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Canadian Budget Binder

A Canadian Couple On A Financial Journey Using A Budget

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Friends With Benefits- Helping Us Stick To The Budget

Get your mind out of the gutter…crikey I’m simply going on about Networking! There’s always a dollar to be saved when you network, right? Not everyone is an extrovert but you don’t need to be when it comes to networking you just need to be you~ and talk! What is Networking, you ask? Networking: according… Read more

How We Designed our Budget Step 5- 5S Organization

BUDGETING IS LIKE CLEANING HOUSE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS A PLACE Welcome to Step 5 in our budgeting mini-series where we talk about asking for receipts and the importance of this simple task for our budget. I believe that many people fail or give up on a budget because they lack the organizational skills needed to… Read more

The Grocery Game Challenge March 5-March 11/Week 2

This is our weekly grocery shop for March 5- March 11. What was your weekly shop like? Post it in the comment section of this post and you could win a monthly prize of $50 in various Canadian coupons~ see rules and regulations here. We had this weeks shop planned and knew we would spend… Read more

Cranberry Orange Bread in a Bundt Pan- Cost $5

While searching Facebook I came across this recipe on the Quaker Canada Facebook page and wanted to give it a go. We have this huge bag of Whole Wheat Flour in the basement that needed to get used up. I made a couple of adjustments to the recipe as we baked it in a bundt… Read more

Tips to Curb Emotional Spending and Not Break the Budget

Have you ever found yourself bored and decided to go shopping? Did you have a rough day at work or a spat with someone and find yourself at the mall? Mall shopping ropes you into spending and your brain turns to mush. These may be  situations where you shop with your emotions rather than shopping for… Read more

The Grocery Game Challenge March 2012 Week 1

I realized last night after a reader emailed me that March is beginning in the middle of a week. Since we did not do a shop this week I wasn’t going to post the challenge. We only shop 3 weeks a month and leave one week shop free. Since some months can get confusing with… Read more

February 2012 Canadian Budget Binder Budget Update

$ How much did you spend this month? Well here we are again folks at the end of another challenging month for us. We have worked hard at making changes to our budget as we had found some flaws in our 2011 budget. We also went ahead and simplified the budget so we are putting… Read more

Are Second Hand Shops Worth Buying Clothes At?

YOUR MONEY WILL ONLY STRETCH AS FAR AS YOU’RE WILLING TO TAKE IT Many second hand shops offer new or gently used clothing, furniture, toys, accessories and other household items for a fraction of what consumers would pay retail. Who wouldn’t want to shop there first, right? Wrong! Do you shop at second hand shops?… Read more

How We Designed Our Budget Step 4-Notetaking

ALWAYS LEAVE A TRAIL SO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO FALL BACK ON If we’ve learned anything about budgets over the past years it’s that you need to learn how they work before you carry out one. I admit we jumped into budgeting feet first without any formal training or online learning so it has been… Read more

Kick the Smoking Habit, Save Your Health and Budget Update Week 4

Here we are at week 4 already, can you believe this! We certainly are in awe over our accomplishments. If you would have told us 4 weeks ago that we would be smoke-free by the end of February 2012 we likely would have thought you were nutty. The reality is you have to want it… Read more

Eating In Vs Eating Out- The Comparison

I had to write this post after eating out as I was just shocked at the cost of our meal at a well-known chain Restaurant. I used some gift cards I had received from Christmas to pay for the order. It wasn’t on my dime but I had to use them before they expired. So… Read more

Mr.CBB’s Famous Fudgy Brownies

HANDS OFF MY CANADIAN BROWNIES That’s right, these fudgy brownies were made in Canada therefore they are the best brownies you’ll ever taste and I mean that. I know you’ve waited for my homemade brownie recipe since I exposed that lovely tower of brownies on my Facebook page a few days back. Don’t you just… Read more

Can we Stick to the Grocery Budget- February 20-26 2012-Week 4

Last week was our first no-shop week and I must say it was difficult. You think it’s easy to say “I won’t shop” but it doesn’t work that way. Temptation is all around us even at the pharmacy or petrol station. Fighting the temptation can be won though. I’m happy to report that we did… Read more

Product Price Adjustment: Don’t Miss The Savings!

DON’T MISS THE BUDGET SAVINGS!   Are you aware that some Canadian big box and grocery stores have a Product Price adjustment policy? If you are then you know about the great savings you can pocket if you keep your eyes and ears open. If you aren’t aware read on and learn how you to… Read more

Is your Gas Tank Eating Into your Budget?

Didn’t you just fill the tank honey? What do you mean you are on empty already? If you’ve heard these lines before don’t despair, so have I. Everything around us is going up except the numbers in our bank account. In Canada every street corner adorns a petrol station with your choice of price. Take your pick,… Read more

Kick the Smoking Habit Save your Health and your Budget- Update Week 3

Hey there fans! It’s now Feb 19, 2012 and 21 days ago on Jan 29 @ 9pm Mrs. CBB and I made the decision to give up smoking. We had both been smoking for some time now and wanted to make a healthy change. My Mileage Smoke-Free Days: 21 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 210 Amount Saved: $67.20 Life Gained: Days: 1 Hrs: 22 Mins: 9 Seconds: 45 Although… Read more

Nonna’s Meatballs and Pasta Sauce $1.65ea Feeds 10

What to cook with meatballs? Pasta Sauce of course! Well you’ve been waiting for it and here it is, Nonna’s Meatballs and Pasta Sauce. You can also create this easy pasta sauce and meatballs in a crock-pot if you want to set it and forget it. If you like pasta sauce in the jar, you have… Read more

The Mule was your Ride and the Backpack your Head

You watch the Food Network and your mouth begins to water and somehow your stomach starts fighting for your attention. Could it be that the recipes you see are so tantalizing you can smell them through the television. Yes, it’s true cooking from scratch is the best way to go. Celebrity Chefs and the Food Network thrive… Read more

Top Seven Budgeting Mistakes

Budget, Budget, Budget- Only families with children and the white picket fence need one of those, right? WRONG…everyone should use a budget. Did you know that many people don’t even know how to budget? You see most people don’t talk about finances let alone chat about where their money is going. Try telling my old school… Read more

Til Death Do Us Coupon- Are you doing it Canada?

Two things in life are for definite “Taxes” and “Death”.   Creeping the list is “Debt”  which is a reality for most Canadians. It really doesn’t matter what your neighbour has, it matters what YOU have! How can we dig ourselves out from this mess we created? Yes we all did it, purchased items with… Read more

Budgeting for Love on Valentines Day

Like most men, I wonder what I should plan special for my wife on Valentine’s Day. An automatic Day where love is in the air,  but seems like every other day to me. You ask any man and he is terrified about not doing enough for Valentine’s Day or getting the right gifts for her. He wants to make sure… Read more