How to Manage Your Money Effectively

by Jasmine from CanadianSavers.ca

Being productive money-wise is not as hard as it may sound. Saving money has actually become a “hobbie” for a lot of Canadians. Thankfully, it’s a good habit to take on!

How? You ask…

Well, here are some ways you can get the most out of your dollar and effectively manage your money!

1. The most popular way to save is through the use of coupons. Do you know how many types of coupons are available? From printable coupons, to mail coupons, online coupon codes, inserts, peelies, and more! So, next time you go to the store, ask yourself this: “Why would I ever want to pay (let’s say) $5 for something, when I could easily pay $2 instead?”
2. Stockpiling – Perfect if you want to stretch your buck! What you do, basically, is use your coupons on sale items that you consume on a regular basis (for example, toilet paper, cleaning products,…) and products that don’t necessarily have an expiration date. Just like the name suggests, stockpiling is like you start a “pile” that you “stock” for a later use.
3. Don’t buy something new when you can re-use something you already have to serve the same purpose. For example, instead of buying a new box for your hair accessories, why not use an old container from your kitchen closet to do that?  There are some really creative ideas online that you can use to make it look “prettier”!
4. Keep an eye out for sales, especially seasonal sales, like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, post-Christmas sales, and others. This is when the majority of people get the most and best deals!
5. Speaking of sales, don’t buy things just because they’re on sale. I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of this at least once in the past…you see a cute pair of shoes or a nice accessory, and you fall in love with it. But here’s the thing: Yes, you’re saving money on it, and yes, it’s cute, but ask yourself “Were you planning on buying it before you went into the store? Do you actually need it?” If your answer is “NO,” please put it back down, because you will be spending money you didn’t plan on spending in the first place!
6. Try to pay cash whenever possible. Unlike the easy use of credit cards, when you pay cash, you tend to be more careful how, when, and where you spend it, because you see the money coming out of your pockets…physically not virtually!
7. Don’t forget your shopping list! This is very important, especially while grocery shopping. Don’t just go on and grab every product you “think” you “might” need. Take a list with you, so you can only get the products that you “know” you “will” need.
8. Get something for free!

That’s all for now folks! Tell me, how do you save money and stick to your budget?

CanadianSavers.ca was founded by Julia & Jasmine, two childhood friends who are both married with kids, and who used to struggle with their bills. After ordering a few free samples & freebies, we asked ourselves two obvious questions: why should we pay more, when we can pay less? Why should we pay full price for a product we never tried? That’s when we decided to start a website that is solely dedicated to helping other Canadians save money, not only through free samples, but also through the use of Canadian coupons! You can connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.