Yesterday, I ventured out to do some coupon shopping and when I arrived at my grocery store, there was an abundance of tear pad coupons and booklets of coupons too! I didn't have any intentions of buying stuff but when I came around to the refrigerated section, the Pilsbury Back to School cookies were on sale for $1 and right beside was a coupon to save $0.50. Plus, on the reverse side of the package is a coupon to save $1 off any 2 Pilsbury Cookies.

I didn't know if the cookies were tasty or not, so I only purchased 2 packages. We baked one last night and half the plate was devoured before they even cooled. Worthwhile purchase? Yes, definitely! There are 24 cookies in a box for $0.50 after the coupon making the cookies only 2 cents each!

The above picture shows the coupons that I found! There were 13 tear pads and 2 booklets! So in total there were 23 different coupons available! Rock and roll coupon Gods! I also picked up a bag of Natrel milk to drink with our cookies (I used a coupon to save $1) and got another bag with over $12 in coupons on the back! I guess I'll have to buy 1 more bag of milk before the end of the month, when the $1 Natrel milk coupon expires.

Now I'm off to add some of these coupons to my coupon trade list at Freebies Deals And Rewards!

Have fun saving money!!

Weekly Shop N Save Deals

I like to consider myself a frugal shopper who buys what they need...but sometimes there are deals out there that are just too good to pass up! The regular coupon users know what I'm talking about! With coupon usage and price matching opportunities, I picked up a couple of items that I would normally not purchase. But I have some family members who do, so not a waste. I price matched and used coupons for everything pictured at my local Wal-mart store.

1. The relish is on special at Shoppers Drug Mart for $1.49 and I used a coupon for $0.75 and paid only $0.74 each. We don't use relish but our parents do, maybe we'll everyone a Christmas Hamper. Hmmm, that's an idea!
   
2. The flavoured Clover Leaf tuna cans are $0.99 each at Shoppers Drug Mart and I had a coupon to save $1 when I purchased 3, so I paid only $0.66 per can.
   
3. The Robax Platinum was a fantastic deal, they are on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart for $10.99. I was lucky enough to receive a $9 coupon from Diane Simon, thanks Shoppers Voice, I got this box for only $1.99 plus tax. Robax is going to be gifted to a parent as well!
4. The Degree Deodorant for Men are on sale for $1.64 at Real Canadian Superstore, but I also had 3 insert coupons and paid only $0.64 per 85g.
5. I had 2 P&G Brandsaver coupons left to save $1 off Secret Deodorant. On my last shop posted I paid $0.97 each (wish I'd waited), but today I paid $0.64 each after matching the Superstore and using the coupons.
6. The Dove Nourishing Oil hair care line is something I haven't tried before, but the Freebies Deals And Rewards Coupon Club Organizer sent me a coupon to save $2 off the purchase, plus there is a printable coupon to save $2 out as well. I treated myself to a shampoo and a conditioner for only $0.99 per bottle.
7. Lastly, I had 2 coupons to save $3 off Listerine Zero (any size) and since they are regularly priced at $3.37 at my Wal-Mart store, they were only $0.37 each.

After coupons and price matches, my pre-tax out of pocket (oop) cost was $11.37 but if I didn't use my coupons or utilize the price match guarantee, I would have paid $37.86 before any applicable taxes. So I'm pretty happy to save $26.49 on the items I could get with my coupon stash!

I'd love to hear other ways that people saved this week using coupons and price matches. If you have any questions about my shopping excursions, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer it for you!

Happy Labour Day everyone! Be safe!

Shopping Savings That You Can Obtain Too!

Frugalite here again!! I had some great coupons to use this week in conjunction with sales and price matches, so again I would like to share them with the readers of Save Your Money Canada blog. I used tear pad coupons and insert coupons to score these deals!

First, I was able to get 4 bottles of Clorox Bleach, 2.8L size for only $0.49 each! I think that is a fantastic price. I shopped at Walmart and used the insert coupon from the SmartSource coupon flyer that came out during the week of August 1st-8th to save $1 and I price matched the deal to the Superstore price of $1.49, leaving the total price of $0.49 each bottle pre-tax total.

I purchased 4 Secret Deodorant using a price match for Giant Tiger's advertised price of $1.97 at Walmart and then used 4 $1 off coupons to pay only $0.97 each. They have a long expiry date, so I don't have to worry about not using them in time.

The next deal I was able to snag was 6 cans of Heinz Beans for only $0.34 per can. I used a tear pad coupon to save $1 off of each 3 purchased and I price matched Superstore at my local Walmart store. Beans are wonderful for chili, paired with wieners, on top of toast, plus it's a great meat alternative. So saving money here is a great way to stretch the budget.

I also price matched the Funcheez snacks at my local Walmart using the No Frills sales flyer, plus I had a coupon to save $1 off any 168g variety (lucky me, this was the sale size). The price was only $1 and when I got home I noticed that there was $3 in coupons inside the Funcheez package as well as a Franklin the Turtle booklet. The coupons include: $1 off Astro BioBest Smoothie 4x200ml, $1 off Lactantia Smart Growth Milk 2x2L or 4L and $1 off Black Diamond Portion Packs 126g. These coupons are valid through December 31, 2011.

There were many more hot deals this week, please comment and tell us what your best find was!

Are You Saving for Retirement Canada? Check the Numbers!

As 2011 is the onset of 9 million Canadian Baby Boomers reaching the age of 65, let's look at the numbers more closely!

• By the year 2036, Canada's over 65 population will reach 10.9 million
• By 2051, those age 65 and older will account for 60% of health expenditures in Canada
• In 2010, the average age of retirement in Canada is 62
• Half of today's 66 year old persons are expected to live beyond the age of 82
• Add 3 months to the average life expectancy each year.
• The percentage of working income that is widely regarded to be replaced in retirement is 70%
• There's 38% of Canadians that have no savings
• In the year 2006, 1 in 7 Canadians was a senior citizen. Yet 50 years ago it was 1 in 14
• Only 25% of Canadian private -sector workers are covered by workplace pensions
• Canada Pension Plan pays an average payment of $512 for retirees and a maximum monthly payment of $960
• The average savings rate in Canada is 3.51%
• Canadian families with 2 children average $176,461 in debt
• There's 17% of Canadian retirees who owe more than $100,000
• The expected amount that the Canada Pension Investment Board plans to be managing by 2038 is $700B
• Canada ranks number 2 in adequacy among 14 major retirement income systems in the world

Source: Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, Statistics Canada, Centre for Financial Services, Ipsos Reid and National Post

Have you started your retirement savings? Do you have strategies for saving money each time you are paid? Are you living on the edge or do you live frugally?

Visit Freebies Deals And Rewards for tips on saving money, living frugally, getting free stuff and so much more.

Each year we rack up over $2000 in coupon savings alone that can be compounded in an Retirement Savings Plan, or invested on the stock market.  The money we save from gathering freebies and samples allows us to put another few hundred dollars away each year too. Because we don't have to buy the free items that we gather, we put the savings away. For example if we get a disposable razor that's worth $8 for free, we put the savings into "our place" when we use the item; just as we would have, if we spent the money in store by having to purchase the product.

"Your place" (meaning your savings venue) could be a interest bearing savings or chequing account with varying ranges of interest, under your mattress, on the stock market, Canadian Savings Bongs, Provincial Savings Bongs, Guaranteed Investment Certificates, in a safe, or wherever you feel safest keeping your money.

Here's a few places to visit to gather information to help you save money:

Tips for Living Frugally
Coupons for Canadians
Finding Freebies Online and Offline

Save Money By Price Matching Your Purchases

 
One of the hottest ways to save money these days, aside using coupons and group buys, is to price match. BUT don't forget to bring your coupons with you and save even more money by using coupons in conjunction with your price matches. Now that's smart shopping!

Price matching is available at many different retailers, including grocery, hardware and housewares, electronics, general merchandise and so much more.

Read more about Price Matching. You'll find price matching tips, a list of Canadian stores and extra insider tips to make price matching go smoother.