tips

When you're looking for something to eat between Fringe shows, be sure to show your button at these locations:

Almost every mall now has a “dollar store” or similar discount store whether it is a large chain like Dollar Giant or the Great Canadian Dollar Store or something quirkier like the Mini-Price store at Colwood Corners.
The value you get for your dollar varies, however. After a couple of decades of discount shopping, here’s my pick for the best and worst products you can find in a typical discount store.

The cheapest way to beat the heat is to not let it in your home in the first place. 

1. Use blinds and/or curtains to block out the sun wherever possible, especially in south or west facing windows. Assuming you have window coverings already, cost of this is $0. If you miss the sunbeams, go outside!
2. Install retractable awnings. We put one over our front, west-facing window and it has made an enormous difference. If you're willing to do the installation yourself, you can pick up manual retractable awnings at Home Depot or Rona for around $200-$300.
3. For about $150 you can get an energy audit and find out where you can save more -- often you can adjust the insulation in your attic or roof to find savings year-round.
4. Don't use the oven to cook meals -- use a bbq outside, or a smaller appliance like an electric frying pan in the kitchen or just eat cold foods.
5. Similarly, turn off home electronics that kick out heat especially computers, televisions, DVD players, PVRs and game systems.

 I was asked by an out-of-town reader for suggestions of frugal places to eat downtown. I put out the question to my other readers and decided it needed to be a section on the site. I've divided the suggestions by meal-type, basically:
For breakfast:

Whether you work from home full time or just need somewhere quiet and organized to sit and pay bills or blog or whatever, you probably have an office area at home. Often, this home office is a glorified term for the spot where your computer is sitting but it doesn't have to be. If you spend any amount of time trying to get stuff done, you deserve a nice, organized space in which to do it.
 

While it rarely gets really cold in Victoria, it still dips below zero regularly through the winter months. Here's a round-up of ways to keep warm without spending a lot of money:

Our current home is surrounded by plum trees. Problem is, I don't much like fresh plums. I pulled out my canning books and scoured the internet and found a few recipes to use the bucketsful of plums I was collecting off our trees.

TIP: for large plums, like the Italian Prune Plums on our biggest tree, use egg cartons to store them in the fridge and keep them from getting squished. 

Getting groceries can be a time-consuming and frustrating task -- especially when you are on a tight budget. Even now that grocery stores now put their flyers online, it can be tedious going to each site to check for the weekly deals. 

If you don't get the weekly newspapers there are some other options:

Flyerland.ca -- sign up and receive local grocery flyers (or almost any flyer) weekly.

If you are thinking of attending a Luminara celebration, or if you just want a frugal way to decorate for a garden party, you might want to make your own lanterns. Why not dig into your recycle bin for inspiration?

Lifehacker has the simplest tutorial with its Hanging Candle Lanterns using clean, empty jars and some wire.

If you haven't planted your garden yet and you don't know about companion planting (or don't know why you should), read this first. 

The gals at Little House in the Suburbs compare it to seating your families at a wedding: