By Sheryl Smolkin

The day before Black Friday money-saving maven Gail Vaz-Oxlade tweeted, “Only in the U.S. do people trample each other to acquire more STUFF exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have!” Gail agreed when I tweeted back, “Actually Canadians do the same thing on Boxing Day.”

I think the problem is we all have selective amnesia. December credit card bills won’t arrive until January so we forget that our bank accounts are tapped out and hit the stores looking for “just one more great deal.”

But to make Boxing Day shopping worthwhile you need to know what you are looking for and stick to the plan. Here are my suggestions to help you beat the December 27^th, day after Boxing Day blues:

1. Set priorities: Decide what you want most, where it can be found for the best price and make that your first stop. If you are looking for several big ticket items on sale in different places, consider a “divide and conquer” approach where individual family members each head for a separate store.
2. Know the real price: Whether or not the sign says it’s a sale, the item may not be much of a bargain. Also, either before Boxing Day or after when the store is less chaotic, the manager may be willing to drop the already low “Boxing Week” price, particularly if the item has a scratch or dent.
3. Shop online: Check online to see advertised deals which may not be available anywhere else. The specials may also be posted after midnight and long before your morning newspaper arrives with the sale flier. My daughter got both a front loading Samsung washer and dryer for $800 on Boxing Day several years ago. This price was only available online and delivery was free.
4. Pre-shop: If you have your eye on a new winter coat or a pretty dress for New Years, visit the store as late as possible on December 24th to scout out the stock and try things on. That way you can be pretty sure it will still be there on Boxing Day and you will be able to grab exactly what you want without wasting valuable time and energy waiting for a dressing room.
5. Shopping apps: Smartphones can scan barcodes and offer real-time discounts. They can also help you more easily compare prices without driving from store to store. While high tech shopping apps are just starting to catch on in Canada, a recent survey by wireless carrier Mobilicity revealed that 43 per cent of 18-to-34 year olds planned on using features and apps on their mobile phones to help with holiday shopping.
6. Check sizes carefully: Dressing rooms can be chaotic on Boxing Day and typically you can only take a few items in with you. When you have tried multiple sizes and styles to find what looks best on you, it is easy to inadvertently take home a top in size 12 and pants in size 14. By the time you get back to exchange the item in the wrong size, there may be nothing left to choose from.
7. Understand the company’s return policy: Even stores that generally allow you to bring items back within 7 or 14 days for a cash refund with a receipt may suspend or modify that policy on Boxing Day, particularly if you are purchasing ends of lines. Unless you are sure the items are suitable, don’t buy things you can’t give back.
8. Travel light: Park indoors or close to the mall, if possible. That way you can leave your coat and boots in the car. Also, take the junk out of your purse or consider a money belt to lighten your load for the expedition. If you are comfortable, you will be less likely to make rash purchases just to get it over with.
9. Watch your wallet: The Boxing Day crowds are prime territory for pick pockets. Hold on to your wallet and make sure you get your credit card back after you make a purchase. When you are entering your credit or debit card PIN shield the keypad so no one else can see and record the information.
10. Count your bags: By the time you have spent several hours shopping you may have multiple bags of all shapes and sizes. Keep track of your growing haul so you don’t collapse in the Food Court for a snack and then head for home without a significant portion of your loot.

Finally, if your excuse for shopping on Boxing Day is to use your gift cards, make sure you can actually afford the difference if you buy items that cost significantly more than the gift you received.

These are just a few of my ideas for beating the Boxing Day blues. Tell us about yours by sending an email to so*********@sa*********.com. If your tip is posted, your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

And remember to put a dollar in the retirement savings jar for every dollar you save by using savewitspp.com tips to beat the day after Boxing Day Blues…….

By Sheryl Smolkin

The clock is ticking and if you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping, you may be starting to get nervous. You may also feel like you have no option but to descend on the local mall and buy something for everyone left on your list, even if you end up spending way more than you planned.

But the fact is that most of us already have way too much stuff. With a little creativity, you can give more affordable gifts that will mean more to the people who receive them. And you won’t have to fight the last minute crowds.

1. Plan an outing: Give friends and family tickets or a computer-printed “gift certificate” for an inexpensive post-holiday outing. Curious children will love a visit to the Saskatchewan Science Centre. The entrance fee is under $10 for adults and children. Toddlers get in for free. In 2013 the Globe Theatre is mounting great shows like Pride and Prejudice and The Drowsy Chaperone. Economy tickets start at $29. Every town has community sports teams that play regular games.
2. Donate to a charity: Donating to a charity in honour of a person who has everything can be a welcome gesture. If your child has been to the zoo in Saskatoon and fallen in love with one of the animals, consider the adopt-a-critter program for $25 that will get you a picture, certificate and fact sheet of your chosen animal. Of course then you might have difficulty explaining why the monkey Tarzan can’t move in.
3. Re-gift an heirloom: Do you have a locket with your children’s baby pictures? How about the china teapot your mother left you? Are you downsizing to a smaller home in the near future? Consider passingbeloved items you no longer need or have room for to friends and family who will give them new life.
4. Make something yummy: I’m not a crafty person so I won’t suggest complicated make work projects to add to your holiday stress. But a double or triple recipe of something simple like cranberry sauce or chutney will make dozens of small jars for only a few dollars. These make great gifts for neighbours, co-workers and teachers.
5. A Boxing Day IOU: Although many stores run sales through the whole month of December and Black Friday has moved north of the border, many items still cost more on December 24^th than two days later. If an item someone you know is coveting is still too expensive, give him an IOU for a Boxing Day or Boxing week shopping trip.
6. Give your time: Do you play with your smartphone when you should be playing with your children? Do elderly relatives need snow shovelled or help with grocery shopping? Give tickets or homemade gift cards that can be used to reserve a specified number of hours of your uninterrupted time.
7. Make memories: I have boxes of baby pictures that I never put into albums. And now that pictures are digital, we rarely print them. Most camera stores offer templates online or in the store so you can assemble attractive hard cover photo books to preserve your memories.
8. Popcorn and a movie:  Whether you buy gift certificates for the local Cineplex, rent a DVD or take movies out from the library, a movie and popcorn can be a welcome treat for kids of all ages.
9. Buy a book: My absolute favourite gift to give and receive is a good book. Our family always gives the short list of Giller prize books and then we re-circulate them so everyone gets a chance to read them all. The great thing about books and gift cards for books is that you can order them online and have them delivered anywhere in Canada on very short notice.
10. Your favourite recipes: My husband’s family does a potluck Chanukah dinner. Everyone loves Lil’s chiffon cake and Anne’s noodle pudding with fruit cocktail and Joel’s potato latkes. If your family has a similar tradition, why not put all the recipes together so newer family members can carry on the tradition?

These are just a few of my ideas for last minute frugal gifts. Tell us about yours by sending an email to so*********@sa*********.com. If your tip is posted, your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

And remember to put a dollar in the retirement savings jar for every dollar you save…….

By Sheryl Smolkin

If you are reading B.C.-based Kerry K. Taylor at Squawkfox for the first time don’t miss 50 ways to save $1,000/ year. But her blog Price Check: How to cut the cost of a gluten-free diet is a must-read for anyone shopping and cooking for people with this dietary limitation.

In Give me back my five bucks Krystal Yee who also blogs on moneyville.ca and The Frugal Wanderer asks what you would do if someone gave you $1000.

At Boomer & Echo, Robb Engen from southern Alberta (also another moneyville blogger) test drives a new rewards credit card from American Express.

Tim Stobbs lives in Regina. He is well on his way to the Canadian Dream: Free at 45. He recently posted a five-part blog updating his retirement calculations and how he is going to get there 20 years before the rest of us.

And as you prepare for the holiday season with your nearest and dearest, make sure you have a tissue handy when you read a reprint on Brighter Life of the tender 2011 letter from Sun Life AVP and blogger Kevin Press to his daughter, Dear Grace: The three secrets of Christmas.

By Sheryl Smolkin

My husband Joel and I are foodies. We look on food as much more than sustenance. It is family, community and culture. Preparing and eating a good meal is creative, sensual and satisfying.

Joel generally does the cooking, but I do the planning and most of the shopping. So I know how expensive holiday entertaining can be — particularly if you serve multiple courses including an expensive cut of meat and a pricey bottle of wine or two.

But there are lots of ways to fill your home with good friends and the heady aroma of good cooking before and after the holidays without breaking the bank. Here are a few of my favourites:

1. Decide what you can afford: Budgets are boring, but it’s also all too easy to just cruise up and down the supermarket aisles and throw things into your buggy. Figure out what you can afford to spend and shop with a list.
2. Plan ahead: Plan your menu as far in advance as possible. That will allow you to buy ingredients on special and cook and freeze some dishes. You will not be paying top dollar at the last minute and you will be much more relaxed because a significant part of your party preparation is already done. The  cost of your event will also be spread out over several weeks.
3. Keep it simple: Make more of a few things rather than offering a huge variety of items on a buffet. If there is too much choice everyone wants to taste everything and you will either run out of the most popular dish or end up with a lot of leftovers. Lasagna, shepherd’s pie, chili, a pot of stew or a curry can all be served with a couple of salads and good bread.
4. Potluck dinner: Divide up the meal into appetizers, main course, salads, beverages and desert. Ask your guests to indicate which category they will contribute and to bring their dish in a container suitable for heating and serving. Each person gets to take their leftovers home or trade with others.
5. Progressive dinner: A progressive dinner means that each course is served at a different home. It lends itself to groups of up to half a dozen couples or families who don’t live too far apart. While traipsing from house to house may be less appealing on cold dark nights, a progressive dinner can still be lots of fun.  It’s also less expensive for each family than preparing a full meal. If alcohol is being served make sure to have designated drivers.
6. Brunch: Brunch on weekends or holidays is a great time to entertain. You are not worn out before your guests arrive and parents with young children can still get them home for a nap. Fruit smoothies, an egg frittata and muffins are inexpensive and easy to make. Even if your crowd includes carnivores who love breakfast meat you’ll spend much less than on a prime rib roast.

Even if you are on a budget, plan to make enough to feed a few extra mouths so you can issue last minute invitations to friends or friends of friends who can’t make it home for the holidays.

These are just a few of my ideas about how to entertain economically. Tell us about yours by sending an email to so*********@sa*********.com If your tip is posted, your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

And remember to put a dollar in the retirement savings jar for every dollar you save…….

By Sheryl Smolkin

Over the last year, the focus of savewithspp.com has been to make sure the Saskatchewan Pension Plan is no longer “Canada’s best kept secret.” We have discussed key elements of the program and why it is a great pension plan for both individuals and employers across the country who want to help their employees save for retirement.

In a series of podcasts we’ve also introduced you to the people behind the SPP and a well known group of financial experts.

But we know that one reason many people don’t save for life after work is that they don’t believe they can afford it. After paying the rent, putting food on the table and dealing with a pile of other family bills each month, there is nothing left to save.

Yet most of us can easily save a dollar or two every day, and over time it all adds up. Whether you make coffee at work instead of buying fancy lattes, take better advantage of discount coupons or comparative shop online there are hundreds of ways to be more frugal and still enjoy life.

So beginning this week I will be blogging for savewithspp.com about ways to save money in your everyday life. And I need your help. I have lots of ideas, but you have even more.

In every blog, I will list the “themes” for the next two weeks.

1. Send your money saving ideas related to this theme to so*********@sa*********.com.
2. Pictures illustrating your suggestions are welcome.
3. Reader suggestions relating to the weekly topic will be posted on the Saskatchewan Pension Plan Facebook page.
4. If your idea is selected for posting, your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

Every week I will also link to “the best of” blogs written by other personal finance bloggers. And from time to time, I will post podcast interviews with interesting people who can suggest more terrific ways to make your pay cheque go further.

New blogs will be posted each Thursday. One way to make sure you don’t miss any of them is to enter your email address on the right hand sidebar of savewithspp.com to receive notifications of new posts by email. You and your friends can also follow the Saskatchewan Pension Plan on Facebook.

Furthermore, we challenge you to put a dollar in a “retirement savings jar” every time you take advantage of a money saving idea on savewithspp.com. You’ll be amazed at how fast it adds up.

To get you started, here are the themes for the rest of December:

I can’t wait to hear all of your fantastic suggestions.

Wishing you and yours, a happy and healthy holiday season!