How to live on less money

There are those for whom cutting back on spending money comes easy. They set their mind to minimal living and nothing gets past their watchful budgeting eye. But for those of us who have a harder time sticking to our money-saving or environment-helping guns, there’s help. Try these quick and easy tips for living on less – and saving more – and watch your bank account grow.

•Cut out daily coffee and fast food runs. One of the fastest ways to burn through cash is by splurging on these unnecessary treats, so cut back on the number you indulge in per week to save.

TIP: You don’t have to give these luxuries up completely. Hooked on coffee shop java? Remember, Starbucks, Second Cup, Tim Hortons, Timothy’s and other coffee houses all sell coffee you can make at home, either in-store or often in the grocery store. Pack your coffee in a thermos and bring your own lunch every two or three days instead of grabbing fast food every day. Bonus: On top of saving money you’ll also cut back on take-out waste and help the environment in the process.

• Skip pricey salons that can set you back upward of $50 per haircut. Instead, look for a local beauty school that offers cuts (or highlights, facials or manicures/pedicures) by students or professionals demonstrating techniques. Prices for services here are often half (or less) of what you’d expect to pay in a salon.

• Try secondhand goods for kids. Whether it’s toys, clothes or furniture, kids six and under are the perfect candidates for gently used goods. Try looking up reputable consignment stores in your area for best results.
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• Pay attention to the calendar when purchasing big-ticket items. Certain times of the year mean bigger sales for specific pieces. For example, furniture tends to have the biggest sales in February and August, while jewelry sees the biggest discounts in January. Mark your calendars and do your best to hold off on buying until sale season rolls around.

• Reacquaint yourself with the library. With big book chains now in many larger cities around the country, North American families are opting to buy their literature new. To save yourself some coin, pass on straight-from-the-shelves reads and visit your library. You may even be able to rent some great new or older, harder-to-find movies.

• Recruit some friends for a biannual clothing swap. Rather than spending hundreds on new pants, dresses or shoes every season, invite a handful of similar-sized friends over and ask them to bring pieces they like but don’t wear anymore. Do a swap and enjoy the feeling new-to-you clothes can bring.

• Get expert advice from a professional planner – preferably one that doesn’t earn commissions by promoting certain products or stocks. They’ll be able to help make sure you’re setting aside enough for retirement, your kids’ education costs, and to ensure that any current investments are working for you.

• Think outside the box when it comes to grocery shopping. Unlike your average grocery store, warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club and Costco offer discounts of 20 to 50 per cent on everyday goods like canned foods, condiments and more, and are a great place to shop for bigger-ticket items like appliances, over-the-counter medications and books.

By Liz Bruckner <----- By the way, Liz Bruckner was Robin's Classmate in College!

How to shop in a recession: 6 tips for saving money

For the next few days I will be posting money saving tips (as a tribute to my friend Lisa :)) so don't freak out if you see so many of them here - Ha ha ha I'll still blog about other stuff next week!



Even if you're not a reader of the financial pages, you've heard it: a capital-R Recession is hitting the United States, and some predict an economic slowdown may make its way to Canada. The bottom line is: no economy is recession proof. Fortunately, your shopping bill can be, even if you're not the type of person who likes coupon clipping or discount-store shopping. Here are some easy ways to keep yourself comfy, while saving money and paring back on lifestyle costs (and saving natural resources) across the board now (while you're still comfortable) – in order to prepare for any slowdown in the future.

1. Learn to cook Convenience foods
that are either ready-to-cook or just-heat-and-serve cost more than groceries in their unrefined forms. You're paying a premium for that seasoned and ready-to-cook chicken breast from the deli foods counter at your supermarket. It its skinned, deboned, chicken-breast-supreme form you pay a bit less per kilogram, but still more than a bone-in, skin-on breast. Finally, when you buy a whole chicken, take it apart and skin it yourself, you are saving the most per unit. Learn to butcher chicken and you can afford to maintain your organic-meat habit.


Learn to cook vegetarian cuisine to save more on groceries (two veggie dinners a week will improve your health and the planet's, as well as your pocketbook). If you know how to cook, you can make an awesome meal from the most inexpensive of ingredients, from pantry-staple legumes to the budget cuts of organic meat. Bonus: besides saving cash, you'll probably also reduce the sodium and fat in your meals.

2. Discover the art of decanting toiletries and cleaning aids

Luxury hand soaps and prestige detergents can be the first to get the chop when grocery shopping on a budget. Switching to no-name? Decant econo-size cheaper products into eco-friendly and free or low-cost dispensers such as wine bottles (a half-bottle size is perfect for hand soap, mouthwash, or liquid dish soap), vintage-style milk bottles (many health food stores carry milk in them, and charge only a nominal deposit) or a cut-glass cruet. Laundry detergent can be scooped out of a flea market flour bucket. These options are so unique and pretty you won't even notice the switch!

3. Build your basic wardrobe
Although we're going through a neo-1980s colour bubble now, neutrals like black, camel and white are always in style, as are secondary neutrals such as navy and brown. That classic statement hue, red, is another perennial favourite. If you're clothes shopping now, stick to the classics so you'll have a quality wardrobe to last through any future financial belt cinching.


Classics for any working woman include a well-tailored black blazer and coordinating pants, black sheath dress, flattering sweaters, basic shirts for layering, two to three pairs of work shoes and a neutral raincoat/trench. If you add inexpensive flourishes through belts, scarves, "trend" shoes and shirts whenever you want a wardrobe lift, you're set for practically forever. Whenever you have money to splurge, spend it on one enduring classic, not five cheap items that will look dated and worn-out next season.


4. Get rid of kids' hair care products
Here's a shocker courtesy of the local kids' salon I took my daughter to after a giant tangle threatened to turn her hair into a bird's nest: no-tear shampoo (even premium brands) can be drying – and that can lead to tangles galore. "Get rid of it tonight, and start her on your products," said my kids' hair care expert. Another money and hair-saving tip? Skip the detangling spray; just fill a squirt bottle with a bit of conditioner and warm water.

Mix them to a watery consistency and shake to blend: spray this on as you would detangler. It works better and costs next-to-nothing! (Babies still need no-tears formulas for the obvious reason.)


5. Cut back on toys
load up on lifeResisting the siren call of branded toys can be hard, especially with older kids. But if you've got a preschooler, it can be done by limiting the choices they're exposed to. Don't voluntarily introduce them to video games or Internet-connected toys.

Do encourage them to get down and dirty in the garden, or at the park. Given a choice, many kids would rather have carte blanche to go wild, and many times, it's us parents who decide a tidy little plastic toy set is better than cleaning mud from our kids' ears and living with grass stains.


Those priorities favour costly playthings over no-fee exploration, and sedentary play over physical activity. Will you ever get your kids off the mass-market toy grid (aka "The Toy Matrix")? Uh, not very likely, but you can reduce the amount of toy clutter and the add-on purchases somewhat by giving them mud time outside.6. Get rid of that second (or third) carCanadians drive too much.


Try carpooling, joining a car-share program, taking public transit, or riding a bicycle or a motor scooter. If you have infrequent errands or mostly work from home but occasionally attend meetings, swap that underused car for a taxi or car service, rather than keeping an extra car in the garage "just in case." Cut your fuel, insurance, maintenance and/or lease costs by sticking with one main vehicle. Bonus: if you have to spring for public transit or cab fare every time you head out, you may think twice before nixing heart-healthy walking or bike ride – something less likely to happen when you drive.


By Yuki Hayashi