STUDENTS – SAVE YOUR MONEY WITH FREE PAINTBALL!

Posted on November 11, 2011 by saveoff

Hey friends,

@phjoshua is running a contest with PriceDodger.com on his blog at The Reviews Are In and they are giving away a voucher for 2 people to go and have a 3 hour paintball experience at Eastie Boyz in Toronto.

I took a look at the contest and let me tell you – it looks pretty bad ass. You get guns, paint, masks and air included and can buy more paint if you think you’re going to be a “more active” shooter.

It’s easy to enter – you just leave a comment – follow a link – sign up at PriceDodger.com and bam, you’re in!

The contest is running until next Tuesday, November 15th at noon in Toronto so this is a perfect time to enter – you know, before you forget.

Remember to tell your friends too, if they win they just might take you!
Details:
-Sign-up and comment to enter
-Your voucher includes:
–Gun
–100 Paintballs (50 per player)
–Mask
–Air

Vendor:
Eastie Boyz Paintball
20 Lockport Avenue,
Toronto, Ontario
M8Z 2R7
416-233-5888
info@eastieboyz.com

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Students – Save Money On Your Halloween Costume!

Posted on October 18, 2011 by saveoff

The Ghost!

Boys and girls we are now inside of the 2 week countdown to Halloween. That means that if you don’t have a costume figured out… you need to get your stuff together.

Note: Stuff is a replacement word.

If you’re worried about your budget and costume costs there are still options available for you. Maybe even options that don’t have your boobs hanging out all over the place.

Note: If that’s what you want to do with your costume we aren’t going to try to stop you.

The easiest costume that you can throw together is the Ghost look from your childhood. It’s simple, quick, awesome and ironic – and we all know how trendy irony is right now. Now, please don’t think that you’re going to win the $5000 prize at the party, you aren’t. But you can still have a good time!

The next 2 ideas come straight from the vintage and second hand stores. They are great in their own ways.

1) Rock and Roller: Go grab some acid wash jeans, a denim jacket, some studs, maybe some old cracked leather, a boa or scarf and get ready to bust out your moves like Jagger.

2) Hipster: Get the skinniest jeans you can find. Put on that plaid shirt, tweed if you can find it. Some huge glasses that you may or may not need. Get a scarf – home knit with some great colours if possible. Don’t forget to draw on a ‘stache! WARNING: There’s a chance that dressing as a hipster may upset some real life hipsters at the party, watch your back.

I love food so the idea of someone in flour and an apron wandering around the dance floor as a baker only makes me happy. This is one of those costumes that leaves a lot of options for what goes underneath. I’ll say only this: Be Comfortable. If you’re comfortable I dig it.

Last is perhaps the best – ZOMBIE!

A good zombie get-up is going to take more time than money. Get a friend that’s awesome with make-up to make your face look all undead and such and rip up some old clothes and add in some dried blood to complete the look. If you don’t have a make-up expert in your group of friends I suggest finding some YouTube videos that show tips and tricks and such. The big upside is that The Walking Dead just premiered season 2 on AMC so everyone is in the mood for zombies right now!

There you have it friends – 5 costume ideas that don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg but will still get some laughs, looks and love at your Halloween shindig.

Have fun!

Those Damn Hipsters!

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Students – Save Monday With Your Budget!

Posted on October 12, 2011 by saveoff

Hey friends, I hope that things are well and you’re getting your stuff ready for mid-terms.

I wanted to stop in quickly with a quick point to make… we’re well past the start of the school yer when there are a lot of start up expenses and things to buy that you forgot about.

We’re at a time now when you should be able to predict most of your expenses, needs, costs on a day to day, week to week and monthly basis.

Here are couple of things that I recommend trying when it comes to the budget.

Lists:
Lists are great when you remember to use them and make them practical. I use a white board with a dry erase marker to put up grocery lists and other assorted necessities.
-Milk
-Bread
-Peanut Butter
-Pasta

Planning:
You can’t plan for everything, but you can do your best to know what’s coming next. Keep a calendar with events and parties and pub nights all in order. You’ll know when something is coming up that you can’t afford or that you want to skip so you can do something more fun later in the month.
HALLOWEEN!

Putting Money Aside:
If you know that there are going to be expenses later in the month I have always found it helpful to take cash out of the bank and put it to the side so that you can’t spend it via Interac on fast food or impulse buys. Then when you need the cash – there it is waiting for you!
Voila!

Find Bargains:
This isn’t a new idea here. Whether it’s daily deals, flyers, coupons, second hand stores, yard sales, bulk discounts or anything else you might find – if you’re saving money, you’re doing it right.
Good Job!

Note: I hope everyone in Canada had a great Thanksgiving, everyone in the States had a nice Columbus Day and everyone everywhere is being awesome.

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Students – Save Your Money When You Call Home!

Posted on October 7, 2011 by saveoff

Word Wide Connect Calling Cards from PriceDodger.com

Friends, Thanksgiving weekend is upon us in Canada and that means that a lot of us will be going home to visit family and friends for the first time since Labour Day.

When you get there prepare to hear this “we don’t hear from you enough”, “you should call your grand-mother”, “why don’t you ever call us?”.

Here’s your answer – IT’S EXPENSIVE!

But, it doesn’t have to be. While you’re home this weekend take your parents to www.PriceDodger.com and get them to buy a couple World Wide Connect calling cards. These bad boys are on sale for $15 and are good for 30 days of unlimited long distance calls.

The best part is that your parents are going to jump at this chance to save money and get you to call home…

Note: I’m not going to check in to see if you’re calling home.

These cards will let you call your friends that you never see anymore. They will let you stay in touch while you’re out of town or when you’re home again at Christmas.

It’s a great deal that won’t be hard to talk your parents into.

Note: You really should call your mom and your grandma once in a while.

So, this weekend when you get the guilt trip grab the laptop and get things straightened out.

And remember to bring those leftovers home from Thanksgiving dinner!

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Students – These Are The Ways To Save Your Money!

Posted on September 26, 2011 by saveoff

coupons - whether you wait for the valu-pack or you find them online, coupons can help save you a lot of money on groceries, at drug stores, out with friends and at other great friggin’ places.

flyers - again, get them from your mailbox or grab them from the internets – either way, don’t pass up to opportunity to know what’s on sale where and save your cash. This is a true story: I was at the No Frills near my apartment on Wednesday night and say a lady in a nice Audi putting her gorceries in the trunk. At first I thought to myself, “why is the lady with the Audi shopping here” and then I realized, “the lady with the Audi still knows the value of a dollar”. So, don’t ever think that you’re too good to go get the best sale price!

daily deals - if you’re looking for deals you know that you’re going to find them online. Sites like captainsave, pricedodger and bleepindeals are all offering big discounts on day-to-day and luxury items. My best advice is to keep your eye on them and grab the deal you want when it comes up.
value menus - from time to time you aren’t going to want to cook dinner. It happens to all of us. But eating out doesn’t have to cost you a ton of money. Almost every fast food joint has a value menu now. You can get burgers, chicken, fries, drinks and more for cheap cheap cheap. Don’t be afraid to special order more toppings on your stuff too, it will help fill you up for less.

dollar stores - there are a lot of different dollar store options out there. And they all have one thing in common -> everything is cheap! You can get food stuffs, party supplies, kitchen utensils, garbage bags, cans of pop and more. Again, don’t let any stigmas stop you. A dollar is worth a dollar no matter where you shop. The difference is how much you get for that dollar.
buy used - there are used book stores, thrift shops, yard sales and clothing swaps out there just waiting for you to take advantage of. You can find clothes, books, dvds, gadgets, gizmos and even furniture. The prices are always better than new and in most cases the product looks pretty darn good!

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Students – Get Ready for Thanksgiving and Save!

Posted on September 26, 2011 by saveoff

Option #1 Leftover Turkey Sandwich

Hey there friends!

September is flying by and that means that soon we’ll be celebrating the 1st long weekend since the school year started – Thanksgiving!

Now, you may be saying to yourself, “I don’t pay for anything at Thanksgiving, how can I save money?”. It’s simple. You are going to use Thanksgiving as a tool to save money.

As we get closer to the break I want you to think about the things that you need. Maybe you’re running low on canned soup, or mac & cheese. Maybe you really need to do some laundry. Like badly. Or perhaps it’s a good idea to grab some winter clothes, mittens, scarves and blankets while you’re home visiting instead of waiting until it’s below 0 and you’re stuck freezing or buying them when you didn’t need to.

However, the 1 most important, amazing, awesome, perfect thing that you need to take advantage of when it comes to Thanksgiving weekend is this - LEFTOVERS!

You are going to have the opportunity to grab Tupperware containers full of turkey, ham, potatoes, corn, peas, squash, stuffing, gravy and dessert. That’s right. If you do this right you are going to have at least 3 real good meals back at school with food that tastes like home. If you’re creative in the kitchen it can turn into even more than that. Remember that adding bread to anything to make a sandwich will stretch out your supply. Pasta is another great option for leftover creativity.

If you have great recipes for leftovers please feel free to share them – everyone needs to eat well and if we can add a little taste to that we all win!

I’ll start the ball rolling with 4 suggestions and some tips – check it out -> A Review Of Turkey Left Over Options!

So, get ready, get planning and enjoy the time with your family and friends. I know that I will.

Option #2 Leftover Turkey Soup

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Students – Save Money on Halloween!

Posted on September 21, 2011 by saveoff

Boys and girls I have exciting news – there are ONLY 40 day until Halloween!

That means that it’s time to start planning. Planning your costume, treats, parties and decorations.

That could include:
Candy
Make-up
Tacky decorations
Drinks
Pumpkins
Clothes
Masks
Etc.

Now, there are cheap ways and expensive ways to get the things you need. If you want to be smart, save money and have more stuff to enjoy I suggest paying attention to the cheaper alternatives.

If you’re looking for tacky decorations for the dorm room or apartment or town house that you’re rocking this year my very first suggestion is that you hit up the dollar store in your neighbourhood and see what they’ve got to offer.

You can get plastic skeletons, buckets to hold candy, themed streamers, ghosts (not real ones) and more. It’s a great way to get some bang for $10.

When it comes to candy you might get lucky at the dollar store type deals as well. The worst place to look is going to be a drug store. Yes they are usually convenient. And yes they are usually open late when you are walking home from somewhere and candy seems like the best option ever… but look at your receipt. You’re paying a lot more for that candy than you need to.

Note: If you’re in a new neighbourhood this Halloween make sure to ask a neighbour how busy things get so you know how much candy to buy. You don’t wanna run out and get egged.
With fright night falling on a Monday this year there is a strong chance that you will be throwing or attending some sort of party on the weekend leading up to the big day. Now, there are a couple of options here. You can rock the same costume Saturday, Sunday and Monday – OR you can find a way to put together 2 or 3 costumes and have a lot of fun with the whole weekend experience. My suggestion, if you haven’t already picked out a sophisticated costume (I have), is to try and find something that you can put together using pieces from thrift stores. You’re going to have a chance to pick up some awesome things at a low price and with great ideas in mind. A lot of the big chain stores will also have a costume section if you want to grab something pre-made and ready to go. But please stay away from chain costume shops and adult super stores. They are going to charge you a lot of money to make something happen. You’ve got to believe that you can make something happen yourself!

And remember, the money that you save on candy, decorations and costume pieces can all be used on drinks! That’s smart saving!

So get to it my friends – Halloween is coming and we don’t want anyone left broke or unprepared.
Have fun!

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Students – Save Your Change, It’s Money Too!

Posted on September 14, 2011 by saveoff

Students, this is a very important message that I need you to pay attention to… change is money too.

That’s right, quarters, dimes, nickels and even pennies add up to dollars and dollars buy stuff you need and want.

For years I have been putting my change in a jar or a bowl and saving it for when it’s needed. I pull out the coin for bus fare, laundry and coffee when I need to. But I also save it up, roll those bad boys and deposit it into the bank account. And you know what, it spends just like paper dollars!

If I were to make a recommendation it would be this – don’t look at it for at least a month at a time.

I know I said that I use my change for day to day things, but if I were to start over again I wouldn’t do that at all.

If you can wait a month at a time you’ll find that you have a few bucks from the change after a night out with friends, picking up groceries or little things at the corner store and other assorted purchases.

I can’t promise that you’re going to get rich. You aren’t. But, saving your change and using it in an organized and practical fashion is certainly going to help you get the most out of it!

So, empty those pockets when you get home at night and remember that you’re helping pay for that next round every time you do!

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Students – Save Money, Win Contests!

Posted on September 14, 2011 by saveoff

Hey blogTO - send me to see Coldplay PLEASE!

Dear friends, we love contests. We love contests a lot.

We also love music.

And when there’s a contest to see live music our heads and hearts nearly explode!

That’s exactly what’s going on right now at Save Off Campus because blogTO is giving away passes to see Coldplay in Toronto next week.

#COLDPLAYBLOGTO is the hashtag that you’re going to see popping up all over the place – and if you want to know more about the contest check out their post here ——–> Contest: Win tickets to Coldplay in Toronto

Now, here’s why we want to win! As mentioned previously, we love music. Especially live music. So having the chance to see one of the biggest bands in the world is amazing. 2) Coldplay keeps saying that every album could be their last album. So seeing them live would be huge in case they’re actually right this time.
C) Chris Martin has a pretty wicked voice. IV) I love piano and we all know there’s gonnna be some piano!

I could go on and on and on… and maybe I should. But for now it’s time to get back to saving money.

Good luck friends!

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Students – Fill Your Fridges!

Posted on September 13, 2011 by saveoff

Alright kids, we’re all back to school. Frosh week is over (sad faces) and classes have started. You’ve picked up some of your books, you’ve neglected the laundry so far and you’ve been trying to eat.

Here’s what I don’t want you to do – worry about the Freshman 15. That’s right, while people have been talking about it for years and there are good reasons why… it is not something that should stop you from eating.

So, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to be responsible, I want you to gather all of your flyers. If you don’t have flyers I want you to go to flyerland.ca and I want you to go through all of the grocery stores that are close to you. Now, start making a real list of things that you want and need in your fridge. Remember that need comes before want but don’t shy away from a great deal on something you love like pop tarts or cinnamon toast crunch.

If you’re smart, plan correctly and get your stuff in order you can have a fridge that looks like this.
Yes, that is beer and that is jager… if you’re using your flyers and saving cash you will have money left to buy that stuff.

Note: That is not my fridge. I don’t drink Miller Lite.

What I’m trying to say here my friends is that college and university doesn’t have to be mac n’ cheese, raman noodles and peanut butter and jam all the time.

If you do things right you can be fed and fed well!

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