397 Ways to Save Money: Spend Smarter & Live Well on Less - PDFDrive.com
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Haveafridge/freezerday(seeMarch).
July
CleanACfilters.
Ifyouhaveaseptictank,getitserviced.
Checkwateranddrainpipesforleaks.
August
CleanACfilters.
Inspectsumppump—besttofindoutnowifitneedstoberepaired.
Have heating, ventilation, AC and fireplace professionally inspected.
The pros have great tips for savings and are also up-to-date on availablegovernmentenergyrebates.
September
Replacefurnacefilters.
Inspectwindowsandexternaldoorsonawindydayfordrafts.Caulk
andreplaceweatherstrippingifneeded.
Haveafridge/freezerday(seeMarch).
Checkroofformissingordamagedshinglesandreplace.Youcando
thisyourself,orhiresomeoneifyou’renotcomfywithit.
Harvestwhatseedsyoucannowtosaveonbigoutlaysinthespring
forannuals.
October
Cleanfurnacefilters.
Checkbasementformoisture—fallrainsareagoodtestruntobesure
nothing’swrongdownthere.
Sealelectricaloutletsonexternalwallstopreventheatloss.
Pack away your summer clothes (put aside any items that need
mending)andpulloutthewinterstuff.Dependingonwhereyoulive,
youmightneedtotacklethisjobsooner
Get those windows clean again so they’ll let in as much heat as possibleallwinter.
Drainandputawayrainbarrels.Ifrainbarrelsarefullandleftoutall winter,they’llfreezeandcrack.
November
Cleanfurnacefilters.
Sealandwinterizewindowswithplasticfilm.Reusablekitsaremore
expensivebutcanbeusedyearafteryear.
Check for cracks and crevices in unfinished basements and around exteriorofhouseandusepolyurethanefoamtosealthem.
Oncetheleavesaredown,cleaneavestroughsanddownspoutssoyou
don’thavefrozenclumpscausingdrainageproblemsinthewinter
Change the batteries in your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors whentheclockschange.
December
Cleanfurnacefilters.
Haveafridge/freezerday(seeMarch).
HardwareStoreShoppingList
Here’s a handy shopping list for all your do-it-yourself projects. Get everythinginonetriptosaveongas!
Caulkingandweatherstrippingtosealwindowsandexternaldoors
Polyurethanefoamtofillincracksandcrevices
Insulationfortheattichatch—bothbattingandrigidfoam
Foamgasketsandchildproofplugstosealelectricaloutlets
Plasticfilmtosealyourwindowsinwinter
Gasketstofixleakywaterpipes
Low-flowshowerhead
Dimmerswitchesforlights
Motionsensorforoutdoorlightsoit’snotonallthetime
Compactfluorescentlightbulbstoreplaceincandescents
Powerstriporsurgeprotectortolimitstandbypowerwaste
Programmablethermostat
Replacementfiltersforyourfurnaceandairconditioner
Reusablemicrofibreclothstoreplacecostlypapertowels
Newbatteriesforyoursmokealarmsandcarbonmonoxidedetectors
GetStartedNow!
Getgoingonyournew,frugallifestyleimmediatelywiththesetipsyou
canputintoactiontoday.Successbreedssuccess,sostartbuildinggood habitsrightaway.Someofthesetipsdon’tcostanythingatall!
Save big by eating dinner at home. Plan leftovers for tomorrow’s brown-baglunch.
Eatlessmeatandmorebeans.
Eliminatesomebooze—have“dry”nightsatafractionofthecost.
Buyametalmugandmakeyourown“takeout”coffee.Beyourown
barista!
Clipfoodcoupons,andbuybulkandno-nameproducts.
Use loyalty program points when shopping and ask for a discount.
(Youneverknow!Butdon’tbeobnoxious—storeshurtinhardtimes
too.)
Dilutelotions,soapsandshampooswithwater.
Skip the dry cleaner—wash and iron your own clothes. And don’t overpourtheliquidlaundrydetergent.
Turn down the temperature on your water heater—even one degree
savesyoubig.
Skipthedishwasher’sdryingcycle—openthedoorandletthedishes
airdry.
Maximize washing machine and dishwasher loads to get the most
cleanforyourbuck.
Washclothesincoldwater(theylastlongerthatwaytoo)andhang
themtodry.
CleandebrisawayfromyourAC’scoolantcoilsandmovetheunittoa
north-facingwalltoincreaseefficiency.
TurntheheatdowninwinterandtheACupinsummer—acoupleof
degreeseitherwaytranslatesintobigsavings.
Useyourdrapestocontroltheindoortemperature—letthesunwarm
rooms,thentraptheheatorkeepitoutasthecasemaybe.
Theonlylightsthatneedtobeonarethoseintheroomyou’rein—
turntherestoff.
Turnoffandunplugunusedelectricaldevices—especiallythatsecond
fridge,whichisusuallyoldandinefficientanyway.
Driveatthespeedlimit,inflateyourtirestotheirproperpressureand avoid heavy acceleration—you’ll be amazed by how much gas you
save.
Resources
TherearemanysourcesandwebsitesIfoundhelpfulinputtingtogether
thisbook.Manyofthemhaveevenmoreinformationandfantasticideas
onhowtosavemoney,sotakealook.
Part1:BigDecisions
RENTING
Craigslist
www.craigslist.ca
Kijiji
www.kijiji.ca
HOMEOWNERSHIP
CanadaMortgageandHousingCorporation
www.cmhc.caDinkytownFinancialCalculators
www.dinkytown.comEquifaxCanada
www.equifax.ca
GovernmentofCanadaOfficeofEnergyEfficiency
oee.nrcan.gc.ca
IndustryCanada(OfficeofConsumerAffairs)
RentorBuyCalculator
www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca01821.html Mike Holmes, The HolmesInspection(Toronto:CollinsCanada,2008)Realtorfees(andother fees)
www.assignmentscanada.ca/buyingincanada.htmlTransUnion
www.transunion.ca
FINANCIALCHOICES
AchievaFinancial
www.achieva.mb.ca
CanadaRevenueAgency
www.cra-arc.gc.caFinancialConsumerAgencyofCanada
www.fcac-acfc.gc.caFinancialWebring
www.financialwebring.orgINGDirect
www.ingdirect.ca
MoneySense
www.moneysense.ca
OutlookFinancial
www.outlookfinancial.comPresident’sChoiceFinancial
www.pcfinancial.caRBCInsurance
www.rbcinsurance.com
SocialInsurancenumberapplication
www.servicecanada.gc.caTaxFreeSavingsAccount
www.tfsa.gc.caTDCanadaTrustInsurance
www.tdcanadatrust.com/tdinsurance
SHOPPING
Aeroplan
www.aeroplan.ca
Airmiles
www.airmiles.ca
Costco
www.costco.ca
Craigslist
www.craigslist.ca
eBay
www.ebay.ca
Freecycle
www.freecycle.orgFutureshop
www.futureshop.ca
Kijiji
www.kijiji.ca
Overstock
www.overstock.com
RealCanadianSuperstore
www.superstore.caRedFlagDeals.com
www.redflagdeals.comRetailMeNot.com
www.retailmenot.com
SearsCanada
www.sears.ca
U-Exchange
www.u-exchange.com
Winners
www.winners.ca
Part2:HomeManagement
HOMEMAINTENANCE
GovernmentofCanadaOfficeofEnergyEfficiency
oee.nrcan.gc.ca
ENERGY
ecoACTION
www.ecoaction.gc.ca
ecoENERGYRetrofitGrantProgram
oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-
grant.cfmENERGYSTARinCanada
oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar Government of Canada Office of Energy
Efficiency
oee.nrcan.gc.ca
PowerWISE
www.powerwise.ca
CLEANING
DisastrousDisposables
www.ams.ubc.ca/student_life/resource_groups/sec/rcw-
files/disposables.pdf
Part3:RoombyRoom
KITCHEN
BAGGU
www.baggubag.com
FederalTradeCommission
“PriceCheck:AReportontheAccuracyofCheckoutScanners”
www.ftc.gov/reports/scanner1/scanners.shtm
Howtosoakandcookdriedbeans
www.squawkfox.com/2008/02/19/how-to-soak-and-cook-dried-beans/
RetailCouncilofCanada
“CodeofPractice:ScannerPriceAccuracyVoluntaryCode”
www.retailcouncil.org/advocacy/cp/issues/scanner_acc/print/scanner_accuracy02_eng.asp
LIVINGROOMANDDININGROOM
ApartmentTherapy
www.apartmenttherapy.comApartmentTherapy
“HowtoGo‘Shopping’inYourOwnHome”
www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/how-to/how-to-go-shopping-in-
your-own-home-074431
Canada’sOfficeofConsumerAffairs(OCA)
Canada’sswitchtodigitalTV
www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc.nsf/eng/h_ca02319.html
Canadian
BroadcastingCorporation
www.cbc.ca/videoCanadianCentreforOccupationalHealthandSafety
“HowtoAdjustOfficeChairs”
www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/chair_adjusting.htmlCTV
shows.ctv.ca/video
GoogleDocs
docs.google.comIkeaSlipcovers
www.bemz.com
iTunes
www.apple.com/itunes
Live365.com
www.live365.com
OpenOffice
www.openoffice.org
SHOUTCastRadio
www.shoutcast.com
BEDROOM
Leggett&Platt
www.leggett.com
KIDS’ROOMSANDBEYOND
CamillaCornell, HowtoPayLessforJustAboutAnything
(Pleasantville,NY:Reader’sDigest,2005)CoolestBirthdayCakes
www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com
DeborahTaylor-Hough, FrugalLivingforDummies
(Indianapolis,IN:Wiley,2003)EasyBirthdayCakes
www.easy-birthday-cakes.comLaLecheLeague
www.lllc.ca
StudentPriceCard
www.spclive.com
BATHROOM
CanadaMortgageandHousingCorporation
“ResearchHighlights:Dual-flushToiletTesting”
www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/tech/02–124-e.html
ecoENERGYRetrofitgrantprogram
oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-
grant.cfm
PowerWISE
www.powerwise.ca
LAUNDRYROOM
ENERGYSTARinCanada
oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystarPowerWISE
www.powerwise.ca
GARAGE
Autonet.ca
www.autonet.ca
CanadianAutomobileAssociation
www.caa.caCanadianCentreforOccupationalHealthandSafety
“Telework/Telecommuting”
www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/telework.htmlCarpool.ca
www.carpool.ca
DailyFuelEconomyTip
www.dailyfueleconomytip.comDriving.ca
www.driving.ca
GovernmentofCanada
“Taxcreditforpublictransitpasses”
www.transitpass.caGovernmentofCanadaOfficeofEnergyEfficiency
oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/personal
OUTSIDEYOURHOME
BackyardChickens
www.backyardchickens.comCompostingCouncilofCanada
www.compost.orgPart4:MoreWaystoSave
FAMILYVACATION
AirlineConsolidator
www.airlineconsolidator.comBargainTravel
www.bargaintravel.com
Cheapflights
www.cheapflights.ca
DiscountAirportParking
http://discountairportparking.netExpedia
www.expedia.ca
FlightCentre
www.flightcentre.ca
HomeforExchange
www.homeforexchange.caHomeXchangeVacation
www.homexchangevacation.comHotels
www.hotels.ca
Hotwire
www.hotwire.com
SelloffVacations
http://selloffvacations.comTravelocity
http://travelocity.ca
TripCentral
http://tripcentral.ca
VacationRentalsbyOwner
www.vrbo.comWotIf
www.wotif.com
PETS
PetAdoption
http://petfinder.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thisbookgrewfromthepagesofmyblog,Squawkfox.com,becauseof
the amazing team at HarperCollins Canada, including Noelle Zitzer, ShaunOakey,JeremyRawlings,LesleyFraser,DebbieVietsandothers
whoworkedsoquicklythatIdidnotgettomeetthem.Averyspecial
thankyoutomyeditor,KateCassaday,forherenthusiasm,knowledge
and ability to know what I wanted to say even before I knew myself.
Thank you for finding my blog and for giving me the opportunity to writebeyondtheblogosphere.
Thankyoutomyparents,JanandKenTaylor,forgettingmestarted
young with my own savings account and for teaching me about the powerofcompoundinterest.
A huge thank you to Beth Huel and my sister, Allison Taylor, for convincingmethatstoriesaboutbean-soakingandbean-countingcould
befun.
ThanksalsototheRussmannfamily,includingRalph,Max,Kateand
littleAlex,fortheirmoralsupportwhenIdisappearedfromthefarmto writethisbook.
ThankyoutoDougLemiskiformakingthelegalesemakesense.
ThankyoutobloggingbuddiesHaydenTompkinsandMikefortheir
onlinefriendshipandsupport.
Iameternallygratefultomypartner,CarlRussmann,whoconvinced
metostartablogandsharemyideaswithothers.
Finally,Iwanttothankthepeoplewhoreadmyblog.Somehavebeen
readingitsincethebeginning;othershavejustfoundme.Everyonewho
hasemailedorcommentedonthesitehastaughtmesomething.Iwrite
about frugal living because I love the conversation and creativity of a communityofpeoplediscoveringhowtolivesmarterwithless.Ihope
thisbookcontinuestheconversation.
AboutthePublisher
; Australia
HarperCollinsPublishers(Australia)Pty.Ltd.
25RydeRoad(POBox321)
Pymble,NSW2073,Australia
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au
Canada
HarperCollinsCanada
2BloorStreetEast-20thFloor
Toronto,ON,M4W1A8,Canada
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca
NewZealand
HarperCollinsPublishers(NewZealand)Limited
P.O.Box1Auckland,
NewZealand
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz
UnitedKingdom
HarperCollinsPublishersLtd.
77-85FulhamPalaceRoad
London,W68JB,UK
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
UnitedStates
HarperCollinsPublishersInc.
10East53rdStreet
NewYork,NY10022
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com
Copyright
397WaystoSaveMoney
Copyright©2009byKerryK.TaylorAllrightsreservedunderInternationalandPan-American CopyrightConventions.Bypaymentoftherequiredfees,youhavebeengrantedthenon-exclusive,nontransferablerighttoaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookon-screen.Nopartof thistextmaybereproduced,transmitted,down-loaded,decompiled,reverseengineered,or storedinorintroducedintoanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,inanyformorbyany means,whetherelectronicormechanical,nowknownorhereinafterinvented,withoutthe expresswrittenpermissionofHarperCollinse-books.
EpubEdition©NOVEMBER2011ISBN:978-1-554-68701-5
PublishedbyCollins,animprintofHarperCollinsPublishersLtd.
FirstpublishedbyCollinsinanoriginaltradepaperbackedition:2009
Thispaperbackedition:2011
Nopartofthisbookmaybeusedorreproducedinanymannerwhatsoeverwithouttheprior writtenpermissionofthepublisher,exceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsembodiedinreviews.
HarperCollinsPublishersLtd
2BloorStreetEast,20thFloor
Toronto,Ontario,Canada
M4W1A8
www.harpercol ins.ca
LibraryandArchivesCanadaCataloguinginPublicationinformationisavailableISBN978-1-44341-218-6
RRD987654321
Document Outline
Title Page
Dedication
Contents
INTRODUCTION: Money Matters
PART ONE: Big Decisions CHAPTER 1: Renting
CHAPTER 2: Homeownership
CHAPTER 3: Financial Choices
CHAPTER 4: Shopping