General

Get Free Stuff From My Coke Rewards

Free stuff is always fun, and I recently received an email about My Coke Rewards and the free stuff they are giving away right now.  Apparently there’s a promotion going on where they will be giving away one million points over the next two months that can be redeemed for all sorts of fun prizes.

The email I received with the details is as follows:

“I thought you and your readers would be interested in the following information about the launch of Coca-Cola’s My Coke Rewards Million Point Giveaway—its biggest points giveaway to date. During the Million Point Giveaway, My Coke Rewards is thanking its members by awarding thousands of free points every day that people can redeem for things they love, including portable DVD players, gift certificates and free Coca-Cola products.

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August 9, 2010
Book Reviews

101 Tax Secrets For Canadians Book Review

101 Tax Secrets For Canadians: Smart Strategies That Can Save You Thousands by Tim Cestnick

I recently borrowed 101 Tax Secrets For Canadians from our local library and have found it to be extremely eye opening in terms of the numbers of ways Canadians can strategize in order to reduce the amount of taxes they have to pay.  We can do so much more than just contribute to RRSPs to minimize taxes.  The unfortunate thing is that most of us are just not aware of many of these strategies.  So the next time you are tempted to complain about paying tax, try implementing some of these tips instead.

The book is written a lot like a textbook.  Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of tax planning including strategies for retirement, self –employment, employees, family tax planning, estate planning, and more.  The book is fairly easy to understand and it contains practical advice on building tax savings strategies.  If you are interested in learning more specifics on how to save on taxes every year, I would definitely recommend that you read this book.  Although tax laws continuously change, this book has been revised into a 2010 edition so everything is up to date.

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August 7, 2010
Health & Beauty

Use Safe Hygiene Products And Save

After speaking with a friend of mine who is studying holistic nutrition, she made me aware of the dangers involved in using some of the everyday products we take for granted.  For example, there are harmful chemicals found in many brand name deodorants that I had never thought twice about purchasing in the past.  Apparently these chemicals are absorbed by the body and can cause problems including cancer.

I decided to be more particular about what I bought from that point on.  I was able to find a deodorant comprised of 70% organic ingredients.  It cost about $5 more than the regular deodorants I had purchased in the past.  Unfortunately, it didn’t really work very well. I still didn’t want to go back to buying the harmful products so I decided to try out Norwex’s Crystal Deodorant. For those of you who don’t know about Norwex, it’s a company with the mission of providing cleaning and hygiene products that don’t contain harmful chemicals.

The Crystal Deodorant cost me $12.99 and since I consider myself to be fairly frugal, it seemed like an awful lot of money to be forking over for deodorant.  As it turns out, the deodorant seems to work really well, thankfully, and if it lasts at least a year then I will have more than made up for the money I would have spent on regular deodorant.  In fact, I think it might even last longer than that.

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August 5, 2010
Family

Talk To Your Spouse About Your Finances

It’s important to be faithful to your spouse, and this includes being faithful regarding your finances.   A recent globeinvestor.com article entitled “Do You Cheat On Your Spouse Financially?” really got me thinking about the importance of being honest and open in marriage, specifically regarding finances.

Couples need to determine how much freedom each partner gets in terms of spending without the other’s permission.  Big-ticket items will likely require both partners’ consent, whereas smaller everyday items can likely be purchased at one person’s discretion.

It’s a good idea to sit down with your spouse early on in your marriage to set boundaries as well as to decide on the dollar amount that can be spent without needing the other’s permission.  Of course, every marriage is different and some couples may choose to keep all of their money separate and to rarely discuss their finances with each other.   (I don’t think this is the healthiest way to handle things, but I understand that there are special circumstances that may require this method.)

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August 3, 2010
Travel & Entertainment

Enjoy Foods From Around The World For Less

If you are like me, you enjoy trying foods from different countries from time to time.  The easiest way to do this, of course, would be to go to a specialized restaurant that serves that special cuisine you have always wanted to try.  However, going out to eat is often really expensive and may not fit within your entertainment budget.  But that doesn’t have to stop you from trying different things and expanding your menu.

Rather than eating out, check out local markets and small grocers in your area that offer goods from various countries.  Major cities will often have stores catering to their multicultural populations so it shouldn’t be hard to find grocery stores and shops that sell delicacies from around the world.

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August 1, 2010