Recently I have moved from contemplation to action in my budgeting goal. I gotta tell ya, it feels amazing. The feeling of being in control of where my money is going rather than worrying about how much of it I do (or don’t) have is amazing. For example, I gave myself $100 spending money per week (this means mini grocery shops, movies, beers, ice cream, etc.) and I take it out in cash at the beginning of the week and I don’t use my debit card at all. Wow, I did not even realize how big of a difference it makes.
Recently, my wife best friend Nat wrote this and offered to lend it to the blog which of course I am because it is wonderful. These are Nat’s thinking outside the box tips to budgeting. (It’s lengthy but amusing and worth your time!)
Recession or no recession, what 24-year old girl who lives on her own in one of the most expensive cities in the country doesn’t need to save money? I forgot to mention that I am in social work a.k.a. one of the most underpaid fields in my opinion.
Recently me and one of my besties have become obsessed with saving/not spending money. Here’s some of my suggestions on how to be frugal on a daily basis:1) Rent movies at the library for free instead of at Blockbuster.
2) Sit at the bar instead of at a table when you are out with your girlfriends. It increases the likelihood of getting free drinks. (Note: This works. Trust.)
3) Save your Canadian Tire Money. So far I have got garbage bags and Swiffer refills for free. Now I’m saving for a Slow Cooker.
4) Pack your lunch every day. Even if you go out for lunch twice a week for a $10 meal, that’s $1,040 a year!
5) Instead of donating your unwanted clothing, use consignment shops and get money for them. In Calgary: Trends Fashion in Kensington. In Guelph: Wild Rose.
6) Buy your meat at Costco. But use your friends’ memberships.
7) Have board game nights with friends. They don’t (necessarily) require alcohol and they are SO! MUCH! FUN!
8 ) If you see a shirt you have to have RIGHTNOW don’t buy it. Wait a few days to see if you still feel incomplete without it.
9) Do you reeeeeeeally need a data plan? (Note: Yes I do)
10) If you have 10,000 prescriptions like me, shop around for the pharmacy with the cheapest dispensing fee. Hint: It’s not Shoppers Drug Mart.
11) If you hair is its natural colour, you don’t have to get your roots done every six weeks. You’re prettier au naturale anyways.
12) Eat your leftovers.
13) Buy a coffee mug and take your coffee with you each morning. One large coffee before work every day is $8.20/week, $32/month, or $1,700/year.
14) Buy your beer at the Superstore Liqourstore.
15) Babysitting is not just for 15-year-olds!
16) Have potluck dinners with your friends rather than going out for supper.
17) Use kijiji. My friend gets clothes from there and my dad bought a pontoon boat. I made a profit selling a pair of snowboard boots.
18) Who said PB&J sandwiches were only for kids?
19) Have a baby shower to go to? Buy children’s books at the dollar store. Babies don’t know the difference.
20) Steal pens and post-its from your office.
21) When you need (errr..want) something new to wear, raid your friend’s closet.
22) Wearing Lancome/Clinique/Chanel eyeshadow is unnecessary. Covergirl works just fine.
23) Call your credit card company and find low interest cards. My interest rate is only 9% versus the usual 19%. Having said that, pay off your credit card in full each month.
24) Use incentive cards: optimum, Esso, Petro, Safeway. They work.
And the things I will always spend too much money on:
1) Tea
2) Yoga/Spinning/Kickboxing classes
3) Acupuncture
4) Haircuts
5) Spoiling my niece and nephews
Thanks for hanging out with the Fiveblondes today, Nat! Great ideas.
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Great tips Natalie! I really like #1, may as well add that getting books from the library is way cheaper (free-er?) than chapters. I also like #19, books for baby shower gifts are awesome and its really not cool to get clothing/blankets from the dollar store. I got a few towels & blankets from the dollar store at my shower and the scratchiness/poor quality is not something I really want to wrap my baby in.
Natalie, you are hired as a regular fiveblondes writer!
I love them all but especially
3 – Because I have to go to Canadian Tire today and have a folder in the filing cabinet with Canadian Tire money that I totally would have forgotten about.
8 – I totally agree! Lately I have been employing this strategy and I find that most things I never think about again. And also, if you wouldn’t buy it at full price, it’s not a deal if it’s on sale.
.-= Micaela´s last blog ..Saving her mulah. =-.
Speaking of Canadian tire money, Tim has probably $10 of it in a beer pitcher on his dresser. I should put that to use …
No comments on the points because you know how I feel about all of them, minus the data plan one. VERY POSITIVE! Having said that, even with my data plan, my phone bills are $70/month which isn’t too bad considering that is with my TEN and a long distance plan.
Great tips! I don’t use my debit card either.
I always take left overs for lunch! That combines 4 and 12.
And I have a Costco Membership…I would gladly take friends meat shopping!
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..My Feelings on "the Bay" =-.
I had NO IDEA that there were places in CANADA let alone Guelph that buys your clothing from you. I’ve actually thrown out and donated so much clothing in the last little while it’s ridiculous. Thanks for that note. I’m heading to Guelph in a few weeks and I’ll be DEFINITELY going to Wild Rose to sell my old stuff. Awesome!! Thank you soo much. I don’t even care if I get a buck back.. some of the stuff is just still brand new, but seriously shrunk (never buying GAP pants again – it’s like I’m wearing flood pants. Ridic).
Awesome.
Also? I’ve been growing out my hair out for the last year or so (I used to dye it a lot darker) and I’m actually liking my “medium brown” hair color.
( I have so much to say today!)
I’ve recently stopped using MAC mineralized satinfinish liquid foundation because Rimmell is the exact same, if not better.
I NEVER use my debit card, in fact I use the Presidents Choice MasterCard and I got it in either Feb/Mar of this year and I ALREADY have $135 worth of free groceries. I put *everything* on that card (and of course, pay it off in full, every month – nobody likes debt!)
P.S: I make my BF eat the leftovers for lunch.
Ok. That’s the end of my novel…
These are good tips! I bring lunch almost every day. Yesterday I had Subway and actually felt guilty for spending $5 on a sub! Apparently Wal-mart has the cheapest dispensing fee around here…I need to switch from Shoppers because I’m paying $9+ every three months. One thing I’m bad at is saving my Canadian Tire Money. I throw it out or lose it every time.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Bible Thumping =-.
I just paid for my car to get e-tested with CT money…
One more: alcohol at Costco liquor store is super, super cheap! And you don’t even need a card to buy it there!