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Tips for Saving Money on Yearly School Expenses

September 15, 2017 by Kathryn 2 Comments

Where has the time gone? We’re already in the middle of September, the leaves are slowly changing, the days are cooling down and the kids are back in school. The start of a new school year is a hectic time for any parent, and it can be even harder than usual to keep track of your finances during the back-to-school shopping season and beyond.

I’ve already shared some of my top tips for saving on school supplies and clothes, but a lot can be done to cut down on yearly school expenses even after the initial shopping is done! These are the top tips and tricks that I find help keep my school-related spending in check:

Keep Track of School Supplies

pencil crayons

We all know that buying school supplies at the start of the year can be a costly ordeal. Depending on what grade your little one is going into and how many children you have, the expenses add up quickly. So, now that school is started, make sure to keep an eye on how your child is using their school supplies so you can make plans about what will be good for next year. My boys needed dictionaries for the first time this year, so I’m making sure to remind them to take care of their books! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Money Tagged With: expenses, infographic, loan and go, save, save money, save on textbooks, saving, school, school spending, school spending infographic, spending, tips, yearly, yearly school expenses, yearly school saving

4 Must-Try Ways to Save Money When Shopping for a New School Year

August 28, 2017 by Kathryn 19 Comments

Brought to you by Interac Association and TheCo.

With two school-aged boys and a newborn in the house, I’ve expressed quite a bit how important it is for me to stay organized as the new school year kicks off. But saving money on my budget is every bit as important to me right now…especially with the extra expenses a baby brings!

So, to help other parents on their quest to save a little more during the back-to-school season, I’m sharing my four best tips for making the most of your money when preparing for a new school year. While some take a little bit of work, the savings make the effort well worth it!

boys back-to-school photo

DIY to Make the Old New Again

One of the best things about the new school year for a child is getting to show off all the bright, shiny new school supplies to friends. But often, a quick wash will have last year’s supplies looking great and ready to work for another year. Of course, it’s sometimes hard to explain to a younger child that there’s no need to purchase everything new.

So how do you get your child excited about last year’s school gear? Put a little DIY creativity to work! Last year’s binders and pencil box can easily be given a kid-friendly makeover with some dollar-store stickers. And an inexpensive roll of washi tape is a great way to personalize pencils and pens.

ben decorating school suppliies

Have school supplies that are too worn to be reused? Don’t throw them out just yet! Bits of broken crayon can be melted into fun rainbow crayons for Valentine’s Day gifts, rubber bands can be wrapped up into wacky bouncing balls and pencil crayons can be cut into colourful beads for jewelry!

Price Match Through Your Shopping List

Let’s face facts: every parent knows that they could save a lot of money shopping for school supplies by running to four or five different stores and grabbing the best deals at each one. But most parents just don’t have time for that, and I’m one of them!

Instead, I arm myself with flyers (or save online flyers to my phone), and then head to a store that price-matches with its competitors to grab the supplies I need. Price-matching occasionally does take a bit of extra time at the till, but it’s still much more convenient than running around to different stores. And the savings make it worth the extra few minutes of work!

To make my shopping experience even more convenient, I always pay using Interac Flash® on my debit card. Rather than fumbling for change or worrying about punching in my PIN, I can just briefly hold my card over the terminal to instantly process my payment. It’s simple, secure and makes my day a little easier!

Invest in Quality…Sometimes

There are times when buying the cheapest school gear available is a great strategy and times when it really is worth the extra few dollars to buy a quality product. As long as a pencil writes well and a ruler is straight and clearly marked, the price doesn’t matter. So, making inexpensive choices just makes sense.

But for school gear like backpacks, shoes and electronics, spending the extra few dollars will ensure that your purchases make it through the whole year and sometimes for years after as well. For example, last year, I sent one child to school with a high-quality backpack and the other with a budget backpack featuring a superhero.

benjamin school shoes

Before Christmas, the fun, colourful superhero image had ripped off the front of my youngest son’s backpack. By the end of the year, the backpack was full of holes and barely functional. Similarly, any time I’ve tried to buy inexpensive indoor shoes for school, the shoes have come home with rips, holes or broken pieces…sometimes after only a few months!

That’s why I now look for warranties and quality when it comes to somewhat pricier items. I splurged on a $25 computer headset for my oldest son in Grade 2 instead of a $10 budget option, and four years later, it still works perfectly. And by choosing items with guarantees and warranties, I know I won’t have sudden expenses halfway through the year if items do suddenly break.

Get Kids Involved in the Budget

When kids get a little older, they tend to get a little pickier when it comes to the brands and styles of their clothes and school gear. Letting them express their individuality is great, but don’t let your wallet take a hit as a result!

walmart school supplies

Instead, set a budget for school supply shopping and let your kids help allocate the money in a way that works for them. Your son may be happy in thrift-shop clothing, but want to splurge on a brand-name binder. Or your daughter may be happy doing some DIY creations to save on supplies so that she can buy that one trendy dress she’s been coveting.

Either way, letting kids take an active part in the back-to-school spending doesn’t just ensure they’ll love their gear. It also helps your children learn about the importance of budgeting and how it can help them prioritize their purchases. And by paying with your INTERAC® Debit card using Interac Flash, you’re also helping your kids learn that they should have the money to pay for their purchases right away…not rely on credit.

Personally, I’ve found that over the years, saving money on school supply shopping is one of those things that’s gone from a cumbersome chore to a fun challenge for me. It’s amazing how satisfying it can be to see how much I can save when going through that endless list of school supplies.

Get started on your own saving spree with these tips, and see what other techniques you can use to help you save as much as possible getting your kids stocked up for the new school year. Once you see the extra money in your bank account come September, you may want to start your own yearly saving challenge too!

Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post; however, all opinions expressed here are my own. Interac and Interac Flash are registered trade-marks of Interac Inc. Used under license.

Filed Under: Articles, Money Tagged With: back to school, back to school shopping, back-to-school saving, back-to-school shopping tips, budget, interac, interac flash, save, save money, save on school shopping, save on school supplies, school budget, school shopping, school shopping budget, school shopping tips, school supplies, school supply budget, shopping, tips

4 Tips for Refinancing Your Auto Loan

July 4, 2017 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

There are many ways to save money on monthly expenses, from getting rid of cable television to finding a cheaper cell phone plan. While cutting out some of these incidentals can save a couple of hundred dollars a month off monthly expenses, there are other ways that you can save money that may take more than a few phone calls.

Have you considered other ways in which you can save money? How much are you paying for your car every month? Is your interest rate high? Refinancing your auto loan to a lower rate could lower your monthly payments and save you a bundle over the life of your loan. Here are some tips on refinancing your auto loan:

luxury car [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Money Tagged With: car loan, car loan tips, car loans, interest, interest savings, loan, loan refinancing, loan savings tips, refinance, refinancing, save, save money, save on car loan, save on interest, savings, tips

Save 25% on CHL Tickets Right Now with AIR MILES Perks-Giveaway

February 16, 2017 by Kathryn 18 Comments

My oldest son has been a hockey fan almost since he learned what the sport was. Even though our constant moving in the last two years has meant that he’s been unable to play on a team, he is constantly following the hockey scores, reading about his favourite players and, of course, cheering on his favourite teams. We love encouraging his passion for the sport by taking him to games when we get the chance and with some great CHL teams in Saskatchewan, we have plenty of opportunities to do that. But a night at the rink can get pricey pretty quick, and that’s why I was thrilled to learn about the newest AIR MILES Perk available to collectors!

regina pats game

AIR MILES Perks are special savings offers and rewards available to anyone that collects AIR MILES…no mile redemption required! And right now, AIR MILES has partnered with the CHL to offer 25% off ticket purchases to CHL games so that you can take the whole family out for a night of cheering on your team, and save a ton when you do! We had the chance to attend a Regina Pats game thanks to AIR MILES and, as expected, it was a night the boys won’t be forgetting any time soon!

What I love about CHL games is that they generally really celebrate the city and include some fun benefits that larger venues aren’t always able to offer. For example, the boys each received a special Valentine’s Day treat bag courtesy of the Regina Pats at the game on February 14 containing lollipops, stickers and a few other fun treats. We also enjoyed some freshly made mini doughnuts before sitting down to watch the game.

chl regina pats game

The seats were in the back center and gave us a great view of the ice. The game was off to an exciting start with the opposition up by two and the Pats coming back with a goal to get in striking distance of the lead. But then the Everett Silvertips jumped ahead by another two points, with their goalie making some professional-level saves to keep the Pats at bay. Our home team did manage to sneak in another goal before the end, though!

Want to surprise someone special with a hockey night out? AIR MILES is very generously offering two lucky Mommy Kat and Kids readers two tickets to a participating CHL game of their choice! To enter to win, check out this AIR MILES Perk for yourself and leave a blog comment about which team you’d be cheering on if you won!

boys at rink

I love that AIR MILES has fun ways of rewarding collectors like this one, especially since it lets me save money and treat my boys to a special night out. When I combine the savings from my AIR MILES Perks with the AIR MILES Cash I earn that helps cover the cost of gas at Shell or snacks at Sobeys, a fun night out with the family couldn’t be more affordable! Hockey season doesn’t last much longer, so take advantage of the savings now!

Air Miles CHL Giveaway

mommy kat and kids rp2

Filed Under: Articles, Family Tagged With: air, air miles, air miles cash, air miles chl, air miles deals, air miles dream, air miles perks, air miles reward miles, airmiles, airmilesperks, cash, chl, chl hockey, chl tickets, collect air miles, dream, hockey, miles, reward, reward miles, rewards, save, save on chl tickets, saving, tickets

How To Save Money When You Create a Child’s Nursery

February 10, 2017 by Kathryn 2 Comments

Welcoming a new baby into your home is a special time. So chances are that you want to try to create the best nursery ever for your bundle of joy. While this is completely understandable, it’s not financially achievable for many people. After all, the decorations and furniture in a nursery soon become obsolete as a child grows. And spending too much initially means less to spend on clothing, books, toys and more as the months go by.

The good news is that you can still create a dreamy nursery for your baby without spending an excessive amount of money. Here are a few tips on how to do that!

baby and shoe

Be Realistic About What You Can Spend

One of the biggest factors that can cause overspending when designing a nursery is not having a set budget beforehand. It’s a bad idea to just jump online or head to the store and start making purchases. Sit down and work out how much money you can realistically afford to spend on creating the nursery. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Money Tagged With: babies, baby, baby planning, new baby, newborn, nursery, nursery design, nursery essentials, nursery planning tips, nursery savings, nursery tips, plan nursery, planning, save, save money, save on a nursery, tips

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