myfriendtellsme

Fancy yet Frugal Recipes: Pannekoeken (Dutch Pancakes)

2012-07-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

As a new feature of the blog, from time to time I will add recipes that I've come across that are easy on the budget and taste fantastic. Today's recipe is for easy-to-make Pannekoeken (Dutch Pancakes). This might be one of my favourite breakfast recipes of all time. My recipe creates a thin, light pancake the size of a plate which you can top with your favourite fruits and syrups.

You will need:

1/2 cup of all-purpose white flour

1/2 cup of milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Margarine

A circular pyrex baking dish

Strawberries (sliced)

Cinnamon

Pancake syrup

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Celsius
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, eggs, milk and oil. Blend using an electric mixer until no lumps are present
Grease pyrex baking dish with margarine
Pour mixture into pyrex baking dish
Bake for 15 minutes
Top with cinnamon, strawberries and syrup

Enjoy with a fresh cup of coffee and have a great start to your day!

New Brandsaver Coupons (July 28, 2012)

2012-07-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Brandsaver Coupons have returned! You can order coupons online (one of each type of coupon per household) at Brandsaver.ca. You can also find coupon booklets in your local newspaper this weekend. The coupon booklets tend to be identical to what is posted on their website.

To find out which local paper will have the Brandsaver booklet, see Mrs. January's blog for a great article.

July 28 Brandsaver Coupons:

Save 0.50 when you buy any Always Ultra Thin or Maxi Always Pantiliners or Tampax Cardboard Applicator tampon

Save 1.00 when you buy any AlwaysInfinity, Radiant Infinity, Tampax Pearl, or Radiant Tampons

Save 0.50 when you buy any Aussie product

Save 0.50 when you buy any ONE Bounty paper towels or napkins (excluding single roll)

Save 1.50 when you buy any Cascade ActionPacs

Save 1.00 when you buy any Cascade Rinse Aid

Save 0.50 when you buy any ONE Charmin toilet paper (6 double rolls or more)

Save 3.00 when you buy any TWO COVERGIRL products

Save 0.75 when you purchase Crest 3D White Multi-Care Whitening rinse

Save 8.00 when you buy any Crest 3D White Whitestrips - Professional Effects or 2 Hours Express

Save 0.75 when you buy any Crest 3D White paste

Save 0.75 when you buy any Crest Pro-Health paste

Save 1.00 when you buy any TWO Dawn products

Save 2.00 when you buy any ONE Downy UNSTOPABLES

Save 1.00 when you buy any ONE Downy product (48-load or higher)

Save 1.00 when you buy any Duracell Coppertop or Ultra Power batteries (8 count or higher)

Save 2.00 when you buy any Duracell NiMH Rechargeable or Hearing Aid batteries

Save 4.00 when you buy any Duracell NiMH charger

Save 1.25 when you buy any TWO different brands: Bounty, Charmin or Puffs

Save 2.00 when you buy any TWO Gain products

Save 0.50 when you buy any ONE Gain product

Save 5.00 on a ProGlide razor when you buy any Gillette ProGlide cartridge

Save 2.00 when you buy any Gillette ProGlide Styler

Save 1.00 when you buy any Gillette 3-bladed razor

Save 2.00 on a Gillette Series shave prep when you buy any Gillette Mach 3 cartridge

Save 1.00 when you buy any Gillette anti-perspirant/deodorant or bodywash

Save 1.00 when you buy any Gillette Fusion shave gel or ProSeries skin care product

Buy THREE of any Cascade, Dawn, Mr.Clean, Febreze or Swiffer and get a Febreze Set & Refresh starter kit

Save 3.00 when you buy any TWO Febreze products

Buy any Febreze® Fabric Refresher (800 mL) and get ONE Febreze® CAR vent clip (1 ct)

Save 1.00 when you buy any ONE Febreze Fabric Refresher

Save 1.00 when you buy ONE Febreze Set & Refresh or Febreze CAR vent clip (1 ct)

Save 1.50 when you buy ANY Head & Shoulders product

Save 0.50 when you buy any Herbal Essences product

Save 3.00 when you buy any size Iams dry dog food (3.5 lbs or larger)

Save 0.50 when you buy any Iams wet dog or cat food

Save 3.00 when you buy any size Iams dry cat food (1.5 lbs or larger)

Save 2.50 when you buy any TWO 709 mL Ivory Body Wash or Ivory 10 Bar pack

Save 1.50 when you buy any TWO 354 mL Ivory Body Wash or Ivory 6 Bar pack

Save 1.50 when you buy any TWO Mr.Clean Liquid, Spray or Magic Eraser

Save 0.50 when you buy any Mr.Clean Liquid, Spray or Magic Eraser (excluding 1ct)

Save 2.00 when you buy any TWO Mr.Clean or Swiffer products

Save 1.50 when you buy any Natural Instincts hair colour product

Save 4.50 when you buy any TWO Natural Instincts hair colour products

Save 2.50 when you buy any Nice 'n Easy Foam hair colour product

Save 6.00 when you buy any TWO Nice 'n Easy Foam hair colour products

Save 2.00 when you buy any Olay Base facial cleanser, Classic, Complete or Age Defying lotions

(Excludes all bar soaps and body wash)

Save 4.00 when you buy Olay® Total Effects, Olay Regenerist, Pro-X or facial hair removal product

Save 3.00 when you buy any TWO Olay body wash or body lotion products

Save 3.00 when you purchase any Oral-B battery brush

Save 1.00 when you buy any Oral-B Pro-Health CrossAction or Pro-Health Clinical brush

Save 4.00 on Pampers Cruisers when you buy any ONE Pampers Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive or Baby-Dry

Save 2.50 when you buy any Pampers diapers or pants AND wipes

Save 2.00 when you buy any ONE Pampers diapers or pants

Save 1.50 when you buy ANY Pantene shampoo, conditioner or 2 in 1 product

Save 0.50 when you buy any ONE Puffs facial tissue (50 sheets or more)

Save 1.00 when you buy any ONE Secret Clinical antiperperant/deodorant

Save 5.00 on a Swiffer WetJet Solution, WetJetpad, Sweeper Wet OR Sweeper Dry refill when you buy a Swiffer SweeperVac

Save 5.00 when you buy any Swiffer WetJet starter kit

Save 2.00 when you buy any Swiffer Sweeper statrer kit OR Swiffer Sweeper refills

Save 1.50 when you buy any Swiffer Dusters starter kit (excluding 1 ct), Swiffer Dusters refills OR Swiffer Dust & Shine

Save 1.00 when you buy any ONE Tide liquid or powder laundry detergent (excluding 6-load trial size and Tide PODS)

Save 0.50 when you buy any ONE Tide Stain Release or Tide Washing Machine Cleaner

Save 5.00 when you buy any ONE Venus razor AND Venus cartridge together

Save 2.00 when you buy any Venus razor OR Venus disposable razor

These were the coupons online when I visited; I am sure that they are subject to change. Please consult the Brandsaver.ca website for full, up-to-date information.

Home-made blended coffee recipes

2012-07-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and who doesn't want a cold blended coffee beverage on a hot afternoon? I am a huge fan of Starbucks frappucinos, but they sure are pricey. Recently, I came across some online recipes for home-made blended coffee beverages and they were great!

One blogger, Scott D. Irwin, indicated that his recipe cost $0.32 per unit to make. Now I haven't gone to the extent of measuring the cost of my own version since I didn't have to purchase all of the supplies, but I imagine it would be pretty similar given how comparable my recipe is. Much thanks to Scott and Alice Currah for their recipes which inspired mine. You might check out their blogs to sample their recipes.

Here's my version:

Make-your-own Mocha Blended Coffee Recipe:

*You will need a blender or food processor that is capable of crushing ice*

In the blender, place:

1 and 1/4 cups of milk (I prefer skim milk, but to your own taste)
2 tablespoons of organic sugar
2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
3/4 cups of brewed coffee (I use Starbucks Medium Blend)
2 cups of ice cubes
A pinch of xanthan gum (sprinkle throughout the mixture)

Blend on "pulse" or "low" speed for 20-40 seconds. Froth will develop, however, it will subside within a few minutes.

Pour into two smaller glasses (to share) or one larger glass (because why not!?!).

See above picture for a sample. Again, the froth disappears after a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Take the Diapers Savings Challenge

2012-06-19T06:14:00.001-07:00

Several of my friends recently welcomed babies into their homes. Alongside the joys of parenthood, I also heard about the costs of baby supplies. Naturally, I welcomed the challenge of attempting to find these products at the lowest prices possible.

Which brings me to the topic of diapers. For those families that choose disposable diapers over cloth ones, the total costs might be surprising:

The average baby uses 10 diapers per day (more or less depending on the age of the child)
Depending on pricing, individual diapers tend to cost within a range of 0.30 to 0.60 cents
As your baby grows, so does the cost per unit (fewer diapers per package)
As a result, parents can easily spend $1500+ per year on diapers alone!

Cloth diapering is a sure way to cut down the costs, however, it’s not for everyone. If you’re purchasing disposable diapers, here are some helpful tips:

Step #1: Find Coupons

Great coupons can be ordered online, printed from special websites as well as found in local newspapers. For example, at the time of publication, you can order a coupon for “$4.00 off Pampers Cruisers diapers when you buy any ONE Pampers Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive or Baby-Dry diapers” from brandsaver.ca.

Where to find coupons for diapers:

Huggies Coupons(CANADA)

Pampers Coupons (CANADA)

Canadian Newspaper Flyers: Brandsaver, Smartsource

USA:

Hip2Save

“Discover the Value of a Great Buy” Booklets

Wegman’s Coupon Booklets

CVS Coupons

Savingstar.com

Meijer mPerks

Target Baby Mailer

Step #2: Find a good sale!

Check your local retailers for good sales. Use your coupons to sweeten the deal! Just be sure that the store will accept your coupon in accordance with their coupon policy.

Retailer with the best deal won’t accept your coupon?

Step #3: Price Match!

Price Matching is when a retailer has a policy of honouring prices advertised (usually in print) at competitors. Often companies who will price match also have friendly coupon policies. So you might be able to get the competitor’s price AND use your coupon for additional savings.

See Mrs. January’s blog article on Price Match Guarantees for a list of companies that offer Price Matching.

Here is an example of a price match policy at a Canadian retailer: Walmart’s Ad Match

Take the challenge! See how much you can save over the course of a year using these tips. And then tell me!

New duty-free rules as of June 1, 2012! Headed to the USA? How to find coupons for your trip

2012-05-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

No matter your transportation method, a trip to the States often represents an opportunity to access sales that are unavailable north of the border. And with the new duty-free rules taking effect on June 1, 2012, Canadians may be able to bring home more than they have in the past (depending on the length of your trip).

New duty-free limits:

**For a full explanation of guidelines including additional rules regarding alcohol and tobacco purchases, please visit DutyFreeCanada.com***

For trips between 24 and 48 hours= $200 (previously was $50)

For trips between 48 hours and seven days= $800 (previously was $400)

For trips longer than seven days= $800 (previously was $750)

There continues to be additional rules for alcohol and tobacco that you should read up on before making any related purchases.

A good idea to keep in mind that duty-free limits only apply to items that are for your own personal use (non-commercial). Finally, always keep your receipts as proof of purchase as customs officials might ask to see them.

Want to sweeten the deal? Check for printable coupons! Click, print, pack… and you’re on your way to savings!

Where to find printable coupons for the USA:

Blogs that feature specific promotions:

Personal favourite: hip2save.com . I love this comprehensive resource!!! Excellent, fun layout and up-to-date information

Other blogs worthy of note:

http://printable-coupons.blogspot.ca/

http://www.wow-coupons.com/exclusive.php

http://dealspl.us/printable_coupons

http://www.couponcabin.com/printable-coupons/

http://printablecouponsanddeals.com/

And for all of you outlet shoppers, consider signing up for e-mail listservs at your favourite outlet locations. Premium Outlets offers a "VIP Club". Members can often access a voucher for a free copy of the coupon books (which normally cost money) as well as other online coupons that can be used in-store.

Safe travels and happy shopping!

How to find rock-bottom prices on Tide Laundry Detergent

2012-05-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

Paying full price for Tide Laundry Detergent? Here’s something to consider:

Earlier today, I was at my local Costco. I decided to walk around while I was waiting for some photos to develop and came across a Tide display:

88 Loads of Tide Cold Water for $21.59 (originally $24.59).

I saw the price and my jaw dropped. Although there are many good deals throughout Costco, this was not one of them. Here’s why:

After taxes (12% HST), the sale-priced Tide costs $24.18.
Divided by 88 loads, the cost per load of laundry is $0.274.

Versus

Just this past week, Safeway had a sale on 52 loads of Tide Coldwater for $11.99 (Club Card price; membership is free)
After taxes, the product cost $13.43 or $0.258 per load. Alternatively, $22.697 for 88 loads if you prefer to compare it to the price of the Costco product.

So the scales were already in favour of the Safeway price.

Here’s the thing: Safeway had mailed out to Air Miles subscribers a 50% off Tide Coupon to be used at any participating Safeway location.

After using it, the cost before taxes for 52 loads was $5.99 (or $6.71 after taxes).
Cost per load: $0.129 or $11.35 for 88 loads.

In either scenario, why would I pay a $55 Costco membership for the privilege of being charged more for the same product when I can go elsewhere, pay no membership fee, and get the same product for less? Specifically $12.83 less (not factoring for the cost of Costco membership)?

Please don’t get me wrong: There are some great products at Costco that represent good savings and I am happy to shop there for these items. For example, the complete set of the Hunger Games is priced at $34.99 plus taxes- this is one of the lowest prices anywhere. Or Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese (12 pack) for $12.49 (plus taxes) is a great deal over paying $2.50 or more per unit at a regular grocery store.

All I'm saying is that I won't buy Liquid Tide there! As a Costco shopper, it is really important to identify which products represent savings and stick to those.

Didn’t get a Safeway coupon for Tide in the mail? Here’s another easy way to get a similar deal:

Step One:

Order coupons from Proctor and Gamble Brandsaver. They currently have a “Save $2.00 when you buy any Tide liquid or Tide powder product (excludes 6 load Tide liquid trial size)”

http://www.brandsaver.ca/en_ca/

Step Two:

Watch flyers for 26 load bottles on sale for $5.99 or less.

Flyers to watch: Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmasave, WalMart

Step Three:

Use your coupon and watch the savings follow. Here is a table that will show you your savings vis-à-vis the Costco 88 loads pricing (and please keep in mind, Costco’s regular price is three dollars higher than currently posted given the sale in progress)

26 Loads of Liquid Tide:

$6.99 (or $5.83 after $2.00 coupon and taxes)= $0.224 per load or $19.70 for 88 loads

$5.99 (or $4.71 after $2.00 coupon and taxes)= $0.181 per load or $15.92 for 88 loads

$4.99 (or $3.59 after $2.00 coupon and taxes)= $0.138 per load or $12.13 for 88 loads

Moral of the story: always check cost-per-unit of products when shopping at wholesale stores such as Costco. After all, you probably went there with the intention of saving money.

April 2012 Brandsaver Coupons

2012-04-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

The April 2012 Brandsaver Coupons are available for order! To receive yours, visit the Brandsaver website or check your local paper over the weekend.

I was pleased to see a coupon for "$2.00 off when you buy any Tide liquid or powder product" as well as "Save $5.00 when you purchase any Venus razor AND any Venus cartridges together" (Source: brandsaver.ca)

For a full listing of current offers, please consult the Brandsaver website.

Once you have your coupons, some tips:

- Watch your local Pharmasave flyer. They often post incredible deals on products to which Brandsaver coupons can be applied. The same can be said for Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart.

- The lowest price point for liquid Tide that I have ever come across: $4.99 plus taxes. Apply your coupon and you will have 26 loads for $2.99 plus taxes. Considering how much a 52 load bottle can cost, the savings are significant.

Happy couponing!

How to cut down your grocery bill (no coupons or flyers required)

2012-04-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, I have been challenging myself to cut down my grocery bill while maintaining healthy eating habits. For example, today I was able to plan a full week's menu that touches on all food groups for $18.07 (including taxes). With shows like "Extreme Couponing" capturing attention around the world, coupons and flyers have become a trendy topic. While it's worth paying attention to sales and offers, there are less time-consuming ways reduce your grocery budget not to mention possibly healthier. Often an "awesome deal" isn't the healthiest one.

Don't have time to read flyers? Drive to multiple grocery stores? Watch for coupons? Here are a few tips that can help you keep your grocery costs low sans coupons or flyers.

1. Always evaluate your fridge contents and pantry. What ingredients do you already have for meals that you know you enjoy?

2. Search for enjoyable and affordable recipes online. Looking to spice up your menu while keeping costs under control? Check out online recipe databases: plenty of budget recipes that taste anything but low-cost. Here are a few links to check out:

AllRecipes.com article on "cooking on a budget"
Canadian Living article on "budget friendly recipes under $3 per serving"
Jamie Oliver's budget recipes
Kraft Canada's "Healthy Living Budget Recipes"

3. Draft a meal plan. I use a simple grid that allows me to plan breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for every day of the week. Why this is great:

You can map on the meals that draw upon existing fridge contents and pantry items. This gives you an idea of how many other meals you need to add to your plan
It is easy to see if you are touching on all food groups
You will know exactly which ingredients you need to buy: this will prevent you from over-buying
It can save you from spending at fast-food outlets and restaurants. Knowing that you have purchased ingredients for a meal is often good encouragement to make the choice to cook at home
You can prepare food ahead of time so as to reduce time spent packing lunches and preparing dinners
It will allow you to make effective use of leftovers: why throw away good food?
By knowing what you need, it will cut down the time spent grocery shopping

4. Know which grocery items can be found at significant reductions and base your shopping trip around these items

If you do not have a lot of time to research flyers, identify those items on your grocery list that can be found at significant reductions
Briefly scan flyers to see if there are any good deals on these items; if so, the balance of probabilities is that your total grocery bill will be lower if you complete your shopping at the store offering the desired sale

5. Save room in the budget for an in-the-moment treat

I still allow myself to purchase one or two "treats" (things that were not on the original shopping list)
This keeps extra purchases to a minimum while allowing for some fun while shopping

Using these simple strategies, I've been able to reduce my spending on groceries by more than 50%. No coupons or fliers required. Before looking to coupons, I'd definitely recommend spending some time meal planning as the cost-savings can be much greater and the choices healthier.

The Ultimate Boxing Day Shopping Guide

2011-12-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

While I'm not the biggest fan of Boxing Day/Week shopping, I will be the first to admit that you can get some really good deals at this time of year. So many flyers, e-mails, promo codes... it's a lot to research if you are looking for a particular type of deal. To make things a little easier, I will be posting links to Boxing Day/Week flyers and promotions over the next few days.

Please check back regularly: I will continue to add links as I come across them.

Please note that businesses highlighted in yellow are Air Miles partners. Sign into airmilesshops.ca and redirect to the retailer's website to earn Air Miles on your purchases.

Boxing Day/Week Flyers and Promotions

Aeropostale (Dec 26th only; Promo Code: "10HOLIDAY" for $15 off $100 purchase ending 1/7)

Amazon.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $25)

Apple Canada (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $75; earn 2x the Air Miles on the iPad2)

Banana Republic.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $50; save up to 50% on select mens and women's styles + an additional 40% off select styles promo code: BRC40SALE)

Best Buy (Note that there is an in-store and online flyer; input your Postal Code to get your local version)

The Brick

Brown's Shoes (up to 70% off)

The Bay (advance list thanks to Smart Canucks.ca) (Air Miles via HBC Rewards Redemption)

Canadian Tire

Chapters.indigo.ca (10x the Air Miles + 3x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $25; Promo Code: OLDEC11 for $5 off online purchases)

Additional Deals:

Some recent bestsellers for under $10 until Jan 1, 2012
$20 off Kobo Touch + 3x the Air Miles (expires Dec 31, 2011)

Cineplex Store (2x SCENE Points and up to 65% off your purchase)

Danier

Dell (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011 + 3x the Air Miles until Jan 6, 2012)

Promo Codes:

"Save $50 on all Home and Home Office Laptops and Desktops when you spend over $999.99" Promo code: HRMWV2N$0803TT (expires Jan 15, 2012)
"Save $200 on all Boxing Week Blowout PCs when you spend over $2199.99" Promo code: 5XRZHPQ83W23FD (expires Jan 6, 2012)
"Save $25 on all Home and Home Office Laptops and Desktops when you spend over $599.99" Promo code: KSFSVXZ9TL6NL3 (expires Jan 15, 2012)
"Save $100 on all Boxing Week Blowout PCs when you spend over $1399.99!" Promo code: 34JT4S5TWG3X1H (expires Jan 6, 2012)
"Save $100 on select Dell Canada Desktop and Laptop Systems when you spend over $899" Promo code: NCB47MS8??$911 (expires Dec 29, 2011)
"Save $50 on select Dell Canada Desktop and Laptop Systems when you spend under $899" Promo code: FH4NXZC84LTF9Z (expires Dec 29, 2011)
"Save $150 on all Boxing Week Blowout PCs when you spend over $1799.99" Promo code: 2CK14$Q5LM5L1F (expires Jan 6, 2012)
"Save $150 on ALL Home and Home Office Laptops and Desktops when you spend over $1799.99" Promo code: 2CK14$Q5LM5L1F (expires Jan 15, 2012)
Other possible promo codes here

Ebay.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Eddie Bauer (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Future Shop (Note that there is an in-store and online flyer; input your Postal Code to get your local version)

The Gap (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $50)

HMV

Home Depot (possible promo code for free shipping here)

Home Outfitters (Air Miles via HBC Rewards Redemption)

Home Sense

J.C. Penney (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Leon's

London Drugs

Lowe's

Old Navy.ca (10x the Air Miles + 2x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders.over $50)

Roots (10x the Air Miles + 3x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; up to 50% off + an additional 20% off select items; see roots.com for restrictions; possible promo codes here)

Sears.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; other possible promo codes here)

Sephora.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $120 CDN until Dec 31, 2011;
Additional Deals:

Free Holiday Sample Kit with any $25 purchase until Dec 31, 2011: promo code "PREPKIT"
Free skincare sample bag with 7 of Sephora's best-selling skincare samples (until Dec 31, 2011 or while supplies last): promo code "SKINSTARS"

Shoppers Drug Mart

Sony Style Canada:

Spend $99.99 or more before tax and receive $5 off
Spend $249.99 or more before tax and receive $15 off
Spend $499.99 or more before tax and receive $40 off
Spend $999.99 or more before tax and receive $100 off
Promo Code for the above four deals: "SONYVIP". Expires Dec 31, 2011

The Source (10x the Air Miles + 2x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Sport Mart

Sport Chek

Spring

Staples.ca

Suzy Shier (50% off all fall merchandise in store and online)

TigerDirect.ca (10x the Air Miles + 2x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Town Shoes

Toys "R" Us (10x the Air Miles + 2x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; possible promo codes here)

Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale is already on! 10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011. Free shipping on orders over $100 (Promo Code: VS100)

Vision's Electronics

Walmart.ca

Winners

Zellers (Air Miles via HBC Rewards Redemption)

Also, check out the Airmilesshops.ca 25,000 Air Miles Reward Miles Contest. You'll earn 10, 25, 100 or 1000 reward miles just for playing to be credited to your account as long as you make a qualifying purchase of $40 or more within 5 days (before December 31, 2011). A great way to get a few extra bonus Air Miles on your purchase!

Until next time, happy holidays! Thanks for reading!

Young Professional Savings Tip: Consider a Tax-Free Savings Account

2011-12-22T22:53:00.000-08:00

Video courtesy of YouTube and Scotiabank

With the new year upon us, now is a great time to check your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) balance and examine if you've utilized your annual contribution room of $5000. No funds to add? No sweat: unused contribution room can be utilized in future years. The sooner you use your contribution room, the more your TFSA can work for you. Just remember that if you've made any withdrawals from your account(s), you cannot replenish this contribution room until the year following that in which the withdrawal occurred.

If you don't already have a TFSA and want to learn more, check out the above video (happens to be from Scotiabank, although you can setup a TFSA through most banks). I think it does a great job of explaining the basics and any financial advisor would be happy to assist with specific questions. It's really important to be familiar with the "rules" so that you don't contribute too much in a calendar year and wind up paying a penalty. To learn about the rules governing TFSA contributions and withdrawals, speak with a financial advisor and/or consult your bank's website as well as that of the Government of Canada.

A few cool things I've learned about TFSAs:

1. If you turned 18 prior to 2009, you've accumulated $5000 of contribution room each year since 2009. You didn't need to open a TFSA in order to accumulate this contribution room. If you turned 18 in 2009 or 2010, you accumulated contribution room from the year you turned 18 onwards.

2. You can hold more than one TFSA account at a time but it is up to you to ensure that your total contributions do not exceed your contribution room so as to avoid receiving a penalty. You can use this opportunity to take advantage of higher interest rates at one financial institution without withdrawing funds from an existing TFSA at another (which could impact your contribution room in a given year). While it is possible to transfer TFSA funds from an account at one institution to another, it can come with an undesirable transfer fee. You might examine how a late-December withdrawal from an existing TFSA account followed by an early-January deposit to a new TFSA account could help you avoid the transfer fee.

3. Whenever possible, take advantage of new TFSA contribution room as soon as you receive it (January 1st of each year). Doing so will help you maximize the amount of interest you can earn over time.

4. TFSAs can be a good home for your tax return. If you are making RRSP contributions, you might consider the domino effect when planning for your TFSA:
- How much of a tax refund are you expecting to receive?
- How does this refund amount compare to your contribution room?
- Assuming the tax return will be coming in a few months, what can you contribute to your TFSA in January?

Again, I am not a pro at TFSAs nor do I claim to be. It can be a really helpful savings tool and not enough young professionals know about it hence why I thought it would make a good topic for a blog post. Have questions? Connect with your bank or a financial advisor. You will be on your way before you know it!

Gift Card Deals at Safeway this week

2011-12-08T17:30:00.001-08:00

If you aren't a Safeway "e-mail direct" recipient, it would be a great week to sign up! Doing so will give you access to coupons for the following offers:

25 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $25 Empire Theatres Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 Future Shop Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 Home Depot Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 HBC Celebrate Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 HBC Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 Moxie's Gift Card (coupon required)

25 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $25 Winners Gift Card (coupon required)

25 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $25 Golf Town Gift Card (coupon required)

And...

Save $20 when you purchase $100 worth of iTunes Gift Cards (coupon required)

All offers are valid from December 9-15, 2011. See each coupon for rules and restrictions.

In addition to serving as gift cards, you could always use these to facilitate some of your holiday shopping and earn bonus Air Miles in the process.

To join Safeway E-mail Direct, click here. You'll earn 100 bonus Air Miles just for signing up!

Enjoy!

4 tips to help you offset retail markup during the holiday shopping season:

2011-12-06T23:04:00.001-08:00

As a young professional who has to closely monitor Christmas spending, I prefer to only give gifts that are meaningful and/or will be frequently utilized. It can be frustrating when your “amazing gift idea” comes with a steeper-than-desired price tag attached. Before exceeding your budget or ruling out your great idea, why not try some of the following strategies? Earlier today, I used these steps to purchase a gift for less than $60 (including tax) that currently retails anywhere between $100 and $180 (without taxes!).

The way I see it: why should anyone pay 2-4 times more for the same product in the same brand-new, unopened condition? Especially when it won’t impact the recipient’s experience in any way? The extra money can be saved, used towards other gift purchases... even taking the gift recipient out for coffee or brunch!

While it’s certainly not possible to find products at such reduced prices in all cases, there is almost always a way to score a deal! The key is to become an active shopper. Here are some tips to help you find the best deals possible on that “perfect gift”:

Step One: Use price comparison websites to identify a price point

The Canada Post Price Comparison Shopper is a website that allows you to search for products and identify retailers offering the lowest prices after factoring for shipping + customs (when applicable). It also uses graphs to illustrate the product’s pricing fluctuation over time.

The website does a good job of presenting information from a number of Canadian as well as U.S. retailers that will ship to Canada. That being said, it is also worth become familiar with other price comparison websites as for whatever reason, some U.S. retailers are not featured on the Canada Post website. Just remember to add duty/brokerage to the total cost of the product if not otherwise indicated.

Step Two: Search for promotion codes or sales linked to competitive retailers

After searching on price comparison websites, you might think you’ve found the most competitive retailer. Think again. Although useful tools, price comparison websites do not consistently reflect sales and promo codes that can further reduce the cost of the product you seek.

In other words, the retailer with the third-most competitive offer according to the price comparison website might take first-place after applying a promo code.

After using price comparison to identify 3-4 of the most competitive retailers, I suggest visiting their websites to see if there are any current sales that indicate further reductions on the listed price of the product. I also suggest searching for promo codes that can be used upon check-out. If you’re not familiar with promo codes, they are the online version of a coupon. How to find them:

My personal favourite is retailmenot.com. You can search over 140,000 online retailers! Users post active promo codes; admittedly not all work as described, however visitors can click “green checkmarks” to indicate which promo codes which have worked for them. Results appear to the left of listed promo codes. This gives you a good idea as to whether a promo code is reliable or not.

Step Three: Compare the best retail offer with comparable deals on eBay

Is the item you are looking for available on eBay? What is the average price point? How does this compare with the “winner” from your price comparison website/promo code search? Are the eBay products of the same quality? Would the eBay seller’s return policy meet your needs or those of your gift recipient?

Through eBay, you can participate in auctions and in some cases you can “buy it now” by matching a seller’s desired price. By setting up a paypal account, you can keep your payment information private from the seller.
As well, you can sign up to receive eBay bucks (2% of your purchase in the form of quarterly gift certificates for future eBay purchases good for 30 days upon issue). See ebay.ca for program details and restrictions.

In addition to eBay, there’s always local flyers classifieds to check, for example:

· eFlyers for local businesses

· Local newspaper

· Kijiji.ca

· Facebook marketplace

· Craigslist.ca

It’s always wise to exercise caution with sharing of personal information when interacting directly with a seller. It’s worth checking these postings though: you might be surprised by all of the great deals you can find!

Step Four: If you can’t lower the price, try to select the deal that offers the greatest amount of loyalty points

Can’t find a product at the price-point you hoped for? Perhaps you can leverage the additional cost with the value of loyalty points accrued as a result of making the purchase. In addition to typical credit card points, here are several ways to accrue significant bonus loyalty points:

Airmilesshops.ca: By inputting your Air Miles account number, selecting the desired partner retailer and redirecting to the regular website for that company, you can earn many bonus Air Miles on your purchase.

Check back regularly for multiplier events! For example, a retailer might normally offer 1 Air Mile for every $20 spent. Frequently there are 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x the points events! Now is a great time to visit airmilesshops.ca as several retailers are offering 10x the points (until December 8, 2011).

Tip: Register for the Airmilesshops.ca Holiday Contest. You’ll earn 10, 25, 100 or 1000 bonus Air Miles on your next qualifying purchase ($40 or more). See airmilesshops.ca website for contest details and restrictions.

Aeroplan.com offers an eStore as well that operates in a similar way.

Costco.ca is offering 1 Aeroplan Mile per dollar spent on Costco.ca until December 11, 2011. To register your Aeroplan card with Costco.ca, visit here.

You might be pleasantly surprised by how many points you can accrue on a single purchase: in some cases it’s possible to earn more than 1 Air Mile per dollar spent.

Anyways, this has been a longer blog entry: congrats for making it this far! I hope this is helpful information and that you learned something new.

Some other helpful tips as you shop:
Carry your smart phone or tablet while you shop. You can quickly check price comparison websites and determine whether the in-store price tag is competitive. I once saved myself from spending twice as much at Chapters by purchasing a book online… ironically from chapters.indigo.ca (combining online price + irewards + promo code + free shipping)
Smartcanucks.ca. If there’s a sale, coupon or deal to be had, this community of Canadian shoppers will know.
Know your retailers inside and out. For example, if you’re an Apple fan, it’s good to know that:
- They only have sales once-a-year on Black Friday
- They offer educational discounts to students, teachers, faculty and staff of colleges and universities
- You can earn Aeroplan Miles and Air Miles on purchases made online at the Apple Store provided you sign in and re-direct from the appropriate website
- Sometimes Apple participates in multiplier events associated with the above loyalty programs (eg. timing your purchase with the Air Miles10x the points event on now until December 8, 2011)
- When new models are introduced, older versions are often discounted
- Apple offers refurbished products at reduced cost (see website)

And after all of this… of course, some of the best gifts can’t be purchased or wrapped. Time spent with family and friends doing a favourite activity. Personalized craft projects and photo albums.

Good luck with your search for the “perfect gift”. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Shopper's Drug Mart "Spend your points" event on through Sunday, December 4th

2011-12-03T23:04:00.001-08:00

Photo credit: Shopper's Drug Mart (e-flyer)

Have you checked your Shopper's Optimum Card balance recently? If you have at least 30,000 points to spend, you might want to head to Shopper's tomorrow (Sunday) and pick up some household items or gifts.

During the "Spend Your Points" event,

30,000 points will get you $60 off your total bill (for an added value of $20)

50,000 points will get you $125 off your total bill (for an added value of $40)

95,000 points will get you an extra $250 off your total bill (for an added value of $80)

Also a good idea to check the e-flyer before you shop. There are some good deals this week. For example, several varieties of John Frieda hair care products are on sale for $7.99 + 15x the Optimum Points.

For additional information and restrictions, consult the Shopper's Drug Mart flyer and website.

I really wish I had 95,000 points to spend!

You're never too old to sit on Santa's lap

2011-12-01T23:33:00.001-08:00

As the holiday shopping season gets underway, thought I'd share this enjoyable You Tube video from Improv Everywhere.

Good luck to all with your adventures at the mall!

Travelling to Vancouver? Receive a $125 gift card!

2011-11-17T18:29:00.001-08:00

As part of Vancouver's "125 Years" celebration, you can receive a $125 gift card when booking a two night consecutive stay through Tourism Vancouver.

There are dozens of participating hotels. To see the full list, click here.

This is a great deal, whether you are interested in seeing the sights or doing a little shopping. Just remember to make your hotel booking through the Tourism Vancouver Website.

To be eligible for this offer, bookings must be made before December 31, 2011. Travel must be completed by March 31, 2012 (or while supplies last). This offer cannot be combined with other offers and/or packages. For additional details and restrictions, please see the Tourism Vancouver Website.

You receive your Tourism Vancouver $125 Gift Card upon check-in, which you then take to a Visitor's Centre to exchange for other gift cards, tickets and services.

What can you spend your $125 gift card on?

1. Exchange it for a $125 HBC gift card to be used at the downtown location of the Hudson's Bay Company.

2. Transit Passes

3. All of these attractions, activities and services:

Accent Cruises
Alfred Guest Services (A.E. Vancouver Private Tours)
Aquabus Ferry
Bayshore Bicycles
BC Ferries
BC Museum of Mining
BC Sports Hall of Fame
Big Bus
Bill Reid Gallery
Canadian Outback Adventure
Canadian Adventure Rentals
Canadian Snowmobile Adventures
Cantrail Coach Lines
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Club ESL
Cypress Mountain
Deep Cove Kayak
Ecomarine Ocean Kayak
False Creek Ferries
Greyhound Canada
Greater Vancouver Zoo
Grouse Mountain
Gulf of Georgia Cannery
Harbour Air
Harbour Cruises
Heading North Recreation
Helijet International
Hostelling International
HR MacMillian Space Centre
Key West Travel & Tours
Landsea Tours
Living Earth Eco Tours
Lookout at Harbour Centre
Moose Travel Network (Bigfoot Adventure Tours)
Museum of Vancouver
Pacific Coach Lines
Prince of Whales
Samesun Backpackers Lodges
Seair Seaplanes
Sewell's Marina
Science World
Sightline Tours
Snowbus
Spokes Bicycle Rentals
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
Stay & Tour
Tofino Bus
UBC Museum of Anthropology
Vancouver Art Gallery
Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Maritime Museum
Vancouver Police Museum
Vancouver Trolley Company
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Vantage Whistler
Vantoptours
West Coast Sightseeing
West Coast Air
West Trek Tours
Whistler Air
Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Bungee
Whistler Direct Shuttle
Wild Play Whistler
A Wok Around Chinatown

Happy Travels!

Check your mailbox for McCafe coupons

2011-11-16T19:01:00.001-08:00

In all honesty, I'm not much of a fan of McDonald's food. That being said, their new-ish coffee line is actually quite good not to mention affordable. Check your mailboxes as you might have received a booklet of "McCafe" coupons. Valid from November 15 to December 19, 2011, here are some of the offers in the booklet:

Please note that all of the coupons are "valid only on Latte, Mocha, Cappuccino and Deluxe Hot Chocolate". See the back of coupons for additional limitations.

"Get a free small hot McCafe specialty beverage"
"Buy one, get one free" (second drink has to be of equal or lesser value) (3 coupons in booklet)
"$1 off a hot McCafe specialty beverage" (2 coupons in booklet)
"McCafe your breakfast meal for free" ("Buy a breakfast Extra Value Meal and substitute your small coffee with a small hot McCafe specialty beverage at no extra charge") (2 coupons in booklet)
"Buy a hot McCafe specialty beverage and get a free baked pie"
"Buy a hot McCafe specialty beverage and get a cinnamon melts for 49 cents"

Above is an image of what the outside of the booklet looks like. Keep an eye on your mailbox for yours.

$15 worth of coupons for chicken from Maple Leaf

2011-11-13T22:13:00.001-08:00

I noticed a new product at my grocery store on the weekend: Maple Leaf Prime Portions. It consisted of four chicken breasts individually vacuum-wrapped inside a larger bag. It provides an easy solution to the problem of discarding unused meat due to expiry dates or freezer burn.

What I didn't notice was that the package came with $15 in coupons for Maple Leaf Chicken Products:

$5 off Maple Leaf Prime Portions

$5 off Maple Leaf Prime Marinates Boneless Skinless Breasts, Seasoned Flattened Chicken or Boneless Skinless Breasts

$5 off Maple Leaf Prime Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Chicken Scaloppini Folds or Chicken Tenderloins

All of the above coupons have an expiry date of June 30, 2012. Plenty of time to use them.

While it can be difficult to find coupons for meat and produce, it is not impossible if you know where to look. Enjoy.

$25 gift cards from the Bay for $75 purchase in store or online (ends today)

2011-11-13T10:27:00.001-08:00

Source: thebay.com

Have a wedding gift which you need to purchase? Or a new kitchen gadget? How about some items from the recently released Olympic Clothing Line? Drop by the Bay today, Sunday November, 13th (in-store or online) and receive a $25 gift card with a $75 minimum purchase.

You can redeem the $25 gift card on any in-store purchase of $100 or more between November 21st and December 24, 2011.

Essentially, the way this deal works is that you have to be willing to spend $75 (first purchase ) + $75 (second purchase after gift certificate) for a total of $150 plus taxes.That being said, if you know of an upcoming expense... why not save $25 in the process?

Enjoy!

BOGO event at Starbucks (Safeway Locations) from Nov 17-20th 2011, 2-5 pm

2011-11-12T13:02:00.001-08:00

Don't forget your Safeway Club Card when you are grocery shopping this week. You could get 2 Holiday Beverages for the price of one. I received the above advertisement in a Safeway e-mail direct flyer.

Air Miles Mail-Out Coupons

2011-11-07T23:21:00.000-08:00

Guess what was in my mailbox this afternoon... more Air Miles Holiday Bonus Offers!!!

Here's is a listing of the coupons that was in the package:

100 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase $200 or more at IRIS (up to Feb 5, 2012)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase Nikon lenses including the Nikon I-View (up to Feb 5, 2012)

10 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $30 or more on Sesame Street Plush (Nov 4- Dec 2) (No coupon required)

10 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $20 or more on Chuck & Friends toys (Nov 4- Dec 2) (No coupon required)

60 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $60 or more at Michael's. Valid Nov 18-20, 2011

250 Bonus Air Miles when you spend at least $250 on a repair at Craftsman Collision (Nov 7- Feb 24, 2012)

15 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $30 or more (before taxes and gratuities) at Boston Pizza before December 31, 2011

25 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $50 or more (before taxes and gratuities) at Boston Pizza before December 31, 2011.

See coupons for complete lists of restrictions.

The following offers apply to Gold Collectors:

40% off Random House titles when you spend $50 or more from Nov 7- Dec 31 (randomhouse.ca; PROMO CODE= AIRMILES)
15% off Delta Hotels from Oct 26 - Dec 30 (deltahotels.com; PROMO CODE= NAPN)
Updated benefits for Gold Collectors:

Double the amount of discounted merchandise
20% off reward miles on ski lift tickets (see Airmiles website for restrictions)

I think that the coupons differ depending on where you live in the country.

You might also have received an Air Miles magazine. I noticed a few coupons in the issue:

Earn 5x the rewards miles at People's The Diamond Store on any purchase including at least one participating product as seen in the Air Miles Holiday Shopping Guide (Expiry Dec 31, 2011)
Earn 5x the reward miles at Mappins Fine Jewellers on any purchase including at least one participating product as seen in the Air Miles Holiday Shopping Guide (Expiry Dec 31, 2011)
Earn 50 reward miles with your choice of any two magazines with Rogers Magazine Service (Expiry Dec 31, 2011)
Earn 5x the reward miles at The Shoe Company when total purchase is over $80 (Expiry Feb 29, 2012)
Earn 7x the reward miles at The Shoe Company when total purchase is over $120 (Expiry Feb 29, 2012)
Earn 10x the reward miles at The Shoe Company when total purchase is over $150 (Expiry Feb 29, 2012)
Earn 50 bonus Air Miles at Budget Rental Car on rentals of 5 days or more (Expiry Feb 15, 2012)
Earn 25 bonus Air Miles at Budget Rental Car on rentals of 3 or 4 days (Expiry Feb 15, 2012)
Earn 10 bonus Air Miles at Toys R Us when you spend $50 or more on Barbie, Hot Wheels or Fisher Price Toys (Nov 4-17, 2011)

Again, see the magazine for full list of restrictions.

Gotta love this time of year!

2012 Canadian Olympic Clothing is here

2011-11-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

Go Canada! Get ready for all of this summer's Olympic action with the recently released London 2012 line of Team Canada replica clothing from The Hudson Bay Company.

Find it here!

Makes for a great Christmas gift! I really hope my family gets me this red "patch" hoodie!

Holiday Offers on Airmilesshops.ca

2011-11-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Are you starting your holiday shopping soon? Visit Airmilesshops.ca and check out their holiday offers. By visiting their website and redirecting to the regular website for partnered retailers, you can earn a lot of bonus Air Miles. For frequent travelers, this is definitely a good way to shop.

Current holiday offers on Airmilesshops.ca:
Earn 25 Bonus Reward Miles when you spend over $100 on an American Express Air Miles Credit Card at any of the following stores:

Toys R Us
Amazon.ca
Expedia
Bose
Dell
Sears
The Source
Victoria's Secret
Apple Store
Indigo.ca

Expires December 31st, 2011

With an Air Miles Collector Card Number:

Earn 3x reward miles at Indigo.ca (Chapters)
Earn 2x reward miles at Dell
Earn 3x reward miles at Bose
Earn 2x reward miles at Expedia
Earn 2x reward miles at People's The Diamond Store
Earn 2x reward miles at the Source
Earn 2x reward miles at Beyond the Rack
Earn 3x reward miles at Land's End
Earn 2x reward miles at Toys R Us
Earn 2x reward miles at Banana Republic
Earn 2x reward miles at the Gap
Earn 2x reward miles at Old Navy
Earn 2x reward miles at Macy's
Earn 2x reward miles at Bloomingdale's
Earn 2x reward miles at TigerDirect.ca
Earn 3x reward miles at Roots
Earn 2x reward miles at Ebay.ca
Earn 2x reward miles at Nordstrom's
Earn 2x reward miles at Oconnorflorist.ca
Earn 30 reward miles per subscription at Rogers Magazine Service
Free shipping at Apple Store.ca
Free shipping at LL. Bean

Plus, there is a contest where you can win up to 25,000 Air Miles as well as online coupons for bonus Air Miles on purchases made within five days of your contest entry.

See website for full details and description of offers and limitations.

Happy shopping!

Porter 50% off sale extended until November 7th!

2011-11-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

Fresh off the presses... I just received a fabulous notification in my e-mail inbox:

"50% off all Porter flights!"

In celebration of Porter's 5th anniversary, they are offering 50% off the base fare of any Porter flight. Travel must occur by March 31st, 2012.

The promo code you'll need is FIVE 50. Be sure to make your bookings by November 7th, 2011.

Also good to know that this deal can't be combined with other offers or programs.

Check out Porter Airlines on the web and on Youtube:

(Video courtesy of You Tube)

Where does Porter fly?

Ottawa
Toronto
Montreal
St. John's
Halifax
Quebec City
Mont Tremblant
Moncton
Sudbury
Sault Ste. Marie
Thunder Bay
Windsor
Boston
Chicago
New York
Myrtle Beach
Timmins
Burlington, Vermont

Christmas shopping in NYC, anyone?

Banana Republic 30% off sale + 10x the airmiles... does it get better?

2011-10-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

I received an e-mail for Banana Republic's "Thank You" event where they are offering 30% off all purchases excluding factory store between October 20-23, 2011.

On top of that, Airmilesshops.ca is offering 10x the airmiles on all Banana Republic purchases until November 1st, 2011!

Think about it: hypothetically speaking, you could get $100 worth of clothing for $70 + taxes AND earn 50 airmiles + any additional airmiles you might earn by paying using an airmiles credit card. That's a pretty sweet deal.

Not to mention that shipping is free for all purchases over $50.

To get your airmiles, first log in to Airmilesshops.ca and redirect yourself to the Banana Republic website.

To get 30% off your purchase, use the promo code BRCTHANKS.

Happy shopping! (And traveling)

Looking for a new pair of TOMS Shoes?

2011-10-01T00:31:00.000-07:00

Video embedded via YouTube (TOMS Shoes)

For those of you who aren't familiar with TOMS Shoes, with every purchase of a pair of shoes they donate a second pair of shoes to a child in need.

Because of the charitable cause attached to your purchase, it's a great idea to pay full price for your shoes if you can. But if you're a little strapped for cash and still want to contribute to the cause, try this coupon code to receive $5 off you purchase: CC47. According to MommyMatter.com, the code is said to be good for any of the new fall styles.

Happy shoe shopping! And enjoy helping others in the process.