Review of my first shopping trip to Target, Place Alexis-Nihon, Montreal

It was a beautiful sunny day today and the weather was nice for a November day. Knowing that the Target store was finally open at the Place Alexis-Nihon, I walked my way to the to the mall very excited. But my excitement didn't worth it. Target is just another version of Zellers, in a real replica state. There is good price on some items, but most items are at the same price, if not higher than what you can find at Shoppers or Jean Coutu. Target is only another store like any other else. However, it make another store to check on for sale and bargains.

For my first time at Target, I bought for $17.83 of stuff find below.

Picture may be upload later on if I don't forget, but I guess you all know what Ivory soap and shampoo look like, among other.

I didn't find any good reduction on makeup so I didn't buy any, but I find a few things at great price. I was impressed by the low cost of their body soap and anti-antiperspirant but that was about it... I bought an Apricot facial scrub (their brand, Up & Up) at $2.69 - I usually buy the St-Yves Apricot facial scrub for a bit more; a Dove Cleartone anti-antiperspirant at $ 3.49 - it can be as much as $5+ at Shoppers (but I also saw some other brands at $2 at Target); a box of Quaker at $2 (good for my diet!); 10 Ivory soaps for $3 (at the Dollorama store, I get 3 soaps for $1,50); Herbal Essence shampoo at $1.99 and an apple cider mix for $2.99 - and it doens't taste very good but I wanted to give it a try.  

Interesting savings can be made at Target, but only on some items. I guess Target is another option for shoppers, but its not the ultimate saving spot.

It could worth it to get an RBC Target credit card. It give a 5% reduction on all purchases. Add that to their normal sales, it could add up some great value, on the purchase of a few items, but not everything they have on store.

I wasn't that much impress by my first stop at Target, I was expecting much lower prices.

Mastering the art of using coupons with the Dividend Girl

These days, I am trying to pay as much debt as I can. The Bank of Canada decided for now not to increase its prime rate. But this won't last for long. And as soon the prime rate will increase (probably of 1%), the more I will own on my debt in term of interest fees. Repaying my debt will be a long and painful road, but among the way, there're many things that I am doing to help me save money.

I was away on vacation for a few days in July-August and September is going to be a quiet month. I recently received an email from someone I used to do some self-employed work. I hope to get my hand on a few hundreds that way. To pay more debt, there's no magic trick, the best way is to earn more and save more.

Its always more difficult to make more money than to save. Saving money is like losing weight; if you work hard enough, results will show up.

Coupons are a great way to save money. The best is to be able to match the coupon with a current sale. I had a $1 rebate on any L'Oréal Shampoo or Conditioner:

My hair can be difficult. I color my hair and they are curly and thin, but I have a lot of hair. I was surpise one day when a hairdresser said that I had thin hair. Since that day, I try to select conditioner for thin hair. On top of thin, color and curly hair. My hair can get really oily. So I have to be careful to the conditioner that I use. If the product I use are cheap, well, the result will be cheap. Good hair products come with a price. I really like L'Oréal Paris Volume Collagen for flat, fine hair conditioner. L'Oréal shampoos and conditioners are currently at $3.99 at Shoppers. Its a good deal knowing that the original price is usually around $6.99:

So in total, my favorite conditioner only cost me $2.99+ taxes. Pretty cool isn't? Well, that's only a little overview on how to use coupons. I am not a fan of those extreme coupon shows we seem these days on television. If use right, coupons can make it easy to save money; but they should be use on stuff you usually purchase.

I try to focus on my everyday needs, on stuff I purchase on a regular basis and I  try to get my hands on the precious coupons. Also, the bets is to save those coupons and wait when a sale show up - like the one at $3.99 for L'Oréal shampoos and conditioners. When both are combine, it can be a magic blind-blind easy save money.  

A nice finding at the Dollarama Store: the Zipper Seal Giant Bags

With autumn hitting our doors, I am slowly storing my summer clothes out of the closet. I unfortunately don't have enough of a big closet to store my summer and autumn/winter clothes. So I have to find a way to clear some space. 

My first taught was to simply fill some ugly black big garbage bags with all of my summer wardrobe but I actually find something much better at the Dollarama Store: the Zipper Seal Giant Bags.

Dollarama sell those lovely storing bag at only $1.50 for 2 bags. I purchase 2 kits for 4 bags.

Those are X Large big zipper bags perfect to store any clothes. I already began to use them and I find the bags very nice to use. Once the bag are filled, they can easily be store under a bed or in a tiny closet space.

See it for yourself:

The bag closed exactly like a Ziploc bag, which make it very convenient. I was really happy with my finding. 

Other than Zipper Seal Giant Bags, I buy at Dollarama store a number of everyday articles : I buy all of my cleaning products there, Ivory body soap, Q-Tip, cotton pads (to remove my make-up), dish washing liquid (also Ivory). Its about what I usually buy at the Dollarama store.

While working at saving money, Dollarama is a great place to get a variety of items at a more than fair price. Cleaning products can cost a lot more at drugstore, so its important to know where to go to get the best of our bucks.