Canadian Budget Binder

Milk in a bag or jug: Which do you prefer? : The Grocery Game Challenge #1 July 28-Aug 3, 2014

July 29, 2014 By Mr. CBB 18 Comments

MILK PRICING AND PACKAGING WARS Milk is likely one staple that ends up on a grocery list each week but for most consumers price will always influence that purchasing power. Not everyone likes milk which is fine because no one is forcing you to buy it but for those that do quality, price and now packaging may take centre stage. If it’s not one thing it’s another as we are now face the introduction of 3-litre jugs in Ontario. Many people including our American friends find the use of milk bags odd as did I when I first moved to Canada. It’s just not something we are used to using. Would I buy a 3-litre plastic jug of milk? Probably not because we use so much milk in our house that it just means more trips and potentially more money. Everything seems like a price grab these days so if a plastic jug is going to influence price in such a way that I’m paying more in my grocery budget, than no. I found it interesting that the Ontario Dairy Council wants to test out the market with – litre jugs of milk but not surprised. It’s true everything […]

Why hiring help seemed smart even for our budget

July 28, 2014 By Mr. CBB 28 Comments

ASKING FOR HELP IS NEVER A BAD THING I know you are thinking that it can’t be possible that Mr.CBB would shell out money to hire help around the house but it’s true. Would you have spent the money we have to get jobs done or do you think we are crazy? Read on….. Not everyone has family around who they can lean on for help when it’s needed nor do you want to bug your neighbours for help in the summer. Sure I help my neighbours do the odd jobs but I would never ask them to help me with jobs that are easy enough for me to do on my own. Maybe that’s just me. I’m the first one to cringe but don’t complain out loud when our neighbours let their house fall apart because they fail to put any money into maintaining the home. Maybe communication would work better because you never know what someone is undergoing in their life and they could use some help. That’s also being a caring neighbour although some might view that as being nosey. You never win! I think just about every neighbourhood has one of every type of neighbour […]

Filed Under: Everyday Living Tips Tagged With: Budget, chores, garden help, help, hire me, housework, planning, please hire me, Renovations, scheduling

Lemon No-Bake Cheesecake

July 27, 2014 By Nicola Don 7 Comments

ENJOY THE SIMPLICITY This is the best no-bake cheesecake you will ever make because it takes almost no time at all and tastes delicious. Instead of getting frustrated in the kitchen you can focus your efforts on something else rather than dessert. Easy desserts are not hard to come by these days as you can surf the web and find just about anything your tummy or mind desires. The minute someone who doesn’t fancy baking reads how to make a cheesecake they turn the page because they think it’s too difficult. I’ll say that cheesecake is a delicate recipe if you make it the traditional way but the no-bake cheesecake is really a no-fail recipe. If you aren’t someone who enjoys baking and want to whip something up in a flash no-bake recipes are the way to go. It’s also great if you don’t have an oven where you live but still have a sweet tooth you want to satisfy. Unlike Mr.CBB’s Cherry Cheesecake and Blueberry Ricotta Cheesecake recipes you will find this one different because for one you aren’t baking it and I don’t use a traditional graham cracker crust. For those of you that don’t have graham […]

Filed Under: Desserts/Treats Tagged With: best no-bake cheesecake, easy desserts, easy no-bake cheesecake, no-bake lemon cheesecake

An unclaimed government cheque is your loss: The Saturday Weekend Review #82

July 26, 2014 By Mr. CBB 12 Comments

CLAIM YOUR MISSING MONEY We all know that it’s not true that having no debt is the reason you forget to cash a government cheque. In saying that most people would agree that forgetting about money owed is hard to believe. It happens though. Not everyone is going to chase after you when they owe you money including the government. For many Canadians it’s as simple as getting all their financial ducks in order, including the CBB household. Household debt is a huge problem and I don’t know about you but tracking every dollar owed to us is imperative. However, I think some of us let life get in the way of the important things such as our family finances. I read today that Ottawa has a stockpile and it’s not from using coupons either. They have over $730 million dollars in unclaimed government cheques and refunds according to Public Works Canada. I have to ask myself who forgets they are owed money? I don’t. Most times people forget they owe money to pay a bill but not in this case. The government has the cash and it’s waiting for Canadians to come forward to say, “Hey I don’t […]

Filed Under: The Saturday Weekly Review Tagged With: Bumbo chair, claim your cash, government cheque, missing money, Schluter shower kit, Single moms income, someone owes me money, unclaimed fuunds, unclaimed money search

Store saving money tricks to cash in on: PF Weekly Grab a Brew #82

July 25, 2014 By Mr. CBB 4 Comments

WALLET SAVING STRATEGIES We’re always looking for store saving money tricks to cash in on so we can save money in our budget. Paying down debt and saving for retirement seems much easier when you can find tricks to save money to invest in other ventures that will get you further ahead. Investing in your future seems easier when you have that spare cash kicking around. It’s undeniable that many Canadians want to save money because these days we aren’t making enough cash to keep up with costs associated with the retail gods. Any way a consumer can hang on to their money they will try it. Unless you aren’t aware the Scanning Code of Practice is one of those great store saving tricks that isn’t widely talked about in the stores but visible in most big box stores on the doors and at the cash register. Picking up rain checks is another great way to get continued savings. If you notice a sale product is out of stock ask for a rain check. Call or visit the store with-in a day or two and the shelves are typically re-stocked but you still have that rain check that will […]

Filed Under: PF Weekly Grab a Brew Tagged With: best ways to save, Budget, Home Depot, Lowe's, money making, money saving ideas, money saving tricks, Retire, saving strategies, shoppers drug mart, tricks, Wal-Mart

Work more to work less with a compressed work week

July 24, 2014 By Mr. CBB 18 Comments

DEPENDS ON THE PERSON… Many of you might agree working a compressed work week would make your life easier but for others it’s not a perk they care too much about. Factor in the possibility that you might have to retire later in life because you aren’t working the amount of hours you are used to and it might deter you further. If you can picture yourself living the retired life how old are you when that happens? Getting up and going to work for everyone around the globe is a part of life as is earning an honest living. We all have employers with different missions and values and even some who look after their staff with such care that they worry about how their days outside of work will impact their productivity when they come back to work. Sounds too good to be true but some employers want their staff to come back to work refreshed and able to give them 110% rather than 50%. I know that what happens behind closed doors no one may ever know but if your employer takes extra steps to ensure they make your working days easier they may see a […]

Filed Under: Retirement Tagged With: Budget, compressed work week, employment arrangements, flexible hours, flexible work options, schedule for work, shift hours

Do summer foods cost you more money? : The Grocery Game Challenge #4 July 21-27, 2014

July 22, 2014 By Mr. CBB 18 Comments

PICK YOUR OWN EAT IT FRESH Summer foods are fresh, in-season and in some cases can drive up your grocery budget if you’re not careful. For the most part Mrs.CBB and I have a standard grocery list that we use every week along with sale items that come up in the flyers. In the summer our grocery list seems to grow. With such growth we really need to focus on how much money we are spending at the grocery store so we don’t overspend causing us to carry over these expenses to the next month. This is what we did for the month of July as you will notice we were over budget by $18.24. The reason for this is because we are trying to catch up for going over budget the month previous. It only seems to happen in the summer but come winter, things change. I know you might suggest giving ourselves a larger budget but it does seem to work out in the end. If by the end of 2014 we notice we need to make an increase then that is what we will do. We won’t deprive ourselves and not buy what we need when […]

Filed Under: The Grocery Game Tagged With: Farmers' market, grocery budget, grocery list, Grocery Shopping, healthy dinner ideas, standard grocery list, summer, summer bbq food, summer food ideas, summer foods, summer party food, summer recipes

What or who do you rely on to earn an income?

July 21, 2014 By Mr. CBB 14 Comments

YOU ARE YOUR INCOME SOURCE We all need to earn an income to survive in this crazy world. Many people jump in their vehicle or rely on other community services in the morning to go to work. Typical day… maybe. What would happen if there was no more bus service or our vehicle stopped running? I never gave much thought about who or what I rely on to earn an income until this past week. I think plenty of people worry more about whether they will keep their job over how they will get to their job and other so-called slight factors that would cause an impeding problem to their income. To call them slight would be a huge mistake. Many of us live life similar to everyone else who gets up in the morning, eats breakfast, showers, sorts the family out and is off to work. Of course depending on your work schedule that might not be the way it rolls in your household but you know what I mean. I remember posting that when my wife and I bought a house we bought it on one income so we had almost a free income to work with […]