way if you share. BOttomless drink refills are also a must if you can’t enjoy a restaurant meal without pop or an after-dinner coffee. Many restaurantshave“kidseatfree”nights,andcommunitynewspapersand
magazinesoftenincludetwo-for-onecouponsforlocaleateries.
BOTTOMLINE:Onefreeentréecanreduceyourbillby$10or$15.
Watchthosedrinks. Restaurantsmakemuchoftheirprofitonpop and alcohol. If you enjoy the convenience and fun of eating out with kids, encourage them to drink water with their meals. You can set an examplebyforgoingyourglassofwine,andsaveevenmore.Here’satip forfamilieswithasmallchildwhousesasippycup:ordermilkorjuice foryourselfandfillhercupfromyours.
BOTTOMLINE:Knockingtwoorthreeglassesofchocolatemilkor
Coke off the bill can save you $6 to $8 every time you dine out.
Skiponeglassofwineorpintofbeerandsaveanother$6or$7.
Keep a stash of treats. No parent likes to admit it, but we’ve all boughtourkidscandyorcheaptoysjusttokeepthemquietwhileona
shopping trip or family outing. To avoid the expense of these impulse buys,keepasecretstashinyourpurseorinthecar.KinderSurpriseeggs are much cheaper when you buy them in bulk, for example, and they can save the day with little ones. So can stickers or puzzle books you pickupatthedollarstore.
BOTTOM LINE: Pocket $100 a year if you can save $2 on your weekenderrands.
Brown-bagitonroadtrips. Whenyoupackthekidsinthecarfora triptothecottageoravisitwithout-of-townfriends,takealongacooler with lunch and snacks so you don’t have to stop for expensive (and unhealthy)fastfood.Ifyoucan’tfindarestareaonyourroute,stopata restaurant with outdoor seating, buy a drink or two to satisfy the management,andbreakoutyourpicnic.
BOTTOM LINE: A home-packed lunch for a family of four can be $25 cheaper—and much more nutritious—than stopping at
McDonald’s.
Haveafamilymovienight. Insteadofgoingtothecinema,renta DVD (or borrow one from the library or a friend) and have a home movie night. To make this work, buy into the movie atmosphere: dim thelights,snuggleonthecouchwithabagofmicrowavepopcorn(you’ll save$6rightthere)anddon’tgetuptodoputtheclothesinthedryeror answerthephoneuntiltheshowisover.Thisalsoworksgreatforteens, thoughyoumayhavetoencouragethemwithahome-bakedtreatanda
promisetostayoutoftheirhair.
BOTTOMLINE:Fortwokidsandtwoadults,amovieatthecineplex
plusdrinksandpopcornwillhaveyoudropping$50beforethefirst
carcommercialhitsthescreen.
Membership has its privileges. You can save a bundle on family outings by purchasing a membership or season pass at theme parks, museumsandzoosinsteadofbuyingindividualticketseverytimeyou
visit.Manyplaceswillallowyoutoapplythecostofoneday’stickets towardamembership,whichgivesyouachancetocheckthingsoutand
decidewhetheryou’llwanttocomeback.
BOTTOM LINE: You can save hundreds if you visit a favourite attractionseveraltimesinayear.AttheRoyalTyrellMuseumin
Drumheller,Alberta,forexample,afamilyoffourpays$32forone
admission, while a family membership costs just $60 and is good forayear’sworthofvisits.
Swearoffgiftshops. Familyoutingstomuseums,thezoooratheme parkareexpensiveenoughwithouttheritualtriptothegiftshop,where
kids will nag you to buy a knick-knack they’ll never use. Make it a familypolicytoskipthesouvenirbuyingafterdaytrips.Instead,bring alonganewbookorinexpensivetoyandpullitoutbeforeyougetinthe carforthedrivehome.
BOTTOM LINE: Gift shops can suck $20 out of your wallet before youknowwhathityou.
Discoverthelibrarybeyondbooks. Parentsofavidreadersdiscover thelibraryearlyon.Butmanyoverlooktheselectionofvideos,music
andmagazinesinthechildren’scollectionsattheirlocalbranch.While buyingorrentingfavouriteDVDsisfineifyourchildrenwillwatchthem over and over, borrowing them from the library is a great way to preview them for free. Older kids can also take advantage of the computergamesandInternetaccessofferedforfreeatsomelibraries.
BOTTOMLINE:Borrowonevideoamonthandsave$60ayearon
rentals.
Handoversomeofthedecisionmakingtoyourkids. Manylabel-
awarekidsaresimplyoblivioustohowexpensivetheirpreferencesare.
Whywouldn’ttheychoosebrand-nameclothesovercheaperalternatives
when it’s not their money? Instead of constantly saying no, give your tweensandteensarealisticclothingbudgetandletthemdecidehowto
spendit—withalittleguidancefromyou,ofcourse.Whentheyhaveto
determine the trade-offs (“Do I buy the cheaper top and use the extra money for accessories?”), they may surprise you with their bargain-hunting prowess. Plus, they’ll learn a lesson about living within their means.
BOTTOM LINE: Letting your teens and tweens make their own
choiceswillkeepyouonbudget,savingyounotonlyhundredsof
dollarsbutalsobigheadaches!
Getthecard. TeenscansaveonclothesandfoodwithaStudentPrice Card,whichmanyhighschoolshandoutforfree.Ifyoursdoesn’t,you
can buy one for $8.50: check out the website spclive.com for a list of retailersthatsellit.WhenyourteensflashtheSPCcardatparticipating storesandrestaurants—includingTheBay,FootLocker,CampusCrew,
Second Cup and Harvey’s—they can save 10% to 15% on their
purchases.
BOTTOMLINE:Reducethedamageby$15or$20duringasingle
triptothemall.
Pore over your teen’s cell phone bill. If you can get away with sayingnotoacellphoneforyourteen,morepowertoyou.Ifnot,make sureyou’regettingthebestdealyoucan.Mostteenssendtextmessages farmoreoftenthantheymakecalls,sounlimitedmessagingisamustif youwanttoavoiddeathbyathousandcuts.Considermakingyourteen
payforherphoneoutofherallowancesosheappreciateshowthecosts
addup.
BOTTOM LINE: Unlimited messaging for $15 a month is a steal comparedwith15centsforeachincomingandoutgoingtext.
Be smart about your child’s computer. Having a computer and Internet in the home is pretty much a necessity today, but paying top dollarisn’t.Optforarefurbishedorsecond-handcomputer,withsome
inexpensiveupgradesifnecessary.Makeuseofthefree(andcompletely
legal) software available online from sites such as download.com.
Antivirussoftware(freeversionsareavailable)willalsosaveyoufrom costly repairs—not to mention data loss—especially if your child uses virus-proneMSNandfile-sharingprograms.
BOTTOMLINE:OpenOfficeisthebestdealgoingforanystudents
in your home. This completely free suite of programs includes a wordprocessor,spreadsheetandpresentationprogramthatmimics
PowerPoint.(Downloaditfromopenoffice.org.)Comparethatwith
the$150pricetagonthestudentversionofMicrosoftOffice.
ClaimtheTuitionTaxCredit. Ifyourchildearnsincomefromapart-time job or from investments, she may be able to reduce or eliminate taxesbyclaimingtheTuitionTaxCredit.Studentscanclaimthisnon-refundable credit for any tuition they pay to college or university, including those outside Can
ada. If your student doesn’t need the tax creditbecauseshehaslittleornoincome,aparentcanclaimitinstead.
ChecktheCanadaRevenueAgencywebsite(cra-arc.gc.ca)fordetails.
BOTTOM LINE: Unless she has a very lucrative job or huge portfolio, a student enrolled in full-time studies can typically reducehertaxbilltozero.
ClaimAllChildandFamilyBenefits
Make sure you are receiving all of the government benefits you’re eligiblefor.Ifyou’reacouple,theparentwhohasprimaryresponsibility for the kids should start by visiting the website cra-arc.gc.ca/benefits andfillingouttheCanadaChildTaxBenefitapplication.Here’saquick guidetothemajorbenefits:
•TheCanadaChildTaxBenefitisavailabletofamilieswithachildunder 18.Youshouldapplyassoonasyourchildisborn.Thebasicbenefitis $108.91amonthperchild(exceptinAlberta,whereitvarieswithage), plus a supplement if you have three kids or more. The benefit gets reducedifyourfamilynetincomeismorethan$37,885.
•TheNationalChildBenefitSupplementisanadditionalpaymentforlow-
incomefamilies.Itrangesfrom$168.75permonthforone-childfamilies to$142permonthifyouhavethreeormorekids.Itisreducedwhen
yourfamilynetincomeexceeds$21,287.
•TheUniversalChildCareBenefitisa$100monthlypaymentforfamilies withchildrenundersix.Itdoesnotgetclawedbackaccordingtoyour
income.
•TheWorkingIncomeTaxBenefitisarefundabletaxcreditforlow-income familieswhoareemployedorseekingtoentertheworkforce.Families
withemploymentincomebetween$8,095and$21,569areeligible,and
the maximum benefit in most provinces is $1,019 ($1,422 in British Columbia).
•TheGST/HSTCreditoffsetsthesalestaxthatlow-incomefamiliespayon goods and services. For example, families with one child and a net incomeof$30,000receivea$611credit.
The provinces and territories also offer their own child and family benefits.TheCanadaRevenueAgencywebsitehasallthedetails.Ifyour
family income is above the national average, your savings will be minimal, but low-income families can net several thousand dollars a year.
CHAPTER12
Bathroom
Bathrooms are a land of hidden costs. Because we’re not buying big-screenTVsorexpensivefurnitureforthem(well,mostofus,anyway)
we often don’t think about saving money in the loo until we’re renovating.Butbathroomsserveahugefunctioninourlivesandarea
greatplacetosavebigmoneythroughsmallchanges,nomatterwhether
youuseyoursasautilitarianspacetogetreadyinthemorningorasa spa-likeretreatattheendoftheday.Whetheryou’reapowershowerer
oracalmbather—orabitofboth—therearemanywaystosavemoney
inthebathroom.
Reducingtheamountofwateryouuseinyourbathroomcanbean
easy and inexpensive way to save some cash while getting clean.
Inexpensive cost-cutting measures range from changing your washing routine to replacing your conventional showerhead with a low-flow model.Forthoselookingforlonger-termsavings,looktoreplaceyour
oldtoiletwithadual-flushmodel.Theupfrontcostsforsavingwaterin your bathroom are low, but the water and energy savings can be significant.
Turnthewateroffwhenusingthesink. Keepingthewarmwater
running while brushing or washing is like pouring money down the drain.Reduceyourenergyandwaterconsumptionforfreebyfillinga
sinkandsplashingaway.
BOTTOMLINE:Changingthewayyoubrushyourteeth,washyour
faceorshavecansaveafamilyoffouralmost$50ayearinreduced
waterandenergyconsumption.
Takeshortershowers. Long,hotshowerscanadduptohundredsin extra energy use over the year. Change your shower habits and save money by shortening your steam time by 1 to 5 minutes. Some über-
frugalistsuseatimerorstopwatchtoreduceshowertime,whileothers
turn off the shower completely while lathering up. Some of these showeringmeasuresmaybetooextremeforyourhygieneroutine,but
keepinganeyeonthetimeyouspendintheshowercanhelpyousave.
BOTTOM LINE: Reducing your showering time by just 5 minutes
each day could add up to hundreds in savings over a year for a smallfamily.
Chooseshowersoverbaths. Whichusesmorewater,yourbathsor
showers?Todetermineforyourselfifshoweringsavesmorewaterthan
bathing,plugthedrainduringyourshowertoseehowmuchwateris
usedandhowitcomparestoyourbaths.Generally,bathsconsumemore
waterandenergythana10-minuteshowerwithalow-flowshowerhead.
If you love being a bathing beauty, you can reduce the expense of soakingbyfillingyourtubonlyhalfwayandusingcoolerwater.Orsave thebathforweekendspasessionsandoptforshowersduringtheweek.
BOTTOMLINE:A10-minuteshowerwithalow-flowshowerhead
cancutyourhotwaterusagebyhalfwhencomparedwithbathing,
addinguptobigsavingsoverthecourseofayear.
Install a low-flow showerhead. Replacing your conventional showerheadwithalow-flowshowerheadisthebestmethodforsaving
waterandenergyinyourbathroom.Inmanyfamilies,showerscanbe
the largest drain on hot water, and with a conventional showerhead, even a 10-minute shower can use up to 200 litres of hot water.
Switchingtoaninexpensivelow-flowshowerheadcanreduceyourwater
consumption from 20 litres per minute to as little as 5.5 litres per minute.Specialnozzlespreventyoufromfeelingthisdecreaseinwater
flow—youuselesswaterbutstillgetthefeelingofafull-forceshower.
BOTTOMLINE:Switchingfromaconventionaltoalow-flowshower
head costs as little as $15, but the payback is almost immediate.
With a family of four taking nearly 1,500 showers a year, the savingscouldadduptoover$100annuallyonenergycosts.
Installdual-flushtoilets. Alongwithflushinglessoftenandnotusing your toilet to flush garbage, the Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporationhasfoundthatinstallingadual-flushtoiletcansave67%or morewaterthanconventionaltoiletsinafamilyhome.Dual-flushtoilets havetwobuttons,oneforahalfflushandtheotherforafullflush,using 6litresofwaterorlessperflush(comparedwith13to20litresinan oldertoilet).Dual-flushtoiletscanbepurchasedforaslittleas$130at homerenovationstores.
BOTTOMLINE:Replacingyourconventionaltoiletwithadual-flush
model saves on water. Before canning your old toilet, hire a certified energy adviser through the Government of Canada’s
ecoENERGY Retrofit grant program to qualify for federal rebates totalling $50 for each new low-flush or dual-flush toilet. Many provinces and municipalities will match this rebate for a total refundof$100.
Extend your lotions, soaps and shampoos with water. Adding a littlebitofwatertoyourfavouriteskinlotions,soapsandshampooscan makethemlastlonger.Youcouldeffectivelydoubleortriplethenumber of washings in a shampoo bottle by just using less and adding some water. Most of these products are concentrated with cleansers so you won’tnoticeadifferenceintheireffectivenessifyoudilutethem.
BOTTOMLINE:Makeyourbeautyproductsgofartherbyaddinga
littlebitofwatertothem.Ifyoumanagetosaveevenoneb
ottle
each of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and moisturizer, that’s easilyanextra$25inyourpocket.
Lemon,HoneyandGingerColdandFluRemedy
Drinkingenoughfluidsisatallorderwhenyouaresufferingfromthe
sniffles or coughing from a cold. Along with keeping well hydrated, doctorsadvisegettingplentyofresttobestconquerthecommoncold.
WhileIcan’thelpyougetsomesleep,Icanoffermyfrugaliciouscold
remedy, which costs significantly less than packaged over-the-counter lemon drinks. The ingredients for this remedy are kitchen staples that mayalreadybeinyourrefrigeratorwaitingtohelpyoufeelbetter.
Ingredients
Lemon
Honey
Ginger
Instructions
1.Grateasmallchunkofgingerintoyourfavouritemug.Abiggerchunk makesaspicierremedy.
2.Addthejuiceofhalfalemon.Gratinginalittlelemonzestaddssome soothingzingtothemix.
3.Addadollopofhoneyforsomesweetness.
4.Fillyourmugwithboilingwaterandstir.Letsteepforafewminutes.
5. Strain out the ginger bits if they’re not your cup of tea. Leaving the grated ginger in the mix adds additional zing to zap colds and flu symptomsfast.
Brushandflossregularly. Regularbrushingandflossing,alongwith twice-yearlydentalvisits,istheprimarywaytopreventtoothdecayand cavities. The cost of toothpaste, floss and toothbrushes is minimal, at under$15forthelot,butthecostofextensivetoothdecayisthousands.
Even a small filling can cost $200 and may require replacing every decade,costingthousandsoveryourlifetime.Regularflossingmayeven
saveyoumoneyonyourdentalcleanings,sinceyouarechargedforthe
timetheytaketocomplete—lessplaque,fewerpennies.
397 Ways to Save Money: Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less - PDFDrive.com Page 14