Save $10 in 10 Min: Cut $10 From Your Next Sports Night

At the end of any given month, a few extra bucks always help out – so here is another quick tip from Mogo that will only use 10 minutes of your time to save you at least $10. We all know that staying home to watch the game can save big bucks over hitting the arena or sports bar, but here are 4 more ways to save $10 with your butt on the couch! Cook for the crew instead of ordering in Making a pot of chili or lighting up the BBQ is a great, cheap way to feed the fellas. Canned ingredients for chili or hot dogs are a great way to fill up on Sunday afternoons and are much easier on your wallet than calling your favorite delivery company. Get rid of the channels you don’t need So you feel like you have a million channels without anything on? Cut a few channels. I made sure to get extra channels on my cable package because I’m a big sports fan – but I was also able to cut a few that I don’t watch to make up for it. There’s no sense paying for what you

School Zone Rules: Drive Safely To Save Cash

Kids across the country are back to school – and even if you don’t have a rug rat in the education system, there are some costs that flare up each and every September: extra traffic fines. During the summer months, rules can change near schools and school zones. In the best interest of keeping the kids safe, speed limits are lowered, no parking/stopping rules are in effect and more people are out on the road (particularly at the start and end of school days!). The speed limit in school zones is 30km/hour from 8am to 5pm. This isn’t a place where ‘a little extra speed is ok’. Police are quick to ticket – so skip the expense and stay under 30! Keep yourself and the kids safe by observing posted school zone signs, watching out for busses (and their flashing lights) and excitedly crossing children. As you’re driving your kids to school and dropping them off, remember that there can be severe restrictions on U-turns and stopping in certain areas of school zones. Keep the schools (and your wallets) happy by observing the rules, leaving with enough time to get there easily and keeping your eyes peeled.

St. Patrick’s Day is Coming: Save Some Green

Whether you’re going to celebrate with green oatmeal, green beer or green salad, you’ve definitely got a chance to save some cash this St. Patrick’s Day – or any day of the year. If you’re anything like me, St. Patrick’s Day is a good excuse to meet up with a few friends for a few pints*. This can definitely be an expensive exercise if you don’t do a bit of pre-planning. Here’s a few tips to cut down on those expenses while still having a good time out: Have a Budget I know when I go out, my budget gets a little looser after I’ve had a seasonal beverage or two. To combat this, I will only bring a few things with me: my ID, the cash I’m comfortable spending and my bus pass. That way, when I’m out of cash, I’m out of luck and it’s time to go home. The temptation of the credit or debit card can be easy to succumb to, so avoid it by not bringing it! Eat Before You Go In addition to having a hearty base in your stomach, a good meal

What To Do When You Lose Your Wallet

Ok – nobody likes to plan ahead for a worst case scenario situation. But if you do, you’ll certainly be glad. You know that sinking feeling in your stomach when you pat your pocket or reach into your purse… and you can’t find your wallet? Chances are, we’ve all been there and dreaded the outcome. Here are a few easy steps, and a helpful reminder on some techniques that will make sure losing your wallet isn’t the end of the world. Get an Inventory You can write it down, take pictures, or just keep a low number of items in there – but knowing what’s in your wallet on a day-to-day basis is important in case of loss or theft. There’s even an iPhone app for it. This gets tougher when you’ve got a fully-loaded Costanza wallet that’s bursting at the seems. So do a little spring cleaning in your cash-holder and keep things streamlined. Know Where to Go Once you know what’s in your wallet, you’ll know what to do if it goes missing. You need to keep track of the credit cards, bank cards and personal identification so you can

LifeHacker Tells Us The Best Times to Buy

Here is a great article from the good people at LifeHacker about optimizing your calendar of shopping. I’m not saying you should be spending your way through the entire year, but if you’ve got some purchases planned, you should definitely check out this link and the info in it: http://lifehacker.com/5736625/the-best-times-to-buy-anything-in-2011 They profiled a lot of customer data, sales trends and major chain discount cycles to come up with the best times of year for buying… well… pretty much anything you can think of. Their market research can really turn into some savings when you’re out to make purchases. My Favorite Monthly Highlight: -       January: Sporting Goods -       February: Digital Cameras -       March: Frozen Foods -       April: Boots & Winter Wear -       May: Patio Furniture -       June: Gym Memberships -       July: Grills -       August: Laptops -       September: Wines -       October: Toys & Games -       November: Aluminum Foil & Plastic Wrap… seriously -       December: HDTV and home theater equipment As you can see, there’s stuff on there for everyone, and some pretty strange items, too. We’ve all got stuff to buy, so check out the full list and see the trends in yearly

“…is the biggest waste of money!” Complete The Line & Win an iPod Shuffle!

Check out our latest Twitter contest to win an Apple iPod Shuffle! Just follow these 3 easy steps: 1. Follow Mogo on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mogomoney 2. Copy and paste this text into your Twitter status box: “…is the biggest waste of #money! Follow @mogomoney” Complete the line to #win an #iPod Shuffle! http://bit.ly/hiLUN9* 3. Complete the line and hit TWEET! Tweet away and good luck! Open to Canadian residents only. Contest closes April 30, 2011 @ 11:59pm EST. The winner will be randomly selected and notified by private Twitter message. 1 entry per original tweet. The lucky winner is @dewinner. Thank you to everyone to who tweeted and followed us. Way to go for sharing some great savings ideas!

Boxing Day Blowouts – Keep Your Wallet in Check

December is the season to give gifts and share time with your loved ones, but lets be honest – after Christmas there are a ton of deals to be had and you can get what you really wanted. Boxing Day sales have become a highlight of the shopping calendar – and it’s your job to make sure that while you’re out there getting deals, you’re not actually setting yourself back more than you wanted to. Set the Budget Did you get a department store gift card, a bit of cash from your aunt, or some store credit from returning that nice sweater from Grandma? Before you hit the insanity of Boxing Day sales, know how much you want to shell out for your own personal gifts. Sure, there are things we’d all like to pick ourselves up, but if it doesn’t fall within the budget you shouldn’t really get it. We’ve said it before – but if it’s not a sale on something you’d actually need/want you aren’t really saving money. You’re just spending it. Do Your Research If you’re after a TV, gaming system, clothes or anything, be sure

Black Friday – Are the Savings Legit?

We all know that the Christmas shopping season is just around the corner – and if you’ve been smart with our cash and time, you might have already started saving and buying. If you are like most people – and I bet you are – Black Friday marks the beginning of the shopping madness as we scramble to get gifts. As you know, Black Friday is the ‘start of the Christmas shopping season’ and falls on the Friday after American Thanksgiving. Up in Canada, we may have had Thanksgiving a month ago, but we’re ready for the deals now. Retailers will be rolling out their best sales for what’s traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Are They Deals You Want? Are you going to get in on the action and start your shopping? Be sure you listen to our previous thoughts on coupons and how that relates to sales. Remember, a sale is only a good deal if you are going to save money on something you’d want anyways. Make Your List, Check it Twice Like anything with cash, some pre-planning helps. Know your budget and gift list before hitting the mall or net. Don’

Halloween Ideas That Are Cheap & Fun

October 31st doesn’t have to be the scariest time of year for your wallet. Getting into the Halloween spirit can be as cheap as it is fun. That means more money for tricks, treats and Halloween parties – instead of wasted cash on an outfit you’re going to only wear once. Without being lame, there are some great ways to save around this spooky season and get into the SMART SPENDING mode that we love at the Mogo Blog. We already took a look at what you can do to be cash-savvy with your kids’ costumes, but we know you want to get into the Halloween action as well. Here are some holiday hints that are fun and won’t derail your savings plan. Costumes *Go Retro *– just because you’ve worn a costume once doesn’t mean you can’t haul it out of the closet a few years down the road (it’s not a wedding dress, after all). Get more miles out of something you’ve put time/cash/creativity into. This especially works if you’re going to multiple Halloween parties. Trade it Up – After pillaging your own closet for Halloween costume ideas, check your

Get Ready For Winter To Save Some Cash

We’re desperately holding onto the last few sunny days of the season, before winter creeps in and reminds us why we’ve got so many toques in Canada. Since we’re not living in a tropical country, and the warmest part of it gets more moisture than a 6 Flags waterpark, it’s time to get ready for the season. Get smart about saving for winter and avoid spending more than you have to. Here Comes Winter! I was reading this article online, saying that the la Nina weather pattern is coming to during the winter months – and it’s really going to drink our milkshake. Get ready for ‘colder ocean surface temperatures’ that will produce cooler air, more snow and more inclement weather (think two years ago). Winter Savings Tips •       Get your outerwear now, before the cold season starts. Get on the last of the winter sales for stuff you’ll need to buy anyways •       Make sure your house is ‘winter-ready’.  Be sure your doors and windows have tight seals. If you rent, get your landlord to check this out. This will save on heating bills and make for more comfortable living. •       Invest in a pair of winter