Wear cheery colors - Although you probably won’t see me in a Christmas sweater, you’ll likely see me wearing a bright red sweater.  Many of us have something red or green in our closets.

Jazz it up a little - Add some festive tights or a fun scarf to a plain outfit.

Wear some colorful jewelry - Shop discount stores for jewelry or make your own.

Don’t rule out the “cheap” stores - Target has some really cute clothing and fairly inexpensive prices.  Also try stores such as Marshalls, Ross, and T.J. Maxx.

Shop for used clothing and accessories - Last year’s holiday decorations, clothing, and accessories many times end up in yard sales.  People don’t want to bother with them or they grow tired of what they have.  This is a great opportunity for you to end of with a few treasures.

What ways do you save money on your Christmas outfits?

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Here’s an example of how I have used the “buy ahead principle” for purchasing my daughter’s Christmas gifts.

• bath robe – regularly $20, after Christmas sale in Feb for $5
• two-wheel scooter – regularly $17, Black Friday sale for $5
• Hanna Montana doll set – regularly $28-32?, after Christmas sale in Feb for $7-8
• guitar purse – regularly $8-9, clearance for $2-3
• Barbie Advent calendar – regularly $20, after Christmas sale for $5
• Pet Shop bubble bath – regularly $10, clearance for $2.50
• High School Musical umbrella – regularly $8, clearance for $2
• Pet Shop electronic game – regularly $13, clerance for $3.24

This is approximately $125 in gifts for the bargain price of about $35.  My daughter will have a nice selection of toys under the tree this year, and all things that she likes.

Those of you with older children may find buying ahead more difficult, however, it is not impossible.  Try picking up just a few things that you’ll know they’ll like, even if it’s just stocking stuffers or dvds.  Every little bit saved helps.

Did you shop all year for Christmas?

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Look for pre-Christmas 50% off sales - Craft stores such as Michael’s, AC Moore, and Hobby Lobby frequently have select merchandise 50% off before the actual holiday.  The sales change each week, so be sure to keep a watchful eye on sales papers or better yet, sign up for their emails.

Use coupons - Some stores have online printable coupons or coupons in the Sunday paper.  Again, it’s important to sign up for emails from stores.  This is usually where you’ll score the good printables.  Also, check coupons.com.  A few weeks ago, I was able to get a $5 coupon off Mr. Potato Head.  Using the coupon, I only paid $.99 for the toy.

Shop after Christmas sales - This tip isn’t going to help you now, but it’s a great money saving tip.  Each year, I try to put aside a little bit of money so that I can add to my collection.  Some years I buy things for my village and other years I purchase things for my tree.  Now that we have our own home, I’d like to buy a few things for the yard.

Look on Craigslist and Freecycle - Sign up for email alerts for Craiglist and Freecycle postings in your area.  Many times during the holidays, people use time off from work to sort through things and get rid of things they don’t need.  You can also post a wanted ad.

Make your own - There are so many cute ideas out there for making your own decorations.  Martha Stewart and Better Homes & Gardens always have such great suggestions.  There are many other sites out there as well.

Look at dollar stores - Over the years, I have found some nice ornaments and decorations (including Hallmark ornaments) in Dollar Tree.  Things can sometimes be a bit junkier than in times past, but occasionally you can still find some treasures in there.

Put it on your Christmas wish list - When your family and friends ask what you want for Christmas, be sure to tell them some Christmas decorations.  You might want to be specific though, so that you don’t end up with something hideous.

Be content - Realize that it’s not reasonable to have everything at one time.  It takes years to accumulate the things you want.  Be happy with what you have, try not to covet other people’s things, and have a simple and happy time.

What tips do you have for saving money on Christmas decorations?

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When I was growing up, my mom’s friend would bring over a platter of homemade treats at Christmas.  I fondly remember the lemon bars and gooey chocolate bars.  She only spent money on ingredients for the sweets, but her time and delicious gift were well appreciated.

Here are a list of ideas to use as family gifts:

• dvds
• board games
• movie passes
• homemade goodies
• gift certificate to a favorite restaurant or ice cream shop
• tickets to a show, zoo, museum, etc.
• theme basket such as snack items or ice cream toppings

This year, I went shopping on Black Friday and found some great dvds and board games at fantastic prices and I thought these would make nice family gifts.  This money saving idea would would work for extended family too.  You might want to check with the person first to make sure this idea is ok with them.  Don’t wait until the last minute though because they may have already purchased gifts for your family and you don’t want to cause hard feelings.

Do you have any ideas for family gifts?

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1)  Avoid gift buying guilt.  Make a list and set a spending limit for each gift.  Don’t give in to the temptation of spending more or buying for extra people.  If you need extra gifts, decide to make money on Craigslist, cutting back on other expenses, or make homemade gifts.

2)  Keep your receipts.  Save someone the embarrassment of asking for the receipt by getting a gift receipt.  Be sure to ask for them at the check out before the end of the transaction.  Also, save your receipt because many times items will go on sale before Christmas.  A few dollars may not be worth your time and gas, but if the item gets drastically reduced you’ll need your receipt to get a price adjustment.

3) Budget for extra expenses.  Many people budget for gifts, but they forget to budget for things such as Christmas cards, stamps, shipping, travel, decorations, and entertaining. 

4)  Avoid credit cards.  Don’t be left with buyer’s remorse after Christmas.  Pay cash for your purchases.

5)  Do your research.  Before making expensive purchases, search the internet for product reviews.  Check Consumer Reports as well.  An hour of work can save you hundreds of dollars. 

What Christmas tips can you offer?

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Turkey sandwich - This one is a given, but it is one of my favorites. Some people like their sandwich with mayonnaise and onions.  I like mine with mustard on white bread.

Turkey salad - This is another family favorite.  I chop up some turkey, add some mayo, diced dill pickles, salt, and pepper, and it’s as good as chicken salad.  I also like to make ham salad.

Turkey and rice - Cook rice according to package directions, add desired seasonings.  Throw in some chopped turkey and some vegetables.  You might also like to make a gravy.

Turkey wraps - Add some turkey, cheese, and fresh vegetables to a lettuce slice or tortilla.

Turkey soup - There are many varieties of turkey soup. You could make a cream based soup or a Mexican style soup.  Use your favorite chicken soup recipe using turkey instead of chicken.

Other sources for recipes:

AllRecipes.com – Some ideas include Turkey a la King, turkey enchiladas, turkey pot pie, turkey tetrazzini, and more.
Recipe Goldmine
National Turkey Federation
Healthy Eating Made Easy

What are your favorite ways to use leftover turkey?

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Don’t waste money on gifts you can’t send – the post office will have a heart attack if you try and send gifts like perfume or items with batteries (both are considered hazardous materials). Don’t even bother.

Get one gift in bulk and go nuts – wine retailers, for example and other retailers who specialize in one item only (say chocolate truffles or poinsettia plants) will give you a nice friendly discount if you buy in bulk. Who says you can’t give your boss, your uncle, and grandma all a nice bottle of wine.

Search Craigslist – for free goods to make homemade gifts, free HUGE boxes from folks who just moved for packing strangely large gifts (like a trike), and oddball gifts for cheap.

Consider freestyle gifts – gifts are gifts even without the bows, ribbon, or official holiday tags, which all cost money. Write your to and from right on the wrap with a nice pen,or get creative. One year I had a bunch of those, “Hello: My Name Is” stickers left over from a work meeting, so I used those. If you’re dying for ribbon, try yarn, which per yard cost less than silky, satin ribbon, and looks cute.

Forget fancy wrap – plain old butcher paper protects gifts better than flimsy wrap and can be decorated by kids or with cut veggies and fruits dipped in ink or paint.

Quit buying disposables for the holidays – get a real tablecloth you can use year after year, real cloth napkins, and actual dishes. Holiday dishes may seem costly at the onset, but they’re really not, especially if you use them year after year. You can chop the price of nice non-disposable dishes by quite a lot if you buy from a restaurant supply company vs. the department store. Look in your phone book for a local restaurant supply company.

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How to pull it off:

Give each child a set budget for gifts. I think it’s best if they use some of their own saved money too – from an allowance or birthday, but I’m not too strict on this because I know my son can’t get a job at eight years old. I usually give him some money and he’ll use $10-20 of his own (a lot for a little kid to give up if you consider the situation from their POV).

Have your child make a list of gift ideas. When Cedar was too little to write he’d draw his gift ideas, now he makes a short list. It’s often really hard for kids to think of gift ideas. Try the following to encourage them…

• Go through sale ads in the paper.
• Ask the right questions – “What does aunt Susan like to do for fun”, “Do you think your teacher would like homemade cookies or a nice pen?”, “What are your little brother’s favorite types of toys?” Leave the questions open ended so your child can come up with gift ideas on his own.

Have your child write down estimated cost per person before heading to the store – i.e. $10 for dad, $8 for his best friend, and so on.

Encourage meaning over the gift – for example, if your child buys the material for making a homemade picture frame will it be more loved than a flat out purchased gift? Could he help his grandma clean her basement? Get him thinking about how he can make the holiday gifts more meaningful and less $ related.

How do you handle holiday shopping and gifts with the kiddos?

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PLAN AHEAD: Think about how you want your Christmas to look. Do you want piles of gifts of maybe a little more celebrating by planning family activities and making more meaningful memories. To get some ideas about how to have a less commercial, more meaningful Christmas read the following:

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More – a book that can help – look for it at your local library.

Give the gift of time this holiday season

Join the New Dream Community (all you need is an email). Once you join you’ll gain access to FREE booklets on the following topics:

• Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture
• Good Times Made Simple: The Lost Art of Fun
• Simplify the Holidays
• Back to School Buying and Action Guide
• Alternative Gift Fair Guide

PAY FOR CHRISTMAS NOW!:

If you charge Christmas, there’s a good chance you’ll be stuck paying for it all year. With interest, Christmas one year can be layered over and over for years – it’s better to simply buy what you can afford now OR in extreme cases buy a couple of items on credit but only if you can pay them off in total by the end of January.

Consider not giving gifts to everyone this year, cut back on expenses, save money easily on seasonal clothing, and stretch your holiday food budget wisely. You can even make homemade gifts to cut back (see below).

MAKE HOMEMADE GIFTS: You can easily plan ahead for less expensive, more meaningful gifts this year. Consider…

• DIY Green Toy – Nine Affordable Play Kitchen Sets
• Homemade Eco Gifts You Can Make for the Holidays!
• 24 Things To Make – A Crafty Christmas Countdown
• DIY Homemade Natural & Eco Chic Soap
• Quick Christmas Gift – Tea Cup Pincushion
• Organic & Natural Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

What are you doing to save money on Christmas this year?

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1)  Audit your spending.  See if there is anything that you’re willing to cut out.  I’m thinking things like lunch out with coworkers, movie rentals, coffee stops, etc.  Or you could find ways to save on everyday purchases such as groceries.  Decide on how much spending you can eliminate.  Put that money aside into a savings account.

2)  Set a budget and stick to it.  Make a list of everyone you would like to shop for and decide on a dollar amount for gifts.  If necessary, you might have to eliminate a few relatives and friends that you don’t talk to much.  Due to the current economy, I think people are going to be more understanding this year.  That’s just my thought.

3)  Shop smart.  Look for clearance sales, coupon codes, and other ways to spend less.  Consider making homemade gifts.  Shop at discounted stores such as Marshalls, Ross, and T-Maxx.  There are many ways to save.

Other helpful tips:

• How to Cut Down Your Christmas Gift List
• Cutting Back on Your Christmas Expenses
• Plan for Your Holiday Budget Now!

Have you planned for Christmas?

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