Here are some of my favourite money saving ideas for saving money this year – most are super easy, and some are big time savers as well.
1 – Meal Planning – This one might seem like a biggie at first, but once you get in the routine of it it’s pretty easy. Pick some of your family’s favourite meals, make a list and plan it out. I like to see what’s on sale that week, and what we have in the pantry and freezer and plan accordingly. Also, eating what you have in the fridge and pantry are big money savers too, make sure nothing goes to waste. I know a lot of people plan a day a week, or a week a month where they do just that.
2 – Winnipeg Library – One of my family’s absolute favourite money savers. You can take movies, books, cd’s etc from the library for free! Even ebooks now. Set up your account online, add books to your list and they’ll be sent right to your local library! I love going through the list of new releases every month, you get first pick at a lot of great books that way. And keep an eye out at your local library, lots of free programs, and also super cheap booksales etc. throughout the year.
3 – Use Rewards programs – Things like airmiles at safeway, shell and your credit card can really add up. You can redeem them for travel, but also for household items, gifts and giftcards! Shopper’s Drugmart has their Optimum points program, easy to get a lot of points on their 20x days and you can redeem them throughout the year for shopping sprees 🙂 I post up every time they have the 20x – you usually earn back about 1/4 of your purchase in points.
4 – Use coupons, of course! – It’s never been easier to use coupons – you can use apps, show them on your phone etc. If you’re new to grocery store couponing, get a small accordion folder, an envelope or a binder and see how it goes for you. Everyone uses a different system, find which works for you.
5 – Buy local, and in bulk – It’s a lot cheaper to buy a side of beef, or a pail of honey. Talk to farmers in your area, or look online for Manitoban Farmers – many do trips to the city and you can buy all kinds of healthier foods, grown locally at a cheaper price! It’s a win win for all
6 – Stock up on what you like – If something your family eats a lot of goes on a good sale, stock up! Good rule of thumb is a 3 month supply. We buy all our bread at McGavins – it’s cheap and we fill the freezer, one trip a month or so instead of buying it weekly. Stock up on your kids favourite school snacks, cereal etc. Less trips to the store, get them at a good price and you’ll never run out.
7 – Use appliances to your advantage – Slow cookers and breadmakers can be amazing time and money savers. Pop dinner in the slowcooker in the morning and you’re ready to go at dinner time. You can get great books for both at the library too! 🙂 Love making cinnamon buns, pizza dough etc. in the breadmaker, healthier and cheaper than buying it at the store.
What are your favourite ways to save money? Share your best money savers! 🙂
We menu plan and plan our meals according to what is on sale that week.
We have found that it saves us a bunch!
Also, if there is something that we really use and it is cheaper to buy 5 than 1 or 2 I generally stock up that way too.
Thanks for the great list of tips Nadine 🙂
These are great ideas Nadine. When our kids were very young we bought a Manitoba Museum family pass. Rather than walking around the mall ($$) which gives the wrong idea that shopping= entertainment, one or both of us took the three kids to the museum for an hour or two to walk around and look almost every weekend. The kids had a place to walk (or run after each other under supervision) on a weekend morning which gave the other parent a chance to sleep in. The kids learned a lot too and knew all the rules of the Nonsuch and of the museum. They still love visiting the museum. My 16 year old daughter and her friend are there right now (she drives)!
Totally true! Forgot about memberships! And also entertainment and show and save books for discounts! Oops! 🙂 My daughter loves going to the museum too!
Actually adult movies are $1.05 with tax at the library. They are still cheaper than renting from say, RedBox.
Yup, totally worth it though, especially when it’s an entire tv series for that price 🙂 We usually do kids movies, or “family” movies which are most and those are all free.
I think this article is very informative & well thought through! This is down to earth good sense & Good Money ! I Bookmarked this website. I actually am implementing a lot of the great ideas already & but definitely found some new ones.
Great site for the New Year!
Thank You !
Gwendolyn
Darby and I volunteer for a few different places.
First one: Folk Festival – We only need to pay for our camping as we are no longer Campground Traffic volunteers, but by volunteering 50 hours through out the year when we can – We save $500/adult and about $100/kid (with three kids) They give us feed us for the week, and supply snacks, and beverages, and there are water taps all over. It’s pretty Great. A HUGE savings for us during the summer, as it’s one music festival we can’t miss.
Another is Volunteering for Fruit Share Manitoba.
You sign up to pick certain fruit – we’ve done grapes, apples, rhubarb, cherries – there is also raspberries/strawberries etc. Home owners register to have volunteers come and pick their fruit they are growing as they are too busy, or to old to get to the top of the apple tree.
After you pick, the homeowner is entitled to 1/3 of the fruit (if they so desire – some don’t want) and then 1/3 goes to a Charity of your choice (Siliom mission etc) and then You can get 1/3 of the picking.
I haven’t purchased apples for a while! We can/make jams, freeze them as is, crushed them into apple juice and froze etc.
Volunteering if you have the time, is great for the community and the reward and memories you get are priceless and last a life time 🙂