Coupon Alert!

Although the site was not supposed to be up and running until the end of the week, Proctor and Gamble are already offering great free coupons at Brandsaver.ca.  It’s an excellent resource for coupons for products such as Tide, Bounce, Charmin, Bounty, Tampax, Always, Pampers, Cascade, Venus Razors, etc.  The coupons total over $93 in savings. 

It’s a limited time offer, so order soon!

PS this is for Canadians only.  If you live in the US, click here to see American coupon offers from P&G.

The cloth bag movement

As most of you have heard by now, the cloth bag movement has begun. As of yesterday, customers at Loblaws will have to pay 5 cents per plastic bag.  You can see the full article with Galen Weston, executive chairperson of Loblaw here, published in the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business, in the article “Memories of plastic”.

Apparently there has been some controversy around this subject but the protest seems silly to me.  In fact, Loblaws is going out of their way to help their customers make the transition.  For example, they offer a Green Bin borrowing program.  If you forget your cloth bags or Green Bin, you can add a fully refundable deposit to your bill and take one home with you for free.

If you live in Toronto, you can get a Green Bin FREE when you buy $25 or more worth of groceries - up until January 22 only. Follow the link to get the coupon. (Thanks to Frugal Freebies for that tip via twitter!)

Work the policy to your advantage: Loblaws is still offering 50 PC points for every Green Bin or Green Bag you bring in.  Last time we were there, they gave us points for our other cloth bags.  

Bringing cloth bags can be fun - there’s no need to stick to conventional bags designed just for carrying groceries.  I love my rock and roll cloth bags, which you can find at any rock shop and many luggage or accessory stores.  Some Rock bands are even selling them at concerts now - REM had a cute cloth bag for sale at its Toronto concert last summer. 

Reduce, reuse, rock on.

A week of carnivals!

My recent post titled, “This Year, Resolve to Forgive”  has been posted on The Carnival of Debt Reduction. Please feel free to pay them a visit and check out the Tips via Twitter Edition, hosted by Consumerism Commentary. 

This post was also listed at the Carnival of Personal Development under the Personal Finance heading.  This edition is hosted by “Through the Illusion: personal development for authentic living.”

Take the high cost out of high tea

My post on how to host a cost-effective tea party was a big hit.  Ever since then, I’ve been meaning to follow-up with the scone recipe I used.  

I relied on good old Alton Brown, who is, by the way, a genius when it comes to cheap and cheerful cooking.  His recipe is as follows:

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup cream
• 1 egg
• Handful dried currants or dried cranberries

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter and shortening. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients. Stir in fruit. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

My grandmother's strawberry jam - the perfect compliment to the cream

To make the cream:

•  4 ounces mascarpone
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 or 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• Zest of lemon or lime (optional) 

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat until the mixture holds its shape and looks like softly whipped cream. Use right away or cover and refrigerate the cream until serving time. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. 

As you can see, the ingredients required to make the scones are simple and modest and not expensive.  The only expensive thing on the list is the mascarpone.  However it does last quite a while in the fridge, so you can use it when making other kinds of desserts too.  

Repair your clothes and save a bundle

Repairing your clothes instead of shopping for new ones is a great tip, and one that I’ve mentioned before.  But it is worth bringing up again, because I recently had an expensive leather jacket repaired and it reminded me just how useful this tip is.

Josh has a leather jacket that is only a couple of years old.  Unfortunately the zipper broke on it, and it’s been hanging useless in the closet for months.  Finally, in our rush to get everything done on our to-do list before our big move, I took it to the dry cleaners who repaired it for me.

The final cost: $13.  That’s it - just $13 and the leather jacket was wearable again.

My new slogan:  Don’t pitch it, find a way to fix it!

Free sample of Fruit Roll-Ups and lots o’ coupons!

Get a free sample of My Fruit Roll-Ups AND get great printable coupons for great products when you sign up for the box-top email newsletter.  Sorry Canucks, it’s for Americans only! Those lucky Yanks!

This year, resolve to forgive

Did you resolve to reduce or eliminate your debt load this year?  The path to financial freedom may begin with forgiveness.

It’s easy to obsess over past mistakes, especially if they are still appearing on your credit card bills, renewing your regrets every month.

But how much does self-punishment and guilt really help us pursue a change in our lives?  Shopping provides a short-term high, and is often used, like gambling, alcohol, or binge eating, to fill some kind of a void.

If you are harbouring guilt or anger over your  financial sins of the past, you might just push yourself right back to the same old habits you want to avoid, desperate to quench the need for comfort and peace that isn’t coming from within.

I’m trying to do the same thing with my body - living with chronic pain at a young age means that I harbour a lot of guilt and anger at my body for not acting or feeling the way it “should.”  Through yoga I am coming to realize that patience and compassion may be the gateways to healing.

And so it is with money.  Try forgiveness on for size.  You may just find that you lose the compulsion to shop once you find peace within yourself.

Saver Queen quick tip

Save money on computer equipment and cables.  By going to pccanada.com and canadacomputers.com instead of Future Shop or other Big Box electronic stores, you can find essentially the same thing and save typically around 40-90%.

Vaseline Clinical Therapy coupon

Here is a $2 off coupon for Vaseline Clinical Therapy Lotion.  Promotions like this are often accompanied by sales - so watch for a good one to make this product affordable!

Affordable fitness

If you want to take part in yoga, pilates, or work out at an indoor gym this winter, rest assured that there are ways to do it without breaking the bank.

Check your local yoga studios for schedules and see if they offer Pay-What-You-Can, Community Classes, or Karma Yoga classes.  Pay-What-You-Can classes are typically offered once a week and are open to anyone.  You are welcome to make a donation but if you can’t afford a penny, they won’t refuse you.  Community Classes are taught by students who are training to become instructors.  These classes are held at Yoga Space in Toronto for $7 a class.  You may find that your local studio offers community classes at a similar price.  Finally, Karma Yoga is often held at studios where a small donation is requested.  At Living Yoga in Guelph, all of the proceeds from Karma Yoga is donated to local charities.  

It’s a great idea to sign up for newsletters from local yoga studios or other wellness clinics, as free classes are sometimes held.  For example, Yoga Space periodically offers free Pilates classes.

If it’s a fitness gym you’re after, drop in and see if they offer free trial memberships.  In Toronto, there is fierce competition and most of the gyms offer free week-long trial memberships.  At the very least you should be able to try the club once for free.  Some of the big chains like Goodlife may not offer such a deal, but phone around or drop in and you should be able to find a freebie.

Finally, don’t forget about the good old stand by - the YMCA.  The Y is still incredibly cheap when compared to other large fitness clubs.   It’s $41.75 for adults and this membership includes all facilities, programs and activities.  There is an initial $60 fee, again far less than what you pay at most other gyms.  If you are unable to pay these fees but are committed to using the Y on a long-term basis, the Y offers financial assistance. 

And as I’ve mentioned before, the Running Room offers great running clinics for approximately $60 - but you can also join with the group after their lecture and find great running buddies for free!  Visit your local Running Room for details about where and when to meet.

Enjoy!