jar labelled budget with coins in it

The importance of having an emergency fund

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Life happens and sometimes an unexpected curveball is thrown our way, threatening our financial well-being and causing stress. Having an emergency savings fund helps us be prepared for these unexpected life events.

If your furnace broke down tomorrow, do you have the money to fix it? What about if you were laid off from work, do you have money set aside to cover daily expenses until you got back up on your feet? Or what If you got hurt while playing a sport causing you to be off work for six weeks, would you be able to cover your mortgage payments, bills, groceries, etc.?

Life sometimes throws us a curveball, threatening our financial well-being and causing us stress. An emergency savings fund helps us be prepared for those unexpected life events.

What is an emergency savings fund?

An emergency savings fund is money you’ve set aside for life’s unexpected events such as the loss of a job, a debilitating illness or injury, or a major repair to your home. It provides you with a financial safety net and gives you comfort knowing that you can tackle any of life’s unexpected events without adding money worries to your list.

What if I don’t have an emergency savings fund?

Without an emergency savings fund, you’re living on the ‘financial’ edge, hoping to get by without running into a crisis. If an emergency does happen, it can cause a little problem to turn into a big, expensive financial situation. It can also cause a lot of additional stress.

As well, without an emergency savings fund, many people turn to debt instruments such as credit cards and lines of credits, to help cover costs. Depending on your financial situation, this could cause even more money worries as it’s only a short-term solution.

How much money should I save for an emergency?

When looking at the amount you need to save for an emergency, a good rule of thumb is three to six months’ worth of expenses. Calculate this amount using a budgeting tool. Over a few months, track the amount you’ve spent on your needs including housing, utilities, food, insurance, transportation, debt and personal expenses. Once you’ve completed this, you should have a good idea of the amount you should set aside for emergency purposes.

How can I save for an emergency?

Making regular payments into a savings account each payday is the simplest and most effective way to save money. It may not seem like a lot to begin with, but don’t let that discourage you. Over time, if managed properly, the fund will grow to the required amount.

When should I use my emergency savings?

When determining whether to use your emergency fund, ask yourself the following three questions:

1. Is it unexpected?

An unexpected emergency is one that you didn’t anticipate occurring, such as:

  • Loss of a job;
  • A debilitating illness or injury; or
  • Major repair to your home or vehicle caused by circumstances out of your control.

Annual reoccurring expenses, such as property taxes, would not qualify as an unexpected emergency.

2. Is it necessary?

Needs are often confused with wants and you’ll need to determine if the unexpected emergency is a want or a need. For example, if you have a water leak in your kitchen and you have to put in new flooring, this could be considered a need or an emergency. On the other hand, if your flooring is old, and you want an updated look, this would be considered a want and you’re emergency savings should not be used.

New items are great; however, your emergency funds should not be used for them.

3. Is it urgent?

When an immediate need arises, the last thing you want to worry about is how you’re going to pay for it. When making a decision on whether the expense is an urgent need, determine if it will affect your ability to provide the basics for you and your family.

Remember, the money you have set aside should only be used if you have an unexpected, immediate expense. If you do use money from your emergency savings, be sure to replenish the money as soon as you get back on your feet by making regular payments.

Life may throw you curveballs, but being prepared will give you peace-of-mind knowing you have money set aside for those unexpected events. It will also help your overall financial well-being and reduce stress.

Are you prepared for an emergency? We’d love to help you get started – contact us today!

person shopping for fruit at grocery store

How grocery shopping online saved me money

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ever wonder if online grocery shopping is for you? Here is my experience, including how it ending up helping me save money.

With growing technology and constantly changing consumer needs, many grocery stores have begun to offer an online ordering service. Though each store is different, the concept is very much the same – you log onto the store’s app or site, select the groceries you want, schedule your pick-up time (or delivery for some) and never have to walk into a grocery store again.

Over the last few months, I’ve heard more and more about this new technology including the money people were saving yet I was very skeptical to try for myself. Would it really save me time? What quality of products would I receive especially for produce? Would I really save any money doing ordering online vs. going to the store and doing myself? With a non-stop weekend ahead and an empty fridge, I finally decided to give the technology a try. Looking back, I wish I had done it sooner!

My experience

Like I do prior to any grocery trip, I created a meal plan and a list of items I needed for the week. Instead of starting the car, I made myself a coffee, opened up my computer and created an online account at my local grocery store – I was even able to connect my loyalty points to my account.

At first, I was a bit overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start. Do I type in my grocery list items in the search bar, or should I click each category and search from there? I decided to go to each category and search for my items by scrolling through the list. For many, this would work, but because I didn’t group my list into categories, I found I’d have to go back to categories as I missed something on my list. Towards the end, I began to type the item into the search bar to find my item quicker which became my preferred method of the two.

After my cart was full of the items on my list, I selected a time for pick-up, entered my payment information and hit submit. Voila. Done – well that was quite easy. Now I could go about my day until the scheduled pick-up time.

Pick-up was quick and easy. From the time I parked to being back on the road with groceries in hand, it took no longer than 5 minutes. There were a few items I didn’t receive due to being out of stock which was a bit of an inconvenience as I would eventually need to go to the store to grab, but the items I did receive were perfect. The fruits and veggies were fresh and the expiry dates on items were nowhere close to being due.

What I learned

Overall my experience was wonderful and included several learnings and quick wins:

  • Make a meal plan to set the schedule for the week and help create your shopping list.
  • Categorize your shopping list.
  • Search is your best friend.
  • Don’t wait till your fridge is empty – processing times may vary and you may not be able to get schedule your grocery pick up for another day or two based on availability.
  • Substitutes aren’t a bad thing – you can provide notes on preferred alternatives – and reduce inconveniences of having to go back to the store to pick up items previously out-of-stock.
  • You save time and money!

Savings

The best part of all was the money I saved! By doing online, I found I wasn’t tempted by items on the shelf, or items on sale, as I didn’t see them. My cart was only filled with items actually on my list. Looking at old grocery receipts, I estimate I saved about $40 from not impulse buying… if I were to do that each week, that’d be over $2,000 in savings a year! Talking to others, I’ve heard similar stories when it comes to their savings.

If you haven’t tried online grocery shopping and are on the fence, my recommendation is to try it – what do you have to lose? For some, it may not be for you, but for others, you may love it like I do. For me, I was able to spend the time usually spent in the grocery store doing more important things, including spending more time with my family. To top it all off, I saved money that I can now put towards something else, talk about re-occurring savings! For me, it was a win-win!

Woman holding piggy bank

Kick-start your finances: automatic savings

/0 Comments/in , /by

You can’t spend what you can’t see, right? Set up automatic money transfers from your chequing account to your savings account to reduce the temptation of spending somewhere else and keep you on track to reaching your financial goals.

You may have heard the term ‘pay yourself first’ but what does that actually mean? For us, it means setting goals, creating a budget and putting money aside regularly to achieve those goals. An effortless way to do this is by setting up automatic saving transfers.

Through automatic saving transfers, it’s easier than ever to save money. Through the tool, you’re able to schedule reoccurring money transfers between your accounts. Because it’s done automatically, it doesn’t let you think twice about moving the money into your savings and reduces the temptation to spend it on something else. You can’t spend what you don’t see, right?

Once you have your short and long-term goals identified, we recommend opening up different accounts for those that require savings. Talk to a financial advisor to determine what type of account is best for you (e.g., TFSA, RRSP, savings account, etc.). From your budget, determine how much money to transfer into each account and how frequently you’d like to contribute. Then, using online or mobile banking, set up a reoccurring transfer each month.

If you’re paid bi-weekly or twice monthly, we recommend setting up your automatics transfers for each payday. This way, you can have smaller, more frequent transfers that add up to the same monthly amount, but don’t seem to be as large of an impact all at once.

Automatic payments take away excuses and procrastination. There’s no more saying you’ll do it tomorrow as it’s automatically done – making tomorrow, today. By taking directly out of your account, you’ll forget it’s there and won’t be tempted to spend it elsewhere. You’ll also be on track to reaching the goals you set and could be surprised at how quickly it adds up!

Paying yourself first means investing in yourself. It is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your financial well-being. Now it’s your turn – take the challenge and be one step closer to taking control of your finances today.

brown paper bag lunch of a sandwich and apple

What’s your daily lunch costing you?

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Buying lunch may be convenient – and tasty – but the costs can add up over time. Learn how much your daily lunch purchases may be costing you and tips on how to save.

If you’re like me, you’re not a morning person. You hit snooze as many times as possible and you’re usually rushed to get out the door to get to work on time. You haven’t made lunch and decide you’ll just grab something quick from a local restaurant.

Depending on where you work, you may have easy access to a variety of restaurants that makes the temptation to purchase lunch even greater. Add the ‘cheap’ lunch specials and it becomes more of a habit than a once-in-awhile thing.  Unfortunately, it’s not so great for our wallets – let’s look at a few numbers to see the impact.

Looking at 10 different restaurants, I found lunch meal prices vastly ranged with the average person spending anywhere between $8 -$20 – and that sometimes wasn’t even including a drink! A typical lunch purchase will cost you about $14. The number may not seem high, but what does that look like over a year?

Thinking about your lunch routines, how often do you go out for lunch? Once a week? Two – three times per week? More? The more often, the greater the costs:

1x per week = Approx. $728 annually
2x per week = Approx. $1,456 annually
3x per week = Approx. $2,184 annually
4x per week = Approx. $2,912 annually
5x per week = Approx. $3,640 annually

The numbers are substantial once you start adding them up. So how do you save?

The simple answer… pack a lunch. Packing lunch costs a fraction of the cost of eating out and reduces the temptation to run out and grab something. The money you save can then be put towards something else such as a vacation, your retirement or even into your emergency savings fund. Check out the Pay Yourself First video to see how easy it can be.

Bringing the same lunch can become boring, which also can increase your temptation to buy. If this happens to you, consider making one of the great lunch ideas found below.

Packing your lunch the night before will help you save time in the morning and help fight the urge to go out. Even better, you’ll still be able to hit that snooze button one extra time – sounds great to me!

burger with fries

Eating out: kids edition

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Looking for ways to save money when going out to eat with the family? Here’s a list of some Saskatchewan restaurants that offer discounts, helping families to save money.

Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from cooking and going out to eat instead. No trying to figure out what to make. No dirty dishes to clean. And everyone gets to pick a meal of their choice! Eating out can add up though, especially for a family. To help save you money, we’ve put together a list of restaurants in Saskatchewan that offer kid-friendly discounts.

Note: Some restrictions may apply. Contact a location nearest to you to learn more.

Fuddruckers: Regina location: Kids can eat for $0.99 every Monday after 4 p.m. (one per adult entrée purchase).  Saskatoon location: For January & February, kids eat free every Monday-Thursday after 4 p.m. (one per adult entrée purchase).

East Side Marios: Every Tuesday, kids eat for $2. In addition, if you sign up for their Mini Mario club, you can receive additional promotions throughout the year.

Humpty’s: Kids eat free on Fridays between 5-9 p.m. One child meal per adult meal.

Montana BBQ: Kids eat free on Tuesdays at participating restaurants.

Perkins: Kids eat free every Monday and Tuesday night between 4-9 p.m.

Jack Keaton’s BBQ & Bar: Kids eat free on Sundays with the purchase of an adult meal.

WokBox: Kids eat free on Sundays with the purchase of an adult meal.

Denny’s: Kids eat free on Tuesdays between 4-10 p.m. at participating restaurants. There is a limit of two free kids’ entrées with the purchase of one adult entrée.

Next time you’re considering going out to eat with the family, why not check out one of the restaurants above. In order to take advantage of some of these offers, some advance planning may be needed – especially for those only offered on certain days of the week. Consider putting the money you save into your savings account to help you reach your saving goals quicker!

Do you know of a restaurant that offers kid-friendly discounts not on the list? Share with us in the comments below.

black background with hanging lightbulbs

Cut your energy costs today

/0 Comments/in , /by

Becoming more energy efficient is a great way to potentially save money. Check out these energy-saving tips to get started.

Thinking back over the last few weeks and the cold weather we’ve been experiencing, how many times did you go and turn up your thermostat? With the days being shorter, have you noticed a change in how often, and long, you’ve needed your lights on?

All of these things impact energy consumption and the costs can add up quickly. Unfortunately, most times we don’t realize the financial impact until we receive our monthly bill. This is especially true during the winter months as our energy usage, and our bills, tend to increase due to the weather we’re experiencing.

When it comes to the power we use, there are many things we can do to reduce what we use and in turn, reduce the money we pay each month. SaskPower provided us with the following eight power-saving tips that can help the environment and reduce your power bill at the same time – and who doesn’t want that!

  • Turn down the thermostat when no one is home. Cooling and heating represents approximately a quarter of residential power bills.
  • Plug in your car with a timer. Even on the coldest nights, your vehicle only needs to be plugged in for four hours. Using a block heater timer can save you about $25 per year on your power bill.
  • Turn off your lights when possible. Shorter days and longer nights mean interior lights in your home are on longer.
  • Convert to LED lights. Along with shutting lights off, you can cut the electricity needed for lighting your home by three-quarters by using LED bulbs.
  • Running a space heater 24/7 can be expensive. To help manage your energy costs, try extra blankets or a sweater first.
  • Only preheat your oven for baking, and only if the recipe calls for it. Most foods like roasts and casseroles don’t need a preheated oven to cook properly.
  • Use the right burner. Using a six-inch pot on an eight-inch burner on an electric stove can waste more than 40 percent of the burner’s heat.
  • Check your fireplace. When it isn’t heating the room and warming your toes, a fireplace may be cooling your house. Make sure the damper is closed when the fireplace isn’t in use to keep cold air out and warm air in.

Throughout the year, also look for in-store rebate programs typically offered by SaskPower in the spring and fall. Through these programs you can purchase energy-efficient products at a discounted price, and in turn reduce your energy costs – that’s a double save right there!

In order to see a difference on your energy bills though, you’ll need to do some work and change behaviours to ensure you’re more energy conscious. A small change may not be as noticeable but when you make multiple changes, and look at the impact over a longer period of time, the results can be shocking.

There’s no better time to start than today. Create a plan on how you can become more energy efficient and figure out the necessary actions to take today! For more information on power-saving tips, visit http://www.saskpower.com/efficiency-programs-and-tips/.

van with luggage tied to top, driving on a beach

Planning a vacation? Consider this to save & be prepared

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Planning a vacation somewhere hot? Or maybe to the mountains to hit up the slopes? Whatever your travel plans may be, here are a few tips to help you save and be prepared for your next vacation.

A recent Ipsos poll showed that 59% of Canadians said they aren’t confident they’ll take a vacation this winter. Given the deep freeze we’ve been experiencing here in Saskatchewan recently, some may be reconsidering. If you’re planning a trip this year, or in the future, here are a few things to consider to save you money as well as be prepared for your travels.

Do your research

You wouldn’t buy a car without doing your research, would you? The same rules should apply when planning a vacation. Go online or talk to a travel agent to determine the best options for you. You don’t need to plan every detail down to the minute, but knowing when you want to travel, where you want to go and how you want to get there will help you start gathering information on what best meets your needs and your wallet.

Avoid travelling during the peak season times

We know this isn’t always possible, especially if wanting to travel when your kids are out of school, but travelling during the off-season could mean lower prices. Christmas break and family week break tend to be busier and more expensive. Being flexible on your travel dates, sometimes by just a day or two, can help you not only save money but also avoid the crowds.

Look for seat sales

Many airlines offer seat sales throughout the year, especially to celebrate holidays and events such as Canada Day or Cyber Monday. Watch for these sales and compare airline prices to find your best price. A great app to use is Hopper – not only does it compare prices for you, it also send you a notification the instant a price drops. Don’t rush into booking your tickets. Allow yourself some time to watch ticket prices over a longer period of time. The extra time spent could keep a few extra dollars in your pocket.

Unfortunately, we know all too well the feeling of booking a flight and then seeing it go on sale a few days later. If this happens, be aware of any price guaranteed rules your airline may have. Some airlines will honour the new price within a certain time period from booking.

Utilize family discounts

If travelling with kids, look for family-friendly retailers that offer family discounts. There are many hotels and vacation packages that offer discounts such as kids stay and eat free. There may be a few restrictions, but it’s worth the money you could save in the end.

Get travel insurance

It’s always important to be prepared for the unexpected. Before travelling, know what type of travel insurance you have and purchase any additional insurance if necessary. When looking to see what coverage you have, be sure to check out any insurance your employer or financial institution may offer. Many credit cards also provide insurance if the card is used for booking/purchasing. If you’re unsure what insurance your financial institution offers, contact them directly to find out.

Protect your finances

Like at home, you should also protect yourself and your information when travelling. Only take cash, debit and credit cards that you’ll be using on the trip and leave the rest at home. Use your hotel room’s safe to store your items when you’re not using them such as extra cash, credit cards and valuable items (e.g., laptop, camera, phone, etc.). In the unfortunate event that you lose or have your card stolen, contact your financial institution immediately.

Whether travelling to a hot destination or just to the next province over, there are many ways you could save money. With all of the excitement of a trip, it is also important that you prepare yourself for the unexpected and keep yourself protected.

Are you planning a vacation this year? What other tips do you have that help you save money? We’d love to hear them – join the conversation by commenting below. Safe travels.

man kick boxing

Kick-start your finances: goal setting

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Setting financial goals helps you to figure out what’s important, focus on priorities and analyze your wants vs. your needs. 

We all dream about what we want to do and what we want to achieve. From going on a vacation, paying off debt, putting money away for our child’s education or having enough money set aside for retirement; these dreams become our goals and like most things, have a financial component to them.

Unsure of where to start? Taking the time to set goals will provide you with an understanding of your big picture. It allows you to figure out what’s important to you, focus on priorities and analyze your needs vs. your wants. Below you will find some advice on creating realistic and achievable financial goals, helping you make tomorrow, today.

Creating goals

There are three types of goals:

  1. Short-term Goals: These are goals that you can achieve in a short amount of time – less than one year – and can include things such as a minor home renovation, paying off a credit card or starting an emergency fund. These goals can also be shorter goals that contribute to a larger, long-term goal such as starting to put a small amount of money away for retirement.
  2. Intermediate Goals: These goals take a bit longer to achieve – between one to five years. Saving money for a down-payment on a home or saving for a family vacation are great examples that may fit into this category.
  3. Long-term Goals: These goals tend to be longer – 10+ years. These goals are often re-assessed throughout the course of their timeframes to ensure you’re on track and often are adjusted due to changing situations/environments. Some examples of long-term goals may include saving for your child’s education, paying off a student loan or saving enough money to retire.

Now that you know the different types of goals, write down your short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals for 2018. When making a list think about things such as:

  • What makes you happy? (e.g., family, vacation)
  • What makes you stressed? (e.g., credit card debt)
  • What do you wish you had? (e.g., new furniture)
  • What things do you like doing? (e.g., traveling, spending time with friends)
  • Where do you see yourself in one year? (e.g., taking a hot vacation) Five years? (e.g., having a down payment for a home) Ten years? (e.g., having my student loans paid off)
  • What does having overall financial well-being mean to you? (e.g., understanding my money and not having to worry if I’ll have enough when I retire.)

When setting your goals include specifics, such as costs and timelines. Also look to see if your goals are realistic and achievable. Small goals are easier to reach and help train your brain into believing you can achieve it. This can also increase your chance of success in future goals. Below is an example of how you can take the things important to you and group into short-term, intermediate and long-term goals.

Prioritize. Prioritize. Prioritize.

Once you have your goals written and organized, it’s time to prioritize. This will help you understand what’s most important and where you should focus your time, money and energy.

Though it is great to have lots of goals, actually achieving them all may be difficult. You must take a look at your goals and ensure they’re also realistic and achievable when you look at them all together. It’s important to set yourself up for success and work within your means.

Prioritizing will also allow you to make any adjustments needed to make these goals achievable. When prioritizing ask yourself:

  • If you could only achieve one of these items, which one would it be?
  • Are there any goals on my list that are needs vs. wants?
  • How long do I have to achieve this goal – is that a must or can it be adjusted?
  • Can I break any of my larger goals into smaller goals?
  • Can I put a hold on any of these goals and begin working on only once I have completed another goal?

When prioritizing and making adjustments, be aware of how achieving these goals will impact your finances now. Online calculators can help you understand exactly what you need to do now to achieve your goal within your timeline. Depending on your current financial situation and the impact your goal will have (e.g., monthly contributions), you may need to re-adjust or plan your goals differently.

Team effort

If you are married or have a significant other in which you share financial responsibilities with, it’s essential you work together when creating your financial goals. Work together to develop a list of goals and discuss what’s a priority and what’s not. Together, determine what is achievable and ensure you’re on the same page – if not, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Once set, be each other’s motivation and hold each other accountable to help ensure success.

Talk to your financial advisor

The most important thing you can do once you’ve created and prioritized your list of goals is to talk with your financial advisor. They will be able to provide you with advice on your goals and help you look at the big picture. They may also identify any obstacles that impact you reaching these goals and provide guidance on what types of adjustments can be made. Your financial advisor will also be able to tell you which products, such as RRSPs, Tax-Free Savings Accounts, mutual funds, etc., you should consider helping contribute towards your success.

When it comes to kick-starting your finances, start off by understanding what’s important to you and what you want to achieve with your finances.  Create short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals and prioritize accordingly. Once you’re done, make an appointment with your financial advisor to discuss and determine what tools and resources are available to help you succeed. Don’t have a financial advisor, no worries – you can request financial advice here.

sparkler

Being real with your New Year’s resolutions

/0 Comments/in , /by

Only about 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. Here we explain why and help you to set resolutions that are achievable.

Have you ever said to yourself that you will start doing something tomorrow, yet tomorrow never comes? Or had a bunch of New Year’s resolutions that you quickly gave up on and added back to your list the next year?

You’re not alone. When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, approx. 8% of people actually achieve them. But why is that? The answer… you.

When it comes to setting New Year’s resolutions we tend to set the expectations way too high, setting ourselves up for failure right from the start. And if the resolution is achievable, many times we don’t make the effort or change our behaviours that would allow us to succeed.

We need to stop setting ourselves up for failure and really focus on making tomorrow, today. Whether you want to improve your personal fitness and nutrition, focus on your finances or quit bad habits, you need to ensure your goals are attainable and provide a realistic expectation, a target date and an action plan on how you will achieve your goal.

Example 1: attainable goals

For example, in 2018 you want to increase the number of days you go to the gym from once a week to four times a week. Instead of jumping in feet first, set a target date and slowly incorporate a new gym day into your weekly routine until you are up to four gym days a week. Create an action plan on when you will go to the gym by booking time in your calendar in advance. By writing it down, you’ll be more motivated to do it and won’t be tempted to book yourself for something else.

Success will also require you to make changes to your lifestyle and behaviours. New Year’s resolutions won’t happen on their own and you must take action or make changes to see results.

Example 2: changing behaviours

Your 2018 resolution is to save money by cutting out your morning coffee purchase. In order to do this though, you must change your behaviour in stopping each morning. You may also need to create a new habit of making a coffee at home each morning to eliminate the temptation of stopping, which in the end will help you succeed.

Changing behaviours can be hard and you must be consistent in order for them to become a part of your everyday norm. According to a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes a minimum of 21 days to form or change a habit. That doesn’t seem too long when you read it but can feel like forever when trying to do it. Don’t panic though – stay consistent and hold yourself accountable – within time, you won’t even remember what the old norm was.

The key to achieving your New Year’s resolution is ensuring it’s attainable and having an action plan that helps you succeed. When it comes to your financial planning resolutions, we’re here to help.

Starting Jan. 1, we’re challenging you to Kick-Start Your Finances by taking our 6-week challenge. Each week, we’ll be tackling a new topic related to you and your money and we encourage you to join us along the way. Together, we can build an action plan and help you take control of your finances in 2018. Join us next week to learn more and take the challenge!

Happy New Year!

busy shopping mall

Boxing Day shop like a champ

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Take the stress out of Boxing Day shopping by following a few of these tips that will help make the best of your time, money and sanity.

We understand Boxing Day can be quite chaotic especially when you start to think about the large crowds, long lines and the amount of money exchanging hands. A survey by RetailMeNot.ca showed that Canadians could spend as much as $600 this year on Boxing Day and New Years. When asked how in-store Boxing Day shopping made Canadians feel, it isn’t surprising to hear 77% said “overwhelming”.

To help with that overwhelming feeling, we’ve put together a few tips to help you prepare for Boxing Day shopping and make the best of your time, money and sanity!

Create a game plan

Boxing Day can be full of temptations and impulse buying. Setting a game plan in advance will ensure you shop with intention and help you avoid those unnecessary purchase.

Prior to shopping, make a list of the things you are wanting to buy. Prioritize the list and identify want vs need purchases. Are all the items on your list an absolute must-need?

Next part of your plan should be to set a budget prior to Boxing Day shopping. Without one, you can easily spend more than you’re comfortable with causing buyer’s remorse and stress later on. Use this budget to re-evaluate your list and determine if there are any items you could reconsider purchasing or that you can purchase at a later date.

Do your research

Research before venturing out for the day, taking a look at flyers, going online or even using apps such as Flipp to compare item prices at different stores. Write down the stores you plan on visiting to buy the items on your list. Use this list to map out your route to help save travel time and gas! Be sure to only stop at places on your list.

Another thing to look for when researching is week-long Boxing Day sales. Many retailers now extend their Boxing Day sales for the length of the week to reduce a bit of shopping chaos. Instead of going out into the crowds all in one day, are there any items you can purchase throughout the week that allow you to still get the sale price? This can also help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by not trying to make your purchases all in one day

Consider online shopping

Many retailers will also have Boxing Day sales through their online sites, some even starting a few days before or right at 12:01 a.m. Boxing Day. The only downside to online shopping is having to wait for the item to ship. Depending on the item, is it an absolute must that you need the item right that second or can you wait a few days until it arrives in the mailbox?

If online shopping, be cautious of shipping and exchange rates. Sometimes the costs can outweigh the convenience of shopping online and there may be a few items that are better off you going to the store for.

Leave your credit cards at home

A simple way to not overspend on Boxing Day is to leave your credit cards at home. Only use cash or debit for Boxing Day purchases to help eliminate the temptation of buying something that’s not on your list.

If using cash, only bring as much as your budget. Once the cash is gone, you know it’s time to stop shopping. If using debit, keep track of your purchases by writing and totalling your amounts on a piece of paper. Once you’ve hit your limit, it’s time to go home.

Avoid group shopping

Shopping with friends can be fun, but creates opportunities for temptation. When you’re with a group, you tend to go into stores that you wouldn’t necessarily have gone into if you were by yourself which often leads to an unnecessary purchase. If you didn’t plan on going into that store originally, you most likely didn’t know that item existed – is it really something you need to buy?

Consider shopping alone or with one person. If partnering up, make a game plan together. Also, ask your friend to help you from impulse buying by having them look at your items before purchasing and providing their opinion.

If you do go into a store that you weren’t originally planning to, avoid impulse buying temptations and stick to the items on your list. Think about it… you weren’t planning to go to that store and the item you didn’t know existed nor was on your list. Just because you see the item now, is it really something you need to buy?

Avoid spending to save

We all know the deals on Boxing Day can be great but beware of the deals that make you spend more to save. A great example of this is the ‘Buy One Item, Get Another 50% Off’ deal. Yes, the second item is 50% off, but if you were only planning to purchase one in the first place, you now are paying 50% over your budget for the second item. Many stores also put the discount on the lowest priced item, which also can cause you to spend more than you were planning.

When looking for deals, be sure to read the fine print, sign and prices carefully. Also, become familiar with the store’s return policy so that if you decide you no longer want it, you are able to return it.

When it comes to a successful Boxing Day shopping haul, patience and comfortable shoes will be the most important thing. Paired with the tips above, you’ll also eliminate spending stress and hours spent in stores and lines. Happy shopping!