5 Ways to Save Money

I’m a firm believer that if you look after the pennies, the dollars will look after themselves.

Here are some ways I saved money in the last week:

1.       Free toothpaste Crest toothpaste, 100 ml size, Cavity Protection, was on sale for $0.98 each (limit 12) at Real Canadian Superstore. I had a Proctors & Gamble coupon for buy 2 Crest products, get $2.50 off. So I paid $1.96 for the toothpaste, and $2.50 was taken off my bill. Note this grocer’s coupon policy is to not allow overage (that is, give you the whole value of the coupon if it’s more than the price you paid), but neither the cashier nor I caught this.

 

2.       Deal on meat During that same shopping trip, I purchased three packages of chicken with a “Best Before” sticker for the following day. I saved 30% off each package. I roasted the whole chicken for dinner the same day, and turned the remainder into chicken tetrazzini the following night. The bones went into the freezer to save for making stock. The other two packages of chicken thighs went into the freezer for later.

3.       Save bread It seems that nobody here likes to fiddle with slicing the last inch or two of the homemade bread. The ends sit lonely and forlorn in their plastic bag. I’ve been throwing them into the freezer – all into one Ziploc – and by the weekend we’ll have enough for a big batch of French toast.

4.       Reuse items Speaking of Ziploc bags, I always wash them out and reuse them, unless they’ve held meat or something difficult to clean out. I use these bags a lot, for things like storing homemade baking, or splitting up club pack deals of items to put into the freezer.

5.       Reduce use of Electricity Our electricity rates have skyrocketed in the last few months, so we are trying to reduce our usage. I let the pots and pans soak after supper for a couple of hours before washing them by hand, instead of putting them into the dishwasher. Also, I’m trying to load it so that it holds a maximum number of dishes, to reduce how often we run it. Big Guy often comes along, sighs heavily, and quickly rearranges the dishes so that many more can fit in. Oh well, one can’t be good at everything!

I’d love to hear a way that you saved money if you’d like to share it!