I thought some do-it-yourself gift basket ideas might inspire you to make your own.

For the reader - A book by their favorite author, bookmark, book light, gift certificate to a book store, highlighter, reading glasses, mug, coffee, cider, or other beverage.  You might also want to include a special edible treat.

For a family - A family gift is a great way to save money.  You could include board games, dvds, popcorn, hot chocolate, movie passes, snack foods, a Wii game,  sodas, and a little something for each person in the family. 

For the gardener - You can sometimes purchase nice gardening tools at discount stores.  Check places such as Marshall and Ross for gardening stationery, or other inexpensive gardening themed items.  Also include some bulbs or seeds and gardening gloves.  Some book stores have bargain books which are discounted.  Check there for gardening books.

For a friend - Non-themed baskets are also nice.  If you’re making a basket for a friend, consider adding her favorite things or things she can use to pamper herself.  Some ideas are nail polish, make up, bubble bath, movie passes for the two of you, a special ornament, gift card, book, hot chocolate, coffee, a nice mug, a pair of earrings.

For the coffee lover – Their favorite coffee, monogrammed mugs, a sampling of different coffees (the small 1 oz bags work well for this), gift card to a local coffee shop, coffee syrup and creamers, magazine, book, chocolates.

These are just some ideas to help.  There are hundreds of other ways to make gift baskets.  If you’re a frugal shopper, you can shop the sales or shop for clearance items throughout the year.  There are also other ways to save on gift baskets.  You might also consider a gift basket as a group gift.

Will you be giving any gift baskets this year?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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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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?

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1.  Go to the park.
2.  Watch a dvd and eat popcorn.
3.  Make pancakes.
4.  Make playdough.
5.  Play with playdough.
6.  Build something with blocks.
7.  Play school.  Let your child be the teacher.
8.  Paint or draw together.
9.  Ride bikes.
10.  Go for a walk around the neighborhood.
11.  Garden together.
12.  Visit a neighbor.
13.  Do something special for an elderly person such as clean their house, do their errands, cook, or visit.
14.  Write a card or letter to someone.
15.  Sing songs.
16.  Play video games together.
17.  Pray for the needy.
18.  Make Oobleck.
19.  Go through all of the toys and organize them.
20.  Visit a farm to pick fruits and vegetables.
21. Have a picnic lunch.
22. Play board games.
23. Create a photo book or scrapbook.
24. Go camping.
25. Tell jokes.

Also, check out these free winter fun ideas. What low cost fun activities can you suggest?

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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)  Commit to eating all of your meals at home for the next two weeks.  No more last minute eating out; no more trips through the drive-thru.

2)  Plan your meals for the week.  Look through the sales flyers, look in your pantry and freezer.  Plan your meals according to what is on sale and what you already have.

3)  Take a snack and a drink with you.  Whenever we leave the house, we usually take a container of ice water and a snack.  Many times we are out of the house longer than anticipated.  It’s good to be prepared in order to avoid pulling over at the drive-thru or gas station.

4)  Make your own coffee.  Coffee is one of my weaknesses.  The problem is my favorite coffee drink costs over $4.  I have learned to make my own at home.

5)  Look for inexpensive entertainment.  Forget going to the movies and other expensive outings.  Have a family game night or rent a movie from redbox.  Check out your local city’s website for free and low cost activities.

What ways can you cut your expenses?

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If a person smokes just one pack of cigarettes each day for 20 years, the cost of the unhealthy habit will be at least $25,000.  Think of what you could do with $25,000!  The thing is, smoking just doesn’t cost you money for cigarettes, it also costs you money for other things such as higher premiums on health and life insurance.

Other reasons to quit smoking:

• decreased coughing and shortness of breath
• decreased risk of coronary heart disease
• decreased risk of stroke
• decreased risk of lung, mouth, throat, and other cancers
• decreased health risk from secondhand smoke
• more environmentally friendly

The American Cancer Society has support for those who are quitting.  Help is available 24 hours a day.

Have you thought of quitting?

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Here are few ways to save on babysitting.

1)  Go on a lunch date. This is our newest way to save.  Our three oldest children are in school and our youngest is in preschool part-time.  We finally have a consistent time that we can get out together.

2)  Trade babysitting with others.  If you know of other parents that have kids, offer to trade with them.  Everyone needs some time alone and they would probably be willing to work something out.

3)  Call on friends and relatives.  We are really unfortunate that we don’t live near family.  If I did, we wouldn’t have any issue with babysitting.  Thankfully, we have a person that we call on every few months to give us a night out together.  She does this for free because she loves us.  I used to do this more often before I had kids.  There’s nothing wrong with helping people out, right?!?

4)  Join a babysitting co-op.  Some co-ops are very organized and they have systems with points where you can earn points per hour, per child, etc.  It sounds a little complicated, but these parents have found a system that works for them.

5)  Check into community babysitting services.  Some churches offer free or low cost babysitting.  Sometimes it is a fundraiser for the youth group.  Activities are planned and supervised by adults while the youth of the church play with your kids.  Some churches offer a night of free babysitting as a service to the community.

What ways do you save on babysitting?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

With only one grocery store in town, I was left with the option of shopping there or driving 30 minutes each way.  My grocery bill had jumped 30% and something needed to be done.  It took me a few months to develop a system for saving money, but I think I’ve adjusted pretty well.

Here are some tips for saving money in a small town.

1)  Talk to friends and neighbors.  Let them know that you’re trying to find the best deals.  They may have suggestions for certain grocery stores or they may know of some discount grocery stores in the area.  Now that my friends know that I’m looking for deals, they sometimes email me to let me know of good sales.

2)  Stock up on deals when they have them.  I’ve mentioned the stockpiling/buying ahead principle before.  If something that you use is at a rock bottom price, stockpile that item while you can.  My husband doesn’t understand why I bought 15 cans of tuna last month.  It was 3/$1.  We won’t be needing tuna for a while and now it won’t cost me $1/can.

3)  Comparison price online.  Subscribe to grocery store weekly sales that are within 30 minutes of your home. 

4)  Shop in the city on occasion.  After comparison shopping online, plan to take part of your day to shop in the city.  Plan your route with your sale information to save money and time.

5)  Check your town’s website.  Some towns have their own website which includes information about free events, coupons to businesses, and promotions in the area.

Do you have any tips for saving money in a small town?

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