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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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Free Shipping Day is a one day shopping event when participating merchants offer free shipping to customers with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. So far more than 585 retailers have signed on to participate. That’s a major movement as last year only 250 retailers participated.

Al Free Shipping Day promotions for participating merchants will be kept under wraps until Thursday, December 17 at 12:00AM EST. It’s not a total free for all as some merchants may have minimum order restrictions but according to event news, more than half will have free shipping on all orders.

Free Shipping Day is gaining in popularity – last year the FreeShippingDay.com web site had 250,000 unique visitors in a single 10-day period and that included 100,000 on the Free Shipping Day itself. This year should be even better as more than double the amount of retailers have signed up. Some participating retailers include Toys R Us, JCPenney, Apple Store, Nike, Sears, Babies R Us, Eddie Bauer, PacSun, PetSmart, and Ralph Lauren.

Visit Free Shipping Day to learn more.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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?

image sxc

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

If you want to learn how to save more money for this year’s holiday celebration then this handy tips post is for you. Check out the ideas below and see just how thrifty your holidays can be.

SAVE MONEY ON CELEBRATIONS & FUN

• Cutting Back on Your Christmas Expenses
• How to Give Holiday Tips
• Save money on holiday family events
• Stop stress and save money this Christmas
• Tips for Avoiding Christmas Mistakes
• Find a charity you can trust
• After the holidays re-gifting party
• Don’t let Christmas last all year

HAVE THRIFTY FUN WITH THE KIDS

• Get kids into the spirit of giving
• Easy Christmas Craft for the Kids
• Free Fun Winter Activities
• Five ways to teach kids the value of money during the holidays

SAVE MONEY ON HOLIDAY FOOD

• Save more money on Christmas dinner
• Save Money On Holiday Meals

SAVE MONEY ON HOLIDAY GIFTS

• Save Money with a Family Gift
• 24 Things To Make – A Crafty Christmas Countdown
• Save money when shipping holiday gifts
• Saving Money on Holiday Cards
• How to Stay Out of Debt This Christmas
• How to Cut Down Your Christmas Gift List
• Easy ways to save money when gift shopping online

HOLIDAY TOY TIPS

• Save More Cash On Holiday Toys
• Holiday toy safety tips that save money
• Plan ahead for recalled toys

SAVE MONEY ON HOLIDAY EXTRAS

• Save Money on Seasonal Holiday Clothing
• Less expensive last minute holiday travel

[image via stock.xchng; altered by me]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Go homemade: It costs less to cook from scratch AND you get the added benefit of less food wasted. Whenever anyone I know buys one of those precooked holiday meals there’s a ton leftovers because those precooked meals just don’t taste that great. Why buy food if you’re going to toss it? It is more time consuming to cook homemade, but if you gather everyone together to help it makes it faster (and more fun).

Buy frozen holiday food: Normally I say go fresh and organic, however with the sheer bulk of holiday food that most families buy, frozen foods are almost just as healthy and costs less. Go fresh with your salad fixings but buy side veggies like broccoli and corn frozen. Fresh fruit is expensive this time of year, so look for frozen strawberries, raspberries, and other fruits in frozen form for tarts, cookies, pies, and sauces. Most frozen fruits and veggies are available in organic too.

Think cans: On the same note as the above canned fruits for pies can save you cash. I never suggest canned veggies because I think they taste terrible PLUS unless you want a side of BPA for the holidays it’s safer to skip the canned veggies.

Know when to go cheap and when to splurge: You should splurge on an organic turkey and fresh veggies for a raw veggie tray, but empty calorie foods like chips, soda, and so on taste pretty much the same if you buy name brand or store brand. Going cheap on the less meaningful food saves you cash to splurge on nicer foods – i.e. fruit and cheese.

Stretch and compost leftovers: If you bought too much food, the best thing is to make yummy leftovers with it. We have some great holiday leftover ideas here at Thrifty Mommy. You can also compost which is a great way to get an early start on healthy soil for spring.

What are some other ways to save money on Christmas dinner?

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

You may want to consider train travel – while coach train travel can be costly, if you go economy, you might save some cash, and kids love the train.

It’s a little late to get a good deal on plane tickets – technically experts say you should get winter tickets in the summer to get the best deal. However, you can save somewhat by getting online – by shopping for travel deals online you can compare prices, check out hotel and plane reviews, plus get it all done faster. Visit Travelzoo to get deals emailed to you. Also focus on safety; find the safest and best baby approved hotels with Baby Safe Travel. A hotel that’s not baby friendly is no bargain.

If you’re a military family you may be eligible for many military travel discounts.

Consider CAREFULLY if you should stay with family. Case in point; once my son’s dad and me went to stay with my in-laws and it was such a total nightmare (long story short – mean MIL) that we paid a ton of money extra simply to change flights in order to get away sooner. It would have been cheaper to stay in a hotel – and better for everyone’s mood. On the flip side if you can make family stays work you’ll save a lot, but in my opinion it’s not worth your sanity to save a few bucks.

If you’re driving check out Consumer Reports advice on safer and cheaper holiday travel.

If you’re willing to fly ON Christmas or New Years, you can possibly save more because people don’t want to travel on the actual holiday so prices go down. Be aware though, many people I know have been bumped on holidays because of overbooking and end up sitting in a airport.

Plan a trip after the holidays. It’ll cost less, be less hectic, and everyone will be relaxed. No one says you can’t see the family in January.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Head over to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and sign up for recall information related to toys, baby gear, sports & recreation products, household products, and more. The CPSC makes it terribly easy to sign up for recall info. You can sign up for product recall alerts by…

• Email
• RSS
• Wireless devices

You can even place recall alerts on your own website or blog. If you don’t want to sign up for recalls you can simply visit their site once a week to learn about all the current recalls. Through CPSC you can also learn about thrift store and used product recalls, listen to recall podcasts, hit them up on Twitter, or even visit their YouTube channel.

CPSC is not the only recall venue though. You can also check out Recall.gov, a site consisting of recall information from six different federal agencies which makes the site a “one stop shop” for U.S. Government recalls.

Poorly made products and toys cause injuries each and every year costing families money, time and heartbreak. This year play it safe from the start so that your family can have a danger-free, jolly holiday – with all the options above there’s really no excuse not to.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy