BOTTOMLINE:TheaverageCanadianfamilyusestworollsofpaper
towels each week, at $2.19 per roll. That adds up to $188.34 per year,enoughtopayforover35reusable,multipurposemicrofibre
towels!
WashandreuseyourSwifferdusters. ThepopularSwifferbrandof dustersandmopswillcostyouaround$10fora32-packrefill,andeach one can last for several cleanings. Extend the use of this handy electrostaticdustingandmoppingtoolbywashingyourdustersandmop
headsinalaundrybag.Notonlywillyoureducethegarbagecreatedbut youwillsavebig.Alternatively,useamicrofibretowelinplaceofthe refillablesheetandsaveevenmoreonmoppinganddustingcosts.
BOTTOM LINE: Swiffer brand dusters and mops are useful for
cleaning throughout your home, so extend their use by washing theminalaundrybagandsave$20to$30ayear.Useamicrofibre
clothinplaceoftherefillablesheetandsaveevenmore.
Maintainandsaveonyourvacuumcleaner. Aqualityvacuumcan
costover$1,000forthehighlymarketedmodels.Tosavehundredson
this important cleaning tool, avoid buying the top model in a series.
Going up a model often buys you more attachments and features, but becausevacuums fromthe samemanufacturers tend tohave the same
motor and parts, you’re getting the same unit for hundreds more.
Maintainingyourvacuumtodaywillalsosaveyoufromhavingtopay
forrepairsinthefuture.Alwaysreplacethebagbeforeitgetstoofull—
efficiencydecreasesasthebagfills.Ideally,replacethebagbeforeitis three-quartersfull.
BOTTOM LINE: Buy a quality middle-range vacuum cleaner and
avoidspendinghundredsmoreonthetop-endunitwiththesame
motor and parts. Maintain your vacuum by replacing bags before theyarefullandpickingupsharpandawkwardobjectstoprotect
themotor.
MakeYourOwnMachine-WashableMopHead
Save $30 by making your own reusable, washable mop head. All you needisanoldtowelandthehandlefromanoldspongemop(likethe
Atlantic Bee mop). Fold up the towel into a thick pad and use the mechanisminthemophandletoclampandsecurethetowel.Forlarger
jobs,it’sagoodideatokeepastackofseveraloldtowelsonhandorcut anoldlargetowelintosections.Whenyou’redone,tossalloftheused towels into the laundry and wash them, separated from your other laundry,forthenextcleaningday.
PARTTHREE
RoombyRoom
Whenyouwalkaroundtheroomsinyourhome,canyouspotwhereto
save?Canyouseethepowerofcompoundinterestwhenyousitonyour
sofaorseethesavingswhenpouringlaundrydetergent?Inthissection
I’ll lead you around your living spaces and show you the endless opportunities to save additional dough in the kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom,ongasinyourcarandwhenplantingagardenoutside.Join
millions of keener beaners by soaking dried beans, throw frugally fabulous kids’ birthday parties, sleep better at night on affordable beddingandlearnhowtogetyourfoodforfreebywatchingtheprice
scanner.Thetipsinthissectionarefuntouse,easytofollowandwill makeyouwealthier,healthier,andwiser.
CHAPTER8
Kitchen
Eatingisanexpensivefactoflife.Withthreemealsadayplussnacks
andgoodies,thecostofbuyingandpreparingfoodisconsiderableandis notgettinganycheaper.TheaverageCanadianspendsover10%oftheir
yearly expenses on food, and this doesn’t account for dining in restaurantsororderingtakeoutmeals.Butdespitetheobviousneedto
eat, shopping for food and feeding your family doesn’t have to be a financialstrain.
Becausedecisionsinthekitchenaffectbothyourpocketbookandyour
waistline, some simple planning is all that’s needed to maximize your savings without sacrificing your health. In fact, the majority of frugal mealchoicesfavourthehealthiestoffoods,awin-winsituation.
For example, my personal preference is to pass on expensive brandnamepackagedfoodsandeat“frugalicious”food.Frugaliciousisaword
Icoinedtodescribefoodsthatarefrugal,deliciousandhealthy—fruits, vegetables,leanmeats,legumes,nutsandbeansthatpackanutritional
punch without knocking out your wallet. When bought in bulk and preparedathome,frugaliciousfoodsstretchyourdiningdollarandfeed afamilyforfarless.
This chapter shows you how to save money by finding your own
frugalicious foods and by making other simple adjustments in your kitchen. By making a few adaptations, it’s easy to save money while eatingahealthy,balanceddiet.
Getyourfoodforfreebywatchingthepricescanner. Mistakeson electronicpricescansarecommonatthegrocerystore.TheU.S.Federal Trade Commission has found that errors occur in 1 out of every 32
regularly priced items. Errors are more common on sale items, with 1
outof28itemsbeingoverchargedtoconsumers.Watchasyouritems
arescannedatthecheckoutandyoucouldsavemanydollarspermonth
andevenscorefreefood.TheRetailCouncilofCanadahasaCodeof
Practice for scanner accuracy that states, “If the scanned price of a qualifyingitematthecheckoutofaparticipatingstoreishigherthanthe pricedisplayedinthestore—oradvertisedbythestore—thelowerprice
willbehonoured.Ifthecorrectpriceoftheproductis$10orless,the retailerwillgivetheproducttothecustomerforfree.Ifthecorrectprice oftheproductishigherthan$10,theretailerwillgivethecustomer$10
off the corrected price.” See the Retail Council of Canada website (retailcouncil.org)forthelistofparticipatingstoresinyourarea.
BOTTOM LINE: Watch as your groceries are scanned at the
checkout and verify that prices are accurate. If you see an error, don’tbeafraidtoaskthecashiertogiveyoutheitemforfree.
Makeagrocerylist. Evercomehomefromthesupermarketwithout havingboughtanythingtoeat?It’snothardtodowhenyouconsiderall the marketing displays and distractions at the grocery store. Food marketerspaymega-moolahforshelfspaceandwanttocatchyoureye
and tap your wallet when you’re shopping for dinner. To save you hundredsorthousandsinimpulsebuys,gothroughyourpantrybefore
hittingthesupermarketandmakeashoppinglist.Havingalistwithyou whenyougoshoppingnotonlysavestimebutremindsyouwhatfoods
to buy and what meals to make and steers you clear of impulse purchases.Writingashoppinglistisfreeandcanhelpyouplanmenus
foryourbreakfasts,lunchesanddinners,savingyouevenmoremoney
fromcostlytakeoutmealsandrestaurantsbills.Youmightevensaveon
gasbybeingsuper-organizedbecauseyouwon’tneedtomakeasecond
trip!
BOTTOMLINE:Makeafreegrocerylistandbuyonlythefoodsyou
needforbreakfast,lunchanddinner.Evenifyousaveonly$10on
impulse buys each week, making a list can really pay off—to the tuneof$520ayear.
Skip the supermarket aisles and shop around the edges. The perimeter of your supermarket is stocked with the most healthful and frugalicious foods; items like fresh produce, dairy, bulk foods, meats, organicsandfrozenvegetablesareripeforthepicking.Passingonthe
aisles where highly packaged and marketed items are st
ocked, and staying on course around the edges of your supermarket can save you 5%to20%onyourgrocerybill.Foodshighinnutritionandlowonfood
scienceandmarketingclaimsbringgreatervaluetoyourfamilymeals.
BOTTOM LINE: Limiting your exposure to the supermarket aisles and shopping around the edges can save you between $7.50 and $30 on a $150 trip to the grocery store and delivers more
nutritionalvaluetoyourdinnertableperdollarspent.
Stock up with sales and clip online coupons. Planning ahead by shoppinggrocerysalesandusingcouponsisgoodforyourhealthandfor your wallet. Saving money on the food you regularly need for weekly meals is the best type of deal. Check your favourite grocery stores’
websitestoseeiftheyofferonlineprintablecouponstodownload.You
mayneedtoregisterorbecomeamemberontheirsitetogetaccessto
thebestdealsonwholefoodslikeleanmeats,driedbeans,dairy,brown rice, fruits and vegetables—but it’s worth it. Whole foods present the bestsavings,sincetheycanbefrozenorkeptinapantryforwhenfood pricesincrease.Stockinguponyourgrocerybasicswhenthey’reonsale cansaveyouhundredseveryfewmonthsandhelpsyoustretchlimited
fooddollars.
BOTTOMLINE:Ifyousave30centsonacanofconcentratedorange
juiceandgothroughthreecanseachweek,you’llsavealmost$50
per year just on orange juice. So watch the flyers and check for onlinecouponstomakesmallreductionsthatadduptobigsavings
onwholefoodsandgrocerybasics.
Shopstrategicallyinbulk. Tosavemaximumbuckswhenhittingthe bulk shops, be sure to think strategically before buying that oversized jug of ketchup on sale. If the food spoils before you get to use it up, chancesarethedealisabust.Thebestwaytoshopforlargerquantities andsaveonyourgrocerybillistobuyonlythoseproductsyouneedand usefrequently,suchasa5kgjarofpeanutbutterforfamilylunches.
Buyingbiggerquantitiescanalsosaveonpackagingwhenyouconsider
thelesserimpactasingle5kgjarofpeanutbutterhasoverfiveseparate 1kgjars.Anotherbulksavingstrategyistovisitthebulk-binaislein
yourgrocerystore.Bulkbinsareanincrediblesourceofgenericpasta, rice,driedbeans,tea,spices,sweetsandnutbuttersforupto60%less thanbrand-nameversionsinfancyboxeswithcolourfulmarketing.Just
fillabagwiththebulkingredientsyouneedandseeyoursavingsadd
up.
BOTTOM LINE: Cut your food bill by thousands each year by
shoppingforbulkgroceryitemsstrategicallyandbycheckingout
thefoodsinthebulk-binaisle.
Eatlessmeat. Tosavehundredsongroceries,tryusinglessmeatin your family meals. You don’t have to go vegetarian—simply try some meatless dishes even just once a week by adding alternatives like protein-rich beans to a few dishes. Switching from animal protein to bean protein is a wonderfully frugal way to add some dollars to your bankaccountandfindsomevarietyinyourdiet.Soakandcookdried
beans to become the ultimate money-saving bean counter. For more details see the feature “How to Soak and Cook Dried Beans” in this chapter.
BOTTOM LINE: Eating less meat and more meat alternatives like driedbeansboughtinbulkcansaveyouhundredsonyourgrocery
bill.Forexample,enoughchickentofeeddinnertoahungryfamily
offourcostsaround$15,whilethebeansforanequallyfillingmeal costunder$2.Eatinglikethisonceaweeksavesover$650ayear.
Brown-bagyourlunch. Takingahomemadelunchtoschoolorwork
everydaycouldsaveyouthousandsayear.It’seasytobetemptedto
spend money when you’re hungry, and there are plenty of restaurants sellingconvenientmeals.Butifyoueatoutforlunchdailyat$7ameal, that adds up to $35 a week, or $1,750 a year. Making your own sandwichorbringingleftoversfromdinnercostsyoulessthanhalfand
isprobablyhealthierforyou.
BOTTOM LINE: Brown-bagging your midday meal can save you
$1,125ayearifahomemademealcostsonly$2.50.
Hitthesupermarketforabunchoflunch. Ifyou’reinapinchand need a frugal midday meal, then hit your local supermarket for the
freshestdeals.Thesaladbarisafantasticplacetofindaninexpensive leafylunch—juststeerclearofthecostlycombosandadd-ons.Sandwich
loverscanrejoicebyvisitingthedeliandbakeryaisles.Bulkbunscanbe hadfor30centseach,andaddingsomecheeseordelimeattotheroll
onlyaddsadollarortwotothedeal.Atunder50centsapiece,grabbing asingleappleorbananafordessertisaveryhealthyandcheapwayto
complete your meal. BOTTOM LINE: Save big on lunch by putting
togetheryourownsupermarketsandwich—forunder$3.
Eatdinnerathome. Eatingdinneratrestaurantsororderingtakeout mealscostsyoubigbucksoverthecourseofayear.Eatingmoremeals
athomenotonlyputshundredsofdollarsbackintoyourpocketbutit
leavesyouwithleftoversforlunch.Makingmorehome-cookedmealsis
healthierthaneatingoutregularlybecauseyoucancontrolportionsize, cutsodiumlevelsandlessenfatcontent.Sofattenyourwalletbyeating athomeandyoumayjustslimyourwaistlinewhileyou’reatit.
BOTTOMLINE:Orderinga$40takeoutmealjustsixtimesamonth
addsupto$240permonth,or$2,880peryear.
Makeyourowncoffee. Likeadailylattewithamochabiscottionthe side?Theseseeminglysmalldripsofcoffeedollarscanreallyadduptoa lotofcookiedoughwhenyoulookatthecosts.Adailylatteandbiscotti cancost$4daily,or$28weekly,or$1,456inayear.Tosavemaximum
dollars on your daily coffee break, make your own hot beverage and takehomemadebiscottitowork.
BOTTOMLINE:Savingalmostathousanddollarsayearontakinga
breakaddsuptotheequivalentofafreeweekoffwork.Nowthat’s
mykindofcoffeebreak.
Leave the liquor. Spirits are fun, but lots of liquor can leave your pocketbookdry.Trydrinkinglessalcoholtohelpboostyoursavings.A
bottleofniceredwinecosts$15to$25,andmostofthecostisintax.
Drinkingtwofewerbottlesamonthorleavingafewbottlesofbeeron
thewallcansaveyoualot.Alternatively,makeyourownbeerandwine
athome,sincecuttingoutthetaxmansavesyouhundreds.Youcanalso
searchoutfeaturesongoodbottlesofwineunder$15inthefoodsection ofyourlocalpaper.
BOTTOMLINE:Drinkinglessalcoholeachmonthcansaveyouas
muchas$50,whilebrewingyourownspiritscouldsaveyousome
taxdollars—andperhapsmakeyousomefriends.
Shop in season. Buying in-season fruits and vegetables keeps your grocery costs down, so shop at local farmers’ markets and freeze perishables like berries and vegetables. Eating frozen local, seasonal blueberriesinoatmealforbreakfastisdelicious andfrugalinthewinter months. Planning ahead and freezing farmers’ market finds saves you from buying more expensive out-of-season produce. See the feature
“FreezeFoodforBigSavings”inthischapter.
BOTTOM LINE: Buy fruits and vegetables in season and freeze, dehydrateorcanthemforthewintermonthstosaveatleast30%.
Forexample,apintofstrawberriescancostasmuchas$5.99inthe
winter; freeze $2 pints in summer to save a cool $4 per week on berrybliss!
ChangeYourFridgeHabitsandSave
Rethinkinghowyouuseyourfridgedailycouldsaveyou$30annually
byconsuminglessenergy.Changingyourhabitsisfreeandeasytodo
withthesesimpletips.
•Coolfoodsbeforestoring.Foodsatroomtemperaturerequirelessenergy tocoolthanwarmerperishables.
•Keepthedoorsshut.Anopendoorleakscoldairandmakesyourfridge
workharder.Don’tleavethedooropenwhileyou’reconsideringwhatto
havefordinner.
•Cover foods with a lid or plastic wrap before storing. Uncovered foods releasemoistureandforcethecoolingunittousemoreenergy.
•Organizeyourfreezerbystoringfoodflatandmakingthemostofyour
space. A well-organized space allows the cool air to circulate more efficiently.
•Fillunusedfreezerspacewithwater-filledcontainerstooptimizeenergy
useandtokeepyourfoodfrozenintheeventofapoweroutage.Theice blockswillkeepfoodcoldlongerwhenthepowerisoutandreducethe
amountofairthatneedstobecooledeverytimeyouopenthefreezer
door.
Buy organic pesticide-free foods only when it’s worth it. Foods touting the “organic” label are quickly taking over grocery shelves despitetheirsometimessteepstickerprice,whichcaneasilybedouble
thatofconventionallygrownfoods.Butispayingthisaddedpremiumto
avoidpesticideexposureworththecost?Theanswerisbothyesandno.
TheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculturehasfoundthatevenafteryouwash
certain fruits and vegetables, they still contain much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. If you’ve got some extra dollars in your budget, you may consider buying the following 12 foods as organics becausetheirconventionallygrowncounterpartstendtobeladenwith
pesticides.
397 Ways to Save Money: Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less - PDFDrive.com Page 8