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While my husband and I were still engaged, we went to our nearest Christmas store after Christmas and bought a $600 beautiful fake tree for less than $200. After we got married, we already had our tree with which to enjoy our first Christmas together. With local prices for real trees nearing almost $80, our tree will have more than paid for itself in three years!
Janine W.
Another good reason to remove (and save) packaging is that if you plan to someday re-sell your children's out-grown toys at a yard sale or resale shop, they sell much quicker and for much more if they are in the original packaging.
Laurie
My church collects food for a food pantry each week, but as a graduate student, I live on a tight budget and don't have much to give. I have learned to maximize my giving by taking advantage of double coupon offers at my local grocery store. They often coordinate the Sunday coupon offers with their sales each week, so sometimes I can get items for free or really, really cheap. Although I don't have much to give monetarily, I can turn my savvy shopping into a gift that helps others!
K
If you use nightlights, you know the replacement bulbs can be pricey. This time of year is when we stock up on extra Christmas light replacement bulbs because they fit perfectly in our nightlights and it's fun to use the different colors! (nightlight bulbs only come in white) There are two sizes of bulbs often sold loose and it's the smaller of the two that fit most nightlights. This is much cheaper than buying "nightlight replacement bulb" packages.
MKC
Instead of buying an air freshener for my car (which runs about $3), I simply take a few fabric softener dryer sheets and tuck them under the car mats, or in the side map pockets. The make the car smell fresh, without being overpowering, and they are very inexpensive.
Laura G
For me, it is a no brainer. I use credit or cash (when credit is not accepted), but I never use debit. Why? With credit, you have the extra protection against fraud, and often extra product insurance. Also, you don't get any price breaks for using debit (i.e. no cash discount). And, with a debit card, unless you are very careful about entering your debit transactions in your checkbook, you will be bouncing checks all over the place, which will cost you money. Debit? No thanks.
Amy
When my family and I are in town and the kids are thirsty, instead of buying a drink that could cost 75 cents to $1.20 a bottle, I stop at a local grocery store and get a two liter bottle of soda. Then I go through one of the local fast food chains and get cups of ice. The cups of ice usually are anywhere from free to 25 cents. This way I can buy four drinks for what it would normally cost to buy one drink.
Amy
Several years ago, the big gifts for my two children were bicycles. Bicycles obviously wouldn't fit under the tree and no amount of wrapping would conceal the fact of what they were. I knew that if they saw those items first, the few remaining gifts would be overlooked in their rush to go outside and ride. What to do?
My (slightly) devious mind came up with an answer very quickly, a treasure hunt! So that morning, Rebekah and Daniel were delighted to wake up to a tree with three modest gifts under it along with a few extras from aunts and uncles sent from far away. And they enjoyed going through their stockings to find candy, fruit, a couple of inexpensive knick-knacks, and a small mysterious box! Upon opening the box, each found directions to another part of the house. At that location, they would find a piece of candy and directions to another place in the house, etc.! That morning I was treated to the incredible sight of my children scampering all over the house, crawling under tables and sofas, finding new directions, laughing and shrieking with each new discovery. My wife sat and laughed until she cried at their antics. The last two discoveries sent them to the back corner of our yard and then to the Christmas tree, giving me time to roll the bikes from the front porch to the tree.
The cost? A little thought and a few slips of paper and candy. The benefit? A priceless Christmas memory!
Randall D.
After Christmas, I go shopping early to get the half priced wrapping paper and bags of bows, but I only buy solid colors or the shiny gold and silver that do not have an obvious "Christmas" theme. Now, I have lots of wrapping paper and bows for birthdays, showers, and weddings. With the solid colors, I buy half price stickers throughout the year and decorate the presents with them.
Laurie
Last week, I bought the value pack of round steak at $1.67 lb. I then had the butcher grind the steaks into hamburger. So I ended up with very lean ground beef for $1.67 per pound. This is much cheaper than if I had bought the ground beef as is at the meat counter.
AA
I safety-pin my socks together, so they never get eaten (or separated) by the washing machine.
Alan D.
Combine the cloves and cinnamon stick in the sock and close with the rubber band. Then just put it into your car.
G
Christmas shopping begins the day after Christmas for real bargains or right before if the economy is slow and things are marked down. Also, if you get together after Christmas, wait until you find good sales. I always wait until the day after to go to Hickory Farms for gifts to those outside of our family and with whom we don't exchange right away.
Gramma Ruth
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