feature // 14

 

Extreme budgeting

» Save your bucks with easy tips

 
 
 

'.. Chitwan Khosla
ee Features Editor
© features
@theotherpress.ca

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Sig

ng

f you're young, working,

and studying using student
loans then youre likely
financially strained and in
need of a budget. There is not
much you can compromise
on. You need to pay your
rent, medical and phone
bills, food and transportation
expenses, and once ina while
spend a bit on clothes and
other miscellaneous things.
Basically, you can only save by

cutting down on your luxuries.

However, by following some
quick, easy, and smart tips,
you can save yourself a few
more bucks which can be
really helpful if put in your
emergency fund.

Food and groceries: Most of
us spend a large chunk of our
paycheques on our food, but
eating cheap doesn’t mean
eating unhealthy. We are
talking about buying smart.
Keep a close eye on the
flyers and try to shop on
weekends. You might have to

: go grocery shopping two or

: three times but it is totally

: worth it. I do the same, and

: Tam pleasantly surprised to

: notice that I have been able to
: save about $340 in four months
: of doing it. I never buy all the

: groceries at one single store. |

: make a list of the things I want
: and I search through online

: coupons and weekly flyers to

: see what store has what things
: on my list on sale or with

: lower prices. This means you

: might be buying chips from

: Superstore and toilet paper

: from Walmart, but you will see
: after two or three grocery trips
: that you have been saving real
: money.

Sometimes, I buy in large

quantities (e.g., cooking oil:

: $4.99 for 3L and $19.99 for

: 20L—I get 8L more if I buy in
: large quantity and save about
: $13).

Buy greens and other

produce from your local

: farmers’ shops. Not only do you
: get the freshest of the season

: but sometimes they have super
: great sales on items. Don’t buy

: frozen chicken or boneless

: chicken and broth; buying

: chicken or meat from a butcher
: shop is cheaper and healthier.

: And don’ throw out the bones.
: Save them for making broth on
: your own.

Roughly plan your food

: schedule for a week in advance,
: and try buying items that you

: generally don’t like but are

: cheaper. They can be used in

: some great recipes!

: Cleaning supplies: We need

: cleaning supplies for a hygienic
: lifestyle but it doesn’t mean we
: need to spend a lot on them.

: Generic cleaning supplies can

: be bought cheaper at the dollar
: stores.

You can use some things

: at home to help clean your

: kitchen and washroom. Use

: bicarbonate soda (a complete
: wonder packet!) for almost

: every time you want to clean

: ceramics and your stove tops.

: Save your lime peels and use

: them to scrub bicarbonate

: soda. You will have a cleaner

: kitchen and you will save a

: good amount by not spending
: on the expensive countertop

: cleaners or the so-called grease
: cutters.

If you’ve got leftover soda

or coke which doesn’t have any
: fizz left—that you are probably
: planning to throw away—use it

: for cleaning your toilet. I know
: it sounds gross, but I tried it:

: coke and other carbonated

: drinks have a preservative

: added in them which cuts

: through the organic waste on

: ceramic surfaces.

Use old but clean

newspapers to wipe off your wet
: counter tops or floors instead

: of using a lot of paper towels.

: Use them only on the surfaces

: where there is no contact with

: food items though.

Beauty products and

: supplies: Why waste money

: on organic products when you

: can make them on your own?

: It’s an all-natural, very effective,
: and inexpensive choice. There

: are tons of videos online to

: teach you how to make masks,
: creams, and oils that you can

: use for your beauty regime.

: You can save money on buying
: beauty products using coupons
: as well, but it is still better to

: try homemade products.

Take coconut oil for

example: you can apply it

: on your hair, wrap a hot

: towel around your head and

: give yourself a nice hair spa

: treatment; apply it as your lip
: balm directly; rub a generous

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: amount on your burn scars or
: marks; and of course use it in
: cooking as well.

Use oatmeal for scrubbing,

: milk and almond paste for

: cleansing, green tea as your

: toner, and lemon as your

: natural bleach. You can use hot
: water as your face steamer to

: get rid of your blackheads and

: other impurities with next to

: no cost.

Spending $50-$100 on your

: waxing? Forget it, you can make
: your organic wax at home.

: Honey, sugar, cornstarch, and

: lemon is all you need—a couple
: minutes and an organic, cheap

: wax is ready. Take your old

: denim or cotton shirt, wash

: and sanitize it properly with

: hot water. Let it dry and make

: strips out of it. Then all you

: need isa little bit of time and

: you can have salon-like waxing

: results at home. The wax can be
: stored for future uses. You will

: be waxing 3-4 times at home

: for less than a single visit to a

: professional.

Give these little tips and

: tricks a try and observe for

: yourself, you will see money
: piling up in little amounts in
: your bank account!