I need some good everyday money-saving tips!!

[Starstabbed]

So my fiancée and I just bought a house together (yay!!!) I am super excited!! However, our expenses are going to DOUBLE what they are now, (hence me, SERIOUSLY stocking up on laundry soap and toilet paper) as you need a second job just to buy that stuff nowadays at regular price!!

We are fully aware things will be seriously crunched even more than what they are now, so we need some ideas. And since you guys are my homeboys for everything and anything, I need your help a little bit.

What are some good money saving tips that you guys practice?

I will be writing all suggestions down!

[blueeyetea]

* create a budget and try to stick to it
* start saving every month for expenses that come up once a year - your house insurance is $900 a year? Start putting $75/month, every month, in the bank.
* keep a spreadsheet of money in the bank
* track every expense - even the ones you think are insignificant. At the end of the month, total each category and ask yourself which expenses you can't live without. Cut the rest - until next month at least. Bank what you don't spend.
* use the pantry system for cooking - stock up on items when on sale and keep in the freezer and pantry (except perishables, or course) - buy enough to last until the next sale. Every week - plan your meals around what you have in your pantry.
* look into OAMC - once a month cooking. Cook a month's worth of meals in one or two days - takes advantage of bulk sales.
* keep a pricebook - keep track of prices and you'll eventually learn the patterns of when items come on sale.
* pack a lunch - prepare a week's worth of sandwiches and put in the freezer. Each morning, take out a sandwich. It will be defrosted by lunch time.
* plan for leftovers - double a recipe and take leftovers for lunch.
* use coupons - if you can spare the time. It takes time to match coupons with sales.
* read the book "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" - a very good resource for lots of tips on saving money.
* read the book "Your Money or Your Life" - well, just because I think anyone earning money should go through the exercises. Nobody realises how little thinking they do on the money they spend, but when they do, the spending rates go way down.

[Shwa Girl]

here is a good thread OP
http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/204160-...-1-a-canada-7/

[JJ8448]

When you can, pay with cash instead of plastics. It's a psychological thing. Say you pay $200 for groceries, and then $200 at the mechanic's shop one day - paying $200 with cash, having to take $200 more out, and paying again will leave a more lasting impression than swiping your debit card twice.

[Darth Penguin]

THere's a couple of other threads..here's one..http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/330313-...tricks-canada/

[Chantel]

-Number one, get pinterest. The recipes, tips and tricks, and the like have saved me a lot of time and money.

-Buy on sale. Stock up when something is a good price so you never have to pay full price for it when you run out. Expand your product range as much as possible, do not be brand loyal.

-Shopping in bulk means cooking in bulk. Getting a chest freezer will save you TONS of money, and a slow cooker is probably your best friend in the kitchen for easy, delicious meals. Use of one or both will save you money because you can make a big batch of something, like chili or spaghetti sauce or shepherd's pie or any number of things, and freeze it in dinner-for-two sized containers, eliminating the need to get takeout on nights you just will not be caught dead cooking.

-Do NOT underestimate the power of secondhand stuff. Garage sales, kijiji and thrift stores are your best friends. I have accumulated thousands of dollars in goods from garage sales for probably less than 10% of their original cost. You can find almost anything at a garage sale, and you can haggle on price. Hit them early in the day, and always look in the free box. I just got a bunch of household stuff these past couple weekends for free, including bathroom accessories (toothbrush holder, soap dish), kitchen utensils, clothes hangers... You can find almost everything, so don't buy something new until you've scoured the secondhand market.

-Compare prices. If you can't find something cheap with coupons, look at no-name. You mentioned laundry soap. Costco and Superstore sell gigantic buckets of their store brand. Compare price per load to the prices you might pay for a name brand with a coupon. Remember that bulk isn't always better in terms of value.

-REALLY look around to compare prices. If you have a Bulk Barn near you, go take a look there and compare the prices you might pay for something you'd buy at the regular grocery store to there. You may never have considered buying hot chocolate powder out of a bin, but it might be cheaper than the canister. I compared prices on yeast, the big container sold in the BB is like $9, while you can buy the same amount and put it in a jar at home for about $4.

[lizzie bargain]

You may also want to consider renting a room in your house to help pay the mortgage. Also check out Gail Vaz Oxlade's website.

[CanadianCouponCollector]

Cut cable (go netflix!) and get a VoiP phone. Check that your insurance is as low as it can go and that you have the most fuel efficient car you can afford. Go with PC Financial for all banking. Make your own laundry soap and don't ever buy paper towels. Line-dry laundry. Turn your hot water tank temperature down. Negotiate everything you buy. Make sure you leave $ for fun otherwise you'll go crazy and suffer from a spending blowout out of deprivation.

Congrats on the house! Sorry if my suggestions come off as telling you what to do. I'm half asleep... lol

[Angela273]

Congrats on the house.

I always find these types of threads interesting. I will check back again another time.

[Insane]

Unless I missed it, doesn't look like its been mentioned here yet, but....menu planning. So important. Plan your meals in advance. I plan a week at a time, others plan more. But if you know what you are going to make and know you have the stuff in the house it will save you mucho $$$$ on take out.

[Darth Penguin]

-Shopping in bulk means cooking in bulk. Getting a chest freezer will save you TONS of money, and a slow cooker is probably your best friend in the kitchen for easy, delicious meals. Use of one or both will save you money because you can make a big batch of something, like chili or spaghetti sauce or shepherd's pie or any number of things, and freeze it in dinner-for-two sized containers, eliminating the need to get takeout on nights you just will not be caught dead cooking.

-

I used to do..It was called once a month cooking or something similar.Basically you spend 1 day cooking large batches of healthy meals which are then split into X-number of servings depending on your family size.

It requires a degree of money and time for the first few rotations but having home-cooked healthy food ready to defrost and reheat( and possibly add to to tweck the recipe) makes it worthwhile when you are both working or even as a SAHP..

[Insane]

I used to do..It was called once a month cooking or something similar.Basically you spend 1 day cooking large batches of healthy meals which are then split into X-number of servings depending on your family size.

It requires a degree of money and time for the first few rotations but having home-cooked healthy food ready to defrost and reheat( and possibly add to to tweck the recipe) makes it worthwhile when you are both working or even as a SAHP..

I do this ALL the time. My biggest problem is my chest freezer isn't big enough. In the winter I'd use the garage. We'd have trays and trays of prepared food. It toally rocks my busy, hectic world.

I love, love, love (did I mention I love) once a month meals. www.oamm.com They have all kinds of recipes to suit every diet. I won a membership back in November too. The pro membership is pretty awesome!

[endi2000]

Make sure you leave $ for fun otherwise you'll go crazy and suffer from a spending blowout out of deprivation.

These are ALL super ideas - and this one is really mandatory.

I agree with the cash bit as well - but you can work the credit card if you are organized. Since I wanted the points on my mastercard for the $$$ at the supermarket. I would charge the items - then go home and pay the bill immediately - online. That way the money was spent - I got the credit on the card - but no amount owing.

DO NOT pay your property tax through your mortgage and DO NOT take out mortgage life insurance with the bank.

Property tax - set up a bank account (tax free savings) and calculate how much your tax would be. Set up an automated transfer into the bank account equal to a little more than 1/12 each month so the money is there when the installments come out.

Mortgage insurance - call a life insurance broker and take out a term or whole life coverage - it will be far LESS in cost per month than what the bank offers AND it will not decrease each month.

We have an interesting system for the 'spender' in our midst (DH). We get quarterly GST refunds directly deposited into the account. I take a portion of that and give it to him. He puts it in a 'tin' and is wholly responsible for how it gets spent. It usually pays for a dinner out - and since we purchase a book every year for restaurant dining in our area which gives us 50% off - dinner can often be had for less than $20 (including a tip) - so once or twice a month that is our 'spree'.

[Starstabbed]

I love these ideas. And as for the mortgage and property tax bit, that's quite interesting. I think out property tax is set up so it is paid with the mortgage, but I will look into it. Thanks so much for the ideas, guys. Like I said, you are the bomb. :D


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[MrsSunshine]

as well always check out the reduced/clearance racks in all stores.
usually a hidden 'gem' in the back corner. for everything from clothes, shoes, food.
never fall for "$1" sales. as some items may have originally been $.88 regular. hence a good reason for a price book.

when it comes to heating/cooling costs. shut windows/curtains while gone during day. this prevents heat loss in the winter/added heat in the summer.
pay attention to the time of day when using water if your on a metered system. take MAJOR advantage of early morning/night time plus weekend and holiday hours for doing laundry, dishes.

consider getting to know your new neighbors. do swaps for bbq's, clothes swap/furniture swaps. garage sale days.
call CC's for new rates. do the same for companies your with. phone/cable.

light switches on timers. or dimmers. fans run backward on low help to circulate air.

Congrats on the new house. i hope to join you some day in this exciting venture.