penalties that occur in the switch from your current bank. All you have to do is ask.

The long and short of it is to be informed, be proactive and get it out in the open. Get together with a few of your close friends and form a support group. Frugality might not seem as glamorous as a five star meal, 3 Starbucks a day, designer clothing and gorgeous sunglasses but it feels amazing. A...MA....ZING. Whatever will you fret about when money is no longer an issue? Worry about what flavour of cupcake you'll be making next. It works for me.