Last year, I promised my daughter a new ski jacket. Bless her heart, she wore her last one for two years until it ripped. I was trying to put off the inevitable because kids' ski jackets are so expensive! Last year I had to buy my son a new one and I almost had a heart attack when I saw the price for a kids' ski jacket! So this year, I'm doing it smart. I'm starting early while there is a huge selection and I'm shopping from the comfort of my computer.
Raising kids is expensive. The bigger they grow, the more they eat! Ka-ching! My weekly supermarket bills are slowly getting higher thanks to my two tweenagers. My strategy is to play it smart and do whatever I can to get my bills lower. This doesn't mean I buy lower quality products or highly processed foods. I still shop well, but I am strategic with my AIR MILES Collector Card and my American Express AIR MILES Card which is also the fastest way for me to earn AIR MILES reward miles.
By now, you must know that I'm a self-professed rewards junkie. I'm all about getting more bang for my buck when shopping using loyalty programs. I've been a card-carrying Air Miles member since 1998 and have been upgraded to a Gold Card. I don't just collect my miles—I use them! Over the last decade I've been able to to buy gift cards, an air conditioner, flights, a television and movie tickets using my miles.
I love how a couple of disparate events come together to make something useful happen - like how going to see the band Journey helped me save $502 on my Christmas vacation.
I'm in the process of planning our family holiday for the winter break. It's kind of mind blowing how expensive it is to travel at that time! But, it's the only time the kids aren't in school and my business is in slow mode. I suck it up and fork it out.
