Plenty of After Christmas Sales Today

Get out those gift cards and the Christmas money you got as a gift. The stores are ready to offer you plenty of after Christmas sales starting today. The strategy for this year for many families is to go out shopping today, the day after Christmas to pick up those gifts that they really wanted at bargain prices. Because they know that many people are heading to work today, the stores will be trying to do everything they can to get people to take an extra day off and go shopping. They want to get that last bit of sales … Continue reading →

When the Other Kids Get More

How can you deal with the question of why other kids got more “stuff” for Christmas? This article may help. While I think our kids are blessed beyond what my husband and I could have imagined having when we were young, the fact is that their acquisitions probably don’t measure up in number or value to most of their peers. Partially this is because of the area in which we live, a semi-affluent area where parents can and do provide things for their kids that we cannot even if we wanted to do so. So, I am familiar with what … Continue reading →

Three Gifts for Christmas

Three Gifts for Christmas Have you ever found an extra stash of Christmas gifts after Christmas? I’m embarrassed to admit that I have. Nestled in a corner of our bedroom closet was a bag of a couple of items that I had bought for Christmas and then completely forgot about. A growing tradition in many families takes its prompt from the three gifts that the wise men, or magi gave to the baby Jesus. Here is what the tradition of giving gifts the way that the wise men did, and how it can be very meaningful for your family, too. … Continue reading →

Save Money on Your Pets This Christmas

Whether you already have pets that are expecting presents under the tree (or kids who expect presents for the pets) or will be getting a new pet or two this Christmas season, chances are that you would appreciate being able to save money on your pets. Here are some excellent ways to have your cat (or dog, or bird or frog) and save money too. Free Product Coupons Petsmart usually offers at least one free can of food per month for your pets, as well as other great coupons when you sign up for their Pet Perks program. Adopting a … Continue reading →

I’m Not Crafty at Christmas

Is it worth saving money on Christmas decorations if you spend all of that savings on band-aids and burn cream? It started out innocently enough. A good friend of mine was getting a group of us together to participate in a tradition in our small town, an annual wreath making session at the town hall. A professional crafty person would teach us how to make gorgeous holiday wreaths with a live wreath and all of the supplies included, for a mere $10. The township actually covers most of the cost for this event, since the live wreaths alone cost more than … Continue reading →

Creative Ways to Tip This Season: Free Gift Cards and More

How many people do you have in your life who are on your tipping list for the holidays? The hair stylist, school bus drivers, teachers, the trash man, the postal clerk or delivery person (there are rules on type and amount), the baby sitter or nanny, the coffee barista and anyone else who provides you a regular service, may all be expecting a holiday tip. At least one service provider of ours actually leaves an envelope just for the purpose. Most of us forget to add tipping expenses into our budgets and may be left with a surprise when we … Continue reading →

Three Ways to Control Impulse Buying at Christmas

The shiny decorations, the pretty lights, the wonderful smells, the bustle of shoppers, the increase in commercials, and the demanding kids all combine at Christmas to raise the risk of impulse buying. Many debt services report that the number of phone calls they get for help really drops off in December, as people put aside the idea of debt and just go ahead and spend. Of course, the calls in January are another story. These agencies often see their highest traffic then, as people find themselves in debt crisis. Don’t let this happen to you. Control your impulse buying at … Continue reading →

Save Money on Holiday Cookies

This thanksgiving was a really rushed one. We had a crisis in the family and would up having to put together a last minute Thanksgiving meal. One thing that went very quickly were the fancy cookies that I purchased. Everyone loves cookies, whether purchased or homemade. They really are a holiday staple. Here are some tips on how we can all save on the cost of cookies. Store Bought Cookies Shop at a warehouse store. Warehouse grocery stores, such as Costco, BJs or Sam’s Club often offer holiday cookies at discounted prices. You can find all sorts of cookies, from … Continue reading →

Making Christmas Simple

A simple Christmas can have wonderful meaning. Often, the less that we have, the more that we have to appreciate the wonder, the joy, and the glory of the season. This applies to both using up too much time and too much money. A couple of days ago, we picked up a few bags of bird seed from a discount store. That inexpensive purchase was one of the best ones we have had this season. It brought a number of colorful song birds right to our window. In the early morning hours, a hot cup of coffee and some time … Continue reading →

Black Friday Is so Tempting!

Every year, I have this little inner struggle with myself. Do I go shopping on Black Friday or not? I haven’t quite mastered the strategy of going in to buy one movie and not coming out with a HDTV. Black Friday is a real temptation. Take for example last evening. My sister-in-law mentioned a certain new Disney movie that my daughter has been asking and asking for. Normally, this movie sells for $30, but with Black Friday prices, I may be able to have it for $3.99. So, this morning, after I left everyone else asleep in their turkey comas … Continue reading →