Fighting to be Frugal

Frugal Thing of the Day

2012-01-25T10:52:00.001-08:00

It's January 25, and believe it or not, I have laundry hanging on the line! It feels like the end of March out there today; the ground is muddy, the air is warm and the sun is shining. I can't believe it's January! Last year this time we had so much snow you couldn't see road signs. This year, right now, it's green outside and there are reports of tulips popping up. And I live in Atlantic Canada.

Usually in January I hang clothes on the drying rack near the wood stove and the rest are in the dryer. Today they're on the drying rack and the line.

That's my big frugal thing for the day.

What are you doing to be a little more frugal today?

Enjoy!

$20 Worth of PepsiCo Products FREE!!

2012-01-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

Over at Tostitos.ca, there is currently a promotion to reimburse you $20 when you purchase $20 of PepsiCo products. Valid from December 15th to February 13th. Please read all of the fine print to make sure you have all of the requirements before submitting the form. Got to love free product! We are big nacho eaters here, so that's what we will be stocking up on. With all of the sales, that's 8 bags of nacho chips I'll be getting for free! I'd put a link here, but it's a locked pdf. Hope you're all able to get in on the deal.

Enjoy!

Exciting News!

2012-01-19T17:36:00.001-08:00

I am going to be writing a monthly article for a small local paper here on frugal tips and lifestyle. What topic should I start with?

Enjoy!

Heating costs

2012-01-13T14:24:00.001-08:00

Today we got our power bill. I was a little frustrated because it was $12 more than I had budgeted.

Now as I sit and watch the local news (I never watch it, but am waiting for an interview done with my friend that runs extreme couponing PEI), they were talking about heating oil going up in price. The average monthly expense for oil is $500 a month! My jaw dropped!

I'm complaining about my bill being up $12. My monthly heating expenses are around $70. I don't know how we would ever have $500 a month. I'm so grateful for my woodstove and our electric convect air heaters for back up or on extra cold days.

How much do you spend on heat each month? How do you save money on heating?

Enjoy!

Jack Frost Festival Charlottetown PE

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-08:00

Good morning readers!

Are you thinking of attending the Jack Frost Festival in Charlottetown PE this February?
Well starting today, weekend passes are on sale for half price! Check it out at The Mega Catch!

Christmas has Come and Gone, and Now...

2012-01-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

We need a reality check. How many of you paid cash for your Christmas? How many of you paid it on credit? How many of you know how much you spent? How many of you stayed on a budget?

Lots of questions.

As this is a beginning of a new year, I have a challenge for you. Will you except it?

I sure hope so.

Right now, or as soon as you are near the place that your receipts are kept, I want you to go and gather all of your Christmas expenses. Now tally them up.

Is it as much, less, or more than you expected?

Now I would like you to take that amount and divide it by the amount of pays you have in a calendar year.

The goal is to take that amount from each pay this year and set it in A SEPARATE ACCOUNT for the year. By Christmas, you will have almost your entire money ready, with maybe one more paycheque to arrive.

Don't you feel relief already?

Do you have a different way of saving for Christmas? Please share it with us.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year's Eve, Eve!

2012-01-01T13:38:00.001-08:00

This time of the year we usually start doing a self inventory of our pluses and minuses. I'd like to hear from you about your best frugal tip you lived by in 2011 and the one you want to live by for 2012.

We can all help each other become the frugal people we want to be.

Enjoy!

Too Much Stuff

2011-12-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas has ended, are you feeling overwhelmed with "stuff"? Looking for a place to put it? Maybe that's why in January there are a tonne of sales on organizational items. With the new year coming, let's purge and simplify together. To get you more motivated, take a look at the show Hoarders, and read this article about Americans Have Too Much Stuff!

How are you going to simplify in 2012?

Enjoy!

Zellers Printable Coupon

2011-12-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

Looking for a coupon for Zellers? Take advantage of this printable coupon:

Enjoy!

Donair Sauce Recipe From a Reader

2011-12-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

I love sharing reader comments and suggestions with you. Here is a recipe for donair sauce with evaporated milk:

Colin C said...

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix well, than add 2 or 3 tbsp of vinegar and it will thicken up, but don't stir it too much or it will thin out again. Refrigerate for a bit too.

Enjoy!

Keep it or Throw it Out?

2011-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

Are you throwing out food too early, thinking the expiry date has come and gone? It appears we all may be. Read on to learn the food industry's best kept secret: the date on the product is not what it appears to be.

It may come as a surprise to know that most 'expired' food is still safe to eat. Apparently, my grandmother was right again. Recently, I learned this surprising fact when contacting a company about the date on their product. I wasn't sure if this date was the date of manufacture or the date of product expiry. As it turns out, it was their 'best before' date. However, the company representative assured me that it was still safe to eat, with only minor changes to the quality of the mineral content of their product.

This was further substantiated over the past few days after I read the attached article. 'Best Before' is a suggestion—with a few notable exceptions.

Read on, my fellow frugal friends. I'm confident you'll be as fascinated as I was, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts.

'Best Before' confusion leading to needless food waste | CTV News

Enjoy!

Pizza Delight Gift Coupon for You

2011-12-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

Live the golden rule and do unto others as you would they do unto you. Well, if you are looking to give someone a gift certificate to someone for Pizza Delight this Christmas, they give a gift to you! Free 12" pizza!

pizzadelight.com

Enjoy your day!

Some Easy Frugal Daily Tips

2011-12-15T07:20:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine emailed these tips to me and she asked me to share them with you. Have you heard of any of these tips or have others you would like to share? Please pass them forward.

Easy Life Tips

Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD-40.

Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

Overhaul your linen cupboard - store bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod in a bowl. The concave shape amplifies the music.

Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily.

Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the floor.

Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose. Also Cool!

Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.

Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers and clippers.

Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel. LOVE THIS!

A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy.
Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.

Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones – so much more fun and easier for kids to eat.

Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet stuff.

Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles.

Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream. I'm going to try this!

Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.

Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.

Enjoy your day!

Old Navy Coupon

2011-12-14T18:06:00.001-08:00

For all of you that gave some shopping to do, here's a coupon from Old Navy to you!

Free Family Christmas Nativity Pageant

2011-12-11T13:28:00.001-08:00

Some times the true meaning of Christmas gets lost in the lists of things and traditions. However, there are two live free nativity pageants that I know of here in the island that you may be interested in.

The first one happened last bight and will again tonight. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints does a live nativity with real actors and animals. Tonight's showings are at 7, 7:40, and 8pm. Each show lasts 15 mins with free cookies and hot chocolate afterwards. This takes place at 10 Northridge Parkway in Charlottetown PE. my family and I will be attending this evening, it would be lovely to see you there. Last year my husband was one of the wiseman and my son was a shepherd. They loved being part of it.

The second event takes place this Saturday evening, December 17, 6-9pm at the York United church in York PE. It's a drive through Bethlehem. You stay in your car and drive through te village of Bethlehem meeting others who are looking for the Christ child. It's a wonderful evening. Although the line up can be rather long at times, I suggest parking your car on the road or at the post office down the road from the church and walking through the nativity. It brings a whole new feeling to it. At the end you are asked to make a donation if you like. They donate all proceeds to a local charity. Last year I played a role in it. This year, bezoar of our newborn, I won't be, but I'll have several family members that have taken my place.

I hope you are able to make it to one of these events as they truly help bring in the real Christmas spirit.

Do you have a frugal way of keeping the true meaning of Christmas? I would love to share them with our readers.

Enjoy!

Gimme Gimme Gimme!

2011-12-10T18:20:00.001-08:00

That's how I feel our society is. I know I've said this in the past several posts, but lately it's really getting to me more than normal. Last month I went to Costco with my inlaws. I hadn't been there in several years. I was overwhelmed with the volumes of items in massive quantities that people were buying of anything and nothing. Most of it just goes to waste.

As I watched people going in and out, the carts being collected and cars being filled, all I could think of was how people were being farmed in, filled up, and farmed out as quickly as possible so that the carts could be collected for the next round to come in and get filled up.

Far from frugal.

Far from helpful.

Then, today I saw this photo on facebook and it spoke loudly to me and what our society is like. I had to share it with you.

I know it's not a completely frugal stuff, but it is something to think about, especially during this season.

Dumpster Diving

2011-12-04T08:21:00.001-08:00

When I was in high school it was the cool thing for some kids in another high school to go dumpster diving behind the local donut shop. I only found out after eating one of the said donuts at their home. They told me that they were fresh and had literally just been tossed out in a bag.

Yep.

I was done eating.

Never again.

Ever.

That said, I know that lots of people, myself included, do look through people's spring and fall cleanup trash weeks. You know, the week where you toss everything unwanted from your home by the side of the road for pickup? A friend of mine found a perfect twin day bedframe for her daughter.

I have no issue with things like that, where they can be washed and disinfected. I draw the line at food, mattresses etc.

I was reading in the news about a man in Texas that dumpster dives and thought you may be interested in it: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/02/us-robinhood-odd-idUSTRE7B117420111202 You may have to copy and paste it as I am not sure if this link works to click on it through the mobile app.

So do you dumpster dive? Do you look for treasures during spring and fall cleanups, or are you totally against it all? What treasures have you found?

Enjoy your day!

Gift Giving Frugal Idea

2011-12-03T18:55:00.001-08:00

As we all know Christmas is over commercialized. Our society is about getting more, bigger, better and spending more than others.

I saw this picture on someone's facebook this week and thought it exemplified a true frugal, simple Christmas and wanted to pass it on to you, my frugal friends. How do you determine the amount/type of gifts you give?

(ps, this is also a test to see how well the mobile uploaded works)

Enjoy!

Tis the season...

2011-11-10T01:42:00.000-08:00

Today on my way to an appointment, I saw a Christmas hat that said, "Tis the Season to be Broke!" I felt so sorry for the truth that seems to be behind this saying and that doesn't need to be there. We are truly a consumer society. Want more, need more, buy more. Especially at Christmas. By bigger, better and newer! I saw Christmas items in the store before Hallowe'en was even over. The Sears Christmas Wishbook was out in the summer! What has happened with the season?!

This Christmas season I challenge you to become a little more frugal and simplistic with your gift giving. It's not the amount of money or the amount of presents you buy or get, it's the thought that goes into them.

This year, why not think of donating a gift to charity in the name of someone you are buying for. By doing this, it helps out someone who truly needs it and saves the person on your list from having to find room for another thing in their home. One great way of giving to someone truly in need is by making a shoebox full of fun and sending it with Operation Christmas Child, what a great way to help out someone else and to give the gift in the name of someone on your list.

To look for other ways to make your Christmas more frugal, check out our archives of Christmas frugal posts here.

What do you do to make your Christmas season a little less stress free and a little more frugal?

Enjoy your day!

Why I don't NEED a Dishwasher

2011-10-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing this phrase a lot said to me, "Wow, you have 5 children now?! You NEED to get a dishwasher!" It even started to get me thinking that I must need one now that I have "so many children," and although it would be nice to have, it's a want not a need. I used to have a dishwasher until we moved into this home 5 years ago and there wasn't one here. I went through a bit of withdrawal, but quickly adapted as I am quite capable of washing dishes. I have a sink, water, dish soap and capable hands. Therefore I don't need a dishwasher.

Today, as I was washing up the morning dishes (dishes only get washed twice a day here, once after lunch and once after supper), I got thinking more about a dishwasher. First of all, I would have to save up the money to buy a dishwasher because, as far as I know, they don't just hand them out. Then I would either need a plumber to come in to my home ($$) and put the plumbing in for a built in and thereby lose some cupboard space, or I would have to have a place for my dishwasher to sit throughout the day as it gets loaded and then move it over to the faucet to be used at night.

If I had a dishwasher I would need to have more dishes because there wouldn't be enough glasses, plates, bowls to go through everyone for the entire day. That would be an added expense. I would need to buy or make dishwasher detergent and jet dry. I would have to set money aside for the repair man to come at some point or to buy a new dishwasher when it doesn't work any more. There goes a lot of money that I can really use for other things that I truly need.

If I had a dishwasher I would have to get after everyone to put their dishes in the dishwasher, then I would have to rearrange it afterwards to ensure that everything was cleaned properly. Not to mention that I would still have to wash the pots and pans and the plastic lunch dishes (don't worry, they aren't leaching BPA, no microwaves are being used and no dishwashers). I would also have to rewash anything that the dishwasher didn't clean properly the first time. Not to mention the pre rinsing that everyone seems to have to do for their dishwasher so the food doesn't get stuck on. Where is the time being saved? Then there's the drying and putting the dishes away the next day because I would be saving money and not using the heated dry in the dishwasher. So far it sounds like it's costing me a lot more time and money than my current doing the dishes by hand bit.

Speaking of which, I can wash all the dishes for the entire day with my family of 7 and the dishes the after school children use in 30 minutes. Then I just let them drip dry when I wash them. My home economics teacher taught me that this is much more hygienic to let them air dry then drying them with a dish towel.

Also, I would miss out on the time I get to either have by myself if I am doing the dishes alone, because no one bugs me when I am washing dishes as I hand them a towel to help out, or I would miss out on those lovely conversations that I do have with my children when they are helping. It's amazing what things spill out of their mouths while they are drying dishes.

Plus, we have 5 children, two of which are old enough and responsible enough to wash and dry the dishes on their own and have them clean enough to eat on. We started getting the two oldest to wash and dry the supper dishes most nights because they needed the time to work together. They were bickering and picking on each other too much that we realized that they needed to serve together. What progress has been made in their relationship, although, I won't tell them that. They have gone from fighting with one another and tattling that so and so isn't working hard/long/fast enough, to hearing giggles and laughter coming from the kitchen as they joke/commiserate/confide in one another. Having a dishwasher wouldn't have them together long enough to have this relationship develop. Not that I don't have a LONG list of other chores for them to work together on.

You may bring up that with a dishwasher at least the dirty dishes aren't seen throughout the day. Well, aside from glasses, they aren't. My father told me how his mother used to have a dish pan under the sink that the dirty dishes were stacked in throughout the day so that the counters were clear and clean. I am now doing the same thing. It drives my mother crazy.

Soon after our fourth child was born, my mother was over helping out and volunteered to do the dishes thinking it was just the ones from our current meal. As she looked in the cupboard under the sink for the dish soap, I heard her yell almost sounding like an expletive, "Minnie Pearl!" That was my grandmother's name. She said that my grandmother would always have a stack of dishes under the sink when mom went to wash too.

So you see, I don't need a dishwasher. I would lose out on all of this goodness, growth, money and time. What are your thoughts on dishwashing vs dishwashers?

Enjoy your day!

Cake Mixes

2011-10-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Recently cake mixes have been on sale for half price and we stocked up. Now I don't always make a cake from a mix, but once in awhile, I just love to have them. Plus there are come great recipes out there with them. One of them is called My Favourite Blueberry Dessert and it's listed below. It's a great recipe to take to a potluck, or whip up quickly when company is coming, or you just want a sweet something.

Need:

one lemon or white cake mix (I like the lemon personally)
one can of blueberry pie fill or 2 cups blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp flour mixed and boiled until thick
one small can of pineapple crushed or tidbits
one cup melted butter
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a greased 9x13 pan spread blueberries on bottom of pan evenly
Sprinkle lemon cake mix over top
Sprinkle coconut and almonds over cake mix
Pour melted butter over entire cake
Bake for 30 minutes or until cake is done

Super easy, cheap and delicious.

Enjoy!

72 Hour Kit

2011-10-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

We all know that we should have 72 hour kits and, if you're like me, you keep putting it off. To me the biggest expense is the kitbag itself.

Today, at the Charlottetown Walmart, they have backpacks on for $5, regularly $15 and they come with a 2 year warranty. I bought a different coloured one for each child in our family (My husband and I already have our backpacks.)

If you have been procrastinating starting this for the same reasons, go get yours today. You won't regret it when the time comes.

Enjoy your day!

Gas Prices

2011-10-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hello my PEI readers, this is very unofficial and pure speculation, but I believe gas prices are going up tomorrow. New Brunswick went up earlier this week by 5 cents a litre and this morning Nova Scotia went up 6 cents a litre to 130.6.

We are currently at 117.6 a litre, so it might be a great idea to fill your tank today before heading home

Just a thought.

Enjoy your day!

Making the most of crumbs

2011-10-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

I am amazed that people buy bread crumbs and at a pretty high price also when you consider it's the leftovers from the bakery slicing the bread they bake. I, too, used to fall into this trap.

How many people like to eat the heels of the bread? I know my father does when it's freshly baked, and sometimes my husband, but other than that I am not sure if anyone else does. We also have a bunch that don't like to eat the crusts of their bread either. Then there's always that one piece of stale bread that gets forgotten about. That's a lot of waste that accumulates. My mind thinks of those in this world that face starvation and how they would love to have even the crust of our bread. Since I can't send that to them (we help other ways), I store all of the crusts I remember about before serving the bread, and all of the heels in a freezer bag and freeze them to make bread crumbs.

Once I have the amount of bread that I want to use for bread crumbs, I tear up the bread and place it in my food processor. I blend them until they are at the consistency I like for my crumbs. Then they are spread out on cookie sheets and placed in a low temperature oven (around 220 degrees) and toasted until they are dry. After that they are placed in an airtight container until I need them.

This is a great way to save money, food, and be in control of what goes in your meals.

Enjoy your day!

Harvesting my Tomatoes

2011-10-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

This year I had my own tomato transplants. I had forty plants that went in my garden. I was so excited to have a bounty for them. I planted hot house, roma and beefstake tomatoes. Out of all of my lovely plants I had ONE tomato that was beautiful. ONE. How sad. You see, blight hit my garden and I lost my crop. So much for me canning my tomatoes, making my own salsa and spaghetti sauce. I was depressed. My pantry shelves were going to be empty.

Thankfully, for the past several weeks, canned tomatoes have been on sale like mad. $0.99 for a 28oz can of tomatoes. That's up to half price depending on when and where you buy them.

This week they are on sale at No Frills and I added 40 more to my pantry.

That may seem like a lot to you, but we use at least one can a week and I would rather stock up now at a good price than have to pay double come this winter.

How did your garden turn out? Do you can your own tomatoes? Do you have any solutions for blight for me for next year?

Enjoy your day!