money

5 Saving Tactics & Apps to Help Your Family Budget This Winter

February 5, 2018 by Kathryn 1 Comment

Winter is that time of the year when expenses get a little higher and budgets get a little tighter. Many families need to be a little more careful with savings, so take a look at these fun tips and tricks to save more, easily.

As winter reaches its peak, the energy bills also spike up, forcing you to look for both power and money saving tactics. Here are a few useful and effective savings tactics and apps that will take care of the soaring prices and help you keep a tight lid on your finances. There’s no need for that budget to go haywire as the snow starts piling up!

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The M is for Money Book Series Helps Teach Kids Basic Money Management-Giveaway

March 28, 2016 by Kathryn 37 Comments

With tax season in full swing, money is something on the minds of a lot of adults right now. Good money management is one of those essential life skills that helps create future success but sadly, it’s a skill that most people never learn. Ideally, I think that money management should be taught in schools. But since that’s not currently done, I do want to make sure that my boys understand money so that they can be responsible with their finances both now and in the future.

That’s why I love the M is for Money book series and website! I had the chance to review the first three books in the series when they debuted last year, and I loved the way that these books used simple, kid-friendly concepts to explain money and its uses to kids. Now, the series has a total of nine books available and I couldn’t wait to see what my boys thought of the newer titles. I received books four, five and six to review and sat down to read them with my boys.

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Celebrate Leap Day with Huge Savings from Ebates.ca

February 28, 2016 by Kathryn 1 Comment

If there’s one thing I’m notorious for, it’s using any excuse to have a celebration. And in my opinion, one of the best days for celebrating is February 29! After all, it only comes once every four years, so why not make the most of it?

From a little family party to a movie night out, there are all kinds of ways to make Leap Day extra special. And if you’ve been thinking about doing a little online shopping sometime soon, Ebates.ca has a great Leap Day promotion that will help turn your shopping experience into a celebration too!

Ebates.ca is one of Canada’s most popular cash-back sites, and with good reason. Earning money is as simple as signing into your account and then hopping over to your favourite store from the Ebates website. Every purchase you then make will earn you credits that Ebates sends out in the form of a big fat cheque! [Read more…]

Earn Cash for Purchases, Social Shares and Much More with Caddle

February 22, 2016 by Kathryn 42 Comments

While I haven’t always been a saver, it’s something I’ve become passionate about since having children. There are so many different ways of minimizing expenses and maximizing savings, and I’ve tried almost all of them. But one of the easiest and most useful tips I’ve found when it comes to saving money is that little amounts, both in savings and expenses, can add up quickly! That’s why I love Canada’s newest money-earning app, Caddle!

Caddle’s easy-to-use app is currently available only on iOS devices but even if you’re not an iPhone user, there’s no need to despair! Caddle can also be set up right on your computer, so that you can earn money without needing an iPhone…or a smartphone at all! Just register for your free account and then start completing easy offers to earn extra money for your savings account!

Wondering what kind of offers are available? One of my favourite things about Caddle is that, unlike similar cash-back programs, earning money isn’t restricted to making grocery purchases. While Caddle does offer cash-back rewards such as $0.25 back when buying spinach or $.50 for purchasing ice cream, it also offers users the chance to earn money by interacting on social media, sharing fun facts online and more! [Read more…]

Stock Up on Children’s Clothing at the Souris Mini Boxing Day Sale

December 25, 2015 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

I’m a bit of a fashion lover and to my delight, both my boys have inherited that trait from me. But actually shopping for clothes just isn’t much fun for me or the kids. Dragging them through a crowded store to try on shirts and pants isn’t something any of us get excited about. Luckily, online boutiques mean that shopping can be a pleasure instead of a pain!

Souris Mini, a Quebec-based children’s clothing boutique, had everything I wanted in a kid’s clothing store. The selection was fabulous. The sizes were ideal for my boys. The fashions were trendy. And the prices were reasonable. Personally, the cuddly Nordic pajamas were a favourite with me, so both boys now have a pair on the way! [Read more…]

Save on Last Minute Holiday Essentials with RetailMeNot.ca-Giveaway #HolidayCents

December 23, 2015 by Kathryn 120 Comments

With Christmas just a few days away, most people are done making their holiday gift purchases. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still shopping going on! With so many holiday celebrations taking place in the next few weeks, getting stocked up on essentials for the home is a must. And with help from RetailMeNot.ca, grabbing everything to create the perfect party has never been more affordable!

Recently, RetailMeNot.ca challenged me to see how much I could save on my non-gift holiday purchases by using its website for my shopping. With a $250 Visa gift card in hand, I headed to the website and started planning to grab the items I needed most. First on my list was plates and cups for my holiday table. And RetailMeNot was ready to help!

I searched party supplies and found tons of great coupon codes for some of my favourite stores. Since I love shopping locally, I headed to Party Depot Canada first to grab some festive plates and other accessories. While the company didn’t have an exclusive Christmas theme, I created my own by combining Red Polka Dot and Green Polka Dot tableware. The finished result was so festive! Then I added a coupon code from RetailMeNot to save $13 off the regular shipping cost! [Read more…]

Come Join the @TD_Canada #FinanciallyFit Twitter Chat on November 17 at 9pm EST

November 12, 2015 by Kathryn 1 Comment

November is financial literacy month, and it’s a cause I’m pretty passionate about. All too often, young adults head out into the world with no concept of how to manage their money properly and end up drowning in debt as a result. I know all too well how easily debts can start to add up because I was one of those young adults myself! And now, as a successful and debt-free parent, I’m determined that my boys will start their adult lives with all the money skills and knowledge they need to avoid my mistakes.

That’s why I’m thrilled that TD Canada is as passionate about teaching kids money skills I am. And to celebrate financial literacy month, the company is sponsoring a fabulous Twitter chat that you won’t want to miss! Come join the #FinanciallyFit Twitter chat hosted by @simplystacienet on November 17, 2015 at 9pm EST to get some great information on how you can teach your child more about money. Whether you’re curious about first jobs or allowances, this is one must-attend chat for parents! [Read more…]

Coupon and Save! 5 Couponing Myths Dispelled with Help from RetailMeNot.ca-Giveaway #SimpleSavings

November 3, 2015 by Kathryn 115 Comments

It wasn’t that long ago that I had absolutely no interest in couponing. Even though I knew some people managed to save huge amounts of money using coupons, the process seemed like one that was far too time consuming and complicated for me. But then I redeemed my first few free product coupons and realized just how quickly the savings added up. Little by little, I found other quick and easy ways to save money when shopping. From online coupon codes to money-saving apps, I was amazed by how much I could save with just a few minutes of effort!

RetailMeNot.ca has always been one of my favourite ways to save money, since its database of coupon codes is so extensive and the website is so quick to use. I especially love the clothing coupon codes since they often stack on top of current sales to save me even more. Gap and Old Navy are a few of my personal favourites for that; I’ve sometimes paid just 25% of the retail price for their clothing! Want to start saving too? Sandra Hanna of Smart Cookies is here to dispel five common myths about couponing.

Myth 1: Couponing takes too much time

Couponing is not what it used to be. You don’t need piles of flyers, a colour-coded binder and five hours on a Sunday to save big money. Today, all you need is your smart phone and 15 seconds, and you can save instantly almost every time you make a purchase both online and in-store. In the time it takes to check in on your Instagram feed, you can save yourself some extra cash! [Read more…]