family

Thriftybits and my First Giveaway!!!!

Thriftybits is my first ever roundup of ideas that are affordable for families. I’m dubbing this Thriftybits. This is a post truly inspired by the name of my blog – thriftymommastips. So in that spirit here are my best tips to pass along this week, the first week of September that both of my children have been in school at the same time. Yippee!! And yet somehow this has translated into more work not less for dear old mommy. How does that work?

Also FYI: this is my first giveaway.

To win a copy of All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, follow @inkscrblr on twitter. Tell me what you like about either one of my blogs and let me know which tip you will use. Leave your entry info as comment on the blog. Cheers and Happy saving! I will draw for the winner Sept. 26th.

Thriftybits

Tip 1: I have blogged about it before and I’ll blog about it again but a family membership to the London Regional Children’s Museum is worth its weight in gold. Did you know that with a membership you can get into the Ontario Science Centre free, the Children’s Museum of Waterloo Region, the Telus World of Science in Calgary, Science North in Sudbury, many of the Ottawa museums and more? It’s true. We spent $75 here for unlimted access to London’s amazing museum and got free admission for family of four at the science centre in Toronto. Wow!

Tip2:  Does anybody else know you can negotiate rates with banks and credit cards? Also true. This Momma doesn’t need a gold card she dumps the pretty cards for ugly ones with low rates and also on occasion transfers balances to low introductory rate credit cards. Thx for this tip financial adviser to moi at Edward Jones. You can save hundreds this way. And in fact I have on occasion gone to a bank to say Hi I have been your customer for 15 years and I have this much money in your bank, what have you done for me lately? In this way I have been successful in having many service charges waived.

Tip3: Has anyone seen the excellent 25 days of giveaways over at one of my favourite magazines, Today’s Parent? Like contests, subscribe to their email and enter away.

Tip 4: Shoppers Optimum Points: while there are far too many points cards out there this one is so worth it. Last year I got my daughter a Nintendo DS for Xmas entirely with the points. I have cashed in numerous times and have at least $300 worth of free stuff from Shoppers. This is one of my favourite thriftybits. 

Tip 5: check back here often for more ideas on freebies, savings and giveaways.

Are you thrifty?

What’s your favourite thrifty tip?

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

4 Comments

  • Skees

    Hi Thirftymomma!

    I love your tips blog and you say you have more work now that the girls are back to school then you did when they were home? Wait until you and I finally get together ’cause I’m probably going to add to that list. As for why I love your blog, probably because your soooo honest. Anyhow, we bought R a little camera like the one you recommended and she’s getting it for her baptism. R just drew me a dog!

    L

  • lynnsdecor

    HI, I follow you on twitter, but today I came to read your blog. Your description of your daughter sounds just like my girl. My daughter will be 3 next month and she does not handle change well. At 2 I was told she was borderline autistic. Because she is ‘on the fence’ we get no support or help. There are things/therapies I could put her in that may help, but I cant afford them. I’m in America and we have terrible healthcare (which I’m sure you have heard about) Well, thanks for your blog, I’ll be reading more. Michelle