financial

The popularity of gift cards in recent years means most of us have at least one in our wallet at any given time. At least in BC, since November 2008 (pdf details), any balances on those cards don't expire and can't be eroded -- with some notable exceptions:

Last week, I was contacted by a reporter from the Globe and Mail. The story is up today (if you buy the Globe and Mail, it's in the Life section) and you can read it online: Extreme Frugality: Can you outcheap them all?
Comments are already stacking up online, what do you think? Does the story make frugality seem reasonable or ridiculous? If someone asked you, "What's the most extreme thing you've done to save money?" what would your answer be?

Join CBC host Sook-yin Lee for an exploration of being "cheap," where she asks: does being "cheap" really pay off? (Originally aired Saturday March 6, 2010). Followup show airs March 16th.

Listen here: http://www.cbc.ca/dnto/MT/2010/03/listen_to_dnto_mar_6_on_the_ch.html

Some of what's discussed:

I love a good freebie and if you run a business you should know the value of Seth Godin's books. If you aren't familiar with his work, pop over to his blog for an idea of what he's all about.

All 8 books below can be downloaded free!

If you have ever thought about selling things on eBay, now is a very good time to try it out. You can list the first 5 items every 30 days for free, so you only pay if the items sell.

Over the years, the Simple Dollar has offered lots of advice on making and keeping money; now they have put it all together into one free downloadable 50-page ebook called, “Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance on Just One Page”

Yes it says it's just one page but also 50 pages -- that's because the first page is a diagram and the other 49 pages are the details. Download it from the Simple Dollar. 

This month, Consumer Reports lists 13 ways to save at the supermarket.

 

 

 

I remember a time, back in the early 80s, when every grocery store in town had a bin full of coupons -- shoppers could drop unwanted coupons and pick up those they needed. Many stores also had double coupon days. While those days are gone, coupons have come back into style.

While you can still get some in the mail, it's more common to find coupons online. Sign up with Save.ca and you can select high value coupons for name brand products. They are mailed to you directly; all they ask is that you use them inside 60 days.

Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less, has published a companion e-book, Thriving on Less, which is available for download, free. The website also offers links to audio podcasts and a video:

 

Over at the Get Rich Slowly blog there's a great article called Embracing the Thrift-Store Ethic which lists 18 tips for buying used clothing. Some are common sense -- like carefully inspecting clothes for holes, stains, and care instructions and washing clothes when you get home.My favourite tip though is Take Your Time.