New Home Upgrades

Buying a new home is very exciting. The thrill of owning your own space, not having to worry about living in someone else's dwelling and not to mention the investment factor. Paying down on a mortgage means more equity in your home and hopefully more money in your pocket one day. But back to the buying process and namely upgrades.

Upgrades in a new home are those things that make your house a home. Those "luxury" items you don't think you can live without in your new home. There are hundreds of upgrades available for new homes, everything from soaker tubs, ensuites, pot lights, fireplaces, different types of flooring, cabinets, knobs, skylights, etc. Although these items help in making your new home look like the model home you've dreamed of, they come at a price. A very high price if you are not careful. It is not unusual for new homeowners to spend in the upwards of $20,000 to $50,000 and more for upgrades. This is fine...if you have the money. The problem with buying upgrades from the builder is that most are of a substandard quality. New homeowners should realize, with time and patience, they can buy upgrades for their homes on their own at a better price and receive better quality. It might take a little bit longer, as most people are short on cash after moving into a new house, but well worth it.
New homeowners should be wary of spending money on an investment they will not see a return on. Spend your money on items that will appreciate your home and you would have spent your money wisely.

Happy Shopping!!

Loblaws slashing prices

There is a price war brewing in Canada between grocery stores. Loblaws issued a statement saying that they were slashing the prices of over 3000 items in their stores because of declining sales. Sobeys and Metro have not announced any price cuts....yet. It might just be a matter of time before we see their prices go down as well. Read more below.

Globe and Mail

Comparing Diapers

Having had my third child in less than five years, I think I am a little bit of an authority on diapers. When I had my son, I was intent on using brand names, after all, they are the ones you see on commercials, they have the snazzy websites and send you all those free coupons when you sign up with them online. I became a Pampers girl. By the time my daughter came along two years later, I had switched to Huggies. Not because I loved them or their performance, but because some friends had given us 2 boxes of what they had left over. Being on maternity leave and being low on cash sometimes, I would opt for the store brand diapers. Parents Choice at WalMart, Presidents Choice Teddy's brand and Comfort Fit from Shoppers Drug Mart. To my amazement these diapers performed just as well, if not better than the brand name stuff. I found they came in the assorted sizes like the brand names, they were just as absorbent with little leakage, they had no strong odours, they had pictures of popular childrens' characters and the best part was that the price was a fraction of what the brand names were charging. By buying the store brands, I was saving an average of $5 per case.

If you go through as many diapers in your house as I do, that's a pretty significant savings. The only time I buy brand name now is when I have a coupon and they are on sale. If not, I am more than happy treating my wallet to a break and buying store brand.

For those hooked on brand names, I have attached some links to get coupons.

Huggies®

Pampers®

save.ca

I would love your reponses on your experience with store brand diapers. Email me.

Happy Shopping!!

Safety 1st Air Protect™

As any parent knows, the strength of your child's carseat is very important. Unfortunately, many parents do not find out the the strength of a carseat until an accident occurs. Safety 1st has come out with a new carseat with Air Protect™ Technology. It's primary focus is head protection of your child to avoid injuries or fatalities.

Air Protect™ Technology has been designed to defend against the biggest threat to children on the road today; side impact collisions. Side impact are by far the deadliest type of collision for children, accounting for one in three child fatalities; nearly all of which are caused by head trauma. (courtesy of: http://airprotect.safety1st.com/can/eng/about.php)

To find out more about this new technology and carseat, click on the link below:

http://airprotect.safety1st.com/can/eng/index.php

Freebies

The web is a great place to find freebies, from coupons to free products, there are hundreds of websites giving things away. With some you have to register and others just require you putting in your mailing information. Below, I've compiled a list of some of the great sites you can visit to get some free stuff. If you know of any other sites and want it to be added, feel free to send me an email.



LIFESTYLE

Canadian Free Stuff.com

smartcanucks

FabulousSavings.ca

Red Flag Deals

Free Stuff Hot Deals

Freemania!

I Love Freebies.com

SomewhereInCanada

brandsampler

save.ca

GrocerySavings.ca

MySavings.com

CyberShopping.ca


TECHNOLOGY

Btemplates (templates for blogger)

bloggerstyles

cnet download.com

tucows

FreewareFiles.com

TechSoup.org


IMAGES

Aarin FreePhoto.com

freedigitalphotos.net

ImageBase

Happy Shopping!!

Dollar Store Shopping Spree

If you do not have a "dollar store" near where you live or don't know what they are then you must live on the moon. Even then, I think there might be 2. Whether it be Dollarama, Everything for A Dollar Store (EFADS), Buck or Two or a mom 'n' pop shop, these stores are everywhere, with their lure of $1 or 2for$1 items. In February 2009, Dollarama went from being a dollar store to now a $1.25 and $1.50 store. I didn't know if I could go back, for fear I wouldn't be able to afford anything. No fear, I didn't notice a difference. I find these stores great for a host of products, whether it be dishwashing gloves, birthday cards, party supplies, wrapping paper, hair accessories or activity books for my children. Heck, I have even bought tights and socks. I really like these stores for their convenience however, I am selective about what I buy from there. I never buy baby products, grocery items (except for chips and pop) and I try to stay away from small toys because of possible choking hazards or lead content. I will however buy bigger toys that I know will not go into my children's mouths. Walking into a dollar store with $10, now there's a shopping spree. Zipping through the aisles collecting one item after another. It's nice to know that in these "tough economic times", there is still somewhere a $1, or excuse me, $1.25 can be spent.

Happy Shopping!!

Absence

I'm sorry to all my readers for the absence. I've been in the maternity ward. My little girl arrived early June, and now having had time to settle in with her, I am ready to get down to business. Don't be surprised if there seems to be more baby consumer news than usual.

Good to be back and thanks for your support.

Happy Shopping!!