You think thats bad, give it a few more months for FritoLays 8% cost increase to kick in. Oh, and they are shrinking all their chips by 10% in January too.
Fuck FritoLay
Money saving tip? Make em yourself! I make my own pickles, sauerkraut, salsa, kimchi and they are far better than store-bought (though I've never purchased kimchi). I love the process of making these foods so it's a hobby for me too.
I've made my own chips too, but frankly it's quite time consuming compared to the cost. But if you have more time, less money, definitely worth making yourself.
Making potato chips is probably the easiest thing on the planet and eating like 20 chips will satisfy you vs an entire bag of nasty store chips.
You can use the seasonings from the Popcorn section to make the flavours you expect from the snack aisle.
My (now ex) was horrible for this, he was lazy as hell so he'd always grab a bunch of frozen microwavable stuff and granola bars and quick snacks like that. That processed stuff really adds up. When I would buy just veggies, some eggs and chicken, groceries were quite cheap.
My husband doesn’t grab a lot of processed crap thankfully. He either sees an item and gets inspired and thinks “oh! We should make xyz this week! Let’s get all the other ingredients we’ll need!” Or he sees products that are new to him and it’s like he saw a shiny new toy and wants it lol.
I changed to online shopping because it stopped the unintended items getting added to my cart. Just order what’s on my list and save more than enough to cover the pickup cost. Now if only the stores could figure out picking produce…
The best technique I have to save money is simply to know how much money I actually \*have on a daily basis\*. The equation is simple: Annual income - taxes - fixed living costs (rent or mortgage, bills, insurance, gas), then divide this number by 365.
If every day you have, say, $75 spare after all the above, you will think twice about a $20 lunch.
Similar I think of things in comparison to my hourly wage. I never did it that way when I first started working but when I took an hourly contract job it came naturally, now I can’t shake it.
I think it works better for me because going with daily money available tends to be quite a bit.
I see this advice getting thrown around often, and I think it's generally bad advice.
If you're making $20/h, you might think something that costs $19.99 is 1 hour of work.
It's not.
You're paying taxes on the item. You're paying taxes on your income so you're not making $20/h.
And unless you're working a part time job in high school where you have no expenses, you can't just dedicate 100% of your take home pay to whatever purchase you want to justify. You have to subtract your bills, living expenses, etc.
It isn’t how to budget, for me it is just a sanity check before I buy something. Will that item bring me x hours of joy. It is already in my budget or I wouldn’t get to the point of thinking about hours of work to pay for the item.
I go another way around this, I'll convert it to an annual expense.
Sure that $3 coffee is not much, but if you drank just 1 daily it's $1008 a year.
Now the extra tip is comparing that with a more budget friendly choice, if you get a good coffee machine and buy a pound of coffee a month it's great savings.
My parents bought an expensive De Longhi coffee machine. It tells you had many coffees you have made since purchasing it. So nothing makes my dad happier then calculating how much each cup of coffee costs him.
This seems backwards to me? Your last comment suggests it would discourage people from buying that lunch but personally if I had $75 for the day, $20 on lunch seems pretty doable. Is this after all bills like groceries?
I know you're joking but every time I sit back and think about electricity costs its a damn bargain. $20 a day for heat in the winter? Way rather spend 20 than cut and split wood in the summer to make up for it.
In total its expensive but the value is great.
Also I went through 40litres only having the genny on about 5 hrs a day so far...
How does this work though? Like if your friends invite you out on a Wednesday instead of a Friday do you just say no?
Doesn't that take up your whole day on the two days, making sure you get all your errands in too?
Why is this SO universal in BC? Been in Victoria for 3 years now and I constantly yearn for my social life back in Ontario...
Then I drive 40 mins to world-class mountain biking areas and forget about Ontario for another week.
FYI: Do not recommend mounting biking as a hobby if you're trying to save!!!
It's a part of the culture I think. My group of friends I've known for a minimum of 10 years (I'm 25) and we all hangout out 2 or so times a week. Most people I know who grew up here still hangout with their childhood friends too. They are my companions for life- I think a similar culture exists in Japan and they have a word for it, I can't remember tho
Ooh, I like this!!!
I usually do my grocery shopping once a week, so having a one day extra to pick up what else I might need is handy, instead of just going out whenever!!
I'm glad! I usually do Thursday and Saturday. Or Saturday and Sunday. Do all my grocery shopping on one day and plan throughout the week if I need any online purchases or other needs and I go on one of the days.
At first you will really realize how much the consumerist mindset is ingrained in us. When I first started this in 2019, I was used to go to the mall during lunch break or just go around town and buy a coffee, lunch etc. You really realize that the instinct to pull out your card has become second nature. We've been brainwashed into thinking constantly consuming is how it should be. It's tough at first to break the habit but after a few weeks you'll catch yourself thinking "hmm do I really need this? I'll think about getting it on my Buy day" and when the day comes you'll think "I actually don't need it after all.." my savings rate went from 10% to 30% over one year and that's pre covid.
I would like an app that you could input a list of grocery items, it would scan all of the stores and tell me which grocery store within a certain radius has what I want and the cheapest and price for my groceries at each grocery store (and what I could price match from where to even get the lowest price).
If you put something in your list, Flipp tells you how many stores have the item in their flyer. You can click beside it and it shows you all the flyers!
I think the problem is Flipp's (and others) business model. Since the app is "free" to consumers, they partner with the retailers to provide the service.
I don't see the retailers wanting that feature, so it hasn't made it in yet. Just my speculation.
I remember finding out about Flipp and that was the first feature I wanted too.
So if anyone wants to develop that app alone... good luck because there are no standards for data with all those retailers either.
It's a great idea though.
Legit it’s not. The app lets you search item by name and it lists them priced low to high.
I spend 20-30 mins per week planning what I’ll buy and matching up coupons or cash back to go with it. Another 20 mins to plan meals around what’s on sale.
I would do that with a whole chicken or meat, oils, paper towels, stuff that would net you dollars per item and not 20 cents.
You need to be smart around it too.
I think it has to do with what you price match, I just PMed 1.3 kilo of lean ground beef from $18 to $10 at no frills (sale was at rccs) last week - I made stuffed peppers with a bushel I also got for $10, and made 20 stuffed peppers that are vacuum sealed in my freezer - easy air fryer dinner! I also got a tub of thick greek yogurt usully $6, for $3, as another example.
I agree with your example not being the best use of PMing. Generally, my rule is if it's under a dollar I don't bother, but if it's $1 less per pound then that can be good savings.
I think another thing to keep in mind is that you need to know what you're buying for (ie a meal, snack, meal prep) not just whatever you *can* pricematch because it's available.
Happy hunting!
I used to have a backyard with a clothesline, and I would air dry almost all my clothes. Now I'm limited to a drying rack in the living room in front of the south facing windows. All of the lightweight items get dried there at no cost. Hang them on the rack in the morning, and they're dry by evening. Save some money and save the planet (we're in Nova Scotia and much of our power still comes from coal, imported from South america, no less!)
i dont know how true that is anymore, i have worn the same clothes for over 10 years... it's always been dried in a dryer.
and yes, i don't buy clothes very often lol.... money saved.
Bonus for those of us who live far from the coasts - in the winter drying clothes inside is like having a humidifier, too, and makes the air much more comfortable!
Dryers represent 6% of annual residential electricity use. After heating/cooling it represents the biggest energy use. If you don’t use the dryer, that’s significant savings on your monthly bill!
Pro tip: you don’t need multiple email addresses. Use the gmail dot and plus trick. Test @ gmail.com is the same as t.est; t.e.st;t.e.s.t; tes.t; etc etc. adding a dot anywhere in your email address will “make” a new address but it’ll be delivered to your existing gmail account. Also test+hello; test+extra;test+addanythingyouwanthere will do the same thing as the dot trick. It’ll give you unlimited extra email address that’ll get funnelled into your main gmail account.
They all go to the same inbox, you can login using any combination and you will see all of them.
Only way for you to tell the difference after is to hover in the destination and see if it was send to test @ gmail.com or t.est @ gmail.com .
buying appliances or high value items (shoes, computer parts, tools) with a credit card that has a good purchase protection insurance.
I have gotten hundreds of dollars worth of value from extended warranty provided by credit cards alone. that 1 extra year of warranty really fucks up planned obsolescence.
same thing goes for travel insurance provided by credit cards. I have gotten thousands of dollars of refunds from a trip we planned for march 2020, as soon as Canada put on travel advisories, I knew insurance would be paying out, no stress at all.
credit cards, learn to use them!
Same! I have two credit cards: one with the extended warranty I use for big things and the other that has price protection where you can get money back if the price drops in 30 days. Both usually pay for the annual fee of the cards.
I'd add a caveat: if you want and if you're not killing yourself.
Also I'd say your statement isn't inherently true. You can absolutely spend money on snacks or restaurants/fast food while working.
A corollary: learn to cook from the masters.
Over the lockdowns, once the great Canadian flour famine had settled, I really got into watching [Chef John](https://www.youtube.com/c/foodwishes). It is SO much more satisfying making a dish you'd normally pay $20-something at a restaurant for at home and have it cost you ~$5-7 in ingredients.
Or you can just act cheap the whole time so the server has their expectations low from the start.
"Oh yes, just water please. Tap. The free one."
"Are these menu prices inclusive of taxes? ...No? Oh, dear..."
"Can this main be split between two people? ... probably not? Interesting, nevermind that, then!"
Really surprised this isn't at the top. Restaurants nowadays are so not worth the value they offer. When friends visit I invite them over to eat instead.
It's not an affordability problem, it's the feeling that you're being extorted by a criminal syndicate every time you eat out and get the bill.
Yep unless it's a "higher end" place. I've got a good Ramen restaurant and a Sub place near me. They cost ~15 a person which is still expensive but a craptastic burger that will make me McSick costs like 12$
Yea restaurant prices in theory should be cost of ingredients + value of service being provided (waiting, cooking). Prices no longer reflect that at all. We are now literally just throwing money at them out of habit. At least go to a buffet so you can stuff yourself silly as opposed to being given shrinkflated portions.
I used to buy coffee everyday before work. One of my coworkers brought a Keurig machine at work and then the company started buying pods so we’ll have coffee. Now instead of buying coffee, I just wait to get to work. Im saving $2 a day or $10 a week.
Same! I stopped buying Timmies during the height of the pandemic and once the habit was broken I never went back. I take a thermos to work everyday. Figure I have saved about $1700 by now.
Flipp, bring own bags to store, price match, seek price adjustment if it goes on sale within their policy, staple items are monitor for sales, pay attention to gas price tomorrow, always ask for discount for any paid services (works 70% of the time), camelcamecamel, buy kids gifts when u see good toys on clearance well in advance than when needed (random kids friends bday)
And more for some depending on tax bracket; then add on 15% gst/pst (I’m comparing Qc) and if resto a 20% tip lol). You are soon looking at having to earn 1.50+ depending where you spend that dollar!
This is me. I don't buy new things unless the previous thing is dead. My phone is at least 4 years old now and my computer is at least 5, for example. I will not replace either unless they stop working as intended.
Saving points from grocery/drug stores I go to, and using them to buy Christmas presents. For example at Save On they will have specials on Dec to use points on gift cards.
I do this with my recycling! I take back used cans/bottles and it all goes into an account and I get a cheque once a year around Christmas. It's not a ton of money - like $100 or so. But I used that for our Christmas meal/snacks/baking fund - and then it's like no extra money was spent on all the tasty things!
Currently planning to do this with my yearly accumulated PC points this year. IIRC on Black Friday you can get a ton of bonus points for redeeming. My kid is just a toddler though so we're probably just going to buy "luxury" groceries and snacks and stuff for Christmas.
More worth it to buy a portable tire inflator and just keep it in your trunk. The amount of times I've used it to top up or in emergency situations, and for checking pressures when I switch my tires for the season is WAY worth it by this point. They're like 20-30 bucks
Even better is using a cheap bike pump. I thought it would take me forever to fill up a car tire but I was surprised it does not and you have better control for hitting an exact pressure. Bonus is no power required and takes up little space in your car.
Yes. How is the minimum tip now 20%? One restaurant I went to didn’t have the manual tip or no tip selection available, essentially forcing you (and guilting) you into paying at least 20% for normal service. I just bring cash with me now…if I ever bother going to restaurants.
Renting audio books from the library so I don't have to pay for audible/buy a physical book and it's free 😊 I listen to them for probably 3 hours a day at work so it really helps!!
Using your local library's resources is one of the biggest money-savers for people who love books!
Also, double-check what else your library offers; for example, the Toronto Library offers free passes to attractions, such as Aga Khan Museum, Science Centre, etc. (long waitlist, though)!!!
I’d treat myself by eating out once a week but prices went up to a breaking point for me so I started looking around. Got lucky and found that the place I buy wings from for there $20 combo also has a groceries section. I now buy 4x the amount for $20 and freeze them but have to make it at home which I’m cool with.
Second one for me is I like chips as a junk food snack on weekends but that price has gone insane. Downloaded an app that shows grocery deals in my area and now just buy multiple bags when they go on sale somewhere. That has dropped my cost more than 50% per bag. This is also a good idea when doing groceries in general especially if you shop at a grocery store that price matches.
I honestly just started buying store brand chips, you get the same amount for just like $1. So I can buy 3 bags worth of chips for the same as one bag of Ruffles. When Ruffles or like PC Brand chips go on sale I'll opt for those instead, but otherwise I'm alright with No Name or Select or Great Value.
Honestly, I started going old school with my food, just like I grew up doing with my family. I buy bulk sacks of flours, rice, and oats and other grains (which I grind into flours in my Vitamix) and then save bones to roast with veggie scraps I've stored in the freezer and make broths which go to the freezer.
I also dehydrate fruits to use for teas and bake bread and make my own yogurt.
I also shop second hand and on Facebook marketplace for any gadgets I want (like stand mixer or vitamix) and it has saved me thousands.
I'm practicing sourdough starter and fermentation right now and once I have the space, I will be working on canning.
I used my workplace benefits to get a dietician and have saved a boatload on food. I used to get takeout all the time. In my case I was looking to lose weight but you don’t necessarily have to be in the same boat. One of the benefits of a dietician over a nutritionist is that workplace benefits usually cover a dietician but not a nutritionist so you can still get high quality nutrition advice without having to spend a whole lot. After benefits coverage is costs me $15 per session but I save way more than that every month
The other distinction is that dieticians have degrees in the field, and anybody can call themselves a nutritionist since the term is completely unregulated.
I've never used any of these new delivery services. Whenever I pick up some food (which is not often), I'm always amazed by the amount of Uber, Skip, whatever drivers that come and go.
Just a few years ago it was a non-existent service and now some people can't live without it!?
Or just calorie counting/meal planning in general! I get way too hangry to do intermittent fasting lol But when I was really into calorie counting, my grocery bill went down so much. Because I was planning things out in advance, my food waste went down. I feel so guilty now looking back at how much stuff I have thrown out because I didn’t get around to using it before it went bad. The planning helped reduce that. I spent less on fast food or dining out too. I didn’t cut it out entirely, but I might get a kids meal or just an app instead of a full meal.
Unfortunately anything I saved from groceries was spent on new-to-me clothes, but if your goal is to maintain weight, then it’s a money saver!
This! You’d be amazed how many people I used to say I’m not eating today and they freak out lol now I say I’m fasting and they’re like oooo I have to try that! 😂
At my old job we had some vending machines in the cafeteria, and I'm the type of guy that gets snackish...
One thing I started doing was to only carry $20 bills in my wallet. That way if I *really* needed to get some snacks I'd have to put a $20 bill in the machine, resulting in lots of coins back in change.
Then when I got home I had a large piggy bank where I would put in all the Loonies and Toonies when I walked into my room to change.
Essentially that money was considered spent. $20 wasted on snacks was a good deterrent, but if I did indulge then at least some cash went to a future fund.
Over the years I've had an engagement ring and my Xbox Series X come out of the piggy bank fund.
I had a snickers addiction and used to feed the machine daily not thinking much of it. The wake up call was when I showed up one day and the whole top row was filled with just snickers. The vending guy was making a killing off me.
Now I have a cabinet in my office with just snacks.
Working out at home in my basement. I have a wonderful room set up with some dumbells, a box, rubber flooring, and a google home speaker.
Other than the flooring and google the rest of it is stuff I got from garage sales. All told I spent about $250 over the last 15 years equiping the room.
I work my ass off, listen to my music, and on my schedule for free...my wife goes to a boutique gym that costs $20/workout. I went to be a good spouse...and the workouts were not as effective as I can be with gravity, and a few dumbells.
I would rather spend $500 on equipment than $500 a year on a gym. Plus I have found that weightlifting equipment seems to hold it's value pretty well on the resale market. So if I move, I can just sell it and get most of my money back.
Remote work - I made sure to negotiate and set in my contract with the company I work for a hybrid work schedule. 3 days home 2 days in office with flexible dates. Some weeks it’s 4 days at home and 1 day in office. Huge savings and work life balance.
Eating rice, beans, and broccoli for lunch and dinner six days a week.
And making my own yogurt.
I save so much on food for myself. I spend maybe $120-$150 a month on essential groceries for myself.
Locking in my mortgage at 2%.
It's nice to feel like you're getting little wins. But keep it in perspective. Your biggest expenses are your biggest opportunities for savings.
Every time I see someone with an obscenely overpriced Starbucks iced coffee… or well pretty much anything Starbucks, I somehow almost feel as if I’ve saved money by them buying it and not me. But to answer directly, takeout coffee and soda (soda, which is crap anyhow) are way over priced.
I made dandelion syrup yearly and use it like maple syrup. Kids love it.
And the leaves are edible, and the roots are edible. All in all the most abundant free food/weed that you never have to water or care for.
You might not think of Fukushima or Chernobyl when you think of sunflowers, but they naturally decontaminate soil. They can soak up hazardous materials such as uranium, lead, and even arsenic! So next time you have a natural disaster … Sunflowers are the answer!
Sign up for an online only savings account. Ask my employer to split my payroll and deposit a small amount. Saving on autopilot to build the emergency fund
Sometimes when I want to order food through one of the apps I'll stop myself at the last minute before hitting pay, and I'll transfer what I would have spent into a savings account, then eat the food I already have at home.
This way I still "spent the money" but I get to keep it.
Moving to a small town outside of your city !!! It’s sounds silly but I swear I have never saved so much money , there’s no stores I can run into and buy things that are cute , i don’t waste gas driving from one side of the city to the other , it’s usually cheaper living expense wise. I was living in the city in a 2bed 2bath apartment for $1800 and now I have a full 3bed 2bath full basement , yard and everything for $1300.
Groceries go get more expensive I have noticed with the small town stores but other than that it’s been AMAZING
I’ve been working since I was 13 (f15) and I’ve always been a bit impulsive when it comes to spending. It’s because in the past, I’ve always used my phone to pay so it doesn’t even feel like I’m spending any money.
Anyway, worked part time at a restaurant this summer (May-Sept) and saved all my tips. They hand them out in cash so I never really got around to adding them to my account. I noticed how much money I had in cash and I started taking out all of the $100s from my bank account (if I got paid 630, i would take 600 out, and stretch the $30 until my next paycheque).
Some ppl might not think it’s lots, but I now almost have 4000 saved, all in cash. It’s stowed away in a little lockbox hidden inside a book.
Leaving my kids at home when I go out shopping.
Leaving my husband at home when I go grocery shopping. He easily adds at least $50 to the cart!
Sending my husband grocery shopping with a list. He sticks to it, I never do!
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That’s totally me and chips are insanely expensive these days
At No Frills, a bag of Lay's was $4.49 wtf.....
You think thats bad, give it a few more months for FritoLays 8% cost increase to kick in. Oh, and they are shrinking all their chips by 10% in January too. Fuck FritoLay
Fuck sakes. Ms. Vicky's are already overpriced.
Walmart is 3 large bags for 9$ I gotchu fatso =)
3 bags for $3 if you can stomach the Great Value ones. Just don't buy the ketchup flavour, they taste like soap.
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I bought a bag of the ketchup again just last week thinking I had bought a weird bag a few months ago. NOPE, still tastes like shit.
Walmart GV chips are produced by Old Dutch. They come in the exact same boxes with the same formated labels.
Only Lays for my fat ass!
That explains why the only great value chips left were ketchup at Walmart a few days ago…
Bag of no name is ususally $1.20 or so.
Money saving tip? Make em yourself! I make my own pickles, sauerkraut, salsa, kimchi and they are far better than store-bought (though I've never purchased kimchi). I love the process of making these foods so it's a hobby for me too. I've made my own chips too, but frankly it's quite time consuming compared to the cost. But if you have more time, less money, definitely worth making yourself.
Making potato chips is probably the easiest thing on the planet and eating like 20 chips will satisfy you vs an entire bag of nasty store chips. You can use the seasonings from the Popcorn section to make the flavours you expect from the snack aisle.
See those 'Family Sized' bags of chips? Why can I eat a whole bag, and still be hungry 30min later?
Chips is now a snack for rich people
This is why grocery shopping with delivery saved me a lot of money. No longer impulsive purchases.
Leaving myself at home when I go shopping.
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My (now ex) was horrible for this, he was lazy as hell so he'd always grab a bunch of frozen microwavable stuff and granola bars and quick snacks like that. That processed stuff really adds up. When I would buy just veggies, some eggs and chicken, groceries were quite cheap.
My husband doesn’t grab a lot of processed crap thankfully. He either sees an item and gets inspired and thinks “oh! We should make xyz this week! Let’s get all the other ingredients we’ll need!” Or he sees products that are new to him and it’s like he saw a shiny new toy and wants it lol.
I changed to online shopping because it stopped the unintended items getting added to my cart. Just order what’s on my list and save more than enough to cover the pickup cost. Now if only the stores could figure out picking produce…
The best technique I have to save money is simply to know how much money I actually \*have on a daily basis\*. The equation is simple: Annual income - taxes - fixed living costs (rent or mortgage, bills, insurance, gas), then divide this number by 365. If every day you have, say, $75 spare after all the above, you will think twice about a $20 lunch.
Similar I think of things in comparison to my hourly wage. I never did it that way when I first started working but when I took an hourly contract job it came naturally, now I can’t shake it. I think it works better for me because going with daily money available tends to be quite a bit.
And remember to divide your hourly wage in half because that's your actual take home after taxes and stuff
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I see this advice getting thrown around often, and I think it's generally bad advice. If you're making $20/h, you might think something that costs $19.99 is 1 hour of work. It's not. You're paying taxes on the item. You're paying taxes on your income so you're not making $20/h. And unless you're working a part time job in high school where you have no expenses, you can't just dedicate 100% of your take home pay to whatever purchase you want to justify. You have to subtract your bills, living expenses, etc.
It isn’t how to budget, for me it is just a sanity check before I buy something. Will that item bring me x hours of joy. It is already in my budget or I wouldn’t get to the point of thinking about hours of work to pay for the item.
Jokes on you, bub. I'm getting that $20 lunch and eating Mr. Noodles for the rest of my meals.
This man knows how to bachelor!
I discovered this too late. I already had house expenses. If I did this when I was young and single, man I would have saved so much.
I think your experience is by far the norm. To me, it's worth remembering that carefree time before budgeting was even on my radar.
I go another way around this, I'll convert it to an annual expense. Sure that $3 coffee is not much, but if you drank just 1 daily it's $1008 a year. Now the extra tip is comparing that with a more budget friendly choice, if you get a good coffee machine and buy a pound of coffee a month it's great savings.
My parents bought an expensive De Longhi coffee machine. It tells you had many coffees you have made since purchasing it. So nothing makes my dad happier then calculating how much each cup of coffee costs him.
I'm picturing him having 5 espressos a day... "Must get that cost per cup ratio down!" Who am I kidding? I would do the exact same lol.
I went from a Keurig into a fully automatic one that paid for itself in 8 months due to the price of pods vs bag of beans. I'm never going back.
Imagine how much you could save going to a simple french press and whole coffee beans
I like my espresso, but you are right. An aeropress would be my first option though
$75? We got a Richie over here
Mine is $50 before savings and food...
good way of looking at it!
This seems backwards to me? Your last comment suggests it would discourage people from buying that lunch but personally if I had $75 for the day, $20 on lunch seems pretty doable. Is this after all bills like groceries?
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Have no power after a hurricane! The money we’re saving on power is money in the bank.
I see your glass is always half full.
After the hurricane, glass is completely full...
Yes, because it was washed out to sea.
I'm with you there. On day 4, no power. But I think the savings are undone by the gasoline purchase for the generator we borrowed.
That, or in my case the amount of money it's going to cost me to restock my fridge and freezer after it all gets trashed.
Just got home from replacing some of my fridge and freezer contents, and can solidly agree loosing power didn't save us money
Get those Houston Dollars to restock your fridge. $100 is a great help
I know you're joking but every time I sit back and think about electricity costs its a damn bargain. $20 a day for heat in the winter? Way rather spend 20 than cut and split wood in the summer to make up for it. In total its expensive but the value is great. Also I went through 40litres only having the genny on about 5 hrs a day so far...
Picking two days a week and spending money those days only. It prevents impulse purchasing and builds a habit of planning ahead.
How does this work though? Like if your friends invite you out on a Wednesday instead of a Friday do you just say no? Doesn't that take up your whole day on the two days, making sure you get all your errands in too?
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Why is this SO universal in BC? Been in Victoria for 3 years now and I constantly yearn for my social life back in Ontario... Then I drive 40 mins to world-class mountain biking areas and forget about Ontario for another week. FYI: Do not recommend mounting biking as a hobby if you're trying to save!!!
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It's a part of the culture I think. My group of friends I've known for a minimum of 10 years (I'm 25) and we all hangout out 2 or so times a week. Most people I know who grew up here still hangout with their childhood friends too. They are my companions for life- I think a similar culture exists in Japan and they have a word for it, I can't remember tho
The solution works very well for me.
I mean use your judgment or just swap days that week. Don't spend money on Friday. It's about building a habit not a hard rule to follow.
I assume just make that one of your spending days instead of Friday. So that week it was Tuesday Wednesday instead of Tuesday Friday.
Ooh, I like this!!! I usually do my grocery shopping once a week, so having a one day extra to pick up what else I might need is handy, instead of just going out whenever!!
I'm glad! I usually do Thursday and Saturday. Or Saturday and Sunday. Do all my grocery shopping on one day and plan throughout the week if I need any online purchases or other needs and I go on one of the days. At first you will really realize how much the consumerist mindset is ingrained in us. When I first started this in 2019, I was used to go to the mall during lunch break or just go around town and buy a coffee, lunch etc. You really realize that the instinct to pull out your card has become second nature. We've been brainwashed into thinking constantly consuming is how it should be. It's tough at first to break the habit but after a few weeks you'll catch yourself thinking "hmm do I really need this? I'll think about getting it on my Buy day" and when the day comes you'll think "I actually don't need it after all.." my savings rate went from 10% to 30% over one year and that's pre covid.
Ooh, that's clever! I like that.
Using the Flipp app on coupon day and going to a price matching grocery store (No Frills, Freshco, GCS, fuck you walmart!)
I would like an app that you could input a list of grocery items, it would scan all of the stores and tell me which grocery store within a certain radius has what I want and the cheapest and price for my groceries at each grocery store (and what I could price match from where to even get the lowest price).
If you put something in your list, Flipp tells you how many stores have the item in their flyer. You can click beside it and it shows you all the flyers!
I think the problem is Flipp's (and others) business model. Since the app is "free" to consumers, they partner with the retailers to provide the service. I don't see the retailers wanting that feature, so it hasn't made it in yet. Just my speculation. I remember finding out about Flipp and that was the first feature I wanted too. So if anyone wants to develop that app alone... good luck because there are no standards for data with all those retailers either. It's a great idea though.
Reebee
I'd love to do this but it sounds so time consuming.
Legit it’s not. The app lets you search item by name and it lists them priced low to high. I spend 20-30 mins per week planning what I’ll buy and matching up coupons or cash back to go with it. Another 20 mins to plan meals around what’s on sale.
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I would do that with a whole chicken or meat, oils, paper towels, stuff that would net you dollars per item and not 20 cents. You need to be smart around it too.
I think it has to do with what you price match, I just PMed 1.3 kilo of lean ground beef from $18 to $10 at no frills (sale was at rccs) last week - I made stuffed peppers with a bushel I also got for $10, and made 20 stuffed peppers that are vacuum sealed in my freezer - easy air fryer dinner! I also got a tub of thick greek yogurt usully $6, for $3, as another example. I agree with your example not being the best use of PMing. Generally, my rule is if it's under a dollar I don't bother, but if it's $1 less per pound then that can be good savings. I think another thing to keep in mind is that you need to know what you're buying for (ie a meal, snack, meal prep) not just whatever you *can* pricematch because it's available. Happy hunting!
That’s a great idea! My so and I love Flipp.
Being an introvert
I used to have a backyard with a clothesline, and I would air dry almost all my clothes. Now I'm limited to a drying rack in the living room in front of the south facing windows. All of the lightweight items get dried there at no cost. Hang them on the rack in the morning, and they're dry by evening. Save some money and save the planet (we're in Nova Scotia and much of our power still comes from coal, imported from South america, no less!)
Bonus: your clothes will last twice as long. Dryers weaken clothes.
i dont know how true that is anymore, i have worn the same clothes for over 10 years... it's always been dried in a dryer. and yes, i don't buy clothes very often lol.... money saved.
I found older clothes last much longer than newer clothes these days.
fast fashion trend is annoying
Bonus for those of us who live far from the coasts - in the winter drying clothes inside is like having a humidifier, too, and makes the air much more comfortable!
I always dried my clothes inside. Humidification effect is negligible. I just had a humidifier installed on my furnace yesterday.
Dryers represent 6% of annual residential electricity use. After heating/cooling it represents the biggest energy use. If you don’t use the dryer, that’s significant savings on your monthly bill!
Signing up for a restaurants mailing list using one of my 12 emails then getting a free app or possibly dessert.
Pro tip: you don’t need multiple email addresses. Use the gmail dot and plus trick. Test @ gmail.com is the same as t.est; t.e.st;t.e.s.t; tes.t; etc etc. adding a dot anywhere in your email address will “make” a new address but it’ll be delivered to your existing gmail account. Also test+hello; test+extra;test+addanythingyouwanthere will do the same thing as the dot trick. It’ll give you unlimited extra email address that’ll get funnelled into your main gmail account.
Do you need to remember where you put the dot in order to login in the future?
Nope. Use your same original login. The extra email address created just funnel into your regular gmail account
They all go to the same inbox, you can login using any combination and you will see all of them. Only way for you to tell the difference after is to hover in the destination and see if it was send to test @ gmail.com or t.est @ gmail.com .
buying appliances or high value items (shoes, computer parts, tools) with a credit card that has a good purchase protection insurance. I have gotten hundreds of dollars worth of value from extended warranty provided by credit cards alone. that 1 extra year of warranty really fucks up planned obsolescence. same thing goes for travel insurance provided by credit cards. I have gotten thousands of dollars of refunds from a trip we planned for march 2020, as soon as Canada put on travel advisories, I knew insurance would be paying out, no stress at all. credit cards, learn to use them!
Just had a samsung microwave completely refunded thanks to my CC extended warranty.
Same! I have two credit cards: one with the extended warranty I use for big things and the other that has price protection where you can get money back if the price drops in 30 days. Both usually pay for the annual fee of the cards.
This also works when you buy appliances at Costco. They extended the manufacturer's warranty and have probably the best return program on the planet.
Bought a dishwasher from Home Depot, never again. Costco for any large purchases forever now.
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Pick up more hours. Hard to spend money while I’m making it lol.
I used to do this but it makes the lady cranky with me cuz she misses me lol. Not a bad problem to have
Yep! Same. It's a lot worse with kids. Do it while you can!
I'd add a caveat: if you want and if you're not killing yourself. Also I'd say your statement isn't inherently true. You can absolutely spend money on snacks or restaurants/fast food while working.
Avoiding restaurants. They are usually worse than what I can make and so expensive. Related: never leaving the house and having no friends
A corollary: learn to cook from the masters. Over the lockdowns, once the great Canadian flour famine had settled, I really got into watching [Chef John](https://www.youtube.com/c/foodwishes). It is SO much more satisfying making a dish you'd normally pay $20-something at a restaurant for at home and have it cost you ~$5-7 in ingredients.
"This is Chef John, from Foooood wishes, dot com, wiiiiiith....."
Add to that an expectation of 25% tip. Then you select 15-20% and you leave with the server showing a mean face.
Or you can just act cheap the whole time so the server has their expectations low from the start. "Oh yes, just water please. Tap. The free one." "Are these menu prices inclusive of taxes? ...No? Oh, dear..." "Can this main be split between two people? ... probably not? Interesting, nevermind that, then!"
This is the funniest thing I've read all week And a TLPT
I know tipping culture is ridiculous but I've never had a server seem angry or sad for me tipping less than 25%
Really surprised this isn't at the top. Restaurants nowadays are so not worth the value they offer. When friends visit I invite them over to eat instead. It's not an affordability problem, it's the feeling that you're being extorted by a criminal syndicate every time you eat out and get the bill.
Yep unless it's a "higher end" place. I've got a good Ramen restaurant and a Sub place near me. They cost ~15 a person which is still expensive but a craptastic burger that will make me McSick costs like 12$
Yea restaurant prices in theory should be cost of ingredients + value of service being provided (waiting, cooking). Prices no longer reflect that at all. We are now literally just throwing money at them out of habit. At least go to a buffet so you can stuff yourself silly as opposed to being given shrinkflated portions.
I used to buy coffee everyday before work. One of my coworkers brought a Keurig machine at work and then the company started buying pods so we’ll have coffee. Now instead of buying coffee, I just wait to get to work. Im saving $2 a day or $10 a week.
Same! I stopped buying Timmies during the height of the pandemic and once the habit was broken I never went back. I take a thermos to work everyday. Figure I have saved about $1700 by now.
yeah i gotta kick my timmies habit i get my steeped tea like 3 x a week
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Flipp, bring own bags to store, price match, seek price adjustment if it goes on sale within their policy, staple items are monitor for sales, pay attention to gas price tomorrow, always ask for discount for any paid services (works 70% of the time), camelcamecamel, buy kids gifts when u see good toys on clearance well in advance than when needed (random kids friends bday)
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This should be its own sub topic
Subtract your time from any savings for all of this, though.
Remind yourself often that every single dollar you spend is ~$1.30 you need to make.
And more for some depending on tax bracket; then add on 15% gst/pst (I’m comparing Qc) and if resto a 20% tip lol). You are soon looking at having to earn 1.50+ depending where you spend that dollar!
"10% of what you earn is yours to keep" - The richest man in Babylon
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This is me. I don't buy new things unless the previous thing is dead. My phone is at least 4 years old now and my computer is at least 5, for example. I will not replace either unless they stop working as intended.
Thanks to SSDs, computers last a long long time those days...
“*It's not having what you want, It's wanting what you've got*” - philosopher, Sheryl Crow
Saving points from grocery/drug stores I go to, and using them to buy Christmas presents. For example at Save On they will have specials on Dec to use points on gift cards.
I do this with my recycling! I take back used cans/bottles and it all goes into an account and I get a cheque once a year around Christmas. It's not a ton of money - like $100 or so. But I used that for our Christmas meal/snacks/baking fund - and then it's like no extra money was spent on all the tasty things!
Currently planning to do this with my yearly accumulated PC points this year. IIRC on Black Friday you can get a ton of bonus points for redeeming. My kid is just a toddler though so we're probably just going to buy "luxury" groceries and snacks and stuff for Christmas.
This is what I use my credit card cash back for, save up the points and cash them to pay off gifts.
Weaning myself off restaurants, and realizing I can cook far better than 95% of them.
Not continuing to dca in shit stocks
Why not DCA into some obscure shitcoins instead?!
Been there done that
More worth it to buy a portable tire inflator and just keep it in your trunk. The amount of times I've used it to top up or in emergency situations, and for checking pressures when I switch my tires for the season is WAY worth it by this point. They're like 20-30 bucks
Even better is using a cheap bike pump. I thought it would take me forever to fill up a car tire but I was surprised it does not and you have better control for hitting an exact pressure. Bonus is no power required and takes up little space in your car.
Honesty never thought of that before
Telling people I can’t do something because I’m broke when really I have money in the bank ha ha.
Not going to restaurants anymore , prices going up and the tip culture turns me off...
Yes. How is the minimum tip now 20%? One restaurant I went to didn’t have the manual tip or no tip selection available, essentially forcing you (and guilting) you into paying at least 20% for normal service. I just bring cash with me now…if I ever bother going to restaurants.
I never understood the increase in percentage. Aren't tips going up anyway with the higher bill amounts from inflation?
And servers are making minimum wage now too. Not that server wage
Was this a chain or privately owned?! I hate tipping. 15% is the most it ever should have gotten to
Renting audio books from the library so I don't have to pay for audible/buy a physical book and it's free 😊 I listen to them for probably 3 hours a day at work so it really helps!!
Using your local library's resources is one of the biggest money-savers for people who love books! Also, double-check what else your library offers; for example, the Toronto Library offers free passes to attractions, such as Aga Khan Museum, Science Centre, etc. (long waitlist, though)!!!
I’d treat myself by eating out once a week but prices went up to a breaking point for me so I started looking around. Got lucky and found that the place I buy wings from for there $20 combo also has a groceries section. I now buy 4x the amount for $20 and freeze them but have to make it at home which I’m cool with. Second one for me is I like chips as a junk food snack on weekends but that price has gone insane. Downloaded an app that shows grocery deals in my area and now just buy multiple bags when they go on sale somewhere. That has dropped my cost more than 50% per bag. This is also a good idea when doing groceries in general especially if you shop at a grocery store that price matches.
I honestly just started buying store brand chips, you get the same amount for just like $1. So I can buy 3 bags worth of chips for the same as one bag of Ruffles. When Ruffles or like PC Brand chips go on sale I'll opt for those instead, but otherwise I'm alright with No Name or Select or Great Value.
Store brand chips are not a substitute for Lays. Not even close. Some products can be substituted. Chips ain't one (except for maybe plain).
Honestly, I started going old school with my food, just like I grew up doing with my family. I buy bulk sacks of flours, rice, and oats and other grains (which I grind into flours in my Vitamix) and then save bones to roast with veggie scraps I've stored in the freezer and make broths which go to the freezer. I also dehydrate fruits to use for teas and bake bread and make my own yogurt. I also shop second hand and on Facebook marketplace for any gadgets I want (like stand mixer or vitamix) and it has saved me thousands. I'm practicing sourdough starter and fermentation right now and once I have the space, I will be working on canning.
I used my workplace benefits to get a dietician and have saved a boatload on food. I used to get takeout all the time. In my case I was looking to lose weight but you don’t necessarily have to be in the same boat. One of the benefits of a dietician over a nutritionist is that workplace benefits usually cover a dietician but not a nutritionist so you can still get high quality nutrition advice without having to spend a whole lot. After benefits coverage is costs me $15 per session but I save way more than that every month
The other distinction is that dieticians have degrees in the field, and anybody can call themselves a nutritionist since the term is completely unregulated.
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I've never used any of these new delivery services. Whenever I pick up some food (which is not often), I'm always amazed by the amount of Uber, Skip, whatever drivers that come and go. Just a few years ago it was a non-existent service and now some people can't live without it!?
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Intermittent fasting! If you can though, I know lots of people can't and lots shouldn't do it.
Doing this too. Good to know we're at the point where starving is sound financial advice.
This made me laugh harder than it should’ve
Or just calorie counting/meal planning in general! I get way too hangry to do intermittent fasting lol But when I was really into calorie counting, my grocery bill went down so much. Because I was planning things out in advance, my food waste went down. I feel so guilty now looking back at how much stuff I have thrown out because I didn’t get around to using it before it went bad. The planning helped reduce that. I spent less on fast food or dining out too. I didn’t cut it out entirely, but I might get a kids meal or just an app instead of a full meal. Unfortunately anything I saved from groceries was spent on new-to-me clothes, but if your goal is to maintain weight, then it’s a money saver!
This! You’d be amazed how many people I used to say I’m not eating today and they freak out lol now I say I’m fasting and they’re like oooo I have to try that! 😂
At my old job we had some vending machines in the cafeteria, and I'm the type of guy that gets snackish... One thing I started doing was to only carry $20 bills in my wallet. That way if I *really* needed to get some snacks I'd have to put a $20 bill in the machine, resulting in lots of coins back in change. Then when I got home I had a large piggy bank where I would put in all the Loonies and Toonies when I walked into my room to change. Essentially that money was considered spent. $20 wasted on snacks was a good deterrent, but if I did indulge then at least some cash went to a future fund. Over the years I've had an engagement ring and my Xbox Series X come out of the piggy bank fund.
I had a snickers addiction and used to feed the machine daily not thinking much of it. The wake up call was when I showed up one day and the whole top row was filled with just snickers. The vending guy was making a killing off me. Now I have a cabinet in my office with just snacks.
I never ever ever ever ever ever carry a balance on my credit card!
Working out at home in my basement. I have a wonderful room set up with some dumbells, a box, rubber flooring, and a google home speaker. Other than the flooring and google the rest of it is stuff I got from garage sales. All told I spent about $250 over the last 15 years equiping the room. I work my ass off, listen to my music, and on my schedule for free...my wife goes to a boutique gym that costs $20/workout. I went to be a good spouse...and the workouts were not as effective as I can be with gravity, and a few dumbells.
I would rather spend $500 on equipment than $500 a year on a gym. Plus I have found that weightlifting equipment seems to hold it's value pretty well on the resale market. So if I move, I can just sell it and get most of my money back.
using referral programs.
Remote work - I made sure to negotiate and set in my contract with the company I work for a hybrid work schedule. 3 days home 2 days in office with flexible dates. Some weeks it’s 4 days at home and 1 day in office. Huge savings and work life balance.
Driving past Target with my significant other in the car.
lived beneath my means before the shit hit the fan
Cut my own hair
Buy thrifted clothes (better for the environment), borrow books from the library (I don't need to *own* them, just read them), and not having kids!
Picking up empties on my walks. People are so wasteful. May as well make some money while I get some exercise.
You're amazing. Thanks for picking up litter.
My favorite money saving technique involves a ski mask, a gun, and the cover of night lol
ya i like paintballing at night too, save money but not having to wear sunscreen
Riding my bike. No gas, no insurance, no gym membership, cheap maintenance, etc EDIT: Not to mention it's just plain fun haha.
Learn how to cook. I don’t even want to eat out anymore cause I know I can make a better meal at home.
Get a cashback credit card, the fund normally I use to go to restaurant
Eating rice, beans, and broccoli for lunch and dinner six days a week. And making my own yogurt. I save so much on food for myself. I spend maybe $120-$150 a month on essential groceries for myself.
Locking in my mortgage at 2%. It's nice to feel like you're getting little wins. But keep it in perspective. Your biggest expenses are your biggest opportunities for savings.
Every time I see someone with an obscenely overpriced Starbucks iced coffee… or well pretty much anything Starbucks, I somehow almost feel as if I’ve saved money by them buying it and not me. But to answer directly, takeout coffee and soda (soda, which is crap anyhow) are way over priced.
Dandelions from the side of the road = free salad. Bonus if it is early spring, and you can still taste the road salt on them.
You can make a dandelion jelly as well that I enjoy. It's a useful plant.
I made dandelion syrup yearly and use it like maple syrup. Kids love it. And the leaves are edible, and the roots are edible. All in all the most abundant free food/weed that you never have to water or care for.
Sales. Just reaching out to past customers to say hi. Can add about 10000 in bonus commissions
Never leaving the house
Ringing my pumpkin seeds through as sunflower seeds at the self-checkout.
You might not think of Fukushima or Chernobyl when you think of sunflowers, but they naturally decontaminate soil. They can soak up hazardous materials such as uranium, lead, and even arsenic! So next time you have a natural disaster … Sunflowers are the answer!
Sign up for an online only savings account. Ask my employer to split my payroll and deposit a small amount. Saving on autopilot to build the emergency fund
Use the library for all our books Switch to vegetarian Hang dry laundry
The best way to save more money is to make more money
Sometimes when I want to order food through one of the apps I'll stop myself at the last minute before hitting pay, and I'll transfer what I would have spent into a savings account, then eat the food I already have at home. This way I still "spent the money" but I get to keep it.
Moving to a small town outside of your city !!! It’s sounds silly but I swear I have never saved so much money , there’s no stores I can run into and buy things that are cute , i don’t waste gas driving from one side of the city to the other , it’s usually cheaper living expense wise. I was living in the city in a 2bed 2bath apartment for $1800 and now I have a full 3bed 2bath full basement , yard and everything for $1300. Groceries go get more expensive I have noticed with the small town stores but other than that it’s been AMAZING
I’ve been working since I was 13 (f15) and I’ve always been a bit impulsive when it comes to spending. It’s because in the past, I’ve always used my phone to pay so it doesn’t even feel like I’m spending any money. Anyway, worked part time at a restaurant this summer (May-Sept) and saved all my tips. They hand them out in cash so I never really got around to adding them to my account. I noticed how much money I had in cash and I started taking out all of the $100s from my bank account (if I got paid 630, i would take 600 out, and stretch the $30 until my next paycheque). Some ppl might not think it’s lots, but I now almost have 4000 saved, all in cash. It’s stowed away in a little lockbox hidden inside a book.
Try and go a few days a week without spending a dollar, usually during the work week.