My stats for the month of November 2012

29. November 2012 · 16 comments · Categories: Blog Statistics

Hi all! I know you’re sick of hearing this, but wow – time is flying by. It’ll be Christmas in less than a month. I’m sure there will be lots of posts on how to save on Christmas costs and avoid stress!

Alexa Ranking: 196, 125. That’s down from about 206,000 at the end of last month. I have finally cracked the 200,00 I’ve been shooting for.  HOORAY!.

Twitter followers – I have 140 followers now. That’s up from 118 last month. Hooray! I very much appreciate those who’ve tweeted my posts, or suggested me on “follow friday” – I really think that’s helped widen my audience.

Facebook fans. Well – I actually have a facebook page now. But I haven’t done anything with it. I still haven’t done anything with it. Perhaps this weekend I will – I have officially designated this my “catch up” weekend on all the stuff I’ve been avoiding. :)

RSS subscribers – 22. Hmm. I’m up 4 from last month. It’s progress!

Unique Visitors – 1400. That’s down from last month. :( . Sigh. Guess I need to start coming up with better topics! :)

Do you post stats on your blog? Do you have monthly goals?

It’s not your imagination – prices have been rising over the past 10 years

28. November 2012 · 9 comments · Categories: Food

Statistics Canada (mostly referred to as Stats Canada) keeps track of all kinds of things, including the average price of various groceries.  Here are some of the food items that have gone up the most over the past 10 years.
·    Ground beef. It’s gone up by 37% in price over 10 years.
·    Peanut Butter – it’s gone up 24% over the past 10 years.  Mind you, peanut butter is still a fairly economical protein choice!
·    Cigarettes have gone up 16%. (not sure if this is truly groceries)
·    Paper towels have gone up  11%, with facial tissues also going up 11 percent, and toilet paper up 17 percent
·    Butter and ketchup have also gone up 6%
·    Shampoo has gone up 2%

So, some of these aren’t so bad – like shampoo, butter, and ketchup.  But the ground beef – wow, that’s a fairly big jump.

Then there’s the other side of the coin. When prices don’t go up – but the size goes down.  I bought an individual sized bag of chips the other day, and I swear it was about 20 grams smaller than they used to be. It doesn’t cost any more – but I’m definitely getting way less!

So, what are you supposed to do to fight these price rises?
·    Well, you can always cut back on meat.  I know, I know – meat can be super yummy. The smell of tacos makes me weak in the knees.  But there are some times that meat can be omitted (say, in chili), and you really won’t miss it, as long as you have plenty of beans and veggies in there.
·    Buy in bulk.  Bulk tends to be cheaper –but it’s only worth it if the product won’t spoil (e.g. toilet paper), you have somewhere to put it, and you really will use it.  And if you’ll just eat more of it (e.g. potato chips), then it’s not a good idea either.
·    Use alternates. Instead of paper towel, use rags.  Heck, I think my Mom used an old sleeper of mine for about 20 years as a rag.
·    Do without.  Smoking really isn’t a great habit, and there are much nicer ways to spend (or save!) your money.
·    Use less.  If I shower when I get up in the morning on the weekend, and then hit the gym, I’ll have another shower, but I won’t wash my hair again – it doesn’t need it, and there’s no point in wasting the shampoo.

What prices have you noticed going up the most? How do you deal with it?

30% off Ontario tuition? It could happen to you!

27. November 2012 · 6 comments · Categories: Education

I was just listening to the radio in the car this evening, and heard something about 30% off tuition for students in Ontario. Now, I’m a little past my student days, but I figured this would be a great topic to check out and blog about.

According to the nifty Ontario government web site, it’s “Money you don’t have to repay for students entering a public college or university from high school. If you’ve already applied for OSAP, you’ll be automatically considered for the 30% off tuition grant, too!” And it’s not too late to take advantage of this program for 2012-2013!

Sounds pretty awesome, eh? Want to learn more? Okay, here’s the run down. You could be eligible if:

  • You’re a full-time student at a public college or university in Ontario
  • You’ve been out of high school for less than four years
  • You’re in a program you can apply to directly from high school (e.g., undergraduate level)
  • You meet the citizenship and residency requirements
  • Your parents’ gross income (total before taxes) is $160,000 or less.

It seems like if you’ve applied for OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program – or, other, less flattering names, some of my friends used while paying off their loans :) ), then you are well on your way – but you’re not out of the running if you haven’t applied for OSAP. It’ll just take a little more work. You’ll need your SIN number, as well as your parents, and some information from their tax return.

There are some things to keep in mind though, such as:

  • You’re not eligible if you’re going to school part time
  • the 30% of tuition covered is based on the average tuition, not your tuition specifically. So if you’re in a very expensive program, it won’t necessarily come to 30% of your tuition
  • You’re not eligible if you’re a graduate student or a mature student
  • You aren’t eligible if you’re attending a private university/college

This sounds like an amazing program. I have a co-worker whose daughter is looking at schools next year – I’m definitely going to share this information with him! Please pass this along to anyone you know with school aged kids in Ontario – as we all know, saving money is a good thing!

 

 

 

Blog round up for November 23, 2012

23. November 2012 · 5 comments · Categories: Blog Roundup

Wow – I know everyone says it, but time really is flying by. I can’t believe it’s barely a month til Christmas.  For hard core shoppers, I guess they’re taking advantage of Black Friday deals both in Canada and the U.S.!

What did I blog about this week?

Some of my favourite posts around the blogosphere this week:

There were a lot more awesome posts that I just skimmed over – so I’ll have to be much more active visiting and commenting next week!

 

 

 

An introduction into the world of freegans

21. November 2012 · 9 comments · Categories: Lifestyle

If you’ve never heard this word this word, it’s a combination (or if you wanna get fancy a “portmanteau”) of the words free and vegan. This doesn’t mean that all freegans are vegan – but freegans are definitely into getting things for free!

The basic premise of being a freegan is trying to get things for free – preferably things that would just be going to waste anyways. Freegans will do dumpster diving to “rescue” anything from cast off furniture, clothes, household items, and even food.

So, what are the basics of being a freegan?

  • You avoid buying whenever possible. You make the most out of the clothing and other items you already have, and you certainly won’t be rushing out to get the latest Iphone.
  • You try to get what you can for free by scavenging it. This doesn’t mean you steal things or get them illegally – you just find what would have been thrown away anyways, or has already been thrown out.
  • You aren’t big on consumerism – you think it’s bad for society and for the environment.
  • You want to minimize your environmental footprint on the world

Is being a freegan legal?

For the most part, yes. If you live somewhere there are anti-scavenger laws, this may not be true. A lot of stores try to discourage dumpster diving by not leaving out food in them – they’re concerned about being sued if people get sick.

So, is this something I should consider?

Good question. I don’t think I have the right personality to be a freegan. I’m a rather self-conscious person, and just can’t see myself jumping into dumpsters. I live in the same town as my parents, and if anyone I or they knew ever saw me, I’d never hear the end of it! I like to live a life style I’d consider a little less extreme than freeganism, but still environmentally and fiscally friendly (not wasting food, buying some clothes at thrift stores, taking public transit to work,etc.).

How about you? Would you ever consider being a freegan?

10 recession proof businesses or jobs – part 2

20. November 2012 · 11 comments · Categories: Career

Yesterday, I covered part 1 of my list of recession proof businesses or jobs, and today I’m going to finish the list. I was inspired by an article on the Web site “How Stuff Works.”

Here are the remaining 5 jobs or careers that are considered recession proof:

  • Vices – basically, smoking, alcohol, and gambling. And something else I won’t mention here as this is a family friendly blog. :) .  While some folks will cut back in order to save money, some will indulge their bad habits even more as a way with coping with stress.
  • Discount retail. Places such as Wal-Mart, Dollar Stores, and thrift shops do well during recessions. It makes perfect sense – people are looking to spend less, and these are the places to do it!
  • Information Technology. It’s the age of the geek, baby! Technology isn’t going anywhere, and almost all companies make use of it one way or the other. Yes, jobs are being shipped offshore, but in at least some cases, this has gone so badly that jobs are now being relocated back to North America.
  • Health Care. With an aging population, this makes sense – and for the most part, it can’t be outsourced!
  • Non-cyclical businesses. Basically, this means stuff that people continue to need, regardless of how the economy is. So – people will still die (funeral homes), pay taxes (accountants), and need electricity, gas, and waste disposal (utility companies).

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list, and keep it in mind if you or anyone you know is thinking of making a career change.  Heck, encourage your kids to look into some of these, and support you in your old age! :)

If you had to pick ones of these fields to work in, which would it be?

10 recession proof businesses or jobs – part 1

19. November 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Career

I am addicted to the site “How Stuff Works”.  It’s a great way for me to pretend I’m learning things, when really, I just want to do the latest quiz on Star Trek or James Bond.  It does cover a variety of topics though, and one of them was on recession proof businesses. So, if you’re thinking of starting your own business or changing jobs, these may be some ones to consider:

  • Candy, Cosmetics,and Contraceptives.  Makes sense if you think about it. Almost everyone loves a sweet treat, and they are a fairly inexpensive pick me up. Buying a new lipstick is much cheaper than buying a new dress. And as for contraceptives – well, if you’re broke, you probably don’t want a baby on the way.
  • Luxury retail. That one surprised me a bit – but of course, while most of us do badly in a recession, there are still folks with money – and who want to show it off.
  • Repossessions.  Yup, taking stuff away from the folks who can’t pay for it now. You gotta have a strong stomach for this though.
  • Government.  Well, it is unionized for the most part, and they are more recession proof than most, but even they lay people off.  As with most union jobs, it’s all about seniority, and if your department is seen as money making or just “nice to have”.
  • Education. Hmm – I’m not sure I agree with this one as much. A lot of people go back to school to become teachers after they lose their jobs, and right now, there are more teachers than there are positions.  If you’re teaching already and have seniority, then it’s a pretty good gig. If you have qualifications that make you stand out (e.g. you’re bilingual) or are willing to move, this may also be a good field to consider.

Please tune back in tomorrow when I’ll cover the remaining 5 careers.

Would you ever consider any of these jobs? Are you in any of these fields right now?

 

How much can you save with a balance transfer?

14. November 2012 · 8 comments · Categories: Credit Cards

I have a few credit cards (and yes, I use them responsibly, get “points” for them, and pay them off on time). Recently I got an email suggesting I transfer a balance from one of my other credit cards, to my “Big Bank” credit card.

I didn’t really worry about it, since I never carry a balance. But – since the email kindly broke down what I could if I did do a balance transfer, I thought it’d be a handy thing to share with folks.

The “Big Bank” credit card was offering the following:

  • A “special” low annual interest rate of 1.99% on balance transfers
  • The rate would apply for up to 6 months
  • A balance transfer fee of 1% of the balance I’m transferring would apply

And how much would I save?

  • If I was carrying a 5,000 balance on retail store/gas credit card, and it had an interest rate of 28.8 %, I’d pay 481.80 in interest over 4 months
  • If I was carrying the same balance on another credit card, with an interest rate of 21.99 %, I’d pay 364.82 in interest over 4 months
  • But – if I transferred it over, as was only paying 1.99% a month, I’d only be paying 82.45 a month! And this includes the 1% balance transfer fee.

Overall, it sounds like a pretty good deal. And it is – is you make sure you pay the balance off before the rate goes up, and you don’t do anything that could cause the bank to revoke their offer, and start charging you the full interest rate (Always read the fine print!).

Of course, the best thing to do is just pay off the balance in full NOW, but that’s not always a viable option. :)

Have you ever done a balance transfer? Or sat down and calculated how much you could save with a much lower interest rate?

 

If you can’t make it on 40,000 a year – is it your fault?

13. November 2012 · 23 comments · Categories: Budgeting

The answer to that question is Yes – if you agree with Len Penzo, who wrote an article about this very idea.

Now – keep in mind – Len is not actually making it on 40,000 a year – he just says that he could if had to. And he has tracked everything he’s spent and earned for 12 years – so he’s obviously got a pretty good grip on his finances! (Note: After reading some further posts, I think it actually may be his wife doing a good chunk of the tracking! :) )

So, what’s he basing this on?

  • Len lives in southern California. His mortgage is 640 a month. And, keeping in mind that prices have gone up, he found a 3 bedroom family home that you could rent for about 900 a month in his area.
  • Including all of his other expenses (which are covered in very pretty charts here), he spends 36,000 a year in total (not including taxes).

Sorry I can’t provide more detail, but his posts are don’t provide a lot of specifics on the dollar amounts spend – more just the total household amount of money spend on each category.

So this got me to wondering – could I make it on 40,000 a year? Well, if it was just me – or just me, hubby, and Kelsey the cat, then probably. It wouldn’t be easy, but I think we could make it. I know my husband was making less than that when he got his first job, and a few years back, when I was utterly miserable at a job and considering just quitting, I did the math, and determined we could get buy on just my husband’s salary.

I think the biggest thing to keep in mind would be transportation. My husband and I both commute to work via train and that runs us 600 a month (yes, I know that’s high, but the only other option would be to drive, and parking is very expensive and the stress would kill us!). Presumably, if we dropped down to 40,000 a year, only 1 of us would now be working, or we’d both just have low paying, local jobs, where we wouldn’t need to commute at all. So, we’d be looking at a big decrease in transportation costs, either way.

The other thing is – we don’t have kids. I honestly don’t know how much it costs to raise children – some folks seem to be willing to spend every last time they have on them, and some find a way to keep expenses to a minimum.

Could you make it on 40,000 a year?

How to use coupons to help the less fortunate

12. November 2012 · 15 comments · Categories: Coupons

I read this interesting article not too long ago about a man who uses his couponing skills to help donate to the less fortunate. Now keep in mind this is taking place in the U.S. We just don’t have the same range of coupons here as they do in the U.S., but it’s still an interesting concept to consider.

On a side note before I get started – if you are looking to stretch your grocery budget further, please do visit Canadian Budget Binder. Mr. CBB is a pro at using the coupons we Canucks can get access to, and is a great at stretching his grocery budget!

The avid coupon clipper, named Rodney Osbourne starting clipping coupons when both he and his wife were unemployed.  However, after things got better for them, he continued to keep at it (there’s a great frugality tip here – if you can keep the habits you develop when you’re really broke, they’ll help you continue to save money when things better!)

Osborne has donated food, school supplies, and personal care items. He says that he estimates a recent purchase of almost 200 school supply items cost him less than 5 dollars! (Seriously, sometimes I really envy folks in the U.S.!).

So, what are us thoughtful, but not as well blessed with coupons Canadians supposed to do if we want to help others – but not break our own budgets? Here are some ideas I’ve used:

1. At Thanksgiving and Christmas stores often put out pre-packaged bags you can buy and donate to food banks. When I’ve bought these, I’ve definitely gotten more bang for my buck than if I’ve just purchased all the items on my own.

2. Donate those little soaps and shampoos you get at hotels. Last year, my work place did a drive for a women’s shelter where everyone donated extra toiletries they had at home.  It’s a great way to clear out some of the stuff under your sink, and it doesn’t cost you anything extra!

3. Try to get free samples!

4. Stock up while things are on sale. I’ve seen toothpaste and toothbrushes go as low as 99 cents.

5. Donate things you don’t need. I have a friend who is a teacher, who has kids who frequently show up without anything to write with. And the school boards cover very little these days. So I gave her a bunch of freebie pencils I had, but was never going to use – she was so happy to get them!

How do you help others without busting your budget?

 

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