I think it’s time for a massive coupon giveaway!! 🙂 
The pic doesn’t do it justice, they’re all squished together in a thick pile – over 250$ worth of coupons! Yes, I’m a big dork and I counted! This is going to be a huge budget saver for someone – tons of stuff for school snacks and xmas visitors. All really good grocery and household products coupons.
I’m finally almost caught up on emails etc. from when I was sick so it’s time to celebrate – I had way, way too many coupons and it’s time to share! Let’s make this one fun and easy – one entry per household, to enter just comment with a money saving tip or something like that – spread your frugal knowledge! Contest open to all Canadians and will end Friday Oct. 28th at noon. Good Luck to everyone and I’d love it if you guys spread the word! 🙂 I still have tons of coupons left, will be restocking a lot of chains and will do giveaways with what I have left over. A big thanks to all the people who drop off coupons to me, or have them out for me to pick up!
When you save money with coupons or other discounts, put it in a jar. Save it for a fun adventure or emergency.
Some superstores will let you use a store coupon from their board out front and a manufacturer’s coupon on the same item….
I like using the $ I save with coupons to treat my kids to lunch at Mc D’s sometimes 🙂
I like to throw all my change in a jar and use it for a rainyday surprise.
It’s an oldie but a goodie … always do your grocery shopping on a full stomach! I find that if I shop when hungry I buy lots of junk that I actually don’t need or want, it’s just because my brain is receiving the “feed me now” signals.
I try to use coupons when items are on sale to save even more.
group buying sites are fabulous…have saved a fair bit of money just in the last few months by using these sites. and they’ve got a good variety!
I always check the clearance sections. Have found some good deals there.
When buying a “special buy” (example: block of cheese or package of meat) look at the weight of the product. Most of the time you can get a really good deal if the package weight is the heaviest of all the “cheese/meat” there. (Special buys are when all the packages of a particular product are the same price.) I’ve bought cheese for $6.99 that would normally have costed $13 each.
For your next painting project, consider going to Rona or Home Depot and checking out the mistints. The deals that you sometimes find are amazing. I find that there always seem to be neutrals in stock and paint that normally sells for $35 – 45/can is marked down to $5 or $10. If you have a smaller project, consider using a “sample.” I did my front exterior door with a small sample jar of Behr premium Ultra Plus. They will tint it for you and because it’s such a good quality paint – I did my whole door with that one jar for a grand total of $4.99! (plus tax)
Shop the sales and then batch cook for the freezer. No one wants to eat hamburger all week but if you buy a bunch and make meals for later, you can really save a lot.
Combine items already on sale with coupons or promo codes. Doing so, will help you live within your budget
After I buy something with cash I save my change and put in a piggy bank, you do not realize how fast it can add up!!!!! Great little savings that you do not have to even think about!!!
My biggest money saving tip is leave the kids and husband at home!!!! Lol!
make your own meals from scratch…. most of the time, it saves you money and it always tastes better!
Use coupons to buy toiletries as stocking stuffers. Great way to stock up the kids supplies so they stay out of yours. 🙂
Make a double batch of a meal and freeze half
I am now supplying my husband( who stays in the city during the weeks) and our 2 sons out of the stock pile. It feels good to help and save money.
Keep track of all your savings put the amount into savings account with a goal to go visit family you haven’t seen in a long time.I am half way to a ticket to BC to visit my 75 yr old mom.
I buy extra meat when it’s on sale to freeze it.
I never let food go to waste if I can help it. Pears too ripe? Puree them and make muffins. Leftover mixed veggies? Add them to a can of veggie soup. Leftover ground beef from taco night? Time to make chili. Or if no big ideas come to mind, food goes into the freezer until inspiration strikes.
When leaving the house take your own refillable bottle of water that way you never have to stop to buy a over priced drink. Always check clearance items, you never know what you may find. Start a “gift closet”. As you shop throughout the year and find amazing sales/clearance stock up on toys/clothes everything that you may give to someone as a gift. I was just in the USA found boys t-shirts with a toy for .97 cents each! Regular priced was $19.99.
Meal plan (and follow it), and cook doubles of big things like lasagna to freeze. Keeps you from having to order out because of lack of prep.
Don’t buy things just because you have a coupon! I l0ve coupons, but I have to be careful not to fall into the trap of buying just to use the coupon.
Cook and bake from scratch instead of buying store bought, especially baked goods like cookies. It’s a fun family thing to do and it saves a ton of money doing it yourself, if you can make the time that is. 🙂
Sometimes we miss eating out – so we try to replicate our favorite meals at home. Buy chhese curds for home made poutine, sandwich spreadfor big macs, chicken fingers and bacon for toasted wraps, even just buying a container of KFC gravy for at home fries is enough to curb a craving. Great way to save money and treat the family.
Look in the “reduced” cart for reduced bread and other items!
ksceviour at hotmail dot com
when shopping I always bring my own bags as many stores are charging for bags these days! Ps. I think its a great idea that they’re doing this, maybe people will be more plastic bag conscious!
RCSS will price match items from other store flyers. Saved me trps to 2 other stores this week!
After roasting a chicken, save the carcass and make homemade chicken stock on a Sunday while you are at home. It takes a couple of hours, but the result is a much tastier chicken stock than what you buy at the store and it’s basically free. There are lots of chicken stock recipes on the Interwebs – just do a quick Google search.
Bring your flyers shopping with you many places price match now. Ie zellers has something on sale you are at walmart with zeller flyer walmart will mathc the price. Saves driving to different stores.
We need to be a saver rather then a spender – even if it is a good deal and it is only .50 cents but you won’t use it – don’t buy it. My moto!!!
Extra Foods and Superstore mark down items that are near the expiration date, 30-50%….they aren’t expired yet so they are still good and a great buy! Keep your eyes open.
Stock up your pantry with easy convenience foods for those days that you just don’t want to cook.
Yes, it is cheaper to make things from scratch, but the convenience foods are still way cheaper than going out.
We always like to have some of those canned or cooked ham/corned beef, instant noodles. etc . I mix the ham/corned beef with eggs for a fast omelet. Make some rice and a side of frozen veggies, there is supper.
I also buy frozen pizza balls for those quick pizza craving nights.
Use a credit card that gives you rewards. Airmiles, PC Points. Great way to earn money by spending money!
Plan out the day or week’s errands and shopping to save gas costs and (precious) time. This could mean a quick stop on the way home from work instead of a separate trip later in the evening or on the weekend.
Shop with a list and your coupons! try to get organized before you leave the house! And if possible… leave the kids & hubby at home 🙂
I get my veggies/fruits and meat delivered to my house. It is all organic so a little more pricey, however it really cuts down on my trips to the grocery store…where you always spend more than planned!! When all I need is milk..I’m in and out without picking up any extras or impulse buys!
I have a couple money saver tips, because I get pd bi-monthly, one cheque tends to get hit more than the other with bills and such so:
I have setup automatic transfers to put money each month to my water bill, split up my hydro to two bills and then when they do come around, they are not such a big hit – especially water.
We transfer a certain amount per week (my husband gets pd weekly) to a savings account which then pays for the kids activities so again, we don’t have a big hit at one time, the money is already there
Just stocked up on the Halloween booklets from McDonalds for Trick or Treaters and my sons Loot Bags for his birthday part (oct 28th)… 1 dollar for 2 fries, 2 drinks and 2 cones WITH NO EXPIRY!!!! I always try to get rid of the cone ones first, and try to keep the fry coupons for my kids… 1$ is cheaper then one small fry!
I didn’t even know they still had those!! Will have to pick some up, I tried to get a variety of stuff to hand out. Hopefully we get more kids this year, last year was few and far between.
It is a whole lot of fun when you buy something on sale with one coupon that makes it practically free.
I like to stock up when products are on sale and with the saving I will put it in my daughter RESP account.
Love the coupons ot mcgavins
“Window shopping” can be expensive and if you don’t know about a sale, less likely you’ll spend money just beacuse there’s a sale. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
I like finding 30% or 50% off items and then using a coupon! I got some great deals on applesauce last summer for the kids – it ended up being .19 each after the discount and coupon!
Homemade baby wipes have saved us so much money and they’re so gentle.
Cut a bounty paper towel in half. In a wipes container or a tube contaier like you’d get clorox wipes in. Put 2 cups warm water, 2 tbsp baby soap or antibacterial soap and 1 tbsp baby oil. Shake it up. And put paper towel in, shake it up an your ready to go. Pull the wipes from the center of the roll.
Plan your meals for the week before you go shopping to cut down on wasted food!
And cloth diaper for when you are at home on mat leave!
Hit the product clearance rack in Superstore, over the next few days turn it in to home made sauces and freeze in 1 cup bags. I make tomato sauce (pasta, pizza etc) as well as apple and apple/pear sauce (muffins etc). It’s a nice change in muffin flavour.
Price match, coupons and collect points all at once.
I also look at what is on liquidation. You would be amazed at what you will find. And if you have a coupon, you can get it for next to nothing.
be patient and willing to shop around on your bigger ticket items. We went to just one more store today for new tableware and got an amazing deal!!! And nicer than I had been looking at!
If you are able to find lots of coupons (even ones you don’t use) save them and join a coupon train where you might be able to find yourself more coupons to use and can share ones you can’t use with others.
I share a PC Mastercard with my Mom, so that we can bring in double the PC Points each month. Since January 2011, we have accumulated over 127,000 Points. We are looking forward to redeeming them….one day.
My point being, use a credit card that rewards YOU and not the other way around.
Share your coup0ns. If you have come across coupons that you don’t use, still cut them out and pass them on to friends and family….they will probably return the favor!
My tips:
1. try to shop for kid’s clothes at the end of the season for the next year – we find lots of bargains this year especially when you buy simple graphic t-shirts and pants. Gymboree always has great clearances twice a year.
2. making all our purchases on one credit card to make it easier to keep track of things and to earn as many points as possible.
3. researching any appliance purchase as much as possible. We have saved a decent bundle by going through online places like newegg.ca and amazon.ca for small kitchen appliances.
4. bundling our phone/tv/internet services
5. reading blogs like Nadine’s to find savings that are local and useful to you!
Thanks for the great contest Nadine! Love that you counted the value of all the coupons! =)
All your money that you save by using coupons, put into a savings account!
Keep all the kids clothing you buy on sale organized so you do not miss out of using them before the children grow out of it.
Don’t buy something just because it is a good deal, if you will not used it you are is wasting money.
My money saving strategy right now is to put anything that is a 5$ bill or less into a jar and making my own coffee instead of buying. HUGE savings!
We save all of our change from what ever we buy during the day and put it in a piggy bank that you can’t open!
Every few months take out count and put away.
thanx for the great contest Nadine & all the work you do for the blog.
my tip is..DO NOT EVER window shop when you are bored. somewhere, somehow you are going to purchase an item that is probably on sale (so you can justify the purchase), but it is more then likely something that you did not need. notice that I said did not NEED.. but something that you WANTED, but only at that moment. later you will be sorry that you did waste the money for the item.
I like to combine sale items with coupons, especially buy 1 get 1 free coupons with buy1 get 1 free items.
I buy my ground beef frozen at the Dutch Meat market. 5 pounds for around 10$ 🙂
Watch when the vitamins go on sale at Safeway especially when there are bonus airmiles attached. You can spend $15 and get 100 air miles….and you get vitamins for the whole family! This, along with a 10% off Tuesday deal is fantastic!
Watch for sales and shop around. It takes a little time and dedication, but pays off 🙂
When using coupons, use it on the smallest size of the product, you get the most savings!
There are a lot of good tips here the one I do is use coupons with a sale.
Check out the clearance section of any store. You never know what you can find. I found some awesome loot bag “gifts” this way. Like ColourWonders for around $1.00. At the grocery store also check it out, especially great when you can use a coupon
Every year I make a “christmas gifts spreadsheet” where I put everyone’s names that I have to buy for, what my budget is per gift and I also leave a space for ideas. That way I can purchase things at good prices throughout the year and cross those people off my list early and I’m not rushing around at Christmas (and having to pay full price!).
My money saving tip is
Always watch the flyers and pair them up with your coupons. Price matching is a good thing!
Meal planning helps me stay on Tracy when buying groceries & reduces waste.
Once a week (usually friday) I take out all the odds and ends of leftover meals from my fridge and serve it buffet style. It always seems that I never have enough leftover from a supper to feed us all again the next night but by the end of the week there is lots. I love doing this: not only do I use up what needs to beused up but I DON”T HAVE TO COOK.
Buy cheese when it’s on sale/with coupons and get lots, then freeze it. The shredded cheese blends freeze especially well!
Ask for a rain check. You don’t always need to miss out on a great deal just because other people got there first! 🙂
I’m loving the cooking a bigger batch and freezing it. Always nice to have a home cooked meal even when you’re super busy.
I like to browse the end of the aisle at stores. That’s where they tend to put the sale items. I just found Cockatiel food for my bird for 1.37 instead of 5.49.