saving

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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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

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…]

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!

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.

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!

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

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…]

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…]

Find Great Deals with 8 Garage Sale Tips and #LeonsGarageSale Starting July 31

July 28, 2015 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

I’m a huge fan of garage sales and in a small town, there are a lot of them. In fact, one of my favourite summer activities is cruising around town looking for great deals at local garage sales. I especially like looking for kids’ toys and over the years, I’ve found some great ones! Since my youngest son loves stuffed animals so much, garage sales have been wonderful for finding new furry friends for my little one without having to spend a fortune!

If you’re a garage sale fan too, these eight tips will help you make the most of your garage sale experience: [Read more…]

Saving Made Simple: 5 Easy Tips for Creating Family Savings

June 19, 2015 by Kathryn 3 Comments

As a family there are certain expenses you have to pay, such as rent or a mortgage, household bills and car insurance, while other costs like clothing, food and entertainment may vary. While there are some high expenses that you cannot avoid, there are other costs that, if left unchecked, could cost you more than they have to such as car insurance (get a quote here). For other quality products at reasonable prices, consider these five easy tips for creating family savings.

1. Plan Meals

One of the biggest ways that families spend frivolously is eating out. On average, a planned meal at home costs between two and five dollars per serving. Even at a fast-food restaurant you look to pay five to eight dollars per person. A planned meal is not only cheaper, but it is usually healthier as well. Eating at home can help your savings and your health, which both pay off in the long run. [Read more…]

Come Join in the #CDNMoney Chat with @Scotiabank On June 9 at 7pm EST

June 7, 2015 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

It took me a lot of mistakes to become the responsible money manager that I am today. In my early years I used to struggle from paycheque to paycheque without saving a penny. While I’ve mostly mastered saving now, I know that there are a lot of other Canadians struggling to make ends meet.

That’s where the new Scotiabank Momentum Savings Account comes in. This unique new account rewards Canadians for saving by letting them earn up to 2% interest on their accounts instead of the current 0.75%. And to celebrate the debut of this new account, Scotiabank is going to be joining in this week’s #CDNMoney chat!

Come join in on Tuesday, June 9 at 7pm EST for a #CDNMoney chat that focuses on saving! Whether you have your own savings success story to share or you need some great new tips and tricks to help you save more, this chat is going to be full of great information.

As always, there’s no RSVP required and so much great information available. With special guest @Scotiabank and host @commoncentsmom, this is sure to be one educational and useful chat!