A homemade Christmas

My sister and I have decided to take a trip together this winter.  I am so excited because we haven’t taken a trip together with just the two of us since we completed our first year of university. That was nearly a decade ago. 

To help us save for the trip, we have agreed to share homemade presents between us this year.  I can’t wait. I am just as excited to make a gift for my sister as the creative juices are already starting to flow.  And I can’t wait to see what she makes me!  My sister is a very crafty person who is excellent in the kitchen.  I have realized that at this stage in my life, I am very happy with my frugal living and don’t really feel that there is anything I truly “need” or even want.  Except for, perhaps, a bigger closet.  And she can’t very well give me that.

In fact, I think I will be happier with her homemade gift than anything she could buy me.  

This Christmas, consider exchanging homemade gifts.  If it is a mutual decision, it takes the pressure off from fearing that you will look “cheap.”

Already the music of my favourite Christmas song by Kenny Rogers, “it’s just another homemade Christmas in Kentucky” is running through my head…

Does anyone have any suggestions for homemade gifts?  

Coupons this week

Thanks to Lisa, I found this great coupon saving site - unfortunately for Americans only, but I thought I would share this with my American visitors.

For my Canadian visitors, I got a whole heap of coupons from my Homemakers magazine (it comes free with my Canadian Living subscription but it might be worth picking one up if these coupons appeal to you - it costs $9.99 for an annual subscription or $2.99 per issue).  Here is what I got this week:

Dempsters Naan - 50¢ off

Pedigree Snacks & Treats - $1 off

Temptations Treats (for cats) -  Buy 4 and save $1

Cesar dry food for small dogs - $2 off

Pedigree Denta Stix or Dentabone oral care - $1 off

Cesar Double Delights Treats - $1 off

Whiskas dry food - $2 off

Cavindish From the Farm potato strips or wedges - 50¢ off

Windsor Sea Salt products - 75¢ off

Fruitfull Bold and Inspired - 50¢ off

Scott Paper Towels - $1 off

High Liner Shrimp, 300g or 340g - $1 off

High Liner 400g or 454g Fillet - 75¢ off

High Liner products (any) - 75¢ off

Heinz Chili Sauce and Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce - $1 off

I also got, in my saver bag this week, a coupon for $3 off at the Bulk Barn when you spend $10 - this will come in handy when buying supplies to make Christmas gifts this year!  Expiry is November 28.

Kraft Coupon

Today I got my second “What’s cooking” magazine in the mail.  Still not too impressed.  Most of the recipes, unsurprisingly, consist of heavily processed, fattening foods from Kraft.  But there is one or two I’d like to try making for the holidays - like party dips and homemade truffles! MMM!

However, in my email inbox I did get a coupon from Kraft.  You can get yours here (it redirects to save.ca but adds in the Kraft coupon).  You save $3, but only when you buy a pizza, salad dressing, and parmesan cheese.  Use it only if you buy these products anyway, and wait for a great sale to make it worthwhile.

Lunchtime alternatives

Find a park bench to share a noontime chat

For many of us, the real reason we choose to eat out at lunch is not to fulfill our need to eat but to escape the office, have a break, and spend some more honest time with coworkers without the scrutiny of supervisors. Here are some tips on how to find ways to fill those needs without sitting in a restaurant:

During the summer months, I enjoyed sneaking off to a quiet place to eat my lunch, read a magazine, and soak up the sunshine.  I sat on a bench in a secluded area surrounded by a little garden (and trust me, if you can find a quiet, pretty space in downtown Toronto, you can find one anywhere).

Another option is to run errands during your lunch hour.  It’s not exactly “downtime” but it will free up more of your time in the evening to relax or hang out with your family.  Luckily, I live right near the Eaton Centre and often use the time to buy greeting cards, fill a prescription or pick up needed personal care items from the drugstore, take my shoes to be repaired, buy a birthday gift, etc.  Even if you don’t live near a mall, you may be able to dash out to a pharmacy, dollarstore, or dry cleaners.  Plus, the time out of the office still feels refreshing.  My colleague and I usually run our errands together, and this gives us time to chat, too.  Just remember to save about 15 minutes to eat your lunch before or after you leave.

Exercise! Take a brisk walk, go out for a short jog, or if your building has gym facilities, take advantage of a noon class.  The key to doing this is to make sure you snack on some healthy foods during the day so that you don’t exercise on an empty stomach or eat a big meal just before your workout. Snacks like almonds, yogurt or chocolate milk are good snacks.

Eat a little earlier in the day and then join your friends for lunch.  If you’ve already eaten, just enjoy the company, or order a drink or light snack. 

Find lunchtime events in your community. At Nathan Philip Square in Toronto, you can enjoy live music and a farmer’s market every Wednesday.

These are my four suggestions - does anyone else have a tip to share?  How do you spend your lunch break?

Cheap toiletries & bath products

I strolled into Honest Ed’s the other day for a quick look around and ran into some great finds.  They had my very favourite Ombra body wash on for $2.77 for a 300ml bottle.  Just to put this into perspective, Shoppers Drug Mart sells a 500ml bottle for $10.99.  The unit cost at Honest Ed’s is .923 per 100ml, compared to 2.198 at Shoppers.  In other words, Shoppers is more than twice the cost!

They had loads of other goodies at Honest Ed’s too, including scented Soft Soap refill bottles at 99¢, which came with a free sample of pomegranate body wash!  I hope to go back next week to find some more great deals, since I was in a rush during my last visit.

For those outside the GTA, check out your discount stores and please report back with any great finds!

My journey away from paper towels

I officially made the switch after going through a big box of handmedowns from my mom. It contained some really cute napkins.  I’m not sure where she got them or if they’ve been passed down, but many of them have an antique flair. So I decided it was officially time to cut paper towels out of my life and rely solely on cloth napkins and dish towels.  I have some rags for cleaning and my old pajama tops await a new purpose.  It does create more laundry because I wash my dishtowels very often, but they are so small that they are easy to add to a load of laundry.  It would probably take at least 25 towels to create a whole load.  It’s tempting to use my piles of coupons for paper towels but I think I will stay with this cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative.

Baking Coupons

If you go to the Very Best Baking website and sign up for their newsletter you will be regularly updated with new coupon offers.  Today in my inbox I found coupons for Libby’sPumpkin (50 cents off two,) Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chips (50 cents off when you buy two,) Carnation Evaporated Milk ($1 off three cans).

To sign up for the e-newsletter, head here - or go here for their “monthly coupon”.  This is valid for Canadians and Americans alike!

The tea party

Several weeks ago, we had a party for my friend’s birthday.  While considering what to do, one of my friends suggested that we go to have High Tea at a fancy downtown hotel.  I LOVE High Tea.  It was one of my favourite things about living in Oxford, and every time I go back to England, having “cream tea” in the afternoon is always must-do.

Unfortunately, it is also unbelievably expensive here in Canada, and we were looking at approximately $45 a person to eat - not including treating my friend.  Since money is a little tight for all of us right now, my sister came up with the great idea of creating our own tea party.  Here’s how we did it:

1. Scones - I made cranberry scones, mock Devonshire cream, and my sister served them with our Grandmother’ infamous homemade strawberry jam

2. Finger Sandwiches - another friend brought the party sandwiches - they are only $22.99 for a box of 5-dozen at The Pickle Barrel in Toronto

3. Tea - my sister brewed a couple of pots of loose leaf black tea

4. Deviled Eggs and Salad - my sister prepared both of these tasty additions to the meal

5. Processo - another friend treated us with a little of the bubbly to kick off our luncheon

6. Petite Fours - another friend picked up an assortment of goodies from local bakeries

7. Decor - my sister had set the table beautifully, using a variety of teacups and other antiques, passed down from my Grandmother

We had a wonderful time!  And it was probably even more special being at my sister’s home.  Plus, this way we were able to sit and talk for more than 5 hours - something we wouldn’t have been able to do at a restaurant or cafe.  Plus, I learned how to make scones! The bottom line: why assume that you need to pay top dollar for something fun?  Learning how to Do It Yourself can be just as special, perhaps more meaningful, in addition to being more cost-effective.

If you have other ideas for homestyle parties or activities, please share!

What will your money make happen?

Are you in debt, getting out of debt, or newly free from your credit card-shackles?  How much money have you seen “disappear” off to the hands of your creditors when it could have be used for a better purpose?

When Gail Vaz-Oxlade goes into a home, most of the time the couple has thousands of dollars in debt, but not much to show for it.  Do you ever stop to think what they could have done with all that money?

In my line of work, I am regularly researching Canadian millionaires and mega-philanthropists to better communicate and serve their philanthropic needs and interests.  As a result, I get inspired. Seemingly ordinary people give away millions to causes they care about, and they make a dramatic impact on our world.

It’s not just the business tycoons or presidents of banks, either, who make this kind of an impact.  Many of the donors who contribute millions to our organization are humble little old ladies, many of them single, who were frugal with their money and spent carefully throughout their lifetime.  The legacy they leave is insurmountable.  They are changing the direction of how generations perceive and live with chronic disease. Their dollars fund world-class research that is being shared around the world - the discoveries don’t only help Canadians, they help people everywhere.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I value frugality.  Because I honour my money; I honour the difference it can make.  I work hard for it and I want to use it to make an impact on the world. I want it to give me freedom - full, unburdened, creative freedom to carve out a completely original life of my own.  I’m not quite sure what my goals are right now.  Will I save enough to start my own business or nonprofit organization? Pursue my true passions full time?  Will I become a philanthropist and someday leave the kind of legacy that I see other Canadian millionaires make? I’m not sure. But I believe there is potential - and it is potential that I do not want to waste. My goal then is to save, somehow instinctively believing that there is a greater role for my money to play that to just to get swallowed up by Tim Hortons, Big Box Stores or Banks.

Gail usually relates to the couple of the week in regards to specific, measurable goals - get out of debt, get an emergency fund, get a retirement fund.  Somewhere in there might be other goals, like have a baby, make enough to stay at home with the kids, or start an education fund for them.  Those are all important goals.  But would else could be achieved?  What other opportunities exist within a healthy savings plan?  The pursuit of a lost dream?  A trip around the world?  A marathon? A totally innovative nonprofit?  

My question is, what would you do now if you had back all the money that you poured out to bank fees, interest, or stuff you just didn’t need?  And what would you like to achieve now that you have new priorities?  Goals or dreams, big or small, it’s all valuable.  I can’t wait to hear from you!

The best deals for your shopping this week!

I am out of town this weekend but I still wanted to give you a quick update on some of your best shopping deals.  Of course this applies to GTA only and you will have to check your local fliers.  Here are the very best deals that I’ve found:

NO FRILLS

Danone Creamy Yogurt 16/100g, $3.99

Breyers Ice Cream $2.88

Always pads 12 - 60s - $2.79 - with coupon - $1.79

Panente Hair care - $3.49 - with coupon - $2.25

Astro Yogurt - $1.99

Bella Tavola Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 750ml - $3.99

Celmentines, 2.5lb - $1.88

LOBLAWS/VALUE MART

McCain thin crust pizza - $3.99 - with coupon - $2.99

Oil of Olay moisturizer - Buy 2 get 1 free

PRICE CHOPPER

Tide Laundry Detergent - $5.87 - with coupon - $4.87

Life cereal - $2.49 - with coupon - $1.99

High Liner Fish Fillets - $3.99 - with coupon - $3.75

Tomatoes on the vine - 99¢/lb

Plus, there is an in-store coupon booklet!  Can’t wait to explore what’s inside!