Share your tip to win a $500 Walmart GC!
Nickelodeon, the company that brings your kids Nick, Nick Jr., and Noggin, is sponsoring a Holiday Money-Saving Tip contest. They’re enlisting Walmart’s Eleven Moms to run the contest, so you can enter right here at Being Frugal.net (as well as on the other Eleven Moms blogs) The prize? A $500 Walmart gift card!
Since this is such a big prize, you’re going to have to put a little effort into your contest entry. But what’s a little effort for a chance at a $500 Walmart gift card? That would buy me groceries for more than a month! Your tip might even be featured on www.elevenmoms.com!
Here’s what you have to do to enter:
- Write (or Vlog) a post about your single best money saving tip. I don’t want a post listing all your tips, just your very best one.
- Mention the contest and Nickelodeon in your post. I’d like to give Nickelodeon a mention, since they’re donating such a great prize!
- Link back to this post, so others can find the contest, too.
- Sign the Mister Linky with the permalink to your Holiday Money-Saving Tip, so we can all find it.
- If you don’t have a blog, and only if you don’t have a blog, leave your money saving tip in the comments section.
This contest will remain open until Monday, December 15 at 12 noon, PST. At that time I will close the contest to entries. The judges will pick the 10 best entries, based on how much money you can save by using the tip, how practical the tip is for everyday people, and the creativity of the post or comment. A random winner will be chosen from the 10 best tips as the winner of the $500 Walmart gift card.
Feel free to publicize this contest and the voting on Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon, or anywhere else!
I will email the winner on Monday night (the 15th), and the winner will have 24 hours to get in touch with me with a shipping address, so make sure you have a way for me to contact you on your blog or in the comments (putting a valid email address in the comment form works just fine…you don’t need your email address in the actual body of the comment). The winner will be announced right here and on the Eleven Moms site on December 17.
Have fun, get creative, and good luck!
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I don’t have a blog :( sorry, I am an avid reader though.
My money saving tip: keep your eyes low when you are out and about. I don’t mean all of the time, but people leave money everywhere. Loose change is common in convenience store parking lots, I think people toss it. We have a jar of “found” money” and at the end of the year we cash in. My kids are excellent hunters because they are shorter. My daughter finds lots of folded up dollar bills on and around the racks at cash registers. people fumbling for their money drop and don’t realize. On our best year we earned and extra $198.35 in findings.
Don’t have a blog but my best money saving tip is to save when I go traveling. Food and accommodation is usually a huge expense but I use social networking like Facebook to make many friends from all over the world. When I go traveling, I usually give them a buzz and see if I can bunk in with them. This helps me save lots on hotels. Of course, I also offer my home when they come visiting. In this way, everyone benefits and I save a great deal when I zoom around the world, as well as making lots of friends.
Another blog-less one. The best money-saving tip I’ve used this holiday has definitely been online price comparison. It’s amazing to see the sheer amount of websites dedicated to helping consumers find their favorite items for the lowest prices. This includes sites that offer coupon or promotion codes that easily take 10% or more off the purchase price or even free shipping. I can honestly say I’ve saved hundreds of dollars so far implementing this strategy for gifts and such.
The big tip I have is, if you have the room, have a shelf or a clset just for gift..or make a box and start shopping the day after Christmas with the sales…now some stuff you cannot get but you can get things to make baskets for teachers, etc. I have a list of what events are going on too so I know so and so is getting married, they will need a present for wedding and can make a neat basket of baking and fun stuff. I will not buy junk- period but have bought and made a CHristmas basket of fun stuff for family going to the beach over the holidays using items I got off summer clearance- stuff they may have forgotten about or not bought yet. I use coupons and creativity and buy a pasta dinner- like a huge pasta bowl, pata, sauce, dried cheeses, and wine and loaf of Itailian bread mix and a few wine glasses for a couple that have basically everything for a little night out ( can also put a homemade bread in there instead of fresh so it lasts longer and put some fancy napkins and other seasonings instead of the glasses..
I make family night packs with bowlsfor popcorn- sometimes painting the names on of each person and a month long or three month at blockbuster online..that and microwave popcorn and some koolaid or mixes make it a fun family night. Think ahead and save money. There are things and offers for free items or shipping only through the year- think about the holidays, and if you spread it out, you will not have to go into debt and you will have lots of fun. Homemade gifts are awesome, but sometimes some are just not talented – you could make homemade bronie mixes, etc, or you could just make a booklet of gift certificates..babysitting, call me and you have dinner made- give me 2 days advance, etc…laundry, housecleaning, gardening, you name it..raking the leaves..shoveling the snow…thinking ahead saving money..Hey how about walking the dog? Get creative! Use whatever you have and go from there!
Sorry, I don’t have a blog, but I have a money saving tip to share. I have three kids and each child get’s 3 gifts and a stocking for christmas. They get three because the wisemen brought 3 gifts for baby Jesus. I am finished shopping and it does not take long to shop when you are only buying 9 gifts.
Go to the dollar store and get empty baskets…You can make gift baskets on your own according to what the recipient would like (notepads, pens, cookies, etc.) You can do your own gift baskets for even under 5 bucks! That way the gift is not only pretty, it’s economical and practical and functional for the recipient. Plus, it’s fun to buy items you know what the person will like. Instead of them throwing out bodywashes and shampoos that cost you over 50 bucks.
I think over the years since being divorced the best way for me to save money on the holidays is to go hang with my parents. I work for the school district so when we have long breaks I go visit them. I am blessed enough that they don’t mind, it gives them time with the grandson. So I save on electricity, heating (they have a wood stove), and food. I know it is a tongue and cheek thing, but it saves me money and they love having us. I would however suggest a limited time, two weeks is the max for us.
My favorite Money-Saving Holiday Tip of all time was shared with me years ago during a holiday party, and I have used it and passed it along to others ever since.
The tip is how to serve amazing homemade gourmet coffee to your family, friends, co-workers and guests without the gourmet price.
Here’s how: go to your local warehouse grocery store and purchase a store brand container of plain ground coffee, or whatever brand happens to be least expensive that week.
To prepare the coffee, measure the grounds into the coffee filter. Now comes the good part: For Viennese coffee, sprinkle a dash of cinnamon onto the grounds, then brew as you normally would. For French vanilla coffee, measure an 1/8th teaspoon of vanilla extract over grounds and brew. For more variety, try rum extract, mint extract or almond extract. My favorite flavor combination is cinnamon-almond.
The flavors are sensational and are a hit with everyone. The best part is you can indulge in this treat all year long and save a small fortune, especially during the holidays!
Thanks to Nickelodeon and Eleven Moms for organizing this great contest! I can’t wait to read all the tips.
I make a lot of dinners and freeze them ahead of time. When we get busy with the holidays, it’s too easy to bypass dinner for quick or fast food. I’m saving money by making sure dinner is prepared.
(No blog entry) My best tip…the best way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it in your pocket.
I find that I am able to have more money for gifts if I don’t buy things I don’t need for myself. Instead of buying straws, I just drink right out of the glass. Instead of buying napkins, I just wash my hands and face.
My best tip to save money is vote all Republicans out of office!
Shop on black Friday
do not use credit cards to make your purchases.
Play games with $1 – 3 gifts for family. The idea of the holidays is to get together, not gifts!
Buy wrappin and ornaments at the after Christmas clearance sales.
The way I shop is to hit all the clearance sales all year long that I find and to check the clearance isle at walmart every time I go there ( which is weekly) By the time the holidays come around I have 95% of my shopping done. I also hit the after Christmas sale on decorations so I have more things the following year to add or switch out with something else.
The best advice I can give is to always make a list when grocery shopping, check coupons from the Sunday paper against sales in your local store. Shop at stores that offer double coupons and also use coupons.com because they often have free printable coupons you can use. I try to stay under $150 a week for a family of 7, which isn’t easy but if you are a savvy shopper it can be done. Buy generic too! It’s the same thing for a better price.
First I keep a Christmas cash stash all year in an envelope–I put a little in each pay check. I also keep an updated list of people I am going to buy for and when I see or hear of something I think they will like it goes on the list. I research prices all year (a little at a time) and look for sales/special offers–so I end up buying things through the year if I think I am getting a good deal.
Enter contest that are offering the gifts that you need as prizes.
Decide how much you can afford to spend and put that much in your wallet. Don’t use credit cards or write checks. This really makes you consider each purchase carefully.
My best money saving tip for the holidays is to shop throughout the year. I keep a list of people that we buy for with me in my purse. I buy only items that are either on sale or clearance and since I’m buying throughout the year and I’m usually done by September, there’s no bills to pay during the holidays.
Thanks for this wonderful giveaway.
Decorate with nature – pinecone ornaments, reindeer made from twigs, and homemade wreaths to name just a few.
I have a huge family, which includes 5 daughter in laws. All year long I collect up free samples of everything from pot holders to shampoo, perfumes and books. There are freebies all over the web and Walmart has several all the time. Then I make up baskets for them for Christmas. The girls just love getting their baskets since they never know what I’ve found over the year! Plus lots of these samples are really nice fragrances or hair care products that they couldn’t normally buy. When they get into them there is always much swapping , trading and bartering going on! Plus- its always fun to throw them a curve—like the newly wed who will get Luv samples this year! LOL
Thanks to Nickelodeon for all they do!
No blog either. My best money saving tip is to buy in the off-season, when prices are dramatically reduced. For example, go shopping for next December at after-Christmas sales in January. Go to winter sales in March. The price cuts are so great you’ll save a fortune.
I do a lot of shopping online, especially at sites that offer free shipping. Many times that will save you the tax and you avoid the hassles of crowded stores and impulse purchases. It helps to to keep an accurate list of what you want and when you purchase it.
My money saving tip is to make Christmas about family and togetherness and not about TOYS. My children get two gifts each that they want and then the money we save on Christmas we donate to a charity of their choice. This way they learn about giving and not just receiving on Christmas. Our children understand that they have a blessed life and that they need to help those less fortunate during the holidays. This makes for a less expensive Christmas and a learning experience on top of that. It also takes the stress out of Christmas and puts the focus back on family.
We’re saving money for the holidays by minimizing things we buy and maximizing celebrations with family and friends. We’re having simple gatherings to make decorations, to decorate, to sing carols; we’re having a progressive tree viewing…we’re making memories, which is more than a pile of presents can do.
1. We’re making some gifts this year.
2. We’ll start on next year’s Christmas the day after Christmas.
Hit the black Friday sales and the sales prior to them that offer black Friday prices.
Try to shop around to find the best prices on every item on your list and always look for coupons.
Whenever you are out shopping during the year, check the clearance and sales sections in the stores and if you see some really good deals, go ahead and buy gifts for the people on your list.
I used to shop year-round and would pick up great items on sale that could be used as gifts. By the time Christmas came around, I’d only need to pick up a few last minute items. Shopping sales helps you save lots of money.
Like many others, I shop after Christmas for next year for gifts as well as decorations and wrapping supplies. I make a gift list and shop sales for the wanted items.
I don’t have a blog either — I make gift tags and/or cards from the wrapping paper I’m using — it’s coordinated and cheaper. I also watch sales, use coupons, and don’t go overboard…being happy with simple makes it easy to be frugal.
every month our local drug stores offer great items that are free with rebate. they make great stocking stuffers.
No blog, I’m sorry, so here’s my comment:
Now that my family is all adults, we do the gift exchange part of Christmas 2 weeks later (mid-January). It removes some of the stress, lets us focus in family and having fun during the season, and we save a ton of money by being able to take advantage of after-holiday sales!
If you’re really on a tight budget, let your relatives have Christmas Day with the other side of the family and schedule your family celebration after Christmas when everything has been marked down. Not only will you be able to purchase things at a discount, you will get your Christmas bills a full month later than if you’d bought everything on Black Friday.
Use cash
If you have to shop at a mall, try to go mid-week. The crowds are much smaller, and you have a lot more time to compare prices between shops. If you have a phone with mobile internet, compare prices in the stores with those on-line while you are shopping.
Try to buy in bulk when I can, buy sale items, use coupons as much as possible!I also use enegy saver light bulbs throughout my home!
I always wait til after the holidays to stock up on things I will use next year like wrapping paper, plates, napkins, Decor. This stuff is always marked down up to 90%. Saves me a lot of money and stress for next season.
I don’t have a blog, so here is my best money saving tip/contest entry. Relative to the holiday season, which we’re now in, in full swing, my tip is simple: only give away what you can make!
You don’t have to be talented – I’m not. I used to be able to crochet, so I would make people scarves…but now I’ve forgotten how. ;-( Nonetheless, as untalented as I am, I can make pumpkin bread in a little disposable foil tin (or banana bread) – people appreciate it and it’s easy to make. You can make homemade ice cream, or hats/scarves, or simple earrings…think of what you can do and make a few different gifts in different colors and/or flavors. Inexpensive, thoughtful, and simple – will save you money and keep you debt-free while allowing you to give everyone gifts.
Don’t eat take out…it’s the biggest expenditure!
This year, in January we looked at how much we had spent and we really analyzed it – how could we have spent less on gifts, food, entertaining, all of it. We set ourselves a reasonable budget (about 40% than we spent last year – we went way overboard without realizing it) and divided it by 10 – we could have saved it in cash, which was the original plan, but we ended up putting it into Smarty Pig – it was painless, the money just went into our account every month and we earned a great interest rate. And cashing out you can get a bonus if you cash out with a gift card to a particular store.
We are keeping all of our holiday spending within what we decided last year would be reasonable, so we know what we are spending and we aren’t going over. And we earned “extra” money by saving it smartly.
Get ordinary mats for friends and families homes. Using stencils and spray paint, paint each of their last names on the mats. This will be a gift they love but affordable now that economy is so bad.
Online price shop, look for coupons online! Watch the sale ads and plan your travel route when shopping so you don’t waste gas running around!
if you don’t spend your money there’s a good chance you’ll save some of it
Know the difference between a “want” and a “need”. That will save you a ton of money.
wait for sales , and if they never come you still save.
i am clearing out rooms and closets of items that we no longer use or that don’t fit but that are still in good condition. I am selling these on EBAY to raise extra cash. so I will have more space while recycleing iitems and making money a real win-win
You can purchase nice items from the dollar stores and make up nice gift baskets. you can do a girls gift basket of lip gloss, hair things, nail polish, and bath items. You could do a kids craft basket of construction paper, glue sticks, crayons, markers, and scissors. You could do a basket up with kids books, puzzle, and maybe a stuffed animal to go in it.
make a list of what you need and stick to it
Since I can’t afford the BIG items, I shop the housewares and storage aisles of the main and outlet stores. There are many useful gift items to be found here.
Barter services instead of gifts, spend one on one time with family and friends.
It’s easy:
1)Take credit cards out of wallet.
2)Go to the bank.
3)Get your weekly cash IN SMALL BILLS (1′s, 5′s) and ROLLS of quarters.
I guarantee you that when you have to start peeling out STACKS of green money cash to buy groceries, and lug two pounds of quarters to get your latte, you will buy less and think more.
Lynn
walmart 1
shop the sales
I save all my bonus points from my credit card and use it to buy gift cards christmas presents at the end of the year.
Consider becoming a vegetarian family (consult your health professional first). It’s a healthful life style and grocery shopping is much less expensive. Check vegetarian cookbooks out of the library to add new dishes to daily meals.
Thanks for the contest. Best wishes for happy holidays!
Get a shopping group that finds the best deals.
I shop at one store for all of the groups needs at that store and you shop for me and the rest of the group shop for the other stores. You take your cell phone and communicate with each other to get everything the group wants.
My group is my family with 3 different cars and a flexible shopping plan. If i get done with my first store I see what store I could take from another family member.
No need to run over all the place and waste time. Together we can save a lots of money and time.
My best money saving tip is to never buy things on credit. We start early in the year to buy gifts for the family getting the best possible deals so that by Christmas it is not a burden and we can relax and enjoy Christmas!!!
cjnedrow@gmail.com
stay home and pay your bills first
I don’t have a blog as well but I do love to save money!
My son and I make little scrapbooks with photos, drawings, etc. for his friends, teachers or family members-sort of a “year in review” and “my favorite times with you” gift.
Save money by starting early and jumping on sales as soon as they arise throughout the year. By the time Christmas comes, you’ll already be set!
To save money, we draw names with other family members for the larger gifts and put a cost limit on the smaller gifts.
Shopping throughout the year is definitely a good strategy and also the day before Thanksgiving. Most retailer have collected all the clearance items in localized places throughout the stores and have them marked up to 90% off.
I compare the price of the item I want to different stores around here. Usually the PX on post (the PX is like a huge WalMart for us Military folks) has the lowest prices, plus no tax! So I shop around for a while & then make my decision on where to buy.
This year I am not going to go ‘hog wild’ I am setting up a list and a budget and sticking to it. My old habit used to be, “I have to get one last thing, one last thing.” And I would just keep shopping. This year I am cutting way back.
Well, I’m not going to lie. I love to bargain shop! It is very unlikely that I will buy something if is not on sale or can’t get it at a discounted price with a coupon. Also, even if I’m into fashion… I refuse to spend more than $15 on a shirt. However, I rather buy my clothes from yard sales or thrift stores since you can still buy name brand things just like new without the big price tag. :)
lilacbutterfly [at] earthlink.net
I don’t have a blog. Each year I look for freebies on the internet and send for them. When received I put in a box in my closet. I use them to fill stockings for my 2 grown girls who still want one each year. The leftovers go to the local women’s shelter and some of the lotions go to a friend’s mom who is elderly with little money and loves lotions but cannot afford them.The samples are perfect for her. I shop all year for Christmas gifts and am through for the year as of now. Will start again after Christmas.
I watch the kids school scholastic book orders. You can usually get books cheaper than at the store and my kids love to read. This year I was able to purchase 8 books for $16 instead of Walmart being $32 or more.
Exchange names for the adults, everyone will receive a gift and you don’t have to buy for everyone in the whole family. Put a dollar amount on the gifts that you exchange.
I buy all my gifts on Black Friday. It saves a ton.
Set limits…Pay Cash…Shop sales
This one is my favorite. You know those huge crowds of people that shop beginning on Black Friday and pretty much every day after …Well, I have learned that most of those great bargains are also available on the company’s website. This time of year, many of them offer free shipping. Plus, if you do a search for coupon codes and / or promotional codes, you will find that a huge number of retailers have hidden offers where you can receive additional discounts on top of these “doorbuster” savings without leaving the comfort and warmth of home. Some of these discount codes are pretty significant!
ems gearbucks card sale
No blog here either…
Our biggest money saver this year is that we are, for the first time, drawing names for the adults in the family with a $25 dollar limit. So now instead of buying gifts for 5, I will buy a gift for one person.
Thanks to Nickelodeon for Sponsoring this giveaway! I make my own gift tags by recycling old christmas cards. Just cut out the pretties part of the card, punch a hole in a corner using a hole punch and string a thin piece of ribbon through it. Wahla, a tag!
watch out for sales and ads and shop at that time. go to places like: walmart, target and big lots. you really can save alot. who know you just might be able to get the majority of your list done.
Take out those holiday candles that never get used and turn off the lights.
use trash bags for bigger bulky items. can be used as bags with bows or turned up side down over some thing. green or white bags work the best fitting in.
I shop all year long. That way I find great bargains and I’m not hit with a big list at the end of the year.
I shop all year long and look for sales.
When shopping for meat, only buy at good sales prices. For example, if you make a roast every two weeks, buy enough when they go on sale to last for 3 months, which is usually when they will go on sale again. Do this with all the cuts of meat you normally eat and you will save tons of money each year.
I like to shoop at Walmart and use coupons. Walmart is a great place to shop as they match other sale ads. Thank you!
tatertot374@sbcglobal.net
I don’t have a blog, but what I do is watch the bargain-hunting sites throughout the year and find the key items that the kids want when they’re at their best prices. For some big-ticket items, I use Craigslist to find used but like-new items (both daughters are getting Nintendo DS Lites – to get two consoles and 8 games I spent as much as one new, and they’re not going to care that they aren’t ‘new in box’).
My money saving tip is to search google or yahoo for coupon codes. I found a free shipping and 30% off your entire order for kohls. Now combine that with clearance prices and you have a merry christmas!
I love making gifts. As soon as the weather starts to turn cooler, I get inspired to start sewing, knitting, baking, painting and crafting.
For inexpensive ornaments, buy a spool of wired ribbon and make your own bows. Cheap and pretty.
Comparison shop for everything and price match with a discount whenever possible. Thank you!
One great tip I have is to be organized about what you DO have, and avoid buying double of things. Keep the pantry and under-the-sinks tidy so you always know what food and supplies you have–then you won’t waste money buying more than you need.
I don’t have a blog. Save money on wrapping paper and gift boxes. Instead of buying gift boxes, use the boxes you receive samples in (WalMart sample boxes are great for this) or boxes that products you buy come in. To save money on wrapping paper, and to save paper, use paper grocery bags and wrap the gift in it, print side in, then use stamps or stickers to decorate the paper. After you are done with the unwrapping, recycle the paper.
I pick up items all year – If I see it’s on sale or a good price, I buy it and save it for Christmas or birthdays. I also buy stuff as I travel
I shop online using discount codes and free shipping codes (and sometimes they even gift wrap for free). That way I am not wasting time and gas money running around looking for the best deal and then standing in line to ship the presents. Plus I don’t impulse shop so I save a bundle shopping online.
I always shop the day after Christmas for decorations on clearance. Last year I bought wreaths and ribbon so I could hang wreaths from all my windows this year.
I put the cash that I want to spend on each friend/family member into separate envelopes with their names on it. As I purchase gifts for that person, the money to pay comes from the envelope with their name on it, and the change goes back in. The item and amount spent is noted on the front with a running total spent.
I garage sale all summer long and find great buys for pennies. I buy only new items. Some have been handbags, a wine tote that a bride had recieved and diodn’t want(worth $60 and buught for $4), stuffed animals with price tags still on them, a set of 12 hand painted wine glasses still in the box and numerous pieces of jewelry. I say ‘seek and ye shall find”
This past year I started saving up all my money from doing online paid surveys and point opportunities etc and I’m using that money and the giftcards and THATS IT to pay for my daughter and sons Christmas presents! It may just be a dollar here or there, but it does add up!!
To save time & $$$ wrap A present in a present (for example, a hat in a matching scarf, jewelry in a wooden box, cookies in a reusable tin or cookie jar, barbecue grill utensils or picnic supplies in a tablecloth, kitchen gifts in towels or all-purpose cloths). ;)
mamamy26@gmail.com
What we do to save money each Christmas is to do a large Secret Santa with just the adults in the family. We set aside a budget for what we will spend on the kids and then instead of buying seperate gifts for each of our sisters, brothers, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. we do a large Seceret Santa where everyone pulls a name (out of a hat or bowl, whatever) and each person has a budget of 20 bucks for the family member you get. Its simple and can work for familes with relatives close by or on the other side of the country. Its more personal, meaningful, fun and not to mention CHEAPER!! :)
Make a homemade personal gift instead of buy one at the store. You may have material in the house to make that personal gift.
We try to save money by giving folks gifts that they actually need so they can save money in their day to day routine, and we spend a lot of time playing board games over the holiday and enjoying each other rather than enjoying stuff we don’t need. We are much more about the memories than the merchandise!
My best tip is to take advantage of Walmart’s price matching policy. If a competitor advertises a lower price on the same product, Walmart will match the price! Go through the weekly newspaper ads for competitors advertisements. Bring them to Walmart and you’ll get even lower prices!
Use your credit card, just don’t overspend. Set it up to automatically withdraw from your bank account every month, so you don’t need to worry about late payments. We get 5% cah back on gas, 2% on travel and dining, and 1% on everything else. Trust me, it adds up.
My best tip is shopping for holiday decorations AFTER Christmas is over! In the past I have gotten expensive and gorgeous items for up to 80% off. I hit every big store early the day after that carries decorations (Home Depot, Wal Mart, Target, etc) and buy them up. I have reuseable crates downstairs and there they sit until after Thanksgiving. It’s all brand new and I save alot of money this way! I also do that with gifts by shopping year round! It doesn’t have to be bought during the Christmas rush to be a great gift!
My tip for saving on decoartaions is to buy them AFTER the holidays and save a TON. For prsents, Secret Santa is always a good idea.
eddiem1.1@dslextreme.com
I’ve blogged about this great contest, with my money-saving tip!
Yeah for nickelodeon! My nephews love it. My money saving tip is a gift idea. I made one for my college daughter this afternoon. I bought a $5.oo wreath from Dollar General. I then got a box from the garage of small trinkets that she used to display on a shelf in her bedroom when she lived at home. They each represent a special memory from her high school years. I wired the items to the wreath with floral wire and voila! A personalized gift for a very small amount of cash!!!
I only buy clothes at discount stores. The deals that are to be had at places at TJ MAXX and Marshalls are huge! You can get many of the same styles that are in department stores for a fraction of the price!
We take out “fun” money at the beginning of the month. This covers all of our personal expenses, eating out, etc. When it’s gone, it’s gone!
LEAVE THE PLASTIC AT HOME!
I only buy clothes at discount stores.
No blog here. My best money saving tip is to look at every purchase for our household as a need or a want. Food – I need it and buy it. A DVD – I only wanted it so it went back on the shelf. The electric bill – I need electricity. The cable bill – I don’t need cable to survive so it got cancelled. You can really get back to basics and save a lot of money with this mindset.
We have a large family, so acquiring a paper shredder was a good investment.It is a heavy duty shredder that I use very regularly.( I bought it a doctors office that was closing down for $10!) I shred just about everything–including torn up pieces of wrapping paper, old school papers,flyers,mail,etc. & use it for packing instead of tissue paper. Its free,reusuable,good for the environment, and often enough comes out to be pretty colorful!
We have converted to the LED lights. They may cost more at first, but they are more economical and energy preserving in the long run for the many Christmases to come.
Here’s my tip: I carefully open any envelope that is a but larger with no writing on the back. I use them to write my shopping lists on (which I compile when comparing ads and prices vs. what need – I am true to NO store). Then I put any coupons or store match ads inside the envelope so that I have everything in one place. I shop using the list so I don’t stray and spend more than I should. I have the coupons at the ready for an easy check-out and then I put the cash register receipt inside the envelope so when I get home I can see how much I saved. I was out of work for 3 years and now am barely making ends meet. This strategy really works, makes shopping more efficient and helps stop any time wasting. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Buy hardback books at “friend of the library” sales to use as gifts.
Take advantage of clearance sales all year long and be done with your Christmas shopping early.
Take only cash when you shop, and never rely on credit cards to provide Christmas. I’ve provided lovely Christmases year after year on a shoestring budget for my children. (It is amazing how many “new” items show up at thrift stores and I look for those. I also shop at dollar stores, where there are sometimes name brand items that originally sold for $15 to $39 that I’ve puchased, and I always look for the clearance racks and shelves first before proceeding to the rest of the store for shopping.)
Know your prices…these stores who you think have a sale are actually higher sometimes than the actual regular price at a wholesale place.
I also look for pennies on the ground..it’s a game for me and my mother-in-law.
Comparison shop, comparison shop, comparison shop! Research online for the best price as well as for discount codes. You will throw money down the drain by paying more than you need to. (And only buy after determining that it’s a need or a want that you can immediately pay for!)
I shop Ebay for slightly used games or gaming systems.
Instead of greeting cards send postcards. They are very inexpensive and are less to send also. Plus, you can buy blank postcards and put your own design on them to personalize them. Money-saving and unique.
When shopping online, always open a new window and search for coupon codes before checking out. Most times I find a code that saves lots of money for very little effort! Thanks for a great contest!
dont have a boyfriend
I like to bake homemade gift items for my friends. It lets me enjoy baking without eating it all ourselves & it saves money.
I SHOP FOR STUFF DURING THE YEAR! THEN AFTER CHRISTMAS I GET STUFF THAT IS MARKED DOWN AND SAVE IT FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS
Thanks to you and Nickelodeon for offering this great giveaway.
We draw names for gift giving in our big family at Christmas. We each draw one name and buy that person a gift. We set a limit on spending. We all save a lot of money this way. Everybody gets a gift and none of us go broke this way. We have a lot of fun.
Use a brick in the back of toilet to conserve water and save on your water bill. Also flushing less will help in addition
Start your Christmas shopping on December 26. Decorations, paper, cards, etc. go on clearance then. In the spring, when winter clothing goes on clearance, buy some for gifts for Christmas — just remember where you store the stuff. Garage sales can even be a treasure of items for gifts. You’d be amazed how many new in box items you can find — still shrink wrapped. Watch for clearance sales through the year, and by Christmas you’ll be ready and your shopping will be done — and for a fraction of what others will spend. One year I bought gifts for 9 family members for $50. No one had any idea I spent that little — original retail price would have been several hundred dollars!
Sorry I don’t have a blog, but I love reading all of your great tips.
We love to give homemade baked good, jams and snacks. We also make a lot of ornaments. Our friends really appreciate all of our gifts that are made by us.
My best money saving tip is to shop bargain stores like Ross,Marshalls and Big Lots.
Dust off the Sams Club, Costco or BJ’s membership card for this tip! One of my favorite kill two birds with one stone holiday tip is to spend one Sunday doing a large batch of baking to use as holiday gifts as well as desert for your own table for the holidays. Buying the items in bulk saves money! You can also find holiday gift bags at the .99 cents store that is not expensive to use to present your baked gifts. or if you prefer, shop flea markets for pretty baskets. Just make sure to get any allergy information from the folks you plan to make baked gifts for. While your best friend may not have an allergy, her husband or children might so just be sure to account for everyone if you are making baked goods for gifts.
Have a plan and a budget. Know what you are going to buy each person on your list and stick to it. That way you won’t have any unpleasant surprises when the credit card bills come due. And even better, don’t use a credit card!
thanks
We drew names to exchange gifts!
Keep plugged in decorations in mind when contemplating your electric bill. Unplug Christmas lights and decorations (and for that matter, other applicances, etc.) when not in use. So much unused and wasted energy continues to go through those plugs, even when they are in the ‘off’ position, which is a drain on the environment AND on your electricity bill. The US Dept of Energy says that not only do appliances continue to draw electricity while the products are turned off, but in the average home nearly 75% of all electricty used to power electronics is consumed by products that are switched off. Unplugging unused appliances will become a good and easy money-saving habit once you do it enough!
No blog. The best money saving tip I have is to not spend money. This involves conscious choice and intention to do something different than shop or spend. It’s harder and doesn’t seem as creative as other money saving tips – but it has an immediate impact.
I shop for the gifts I need to buy all year long. I also make homemade gifts for alot people.
I do a lot of my shopping online, which saves on gas and crowds, but the shipping can be a large expense if you are not careful. The best thing I have found is with Amazon.com if you join their Amazon Prime, for $9.99 a month (which can be cancelled at any time, and they give a free 2 week trial) they will ship anything you order with 2 day shipping at no charge. A major site like Amazon has so many options for presents, that you can do the majority of your shopping and save big bucks on shipping.
I shop from a list and try to avoid spur of the moment purchases. I also try to use coupons.
I’m lucky number 13! Woo!
Gift cards make the best presents and save a lot of money. You get to spend a predetermined amount and you don’t have to worry about taxes because they usually just come flat amounts. Also, you don’t have to worry about wrapping paper and tape, you can just put it in a card (which most come with). Plus the person gets what they want.
To save money during the holidays, I make cookie and candy trays. We make them for teachers, family and friends. Some people know to expect them and are overjoyed when they arrive.
I can think of many money saving tips but I will limit them. The first is if you have children let them draw pictures and frame them in cheap frames. My little girl’s grandparents love receiving her “artwork”. It isn’t pages from a coloring book that we put in cheap frames but drawings on white paper or construction paper or matte board.
Another money saving tip is related to food. I know I spend alot more during this time of year on food so I really keep my eyes open for coupons.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Shop between midnight and 4AM.
I don’t have a blog either. Thank you Nickelodean for donating the gift card!
My money saving tip is to ask the kids what they want for Christmas and then try to make it for them. My daughter & nieces have asked for certain recipes of mine so I am making all 3 of them a homemade recipe notebook that they will be able to add to. It is actually pretty challenging as one of my nieces is a vegetarian!
Thank you Nickelodean for donating the gift card!
My money saving tip is to use the internet to your advantage. Shop around for the best price. Many times I will go to a store and find a “big sale” item, check online and see it’s cheaper there. Don’t buy until you do research!
The best way to save money during the holidays is to pare down your list of gift recipients and give handmade gifts whenever you can (it’s especially nice when the gift is from a child)
no blog, my best tip is haggle wherever you go, even food stores, you’d be surprise at what you can save by arguing for a better price
My best money saving tip is to share clothes with friends. Currently at church we have a 6 family circle of boys that pass clothes to one another. Not all of the clothes make it through, but it is so nice not to have to buy new jeans every single growth spurt! We even pass around good deals or great articles and opportunities (like this contest – very cool that you and Nick are doing this!)
The best thing to do is make a budget and stick to it, remembering that the amount you sped on someone does not mean that you love them more or less.
We save money by shopping at consignment stores and garage sales for Christmas toys for the kids.
I don’t have a blog but I read 20 blogs faithfully and this has really saved me money using coupons listed on these blogs plus I have learned where to save and where to spend. I wish I had started this when my kids were small. My biggest thing was letting go of being brand loyal and buying the best deals I could find with coupons. My grocary bill alone has dropped from 500.00 a month to just over 200.
I buy all of my gift wrap, decorations, and Christmas cards at the after Christmas sales. I am also able to pick up (non-perishable) Christmas themed gifts for a fraction of the cost.
Working on a blog. Best tip: Empty your wallet and take some money and only one credit card!
SPEND WISELY.
I’m not a blogger, but I do like to read them :)
My best money saving tip is to get your food and drinks from home. Limit eating out to once a week or special occaisions. Instead of going out to lunch, pack a lunch from home and use reusable containers instead of disposable, and make your own coffee in the morning instead of hitting starbucks or mc donald’s. Pack a thermos full of water to work so you don’t need to stop by the soda/water vending machines, and do the same for your kids’ school lunches. You can save a lot of money just by preparing your own foods and drinks at home in advance, instead of buying them from a restaurant or vending machine.
A good way that we can limit our funds on gifts for family and friends is we get out the calendar and we jot down a night that’s good for both of us.
I invite them over for a yummy dinner and dessert.
There are 5 in my house here so cooking for a couple extra mouths really isn’t much considering we usually have leftovers that I freeze for quick lunches or dinners.
We not only get to save some money on gifts, but in the end it’s priceless because we get to spend some quality time with them.
To us, that’s the gift that keeps on giving.
I get things all year and stash them in a closet or storeroom. You can get all sorts of good, and new!, things on freecycle.com and garage sales. I have a stack of brand new things from freecycle that I have collected this year. Most of my shopping! All free.
Lynnae, here’s my posting link for the contest!
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/iLoveHomeschooling/626850/
Tip for saving $ a day: instead of buying Christmas Greens and Berries, we have been going to the backyard and local parks and collecting greens there. With a little ingenuity and willingness to try something new we have made our own wreaths and door swags. What would have cost over $50 only costs pennies for the floral wire and ribbon. Plus, I think they look just as good!
Tip for saving $ — on special occasions when we want to go to a restaurant we go out for lunch instead of dinner. The meals are just as delicious but they cost a lot less!
Thanks for the give-away. I’ve got my fingers crossed!
Tip for saving a $ a day: We use “Brown Paper Packaging tied up with String” for our holiday wrapping. I buy the postal shipping paper instead of holiday wrapping paper and then decorate them with an assortment of items… Pine Cones, holly greens, Holiday stickers, even hand drawn notes! We’ve been doing this for about five years now and I think it’s so much more fun than regular wrapping paper. Very personalized and MUCH less expensive. It’ll save more than a dollar!
I always do research before I buy anything to make sure I’m getting the best price.
I have started making homemade gifts for Christmas. I bake cookies and make homemade candies and put them in gift boxes from the dollar store. I also will give paintings and drawings as gifts. People appreciate the effort of a gift you have made yourself.
Buy your Christmas decorations all throughout the year, not just after Thanksgiving. After Christmas is usually the best time and Estate Sales are great places to find stuff too.
No blog…working on it! My tip…We save money by giving photo gifts. You can often find GREAT deals, especially for new customers, on photo websites. For example, I purchased the free Oprah photo book from snapfish and I’m VERY happy with it. My mother in law is SURE to cry when she sees pictures of her three year old grandson in a photo story book. I also took advantage of Vista Prints free photo calendar for my mom – for an uploading fee of $4.95 – great deal. A few websites to check out are vistaprint.com, snapfish.com, shutterfly.com, kodakgallery.com, walgreens.com…just to get started. I know Walmart had a free photo book a few weeks ago too. The key is to check often for the new promotions and offers to new customers – they make GREAT, meaningful gifts for a low low price. Just make sure to allow for processing and shipping time when ordering. I haven’t found a gift a grandparent loves better!! And I get a bargain at the same time… :) MUCH cheaper than a new purse or perfume and sure to be a bigger hit!
We LOVE Nickolodeon…having a three year old it’s fun to watch shows and remember the shows I loved growing up as well…
Just go to the Nickelodeon website (Nickelodeon.com), and click on the “shop” link, and connect to the hottest toys for your kids this Christmas, with savings up to 15% in their outlet shop.
We keep our eyes open all year long for deals on gifts, not just in December. It helps to spread out the spending and the credit card bills!
I had left my link on Mr. Linky but here it is again.
http://grasshoppersnbutterflies.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/11/500-walmart-gift-card-contest.html
Looks like Mr. Linky isn’t up yet but I blogged about it here: simplyscrapstampsing.blogspot.com/2008/12/cowboys-wife-beingfrugal.html
Hopefully I did it all right! Thanks!
oops, here’s the correct link: http://simplyscrapstampsing.blogspot.com/2008/12/cowboys-wife-beingfrugal.html
sorry and thanks again!
my best money saving tip is to watch the grocery sale adds and stock up when items are on sale. i will buy enough canned goods to last until the next sale etc.
My very best money-saving tip for the holidays is simple: Buy anything you can the week after Christmas, when it’s up to 90 percent off–not only decorations for your own home but also wrapping items and gifts for others–to use for next Christmas! You may have a little less to choose from, but the amount of money you can save is amazing!
Thanks to you and Nickelodeon for such a great contest, and Happy Holidays to all!
cherise420[at]yahoo[dot]com
I keep all of the appliances unplugged unless I am using them, except for the items that need to be plugged in at all times in order to operate properly. It all adds up while saving energy also.
My bigest money saving tip is shop all the clearance throughout the year. And dont forget the thrift shops they have great finds there. Be sure to have your lights on timers and your heat at 65
Turn something you don’t use anymore into something special for someone else. Example : take an old pair of faded jeans and make a pillow or a purse.
First of all, I would like to give thanks to eleven moms, nickalodeon and Wal-Mart for such an opportunity during hard economic time for many of us, you are much appreciated!
After thinking of my best deal, here is what I have come up with:
During the holiday season, I take my children’s old toys and clothes to the 2nd hand store, sell what I can and drop the rest of at goodwill. The amount of money that I make ranges from $50 – $150 since my kids are young (2 and 3) their clothes are normally in great need. With that money I take it to the Black Friday sale after reviewing and comparing the night before to get the most for my money. I am happy to say that my children’s Christmas is finished thanks to the money received by selling my children’s clothes and toys but I also had my husband’s yearly raise last year put into a Christmas account provided through his work which accumulated over $1000 in 9 months!!! We never missed the money b/c we never got the money until we withdrew the funds last month. I also make sure to get a receipt from the goodwill after dropping of items which turns into cash at the end of the year after you claim it on your taxes as a charitable contribution. I hope these tips help other and prove to be a blessing as it has for our family!
My best money saving tip is to use reward programs from your credit card company to pay for Christmas presents. Every 2 years we cash in our reward points and it’s usually enough to pay for the majority of our gifts. This year we got $600 in Amazon and Target gift cards. It’s a good thing too as money is super tight this year. Just make sure to not pay late and pay your bill in full each month or it isn’t really free money.
I blogged here:
http://www.clarke-family.net/brittany/wowzers
keep an eye out for sales and ads and shop at that time. go to places like: walmart, target, and big lots. you can really save alot and who knows, you might end up getting the majority of your list done.
Coupons…More COUPONS…Then I try to match them up with local sales flyers to maximize my savings. It really does work to help save money in the long run!
I shop throughout the year putting stuff away under the bed to use for holidays as they come. I also enter lots of sweepstakes and giveaways and us my winnings as gifts as well. I also use coupons throughout the year and take my “amount saved” and place it in the bank… you would be surprised how quickly that can add up
Eat more meals at home and split meals when going out to eat.
Make a list of potential gifts and recipients in January, then shop clearances/sales throughout the year. This also gives you lots of time to complete those special handmade gifts too. Just be sure to keep notes of gifts you’ve purchased and/or made and where you’ve stashed them (don’t ask how I know!). Merry Christmas!
Here’s my tip for saving money- getting/buying discounted gift cards online/stores (sometimes we can actually coupons for getting x% off of the total amt) for shops I usually go to and then use manufacturers/store coupons-so we end up paying way less (discounted gift card plus store coupons)
Rebate and coupon all year long for free products. Make up gift baskets using leftover jelly jars filled with something you bought in bulk like hot chocolate, candy etc. DEcorate with last years holiday decoration,s ribbons, bows etc.
I blogged! http://myfrugalfinds.blogspot.com/2008/12/enter-contest-to-win-50000-giftcard-to.html
I don’t have a blog either.
My best money-saving hint for a gift is to cover a box or jar with Christmas paper & put slips of paper in it that say “I love you because…” and then have your kids fill out reasons. Also slips that say I appreciate you because you…”
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, babysitters, brothers & sisters, moms & dads, godparents – just about EVERYONE loves to get these almost free gifts. All it takes is a little paper & a little thought.
No blog but enjoy everyone elses.
We save money by making cookies and candy. The boys make wrappings for them using brown bags stamped with a Christmas theme.
(Sorry, I don’t have a blog or website.)Do acts of kindness for others in the name of the person you would normally give a gift to. These acts don’t have to cost anything or you can set a small limit. i.e. shoveling someone’s walk, offering to do a shut-in’s grocery shopping, spending time with someone who may be lonely. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Little ones can do age-appropriate things, too. The ideas are endless.
Then write down what you did and place it in a little gift box and put that under the tree for each other to open. Make it a contest to see how many gift boxes you can put under the tree. Spend the time on Christmas morning opening up the boxes and reading about the good things that were done in everyone’s name. A regular gift pales in comparison.
I always do my holiday shopping with eBates.com. This site links to over 900 merchants and offers cash back for my purchases. Every few months I receive a check! Around the holidays most stores offer free shipping and some don’t charge tax! Plus, I save time, gas, and the headache of dealing with mall parking and long lines. I also refer my friends and family to help them save money- and by doing so, eBates gives a credit to both of us! Can’t beat that!
Drawing names is the best way to go to save. The adults draw names and the kids draw names. For dinner everyone brings a covered dish and it takes alot of pressure off the worries of getting in debt over the Holidays.One year we made gifts for each other it was surpriseing to see how much talent everyone had in the family.
do a google search for “coupons off” – lots of sites have coupons for percentages off or free shipping that won’t be listed on the site itself – check out several different sites.
I would look around and see what gift cards I had and use them or trade them for ones I could give to someone. You could also buy something with the cards you have and buy gifts for others. Just try to use up what you have and still get wonderful presents to give.
Use coupons.
My secret money saving tips at walmart:
1) Using the walmart discount card. Employees at walmart can get these and they add up to quite some savings! I’ve saved over $50 dollars (guesstimate) in ~ 3 months.
2) checking walmart prices online to prices I’ve seen in other stores before taking the final plunge.
I don`t have a blog but my monay saving tip is simple!People can draw names this saves on a lotsss of money just get one really good gift instead of a lots of cheapies!
shop online
My tip is to always shop post holidays for the next year. You can buy items for next to nothing and the next year no one knows any difference! The best holiday to do this Christmas because you can buy gift items for huge discounts. I like to stock up my “gift closet” so I never have to buy last minute gifts that can cost a lot of money! We also buy our Christmas cards after Christmas for the next year because cards can get very expensive (especially when you add the postage)!
I have a few tips, but the best one for me is to plan a menu and make a shopping list of items you will need for that menu. Go to the grocery store with only those items on the list and take only cash. If you stick to your list and only have cash you will not spend more than you planned and eating at home is way cheaper than eating out. I never buy my house care products at the grocery store. I buy them through Melaleuca which saves me money, not only on the safer products, but also on the gas to get to the store which for me is 45 minutes away. I let UPS buy the gas.
Emily
Give your time instead of things this year!! Whatever you do well offer that as a service to others…you have seen the “coupon books” that children do…adults can do them as well!! Offer babysitting service, housecleaning, haircuts, fresh baked loaf of bread…you get the picture!! No money, just time–really which one would you prefer!!
I don’t have a blog. My best budgeting trick has been to learn to think ahead. I look at my budget a year at a time and try to foresee all expected or probable expenses and plug them into my budget. If they are large or many in one month, I plan ahead by pushing a little money even a very little into that category in my budget until I have enough. Then at the end of every month, I make up my budget for the next month and again try to foresee any possibly expenses. Sometimes I have to choose which are most critical and put the most urgent ahead of others but I keep both in my budget and shift the money as needed. Hope that makes sense. This one concept of planning ahead has helped us more than any other money strategy.
No blog for me. My best tip is to reuse gift bags from year to year. My MIL gives us lots each year – I keep and then use them the next year for other people. Saves on buying wrapping paper and on time to wrap.
I think my best tip is to have goals set up for the New Year. Goals that are Spiritual, Physical & Financial. Have ones that are attainable and ones that take some work to achieve them. Post them and mark them off. And then most important give them to the Lord and lets see what great things He has in store for us.
Blessings, Monica M. ;)
Also do not have a blog, but enjoy reading everyone else’s tips! The way I’ve saved money this year on Christmas is by doing a lot of online shopping. I save the tax (often) and always get free shipping. I’m also a believer in My Points.com. I shop through their links to get extra bonus points and collect all my points to “purchase” gift cards as christmas gifts. The cost to me is zero!! My favorite gift I’m giving this year is for the teenagers in our family, I purchased electronic coin counting jars and plan on giving them $20 in coins to get started. This way they are getting the gift of cash, which is what they requested, and also a gift to encouraging saving all their change and watch it grow!!!! Merry Christmas!
I do not have a public blog. However, DH and I hit the vending machines all the time, so we starting get bulk items we love and hiding them in a drawer at work. We save so much money by doing this.
My hubby loves the expensive cranberry juice. I discovered Ocean Spray cranberries reducedfor quicksale at our local Big Lots for a mere 13cents per can. I mix in blender with 2 cans of water and add in with the expensive bottled juice when bottle is about half full. He never knows and if you do this daily will amount to quite a bit of savings over the year.
I have a very large extended family that gets together for Christmas dinner. One way we share the workload and the cost is by dividing up the cooking responsibilities and then bringing it all together. Everyone gets to prepare their “speciality” and no one slaves away in the kitchen doing the whole thing.
My #1 holiday tip would be start Christmas shopping for next year the day after Christmas. Most of all the gifts I have to give this Christmas was bought at very low cost December 26 last year.
I try to find most of my gifts throughout the year by watching for great sales and clearance items. You would be surprised by how much can accumulate! Thanks!
Before buying online I google the store I am going to buy from looking for discount codes for savings on my pruchases or free shipping. This effort has saved me money several times.
I don’t have a blog. Here is to Nickelodeon an extraordinary company sponsoring this great Holiday Money-Saving Tip contest. Thank you!!
My money saving tip is quite simple. Whenever you buy ANYTHING ask three questions.
1. Can I afford this
2. Will I actually use this
3. Why am I buying this
This usually cuts my shopping list in half every time.
Try to make the holiday about spending time with family and friends and not about buying gifts.
I’m doing various homemade gifts this year for my kids to round off the shopping lists. My projects will be a corn meal sandbox, I-Spy jar, and a felt board.
This year I’m wrapping all the presents in the Comics section of the newspaper. I might use ribbon or I might make bows from magazines..haven’t decided. No time or money spent on shopping for something that is ripped up and shoved in the trash. It will be recycled instead. I think it will look nice under my tree of hodge podge ornaments collected on trips or made by my kids throughout the years.
Don’t use credit cards.
Use receipe sites to make your own baking mix gifts, and baking mixes for your own use like bisquick subsitute.
I saved a TON of money this year by purchasing two bundles of greenery at our local petting zoo where they sell Christmas trees. I cut the greens apart and scattered the branches all over my house–on shelves, tabletops, the mantle, and on the ledge of our transom windows. Two bundles cost me $12 and decorated my entire house. Plus, the money I spent served as a donation to the petting zoo, so it went twice as far!
No blog, sorry.
Thanks to Nickelodeon and to you for sponsoring this $500 gift card contest! It sure couldn’t come at a better time.
I make a coupon book for the teenager in the family with his favorite meals, treats and requests. Almost all are basically free in the sense that most food items are made from standard pantry or freezer items, and would have been made sometime during the year anyway. But with the coupon book, he gets the power of being able to control when they happen. Also, he is required to work three hours (for pay) each weekend on home, yard or car maintenance projects and would often rather have the time to goof off than the money, so waivers of his work requirement are coveted. He has limited Internet access for non-homework purposes, so that is another easy and free gift. This year’s coupon book will have:
One (1) meal of my special Mac & Cheese; (12 coupons)
One (1) homemade pepperoni pizza; (12 coupons)
One (1) fettuccine alfredo with homemade fettuccine; (12 coupons)
One (1) homemade lemon meringue pie; (6 coupons)
One (1) quart homemade honey-vanilla yoghurt; (12 coupons)
One (1) sleep-over for his friends with sausage and Dutch Baby pancakes with fried apples for breakfast; (8 coupons)
One (1) batch (two loaves) homemade banana bread; (12 coupons)
One (1) batch homemade chocolate chip-almond-dried blueberry granola bars; (12 coupons)
One (1) homemade flourless chocolate cake; (4 coupons)
One (1) hour of Internet access for social purposes; (52 coupons)
Waiver of one (1) weekend work requirement; (4 coupons)
Transportation for you and friends to non-local skate park (40 mile radius), with fast food meal for all before or after; (4 coupons)
Some Restrictions Apply:
Redemption period: 1/1/2009-12/31/2009.
All homemade food coupons must be redeemed on no less than 24 hours notice unless notice is waived by the issuer. No more than one food coupon per type may be redeemed per calendar month, no more than two food coupons may be redeemed per calendar week and no more than one per meal. No more than two Internet coupons may be redeemed per week, and cannot be redeemed during adult’s work time. No more than one transportation or work waiver coupon may be redeemed per calendar quarter; work waiver may not be applied to needed lawn mowing and transportation coupon must be scheduled by mutual agreement. Coupons are non-transferable without issuer’s consent. All coupons expire 12/31/2009. Coupons have a cash value of ½ cent each.
Obviously, each child’s coupon book would contain different things, depending on their ages, tastes and preferences. For younger children, trips to favorite parks, the zoo or an amusement center can be included, along with different sleep-over treats or activities, chore waivers, game-playing time, etc. If generally you control visits to fast-food restaurants but allow it for treats, you can make it a coupon item.
Besides being an inexpensive way to give a gift that will be used throughout the year, the coupon book idea has the side benefit of helping children and teenagers learn to plan ahead, defer gratification, and set priorities among the things they want.
I don’t have a blog.
If you live near a college you may be able to find a tree, wreath, or other decorations in good condition that get discarded around mid-December, when students finish their exams and leave for home.
Thank you, Nickelodeon
I meant to include this in my previous post. . . If that strategy fails, as Christmas draws even closer you might want to negotiate for lower prices on a tree, wreath, or other perishable decorations that haven’t sold yet. If these strategies for getting traditional holiday greens/berries at a discount fail, you can consider using economical foods such as kale and apples for table decorations and then getting more value from the money spent by eating them after the holiday!
I trim all of my bushes and make wreath’s with the branches. All it takes is some cheap wire and lookes better than bought!
Instead of buying gifts, I hand-make gifts for my friends and family with their special needs or wants in mind. For example, I am making my sister and her hubby fleece throws because their new home gets cold at night. This ends up saving me a lot of money, plus it is something from the heart that no one else will have.
for save money for the holidays i go for the items that are 50% off or more and they can be found all over the stores. if you digg long enough you may even find items that are 90 % off, one has to look hard though to find them.
Making a family and friends cookbook. I did this about four years ago and it was a BIG hit and only ended up costing about 20.00 per book…not bad folks !!
I called or emailed family members and our closiest friends. Told them I was making a cookbook, wanted thier best recipes…two or three each person. I gave them a deadline for the recipes to be turned in and then I got busy making the books…myself. I typed each recipe, put a related food picture on each page, printed the pages, put them in sleeve covers and put the pages into a 3-ring binder with a beautiful coverpage. These were the best gift I ever gave…everyone loved them, and it’s something that will be in the family forever !!
Thank you beingfrugal and Nickelodeon for a fabulous contest ! Merry Christmas !!
Always use coupons, and look for the clearance.
watch for sales.
I sign up for email lists at stores I like and I always look everywhere for freebies. A baby boutique I love is a great example- they just emailed me about a 50% sale coming up. I also found 10% off coupons at the register for a wine shop next door. As I was leaving I spotted a free magazine. Inside was a coupon for $20 off a gymnastics center (we were just about to enroll my daughter in!) and a FREE $5 Rite Aid gift card with the ad.
buy only items on sale
My best HOLIDAY money saving tip is buy CARD or BOARD GAMES!! This can be given as a family gift, Couples gift, to just the kids in the family etc., Not only are you giving them a “new game” to play but also the gift of quality time with family and friends!!! There have been some really GREAT deals on games this season- Something for everyone- any age group, wide range of interest, any budget…
Thanks Nickelodeon & Eleven Moms! great contest with lot of good advice and an awesome prize for the lucky winner. Good luck to you all- GREAT tips!!!
No blog but my tip saves money all year round. We’ve been using cloth napkins for most of 2008. They are inexpensive to buy at thrift shops, you can make your own out of old fabric, or like us, we just inherited lots from older family members. No more buying paper napkins at the store and we use less paper towels with them also. We wash them with our other laundry & line dry it all – more savings on electric bill too. Plus this is all much better for the environment. My daughter likes to say she’s helping to save the polar bears.
Gteat contest
I don’t have a blog- but I’m a frequent visitor here! :)
We have saved so much by making our own baby food over the past year. It’s easy and takes little time! Just buy your fresh veggies, process them up and can and/or freeze them. Our little guy prefers the homemade food to the store bought foods!
Thanks so much to Wal-Mart (and the elevenmoms) and Nickelodean for running this contest!
We trade some of our children off in an informatl time share arrangements.
I blogged about a money saving tip for the holidays @ http://quicktattletail.blogspot.com/
“My very best tip would be to shop on Black Friday. Get all the ads on Thanksgiving. Write down the gifts you plan on getting people and make a list for each store that has what you need. You will find some fabulous savings!”
I mentioned this contest and Nickelodeon on my post @ http://quicktattletail.blogspot.com/
I signed Mr. Linky.
Love your website, but sorry, no blog!
I stayed home on Black Friday, but still got tons of great deals on the web. I figured with the gas I saved, and convenience of Walmart’s site to store free shipping, plus other sites free shipping, it was well worth it. I also use Ebates, or another cash back site if possible.
Judy
jujuhul2002@yahoo.com
My best money saving tip is to vote all Democrats out of office.
This is going to save me a bundle this holiday. My sisters and I all have children around the same age and they all want video game systems. But my daughter wants a wii and my son wants a ps3. Since they are expensive and I can’t afford both we decided that each sister would purchase a different system (wii, ps3, and xbox) and we will rotate them every month or so. That way all the kids are happy and they won’t get bored as easily either. And we all save tons of money! You could get friends/family together and do this with other toys as well.
i shop through shopping portals which give cash back or points towards merchandise.
Don’t just focus on top brands
(no blog, but love yours!)
My best money saving tip is to stay home…don’t go to the mall, don’t watch TV. Just be with your family and friends. None of us really “needs” anything, and going shopping, reading the ads, and watching TV just makes us feel as though we are lacking.
Make gifts, spend time with family and friends, and avoid the stress of the holiday.
I blogged about this contest http://whimsicalblessings.blogspot.com/2008/12/yet-another-site-to-win-500.html
My best advice is to research the product you want to buy to find the best price and coupon, and make sure it isn’t junk/easily destroyed.
I love to shop all of the after christmas sales. I stock up on all the great deals and put everything away in storage. It is so fun getting everything out the next year, becuase you forget what you have bought after a year. It is really fun when you look at all of your great gifts saying “I can’t believe I only paid $$$$ for this.
My money saving tip is to give gifts of time. Babysit for friends with kids, take elderly people out on errands or shopping, take the garbage out for neighbors, etc.
Happy Holidays!
We all do this after Christmas in my family.We hit the after Christmas sales and we find some really good bargains for next year! This really helped out this year since,like a lots of people,we are having money problems this year!
I always check online for coupon codes before I hit that submit button for an online purchase.
I WOULD GET ALL ECONOMY SIZE FOOD FROM THERE
AAAAGGGGHHHH I FORGOT MY TIP PLEASE DISREGARD THE LAST COMMENT! WE SAVE OUR GIFT BAGS
If your up for it. Shop on Christmas Eve for great savings.
When I shop at walgreens and they have their $5.00 off a purchase of 25 or more… or a coupon for 5. to use for your next purchase. If I cant find enough good deals on items I need, I grab stuff that would be good stocking stuffers.. things I would spend money on anyway just using it to get to my 25.00 purchase. :)
i hope i win
I don’t have a blog:( Thanks to Nick for an awesome chance to this prize(we love Noggin!)One of my best money saving tips-try to eat at home as much as possible. I think you can save tons of money and some inches around the waist. Especially around this time of year, your crock pot can be your best friend.
My tip is what were doing this year instead of buying everyone on our list a expensive gifts.
Have a family get together/present party instead of buying each individual gifts. Each adult person will spend $10 on 2 gifts one $5 gift suitable for a child and one $5 gift suitable for an adult. Following the family dinner we will all play games and let everyone reach into the special Santa sack (one adult one child) and pull out their gift. :)
This will be saving all the family money this year plus I think it will help in putting family sharing back into the Holiday. We will enjoy a good meal good company and lots of fun all for a little price. :)
:) Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! :)
just blogged about my best holiday saving tip. Thanks Lynnae! I hope I win!
I don’t have a blog, but love to save money.
Start to save for Christmas presents throughout the year. I have an account on ING for just that doing semi-monthly transfers. Then, when Christmas comes around, you have nearly everything already covered. You also feel more in control and less overwhelmed by all the expenses.
The best tip I ever got: Keep yourself accountable for your expenses. We use a simple sheet of paper to track several spending categories, and it keeps us honest. It also has the effect of us thinking: “Do I really want to buy this? I have to write it on the list then…”
Gifts from the heart are better than gifts from the wallet. For instance I’m giving my mother-in-law a scrapbook of pictures of her kids and grandkids on each page they are gonna write a letter to her. She’s gonna cry her eyes out.
Create your own “living” evergreen wreath to decorate a table. Start with a circular oasis. Collect evergreen and herb clippings from your yard (ie: bayberry, holly, juniper, sage, etc.) and insert them into the oasis until it’s covered. Add berries, dried flowers, etc. To finish put a candle in the center and set up on a pillar cake stand. Beautiful and inexpensive! Be sure to soak oasis once a week and mist daily to keep it green.
I buy most of my gifts after Christmas, most stores have big sales and I get some great deals, the hard part is storing them in my closet for almost a year. I always want to gifts to family and friends as soon as I buy them. I don’t have a blog btw.
I wait until everyone is done unwrapping presents and then I take all the unwrinkled and unripped left-over Xmas paper and save it for next year’s
“smaller” gifts!
There is no real mystery on how to become a price-conscious and bargain-savvy shopper:The answer IS the Internet! If you spend a little time before you buy, in research, you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars! For instance,if you check out the price comparison sites,such as PriceGrabber,NexTag,Shopzilla,to name a few,you will find some very good prices on comparable items. Next look for promo codes. There are a number of Web sites that will provide you with special codes for e-tail purchases that can range from five to fifty percent in savings! The next order of business is to find out who is providing free shipping,and also those who are not charging sales tax. Between these two items alone,the savings could be immense! Finally,unless it is absolutely necessary,DO NOT BUY FROM BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES!!! What you will find more times than not IS a lot of smoke and mirrors in big conglomerate retail! Often when you get to these snake pits — and this is after you probably had to park a quarter of a mile away,fight through throngs of Christmas cheerless crowds,and pay a babysitter to watch over your kids — you find out that the bait-and switch item you came for ‘just sold out’ — how convenient!!! DON’T BE SUCKERED!!! If you invest a little time in my methodology,I guarantee it will yield huge dividends!!!
I don’t have a blog either. My best tip is to meal plan. I make my menu for the whole month. I find that if I know what we are having, we don’t eat out as much, which saves us a ton of money. I save my plans and re-use them, so it doesn’t take much time at all. I also made a list of 30+ meals and let the kids choose 4 or 5 of their favorites then just pick a day to add it to the calendar.
Budget for Christmas all year, and make a list when you go out and stick to the budget
I don’t have a blog but I visit here often and enjoy sharing my opinions as well as enjoying what others have to say too! I hope this entry will count. My tip for SAVING MONEY as well as making the Holidays Greener is to skip the Christmas gift wrapping entirely. Change things up and have some FUN with your children and your family and have them hunt through the house for the gifts (of course your gift will have a Christmas gift tag on it). If you hide the presents under chairs and beds, in closets, in cupboards or the crisper drawer of the refrigerator, etc. everyone will have a great time. And don’t worry about any missed gifts because if you think you might forget, make a list of where you hid them ahead of time. You will save to much MONEY on not having to purchase any Christmas wrap and ribbon this year AND just think of all the time you will save not having to wrap all those gifts and all the unnecessary paper you will save too! Happy Holidays everyone!
I need to revise my Post!! I left something very important OUT!! Here is my revised TIP:
Thank you to Nickelodeon and Walmart for making our Holidays more enjoyable and affordable! I don’t have a blog but I visit here often and enjoy sharing my opinions as well as enjoying what others have to say too! I hope this entry will count. My tip for SAVING MONEY as well as making the Holidays Greener is to skip the Christmas gift wrapping entirely. Change things up and have some FUN with your children and your family and have them hunt through the house for the gifts (of course your gift will have a Christmas gift tag on it). If you hide the presents under chairs and beds, in closets, in cupboards or the crisper drawer of the refrigerator, etc. everyone will have a great time. And don’t worry about any missed gifts because if you think you might forget, make a list of where you hid them ahead of time. You will save to much MONEY on not having to purchase any Christmas wrap and ribbon this year AND just think of all the time you will save not having to wrap all those gifts and all the unnecessary paper you will save too! Happy Holidays everyone!
Coming from a big family….We draw names out of a hat for gift giving. everyone seem to be very happy with it!
ardy22 at earthlink.net
The way I save the most money is to shop at the dollar stores. Each one has a different specialty, so you have to shop at each to discover where to buy each item you want. One sells brand name candy and baking goods at about 75% less than the grocery store. One has great off-brand cookies and chips. One has really nice wrapping paper and gift bags. Sometimes you will get a product that isn’t very good, but since it only costs a dollar, it’s not a big deal. You’re still saving money on other items you buy at the dollar store, and now you know what not to buy next time.
oinkmoobaa (at) yahoo (.) com
We have decided to have our lights turned off in the evenings and at dinner times. We are going with candles this year. I am excited about this. It will change everyghing.
I make a gift list, set a budget for each person and stick to it. It’s a fun challenge to see how much I can come under budget with a little bit of research and creativity.
I don’t have a blog, so here goes… For family and friends that live nearby, this year I’m going to make a large pot of soup and take a bowl of it over to them (enough to feed the whole family of course) and give them the gift of a night off of dinner-duty. Soup is a cheap meal to make, and I know any mom would appreciate a night off of making dinner! Just make sure to take it over BEFORE Christmas, so the recipients can really appreciate it during the busy Christmas season. And if they can’t use it that night for dinner, you can let them know that they can freeze it and use it another night when it would be more convenient.
Best money saving tip. Go to Nickelodeon.com and let your children play tons of fun games for free. Save the cost of buying games on cd’s. The chiildren will be entertained for a long time. Lots of fun thing to do on the Neckelodeon site.
I save alot of money by buying wrapping paper and stuff once they go on clearance after christmas for the next year
I clip coupons and search for sale items!
Don’t celebrate Christmas, don’t cook and stay home and watch tv.
I absolutely love shopping online. I love recieving packages, doing it when im not showered and in my undies if i want to lol But my favorite part is this…my tip….COUPON CODES. Yes coupon codes they save so much money and some sites offer free gifts (like victorias secret). So what i do is i shop on my fav sites or a site that has a gift i need for someone. I add it all to my cart then i head over to retailmenot.com, type in the site and fine some killer money saving codes. Want even more savings? do it when the sites is offering free shipping AND shop clearance!
We draw names at Christmas for next year. We are able to take advantage of sales throughout the year. Thanks!
I don’t have a blog. My favorite saving tips are always shop the sale and clearance aisles. Also buy things after the season is over (summer or christmas, winter).
Thank you, found your website from “bible money matters”.
Estera,
One frugal tip I have is to re-use every possible piece of paper that comes into my home. I have three children and every note that comes home from school gets flipped over and goes right into my printer for re-use. It is better for the environment and saves me money in printer paper!
We set up a separate ING account for gift giving and contribute
to it each month. When November rolls around we already have money
put aside. We sit down and plan who to buy for and then go shopping
with cash. No debt following us into the new year!
i buy a lot of my gifts on ebay you can find gifts pretty cheap and you dont even need to leave the house :)
Buy clearance wrapping paper and Christmas cards and add your own touch of craft to it. Things you have in your craft tool box like rubber stamps, embellishments, die cuts really customize the look of your gifts and cards at a fraction of the cost of the fancy items.
I figure out how much I can spend and then make seperate bags with their names on them.
The wishlist items are placed into the seperate bags and I draw one out of each bag so that they are guaranteed to get something they want.
Sometimes I have multiple bags per person but each one has a different price range so a person may receive a $100.00 item and two or three $10.00 items and so on.
This helps me get something for everyone and makes me smile when I pull the suprise gift tag out of the bag.
Just a fun way not only to save money but to also get many more smiles per dollar.
I love it and it’s fun.
Know what you want ahead of time and look for doorbuste sales
I don’t have a blog, but i have a tip for you. This year i really went frugal. Short on money. One of the things i did: I wrapped every single gift in newspaper or brown paper bags. The stores had holiday bags. They were very nice.I decorated all the bags. I used less tape then I would have for wrapping paper. I even used old Christmas cards for name tags. I would like to win this contest from Nicklodeon. My kids are big fans of the show. Thank You and Merry Christmas!
This year to cut back I went throught my list several times cutting back dollar amounts until it was the amount I could afford to pay for Christmas presents with cash. For Grandparents they are each getting 2 $10.00 gift cards that I got through my points and coupons for their favorite meals and deserts that I make. They don’t like to cook a whole lot and with just my son and I home most of the time we get a good meal as well. Thanks and keep up the great work! ANGIE
When you are going to make a purchase that doesn’t fall under your regular expenses, take the time to do your research to make sure you’re getting a quality product. There are plenty of places online to look for consumer reviews to get an idea of how that item performs in reality as opposed to the manufacturer’s promises. Amazon.com is a good place to start your research.
Buying something that’s going to last saves you money in the long run.
The added bonus is that many times while I’m doing my research, I realize that I don’t really want or need what I’m looking at, which in the end saves me money.
I posted the contest on my little blog, and here’s my best holiday tip:
If you’re a little strapped for cash this season to buy holiday gifts, but want to give at least something, consider making a small donation to charities such as March of Dimes. You can donate as little as $1 in someone’s name and it will help that charity tremendously. You can also printout a receipt that shows the gift recipient’s name and the name of the charity (the amount will not show). This a beautiful, priceless gift that will you and the gift recipient feel good. It really embodies the holiday spirit of giving.
The best way to save money is to keep things simple and stay out of the stores. Don’t be fooled by the doorbuster sales!
My tip is what were doing this year instead of buying everyone on our list a expensive gifts. I also just emailed 10 family&friends about your great giveaway!
Tip
Have a family get together/present party instead of buying each individual gifts. Each adult person will spend $10 on 2 gifts one $5 gift suitable for a child and one $5 gift suitable for an adult.(if more then 2 kids in the same household buy an additional $5 gift for each) Following the family dinner we will all play games and let everyone reach into the special Santa sack (one adult one child) and pull out their gift. :)
This will be saving all the family money this year plus I think it will help in putting family sharing back into the Holiday. We will enjoy a good meal good company and lots of fun all for a little price. :)
:) Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! :)
oops, it submitted before I added the following to my post above.
Thank you Nickelodeon and beingfrugal for this awesome giveaway!!
plan ahead, budget, shop sales
BUY EARLY AN KEEP THINGS ON HAND FOR UNEXSPECTED GUEST AND EVENTS. KEEP A JOURNAL OF ALL THE BIRTHDATES CHRISTMAS GIFTS AN ANIVERSARYS YOU NEED TO GET FOR YEARLY AND KEEP IT WITH YOU NOTE WHAT YOU GET FOR WHAT AN WHEN TO GIVE IT IN THE BOOK THEN STORE THINGS.
I buy all my wrapping paper, bows, etc after Christmas on clearance to use the following year!
I shop Walmart after Christmas when they mark beauty baskets 90% off for the next year!
My holiday tip is:
I save up my coins all year long, then in December, I go to Coinstar and buy a bunch of giftcards. It is so easy to do and it doesn’t seem like you’re spending much. The coins really do add up and whatever I have saved up is how much I spend on Christmas gifts!
Here’s my best money-saving tip: Pay off your credit cards and then start saving the money you used to spend on interest each month! I bet most people would be able to save a ton of money this way (literally)!
One money saving tip that really helped me this year was to start buying presents for people in July and just buy a few presents each month. By spacing it out and looking for things on sale it wasn’t a blast to our checking account in December. Also we choose names for our big family gatherings!! I could sure use this card to start saving in January!
Thanks!
This year instead of purchasing wrapping paper that ends up in the trash anyway… I am using brown paper bags. I’ve saved the paper bags my groceries are bagged in each visit. I turn them inside out so that no logos are showing and finish off the gift with color rafia. It has a clean, earthy look. Basically free!
My money saving tip would be to make your own wrapping paper. I buy kraft paper and use my sponge and craft stamps to make decorative wrapping paper.
put money into a seperate account from coupon savings all year long. It really adds up
My best money saving tip is to have “pantry night”. We spend a lot of money eating out, also on buying groceries that often spoil then I throw away. I try once a week to use food that is already in my cupboards. It’s sad how much food I buy “on sale” in my cupboards that I never eat. I feel better when I know I”m not wasting food. I also like to donate some of my food to local food banks. I know agencies are hurting this year as well.
I track my spending a few times a year to track the ‘leaks” in my budget. Usually it’s eating out. I then write a budget and put money in envelopes for each category like eating out, groceries, gas, fun money.
coupons always help
I buy a big turkey even though there is only four of us, since all the rest of our family lives 1200 miles away. I make extras so that I can freeze the leftovers. When the money gets tight during the up coming couple of months I pull out the frozen leftovers and have a couple of meals. That saves money and helps with getting us through the long months so we are a one income family. We have also traded our big huge fresh cut Christmas tree for a small fiber obtic tree which saves on electricty by using no lights.
Thank you for a chance to win and give those I love a much happier holiday season.
Happy Holidays….
camper223[at]live[dot]com
I only shop with cash because it’s too easy to overspend with a credit or debit card.
My best money saving tip is to plan a weekly dinner menu around the things you have in your house already, then around the sales, and then add coupons. Stick to the list!
Posted and linked back here;) Thanks for the great giveaway!
My tips are simple….
1) Shop clearance/sale items
2) Only buy what I need or really have to have
3) Don’t shop in crowds…I’m anal about my space (I can’t think)
4) Keep and use lists
5) Share—–give to those who need!
Blessings!
(I am tragically without a blog, but it is in the works!) My money- saving tip is more of a money-earning tip: Before the first major snowfall or freeze (Midwest, gotta love it), and I find myself wondering how to “get rich quick,” I have a fall cleaning of sorts, which entails gathering up the household clutter into a last-minute yard or g-sale. Customers still flock to g-sales even when it’s somewhat cold and off-season! And these earnings do wonders for the subsequent holiday shopping spree at the mall. It really supplements a working girl’s income, especially when finding my shopping list has grown by an extra dozen people when the holiday rolls around! (What can I say, I’m likeable.. hee hee) You’re practically guaranteed a minimum of $200 for only weekend’s worth of work, PLUS the house is de-cluttered and steps closer to being presentable for holiday guests’ arrival. It’s a total win-win!
have a potluck dinner
We put aside money each month during the year, then limit holiday spending to the amount we’ve saved to avoid additional year-end expenses. We also give only one gift per family for our relatives, instead of one gift per person. Popular gifts include movie tickets, a new DVD, a board game, or a fun theme-dinner basket that the family can enjoy together.
My best money saving holiday tip would have to be Christmas craft day. Every year my sisters and I get together and make homemade gifts for all the nieces and nephews. I made car game kits this year. It was inexpensive and will be used time and time again. If we have time we even make neighbor gifts and some friend gifts. We save a grundle of money and make memories in the process. It has become a very much anticipated tradition in our family!
My sister and I both scrapbook, as do several other members of my family and my circle of friends. Each year, we do scrapbook pages for each other as Christmas gifts. In the case of my sister whose husband is in the Air Force and stationed in Germany, we don’t get to see each other alot, so she does a set of pages of her family and sends them to me and I do the same for her. My other sister and brother who also live across the country do the same. For my friends who live near me or my friends who know me but not my family (some are old school friends and such who would have no interest in photos of my family), we send a packet of photos out to each other that we’d like to have used in scrapbook pages, then we ship the completed pages and leftover photos back to arrive just before Christmas. This lets us share each others creativity, enjoy the photos then pass them back, and saves us tons of money and postage for bigger, commercial gifts. Their pages give me ideas for how to complete additional pages for myself that I might not have thought of – sort of artistic inspiration – and they do the same with my pages.
I like to do a little shopping here and there throughout the year. When there is a sale and I see something that one of my friends or family members might enjoy, I buy it and save it. Around Christmas I take those “gifts” that I’ve been collecting and saving throughout the year and it takes the weight off of Christmas shopping. I am not stressed about time or going to busy shopping malls (although I still inevitably have a gift or two to purchase). Since I distribute my purchases throughout the year and I buy on sale I end up saving a lot of money
Look for sets that you can break up for inexpensive gifts. On Black Friday, I bought six-packs of LED flashlights for $10, and gave each of my uncles and cousins one flashlight. That’s less than $2 each and it’s something useful. For me, that’s the hardest part of Christmas — I want to give gifts, but I can’t afford to buy as many as I’d like to, so I look for ways to stretch dollars!
If your on a very tight budject here is what I do when I have lots of people I’d like to gift too, but not alot to spend. I love the all in one mixes you can make using a mason jar and some simple ingredients. Things like Cookie mixes, cocoa mixes, and etc. I make them very pretty with clearance material to decorate the jars, and print instructions on the printer. This time of yr every grocery store has staple ingredients on sale. It’s very inexpensive and looks pretty. I always Print on my tags for them, “Homemade from the Heart”
use coupons
recycle I hate to say it but every year I get things I dont need! Ive never worn a robe in my entire life yet every year I get one so every year I recyle it and give to someone else!
My best tip about saving money is to simply stay out of stores as much as possible. IF you must go shopping, go with a plan and a budget…and stick to it!
Also, we save a lot of money by limiting our gift purchases. We mostly buy for the kids and our parents. Not many others. And you know what? They don’t mind. Really, who needs another Yankee candle or BBW bath wash?
Thanks for this chance to win.
Shop at a grocery store that offers buy one get one frees on a weekly basis, and use those coupons that get doubled!
I’m sorry but I don’t have a blog. My best holiday money saving tip is to buy stuff like wrapping paper, bags, Christmas Cards and Envelopes and other decorations at a place like the Dollar Store. It sure beats spending more money at other stores for those items. This is a great giveaway. Thanks.
Shop the sales at Thirft stores
I buy holiday tins at the dollar store where they have a really nice selection, and love to bake my specialties to give to friends and family.
My best money saving tip is to make a list of who you are buying for and what you are buying them. Stick to that list or if you start buying good deals the recipient of the gift will be happy but your wallet won’t be.
My Holiday Savings Tip: Turn off those Christmas lights on the tree / outside and save some cash on your electric bill !!!!; consider limiting your light display to only Christmas Eve-Christmas and New Year’s Eve- New Year’s Day…it makes no sense to waste energy from November until January when you should just be focusing on the important, actual Holi-DAY !!!
Thanks for the giveaway….Happy Holidays !!!
No blog here. Good holiday money saving tip – homemade ornaments, jars full of the ingredients to your best cookie recipe (with the recipe on a tag attached), services instead of gifts – dog walking, monthly chess games, dinner and a movie, weekly rides to the grocery store, any service a friend or family member can’t or won’t do themselves.
Buy only non name brand foods. You save alot of money that way. Thanks for the chance to win.
make your own holiday decorations out of material that you can find around the house. Like you could make streamers out of painted newspaper, or make paper links out magazines!
my Best money saving Holiday tip involves buying gas at the gas pump since some of you may be doing alot of travelling this Holiday Season. You can get medium grade(Plus) gasoline for about $2.60 cheaper if you fill 1/2 your tank with Premium grade(Super) and 1/2 your tank with Low grade(Regular)which will make (Medium grade)-Plus if you do so. It may take a minute longer to do this but if you’re saving near $3 I’d say better the money in your pocket than in the Oil companies pocket!
This was told on a news media show I listen to so I’m assuming its accurate and true. Thank you. skyxsky27(at)gmail.com
If your getting home delivery of the local paper- cancel it, you can save by reading many portions of your local paper online, thats what I do.
I’ve found that many chain stores have better prices online than in the store due to the fact that they are all separate businesses and even thought they carry the same products -the prices aren’t necessarily the same. I found this out the hard way – buy paying $58 in the store for an item that was on the website for only $39.50 – a significant savings that more than covers any shipping fees. So Check online first – saves you time and headache checking out at the store! Your time is priceless.
For the Holidays you can dress and decorate your Christmas tree with attractive cute little decorations instead of wasting money buying expensive ones by just mixing up a batch of 4 Cups flour, 1 cup salt & 1 1/2 cups of water.Combine flour with salt; add water. Stir the mixture with a spoon until it starts to form a smooth dough. Knead dough about 5 minutes.
To make ornaments, pinch off bits of dough and form shapes. Such as bears, Christmas trees, gingerbread people and snowmen or roll out the dough and use cookie cutters. Let dry overnight.
Shop sales online and got throught a portal such as ebates to get cash back. Then before check out look for coupons for more money off or free shipping.
Shop sales online and got throught a portal such as ebates to get cash back. Then before check out look for coupons for more money off or free shipping.
My kids love Nickelodeon, and this is a great prize.
I start shopping for Christmas the week after Christmas. I shop throughout the year for items on sale. It keeps me from getting overwhelmed during the holidays.
I always shop the after Christmas clearance sales so I stock up for next year, that’s how i got all my cool stuf for this year..cheap!
My best tip for holiday savings: Shop all year long. Seek out clearance sales and have your list with you all the time. Plus, don’t limit yourself to brick-and-mortar stores. Online stores have incredible deals, and most of them don’t charge shipping if you spend a certain amount. Add to that the fact that many online retailers will have online coupons available for your use – - all you have to do is search for them (using ‘discount code’ or ‘online coupon’ in your string).
Instead of buying the expensive holiday cards for the kids to ive to relatives, make them. Buy some stickers and card stock paper. Let them draw on them, write little messages, and decorate them. It would be alot a cheaper. The cards you send get a stamp and markers and make your own. I bet it would save alot.
Now is a great time to stock up on baking supplies, since they usually go on sale this time of the year. And stock up on wrapping paper, decorations, cards, etc. after the holidays for the following year, since they are usually at least 50% off and sometimes more then that.
Get creative and devise some meaningful homemade gifts — make a personalized CD of someone’s favorite songs (or songs from artists they might enjoy but have never heard before), a video compilation based on the events from the year you captured on film, a heartfelt poem or letter to good friends and family, or cook a great meal for some of your closest friends and relatives to let them know how much they mean to you.
It is important to always use coupons. You would be amazed at the money you save!! Thanks!
Use what you have!
blogless sorry. I check freecycle. You can grab a piece of furniture and hand paint it and make something beautiful. I recieved boxes and boxes of yarn from freecyle, I taught my daughter to crochet(great bonding time) and she made scarfs for gifts for her friends and teacher.I also made christmas ornaments,blankets and hat and scarfs for gifts all free.
steffp777@yahoo.com
No blog here. This is my best holiday money-saving tip, and it has served me very well! I make an exact list of everything I want to get everyone. I then do very extensive research to start finding the best deals. I use different coupon websites (Brad’s Deals, Ebates, etc.) to help me do this; often sales and discounts are advertised well ahead of time. When I find a great deal on one of my items, I put it right on my list next to the gift’s name. This means all coupon codes, free shipping offers, buy one get one deals, etc. are right in one place. If a new deal comes up, I can quickly check on my list to see if it is better than what I already have listed. And then I just wait for each item’s sale/best deal to come up and purchase it!
I buy everything from Walmart now. I am able to save so much money every year because of their low prices. It is great to be able to get more for your money.
please enter me thank you
I found that every year when I check my cubard I find things that I have to throw out. I now rotate my cubard to use the dry goods before they expire. This weekend I made a huge pot of soup form some green peas and a left over ham bome. I had unexpected guests amd everyone raved about the soup and all I added was an onion, a crusty loaf of bread and a green salad. Thanks for the contest.
Make your own gifts. Reuse gift bags. Use an artifitial tree.
Shop year round for anything you think you will use during the holidays. When sales are sluggish during the summer looks for things on sale that can be used for holiday gift giving. Shop online to save time and fuel and search for discount codes to reduce costs.
Coupons will help with the budget, Make a list and stick to it. Buy only what is necessary. Give homemade gifts to family and friends
My best tip would be to teach your children to value old fashion hard work instead of commercialized Fads. Have them make their own christmas cards and tree decorations. If you have a Gift exchange amongst adult, have it a NO BUY rule… you have to make it with your own hands!
I’m sure that’s not the kind of tip your looking for especially in this day and age!
Also, I make a list of whom I need to buy for IN JANUARY, then throughout the year I buy items on clearance and/or with coupons. Stick to the list. Do not impulse buy! My wallet does not know what retail means because I refuse to purchase gifts at retail. I’m not a scrooge…really. It’s just that when your bring home pay is less than 1,000 per month you stretch where and when you can.
Same goes for decorations, those that we don’t make, we purchase AFTER the holidays and put them away for the following year.
Stockpile items with coupons so you are buying them at about 90% OFF. Purchasing a case of ketchup, mayo, beans, whatever… will keep you from paying full price throughout the rest of the year! One time I bought 9 PALLETS of toilet paper (15 four packs to a pallet) because I had a coupon that made them free. We gave 1 pallet to the food pantry, divided 1 pallet up among friends & family and the rest we kept. It last 2 years!
Thanks
Tammy OHagan
tammyohagan ~~~ AT ~~~ westco ~~~ DOT ~~~ net
For the past several years we’ve decorated an 8 ft ficus tree and only buy ornaments after the holidays at 75% off. We have a lovely tree and have saved hundreds of dollars.
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