Buy locally and save

Unfortunately, this time of year the Big Box Stores are rolling out the sales, prompting shoppers desperate for a deal to bite the bullet and head into their nearest Wal-Mart or Best Buy.

I know that many of my readers prefer to buy locally. But it’s hard to pass up great deals. If you enjoy supporting your local shops and are considering buying locally this holiday season, here are some tips to make sure you still get a good price.

1. Watch for neighborhood sales. Sometimes the stores lining an entire street will offer sales as an effort to promote local commerce. Watch for flyers, posters and check your local community newspapers for info.

2. Include local stores when price shopping. Even if your favourite stores do not post their sales on flyerland.ca or produce a paper flyer, call and inquire about prices when seeking the best deal. You may be surprised what they have to offer.

3. Ask them to price-match or offer a similar deal. Store owners may have more clout than staff at a Big Box store and they may be willing to negotiate with you. Bring in another store’s flyer or simply ask them to cut you a deal. They may be especially willing if you are buying lots of gifts, so consider doing more of your holiday shopping in one place and asking for a substantial discount in return.

4. Don’t get fooled by Big Box deals. Some of the sales and bonuses currently offered by chain stores are great; others are not. A free gift card for $10 when you buy $100 is only 10% off and it requires a hefty purchase price to begin with - plus, it requires you to come back and buy more from that store to use the gift card. Buy one get one free is only a good deal if you really need two of that item. Don’t assume that the advertised “limited time only” or “Black Friday” sales are that much better than what they regularly offer. Sometimes local stores have competitive prices but lack the ability to advertise. Staying abreast of competitors’ prices, being spending savvy, and thinking before you buy will help you make wise decisions.

5. Buy less. If you are in a store that is more expensive, consider the trade-off. Would you rather buy a unique, one-of-a-kind gift that is handcrafted with love, or a cookie cutter gift that has been mass-produced (not to mention where that gift has been produced). Ethics aside, it is fun to buy unique gifts from local stores. Even if you buy less, your recipient may appreciate the uniqueness and authenticity of the gift. Sometimes less really is more!

A night at the movies

Who doesn’t a love a night out at the movies? Whether you’re heading out to the theatre or staying in for a cozy night at home, there are always ways to save!  Here are my top tips.

At the theatre

Choose a cheap theatre!  In Toronto, I enjoy going to the Fox - a small theatre in the beach.  Not only is it cute and cozy, it’s only $7 a ticket - plus, if you become a member, you save an extra dollar each trip!  

Get a Scene Card and earn 100 points with each movie you see.  The cards are free and you only need 1000 points (or 10 movies) to get one free adult admission or concession combo!  And the rewards just get better from there!

Take your own snacks.  Bring food from home - or pick up some snacks from a nearby grocery or convenience store.  That’s right, even convenience stores will beat the price of theatre munchies!

If you do eat at the theater, here are two suggestions to cut back on the price.  First of all, just buy a main course - like a hamburger - and skip the fries and pop.  That’s where the biggest mark up is.  Secondly, for a drink, choose a tea or coffee - these are usually within their normal price range.

"Why watch a movie when you can watch me?"

At home

Believe it or not, you can even cut back while at home!

Rent movies from itunes. They are only $4 each, with no late fees!

Make your own snacks. No need to pay full price for that microwave popcorn, salsa or queso dip- just make your own!  I have some delicious suggestions for homemade snacks. 

Avoid new releases.  New movies are not always the best movies!  Consider movies that are renowned as classics or brilliant films that you just never got around to watching! Older movies are far less expensive and many rental shops offer great prices with extended borrowing times.

Bring your movies back early. If you do rent new releases, bring them back early for a discount - many stores offer up to $1 off if you bring it back before it’s due.

Rent from the library.  A great opportunity to borrow for free!

Exchange with friends.  Do a DVD swap and exchange movies with a friend.  Chances are you both have movies you’d love to watch.

Reduce, reuse, repurpose

I love repurposing things - taking something I own and giving it a new purpose to fill a need, instead of going out and buying something new.

I especially love doing this with packaging. By reusing packaging, you create less waste. It also lets you buy in bulk, because you already have the convenient containers at home. The way I look at it, we pay for packaging just as much as we pay for what’s actually inside the container. So why not see what you can do with it?

My first rule is to save any good quality containers you have - even if an immediate purpose doesn’t come to mind.  

Here are some examples of how to repurpose your packaging.

Reuse jars to hold homemade snacks or store buttons, nails, or other small objects.

Save your empty bottles of pain killers. Since I take pain medication regularly, I like to make sure that I have a supply in my purse. Small bottles are (for some reason) way over-priced. I transfer a small number of pills into a extra bottle and keep it in my purse.

Repurpose heavy duty plastic jugs to hold pet food. I saved an epsom salt container -  a large, plastic jug with a handle. I then bought epsom salts at the bulk barn, and reused the jug. After I stopped buying epsom salts, the container made a transition into feline territory by becoming a handy storage and feeding device for Butternut’s cat chow.

Refill your sample size containers. I kept the miniature contact lens solution sample I received for free. I refill it and take it with me on trips instead of taking a big bottle or going out and buying a new sample-sized one.

Reuse your spray bottles. I resuse my spray bottles by filling them with homemade leaning products, like vinegar and water. 

Keep bread bags to hold your homemade bread, muffins, and other baked goods. And save your twist-ties and tags, too!

Clean out your empty powder compact and use it as a mirror in your purse. You can also cut and glue a cute picture in the space where the powder used to be! 

Turn packaging into gift and craft supplies. Keep brown paper bags, brown paper, ribbons, bows, tissue paper, wrapping paper, shoeboxes, gift bags,and stickers that come with presents or parcels from stores. This will all come in handy for future gifts and crafts.     

Save your bubble wrap. You never know when you will need it! When I installed a window box air conditioner I was proud that I already had all the bubble wrap I needed ready to use for insulation. 

I even save my netting - this comes with garlic, avocadoes, oranges, etc. It can be used for nautical-themed crafts, glued to a picture frame with sea shells.

I also save cardboard for future craft projects, like collages.

Reuse store bags as lunch bags and shopping bags.  Other stores besides Lulu Lemon are following the trend. Keep an eye out for these freebies and reuse them to carry your lunch.

I especially love little bags. They are great for transporting delicate jewellery or perfume while travelling, or packing a new gift.

Reuse fruit baskets to store snacks or odds’n'ends.  We put ours in our pantry and fill it with granola bars and chocolates, that are easy to grab for lunches.  

When I was a teenager, I saved the boxes that clementines came in because I figured out that the size of the box fit my 7″ records perfectly!  I used one to hold all my 7″s which made it convienient to flip through them. 

Essentially, I save anything that looks interesting.  I usually find a use for it.  The key is to keep organized.  I use a large craft organizer that keeps it all organized instead of just one big pile of junk.  

What is your favourite tip for reusing packaging?

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.

Toasted almonds & other healthy snacks

Last weekend I made toasted almonds as a delicious addition to weekday snacking. I bought the almonds, un-toasted, on sale at Price Chopper - but you could visit the Bulk Barn, too. I used the same recipe I used for the pumpkin seeds (from Martha Stewart) only I doubled it to completely cover the almonds (I had quite a few).  Also, instead of toasting the almonds in an oven, I used a frying pan (see instructions here). 

I cannot believe how tasty they are!  And they are reasonably healthy, too.  You can also toast them and then add them to dried cranberries and/or raisons, pretzels, peanuts, or other snacks to make a homemade trail mix.  It’s a great addition to your lunch, and easy to leave at your desk at work for mid-day snacking.  Also great for road-trips!  Or if you are looking to supplement Christmas presents or stocking stuffers, you can put the almonds in a tightly sealed jar, and include it as part of the gift.

The dress-up trunk

I recently had a comment from one of my visitors in response to “More Shopping Tips.”  Many of my readers agree that shopping at thrift stores is a great idea.  Here is what Cara had to say:

“I go to the sally ann in two different towns! I am always looking for clothes in the next size up for my daughter! And now I have thought of a great idea to start a dress-up trunk! Today the Sally Ann had a bunch of costume stuff and I got some tu-tus for her to dress up! They are adorable and a great chance for her to be creative!”

I love this idea - a dress-up trunk!  Hours and hours of fun for not a lot of money.  I recall having a dress-up trunk that consisted of my Mom’s old clothes, and my sister and I love it and used it for years. It was a great opportunity for us to use our imaginations. Now is a perfect time to go - just after Halloween - to find cast-off costumes.  The tu-tus are perfect!  

You could always save some for Christmas or birthday presents, too!

Happy hunting… and please come back to share any great finds!

10 suggestions for breakfast on the go

Recently my sister asked for some good suggestions for breakfast on the go.  

It is hard making time for breakfast in the morning.  Especially if you are like me, and want to sleep until the last possible second until I just can’t possibly hit the snooze button one more time.  Here are my suggestions:

1. Get into the routine of putting the coffee pot on first thing in the morning.  It actually takes less time to brew your own than it does to stop and wait in line for a coffee.  If you throw on the pot before you get ready, it will be waiting for you by the time you leave the house.  Just pour it into a travel mug and go.

2. If you are using whole bean coffee (like me) there are two ways to trim down those valuable seconds spent grinding your coffee in the morning.  One, grind it the night before and leave it in the grinder.  Not as fresh, but not dramatically so. Two, switch to ground coffee.  Again, not as tasty but chances are the coffee you are buying at Tim Hortons is not going to taste any better.  Save your whole beans for the weekend.

3. Every weekend, do a big batch of baking - muffins, banana, lemon or pumpkin bread, or other breakfast foods like homemade power bars.  Wrap them individually in saran. Then you can just grab one and go in the morning.

4. Buy small yogurts and fruit to take with you, and eat them on the subway.

5. The night before, wrap up a bagel with cream cheese, cheddar cheese or peanut butter so that you can just unwrap it and eat it on your way - or make up a pb&J sandwich to take with you.

6. Take a thermos of milk with you - or leave a carton in your work fridge - and keep some oatmeal or cereal at your desk.  

7. Or, purchase Bob Green’s cereal tupperware ensemble - it comes with a separate chilled compartment to keep your milk cold, and another compartment to keep your cereal fresh.  Eat it at your desk or, if you take the go-train, during your commute.  (I forget the actual name of this product but they sell it at Binz, which is just across from my house - if anyone is interested, I can find out for you.)

8. If all else fails, keep your desk stocked with snacks, so that if you are just too late in the morning, you know that you still have some snacks at work.  This could include fruit, crackers, granola bars, etc.

9. Remember that even if you have to rely on some pre-packaged food from a grocery store, like granola bars or yogurt cups, it will still be cheaper than buying breakfast at a cafe.  

10. If you cave, McDonalds is your best choice - the muffin is only 20¢ when you buy a coffee.

Avoid the impulse buy

Tempted by impulse purchases?  Many small purchases, including those small items you add at the end of your shopping trip, add up, and add up quickly.  There are simple ways to avoid this.  One of course, is limit the number of times you go shopping - you’ll be less tempted to buy on impulse.  But beyond that, I use two strategies to avoid paying extra for things you grab at the register, like gum and magazines:

Magazine subscriptions are far cheaper than paying the cover price - in fact you’ll probably make up the price in about 4 purchases.  For example, a subscription to Canadian Living costs between $15 and $25, depending on the deal you score.  But a single copy costs $3.99, so you end up paying at least double the cost.  I used to think that I was saving by not buying a subscription, because I figured that I was not buying enough magazines to make it worth it.  But with Canadian Living, you only need to buy 4 issues before the subscription becomes a better deal.

If you regularly buy gum at the register, you’ll end up paying about $1.50 a pack but if you buy gum in a family sized pack you’ll probably spend somewhere in the vicinity of 75¢ a pack.

Know you’re impulses and find ways to avoid feeding them, or satiate them by planning ahead and making these purchases ahead of time!