3 Ways Photos Can Boost Your Happiness

After a year of isolation and reliance on digital technology to stay connected, many of us are feeling digital burnout. According to a recent study commissioned by Fujifilm Instax, this has made physical items like photos all the more desirable, especially as so many of us are feeling sentimental, missing our loved ones and our regular routines and activities.

Photos are a great way to remind us of the ‘good times,’ but did you know they can actually boost your mood? The Fujifilm study found that 60% of adults reported looking back on old photos when they were feeling unhappy, stressed or looking for a way to cheer themselves up. In fact, 43% felt by simply looking at a physical photo, their mood was boosted, compared to just 12% who said the same about digital images!

Check out these 3 ways that photos can help boost your happiness, and keep scrolling to the bottom for some photos shared by local photographers that represent happiness the most to them (they might just make you smile, too!).

1. Photos can remind you of those you care about

Fujifilm’s study found that 2020 has meant people want more reminders of their loved ones around them (48%). Filling your space with photos of those you love – a significant other, kids, extended family, friends, pets – can help you feel more connected to them.

Take note of places in your home that you frequent the most (your main hallway or home office?) and display your photos in those areas, so those special faces are always in sight. Our Photolab offers a wide variety of prints and enlargements to fit all kinds of standard frames, so you can easily print and display photos of all your loved ones. For high traffic areas like your main hallway, we also recommend aluminum metal panels, which have a lightweight and highly durable surface that is resistant to fading. We also have aluminum panel collages that can display photos of all your loved ones together in one place.

2. Photos freeze your happiest moments in time

Looking back at photos helps us relive happy moments over and over again. According to Psychologist Dr. Emma Hepburn, “Research suggests that recalling positive personal memories can help elicit positive emotion and engage reward-related neural circuitry, which can be beneficial for wellbeing. Having these memories in physical form, for example, photographs around the house, can help create positive feelings on a daily basis when we see them.”

If you find yourself in need of a mood boost, try surrounding yourself with images of your happiest memories – photos of a trip you took abroad or a special day like your wedding day or a birthday. You don’t have to limit yourself to frames on your walls or shelves either. Our Photolab offers magnetic prints, as an example, so you can easily stick those happy moments to the fridge, a file cabinet in your office, or a locker! Other creative ways to display those photos include pillow cases, blankets, door mats, mousepads and more.

“Because of their physical nature, each photograph also has its own history,” says Dr. Hepburn. “So, we remember not only the event itself, but create memories and meaning around the physical object. We can feel attached to a photograph so the physical act of holding and looking at a photo creates emotions.”

3. Taking photos gives us greater enjoyment

Research shows that taking photos of experiences generally translates to greater engagement in the experience itself, and in turn predicts greater enjoyment of that experience. In fact, those who take photos of their experiences seem to hold their enjoyment longer than those who don’t take photos. So the next time you’re headed out for a fun activity or experience, don’t forget to bring your camera!

Film photography is also a great way to slow down and appreciate the moments you are capturing. Due to the nature of film photography, it requires the photographer to be more intentional with their photo-taking: you are limited by the number of exposures on your roll of film. This can be beneficial when it comes to capturing your experiences, as it becomes part of the experience itself! Not to mention, when you’re done shooting, the act of picking up your developed photos from the Photolab is an exciting and special part of the film photography experience too. The anticipation and excitement of seeing your images developed for the first time is just part of the reason why so many love shooting on film.

What images bring you the most happiness?

Below, some local photographers are sharing their favourite photos that bring them (or someone they know) happiness! We hope they inspire you to find the photos that bring you the most happiness too.

“I have been a newborn photographer for over 10 years now and I also love to mix in my love of dogs. Last year a wonderful couple booked me for their newborn shoot and I knew their senior dog was terminal at the time. I insisted that he come to the session and I would include him when I felt he was ready. We did the new born portion and at the end I asked to try something. Baby was totally settled and Drake the dog was calm. With the help of the parents we set up this pose and it evolved into this image that will forever be one of my happy moments. We were all in tears. All they wanted was for their fur baby to meet their human baby. I doubt I would ever be able to recreate this, nor do I want to. This image is just for them. (Mom and Dad were hands on this whole pose for safety). – @sunnyshphoto

 

“The heart in between my couple as they share a Wedding Day kiss had me squealing while editing this photo afterwards and it brought a tear to my couples eyes when they saw it!!” – @esthermoermanphoto

 

“There are many ways a photograph brings me joy, this image in particular, I can remember how it was cooler out than I thought it would be and how happy I was to get back in my vehicle and warm up! I love the textures and patterns of growth criss-crossing the abandoned bridge. I remember the stories my friend and I shared and the laughs we had. I remember my drone stopped working but not letting that deter me from the views and sitting on the bridge watching the sunset. There’s a lot of ways a photograph can bring you happiness, for me, it’s the adventure, big or small and the views that I’ll remember for a lifetime!”@c_marsh15

 

Photo credit: @prairierosephoto

“Happy baby calves running around on fresh pastures in April bring me happiness” – @prairierosephoto

 

“That sweet smelling warmth of spring & summer, it can only be described as pure happiness. We wait for this all year, don’t we? This image brings me joy because it embodies how I feel about this long-awaited time of year… golden hour, those beautiful moments before the sun turns in for the night.

I am reminded to pause, to breathe deep… embracing fresh oxygen from the top of my head and letting it run down to the tips of my toes… barefoot, grounded, part of something bigger than myself. Happiness is surrendering to ebbs & flows of the ocean tide —which could be heard in the distance while capturing this particular moment in time. Perfection.”@callypetersenphotography

 

Now it’s your turn! What images bring you the most happiness? Surround yourself with those images by choosing physical prints to fill your space. To print your photos, just download our London Drugs Photolab App (available for iOS & Android) to order directly from your smartphone or order online or in-store at our kiosks. And if you’re not sure what the best way to display your images is, our LD Experts are always happy to help!

 

Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas That Will Warm Her Heart

If you’re still on the hunt for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, not to worry! With Mother’s Day being a bit earlier this year, even the most seasoned gifter might be a little off their game. Luckily, there are still plenty of Mother’s Day gift ideas that are not only quick and easy to order but are still thoughtful and made with love. From one-of-a-kind cards to personalized mugs and photo books, below are some of our Photolab’s top last-minute gift ideas that will warm her heart.

A Thoughtful Mug for Mom

Showing mom you think she’s the best mom ever is easy: just put it on a mug! You can add personalized text to any of our Photolab’s mugs, so you can tell her exactly how much you care for her. Add a photo of your choice as well – one she will be able to cherish for years to come.

If you have young kids, you can encourage them to design their own special mugs for mom with the help of our Take and Create Books. These books are full of templates for items including our mugs, which they can draw their own artwork in, and then have those drawings digitized and printed on a mug (or other gift items). You can learn more about our Take and Create Books here.

Our mugs can be ready for pick-up in just 24 hours, making them an excellent choice if you’re in a pinch for a last-minute gift. Plus, they only take a few minutes to customize!

A Special Locket Full of Love

With a personalized locket, mom can keep her loved ones close to her heart at all times. Choose from locket-sized photos in various shapes, including circle, heart, oval, and square, to match your chosen locket. Each print also comes with a variety of sizes from 1”x1” to 0.2”x0.2” so you can pick the one that fits perfectly.

If you’re gifting to a senior/grandmother, it could also be a thoughtful surprise to include old photos of her and her children. Rather than cutting up the originals though, make sure they’re digitized first! Our Photo Scanning Box service can help you digitize large amounts of old print photos quickly and easily.

These locket prints are ready for pick up in just 24 to 72 hours at most of our locations.

A Photoshoot Just for Her

Treat mom to a photoshoot that’s all about her! This gift requires no prep time at all but is a thoughtful way to show your appreciation for your mom and how beautiful she is inside and out. Hire a local photographer, or pick up a camera and stage your own photoshoot at home for her. You can include the kids as well, but take some photos just of her too. Make sure to mention in your ‘Mother’s Day Photo Shoot’ gift that she’ll receive a selection of prints/enlargements or a canvas gallery wrap to commemorate the experience and preserve those special images. This can also be a thoughtful gift for a mom-to-be!

If you’re looking for pointers for doing your at-home photoshoot, make sure to check out our DIY Studio modules; it’s free to sign up, and you’ll get all kinds of helpful tips from pro photographer Erin Manning in each module. For your Mother’s Day photoshoot, we recommend checking out the modules on ‘Composition Tips’ and ‘Lighting Techniques.’

A Photo Book of ‘Moments with Mom’

So many of our most memorable moments in life are often with mom. Help her cherish them by preserving all of your favourite moments with mom in a fully personalized photo book. Hand-pick the photos displayed on each page, and even add thoughtful notes to tell her why those moments mean the world to you. Don’t worry about the design element – we have a Mother’s Day template all set to go for you, so you can simply drag and drop your images!

If you’re tight on time, not to worry. Our Express Book, an 8×8 photographic book with a leatherette cover, is easy to customize and ready for pick-up in just 24 to 72 hours.

A One-of-a-Kind Mother’s Day Card

Sometimes there just isn’t a Mother’s Day card in the card aisle that says exactly what you want to say. That’s where our personalized greeting cards come in. They can be customized with any theme and photo(s) of your choosing, plus you can add a truly personal and heartfelt message for mom that is one-of-a-kind. Just knowing you took the time to make a card for her is sure to warm her heart!

Left it a little late? Just because you’re looking for a Mother’s Day card last minute doesn’t mean it can’t still be thoughtful. Our single-sided photo cards and premium folded greeting cards on photographic paper can be customized and ready for pick-up in just 24 to 72 hours!

A Photo Button for the #1 Mom

Tell the world your mom is #1 by designing a photo button that she can proudly wear all Mother’s Day like a badge of honour! Want it to say something else besides ‘#1 Mom’? While ordering, add any text (and photo) you like! Our buttons are fully customizable. We also have both 3” and 1.25” round buttons, as well as heart-shaped buttons to choose from.

If you’re thinking of ordering one for your mom, just make sure not to leave it too last minute: our photo buttons are ready for pick-up in just 5 to 7 days.

 

To customize your Mother’s Day gifts on-the-go, just download our London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android to order straight from your smartphone! Otherwise, you can also always order through our Photolab online or in-store using our kiosks. For exact turnaround times, please check with your local London Drugs Photolab.

3 New Exciting Items at London Drugs This April

Here are some of our favourite new items available in store and online this month.

Bubly SodaStream Drops

Bubly sparkling water has grown in popularity over the last few years, and now you can make it at home using your SodaStream machine! Brighten up your sparkling water with these SodaStream bubly natural flavour drops. The fresh and vibrant taste adds a delectable hint of fruity delight to make each effervescent sip a delicious mouthful. Add these drops to your SodaStream sparkling water to create your favourite bubly flavours in your own home. Made without sweeteners, added sugar or calories, these drops let you indulge in a rich burst of goodness without the guilt. Available in store and online.

Owlet Smart Sock Activity Tracker For Babies

The Owlet Smart Sock activity tracker for babies ensures you can rest easy. The Smart Sock sensor tracks heart rate, oxygen levels and sleep patterns and communicates via the Owlet mobile app to keep you updated on your little one’s sleep quality, while the included Base Station uses lights and sounds to alert you of changes to your baby’s safe levels. With wireless charging, and an app that allows you to track your baby’s wellness in real time from anywhere, this smart monitor is practical and can help you gain valuable insights to set new routines. It fits comfortably for a sound sleep and sweet dreams.

Canon EOS R5

Canon’s new EOS R5 is now available online and in store. Building off the legacy of Canons full frame cameras, the next generation offers refined performance and reliability. With its 45 megapixel full frame sensor, 8k cinematic movie capture, high-speed continuous shooting of up to 20 fps and high speed autofocusing with dual pixel CMOS AF, it packs a list of features too long for this blog. Suitable for a wide range of professional and hobbyist applications, this new camera is one to consider if you’re looking to upgrade in the near future.

5 Alternative Easter Baskets

With Easter, the first things that come to mind are chocolate eggs, stuffed bunnies, egg colouring kits, and colourful weave baskets. But Easter doesn’t have to consist of only the traditional items – this year, think outside the box (or basket!) We’ve curated a few alternative Easter baskets featuring unique items for kids and adults that you can use as inspiration to build your own!

1. The Self-Care Easter Basket

This Easter basket is made specifically for the person in your life who would love a little self-care! Whether it’s a facial massage spa set, an all-natural candle from Woodlot, a hair dryer and volumizer hot air brush from Revlon, a luxurious-feeling night cream from Derma-E, or some detoxing matcha face masks from Maskeraide, there’s definitely something they can indulge themselves with!
BONUS: Build your Easter basket using a non-traditional basket or tote so that it can repurpose for something else.

2. The Music Lover Easter Basket

For the kids or adults who love to blast their tunes, this Easter basket is made for them! Adults will dig these colourful Jam Live TW Headphones or BoomPods Zero Bluetooth Speaker, while kids will love these Mandalorian or Frozen-themed headphones from EKids. There are also these adorable animal-shaped Bluetooth speakers. Choose from a pug, tiger, bear, panda, and even unicorn for a unique Easter basket surprise.

3. The Memory Maker Easter Basket

Be sure to include one of these items for the person who loves to capture memories! The Fujufilm Instax Mini Cameras allow you to capture moments and create mini keepsakes instantly with small-sized film, while the Fujifilm Quicksnap Disposable Camera offers a touch of nostalgia. The Mason by Aura digital frame is another unique Easter basket gift choice. This digital WiFi photo frame allows you to displays your photos, but also allows your family to share their photos to it by using the app. Don’t forget, you can also create customized gifts using our PhotoLab! Read about these gift ideas in our blog 5 Creative Ways to Celebrate Easter at Home.

4. The Electronic Toy Easter Basket

There will be guaranteed excitement when kids (or kids at heart) spot one of these items in their Easter basket! These electronic toys are great for entertainment, but can also be outdoor fun for the whole family to interact with. Choose from a remote-control helicopter, glider, micro-drone or a hyper stunt car.

5. The Foodie Easter Basket

These Easter basket goodies are sure to delight the foodie in your life! Kids will love creating bunny-shaped waffles with the Dash Mini Waffle Maker, while adults will appreciate the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker or the KitchenAid Hand Blender. If the Easter Bunny is feeling a little extra generous this year, why not splurge on a Cuisinart Master Stand Mixer, great for whipping up all kinds of festive desserts. (This one may not fit inside the basket though!)

You can still build an epic Easter basket with all of the traditional treats, but if you’re looking for an extra special or unique item, we hope our curated list gives you a few ideas. Happy Easter!

Give Your Home A Spring Refresh With These 5 Photo Ideas

A lot more time has been spent at home this past year. If you’re feeling like your space is getting a bit ‘stale’ and could use a design refresh right now, you’re not alone. Especially as we head into spring, now is a great time to brighten up your home with some fresh and colourful images! Try these 5 photo ideas from our LD Experts in the Photolab that will help breathe new life into your space.

1. Swap Out Your Framed Photos

Freshening up your space is as simple as swapping out the photos in your existing frames! Pick some favourites from past spring seasons that will add some brightness and colour to your home. These could include landscape photos you’ve captured during spring or family photos of springtime events like Mother’s Day and Easter. Vacation photos are also a great way to brighten up your space.

We have a wide variety of print and enlargement sizes to fit all kinds of standard frames, from 4”x6” all the way up to 44”x96”. Pick between glossy or pearl finish, depending on your preference. For framed prints, we recommend pearl, as there isn’t as much glare with this mattified satin surface, making it a good option for displaying behind glass.

The easiest way to refresh your frames with new prints and enlargements is by downloading our London Drugs Photolab App on your smartphone (available for iOS and Android), uploading some of your photos directly from your phone, and ordering some prints. If your photos live on your computer, not to worry, you can always order from our Photolab website as well.

2. Create a DIY Gallery Wall

If you’re looking for a DIY project to take on at home, creating your own gallery wall is an easy and rewarding project that will give your space an entirely fresh look. This is also something you can add to as you find new frames and take new photos that you want to add to the gallery wall. Just like the other frames in your home, these can also be updated seasonally.

Here’s how to create your own gallery wall:

  1. Choose a colour palette. This can go for your frames (all one colour, or a mix of colours in a palette) and for your images (black and white or colour photos). A colour palette can help you keep a cohesive look and feel amongst all the prints on your gallery wall. Of course, if you prefer a more eclectic look with a variety of colours, go for it! Your space should reflect your style.
  2. Pick a theme. The theme could be your pets, family, friends, vacations, wedding photos, etc. They don’t have to all be from the same day, but choosing an overall theme will help you narrow down and select which images to feature. For instance, you could display photos of your pet throughout their life, or photos of various vacation destinations you’ve visited over the years. If you want to change your images seasonally, pick a spring theme for this time of year, selecting photos taken during previous spring seasons (or get outside and shoot some new ones!).
  3. Pick a display medium, and print your photos. Before you start printing, it’s important to decide how you want to display the photos in your gallery wall. As an example, do you want to go with framed prints or canvas gallery wraps? If you’re framing behind glass, you may want to opt for pearl versus glossy enlargements. Fine art prints are also an excellent choice to give your photos that gallery-quality look. Our Photolab also offers framed and matted prints if you want that matte look for your images. We recommend choosing one print style to stick to for all of your gallery prints.
  4. Choose a layout. Organize and assemble your images on the floor to see how they will look on display. This gives you the opportunity to make changes to your vision…before hammering any nails into the wall! It can help to put a vertical line of painter’s tape down on the floor to ensure your prints are being distributed equally on both sides of the tape and the overall ‘wall’ looks balanced. If you like clean lines, you may choose to have all of your prints fit nicely within a defined rectangle or square. Or, go with a more ‘imperfect’ look by having some prints stick out past the others.
  5. Measure out your display. Use painter’s tape once again to mark a vertical line, this time down the centre of the wall. Then measure your frames and tape a square/rectangle showing where you want each of your frames on the wall, keeping consistent with the spacing between your prints.
  6. Assess your gallery wall. Take a step back to assess whether you like the look. If not, peel the tape and try again!
  7. Hang your prints. Get your hammer, anchors and level out, it’s finally time to hang your prints!

 3. Add Fresh Life to Your Coffeetable

Don’t neglect your coffeetable, it’s easy to give it a refresh too! A new vase and a floral scented candle can breathe in some fresh new life, as can a bright new coffeetable book. A good coffeetable book is not only a conversation piece, and a place to store treasured memories, but it can also be a piece of décor that you can easily switch out from season to season. For spring, personalize a coffeetable book from our Photolab with some of your favourite springtime memories (scenic hikes, your garden, family activities, trips, etc.). You can even choose from spring templates to help theme your photo book. We recommend choosing the coffeetable book with a custom photo cover, or cover with a window; you will be able to personalize the cover with a spring-themed photo of your choice that will be seen when the book is sitting on your coffeetable, making it a perfect piece of seasonal décor.

4. Bring Spring Indoors with Photo Panels

Liven up your space by going BIG with one of your favourite spring-themed images! While we have enlargements up to 44”x96” in size, another option is to have your image printed as multiple-panel split art, where your image is split over a few large prints. This style of wall art can make your images look even more eye-catching!

Our aluminum metal panels are a great choice for this split art style, as they are frameless and ready-to-hang. The high-gloss surface also makes colourful images pop really well, so they are perfect for brightening up your space with vibrant spring images. Lots of people seek out cherry blossoms and tulip fields for photo ops during the spring – those are great images to feature in this format, as would any other vibrant landscape images!

When hanging your split art, start with the middle panel first to ensure your prints will be centred on your wall. We suggest spacing the panels out about 2 to 3 inches apart if your panels are on the larger size. Smaller panels may look better with a little less spacing.

5. Brighten Up with Some Updated Pillows

A tried and true way to add some brightness to your home in time for spring is to update your pillow cushions! A new cushion colour or pattern will do the trick, or you can customize something fun with our Photolab’s photo pillow cases. Choose a pet or family photo to feature, or if nature photography is your forte, a macro flower photo or other spring scenes would be a great way to customize your pillows for the season. They’re sure to make you smile every time you walk into the room!

Spring Cleaning Your Photos

Speaking of refreshing your home with photos this spring, your photos might need a little spring cleaning too! If you have lots of old photos in albums or collecting dust shoeboxes, now is a good time to digitize them to ensure they aren’t lost to damage and degradation. Digitizing them yourself can be a big undertaking, but our Photolab can help make the process seamless. Just pick up a Photo Scanning Box at your local Photolab, bringing it home and fill it with up to 800 photographs and documents (up to 8.5”x11” in size). Then just bring the box back to us in-store, and we’ll digitize them all for you and put them on a USB drive. Simple as that! We also have a Slide Scanning Box to help you digitize up to 80 35mm slides.

Once digitized, your photos will not only be safe, but you’ll have so many more opportunities to share those precious photos! Use them in any of our 5 ideas above, from printing and framing them, to including them in your coffeetable photo book, or printing them on a pillow! The options are endless once your photos are digital.

You can also check out this blog for more tips on organizing and preserving your irreplaceable photos.

 

5 Creative Ways to Celebrate Easter At Home

While Easter may not include all of the people and traditions it normally would this year, there are lots of ways to make the most of it with your bubble! Try some of these creative ways to celebrate Easter at home, from Easter-themed art projects to virtual egg painting parties.

 

1. Swap Easter Ears for an Easter Mask

A set of Easter ears always makes for a fun photo opp, but this year, why not switch things up with an Easter face mask from our Photolab? You can choose one of our Easter patterns, or you can customize your mask with one of your own photos. Order yours in advance so you have a chance to wear it leading up to Easter as well! They’re sure to get a smile while you’re out grocery shopping.

2. Create Some Easter-Themed Art

If you’re looking for an activity for the kids, our free Take & Create Books are great to have on-hand. You can pick them up from our Photolab in-store, or you can download the book for free and print it out at home. It’s full of templates for things like photo mugs, bookmarks, buttons and even face masks that they can draw in their own designs for. Let their creativity run wild with creating their own Easter artwork!

Once they’re done drawing, you can scan the pages with an at-home scanner, or simply bring the book back to the Photolab and we can scan them for you. Once the drawings are scanned, you can then upload the files to our Photolab and personalize some Easter keepsakes with those drawings.

3. Virtual Easter Egg Painting Party

Show off your egg dyeing or egg painting skills with your bubble, or have a virtual chat where you can paint ‘together’ and vote on the best designs. Consider sending egg dyeing/painting kits to each household so everyone can participate. We have everything you need – from paint brushes and paints to food colour kits in both original and neon colours.

If you’re planning to host a virtual Easter celebration, make sure you first check out our DIY Studio video on 5 tips to look and sound your best on your video calls! Pro photographer Erin Manning has some handy tips to share, from how to find the most flattering light (or using a ring light like this) to positioning your camera for the best angle. It’s free to sign up to get access to all of our DIY Studio modules – you can join here!

You can also find helpful tips for using a camera as a webcam for your video calls here.

4. Create Cards to Send to Family & Friends

An Easter photoshoot at home is a fun way to get your household involved and create some lasting memories. (Not to mention, it’s a chance to ditch the loungewear for some nice Easter clothes for a change!). For the best photos, a tripod is recommended, either for your smartphone or camera. You can use the camera’s self-timer, or a remote controller to make sure everyone can get in the shot. Those aforementioned Easter face masks would be great for a group photo, or have some other props on-hand, like Easter baskets and your painted Easter eggs. If you’re looking for photo tips for capturing all of your Easter activities, check out this blog here.

After you’ve taken a photo everyone is happy with (and everyone’s eyes are open!), you can personalize your own Easter cards with that image to send as a special keepsake to family and friends you weren’t able to celebrate with in-person. Our cards have Easter-themed templates for you to choose from, so you can pick the design you like best to add your photo to. Plus, you can add a personalized message inside too. It’s a thoughtful way to connect with those outside your bubble.

5. Play Easter Bunny

While you might not be able to do an Easter egg hunt together with all of your family, you can be the Easter Bunny this year and send your loved ones a special Easter basket of goodies they can enjoy! Make it extra special with a personalized Easter mug, either featuring your kids’ artwork (made using our Take and Create Books), or a photo from your at-home Easter photoshoot. Just add some chocolate and candy eggs, a personalized card, and wrap it all up to drop off or send by mail.

 

We wish you all a safe and Happy Easter, and hope you all have the chance to create and capture some great memories!

 

4 Tips to Help You Save Money

If you’re like one of many people who have made saving money their new year’s resolution, you’re not alone. Making small changes throughout the year can help you save big in the long run. We’ve rounded up some ways that can help you tackle your money-saving goals.

1.) Track your Expenses

It’s easy to guess how much we spend per month, but instead of guessing, get a more accurate look at your expenses. Look through your bank account or credit card statements for the month and separate them into categories so you can easily see the breakdown of your monthly spending. These categories can be things like groceries, electricity, car & gas, clothing, medical, miscellaneous, etc. This way, you can see how much money is going to each category and where you are able to cut back.

2.) Food Savings

After breaking down your expenses, you may realize you are spending way too much on going out to eat, or purchasing take out. When you factor in the price of your meal, tip and even the gas money it takes to drive to the restaurant, it can really add up. Cooking more at home is not only easier on your wallet, but it allows you to use up what you already have at home. If you’re someone who loves grabbing your fancy morning latte or lunch time cappuccino every day, why not invest in a coffee maker and milk frother for home? You can even add a few drops of vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon, or whatever flavouring you prefer to make a fancy coffee drink without having to spend a fortune in the long run.

Another way to save money regarding food purchases is to invest in items that can help prolong the shelf life of your food. FoodSaver is a food preservation system that includes vacuum seal bags, vacuum zipper bags and containers designed to work together with vacuum sealers for optimal performance. The system removes air from bags and creates an air-tight seal to lock in freshness and protect food from spoiling. As well, dehydrating fruit using a dehydrator is a great way to have an endless stash of healthy snacks!

3.) Energy Savings

If you see an opportunity to cut back on your home electricity and utilities bill, there are so many little ways you can save money in this area. These include:

  • Turn off any lights when they’re not being used
  • Unplug any unused electronics
  • Take shorter showers
  • Wash laundry in cold instead of hot water
  • Hang laundry to dry
  • Swap any old lightbulbs for energy efficient ones
  • Wear warm sweaters and pants or use blankets instead of tuning up the heater

BC Hydro has a full list of all the ways you can cut costs, which you can view online here. Another great way is to invest in a smart thermostat. These can be easily controlled from your phone, tablet or laptop, and can be used to check your energy history, to see how much you save and see how to save money. As well, they can turn themselves down when you leave your home.

4.) Brand Swap

We all have our tried and true favourite products that we restock or often reach for. But if your goal for 2021 is saving money, and you are struggling to find items that won’t break or break the bank, the London Drugs family of brands is for you! The line up of “by London Drugs” products offer quality items at great price points. Each line has products in different categories:

We hope you found these tips helpful. Remember, you don’t have to try all of these tips at once. Start with one, and then slowly incorporate another into your lifestyle. By keeping track of your expenses and making small changes, reaching your money-saving goal for the new year may be easier than you think!

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