10 Easy Ways To Save Money In Canada

10 Easy Ways To Save Money In Canada

We all need to save money for a rainy day and if we do not we could be in trouble when an unforeseen disaster strikes. The lifestyle in Canada could be quite fast with everything that you would do taking a few dollars from your pocket. If you continue in that trend you would be with an empty pocket at the end of the day or when you step into old age. Financial stability is needed and that could be achieved only if you are in the habit of saving wherever it is possible. It may not necessarily be that you save physically those additional few dollars but by cutting a few corners where a few dollars would remain in your pocket.

Hence it is imperative that you save a few dollars every month and stash it away safely so that you have access to it when you really are in need of money in an emergency. We know that it is little grains of sand that make a mighty land and little drops of water that make a mighty ocean. Keeping this in mind and trying to save a few dollars wherever possible would ensure that you could lay back and be contended that you have a financial backup when you need it.

It is not only by putting away money that you could save but you could do so by ensuring you control your day to day expenses where a few dollars would be drained out without your knowledge. It is these few dollars that we are interested in which if calculated would run into a few hundreds or even thousands of dollars over a period of one year. We have compiled a list of just TEN easy ways that would be easy to follow and also ensure you save a few dollars on a regular basis for which of course you would need to commit yourself very intelligently.

#1. Join or create a carpool with friends or neighbors

Research done by Statistics Canada has enlightened that an average Canadian worker commutes about 25 kilometers to work and back every day. Covering such a distance annually would cost you around $1,800 on gas alone every year. This is not taking into consideration other factors like wear and tear which the car would undergo during that time.

If you carpool and travel only one day per week with friends or neighbors you could be dropping this figure down substantially which could be about half that. If you save that amount of $900 it would be a small amount but would add up in your kitty.

#2. Pay bills on time

Pay your bills on time. If you do so you would not be paying surcharges, interest, or any other unnecessary additional costs. Over a period of time depending on your financial status, you could be saving quite a substantial amount. Paying such unnecessary charges should be avoided. These are savings that would accrue to your saving kitty over a period of time.

#3. Shop with prudence

Many vegetables, fruits, canned items, fish, and other stuff we like to eat are seasonal and if you know what is available in abundance and in which time of the year you could be buying fresh foodstuffs whilst also paying less. You don’t need to be an expert on the matter but when you live a year or so in any particular area you could jot these down on the calendar and then make some prudent changes to ensure that you eat the freshest and at a lesser price too.

#4. Manage the heating and cooling systems

Ensure that you adjust your thermostat according to your needs and don’t just keep the air-conditioning or heating system running when you are away from home. Research by Energy experts has found that you could be saving up to $400 annually if you use your cooling and heating system prudently.

#5. Negotiate your insurance premiums

Negotiate all your insurance premiums, your home, car, and all other insurance would cost a tidy sum annually, but if you could negotiate with your insurance agent you may end up paying much less than they would quote. If you are not satisfied try another agent and they would offer you a better premium than the former. The savings that you would make would be quite a sum when calculated annually.  

#6. Check your vehicle every winter

Get ready for the winter and ensure that you do a tune-up to your vehicle every winter before it begins and this way you would not be spending unnecessarily with avoidable breakdowns. Your regular mechanic or the vehicle center would help you out which could save you a good tidy sum annually.

#7. Look for bargains regularly

Bargains are galore in supermarkets and departmental stores and to pick up what you would need, make a list of everything beforehand. When you are out shopping inside any shop look at the bargains you may just find what you wanted and buying at bargain prices would save you a lot especially when spread out over a year.

#8. Check vehicle air pressure regularly

Driving with low tire pressure wastes gas and doing it on a regular basis would burn gas unnecessarily. Ensure that you check your tire pressure on a regular basis and reduce the consumption of gas. This could be a tidy sum saved on gas annually.

#9. Avoid traffic fines

Canadians pay millions of dollars on traffic fines and these are unnecessary payments that could be easily avoided. Ensure that you drive carefully and don’t speed as it is not worth the trouble and could be life-threatening too. If you do not pay traffic fines you would not be contributing to the Canadian police unnecessarily.

#10. Avoid shopping with credit cards

Credit cards generally buy things that we don’t need. Hence avoid flashing your credit card when you buy because by doing so you would not be buying what you don’t need. It would save you loads over a year. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100

Money Saving Tips for Online Shopaholics

Money Saving Tips for Online Shopaholics

Online Shopaholics – Read This to Save Money!

As if being a conventional shopaholic wasn’t enough.

Online shopping has made shopping ‘cool’. This is an industry that is booming like no other. The idea is simple – why go to a mall to buy things when you can shop from the convenience of your home using your credit card? The convenience online shopping offers is commendable. There are countless shopping websites surfacing every day. Some are legit, some not. And they all contain a large variety of products for you to choose from.

However, convenience comes with a problem. People who were not so much into shopping are buying stuff regularly and those who loved shopping are turning into online shopaholics. The funny thing is that most online buyers are also the biggest critic of the system, as some products don’t turn out how they looked on the website, especially the clothing products.

Nevertheless, the craze is real and so is the compulsive spending of online shopaholics. If you are one of those people, you probably know that the craving for shopping costs you a great deal of money and when there is a mess-up (which is usual in case of online shopping), you end up losing money for no benefit.

That is where our guide will help you. Since your grandma probably won’t be able to give you some tips to save money while shopping online, let us do that for you. Here we go:

Know your battleground.

Not every online shopping website has your best interests in mind. Some of these websites are absolute scams and they tempt you with attractive packages. Online shopaholics sometimes tend to shop on whatever website they come across for a particular product. If the website is a scam, you will not only lose the money you have invested in that product, you can also face severe financial fraud as your credit card details and personal info you entered can be used against you.

Do not rush, do some research.

This one is among the most effective tips to save money – and even your grandma might have told you this. Compare the prices of the same product on different websites before putting it on the cart. There are some websites that only use the fancy portal to lure you into buying expensive stuff, while some other retail websites offer the same product at a cheaper rate. Some amount of research is only going to benefit online shopaholics.

Discount coupons are your best friend.

Look for the best discount coupons available and opt for a store that offers sale. This is among the most valuable tips to save money for online shopaholics. You are more likely to find sales on reliable online stores than actual retail shops in the mall. Still, make sure that the discount does not compromise the service or quality of the product.

Review your buys.

A lot of people check out from an online store in a hasty manner and then end up paying more for it. There is no lack of horror stories of people who received the wrong size or they clicked on “2” instead of “1” in the quantity section. Always be thorough with your review of the purchases.

Online shopaholics can cater to their shopping desires while also being smart. The above-mentioned tips to save money can be really useful. Happy (smart) shopping!