It's my birthday today!!!!
So I have just recently received all these emails reminding me that there are heaps of companies offering a free product or discount for members on their birthday.
why not sign up now on their websites (as some require a little bit of time before your birthday to get your details into the system)
Subway: free 6 inch sub and drink
AMF bowling: 1 free game valid for month after your birthday
Cheesecake shop: $5 off cake
Cold rock: free kids sized ice cream
Spotlight: 10% off on birthday
Boost Juice: free boost smoothie
especially for the kids
Hungry Jacks: free happy meal voucher
let me know if you have discovered any other offers you have discovered from companies.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
School Holidays on a Budget
Its school holidays here this week and last week. So of course that means outings and entertaining the kids.
But this does not have to see all of your money leaving your pockets.
* Check your local library
often they have school holiday events for children of different ages.
we have seen magicians, favourite movies on the projector screen, science shows and even puppet shows to name a few.
all have entertained the children for an hour or two, but break up the day just enough to keep them busy.
* Check your local toy stores
lately I have noticed Toys R Us offer assorted creative days.
So far we have done a "build a Lego creation" and "design a train" events, where they spend time in the store making the item, and then able to take it home, for FREE!
Paid activities done have to cost a fortune either
If you go to the movies, go on the discount day, book online so you don't have to worry about how busy it might get.
Take drinks and a few snacks from home.
And if your lucky enough like us, Kmart is right near our cinema's and they have a wide range of lolly bags for just $1. This means I can let the children choose a bag each and share them out into containers I have bought from home and they get a range of lollies.
Take a picnic to your local playground or skate park, even if its just a serve of hot chips and a loaf of bread, it still makes for a cheap activity, and will run off a lot of the kids energy.
These are just a few ideas to help you get through the rest of your school holidays, i would love to hear what other things your children enjoy doing on the school holidays, and any tips you have to make it more cost effective.
But this does not have to see all of your money leaving your pockets.
* Check your local library
often they have school holiday events for children of different ages.
we have seen magicians, favourite movies on the projector screen, science shows and even puppet shows to name a few.
all have entertained the children for an hour or two, but break up the day just enough to keep them busy.
* Check your local toy stores
lately I have noticed Toys R Us offer assorted creative days.
So far we have done a "build a Lego creation" and "design a train" events, where they spend time in the store making the item, and then able to take it home, for FREE!
Paid activities done have to cost a fortune either
If you go to the movies, go on the discount day, book online so you don't have to worry about how busy it might get.
Take drinks and a few snacks from home.
And if your lucky enough like us, Kmart is right near our cinema's and they have a wide range of lolly bags for just $1. This means I can let the children choose a bag each and share them out into containers I have bought from home and they get a range of lollies.
Take a picnic to your local playground or skate park, even if its just a serve of hot chips and a loaf of bread, it still makes for a cheap activity, and will run off a lot of the kids energy.
These are just a few ideas to help you get through the rest of your school holidays, i would love to hear what other things your children enjoy doing on the school holidays, and any tips you have to make it more cost effective.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Make Old New Again
Oops time got a way from me since my last post.
Wish I could save and store some of that time, I could do with and extra hour or two on some days, SOME days... When the kids aren't fighting!!!
Wish I could save and store some of that time, I could do with and extra hour or two on some days, SOME days... When the kids aren't fighting!!!
Today's post has a little to do with my other passion, sewing! (If you aren't already aware of my other blog, feel free to check it out here: Sew Very Simple)
There are many ways sewing can help save you money, if you stick to a budget and not actually buy every fabric your see.
But it opens up a whole world of handmade gifts, decorations and clothing.
I want to show you just a few examples of some money saving items I have created lately from some ill fitting, broken items and even from items not even intended for myself can be made in to something new (Eg making a men's business shirts to a pretty top is on my to do list)
But it opens up a whole world of handmade gifts, decorations and clothing.
I want to show you just a few examples of some money saving items I have created lately from some ill fitting, broken items and even from items not even intended for myself can be made in to something new (Eg making a men's business shirts to a pretty top is on my to do list)
This pink cardi's zip has broken, so instead of getting rid of it, i have decorated the area where the zip was to make a nice open cardi
So just because an item may have seen it's days in its original form, doesn't mean it needs to be binned yet.
There are the very simplest ways of updating an item to change its look.
If your stumped for ideas search for "refashion ideas" on either google or pinterest, I promise there will be planty of ideas, tutorials and tips!
There are the very simplest ways of updating an item to change its look.
If your stumped for ideas search for "refashion ideas" on either google or pinterest, I promise there will be planty of ideas, tutorials and tips!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Product Samples
There is a wide range of products available for sampling, from face creams, hand creams, shampoos, to sanitary products, baby lotions and much more.
A lot of the time there is a form on their website or Facebook page for you to fill out and they will post off the samples they have available at the time.
Be sure to read the terms and conditions with apply for these samples.
A lot of the time it’s one per mailing address (not per person living in the house)
and some companies (I know for a fact I have ready this on sanitary company's websites) you can reapply once a year.
Not only will the products samples save you money while you are using the free product quantity but also help you determine if you really want to spend your money on a full size version of this product, especially if it’s just not quite right for your skin type or hair type etc.
So think of favourite and popular brands, and have a look around their websites to see what they have on offer.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Collect Your Coins
Not only do coins make you wallet and bag heavy, but how often are you
really going to pay for something with 50c worth of 5c pieces? Or use $2 worth of 50c pieces?
We all would prefer to pay with a note... or cards now days!
So get yourself a jar or a tin- you don’t even have to spend extra money getting one of these, wash up a coffee jar/tin, or a milo tin in the dishwasher as you would normally- and while it’s still damp the label should just peel right off!
Once you’re in the habit of coming home from a shopping trip or day out and emptying any coins (or choose just to do silver) into your jar or tin, you won’t even flinch at the thought.
Just don’t count how much you’re putting in each time, or you might hesitate putting the coins in!
You really will be surprised how quickly it adds up.
Perhaps put a picture, or write a note on a new label to remind yourself what you want to save up for. This will help you get that little bit more of an incentive to save.
Every month, or when the jar is full you can exchange for notes at the bank, or open a separate account to continue the savings if you aiming for a bigger ticket item.
If there really isn’t anything you have in mind to save for, another use for the money in the tin is an emergency tin.
Ready for those times when things are a little tight and ran out of bread, milk, nappies etc. that week, we all know unexpected expenses can pop up.
Or I use our tin for what I call "School Money"
It means I always have money ready for excursions, Fundraisers, book club orders, and even the odd special treat of a lunch order from the school canteen.
If you worry about needing coins in your bag from time to time because of pay parking or shopping trolleys that require a coin, try keeping $5 worth of gold coins in either your car or separately in your wallet.
We all would prefer to pay with a note... or cards now days!
So get yourself a jar or a tin- you don’t even have to spend extra money getting one of these, wash up a coffee jar/tin, or a milo tin in the dishwasher as you would normally- and while it’s still damp the label should just peel right off!
Once you’re in the habit of coming home from a shopping trip or day out and emptying any coins (or choose just to do silver) into your jar or tin, you won’t even flinch at the thought.
Just don’t count how much you’re putting in each time, or you might hesitate putting the coins in!
You really will be surprised how quickly it adds up.
Perhaps put a picture, or write a note on a new label to remind yourself what you want to save up for. This will help you get that little bit more of an incentive to save.
Every month, or when the jar is full you can exchange for notes at the bank, or open a separate account to continue the savings if you aiming for a bigger ticket item.
If there really isn’t anything you have in mind to save for, another use for the money in the tin is an emergency tin.
Ready for those times when things are a little tight and ran out of bread, milk, nappies etc. that week, we all know unexpected expenses can pop up.
Or I use our tin for what I call "School Money"
It means I always have money ready for excursions, Fundraisers, book club orders, and even the odd special treat of a lunch order from the school canteen.
If you worry about needing coins in your bag from time to time because of pay parking or shopping trolleys that require a coin, try keeping $5 worth of gold coins in either your car or separately in your wallet.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Make a Budget
Before we can go looking
for too many bargains, we really need to sort out the budget.
Whether it is weekly, fortnightly or monthly here is a simple way to get on top of things.
So grab a pen and paper (and a cuppa) and let’s work through this together.
1) Write down all incoming income and how often it is received (to the dollar if you can)
2) Think of all the regular bills you receive- don’t worry about prices just yet. These will most likely be: rent/mortgage, landline phone, internet, mobile/s, pay TV, electricity, gas, water, car insurance, house/contents insurance.
3) Now we will list how often they are-monthly/quarterly/yearly and roughly how much they are per bill.
Before we go too much further, if you have noticed some of you bills are creeping up in price per bill cycle due to usage, perhaps it is time to call the companies and see if there are any different plans they can offer.
Perhaps a better cap?
A bundle deal?
A loyal customer offer?
While you are on the phone to them, see if they offer an “Even pay” option.
This usually means that they will work out for you, how much you need to pay per week/fortnight/month to be able to cover the cost of the bill, therefore making your spending feel smaller, helps pay off the bill and also makes the day you receive the paper bill less daunting as the amount owing will be smaller… if not, it may even be in credit.
4) I highly recommend paying a small amount on each bill per pay day for the above reasons of making this less daunting.
Divide each of your bill amounts by how many pay days you have per month
E.g.: your phone bill is $189 per month, and I want to pay a little of it during each of my fortnightly pay days= $94.50
However, I am going to round my payment UP to an even $100. To help cover the times I use over my plan, and just to catch up a little and to be able to see the rewards when it does end up in credit.
5) Continue to do this with all of your bills and you should be able to see exactly what is going in and out each pay day.
Don’t leave yourself short.
Reassess things if you have more money going out then coming in.
Also, beware some companies charge to automatically take out your chosen payment per pay day (and don’t risk an overdraw fee if your pay is delayed and payment comes out when there isn’t enough money in your account)
Your bank also has the option of automatic direct debits- but again check for hidden fees.
Otherwise, it might be time to get in to the habit of spending a few minutes on your pay day, manually sending out payments from your home internet banking account.
The more disciplined you are at sticking with your budget; the more likely you are to see the benefits from it.
If you have any further question- or I have completely confused you, please feel free to email me and I can help you further.
Whether it is weekly, fortnightly or monthly here is a simple way to get on top of things.
So grab a pen and paper (and a cuppa) and let’s work through this together.
1) Write down all incoming income and how often it is received (to the dollar if you can)
2) Think of all the regular bills you receive- don’t worry about prices just yet. These will most likely be: rent/mortgage, landline phone, internet, mobile/s, pay TV, electricity, gas, water, car insurance, house/contents insurance.
3) Now we will list how often they are-monthly/quarterly/yearly and roughly how much they are per bill.
Before we go too much further, if you have noticed some of you bills are creeping up in price per bill cycle due to usage, perhaps it is time to call the companies and see if there are any different plans they can offer.
Perhaps a better cap?
A bundle deal?
A loyal customer offer?
While you are on the phone to them, see if they offer an “Even pay” option.
This usually means that they will work out for you, how much you need to pay per week/fortnight/month to be able to cover the cost of the bill, therefore making your spending feel smaller, helps pay off the bill and also makes the day you receive the paper bill less daunting as the amount owing will be smaller… if not, it may even be in credit.
4) I highly recommend paying a small amount on each bill per pay day for the above reasons of making this less daunting.
Divide each of your bill amounts by how many pay days you have per month
E.g.: your phone bill is $189 per month, and I want to pay a little of it during each of my fortnightly pay days= $94.50
However, I am going to round my payment UP to an even $100. To help cover the times I use over my plan, and just to catch up a little and to be able to see the rewards when it does end up in credit.
5) Continue to do this with all of your bills and you should be able to see exactly what is going in and out each pay day.
Don’t leave yourself short.
Reassess things if you have more money going out then coming in.
Also, beware some companies charge to automatically take out your chosen payment per pay day (and don’t risk an overdraw fee if your pay is delayed and payment comes out when there isn’t enough money in your account)
Your bank also has the option of automatic direct debits- but again check for hidden fees.
Otherwise, it might be time to get in to the habit of spending a few minutes on your pay day, manually sending out payments from your home internet banking account.
The more disciplined you are at sticking with your budget; the more likely you are to see the benefits from it.
If you have any further question- or I have completely confused you, please feel free to email me and I can help you further.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Daily Deals
If you want to be on the lookout for deals from the comfort of your own home, be sure to sign up to the websites offering assorted daily deals via email.
There is heaps of different sites, and I am sure there are new one starting each day- now other have caught on to how good these sites are!
Some of my favourites are:
Spreets
Living Social
Scoopon
Groupon
Our Deal
Some things may not be of interest to you, but some things- like hairdresser deals, are something I will always grab when they pop up, even if I have just had my hair done... I know I will need another cut and colour in a couple of months’ time. and the 30-60% off saving is more than enough incentive to grab a deal while I can!
I have also grabbed the odd restaurant deal, so the hubby and I can have a guilt free date night without it costing an arm and a leg!
And from time to time there have been things I can do with the kids during school holidays to make this break less expensive- Bowling, Mini golf and a range of site seeing deals such as the Dinosaur museum or Bird Sanctuary. Plus much more.
Just remember, dont buy just because it feels like a deal, only buy if you WILL use it!
There is heaps of different sites, and I am sure there are new one starting each day- now other have caught on to how good these sites are!
Some of my favourites are:
Spreets
Living Social
Scoopon
Groupon
Our Deal
Some things may not be of interest to you, but some things- like hairdresser deals, are something I will always grab when they pop up, even if I have just had my hair done... I know I will need another cut and colour in a couple of months’ time. and the 30-60% off saving is more than enough incentive to grab a deal while I can!
I have also grabbed the odd restaurant deal, so the hubby and I can have a guilt free date night without it costing an arm and a leg!
And from time to time there have been things I can do with the kids during school holidays to make this break less expensive- Bowling, Mini golf and a range of site seeing deals such as the Dinosaur museum or Bird Sanctuary. Plus much more.
Just remember, dont buy just because it feels like a deal, only buy if you WILL use it!
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