Believe it or not, your loose change adds up pretty quickly if you make a habit of emptying your wallet or purse once a week and putting it in a jar. After a few months, if you count it, you will discover enough money to treat yourself to a dinner out with your family, or maybe it will help you pay for a minor car or home repair. Whatever you use it for, you will be surprised at how much you will accumulate. This is especially the case for Canadians where we have one dollar and two dollar coins. It doesn’t take much change to add up to to $20 or $30.
By keeping it in a jar at home, you will be less likely to spend your loose change on frivolous things like useless items at dollar stores, junk food at vending machines, or whatever other temptations you have. For me, my weakness is potato chips. If I know that I have enough change in my purse to buy chips, I will often squander my money by paying an outrageous price for a small bag of chips. By keeping my loose change at home, not only do I save money, I also eat a lot healthier.
While I was doing my regular grocery shopping this morning, I decided to treat myself and buy some Tim Horton’s English Toffee Cappuccino. Rather than spend a couple of dollars on just one cup at Timmy’s, I thought I would make my money go further and buy a whole container. So, for $7.00 I bought a Tim Horton’s cappuccino mix, so now I can make at least 20 cups of cappuccino instead of getting just 2 or 3 at the drive thru.
A great way to save money on your Christmas tree this year is to buy a nice artificial tree that you can use for more than just one season. Although a good quality artificial tree may be more expensive than purchasing a real tree, if you use it for ten or more years, you will save a lot of money in the long run. You will also eliminate the hassle and mess of a real tree, and you will be able to pack it away in a box to use next year. Don’t buy a really cheap tree because it will likely end up being poor in quality and then you won’t be able to use it for as many years. It’s better to pay a bit more now and then have it last you for a long time.
If you and your family enjoy the tradition of giving each other a stuffed stocking on Christmas Day, here are some neat and affordable stocking stuffer ideas that will satisfy everyone and won’t break your holiday budget: