Frugal Fridays: Meal Planning Made Easy With Pepperplate

Last week's Frugal Fridays post covered the whys of meal planning and hopefully didn't scare you away.  It can seem daunting at first but once you're into the groove, it becomes a relatively quick way to organize your meals and your grocery list.  Oh and, save money in the process :)

I promised to share my go-to method with you this week and here it is, my secret weapon. . .

Frugal Fridays: Save Money By Planning Your Meals!

This week's Frugal Fridays post is about. . . Meal Planning!

Wait! Don't go! I know many of you either a) have tried and given up on meal planning because it takes way too long or b) have avoided meal planning because. . . well. . . it takes too long.  Don't worry - I got you covered!  This post will tell you why to plan meals and how to do it, quickly and easily :)

Five Four Club September 2015 Review

And today. . . a men's sub! Five Four Club is a men's clothing subscription out of California.  They have a lot of celebrity clients (including Mark Wahlberg) and offer a variety of Five Four-branded clothing items.  It is a little pricey at $60/month (especially for Canadians since there is an additional $25 surcharge for us - boo! - and exchange on top of that!) but there are, occasionally, deals to be had.  We tried Five Four last year for a few months as part of my husband's birthday gift and he loved it.  The jeans he received are his favourite pair (mine too) and he reaches for his Five Four shirts more than any others.  Everything is still in great shape after a year as well.  And they're all just different and exciting enough that he gets compliments on them :) So, of course, when I saw a coupon code for 1/2 off two months of Five Four Club, we had to dive back in - I'd share it with you but it was a one-day only code, sorry!  I find autumn is an especially good time for a clothing sub as the items tend to be versatile enough to wear at other times of year as well.

When you join Five Four Club, you fill in a pretty detailed profile indicating your sizing and preferences so that your stylist can select the perfect items for you.  Last time around, my husband signed up for "Business Casual" and picked up a lot of button-down shirts.  This time, he opted for "Mix" to get a little more variety.  I notice that the style profiles have changed a bit from last year - Casual, Forward, Classic and Mix - which I like.

So, what did he get this month?

FabFitFun Fall 2015 Review

I'm in love with a new sub! After reading some reviews of FabFitFun last year, I was so sad to hear that they were not, at that time, shipping to Canada.  But now they are. . . and for the reasonable cost of $8 a box (since this is a seasonal sub that's only $32 a year)! I tried to hold off but the reviews of the fall box (this one) were so fantastic that I managed to convince my husband that over half the cost of a year's subscription would be covered by the amount of Christmas gifting I could squeeze out of this box alone.  Of course, that also leaves some goodies for me too :)

What is FabFitFun? A seasonal lifestyle box which includes items to help you feel fab, get fit and have fun.  An individual box costs $49.99 or you can sub to a whole year (4 boxes) for $179.99.  I have no idea how they do it but the value of items in this box alone is so outstanding, it covers the yearly cost! And there are lots of coupon codes out there to make it even more of a deal ("PUMPKIN" will take $10 off a box at the moment).  While a $50 box does sound pricey, since it's a quarterly box, that really works out to under $20 per month.  So I can justify that :)

Incidentally, if this review makes you want to try FabFitFun, this is the box you will receive if you sign up now.  So you could sub for the year (like I did) and start with this box or you could just pick up this exact box for $49.99 (or $39.99 if the above coupon code works for you).  This is a US sub so add exchange and $8 shipping if you are Canadian.  It's still an awesome value. . . check it out:

First look - Instead of a product card, FFF provides a glossy mag? Fancy!

This box is packed crazy-full of stuff!

And here's everything unboxed - seriously a lot of goodies :)

Frugal Fridays: 4 Stupid Reasons Not to Compare Before You Buy (and how to avoid them)

Here is the third installment of my Frugal Fridays series.  The others are here and here if you missed them.

Reasons Why I, on occasion, Break My Own Rules and Don't Comparison Shop:

See, I know that I should care about how much my bananas cost or where I can buy the best bananas on the cheap.  But sometimes I just need them.  Now.  Like when my toddler is insistent that we MUST have bananas at all times in the house. . . even though they usually end up overripe and in the freezer waiting for the day that I will eventually, at some point, turn them into banana bread.  And then I don't comparison shop.  So here are some barriers to comparison shopping and how to overcome them.

Julep Maven October 2015 Review

Julep is best known for being a monthly nail polish subscription box but they've also expanded into offering other beauty products.  Their polishes are 5-free and vegan-friendly which I love! For $24.99 per month (or $19.99 per month if you sign up for 3 months up front), you will receive your choice of 2-3 nail polish / beauty items each month according to your profile.  "Classic With a Twist", "Bombshell" and "Boho Glam" profiles receive 2 polishes and 1 beauty item; "It Girls" receive 3 polishes and "Modern Beauties" receive 2 beauty items.  But now, no matter what profile you are, you can totally customize your box or even switch to a totally different box! And you can skip any month after your first month as a Maven (Welcome Boxes don't count).  Sounds perfect to me!  

If you're interested in trying out the subscription, my links will take you to a FREE Welcome Box, just pay the cost of shipping - this will sign you up for the subscription so be forewarned about that (if you scroll down though, you can get in for the 3 month rate of $19.99 per month).  Check out the Welcome Box I received here.  This is an American sub so do factor in the cost of exchange although, aside from Welcome Boxes, shipping is free for Mavens - even Canadian ones from what I can tell! :)

This was my first month as a Maven and. . . I got a lot of stuff.  October's collection is the "New York Never Sleeps" collection and it was so gorgeous, it was really hard for me to narrow things down.  So what did I get?

Frugal Fridays: How to Comparison Shop Like a Pro

This is the second post in my Frugal Fridays series.  The first one's here if you missed it :)

We all know (or should know) that comparison shopping is the key to smarter spending.  How many times have you said "why would I spend that much on bananas when I can spend this much?" Or "wow! organic bananas are so much more expensive! I'll stick to my regular ones"?  Or maybe you don't care so much about the price of your bananas.  Or you don't like bananas.  Whatever.  It's an example.  Use tomatoes or toilet paper or shoes or whatever makes you happy.  Same deal.  But sometimes we just don't do it.  Here's how to (relatively painlessly) comparison shop:

Tea Sparrow September 2015 Review

Well, for better or for worse, the weather is turning decidedly autumnal.  A great time to sleep with windows open (as long as you have a warm duvet) and to hit the pumpkin patch on a school trip (we go tomorrow!), autumn is also tea-drinking weather :) Actually, I drink tea all year round but there's something extra cosy about a blanket, book and mug of great tea.  So it's the perfect time for Tea Sparrow!

What is Tea Sparrow?  A fave sub in my house!  For $20 CAD per month (including shipping), Tea Sparrow sends 4 different types of loose leaf tea (so yes, you need some way to brew loose leaf  - tea balls are an inexpensive option) - usually a green, a black, a rooibos and an herbal but sometimes they mix it up.  The teas are separately packaged and are each approximately 0.6oz for a total of about 35 cups of tea per month (less if you use a lot of tea in brewing, maybe more if you're willing to brew twice using the same tea). 

If you want to try Tea Sparrow, check out this 60% off offer and get your first month for only $8! When you click the above link, you will be taken to a password-protected page.  Enter "teas" as your password and you will be offered the promotional discount.  Please be aware that this will start a recurring monthly subscription but Tea Sparrow allows you to skip any month through their website (although why would you want to?) and you can cancel at any time.  Enjoy!

Let's check out this month's teas, shall we?

Frugal Fridays: Ebates Canada!

I know I spend a lot of time on this blog justifying my spending and encouraging you to spend money too.  But obviously, being able to spend (or save, if you are more frugal than I) is heavily reliant on actually having money.  So, especially with my being off work on mat leave at the moment, I've had to get creative with our finances and find some great ways to save. . . at least save enough so that we can continue to live in the style to which we have become accustomed (that's code for "I still need my boxes" and "I can't just quit online shopping cold-turkey").  I thought maybe some of you might have use for some tips and tricks from an admitted online shopping junkie.

And so. . . introducing. . . Frugal Fridays! For the next few months (I think that's how many post ideas I have so far), I'll be posting every Friday (because alliteration!) about a money-saving idea, tip or trick.  Sound good? Alright, let's begin.  (Well, I plan to post every Friday but sometimes planning and doing aren't the same thing when you have a baby and a toddler. . . so, you know!)

First Julep Haul and Product Reviews

Julep is best known for being a monthly nail polish subscription box.  I recently re-joined after they made some changes for the better in my opinion:  for $24.99 per month (or $19.99 per month if you sign up for 3 months up front), you will receive your choice of 2-3 nail polish / beauty items each month according to your profile.  "Classic With a Twist", "Bombshell" and "Boho Glam" profiles receive 2 polishes and 1 beauty item; "It Girls" receive 3 polishes and "Modern Beauties" receive 2 beauty items.  But now, no matter what profile you are, you can totally customize your box or even switch to a totally different box! And you can skip any month after your first month as a Maven (Welcome Boxes don't count).  Sounds perfect to me!  If you're interested in trying out the subscription, my links will take you to a FREE Welcome Box, just pay the cost of shipping - this will sign you up for the subscription so be forewarned about that (if you scroll down though, you can get in for the 3 month rate of $19.99 per month).  Check out the Welcome Box I received here.  This is an American sub so do factor in the cost of exchange although, aside from Welcome Boxes, shipping is free for Mavens - even Canadian ones from what I can tell! :)

Julep also sells their products in their online store and Mavens get discounts and free shipping on everything.  I had a 50% off code arrive in my Welcome Box so. . . I splurged and bought some more beauty items.  While I love nail polish, I was really impressed by the lipstick that came in my Welcome Box and wanted to try a few more things.  Here's what I picked up: