It can be so difficult to say no; whether it be a friend’s invitation when you are pooped from a long hard day, a favor from your work colleague when you just don’t have the time or that second giant helping of grandma’s lasagna when you are absolutely stuffed. Most of us try to please those around us either to avoid confrontation (the idea to just doing it will be faster/easier than giving excuses) or it’s a classic case of doormat syndrome (people know that you feel guilty easily and use that to their gain). Just be mindful. Yes, it is good to help others when you can as long as it does not hurt YOU in the meantime.

A friend of mine is a classic case! She was approached by a family member for a loan. This relative wanted to fly his daughter in from South America for a visit; however, not having a credit card meant that my friend had to purchase the plane ticket. Now, she is tight on cash herself but never-the-less found herself playing the role of travel agent between both parties looking for the cheapest option and did indeed put the $1400 expense on her credit card in the hopes of soon being reimbursed. As far as I know, she is still waiting on that cheque and is too shy to ask.

Moral of the story: never loan more than you can afford to loose. And this doesn’t only apply to money. Years ago I lent a gorgeous wine-coloured sweater to a friend and it was never to be seen again. I imagine it is now in sweater heaven mingling with cashmeres and the like. We all have things that go poof when left in the wrong hands. The key is to listen to your inner voice when your brother-in-law desperately needs a set of wheels for the weekend, your neighbour would love to wear your trendy black pumps for a wedding she’s going to or a friend of a friend sure could use your deluxe fabric steamer. What happens if these things get lost or broken? What is the etiquette here? It seems to me the polite thing to do is to replace something if you are responsible for its loss but you just may find that others “conveniently” avoid the topic. Bye bye cosy sweater!

So next time you get a request that is out of your comfort zone, stick to your guns, apologize and wish them good luck. Trust me you’ll sleep a lot better than my friend who is waiting for her “cheque in the mail”.

Did you know that pet owners tend to be happier and more confident than their petless counterparts (according to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)? It’s true, little Fido or Fluffy offers as much emotional support as family members do (maybe even more so depending on the case!). We love our pets. And why shouldn’t we? They greet us at the door when we arrive home, offer soothing prrrrs when we stroke their tummy and are ever-forgiving even when we are in the worst of moods. Our modern day fondness for domesticated animals has bread a whole industry of veterinary services, insurance operators and breeders looking to profit from the relationships we have with our pets.

Once upon a time, the only usefulness a cat or dog around the farm could offer was to keep the mice away and round up sheep! Today, however, we are willing to spend bundles on our furry friends. According to Business Edge News Magazine, it is estimated that market sales for pet extras are worth as much as $4.5 billion a year in Canada! That’s a lot of flee collars! I am all for giving dog biscuits to reward good behaviour but sometimes I feel that pet owners go overboard. I know a lady who cooks steak for her cocker spaniel; I can imagine her husband looking enviously at the doggy food bowl while he slowly chews his chicken legs. Don’t get me wrong, some pet food is healthier than others but all you need to do is read the ingredients. As long as meat is one of the top ingredients then you are a OK. Other owners spend a fortune on grooming and pampering. Just grab a brush! If you keep at it, it will be much more manageable. I love giving my dog a bath. He looks so funny and it’s a nice bonding time for us.

Heaven forbid, your little guy needs to go to the vet. Murphy’s Law states that Fluffy will fall ill just when all the bills start to pill up. Now, not only do you have to pay for the doctor’s time, but also a shot here, medication there…ouch! Too bad OHIP doesn’t cover removal of a hair elastic from kitty’s tummy. Sure, Fluffy is part of the family and it is unfortunate that they have developed Intervertebral Disc Disease but before signing off on that expensive surgery just keep in mind that while it is very sad to see them so ill, pets are not meant to be with us forever. It may be more humane to let them go in peace and save yourself from greater financial stress. Talk with your vet about what the expected outcomes would be and hopefully they can help you make the best decision for both you and your pet.

Finally, if you are looking for a new furry friend, consider contacting your local SPCA to adopt. Giving a homeless pup or cat a welcome into your home is good deed by far. In most cases, you only need to pay for the shots and neutering (if not already taken care of) which beats paying up to $1,000 for a purebred any day. And remember, playing a game of catch and going for a long walk is absolutely free, so go ahead and show Fido you care!

Get ready for a rant.  We have all been inconvenienced at some point or another by intense security measures: taking off your shoes at airport security, answering a million questions on the telephone to access any personal account, and for me most recently, having the ATM eat my debit card.  I’ve heard of this happening sometimes if you use your card abroad (perhaps the machine thinks it is corrupt or stolen) but for me this happened AT MY OWN BRANCH!  And of course to add insult to injury, it was a holiday so I had to wait for the next business day to get a new card (and withdraw some money!).

Equally bothersome was having an online account of mine frozen every time I would sign in while I was travelling.  Yes, I was logging in from a different computer in a different city every few weeks but it seemed a little extreme that I was forced to call long distance each time to reactivate my account.  How exhausting.  Maybe I am just too trusting but I really wish things could be easier sometimes.

Better to be safe than sorry so they say.  Here are some easy ways to protect yourself when it comes to fraud, identity theft and any other scary situation:

• Do not share your PIN or keep it in easily accessible places for others to find.  Writing your secret four digit password on the debit card itself may save you having to memorize it but also means that if that card falls out of your jeans pocket, finders keepers when it comes to your bank account.
• Do not make it easy for predators to rummage through your recycling in search of your name, address, credit card, balance and purchase history.   An old coworker of mine used to bring all of his old bills to work with him to use the company shredder.   Why not?  Those things are fun!
• Be wary of giving too much personal information online or over the phone.
• Check your statements regularly in case of irregularities.

So next time you are asked to step through the giant body x-ray machine at Person International Airport just remind yourself that this is the airport’s equivalent to keeping your passwords safe….all in the name of safety my friends!

This Thanksgiving in Canada, I gave thanks for a lot of things. How about you?

I gave thanks for:

• Every self-aware soul who watches their spending.

• Every family that follows a monthly budget.

• Parents who teach their children about the value of money from a young age.

• Fathers who spend their earnings on their family rather than at the bar.

• Young couples who save and invest for their eventual retirement.

• All couples who don’t play mind games with money.

• People who give up bad habits that cost them a fortune.

• All those who come to realize that chronic debt problems most often result from bad attitudes towards money.

• Individuals with money problems who seek aid from those qualified to help.

• Risk takers who never gamble more than they can afford to lose.

• Gamblers who gamble modestly and only for a little fun.

• Seniors who imaginatively enjoy life without a lot of cash.

• Kids with piggy banks that are plum full.

• College students who treat their summer job savings as sacred.

• Relatives who pitch in when times are tough.

• Mothers who don’t tolerate frivolous luxuries in times of financial need.

• Brothers and sisters who share.

• Families who could care less about keeping up with the Joneses.

• Households that celebrate the free bounty of nature.

• Everyone who knows that money doesn’t equal identity.

Once more. Thanks.

This is one of those stories that’ll make you love the world all over again! So last Friday I headed downtown for a girls’ night out with some old friends. Lately I have been getting too many transaction fees when using my debit card so I decided to budget how much I was allowed to spend and carry that day in cash only. I got to the bank literally five minutes before they closed and withdrew $250. I have budgeted $50 dollars for the night and the rest was for a bill I needed to pay on Sunday. I zipped up my little black pouch and headed over to my girlfriends house.

The club was more fun than I had first expected. The crowd was amped, the drinks were cheap and the music was simply amazing.  I was so glad we had planned this night, it was definitely needed. By the end of the night my feet hurt so much from all the dancing so I decided to switch over to some comfy flats I had in my purse. I kept digging in my purse but couldn’t find them so I started to take things out to clear the clutter. I placed my little black pouch on the edge of a small flower garden close by my girlfriend’s condo. Finally I found the flats and was on my way to get some sleep.

The next morning, we woke up and reminisced about the night before as we made breakfast. Around noon I said my goodbyes and started digging into my purse once again but this time for my pouch. I kept looking and looking but my pouch was not in my purse. At this point, there’s about a million tears in my eyes, I can’t breathe and I’m thinking of a million things all at once. I had $200 in cash, my IDs, my debit card and not to mention two fully loaded Credit Cards. This was a disaster waiting to happen. I was so convinced my pouch was long gone that I kept rejecting my girlfriend’s suggestion of going to look for it further. How on earth were we going to find a bag full of money in downtown Toronto? There was no doubt in my mind that someone had found it by now. I wasn’t entirely wrong.

After an hour of crying, I finally decided it was worth a shot. We left the building and started to retrace our steps. Forty-five minutes later, no pouch and more tears, my girlfriend turned to me and said “Oh my God, there it is!”, pointing to the small flower garden by the building. In my bitter mind, I was prepared to see my pouch cut up and hung around a pole in some vicious act…instead, this is what I saw.

“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME” were the first words out of my mouth. “No, No, NO!! Call him, HE HAS IT!” my girlfriend screamed with joy. So I took my phone out, still shaking out of bliss, and called Matthew. I loved every word out of his mouth. I was still in complete awe that people like him exist. He told me that he had seen my pouch and felt bad for me after realizing I was a student as well. He said he tried to find me on Facebook at first but when he couldn’t he decided to make a sign in hopes of finding me. I thanked him a million times and we arranged to meet so I could retrieve my pouch.

I met Matthew for a few minutes and even though I insisted on a reward, he refused and said it was the right thing to do. I opened my pouch and not even a penny was missing.  It’s safe to say, I now have faith in Humanity. The world needs more Matthews.

After this experience I’m really interested in knowing how many of you have you ever lost your wallet? Was it ever returned and would you ever go out of your way to return something you found?

So the other day while looking at my Facebook account, I saw a friend’s update. She made what she felt was the find of the century and was showing it off in living colour. Emily is a dedicated, efficient shopper especially when it comes to garage sales.

One Saturday after completing her regular garage sales tour, she thought she had failed her mission for the day. While driving her SUV and feeling despair, she saw something that turned her despair to hope. It was a new couch sitting on the street curb! After some effort, she and her boyfriend gathered the couch which Emily felt would make an excellent addition to her happy home. Little did she know that this couch would become an invitation to a group of thugs that would not want to leave.

A few months after taking pride in her new addition, she noticed red welts on her arms and legs. At the time she assumed they were mosquito bites as she likes to do a lot of camping. As an all round neat freak, Emily paused to think about what these welts were. Could they be an allergic reaction to food? Cleaning supplies? After chatting with a few friends she realized she was getting more than she bargained for. Bedbugs!

Thought to be eliminated almost 60 years ago, bedbugs are making a comeback like never before. They seem to be the rock star pest of the moment! Thought to be the problem of hoarders and unclean people, they now seem to be turning up places that we least expect.

Bedbugs are usually found in places where people commonly sleep such as couches, beds, mattresses and bed frames. They can also be found in furniture, eg. dressers, picture frames and even clothing.

There are theories that suggest due to pesticides that are now banned (like DDT) they have helped the bedbugs population grow in size.

Using your hairdryer, leaving tape on the ground or buying insect spray from the hardware stores are not necessarily great solutions.

After doing some internet searching like Emily, you will see that these bugs will not go without a fight.

There are ways you can fight back against these pests. Here are some tips from the City of Toronto’s website including:

1)  Inspecting your mattress, bedframe, crevices, baseboards, underside of your headboard and other darker places they might like to hide.

2)  Use the nozzle attachment on your vacuum to capture the bedbugs and their eggs. Vacuum all crevices on your mattress, bedframe and other things close to the bed. It is best to dispose of the vacuum and its contents immediately.

3)  Linens must be washed in hot water and placed in a dryer for 20 minutes.

4)  Consider covering all your pillows with plastic covering and your mattress with a plastic cover.

5)  Consult with a professional pest control service on options that pose the least risk to humans, pets and the environment.

Emily and her boyfriend spent more time throwing things out than they did moving things in. Picture frames, clothes, furniture all made the disposal list. They also made a list of things of their must haves!

Emily now has her home back the way she likes: clean, spic and span. She does think that items left on the street are gifts from the universe.

Speaking to Emily about the cost of the items she (and her boyfriend) had to repurchase was not met with a happy response. The only thing she mentioned was that she had felt the replacement costs for the items and the pest control options ended up amounting to a small part-time salary. A small fortune.

The psychological cost was infinite. Emily realized that saving a few dollars might pay off in the long run. But, sticking to her principles of saving money to get what she wants (and she really needs) is even more of a bargain!

Among parents, questions abound these days about what to pay babysitters, especially if babysitting is frequently required within a household. Answers are available. There are norms providing guidelines. But before I get to them, I’d like to offer a few comments about the subject in general.

With babysitting, it’s not just a matter of getting what you pay for, it’s a matter of getting what you pay for from someone you can trust. After all, we’re talking about the safety and care of your kids here, so questions about babysitting fees are relevant only after you’ve determined to the best of your ability that your babysitter will do a good job of looking after your little ones.

Truth is, pricey services from qualified caregivers do not guarantee kids will be well looked after.

We’ve all heard the horror stories about caregivers who are closet sadists, or who are just mean-spirited. We’ve seen the news reports about monsters caught on hidden cameras. They jostle babies violently in cradles, they are petty tyrants, they are neglectful, or they are mean and irresponsible in ways that hardly reflect the upright or cheery demeanors they present when meeting and greeting the parents.

So when considering what you are willing to pay a babysitter, always initially consider the worth of the individual from the point of view of trust. This applies as much to qualified caregivers as it does to 14-year-old Jill Smith from down the street. Aside from meeting with babysitters to get to know them, check references and speak to others who are familiar with the babysitter’s behaviour and skills.

Then start thinking about babysitting dollars and cents.

So where to begin? Well, let’s start with the previously mentioned Jill Smith, since she and others her age or older are the kind of candidates most parents rely on for babysitting.

Nowadays for Jill, a general rule of thumb is that she be paid $10 an hour for babysitting. Of course, if she takes the initiative to offer her services for less, you may have yourself a deal depending on her skills and reliability. But if, after having tucked away the wee ones, your $6.00-an-hour sitter invites friends over for parties and your liquor cabinet is ransacked, you may want to rethink the worth of your savings.

In terms of qualified caregivers, hourly fees generally range from $15.00 to $20.00.  But additional fees may come into play depending on what you expect from your sitter. The extent of the caregiver’s cooking, cleaning or special care-giving responsibilities may call for a higher hourly rate. With caregivers, minimum rates also often apply. It’s not unusual for caregivers with five or more years experience to charge a little extra on fees.

Meanwhile, if your caregiver is responsible for handing more than one child, expect to pay $1.50 an hour extra for each additional child. For special duties including what I’ve touched on – as well as things like transporting kids by car, grocery shopping, laundry, what have you – expect to pay $1.00 to $2.00 an hour more over your caregiver’s basic rate.

As to what you pay Jill for the extra responsibilities you may place on her, that’s entirely negotiable. Just try to be fair.

Now, I have a few last words of advice. Fees for babysitting services ought to be part of any home budget where wee ones are running around. Even if you’ve only got one little one under your roof and you don’t expect to be getting out much without him or her in tow, you should at least put something aside for unexpected occasions when babysitting may be required.

Of course, if you’re a gregarious soul who expects to get about and about a lot, you better be darn sure you plan ahead for your babysitting needs.

Ten to $20.00 dollars or more an hour can add up fast.

Statistics Canada recently trumpeted in the news, that food prices are getting higher around the world and that this is finally affecting us.

Food inflation is alive and well in Canada and at its highest level in 2 years.

As gas prices are beginning to soar they are having an impact on consumer’s shopping patterns and the price of commodities like coffee, bread, corn and meat.

We have not noticed it pinching our bottom line yet. That is because retailers are currently picking up the tab so are bottom lines are not noticeably being affected. Competition is intensifying and retailers are slashing prices and working harder to attract more business.

Regardless of the deals you may find there are still ways to consistently save money on groceries and put that money in your wallet (or the bank) for that rainy day.

Buy local:

Buying local means you are supporting your local economy and means that items are raised and produced in your community. You can find locations of farmers markets in local flyers, newspapers and on the web.

You can usually find vegetables, meats and fruits produced and raised close to home.

Grow your own:

There are websites for everyone from the novice to expert. There is something for everyone on how to make that patch of land a delicious goldmine of fruits and vegetables.

All it takes is a little time, patience and a little practice to make all of this work.

Shopping (with a full stomach) with a list:

Shopping this way saves you from buying wasteful items that you don’t really need.  Planning ahead and buying with a purpose will save you a few bucks in the short and long run.

Eat at home:

Buying fast food in excess while convenient can have a long-term impact on your wallet (and your health). Some meals are better made at home with the right ingredients and saved when possible to save yourself time on cooking and on buying lunch the next day.

You can also make your favourites by getting a cookbook or recipes you can make online.

How to save on water – Buy a water filter:

Water filters are a great way to save money. Many stores carry these filters and they can save you buying packages of water bottles in bulk. They are easy to install and quick to use. They are easily accessible and can be purchased at many retail stores including supermarket chains and Dollar stores like Dollarama.

Use coupons where possible and keep comparing prices:

I’m not saying to become an extreme couponer but getting coupons from places like Flyerland will help you purchase and stock up on items you need.  You can also compare prices by reviewing shopping websites to find your favourite products.

Store rewards:

Stores like Wal-Mart and Costco reward their clients with loyalty rewards and the points they earn give them extra savings they can use while shopping.

Keep comparing prices:

Flyerland has different retailers who are now on the web to refer to and compare prices, compare products and deals.

Always check your bill:

Always refer to your receipt to see if discounts and deals have been applied. As well to see if everything is on an even keel with your bill.

Some of these are solutions that will allow you to have a healthier wallet and a healthier bottom line. And hopefully, you can use your savings to put together your own rainy day fund.

Just in time for things like back-to school shopping or just about anything.

Summer is quickly coming to an end and the weather is still sizzling hot (not counting today).  Plants love the sun so if you have a vegetable garden there’s likely an abundance ready for harvesting, especially the zucchinis and other summer squash, and it should last into fall.

So what should I do? For anyone who has grown zucchinis, they’ll agree zucchinis grow like crazy, they are soooo productive.  When we first bought our house, we had zucchini plants in our garden.  They almost took over the small patch of our vegetable garden. We gave armfuls of them to friends and families; made jars and jars of pickles; baked loaves of zucchini bread; whirled them up in the food processor and froze them in cubes to add to soups and stews; shredded and added them to ground beef to stretch my meatloaf.  We even put them out on the sidewalk curb with a ‘for free’ sign as I refuse to waste good food.

That was then, when fresh zucchinis were at my disposal but now I have to wait for my friend’s handouts.  Every summer, my friend shares with me some of her bountiful zucchini harvest from her vegetable garden.  She knows I love making pickles and baking and I don’t like wasting money buying this pricey stuff.

Within 24 hours, I can pickle my own zucchini (see below) for a fraction of the cost at stores.

Preparing the zucchini:

Rinse, pat dry and trim them if necessary then slice as you desire. Put them in a colander with sprinkled Kosher salt. After 30 minutes to up to two hours, rinse them again, drain and pat dry with paper towels and transfer them to clean containers with airtight lids like mason jars. You can also reuse empty food jars as pickle holders but make it sure they are very clean.

Begin the brine:

For every pound of zucchini, pour vinegar (you will need about two cups of any type of vinegar except balsamic) into a saucepan with ¼ cup (more if you want sweeter pickles) of granulated sugar. Also if you prefer milder pickles, dilute the vinegar with water. Next add pickling spices available from grocery stores or you can experiment with your favourite herbs (also maybe from fresh handouts) and spices. Since we are using a pound of zucchini here, you’ll add about 1-2 teaspoons of each spice.

Boil in medium to high heat. Once cooled, carefully pour the brine over the bottled zucchinis. Leave the containers uncovered until the zucchinis have reached room temperature. Then put the lid on, put the containers in the fridge and start snacking the next day (24-hour period). They should be good within one to two weeks to enjoy.

There you go. It is a very easy basic technique to pickle. I know you can use the same technique with moderate variations in seasonings, with cucumbers (take burgers to the next level) or cabbage (pile it on bratwurst).  My other favourite is my mom’s pickled radish…it is yummy when eaten with fried Filipino fish! “Mwah  Mwah”!

Maybe next year I will try to pickle grapes – they will look great and delicious with my cheese plate – but first is the waiting – my fingers are crossed for next year’s bounty.

Have you ever made pickled veggies and fruits yourself?

As the weather gets hotter you can’t help but want to have some good old-fashioned summertime fun but these three long awaited months can be a very expensive time for those of us who can’t live without a social life. I completely understand, and the ‘Bargain Queen’ aka ‘The Diva On a Budget’ is here to help you.

If you’re looking for some cheap activities for the summer, going to an outdoor film screening can be fun and an affordable outing. My favorite outdoor screenings are called “Movies in the Park”. Admissions to these movies are 100% free but donations are encouraged because the “Movies in the Park” events help support local children’s charities through sponsorships and your donations. So not only are you getting inexpensive entertainment but you’re also supporting different charities along the way. Feel free to pat yourself on your shoulder after the movie’s done. Who knew good deeds could be this fun?

Over the course of the two weeks (August 14 and 21) Rango, Best in Show and Rear Window are being screened in Riverdale Park East. So round up your friends, mark those dates on your calendar, pack a nice picnic basket and make sure to take advantage of these free and fun Summertime events.

What are some other fun and inexpensive summer activities? Feel free to post them in our comment section.