I've posted here about my efforts recently to save money and be as cheap financially responsible as possible while I'm on mat leave. I've signed up for a number of deal-finding sites and as a result I get half a dozen emails every morning for 80% off microdermabrasion and teeth whitening. HOW WHITE CAN YOUR TEETH POSSIBLY BECOME? HOW MUCH SKIN CAN YOU ACTUALLY BUFF AWAY? Even for 80% off?

When I was asked to check out couponpromocode.ca, I couldn't help be a leeeetle bit skeptical at first. But after spending some time browsing around, I realized it's a useful tool and totally unlike the Groupons of the world. If you enjoy online shopping (who doesn't?), it's a great resource that scours online coupons and promotional codes and posts them daily. Before you purchase something online, check out this site and if there's a valid promotion ongoing, you can snag the code to plug in at checkout.

The site is organized both by coupon category (books, electronics, fashion, travel etc.) and with alphabetical store listings, so whether you're looking for a specific item from a particular store or just browsing, it's easy to find promo codes you're interested in. Feature codes are also highlighted on the homepage and in the blog.

After browsing the promo codes currently available, some of the deals that caught my eye included:

• Free custom iPod engraving from the Apple store. 
• Extra 30% off sale items at jcrew.com.
• 20% off Porter flights.
• $25 off Travelocity hotel bookings.

There's also a "free stuff" tab where you can sign up to receive free samples of all sorts of goodies: laundry detergent, light bulbs, gum, photo prints and more. 

The only thing I didn't love about the site is that a lot of expired promo codes are still being displayed, so you need to make sure to check the dates of the coupon before you get too excited. But overall, it's worth your while to take the extra minute or two before making an online purchase to check this site - you could be eligible for free shipping, a bonus gift, or additional savings. Well worth it!

Every time I've ever heard the phrase "We're going to have to cut back" I immediately start crying and flailing. Cutting back SUCKS. When has "cutting back" ever been a good thing? It smacks of  poverty and diets and all sorts of other unappealing scenarios.

Unfortch, over the next several months I'll be getting a nice little lesson in "cutting back". Obviously I'm not happy about it. I'll be making about 60% of my normal salary while on maternity leave, and while I appreciate getting to spend up to a year at home coddling my offspring, I'm a bit sooky about the financial implications.

Earning less = spending less. And as it is, I'm not a big extravagant spender. It's not like I've been throwing down $300 on jeans and shoes all willy-nilly each week - I'm already pretty frugal. So knowing that I should be spending even less makes me all kinds of cranky.

I don't know where to start when it comes to cutting back, so I started by making a list of some of my upcoming expenses and trying to figure out ways to save:

Car Insurance: I got my invoice for car insurance for the year: $1,033. I shopped it around and the lowest price I could find anywhere was $1,004. Yes, a savings of $29. Yes, I switched insurance providers. For $29.

Christmas Gifts: Peter and I have already agreed we're going to buy less for one another after last year's embarrassment. We kept picking up "one more gift" for each other and in the end our living room was FULL of presents...presents for us. People came over and were like "oh, where'd you get that?" and we were like..."we bought it for ourselves". Over and over. It was horrible. Or they'd be like, "Wow, is all that for you two?" and I'd try to use the dog as an excuse. "A lot of these presents are actually Rory's."

Ouch...Nevertheless, Christmas is going to be expensive, no two ways around it. Luckily I'll be getting free Christmas cards from my new BFFs at Shutterfly :)

Bills: Not much you can do about bills. We've already installed thermostats to regulate the temperatures in the house and canceled our movie channel package in favour of Netflix which is much cheaper. I'm sure our water and power bills will be higher since we'll be doing 927380 more loads of laundry per week.

Groceries: Again, you gotta eat, but I'm sure we could be eating for less. I'd like to start making bigger batches of things - soups, chilis, etc - in the slow cooker, and freezing portions to heat up. Much cheaper in the long run than buying packaged food. We'll also probably start taking advantage of our Costco membership for some bulk stuff too.

Clothing: I'll soon (hopefully!) be back to my normal-ish size and shape and I'm going to be wanting new clothes. After spending months in yoga pants and H&M empire waist dresses I can't wait to wear real clothes again. I'm signing up for all the email coupons I can find and will continue to troll sale racks like it's my job and hunt for pieces with lots of longevity that will work for many different occasions.

Books: I've been using my library card instead of buying new books every month which has already saved me some dough! Yay!

Entertainment: The baby shall be our entertainment. I'm sure we'll just plop him or her onto their little tummy time mat and command them to make us laugh, and they'll obey.

Obviously, having a newborn will cut down on our dinners out, date nights, and general gallavanting around so we'll have to resort to things like visiting friends and having friends over, board game nights, watching movies at home, cooking fancy dinners and enjoying them by the glow of the baby monitor, and so on. Which, honestly? Doesn't sound so bad.

I also plan on doing lots of crafty stuff while baby naps, with the help of the trusty weekly 40% off coupons from Michael's.

One good thing about going out less is that we'll be burning less gas, too.

Health and beauty: Our gym membership is a must-have so that's an expense that's not going anywhere. I don't go for haircuts often, but I could probably choose a less pricey place to get my hair done - currently I pay about $60 for a cut after tax and tip. In terms of personal care I am probably the slackest person ever. I don't colour my hair and rarely get my nails done, so there's not much more I can do to save in this area.

Baby stuff: In large part thanks to our generous friends and family, we're all ready for baby's arrival. Once they're here, I don't know what kind of money we'll be spending month to month. If breastfeeding works out, that'll be free...if it doesn't, it doesn't. I've heard Costco is the best place to buy diapers and wipes. And everything else we'll just have to learn as we go.

So, new moms and general thrifty people: what do you suggest? If you've been through your own mat leave, how did you cut back? Did you find it hard? Any other tips for saving money that you'd like to share? My bank account and I thank you in advance!

Since I started working from home in May, I've been moving around our house each day, perching in whatever spot felt the most comfortable at that particular time without a real designated working area. I've spent time in the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, the back deck, the TV room, and yes, my "office". The problem with my office was our desk chair. It was too tall for the desk, resulting in sitting in a gross and uncomfortable hunchback position. It made working for any length of time impossible.

This weekend, I finally found a chair I liked that fit the dimensions of the desk, so I'm starting the transition of setting up my space (after only three and a half months. Procrastinate much?) I'm so excited to have a place in the house where I can set my laptop up and leave it, to actually use the bulletin board and whiteboard I bought months ago, to get my files and notebooks all organized and make the office a comfortable place to work. I'm hoping that having a section of the house dedicated to work will make me more productive and put me in a "going to work now!" mindset every morning, rather than just "going to sit in the kitchen with my computer!"

I want it to be neat, clean, comfortable, and tranquil and maximized for getting stuff done. I've started collecting little turquoise accent-y things because I think it's a nice, calming colour, as well as framing pictures of some of my favourite people and things (ahem, shoes) to give it a little personal touch. The office is a little girlier than most rooms in our house because I'll be spending a lot of time here and Pete probably won't, so I'm OK with things like flowery patterns and feminine colours in this room.

Here's a peek at the office as of right now:


My desk area. The red thing under the chair is Rory's bone.


My bulletin board with some of my favourite things: a postcard from Paris, a card from my first day at my new job, and a coaster from Boston Beer Works where we pregamed like champions before a Red Sox/White Sox game last year.


Framed photos, post-its and the ever-present water glass. Peter painted the mug for me at the Clay Cafe!


Every year for Christmas I get a page-a-day shoe calendar. How else am I supposed to know what day it is...gosh.


Then, when the calendar is old, you can frame your favourite shoes and enjoy them long past their daily page! Thanks to Ainsley for that idea! My friend Sara made the mosaic tile frame on the left.


The office just happens to house our pullout couch too. Perfect for midday naps and therapy sessions. I bought the blue pillows at Bouclair a couple weeks ago for 50% off.


I may end up moving this guy just because I think it's too small to be on that big wall by itself. It's a wall hanging my mom made after one of my wedding showers with well-wishes from some of the people that were there.

Other future plans include setting up a space for my craft supplies, adding more art to the walls, and maybe a rug for when the weather gets cold. Right now I'm loving the cool basement in the summer heat. I may replace the fugly plastic blind at some point and add more shelves eventually, too.

Do you have a home office? Any decorating or organizing tips to share?