Thrifty Mommy » Seasonal Savings

How to Save Money on Christmas Decorations

Karen Weideman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:17:16 +0000

All the lights, ornaments, beaded garland, holly, and Christmas decorations are beautiful and festive. The problem is, the decorations can be very costly. Here are some tips for keeping more cash in your wallet while decorating.

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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Deals & Steals for December

Jennifer Chait — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:55:32 +0000

Happy December! December is not only a harder month for most families budget-wise (because of the holidays) but it’s also a weird month for deals, especially this year. For example, products usually can be somewhat inflated during the start of the month but the week or two before Christmas retailers freak out, snap, and place everything on sale. However, this year some experts note that buying early may be the key to better December and holiday savings. Timing is a big deal in order to score optimum December deals.Following are some good deals and steals for December… Cashmere and leather clothing – You don’t even need to wait for these deals, they both tend go on sale before the holidays. If you’re ok with the ethics of leather, buy these goods in early December before the best stuff is sold out.The gym – Toward the end of December, everyone starts thinking about New Year’s resolutions, and gyms know it. Most health clubs reduce fees, offer two-for-one join ups, and other deep discounts because they know people will jump on it. With that in mind, I’d like to remind you that while getting healthy is smart, paying a ton of money to do so is not quite as clever. Not when research shows that 80% of people who purchase gym memberships never use them. Before shelling out the cash consider using nature to your workout advantage and check out some low-cost ways to get fit; no gym necessary.Leftovers – Grocery stores have excess Thanksgiving goods on sale right now, and the best part is that most of these groceries can also be used for Christmas or other winter holiday meals. Stock up on dry baking goods, canned pie fillings, and other easy to store or freeze food, including the turkey, before prices climb up again for Christmas.Christmas goodies and decor – Right smack before Christmas is the best time to stock up on holiday wrap, bows, stocking stuffers, and more holiday goods. Wait for sales to hit the week before Christmas then snag these goods up before others get to them first.Consumer Reports says that consumers should look for deals on the following goods in December:

Bikes
Computers
Gas grills
Small consumer electronics
Toys
TVs
Last minute travel deals

Do you have any secret tips for December deals?[image via stock.xchng]

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Deals & Steals for November

Jennifer Chait — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:59:03 +0000

Happy November all. Now is the time most people really start to panic about the holiday budget – there’s meals, gifts, and plenty of extra events to figure in and it can be scary. Still, there are plenty of good deals to be had in November. Such as…

TOYS: Many of the mass market retailers put stuff on sale now, not in December as you might expect so that they can one, see how much interest there is in a specific popular toy, and two, clear the shelves for last minute holiday toy stocking.

HEALTH INSURANCE: Health insurance is usually hitting open enrollment during November. If you don’t have a plan, now is a good time to shop for one. If you do have a plan now is the perfect time to fine tune your plan’s features, change options, or make other changes.

THANKSGIVING EVERYTHING: In early November all the best Thanksgiving gear (dishes, canned foods, textiles, and decor) goes on sale.

PRE-HOLIDAY EVERYTHING: Thanksgiving is not the only holiday to launch off in a big way in November. Start looking for stocking stuffers, gift wrap, and all your other winter holiday goods now.

BAKING SUPPLIES: Don’t go nuts with the baking goods if baking is just a plan you might follow through with, but for you real bakers out there, pie filling, flour, spices, chocolate chips, condensed milk, and much more will go on sale in November at most markets.

TURKEY: Wait for it… right after Thanksgiving (those few days before December) turkeys can be had at some seriously discounted prices. If you’ve got a freezer, stock up on birds now for late winter sandwiches and soups.

Consumer Reports notes that November is also an excellent time to purchase baby products, bikes, computers, and gas grills for less.

Do you have any November money saving ideas?

[image via stock.xchng]

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5 Ways to Save Money on Entertaining

Karen Weideman — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:36:51 +0000

Let the parties begin! With several holidays so close together, this is the time of year when folks begin planning their parties. Entertaining doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money. Here are some money saving tips to get you started.

1) Shop sales and use coupons. During this time of year, you might see holidays items on sale. If you see the cocktail weenies on sale buy 1 get 1 free, go ahead and purchase enough for your party rather than paying full price later. Of course, make sure they’ll still be in date.

2) Have a potluck or cook off. Have a soup party or chili cook off. Award a prize to the winner.

3) Borrow decorations and glassware. Some of your friends and family may have a punch bowl, hurricane lanterns, greenery, and other items you can use.

4) Serve inexpensive foods. Rather than paying high prices for expensive finger foods, have a simple inexpensive meal. Something with pasta is usually inexpensive. You can also make cakes, brownies, and cookies for little cost.

5) Make your own invitations. You can make your own invitations using card stock. Also, check discount stores for bargains on premade invitations. If you feel it’s ok to go paper-free, you can email the invites.

What ways do you save while entertaining?

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33 Do-It-Yourself Costume Ideas

Karen Weideman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:13:16 +0000

For the first time ever, I have three kids this Halloween. If you’re like me, you don’t have $30-50 per kid to spend on a costume. I’ve been searching around the internet and have found some do-it-yourself ideas. Hopefully there will something that you like.

Black Knight Costume

Pocahontas

Parents has some cute costume ideas. You probably have many of the items needed already at home.

Scuba Diver – uses 2 liter soda bottles, tubing, and goggles
Beauty Queen
Basketball Player
Artist
Mad Scientist
Rock Star
Magician
Doctor
Chef
Zoo Keeper
Construction Worker

Handmade Costumes – Most of these costume ideas are for smaller children.

Little Lamb – This one is my favorite. It’s so adorable!
Dalmation Puppy
Crazy Caterpillar
Rooster
Goldfish

From Better Homes & Gardens

Were there any costumes that you liked?

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How to Stay Out of Debt This Christmas

Karen Weideman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:35:45 +0000

While I’m sure mentioning this topic is going to bring some eye rolls and heavy sighs, we can’t deny that Christmas will be here soon. So rather than avoiding the issue, let’s take it on and discuss some ways to plan and stay out of debt. As Dave Ramsey says, “Children do what feels good. Adults make a plan and follow it.” I propose that we make a plan to stay out of debt this Christmas.

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:

Have you planned for Christmas?

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Save money on winter heating costs

Jennifer Chait — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:25:52 +0000

It’s getting seriously cold in Oregon – of course I’m a cold wimp, but still! If it’s getting cold where you are you may be frustrated with how expensive it gets in the winter to heat your home, but no worries you can cut costs.

Lowering your thermostat by just a couple of numbers can save you a lot. If it’s cold put a sweater on first then gauge how warm you actually need the thermostat set at. For each degree you turn the heat down, you could save 1% which sounds like nothing, until you turn it down 5 numbers each day, all winter long. It adds up fast.
See if you qualify for a Home Weatherization Assistance Program – which is FREE if you do qualify but will save you scads of cash.
Seal gaps or cracked seams in or around exposed ducts, doors, windows, baseboards, outlets, and so on. Each crack in your home lets that cold air in.
Place window shrink wrap on older windows. Consider using this year’s tax refund for newer better windows that will keep out the cold.
When you leave, turn off the heat! There’s no need to pay to heat an empty house – unless you have pets – don’t leave the heat on all the way, but it’s not cool to freeze them.

P.S. plant some evergreens – it won’t help right away but could help a lot later on.

[image via stock.xchng]

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Deals & Steals for October

Jennifer Chait — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:14:53 +0000

October kicks off the major holiday season so saving money become super important. It’s much better to start of the holidays with cash to spare. Here are some good October deals…

Plants, trees, and gardening supplies continue to go down in price during October. People aren’t buying as many gardening items including plants, so nursery and home improvement stores sell this gear for less.

The last of those school supplies and calendars for the school year go on sale big time. Take a look at the clearance racks at any office store for amazing sales on this sort of gear.

Vacations usually go down in price now, because kids just went back to school, the big holiday travel season (i.e Thanksgiving and Christmas) haven’t hit yet, so folks just don’t travel like they were traveling in the summer. This means big savings on theme park and other holiday locations.

Big appliances usually debut in early fall and to make room on the floor, older models get marked down.

Consumer Reports notes that October is a great time of year to get deals on bikes, gas grills, winter coats, and digital cameras.

[image via stock.xchng]

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How to Cut Down Your Christmas Gift List

Karen Weideman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:53:01 +0000

Earlier this week, I posted about some ways to cut out some of your Christmas expenses. One of the ways listed was to cut down your Christmas gift list. It’s simply not necessary to buy for every aunt, uncle, and cousin. That’s not what Christmas is about anyway.

Tiffany from Stuff Parents Need commented with a great question.

Do you have any tips for how to tactfully remove people from your list? We have a few aunts and uncles that I’d like to stop buying presents for, not because I don’t love them, but because I think us continuing to exchange presents is really unnecessary at this point. But I don’t know how to stop because they always get us something, too!

I just went through this issue a few year’s ago, so here are some tips to make it through the Christmas list cuts.

1) Suggest a gift exchange. You could say something like, “I know that many of our budgets are tighter this year. Rather than us spending money that we don’t have, could we have a gift exchange?” Suggest making a want list for each person and drawing names.

2) Suggest a gift game. Some of you may have heard of Dirty Santa. This is where you decide who goes first. That person picks a gift. Then the next person picks a gift. They can keep their gift or take another person’s gift. A gift can only be taken twice.

3) Make a charitable donation instead of gift giving. Tell your family that everyone is so blessed and you think it would be great to give to a needy child or charity instead. Perhaps everyone could go in together and purchase some goats, chickens, or something similar through World Vision for an impoverished country.

4) If you still feel like you can’t completely cut someone out of your Christmas list, cut on the amount you spend. Purchase each person a gift that costs $3-5 rather than a $10-15 gift. These could be homemade gifts or something simple like a mug or basket with candy. I’d certainly be happy if someone gave me a mug of Dove or Ghiradelli chocolates. It wouldn’t matter if it only cost a few dollars.

What do you think of these ideas? Will you be cutting back this year?

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Cutting Back on Your Christmas Expenses

Karen Weideman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:44:34 +0000

Christmas is only three months away. You may be thinking, ‘Please don’t say it! Don’t bring up that topic. I’m not ready yet!’. We can’t shoo away the fact that Christmas will be here before we know it, but we can prepare. For many, money is tight this year and alternative plans need to be made. Here are some ways to cut back on your spending this year.

1) If you have young children, consider purchasing used toys and clothes for them or having a toy and clothing swap with friends. Young children don’t know if the item is new or used. They’re just excited to see a different toy.

2) Cut out some names on your list. This may sound horrible to some, but you don’t need to buy for every aunt, uncle, and cousin. I started practicing this tip a few years ago. Even though I was thrifty with my shopping, things were getting out of hand and the list needed to be shortened.

3) Host a party. Have a party for your friends and decide on something inexpensive to exchange such baked goods, ornaments, or a gag gift. Have everyone bring one item and then play a game to exchange. If you’re having a baked goods exchange, then provide bags or boxes for take home food.

4) Give homemade gifts. You’ve heard this tip for years and perhaps you think it can’t be done. Actually, there are so many nice handmade gift ideas out there now. From soap, candles, purses, cookies in a jar, hot cocoa mix, and more . . . you can find something to make.

Stay tuned to Thrifty Mommy. During the upcoming months, we hope to share some inexpensive gift ideas.

What ways do you plan to cut back on your Christmas spending?

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