If you want to have a merry holiday without going deep into debt, then you’ll want to keep a few thing sin mind. Here are 5 holiday shopping tips that will allow you to buy plenty of gifts without the need for a second mortgage. 1. Do your research Take the time to find the absolute best prices on the gifts that you would like to give. Scout sales, use coupon codes and printable coupons, and take advantage of free shipping deals online. Here is an example of how this really pays off. At one of my go to stores, … Continue reading →

Should you skip the tipping this year? If you do want to tip, how much should you give everyone? While tipping can vary by region, here are some basic guidelines to help you along. Baby sitter A good guideline for a baby sitter is to tip the same amount as you would give for one session’s earning. For a frequent baby sitter, you should consider tipping at least one day’s wages. And, if you are in a situation where you have a regular or live in nanny, a tip of up to a week’s salary may be appropriate, especially if … Continue reading →

Do you need some small gifts for more than a few people in your life? Those little gifts can add up. Here are some ideas on how you can give nice gifts but keep them frugal. Group gift card A group gift card is a nice solution. Basically, everyone in the group contributes a little something, let us say $5, and all of the money is pooled into a gift card. This is an ideal gift for a teacher, bus driver, church leader or service worker. It is easy on the wallet for each contributor, and yet the receiver can … Continue reading →

Last week, my family and I stopped by a gourmet store to pick up some organic produce. Our CSA doesn’t have fruit, so for this year at least, we have been purchasing it out. At the front entrance, there was already a display of advent calendar. The cardboard scene that have little doors to open. One door is opened each day in December, leading up to Christmas. behind each door is a gourmet chocolate to eat. I enjoyed a less gourmet version of this type of advent calendar as a kid, and would like my kids to have that same … Continue reading →

It will be here before you know it. Already my kids are making their wish lists, and the stores are starting their holiday sales. As I mentioned before, our Christmas tree is more like a “couple of sticks with some green toothpicks on it,” as my son describes, and there is extra tithing and charity. All of these things aren’t normally in the budget. That is why we are employing some strategies to earn a little extra money this year. Some effort now will help avoid great debt later. Because our schedules are already packed tight with kids and work, … Continue reading →

If you happen to have a Five Below store in your area, I recommend visiting it now for some frugal Christmas shopping. It looks like they are just stocking the shelves, so if you want the best selection, don’t wait. Don’t have one of these stores where you live? Apply this info to any local discount store. This past week, my husband and I found ourselves in Target looking for yet more Halloween candy. We decided to do two trunks for our church’s first trunk or treat event and didn’t want to come up short (to see how we did … Continue reading →

After holiday sales are one of my favorite things because I can find clearance items that cost up to 90 percent off of what they cost the previous day, before the holiday. Halloween is no exception. There are so many great deals to be had when you shop right after Halloween. Yesterday, i shared some of my favorite Halloween haunts. These are the places that I found the best bargains for the best quality. Now I will share a few more of my favorite after Halloween haunts. Maybe I’ll see you there! Disney Store Costumes, costumes, costumes after Halloween at … Continue reading →

There is only one more day to Halloween, and I already have plans for the after Halloween sales and discounts. Starting November first, we are going to hit up our favorite places, in order to get the deep deals. Here are the main places that we will be visiting for some frugal Halloween shopping. Grocery Store There are plenty of goodies at the grocery store after Halloween. Beside all of that candy (freeze it or use it in holiday baking), you can find everything from costumes to decorations as well. Check the seasonal aisle and the clearance aisle for the … Continue reading →

This year, our church is doing its very first trunk or Treat. It promises to be a great outreach to the community and a fun way for the kids to dress up, have fun and get some great treats. I can’t wait. But it looks like we may need Halloween candy 400 times over. My husband only half jokingly mentioned that we might need to take out a home equity loan in order to be as generous with our treats as we would like. Why 400? Well, we expect around 200 kids, and we may wind up doing two different … Continue reading →

Are you spooked by the prices of all of that Halloween Candy? Does giving out treats to everyone in the neighborhood require that you take out a home equity loan? If so then you really need to read this post. it could just saver you a lot of headache, not to mention plenty of money for Halloween treats. So aside from turning off the lights and locking the door on Halloween or forgetting about that Halloween party, what can you do to save money on those treats? Here are some ideas to put into practice so your money won’t be … Continue reading →