Author Topic: Canada - can we get any deals?  (Read 10159 times)

Wannabe Mustache

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Canada - can we get any deals?
« on: May 10, 2015, 08:13:10 AM »
I live in northern, Ontario, Canada.  Specifically, Temiskaming Shores.  I can't find any decent rates for internet or cell phones. 

I'm considering giving up internet and landline (bundled) because it's $100 / month and so is my cell phone.  Perhaps it's better to ditch the phone. 

Also, groceries!  Soooo expensive.  I'm not good at meal planning but still, how do people get by on $100 per week or less for a family of 4. 

I've been lazy on swtiching out of the big banks to Tangerine or PC banking...but I'll do it. 

Any tips out there? Please. 

kathrynd

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2015, 08:52:10 AM »
Groceries.

$100. a week is possible.
How old are the children?
Do you make them a lunch and snacks for school...and does the school  put restrictions on the food they are permitted to bring (a pet peeve of mine)

Do you and your partner work...and do you both take your lunch to work?

If you can provide an average menu of what you have for a week... suggestions could be made, where savings could be made.


scrubbyfish

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2015, 09:12:56 AM »
We're certainly limited up here, in comparison to the continental US.

Phone
I've had no landline for years. Cell only, at $35/mo.
I rarely use it weekday daytimes (too costly), and organize my life to rely on internet or a community phone.

Investing
Canadian Couch Potato Model Portfolios

Groceries
After a thread I started here, I switched to Superstore, which was freakishly better than Whole Foods, better than Safeway, better than Costco.
I can't locate that thread now, but if you type canada superstore into the Ask A Mustachian's search bar, results with Canadian grocery tips come up.

Otherwise, for me it's been whole-lifestyle changes. I moved to a cheap housesit, of sorts, in a town with no shops or paid entertainment, and collate all my town errands into one car day per week, etc.

If any of your family members have a disability, I'll have more tips.

And as kathrynd noted, the more specific info you post, the more helpful tips you'll receive, because tips must be specific to needs, and every person's or family's needs are different. e.g., Does food need to be vegan? Paleo? Portable? Freezable (for a person miles from a grocery store)? Etc. Different tips for each circumstance. Ditto for phone, etc. Internet needs for homeschooling kids may differ than those for mainstream-schooled kids, and so on.

Wannabe Mustache

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2015, 12:33:32 PM »
I am a teacher.  My husband owns his own business which does boy generate any income.  I've posted about that frustration in the past.

I am trying to reduce spending on monthly bills but it is hard. Internet & phone and groceries are the hardest.  I'm on my phi e now but will post more when home and on my computer. 


daverobev

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2015, 04:07:47 PM »
See if you can get a smaller company's internet service over Bell or Rogers lines, eg Velcom are cheap but customer service not amazing, teksavvy well rated, etc.

Cell, depends how much you use. SpeakOut/7-11 can get a year of connection for a small top up but it's like 40c/min, Koodo and Fido have $45 plans with all the minutes you could use plus 1Gb ram.

Food, well, depends on what shops you have. Buy in bulk on sale, use loyalty stuff and abuse it where you can (in a nice way!). Grow stuff, if you can - kale is not hard to grow but expensive to buy. Rhubarb, raspberries, asparagus...

Wannabe Mustache

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2015, 06:27:22 PM »
OK.  We have limited choice for food.  Walmart (which I try to avoid on principle), Independent Grocer's, Food Basics and Value-Mart.  I admit I do not spend time planning and shopping.  I tend to buy the same stuff week after week.  Today I was in North Bay so I thought I would go to No Frills (which we don't have here) and still spent $140! I did buy a fair bit of ground meant ($40 worth for meat sauce and burgers) but it will last several weeks, maybe 3. I spent over $800 on groceries last month and that is an average.  My twins are 8 years old. I buy good coffee. 

The only internet service is Bell FibreOp or Eastlink and both have similar prices. They usually bundle the landline and TV with the internet, landline doesn't add much to the bill. 

Cell coverage is spotty and it's best to go with a big one for good coverage. I have a year left on my plan with Telus but I could downgrade the package which currently costs me $100/month for unlimited calls, texts and 2GB data which I've just gone over because I listened to podcasts on making income off the internet whilst doing long drives. 

I really just don't know how to get those two big bills down. My electricity and heat are what they are...I have no options and I find them manageable but a rip-off compared to US prices.  I don't drive that much distance except when I leave town, gas is manageable.

I've done a lot since I started reading this blog. I refinanced my mortgage, sold my mini-van and bought a Corolla and have no payments.  I moved my RRSP to TD eSeries funds.  I still need to move my bank accounts and my kids' RESP.  I am trying to be consisten twith YNAN but that is a problem.

SoftwareGoddess

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2015, 07:30:45 PM »
OK.  We have limited choice for food.  Walmart (which I try to avoid on principle), Independent Grocer's, Food Basics and Value-Mart.  I admit I do not spend time planning and shopping.  I tend to buy the same stuff week after week.  Today I was in North Bay so I thought I would go to No Frills (which we don't have here) and still spent $140! I did buy a fair bit of ground meant ($40 worth for meat sauce and burgers) but it will last several weeks, maybe 3. I spent over $800 on groceries last month and that is an average.  My twins are 8 years old. I buy good coffee. 

I don't know how much prices vary between the stores where you are, but it could be helpful to read the grocery flyers each week and plan your purchases based on the sales. I don't find that any one store has consistently lower prices on everything that I buy, so I shop at about 8 stores (no, not all of them every week).

I stock up on chicken, pork, and beef when they go on sale and then freeze them, and I also stock up on non-perishables and canned goods at sale prices. When I buy produce, I try to make sure that it's at the lowest price among "my" stores that week. I have plenty of room to improve my badassity in this area, but I have brought my grocery costs down by about 20% so far.

Quote
Cell coverage is spotty and it's best to go with a big one for good coverage. I have a year left on my plan with Telus but I could downgrade the package which currently costs me $100/month for unlimited calls, texts and 2GB data which I've just gone over because I listened to podcasts on making income off the internet whilst doing long drives. 

Can you download podcasts to your device from your home internet instead of streaming them, to reduce your data charges? How important is it for you to have a smartphone as opposed to a feature phone?

kathrynd

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2015, 08:32:13 PM »
Wow $800 a month on food.

We tend to eat a lot of meat/fish and potato, with a vegetable type meals.
Meatloaf, roast chicken, roast pork, fish fillets.

We also make a lot of stews, sometimes with dumplings.
The meat is chicken, beef, or pork...

Baked potatoes, mashed or boiled.
Usually root vegetables, or whatever happens to be on sale.

Buy fruits in season. Canned when on sale.

Rarely buy baked goods..we make our own.
Bake my own bread with a bread machine.
Make my own jam, even though I occassionally buy.

Breakfast is home made pancakes/waffles,
 eggs (boiled, omelets, fried),
porridge (not the instant crap, but cream of wheat or rolled oats, which you need to cook on the stove)
cereal (whatever is on sale..that isn't loaded with sugar)
toast and jam

Portion control is also important.
Remember a serving of meat, is usually about the size of a deck of cards.

Don't throw away bread crusts.
Use them for bread dressings or bread puddings.
Stale crackers and cereals can be mixed into meat loaf.
Bruised apples...make into apple sauce or apple crisp

Water with a splash of lemon juice is a refreshing drink.
Treats are supposed to be treats...otherwise they aren't.

Don't throw out food.
Find a way to incorporate it into another meal, or freeze it.

Hummer

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2015, 08:50:18 PM »
Cell phone - use Virgin $30 month

okits

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2015, 09:17:02 PM »
For groceries, you have to shop the sales.  I would get killed on produce if I didn't walk past things the weeks they're not on sale.

If you can't be bothered to study flyers and plan ahead, have flexible grocery shopping lists (e.g. cereal or oatmeal or bread for breakfast), then buy the one that's on sale that week at the store you go to.  I often grab the flyer at the entrance, and if really crunched for time look at the front and back pages, which usually advertise the best sales.

Stock up, freeze, waste nothing.

Wannabe Mustache

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2015, 06:14:40 AM »
I should qualify that my grocery bill includes household items like cleaning products, garbage bags, toiletries, etc.  I make my own laundry soap which isn't cheaper but is better for my daughter's eczema. I'm going to try to make all my cleaning products soon.

Canada is definitely more expensive than much of the US.  Especially for phone, internet, cell, etc. Food is more expensive than most states, and even more expensive up where I live (although the people in the way north pay $12 for 4 litres of milk!). 

I will have to do the flyer thing.  I feel like I can barely keep on top of my job (very, very busy and lots of work at home), my course, my kids and my house. My husband does not take on any planning or budgeting stuff so I'm on my own.

I'll start by trying to reduce to $600 and go from there. 

scrubbyfish

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2015, 06:46:00 AM »
Groceries
Besides my tea, our only beverage is water.
I buy very little produce through the winter.
Portion control, yes. My kid and I are both big eaters, so we need to be mindful of stopping.
I found switching to Superstore eliminated the need for coupons, which I don't have time/energy for.
I find awesome ongoing deals, such as a 4kg of yogurt that works out to a fraction of the price of the 750ml.
Amazon is much cheaper than stores in many cases, even with shipping.

Overwhelm/Planning
Master shopping list. Work entirely off that.
Have just a handful of staple foods and staple meals, so you're not reinventing the wheel day to day.
Each meal is one-pot, and maximum 5 ingredients.
Shop maximum once a week
Use one credit card, and use it for everything (internet, cell, groceries), then download every few days into YNAB
Get 8 year olds making their own snacks, some meals, etc (teaching them now will ease your future)
Get kids doing lots of household chores, inspiring them to get rid of excess and freeing your time for planning/saving

nereo

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2015, 06:55:54 AM »
I should qualify that my grocery bill includes household items like cleaning products, garbage bags, toiletries, etc.  I make my own laundry soap which isn't cheaper but is better for my daughter's eczema. I'm going to try to make all my cleaning products soon.
well that really changes the equation, now doesn't it?
AS for how to reduce your spending on actual food-related items, I'd suggest that for just one month you meal-plan with an eye to very cheap meals. There are literally hundreds of meals that can make 8 portions for under $15.  That will cover lunches (as leftovers) and dinners.  Breakfast should be under $1/person, but there's a lot of possibilities there.  Cereal, pancakes, waffles, toast, oatmeal, etc.
Purchase in bulk and utilize batch cooking for efficiency.  For example, on sunday I made waffles for breakfast and lasagna for dinner.  I doubled up both recipes and now i have another lasagna in the freezer plus 6 large waffles.  Probably spent $20 in ingredients for the 16 dinner-sized portions.

Quote
Canada is definitely more expensive for many things than much of the US.  Especially for phone, internet, cell, etc. Food is more expensive than most states, and even more expensive up where I live (although the people in the way north pay $12 for 4 litres of milk!). 
Had to qualify this statement a bit.  As a US Expat living in Canada I've been surprised and frustrated by the cost of many items in Canada, but it's not all bad.  However, it is what it is.  I've had to double-down on buying on sale here - meat, butter, fruit and veggies do go on sale but in between sales they are expensive.  I make liberal use of my large freezer; when butter goes on sale I buy five and freeze four.  During the summer we can and freeze a lot of fruit (most berries freeze wonderfully for later baking).
You're right about the far-north.  I work up there and have seen $8 cucumbers that are so mushy no grocery store here would put them on display, btu that's all they get up there.  Everything that can't go up on sea-lift has to be flown in on small planes.  They even talk about
"market vs traditional" foods a lot up there (traditional being what they can hunt/fish/catch).


Quote

I will have to do the flyer thing.  I feel like I can barely keep on top of my job (very, very busy and lots of work at home), my course, my kids and my house. My husband does not take on any planning or budgeting stuff so I'm on my own.

I'll start by trying to reduce to $600 and go from there.
Again, batch-plan meals.  It's cheaper and much less stressful to make a lot of something and then rotate through meals.  Also, utilize a slow cooker if you have one

Cornelia

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2015, 09:23:07 AM »
Family of 4 here, we are in s. Ontario, and we get by on $500/month groceries etc, which includes a frou frou $100 organic csa...The key is to simplify !

I made a two week seasonal menu that we rotate through and I can change the veggies around depending on sales, what's in season etc. I have a mental list of all the staple foods we eat and stock-up when on sale. For example, when cheese goes on sale for 1.20$ or less/100g I buy lots, like five or six bars. They will happily chill at the bottom of the fridge for months perfectly fine. Butter, when it's a loss leader at 2.88/lb at food basics I buy a dozen and freeze them...Chicken 3.49/lb, Ground beef 2.99/lb and so forth. Buy in bulk and freeze.  My favourite canadian website to see all the weekly flyers is smartcanucks, it takes a few minutes a week to peruse the flyers and make a sales list 😊 I shop so different now from the way I used to, and save more too. I may be the crazy lady with 2 dozen cans of diced tomatoes in her cart, but when I only pay .88/can, i'm okay with that.

Since you are up north, do you have any hunter friends or access to wild meat? That could save you quite a bit in the long run.

Homemade cleaners are super simple, baking soda for scouring, and vinegar in a spray bottle for everything else, add essential oils if desired. I just soak orange peels in white vinegar for a few weeks, strain and use. When I need extra cleaning power I buy a little container of comet and mix with baking soda and borax. A drop of dish soap in warm water with vinegar works great for floors, fridges, or pretty much everything.

Try teksavvy for phone/net if it's available, we've been very happy with them. DH uses virgin for his cell at $50/month..

Comparing prices to those in the US kills me too sometimes, their organic milk is the same price as what i pay for my regular milk, ergh! And their internet and cellular prices are unbelievable, but I always tell myself that paying a bit more for stuff is the 'canada tax', it's the price we have to pay to live in such a beautiful and awesome country!!

Keep in mind too, that prices vary widely by location. You probably will always have higher grocery bills up north than someone down south. When I moved from lower mainland BC, to ON, I couldn't believe how cheap everything was here comparatively..

Good luck!

GuitarStv

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2015, 10:12:09 AM »
Do you really need a cell phone at all?  You have a landline at home . . .

FrugalFan

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2015, 10:39:09 AM »
Lots of great tips here! I'm from Ontario too. We really need to cut down on our grocery bills as well. I'm too embarrassed to post how much they are!

We have to keep our landline because our alarms system runs off it, but if you don't need it, cut it. At the very least, you could be paying less per month (We pay $75 for phone and internet with Cogeco. This was an introductory offer. When they threaten to increase it, we threaten to go back to Bell, and they give us the same rate for another year). We used to have Velcom, which was cheaper. It worked well when we lived in a bigger town, but not as well in our smaller town, which is why we switched). For our iPhones, we use 7-11 pay as you go cards. It costs us less than $20 per month for phone and data, but we rarely use the phones for talking. We usually text instead. 

nereo

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #16 on: May 11, 2015, 11:01:10 AM »

We have to keep our landline because our alarms system runs off it, but if you don't need it, cut it.
I'm curious what benefit you get from having alarm system(s). From the statistics I've read they don't do much to deter crime.  Do you get other benefits (for example: reduction in homeowners insurance or ability to adjust house-settings remotely or piece of mind?)
just curious.

scrubbyfish

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #17 on: May 11, 2015, 11:06:08 AM »
Communications

I also eliminated data on my phone.
So, for $35/mo (incl taxes), I can talk 200 daytime minutes, free evenings and weekends, and text all I want.

I go with text as much as possible -including with son's child care, etc.
Where others can't or won't use text, I go with email.
Where others won't use email, I try to meet in person, e.g., stopping at dentist to make appt while I'm nearby getting groceries.
Where others won't do any of the above AND the contact would be very beneficial to me, I call after 5 or on weekends.
Where others can't do that (agencies, etc) I round up all calls for a session from another landline (a housesit, a community agency, perhaps in your case at the school you teach at).
Only where none of the above works -and that's very rare- do I use my daytime minutes.
This way, it all stays within the $35.

Another forum member, tariskat, got me onto Skype phone (not video) for long calls and long-distance. $2.99/mo. I no longer need that, though, so dropped it some time ago.

My only internet option is Shaw, starting at $60/mo, and right now I have no line for it and can't get one.
So, I share (use) a neighbour's internet at home -it comes and goes- and use that for most communications.
When it fails, I carry my laptop to the library, etc.
I use Wifi on my phone.

My son's disability demands a LOT of paper stuff -all provincial items are faxed from my MLAs office; all federal from my MP's (the MLA will do the latter if I have some of each).

In this way,  my telecommunications (and mail) dropped from WAY TOO MUCH to $35/mo.

plainjane

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #18 on: May 11, 2015, 11:32:22 AM »
OK.  We have limited choice for food.  Walmart (which I try to avoid on principle), Independent Grocer's, Food Basics and Value-Mart.  I admit I do not spend time planning and shopping.  I tend to buy the same stuff week after week.  [...]

Cell coverage is spotty and it's best to go with a big one for good coverage. I have a year left on my plan with Telus but I could downgrade the package which currently costs me $100/month for unlimited calls, texts and 2GB data which I've just gone over because I listened to podcasts on making income off the internet whilst doing long drives. 

Buying the same stuff week after week means you're getting killed on some items.  E.g. bell peppers (granted, Toronto) range from 1.99/lb to 3.99/lb depending on the week.  At least look at eating seasonally, and look at what the various costs per lb are, can you substitute?  Can you engage the kids in identifying the best deals on the flyers each week?

And for going over your data by listening to podcasts, can you download them when you're in a space with wifi (or otherwise unlimited) and then listen while on your trips? 

TrMama

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #19 on: May 11, 2015, 11:51:02 AM »
I've had to double-down on buying on sale here - meat, butter, fruit and veggies do go on sale but in between sales they are expensive.  I make liberal use of my large freezer; when butter goes on sale I buy five and freeze four.  During the summer we can and freeze a lot of fruit (most berries freeze wonderfully for later baking).

The utility of grocery sales really varies by region/province. When we moved from BC to QC I noticed the regular price for most grocery items was the same. However, when things went on sale in QC, we could save 40-50%. When things go on sale in BC, we save 10%. Big difference.

In your shoes, I'd really focus on meal planning using cheaper items. If you live within driving distance of a Loblaws owned store, get a PC Financial Mastercard. The card allows you to accumulate points for every $ spent. You can then cash in the points to buy groceries at one of their stores when you're in the area.

For the record, we spend $600 to feed 2 adults and 2 kids. I buy very little meat, almost no processed food or beverages and make most of our bread. I also spend every spare moment during the last two weeks of August picking wild blackberries to freeze and turn into jam.

Le Poisson

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #20 on: May 11, 2015, 12:20:54 PM »
I haven't read all the posts here - forgive me if I repeat someone else's advice.

Northern Ontario is expensive for groceries, but you should be saving on housing. Not sure if your income is enough to offset things in your favour or not (BTW - good luck in your current labour situation)

A few small changes that paid big dividends to us included using the Flipp App. If you haven't downloaded it already, then please give it a try. Flipp will list all the deals around you on a given item, and has yielded some surprises for us. Often Shoppers Drug Mart has the best deals on staples like eggs and milk. Its a store we never visit, but now do.

I am not big on price matching. I prefer price beating, so I put all my groceries into Flipp, then redo my list based on which store has the most items at the best price this week. For us that tends to be food Basics. In the store, I shop my entire list, trying to beat the sale prices while in the current shop. Usually my shopping trip starts with a list of 6-8 stores, but ends up only being 3. Between instore sales and off-brands, I can usually beat the sale prices, but I always have a benchmark to beat. After a couple weeks, you find yourself with a driving route for the groceries. Also, don't forget to visit the Halal counter at teh grocery store.

We are averaging around $80/wk for a family of 5 - one teen girl and two small boys.

We are also abused by Rogers. I may cut the cord after the playoffs (Go Habs!) With Cable, Home phone, 2 cells, Internet, etc. we donate a lot of money to them in order that we can keep watching Hockey. I need to buy a case of beer and make friends with someone. Or go hang out at Best Buy's showroom for HNIC. We tried Wind Mobile for our au pairs when we had them in the house, and it seemed fine. At $35/month, we had no issues.

Finally, hop on one of the cycling challenges. I am new to this one, but gas prices up north are even worse than they are here - and they are nothing to brag about down south. By cycling, I have managed to stretch a tank of gas out over a month - I was filling up weekly. That's metric crapload of savings right there!
 

FrugalFan

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #21 on: May 11, 2015, 12:36:24 PM »

We have to keep our landline because our alarms system runs off it, but if you don't need it, cut it.
I'm curious what benefit you get from having alarm system(s). From the statistics I've read they don't do much to deter crime.  Do you get other benefits (for example: reduction in homeowners insurance or ability to adjust house-settings remotely or piece of mind?)
just curious.

I'm curious about the crime deterrence statistics. We put it on at night as our kids sleep in the other side of the house and it makes me feel better. But we also get lower insurance rates and it monitors our sump pump (in a flood prone area) and indoor temperature. We travel quite a bit so this feature is important to us. Monitoring only costs $22 per month, but the phone costs $20 per month and that is pretty much the only reason we keep a landline. There is another monitoring company locally that works with cell phones, but I assume their monitoring prices are much higher (should check for sure though).

GuitarStv

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #22 on: May 11, 2015, 12:42:03 PM »
If you're leaving your home empty for extended periods of time you should read your insurance very carefully.  Very few will pay out after more than a week of absence, home alarm or not.

Le Poisson

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #23 on: May 11, 2015, 01:49:30 PM »

We have to keep our landline because our alarms system runs off it, but if you don't need it, cut it.
I'm curious what benefit you get from having alarm system(s). From the statistics I've read they don't do much to deter crime.  Do you get other benefits (for example: reduction in homeowners insurance or ability to adjust house-settings remotely or piece of mind?)
just curious.

I'm curious about the crime deterrence statistics. We put it on at night as our kids sleep in the other side of the house and it makes me feel better. But we also get lower insurance rates and it monitors our sump pump (in a flood prone area) and indoor temperature. We travel quite a bit so this feature is important to us. Monitoring only costs $22 per month, but the phone costs $20 per month and that is pretty much the only reason we keep a landline. There is another monitoring company locally that works with cell phones, but I assume their monitoring prices are much higher (should check for sure though).

One of these might work with your pump - no need for the home phone. http://www.amazon.com/PumpAlarm-com-S-PB-Cellular-Water-Alarm/dp/B00DZ0YM60.

nereo

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #24 on: May 11, 2015, 02:24:34 PM »

I'm curious about the crime deterrence statistics. We put it on at night as our kids sleep in the other side of the house and it makes me feel better. But we also get lower insurance rates and it monitors our sump pump (in a flood prone area) and indoor temperature. We travel quite a bit so this feature is important to us. Monitoring only costs $22 per month, but the phone costs $20 per month and that is pretty much the only reason we keep a landline. There is another monitoring company locally that works with cell phones, but I assume their monitoring prices are much higher (should check for sure though).
Well, I'll eat a little crow here and say that I was going off memory of news stories about the value of home burglaries. But I'm always willing to spend some time digging into the data to see what I can find. So, I tried to find a few figures to evaluate whether a system is economically worth it..  Most are industry mumbo-jumbo (highly biased) trying to sell you security systems. 

According to the FBI, the median $ loss per burglary was $2,185 in 2014, and there were about 1.55MM burglaries of personal homes.  There are about 132.8MM homes in the US.  For simplification if we assume the risk to your home without a system to be 'average' then your home will have an annual probability of burglary of ~1.17%.  At those odds, you have a 50% of being burglarized once in 34 years, and about a 12% chance in any 10 year span.

So those are the odds and the risk.  In terms of 'opportunity costs', you are paying $42/month ($504) for your system, minus any deduction in your homeowners insurance rates. Over ten years $504 invested annually and earning 7% would yield $7.7k.*  That's your opportunity cost to try to reduce the chance both the probability that you will be burglarized (which we calculated to be ~12% without a system) and to reduce the cost of your loss (median $2,185).
But wait!  Most homeowners insurance policies will reimburse loss from theft minus a deductible.  Mine is $500 - others may be higher or lower.  So your risk of loss is equal to your deductible.  Following this very back-of-the-envelop series of calculations, a security system is useful to prevent personal loss only if your house is being robbed every couple of years. You'll need to adjust these numbers to include any reduction you get in your homeowners insurance.

To be sure, there are other reasons to own a system, which is why I asked.  Many people  like to keep track of the comings-and-goings of their children, and I did not attempt to measure the usefulness of sump and fire alarms (although cheaper solutions certainly exist for these items).  Then there's the 'piece-of-mind' everyone talks about.  There does seem to be evidence that homes with security systems reduce both the frequency and severity of theft.  That's great!  But from a purely economical standpoint, unless you are in a high-risk neighborhood you are paying quite a lot to further reduce an unlikely event which you have insurance for anyway.

source:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/property-crime/burglary
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
*over 34 years (or roughly the time frame when you have a 50% chance of being burglarized) the return would be $69k

Prairie Stash

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #25 on: May 11, 2015, 03:05:02 PM »
The $100/week food budget requires planning, more in the broad sense of you know you'll need an item soon so might as well stock up on sale. I have items in my pantry I won't use for 6 months. Be careful of getting excessive, you never need a 5 years supply of anything. It's only a deal once you actually use the item, until then it was an unnecessary expense.

A landline in 2015 is pretty rare, if you can give up cable you can give up a phone. If you're nervous try disconnecting for a month, if you find it unbearable then turn it back on. I would recommend looking into a cheap pay as you go phone for the house. Your kids should have a way of contacting you in an emergency or phoning 911. Its right up there with fire prep for basic guidelines, it's just not as commonly promoted as smoke detectors.

Silverwood

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #26 on: May 11, 2015, 04:19:47 PM »
My grandma just came back from Texas.  I'm in Winnipeg.  She said that those precooked chickens in the store there are 2.50 while here they are 10 dollars. Not sure how accurate that is but I thought it showed how some people can get down to $1 a day on food

PharmaStache

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #27 on: May 11, 2015, 07:16:17 PM »
Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!

We have the option of 2 cell carriers that have rural service.  Our internet is also around $60/month- there are other options, but they're even more expensive!

$800/month is not terrible if you are including household items and feeding 4 people.  I'm sure you can get it down a bit though!

FrugalFan

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #28 on: May 11, 2015, 07:32:05 PM »
Thank you Prospector for that pump alarm link! I didn't even know those existed.

And thank you nereo for that detailed analysis. You are right of course. There are other reasons we like the alarm, but I can see that there are probably other ways around those too, which might cost money up front but eventually pay for themselves.

Wannabe Mustache

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #29 on: May 11, 2015, 07:34:25 PM »
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. 

I don't want to spend the time planning but I'm going to have to. I don't even know what good prices are for certain items, like ground beef for example.  If the label says sale, I believe it!

I'll look into the phone options - we're limited here but I'll definitely look. 

Thanks PharmaStache - I get discouraged when I see budgets on here sometimes because it's not possible here unless I totally give up internet and cell; possible but would make my life difficult. 

nereo

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #30 on: May 11, 2015, 08:27:32 PM »
one final thing:  don't discredit the currency exchange.  $1USD = $1.21 today.  When you see people here from that spend $400 (US) on groceries, at least realize that's $484CAD.
Shoot to reduce, but be honest and fair with yourself too.
[/quote]

kathrynd

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #31 on: May 12, 2015, 05:17:00 AM »
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. 

I don't want to spend the time planning but I'm going to have to. I don't even know what good prices are for certain items, like ground beef for example.  If the label says sale, I believe it!

I'll look into the phone options - we're limited here but I'll definitely look. 

Thanks PharmaStache - I get discouraged when I see budgets on here sometimes because it's not possible here unless I totally give up internet and cell; possible but would make my life difficult.

I can understand that.
We split our time between Canada and Australia, so we need to constantly get our head around the different prices.
We are still able to keep our budget around the $200 mark, for my husband and I.

For meat, I don't really look at the price, but at how many meals I can get from that package.
When turkeys or hams  go on sale around the holidays, pick up an extra one.

Last week 15 lbs of potatoes were $5.99 (the best price I could get)
This week the same potatoes were on sale for $2.99....we bought 2 more bags (our 4 kids and their partners are here every couple of weeks for dinner)

Look for 'horse' carrots. They are great to eat, just usually misshaped.Very cheap. Also "C" grade apples....look at fruit markets.

Le Poisson

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #32 on: May 12, 2015, 05:47:56 AM »

For meat, I don't really look at the price, but at how many meals I can get from that package.
When turkeys or hams  go on sale around the holidays, pick up an extra one.


We do both of these. We had 3 turkeys in the freezer at one point. I should have run them through the bandsaw. They take up a lot of space and eating turkey for a week gets old pretty quick. Frozen birds are hard to portion out though.

You can also stretch meat further by cooking like the Chinese/Thais/Middle Easterns and doing recipes that take chunks of meat  rather than needing whole cuts. (Like http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pad-thai-2/ or http://www.chatelaine.com/recipe/world-cuisine-2/lemon-chicken-with-bok-choy/ - use chunks of meat instead of whole breasts - or http://www.onceuponachef.com/2012/09/middle-eastern-chicken-kebabs.html or http://www.food.com/recipe/teriyaki-pork-stir-fry-235402) We portion out drumsticks, but boneless anything can be stretched for extra meals by using recipes like these. Of course the vegetables are swapped out for whatever was reduced to clear that week, and the seasonings are sometimes swapped out for whatever is in teh cupboard. BTW - that kebab marinade is fantastic.

Another spot we are saving a lot more than you would expect is bread. It took some work, but now have a routine in place that sees us making our own bread at $0.30 per loaf. Far cheaper than the $2.50 we see at No Frills. Since we go through about 4 loafs a week, that's an extra $8.00 +/- in our pockets each week. This week i spotted bread on sale for $1.50 a loaf and nearly took the easy route, but I resisted. Its easy to discount things like this as "only saving a dollar" but look at it as percent instead - In this case, I see an 88% savings by making my own bread. If the re was anything in the store priced at 88% off, the racks would be stripped clean in a heartbeat! Also, be suspicious any time you hear the word "only" when it comes to work or money - it is the biggest lie out there. Take "only" out of the sentence to get the real price.

Bread making is a fun combination of science and art/flavour. Take some time to find a recipe you like, and then its just a time commitment to get it made each week. The recipe I use has a lot of 5 minute tasks interspersed with 30 - 60 minute waiting periods. I usually start it right after work and have it cooling for bedtime. Ours is an oatmeal/Molasses bread. The only way I could get prices down so low was by buying ingredients at the wholesale bakery supply in town, but since we baking our own I don't mind having a 5 gallon jug of molasses and a 40 lbs bag of flour in the house.  If you think its worth it to make your own bread, folks were super helpful getting things working for me in this thread: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/bread-that-doesn't-suck/msg606068/#msg606068
« Last Edit: May 12, 2015, 05:53:51 AM by Prospector »

GuitarStv

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #33 on: May 12, 2015, 06:00:34 AM »
Another way to stretch meat . . . Nearly any recipe that calls for ground beef/pork/turkey will work fine with 70% ground meat and the remaining being oats or mashed chickpeas.  You won't really notice a difference in taste, maybe a very slightly different in texture.

kathrynd

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #34 on: May 12, 2015, 06:31:21 AM »

For meat, I don't really look at the price, but at how many meals I can get from that package.
When turkeys or hams  go on sale around the holidays, pick up an extra one.


Bread making is a fun combination of science and art/flavour. Take some time to find a recipe you like, and then its just a time commitment to get it made each week. The recipe I use has a lot of 5 minute tasks interspersed with 30 - 60 minute waiting periods. I usually start it right after work and have it cooling for bedtime. Ours is an oatmeal/Molasses bread. The only way I could get prices down so low was by buying ingredients at the wholesale bakery supply in town, but since we baking our own I don't mind having a 5 gallon jug of molasses and a 40 lbs bag of flour in the house.  If you think its worth it to make your own bread, folks were super helpful getting things working for me in this thread: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/bread-that-doesn't-suck/msg606068/#msg606068

Agreed..the only time we buy bread, is in Australia, where the major food chains sell it for 85 cents a loaf.
I love molasses and oatmeal bread....do you make it in the bread machine?

I'd appreciate it, if you could give me the recipe.

Le Poisson

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #35 on: May 12, 2015, 06:33:14 AM »
Recipe is here (but the site has a billion popups and 3 redirects...) http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/old-fashioned-brown-bread

PharmaStache

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #36 on: May 12, 2015, 06:59:36 AM »
Another way to stretch meat . . . Nearly any recipe that calls for ground beef/pork/turkey will work fine with 70% ground meat and the remaining being oats or mashed chickpeas.  You won't really notice a difference in taste, maybe a very slightly different in texture.

I recently made a delicious recipe that was half ground beef, half lentils.  They just gave it a nice hearty texture, and picked up the flavours in the sauce.  I often add a bunch of finely chopped up veggies to ground beef dishes as well (like mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, etc).  Meat is never the focus of our meals, and we never eat a big hunk of meat all at once (like we'd never eat a whole chicken breast each- they'd be sliced up and put in something).

FrugalFan

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #37 on: May 12, 2015, 12:29:07 PM »
Two things I forgot to mention...

First, if you switch to a high interest savings account for some stuff, consider switching to a lesser known institution for higher savings rates. When Tangerine dropped their rates again this year to an abysmal 1.05%, it finally gave me the motivation to switch. I recently switched to Hubert, which pays 1.9%.

Also, do you use reward credit cards? We have recently switched to cards that provide higher cash back rates for some items.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #38 on: May 24, 2015, 08:22:03 AM »
Some thoughts, not sure what will work there.

Fido for cell phone?  I pay $54/month, more than enough time and text, no data, plus a second number that is now my home phone. Literally, I have a box that connects to Fido, and my house phone connects to the box.  No Bell at all.  But reception is variable up North, not sure if it would be good enough for you to switch.  My "home phone" box has to be someplace in the house with good reception.

Internet - do you get Xplornet there?  Xplornet is for rural users, my choices here are it and Shaw.  No bundles, just straight internet, with 2 email addresses.

Someone mentioned organic versus regular milk prices - one thing to remember is that here regular milk has no BGH, it is not approved for use in dairy cows in Canada.  And (for everyone reading this in Canada) it might be worth mentioning to your MP that you appreciate this, there is always pressure in US/Canada trade talks to lift this restriction.  BGH does make for lower milk prices since one cow can produce more milk, but there is a price.  Plus US agriculture has the benefit of a longer growing season, so a lot of their food is less expensive.  Not to mention the exchange rate!

As a retired teacher myself, I know how hectic your life must be.  The more you can set things on autopilot, the better, but getting to autopilot does take time and energy.  Victoria Day weekend is over, no more 3 day weekends until July, but can you work on things this summer so they are automatic when school starts again in the fall?

Lynne

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Re: Canada - can we get any deals?
« Reply #39 on: May 25, 2015, 05:49:40 PM »
Someone mentioned organic versus regular milk prices - one thing to remember is that here regular milk has no BGH, it is not approved for use in dairy cows in Canada.  And (for everyone reading this in Canada) it might be worth mentioning to your MP that you appreciate this, there is always pressure in US/Canada trade talks to lift this restriction.

Oh, I didn't know that.  Cool.  I am confirmed in my regular-milk-buying habits.  :)

Re internet, I have Lightspeed for $31/month, but they are only in BC and Alberta (maybe useful for some people but not the OP).

I have applied for a few credit cards through greatcanadianrebates.com this year and made a couple hundred bucks in rebates for signing up.  One more and I should also have enough signup bonus Aeroplan points for a round trip flight from Calgary to London (UK not ON :) ), which I may be doing next year.  Redflagdeals.com has Canadian credit card deals too; good to check both sites if you're doing that.

I use Speakout for cell service and average under $20/month;  would be half that if I didn't subscribe to their data plan.  It's 25¢/min and 20¢/outgoing text as I don't do plans for those, but I don't call or text on it much.  When I do want to call someone for a chat I use Skype ($3/month = unlimited calling to phones in North America.  I tried Google Talk for that, which is free, but the connection always seemed to be spotty - Skype is better.)  Speakout uses the Rogers network so they have cell service wherever Rogers does.  They also always have a sale on in Nov/Dec for buying credit, $100 for $125 of credit, so I pay for my whole year's use around then.  Credit expires 365 days after your last top-up.