More boxes updated

Hello everyone,

This is the other half of the box list updates. I will be working hard in the next couple of weeks to add another beauty box list.

Now Ships to Canada

Bride box-35$ a month get you fun full sized items tailored for a bride.

Dottiebox- Get a box full of  hand picked, hand made indie products for 20$ a month for a full box and 10$ for a mini box.

jewelbits- For  as low 33$ a month receive up to 125$ worth of jewellery (2-3 pieces)

Runner Box- For 10$ a month you can receive this "runners" box ( they also offer boxes for cyclist and triathletes) which contains many items from snacks to accessories. Only ships to select areas in Canada ( 14.95$ S&H fee).


No longer Available

Cave Cravings- For 30$ a month receive over 30$ worth of organic and paleo snacks.
This box does not ship to Canada but there site is down right now. The link still work but the company has their own message.

Cloud9 sample box-For 15$ a month (5.95$ S&H) you receive a box of 5-6 food samples. 
No longer available.

Go bits is now Vibites- Boxes cost 28$ for a box of 14 snacks you can pick and choose how often you want to see them in your mail box.

Green fork-N-spoon- For 29$ monthly receive 8-20 healthy snacks for you and your family.

Hungry Globe Trotters- For 34.95$ a month receive a dinner kit that includes spices and other items you need to make a supper for four to explore tastes around the world.

Jungle Stand-  For 9.92$ a month you receive several bite-sized samples to taste.

Mexican Candy box- Plans start at 15$ a month and you receive candies and snacks from Mexico.

Sprig- For 30$ a month receive 7-10 full size gluten free snacks.


Taste for sweets- For 16$ a month you receive 14+ snacks delivered to your door from around the world.

Beautylishious- Monthly non-subscription bag (you can buy only on month without subscribing) for 12$ a month or 36$ for 3 you receive 4-5 trial and full sized products that are considered organic and home-made.

Lily and Eve- For 19.99$ plus S&H and receive artisan handmade items from all over the US.

The tethered crate- For 24.95$ a month you receive 3-5 items from the hand-made community.

Bleu box- For 34.99$ a month receive 50$ worth of jewellery.

Candid Box- For 39$ a month you receive 5 fashion jewellery items. ( This is apparently now a sugar box but there is no where to sign up on the page).

Shiny Set- 24.99$ monthly CND 29.99 US ( you can also subscribe quarterly or yearly) you receive a jewellery set which includes a necklace and earrings.

Lily and Eve- For 19.99$ plus S&H and receive artisan handmade items from all over the US.


Pretty in a box- Pick between two plans 15$ (mini box) which features trial sized items, or 50$ a month for the full-sized box. Receive any thing from Jewelry to treats or make-up

Scrubscriptions- Plans start at 28$ a month and receive a pair of scrub and some relaxation products along with other nifty things for the nurse.
Start off at Q box

The big pink box-  For 25$ ( for new boxes) you receive several samples and product from small women run business. You can receive jewellery to soaps.

The tethered crate- For 24.95$ a month you receive 3-5 items from the hand-made community.

Umba box- Plans start at 25$ a month plus 9$ shipping. Receive 2-3 hand made products.

Welly Box- Plans start at 22$ a month plus 7.95$ Shipping. Receive a box with several different items that are all organic and on the market.

Cloud9 Sample box-  For 15$( + 5.95 s&h) a month receive 5-6 food and beauty sample items.

Sparaj- For 40$ you get a variety of items from Asia.

My cotton bunny- For 16$ a month receive all you need for your period and a little gift as well.

Trinkets- Receive tampons in the mail ( all natural cotton) as often as you would like. ( Not sure to where it ships)

Smokers Choice- A monthly 420 box subscription cost between 25$-75$ depending on the box you choose you get to receive novelty items to make your high time easier.

Kona Kase-  15$a month and you receive everything to perform at your best from nutritional products to tips and tricks. ( Will be delivering in Canada in 2014)

Bikeloot- Boxes cost between 8-10$ ( depending on the subscription months) and you receive 5-6 products from snack, bike gear and personal care.

Fit box- For 14$ a box you receive a box with nutritional supplements, snacks and fitness promotions.

Best friend- For 30$ a month receive a box filled with toys, grooming products and natural treats.

Katsens Pets-  Plans start as low as 25$ a month (4-7 samples depending on the box) Each box can contain, treats, toys and accessories. They also support rescue groups.

Pets love toys- Plans start at 19.95-24.95$ depending on your pets size ( dogs and cats), view your pets gallery pick out the items you want and then ship it.

PoochPax- Plans start at 19$ a month and you will receive 4-6 age appropriate toys and treats that your dog will love.

My big day-For 18$ a month you receve 4-5 beauty samples sent to you in evening clutch bags.

Co-ED- Choose between the classic (20$) or the deluxe (35$) box and receive a box full of snacks and items that will help you through your school day.

Weekly update and a GIVEAWAY

Hello love muffins, 

Just a quick update on everything going on this week. 

The no spending freeze is going well. I haven't spent any money. I am really proud of myself for this. It has been really hard not to spend any money on things I don't need. At work I am surrounded by snacks and a bunch of other food goodness. Sometimes even if I bring my own food I still find myself wanting to eat things even though I am not hungry. To help me curb these urges of wanting to eat I just drink water which seems to help. 

I am also doing the 30 days of yoga challenge with YWA. We are on day 19 and I feel amazing. I won't lie this is also a little hard. I don't always want to do yoga. There has been a few days when I really didn't want to do it but I pushed through it and when I was done I felt really good. 

I want to stick those habits and I am hoping that after these 30 days I will continue these habits. I was reading this article the other and it claimed that  can take 214 days before a habit becomes an automated response.  I am hoping that with determination I can bring these habits into my life and keep there. Last year I was doing a great job at exercising and then at the end of the year all my resolutions went into the gutter because I caved in to all my unhealthy habits. This year I am going to stick to them and lead a healthier happier life. 

My words for the the last yoga days have been:

Day 15;Appreciation

Day 16: Relaxation

Day 17: Energy

Day 18: Forgiveness

Day 19:Opposition

I will be reviewing a subscription box with the next month ( shipping out on the 27th of this month so probably February). They have informed me to a give away and I am gladly inform you about it. 

It is by Beanbox they are doing a give away for a free aero press and a one month subscription ( the box alone is 20$) .

Click here for the link and your chance to win.

Good luck everyone. 

Me

Boxes updated

Hello all.

I said that I will be going through my box list to see if any are no longer available or if they now ship to Canada. As well as trying to add new boxes to the list. If I miss any please feel free to let me know and I will add it to the list. Below are the changes that have happened so far. I will continue to work on the list as fast as I can.

I also realized as I was doing this that my box list for beauty was erased . I will be working to remake a beauty box list for every one sorry about this inconvenience.



Below are added boxes to the list:


Button up- Plans start at 16.99$ a month and you receive a new button up shirt every month to keep your work life clothes ever changing. ( Not sure where this box ships)

Kitnipbox-  Plans start at 19$ ( 6.95 shipping and handling to CAN). Every month your kitty ( or kitties) will get a box full of treats, toys and accessories.

Does not ship to Canada

Tuck in the box- For various prices you get a box for school age children or adults.



Boxes that now ship to Canada

Steepster- 17$ a month get you 3 hand selected teas that follow the theme of the month ( enough tea to make 20-30 6 oz cups).

Lendperk- Plans start at 20$ a month and you can rent dresses out. If you like the dress then you can buy it.


Boxes that were removed as they are no longer available: ( if I have them unavailable but you find the new site please let me know. I have looked to make sure but I could of overlooked it)

Little secrets 365 is no longer a subscription box but you can still buy products from them. This is an adult store.

Tuck ins adult box is no longer available. I cannot find there site anywhere if this is wrong please let me know.

Boink box also an adult toy box.

Soap of the month club

Chicmaker is underconstruction

Craftistas- For 24$ a month you receive all the material you need to make a DIY project.

Cape Cod Gift boxes- Prices vary on the box. Get monthly items from food boxes to glass boxes full of things from cape cod.

Travel Box- This monthly box is 19.95$ ( + 6$ S&H) a month. Each month traveller obsess and people on the go will receive 4-5 premium travel items from beauty, food and lifestyle categories.

Julibox- Plans start at 40$ a month you receive all the ingredients to make 2 different cocktails x2 ( 4 in sum).

Yoko tea- Starting at 9.94$ a month receive 2-5 exotic teas deliver.

Beautylishious- Monthly non-subscription bag (you can buy only on month without subscribing) for 12$ a month or 36$ for 3 you receive 4-5 trial and full sized products that are considered organic and home-made.

Saffron Rouge's Inner circle- For 24.99$ a month you receive deluxe size samples  from organic beauty brands.

Soap of the month box- Plans start at 6.50$ a month ( plus s&h outside the U.S.) and you receive hand made organic soaps.

Welly Box- Plans start at 22$ a month plus 7.95$ Shipping. Receive a box with several different items that are all organic and on the market.

Kids stash by milk and honey kids- for 27.99 plus s & h you receive a fun crafting kit for your child. ( they are having an issue with the site. I do not know if they are have cancelled their services or if they are just having issues with their site. I will have to check up with this company later) 

Little eco-foot print-  For 29$ a month you will receive a minimum of 5 high quality products from cosmetics to non-toxic children toys. ( This is now a blog a no longer a subscription box company)

Mamas got mail- Plans start at 49.99$ a month (+ s&h) and mama gets to receive a box just for herself. ( This is also now a blog and no longer a subscription box service)

My hibou- For 30$ a month you receive a box with 6 themed fun activities ( there is also a sibling crate) Only ships within Canada ( Canadian company).

Vincent Goes-  Get a fun kit to make art with your kids. Plans start at 29.99$ a month.

Treasure Pack- Sunglasses and scarves for 14.99 get 3 scarves a month or 3 pairs of sunglasses. They also have a jewellery box.

Unmentionably cheeky- For 6$ get 2 pairs of undies a month.

Ditsies- For 12$ a month you get a pair of underwear set to your door.

Besh box- For 55$ a month ( plus S&H) you receive, cooking tools, recipes, speciality ingredients, household items, music playlist,  cocktail pairings and more.

Carnivore Club- For 50$ a month you receive 4-6 different selections or cured, smoked meats, charcuteries and jerky from around the globe.

Gfreely- For 27$ ( shipping included) you get a monthly box of Gluten free products.

Happy Belly box- Pick between two plans ( sample box or the mega sample box) and receive healthy allergy-free food. ( Gluten and dairy free) Prices range from 24.99$-49.99$ a month.

Julibox- Plans start at 40$ a month you receive all the ingredients to make 2 different cocktails x2 ( 4 in sum).

I will continue to work on the on going list that I have created for you and will hopefully sooner then later add the beauty boxes back to my list. 

Patricia

The de-cluttering of my bedroom

Hello Everyone, 

I just wanted to update everyone on my goal to living frugally and one of those was to clean and organize. If some of you have read some of my other post you will know that I live in a small two bedroom apartment and space is sparse. That said here is the journey of me cleaning my room ( don't mind the mess). I only took pictures of the two places that were the worst in my room so here it goes.

My dresser

Now, this part of my room was one of the worst. My clothes was pretty much just thrown in there god only knows how wrinkly my clothes constantly came out of there just to be put back the same way. My underwear, sock and bra drawer were just as bad I could never find what I wanted because everything was buried. The top of my dresser had two baskets on top of it which were just loaded to the top with towels and facecloths that we barely used. 

So what did I do to clean this part of my room. I took everything that was on or in it out and off. I gave it a good clean and then I started the real hard work. I folded, sorted and decided what I was keeping and what I getting rid of. I also decided to try and place my shirts by dark, colours, under shirts and exercise clothes. The plastic bag that you see in both pictures are all the scrubs I am keeping in case I decide to go back into the field of work which I studied in. 

One of my drawers holds all of my underwear and my bathing suits. To organize it I took all of my underwear and decided to roll them up, in the process I got rid of the ones that had holes and were stained ( I am a woman I bleed and leaks happen) . This makes them easier to stack up on one another and makes my drawer look so much neater, with the room left over I put the bathing suits that I decided to keep neatly folded beside them. 

My sock and bra drawer got a similar treatment. I got rid of all the socks I knew had holes in them or didn't have a match to go with them. My bras got the exact kind of treatment. I placed my bras neatly on one side in a row so I could see all of them without having to dig through  the heaping pile I have collected and the socks were put beside them.

For the baskets. I took out all of the towels and went through those too. All of them that could be used for rags were put with the rest of the rags. I also got rid of a few towels that we just didn't use because they were so old. We also had our dish clothes in that pile and they were moved to a newly organized spot underneath the kitchen sink.

The Corner

Now if you can imagine the bits of pictures you see above isn't the complete mess that was in this corner. This corner is where everything and anything was put. from clean clothes to dirty clothes and everything in between.  To clean this corner the first thing I did is I grabbed all the clothes that was thrown in it and put in it in the laundry. The bit of clothing you still that still remains in the clean picture is that of my hubby. The one on the boxes are pants that I need to get hemmed once my 30 day spending freeze is over. 

I also went through my plastic containers, sorted through and gave away some of my yarn. I also went through all the paper work that I had laying around. I also got rid of the smaller plastic container. I tool all of the items in it and put it in the longer one at the end of my shelves ( I went through all my plastic containers and organized them.). I then took the small plastic container and removed it completely from my shelf which allowed me to put the boxes of my big yarn project down on the shelf instead of the longer plastic container ( my pile of junk was pretty darn high).

The other parts of my room that were cleaned were all my plastic containers as mentioned above. I have two long tall ones and one tiny one that got moved. I was able to completely clean one of the large drawers from the plastic organizer. I also filled one with all of my products that I need to use up before buying or making more. 

I also cleaned out the top part of my pantry which held cleaning supplies, a printer that we no longer used, and several dishes and glasses that we never used ( in 6 years). I still have the shelves to organize and to do inventory of. 

I also cleaned underneath the kitchen sink which was filled with old cleaning products that we never used, or half emptied cleaning products that we forgot about. I put the small plastic organization container that was in my bedroom and put it underneath the sink and  put all of our dish clothes that were found in with the towels in my bedroom underneath. Now, we find all the cleaning supplies that we need. 

In the kids room, I went through all of their clothes and got rid of what didn't fit the boys and put in a rubber maid container the items of clothing that I can pass down from my oldest to my youngest. I also got rid of all the baby blankets, and receiving blankets that we had since we had so many of them and no longer use them.  I also went through the boys toys that are all in the living and got rid of some since we got a bunch of new ones for Christmas. It is hard for me to get rid of their toys because they still play with all of them and a bunch of them I know they will play with when they are a bit older. The biggest toys I got rid of was a mega blocks rid on fire fighting truck which my mom wants so it is going to her home. We are also giving away a ride along zebra that turns into a scooter and a 4 wheeler. Those are the ones that take the most room and that we have no space for. Also the children often can't play with these as they make a lot of noise and we live on the top floor of our building.

I still have a lot to go through but some of the things are for summer. We still haven't decided whether or not we will be getting rid of the stroller come summer, because it all depends on how long my youngest son will be able to walk ( we don't have a car). I also still want to go through the kids stuffed toys and the rest of my kitchen. 

For now that is all the news of my journey to living a more frugal life ( although I think everyone should do this on a regular basis even if you're not living frugally).

Pat

Challenges

Hello muffins, 

As promised I am keeping you to date on all of my challenges. Last time we talked I said that I would post once a week to keep you updated. I know that I am a few days behind from the last I blogged about my two 30 day challenges that I am taking. 

The first challenge is the 30 day spending freeze. Last week I  (my hubby) spent 15$ on chips and I haven't spent any money that hasn't been needed to spent. I managed to save about 50-100$ on my grocery bill last week ( I shop every second week) by following a grocery list. I was amazed at how much money I could save by having a list and sticking to it.  I used to have a list, follow it and then buy whatever else I wanted and my groceries would cost me anywhere from 200-300$ and up on some occasions. I am very proud of myself to sticking to the list which is one of the tips on my this post which is about saving money on groceries.  I also picked up about another 4 hours of work which will help the pay. Daycare is closed tomorrow so I am also saving another 28$ dollars there which is great. 

Since I am not spending all that extra money and trying to save it I have also joined the 52 week money challenge that they have at the bank. I know that there is many versions online of this in fact check out Pinterest you will find many versions on this. The bank that I deal with ( RBC) is using this to get people to open a TFSA ( tax free savings account). I already had one so I told myself "Hey, why not try it?" it falls right into my 30 days of no spending. The challenge that the bank gives you is to pay 2$ a week in your TFSA. I on the other hand am doing it my way. Instead of putting a certain amount every week in the bank I am trying to put what I can and at the end of the month if I can put more into the account I will. A lot of people try to follow the 52 week money challenge either the right way where you start with 1$ or the reverse way ( which is not wrong) starting at 52$, but I am not following the chart for one reason. What if I don't have 50$ to save I will feel like a failure so instead I put aside what I know I can comfortable go without. I know how much money I have to put on my phone, credit card and  loan will be but I also have many expenses that change. Such as, my grocery bills and daycare.  If you are interested in this challenge it isn't too late to start. You can follow along with the plans that people have, or do it like me and just put what you can aside and at the end of the month put whatever you have left in your account away into your savings account.  

On other news in the money department I had put some money aside ( in cash) at home that I needed to deposit with that and the amount I have to pay on my loan and on my credit I will have paid off 690$ in debt this month. That might not seem much to some but considering my the amount of money I make this is a lot for me. If I can continue along this line of saving money at the end of the year I should have enough to completely pay off all debt by the end of this year and still have money left over. 

The other Challenge I took was the 30 days of yoga which I am really enjoying. I am taking a picture of a pose from the sequence that is posted every day. I find that my mood has been improving greatly and so are my eating habits. I did miss yesterdays practice but I made up fpr it today by doing today's video and last night's video.  I am also starting to become less sore again which is definitely a plus.

Each day we are to pick a word. I am trying to pick a word every day of something that I want to work on to make myself better.  Here are the words so far. 

1. Calm

2. Patience

3.Happiness

4.Duty

5.Strength

6.Quiet

7. Healing

8. Love

9. Breathe

10. Laugh

11.Mindful

12.Playful

13. Determination

14. Perseverance 

Those are all the words I have been breathing into my practice and trying to work on in my daily life. I also put the pictures of the week I am writing on my blog about or you can follow blog on bloglovin  or daily on  Instagram.

SECRET OUTLAST® CLEAR GEL Review

SECRET OUTLAST^® CLEAR GEL Review

I got Secret Outlast Clear gel Deodorant through Bzzagent for testing purposes  ( #gotitfree) 

The promise of the product found on bzzagent goes as follows

With meetings, errands, commuting and more, there’s plenty to stress you out during the day. So why stress about odour and sweat protection from your deodorant? With Secret Outlast^® Clear Gel all it takes is one twist and two swipes right out of the shower for 48 hour odour protection free of white marks:

• Secret Outlast^® is specifically designed with fast drying ingredients to evaporate in seconds
• Water-based formula allows active ingredients to permeate sweat glands faster and more efficiently than invisible solid deodorant
• Bid farewell to white marks forever with rub-off resistant coverage that won’t leave a trail
• Clinically tested to help stop odour before it starts, continually working to detect odour and wetness
• The pH of Secret Outlast^® minimizes odour-causing bacteria for longer-lasting, 48-hour odour protection

 This product get a mark of  4.5 out of 5 stars in my book

Product Packaging  (.5/1)

There is nothing special about the packaging of this product. It is your basic usual packaging for deodorant. Although, I think it should come in a smaller  "stick" since there isn't that much product in it which is one of it's downfall since this product is about 5-6$ in retail. 

Scent (1/1)

I got the Ooh La-la-lavender scent. I really enjoyed this scent. It stayed on all day, often when I lifted my arms up at work I could still smell which made me feel safe and confident that I didn't smell.  There is several other smells in the product as well as unscented if lavender is not a smell you enjoy. 

White marks (1/1)

I did not have any white marks with this deodorant is definitely little black dress approved. 

Quick drying Formula (1/1)

I could not believe how fast this product dried on me. I did check out other reviews and some people stated that it didn't dry fast on them so I am assuming that the type of skin you have may affect how fast it dries. I was able to apply it and then put my shirt on right after with no fears of smearing it.

48 hour protection (1/1)

If you are as busy as I am this should last you at least a day. Between running around after the boys, working around heat all day and yoga practice my deodorant held up. Stink was never an issue with this product. 

If you don't mind paying the same price for a the gel deodorant that last maybe half the time of a solid deodorant then I recommend this deodorant for you. If you want a deodorant that will last you a little longer then I would not recommend this for you as there is very little product in the container for the price.

confirm

Bj blast Review ( Mature Content)

BJ BLAST Product Review

Hello all, I was giving this by a friend for Christmas and she had asked me to try it out and let her know what it was like. So I decided to review on here since I am sure many more people out there are wondering what this is. 

( P.S. Sorry about the picture loaded on here from my phone) 

The cost of a three pack is anywhere form 3.99$-5.99$ they come in various flavours such as : Cherry, Green Apple and Strawberry. 

My friend only bought one bag and not a whole pack so I got to try out the Cherry flavour. 

This is the product description as found on amazon. 

It's finally here! The world's only fizzing, popping, bursting, exploding ORAL SEX CANDY! Just sprinkle some in your mouth and go down for the ride of their life. Eating out will never be the same!

On a five star rating I give this product a  3.5/5

Flavour ( 2/2)

The Cherry flavour was great. The taste was long lasting and it made me want to stay down there forever. 

Feeling (1/2)

The sensation in my mouth was just like eating pop rocks in fact that is basically what this is. Pop rocks advertised as a sex enhancer. For my hubby it didn't do anything. In fact he said he couldn't really feel anything except for a but of roughness which came from the candy. In my mouth there was plenty of popping and fizzing but when it came to perform fellatio it actually made it a bit a hard. The hard bits of candy made it awkward. I was worried of hurting the hubby and of getting candy everywhere it shouldn't be

Clean up (.5/1)

The clean was easy as the candy basically dissolves in your mouth but I would keep a wet towel or wipe around. As the penis can remain sticky after using this product. 

All in all I wouldn't use this product again or recommend it. If I wanted to eat pop rocks I will just buy some. 

Frugal living- Groceries Money Saving tips

Hello readers,

Today I decided to write on how to save money on groceries. I decided to go on the hunt of ways to save money on groceries since I have 2 lovely growing that are always eating. Groceries for my little family of four would range anywhere from 1,000-1,200$ a month. I started noticing the bills  decreasing when I started doing these few things. Many of these I discovered on my journey to be a healthier person and some of these I have found ( will post links to sites) that I am going to try.

Now the groceries for our household is about 800$-1000$ depending on the month. I will  be saving my receipts to see how much I now spend on groceries to help me on my money saving journey.

Drink Water ( or more of it):  That is right drink more water. Most of us don't drink a lot of water and I am sure if we started we would see a lot of benefits from it. When I started my weight lost journey I started drinking more water. How does this help with your grocery bill? It will save you money because you are going to drink less pop (soda), juices ( filled with sugar) and it will also help with your food cravings and eating habits ( being dehydrated causes the body to send us signals that we are hungry).

When you replace water  for soft drinks and juices those are items you won't buy any more ( or less of). It will also help you curb your some of you hunger cues as the body often tells us that we are hungry when in fact we are thirsty. That means you will eat less ( and binge less) on unhealthy foods or foods you just don't need.

There is also a sleuth of other reasons that water is good for you which will help in the healthy maintenance of your body which can potentially save you a trip to the doctors ( more for the US as I live and Canada) and getting prescription drugs that may just be solved by a healthier diet and water is part of it.


Use a bottle and a filter: Now what I mean by use a bottle I mean by a re-usable one. Buying already bottled water will be more costly for you then a re-usable one. If your tap water isn't the greatest use a filter.  You can get a jug with a filter or a bottle with a filter. I use a jug from Brita because that is what my husband had when we moved in together. Yes, the filters are a bit costly but you only have to change them every 3-6 months which is still better then going through several cases of water bottles. It is also better for the environment. You can also if you chose to buy glass water bottles ( I use plastic), this is one of the many sites I found that sells them.

Make a weekly meal plan:  Now this is one that I read all the time and yet I can't seem to get my head around it. This is one that I will have to work on extra hard to do this year. It is supposed to be good because you can utilize your coupons and the specials that are on that week to make your meal around and you can use one or more ingredients on your list to make several meals.

Eat leftovers: Now to some of us it's one of those things where you say of course, why throw them out? but some people don't eat leftovers. I believe in eating them, it will save you a lot of money in the long run because you aren't throwing your money away. Even if there is only enough for one person to eat the leftover in your family it's still better then throwing the food out. Think about it you spent 20$ for your supper and you had left overs for a couple meals. Divide that 20$ into the amount of meals you ate and think about how much money you would of thrown out. ( example from this site)


Use what you have: This is another thing that I have started doing. You go to the store you buy a bunch of pantry staples or food that you can freeze you put it away and then you forget about it. That was my problem but now I look through my fridge, freezer and pantry to what kind of meal I can make. I used to buy things put them away and then forget that I had them and then odds are I had to throw them out later on because they expired month prior. Now at least once a week I look at what I have in my pantry and in the fridge/freezer and see what I can do with my ingredients. Also keeping your pantry and fridge/freezer well organized will save you money in the long by no longer letting food expire or go bad.

Make a list: Make a list and stick to it. Sticking to it is the key. I had a bad habit of making a list and then buying 20 things I didn't need ( that bug still gets me but I fight most times). Not having a list can cost you more money because you are more prone to buy things you don't need and forget the things you do need ( which will make you go back to the store).

Use those savings: Ok, by this I mean a lot of things. A) use coupons. I started collecting coupons ( not extreme but a few here and there) on things I knew I bought and it saved me a few dollars here and there, especially if I used the coupons on items that were on sale you get an even greater deal. B) use the loyalty card, all grocery stores now ( or most of them) have some sort of loyalty program. I only have two grocery stores in this town and the one I go to has the PC financial points program. I use this and it saves me at least 200$ a year. I plan on collecting them for a year to see just how much I can possibly save before using them. C) last but not least, look at the flyers to see what is on sale and use those sales to plan your meals around or to fll up your pantry.

Start a garden:  I unfortunately don't have the room in my apartment to grow my own veggies or herbs but if you do why not start one. You can grow many herbs, vegetables and fruits indoors. This can save you a lot of money in the long run even if you just do it for the summer.  Also shop the farmers market if there is any in your area odds are the produce will be just as fresh ( or fresher) and cheaper then what you get in store.

Eat then shop: I don't know the science behind this, but shopping on an empty stomach will make you buy more of the things you don't need. Eat before you go shopping or keep a snack with you if you can't eat a meal before shopping.

Bulk buys: If you can join a bulk store like Costco do. It does cost a little bit for a membership but you will save more then what you pay in membership. Also stick with the items you will use most often and that you know won't go to waste. Also, buy products that are on sale in bulk again only if you use them though.

Buy Generic: When you go to the grocery store try buying generic brands instead of name brands. Often time the generic brands are just as good as the brand name. I try and buy generic brands or the cheapest brand I can find on almost everything. There are some things I do go with the little more expensive options because of the taste. Also check out the top and bottom shelves because often times that is where you will find the cheaper options. Companies actually pay to have there products placed in the sight of the shopper.

Add to your meal: Add vegetables or fruit ( depending on you are making) to your meals.This will add bulk to your meal and help stretch a little further ( think add veggies to taco meat or hamburger helper). It will also add more nutrients to your food and make you healthier.

Stop being lazy: By this I mean stop buying pre-packaged, pre-wash and pre-cut foods. Sure these can save you a lot of time but they also charge more for it. Do your groceries and decide a time when you will be doing your own food preparations. It is more time consuming but you can make it family time and have them help by washing and packing the food away. 

Portion Control: Many of us eat more then what we actually need which leaves us bloated and tired. A tip to this start with smaller portions on your plate and take the time to actually eat. It can take up to 30 minutes for your brain to catch the signals that your belly is sending. If yo are still hungry after eat a little bit more. It is better to go for seconds then it is to over eat or throw away food because you put to much on your plate.

Look at the reduced items: Looking for items that are reduced can save you money as well. You can buy meat that is reduce and freeze it or use it that day. If you like to make your own sauces and jams often you can buy large amounts of produce that you can salvage to make your recipe for half the cost. 

I hope that these tips and tricks can help you save some of those precious dollars on your grocery bills.

Me

P.S. A lot of the tips that I am going to use in my blog will be either from my own knowledge or that I looked for. Some of  knowledge I  already have I will look for articles that you can read. Either way they will all be posted on the bottom of my blog.




Links that I used and that I think you should check out:

Water:
WebMD
Greatist

Grocery tips and tricks:
howitworks

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Happy New Year! # 30 days spending freeze

Hello love muffins,

This is the beginning of a new year and I am hoping that it just keeps getting better from here. IF any of you are new to this site let me tell you a bit about me.

I am a mother of two boys and a wife to a lovely man. We currently live in a two bedroom apartment in a small town in Ontario, Canada. I work part-time and I like to blog about everything and anything. My blog has mainly consisted of subscription boxes ( list and review), my journey to a healthier me and now my journey to living frugaly and hopefully be better off financially at the end of this year.


Now that I am back in my own home, in my own bed my head filled with a hundred more great memories and pictures it is time for me to think about my biggest goal for the year. The one I really want to tackle.

My biggest goal this year is to get rid of debt. That was actually one of my tips in this post that I wrote at the end of 2014. Getting rid of debt is one of the most important things to do on my list but also the hardest especially on a tight budget. I am hoping to pay my two debts off ( 1,300$)  in order to be a little less stressed out when it comes to the time of year when I need to pay off three life insurance policies and the insurance that we have on the content of the apartment.  Those are my biggest financial drains in the year and they all come out at the same time every year. When I made a bit more money it was fine because I was able to save money and put it aside but not so much in the recent years. I have used up all the money I had set aside for emergencies and I am now starting at zero.

With all that said I am hoping to pay off debt with the new lifestyle. I think it might be hard for me because I have always been a bit of spender and I am doing this alone. I love my husband and he loves me but he doesn't want to join me in the frugal living and that is ok. It might not be for him and who knows at the end of the year it may not be for me or he will change his mind and decided that this kind of living is for him.  To save money I have decided to go on a spending freeze. That means buying only what you need and nothing else.  I found this idea while browsing on Pinterest and noticed that many people were trying it and I decided why not? I found this little article on wise bread on how to do a freeze. If you are interested check it out it helped me know where to start and how to survive.


The first step was to make a budget. I made one with what I spend now and what I should be spending on my needs.

Category	What I used to spend	What I need to spend
Bank	245$ ( loan, RSP, RESP)	245$  ( loan, RSP,RESP)
Phone	50$	50$ ( will see if there is a cheaper plan)
Groceries	600+	300-500$ ( depends if it’s diaper week)
Daycare	450$ ( if they go for 16 days)	450$ (if they go for 16 days)
Other ( credit card)	150$ ( I spend 100 and, pay off 50$)	50$ ( pay off)
Total	1, 495$ ( this is often times more then I make)	1,295$  ( this is within my budget, if not still more then I can afford)

This is what it looks like. Now, I did write a few notes in there that is to tell me what I can be looking into and what my budget looks like if I need to spend that money. My children rarely go to daycare 16 days a months but I put it in my budget in case I need too. Also, groceries depends on whether or not I have to buy diapers and pull-ups as they add about 50-100$ more to what I need to spend.

You will also notice that I don't pay rent,internet or netflix. That is what my husband pays as he is a little bit more financially stable ( he receives the same amount of money every two weeks his pay does not vary like mine does) he also pays groceries every two weeks ( we take turns) . 

In case any of you wonder no we don't have a shared account.  We have our separate accounts because that is just what works for us.

I decided to go at this alone in the sense I am not recruiting anyone in my family or friends because many of them already know what I am doing but I am encouraging you to join me in this if you would like. At the end of the month I will be writing a summary of my spending to see what I saved. I am planning on doing this for the month of January and then we will see how much longer I will continue.

I now have to decide what I am going to do with the money that I save. I am hoping to keep half of it in my account for savings to pay off the 4 insurances that I have ( 2 kids, mine and content). The other I am hoping on using to pay of my credit card and then my bank debt. 

Other things that I have done and probably mentioned already. I have cleaned out my room, one of the things about living frugaly was to de-clutter and organize. I organized my bedroom ( I had gotten rid of several towels but my hubby decided he wanted to keep them, I tried reasoning with him that we didn't need that much when he didn't want to budge I just said ok. So I will have to find a place for the dish towels to go). I still have the pantry which is at the entrance of my bedroom to go through as well as the rest of the apartment which will probably take me a little while to go through all of it. In my bedroom alone though I have gotten rid of two garbage bags and 3 boxes of stuff. I have also found a lot of opened products that I can still use. I have put all those products together and working slowly on using them all up. The products range from hair care ( 2 hair spray can, 3 mousse cans, several anti-frizz products), Skin care ( creams, soaps), Make-up ( I threw out mascaras that I no longer used, several eye-liners, eye shadows), I also found several toothbrushes, pads, band-aid and polysporin tubes.

I will be giving the boxes away along with some of the kids toys that they no longer use that take up a lot of space. I could probably sell them and yes have a bit more money in my pockets but I prefer to donate things to people that have less then me. 

I have also tried to make brown bread a miserably failed but that is ok I will try and make bread later on. 

I am hoping to continue with this blog and have more followers this year and inspire people. Once my debt is paid off I will then think about reaching saving goals and buying a few things once I meet those goals but I will do that later once my debt is paid off. 

Happy New years, 

ME