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Eeek, Mother’s Day is this Sunday! Time is running out to find the perfect gift. Here are a few ideas.
- Grab a basket, extra bowl, or gift bag you have around the house and stuff it with a few treats from Cost Plus World Market or another store. I like to line the container with shredded newspaper to give it a store-bought feel. Pick a theme for the items, such as sweet, savory, spicy, or chose items that relate to her hobby.
- Send her an e-card (with or without an attached gift card). I like Blue Mountain’s free e-cards.
- Buy her a spa treatment and include the babysitting she needs make the appointment
- Create a cookbook for her by printing out recipes from online sites like Epicurious or Allrecipes.
- Fill her gas tank (or surprise her with another overdue chore).
- Give her a gift certificate to Sephora (if she likes makeup), Nordstrom (if she has expensive taste) or Target (if you don’t know where she shops – it’s general enough she should be able to find something she likes)
- Find a florist near her home and arrange to have flowers delivered.
- If all else fails, tell your Mom you are thinking about her over the phone (this is the “gift” my Mom said she wanted when I asked her for ideas)
For more ideas read my post on 12 mother’s day gifts from the heart – not the wallet.
1) Breakfast in bed – doesn’t matter if this has been done a million times, it still pleases.
2) Make a video – ask each of her children what they love about her on DVD.
3) Frame a picture - choose a picture of you and her or better yet, of her grandchildren.
4) Memory jar – write a dozen of your favorite memories of your Mom on slips of paper. This works best if you can get siblings to contribute.
5) Help in the garden/around the house – do a few hours of work that she might not be able to do herself anymore, or just doesn’t want to do!
6) Make her dinner – have fun with it by creating a special menu and table setting.
7) Talent show – if you have a big family that lives nearby, enlist their help to perform short skits for your Mom. The skits don’t have to be about her or her life because the act of everyone working hard to entertain her will be a fabulous gift.
Personalized tote – purchase a blank tote and decorate it yourself (or have her grandchildren do the honors). Fill the tote with gifts.
9) A Small Indulgence – Erin at About.com’s Frugal Living blog suggests finding “out what your Mom has been denying herself, and then buy it for her.” Perhaps it is a particular beauty product, type of chocolate or magazine.
10) Print coupons - go online and sift through recent newspapers for coupons you know your Mom uses.
11) Picnic lunch – pack a lunch and take her on a hike, to the beach, or to a park.
12) Write a letter - tell your mom what you appreciate about her. Bonus points for special stationary or a hand-decorated envelope.
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What do YOU want for Mother’s Day? Share what’s on your wish list – it may give another reader an idea!
Linsey Knerl, who blogs at Wise Bread and is one of Wal-Mart’s 11 moms, interviewed me about mother’s day gifts from the heart on Blog Talk Radio recently. The show is taped and then shared with listeners online. You can listen here! (After an intro, I come in at about 5 minutes.)
Note to my mom: you shouldn’t listen to this unless you want to know what I’m giving you for Mother’s Day.
I just picked up my new eyeglasses from Costco and LOVE them! They stay on my head, look cute but not lawerly (which was a problem with my last pair, especially with dresses) and were about $150 less than I would have paid at Lens Crafters, where I used to go for glasses.
They cost $107, about $50 MORE than if I had bought them online. (My previous post covered options to buy cheap glasses online.)
In the end the extra $50 allowed me to try them on before purchasing, which was important to me. But I plan to test out an online glasses stores soon because my prescription changed and I would like new sunglasses. I don’t care as much about how the sunglasses look so stay tuned for my full report!
Are you on Twitter? I am! Follow me @bargainbabe
If you already are on my email list, you will find my “tweets” redundant because I post all my deals on Twitter. But if you prefer communicating with me in 140 characters, by all means, follow me @bargainbabe.
If you are new to Twitter, it is a way to share information online with people who “follow you.” You cannot chose who follows you unless you block your updates. Each time I “tweet” my followers get a message posted to their Twitter account. Twitter posts, or “tweets,” are limited to 140 characters and can include links to other websites.
Thanks!
Marley the Party Goddess shares six tips to throw a low-cost wine party:
1. Mix it up – Feature different wines from super cheap Two Buck Chuck to pricey. See if your guests really can tell the difference. Make SURE to disguise the labels.
2. Be tricky – Pick four to six wines of varying prices and hide the bottles (in a sock, wine sleeve, whatever). This time though, just put the dollar amount and the type of wine on the tag (ie – chardonnay , $37/bottle). Then ask your guests to describe why they think that wine is more expensive than the other wine labeled “chardonnay $12.” The trick is that you’ve really mixed up the wines. The most expensive are really the cheapest and vice versa.
3. Create a Wine IQ test – Pick four kinds of wines from the bottles your guests have brought, all different: a shiraz, merlot, cabernet, etc and cover the bottles. Then see if the guests can actually tell you which one is which. You’ll be surprised!
4. Make it a potluck – Have everyone bring a dish OR a bottle of wine. At the end of the night, guests get to decide which wine/food pairings tasted the best.
5. Discuss the defaults – During the party ask your guests what their “default” bottle of wine is and why. Makes for good conversation.
6. For wine sophisticates, pick a theme – Decide that you’re going to taste 6 different California chardonnays (or different bottles of another type of wine) and taste and rate them according to a wine wheel that you hand out at the beginning of the evening. Guests write down the characteristics that they taste in the wine and then compare notes.
A friend tipped me off to a little known fact – many campsites are free! She writes:
You have to pay at any state or regional park or national monument (aka Yosemite), whether you make a reservation or not. Where you don’t have to pay for camping is in federal wilderness, BLM land and national forests — in many cases you can camp anywhere you feel like it provided you have a camping permit.
To check the facts I called Kevin Mack, who is campaign director at the Wilderness Society in Washington, D.C. I found many free camping options are rustic – but not all!
Wilderness areas are the most protected land in the U.S. Some require permits but often there is no fee associated. Mechanized travel is not allowed, so no cars or bikes. Campgrounds are not carved out like at national parks and there is no running water or toilets. You can park on the edge of a wilderness area and hike in, or go by horseback, kayak, or canoe. Once you get there you can hunt, fish, hike and rock climb. For more info visit Wilderness.net, which has a handy map of wilderness areas.
A whopping 89 percent of Bureau of Land Management territory does not have fees. Some require a permit, others don’t. Most are unmarked and waiting for you to find them. Typically, BLM land has minimal or no services (like running water, pit toilets, or designated campsites). You may be able to drive in on a 4-wheel vehicle, hike in, or park on the road and pitch a tent. “But it doesn’t have to be a primitive experience,” Kevin said. “I have done car camping on BLM land. You can bring a cooler and have a gin and tonic at the end of the day. The only difference is you are by yourself and you have to think creatively about your bathroom facilities.”
About 10 percent of BLM land is managed by the National Landscape Conservation System, which offers more traditional camping options.
Most National Forests are free to camp in and ideal for folks comfortable looking at a map and contacting the local ranger station for info. But you don’t have to be a burly man or 20-something backpacker, Kevin said. “Just be willing to step off the paved road…and drive down a dirt road and chose your own camp spot,” he said. National forests that are highly trafficked usually have fees. Search for sites by state on this page.
RV sites for less than $10 a night: If you RV, check out FreeCampgrounds.com, which list extremely cheap places to park overnight by state. The list includes parks, rest areas, store parking lots, and more. The site also lists Wal-Mart stores that do NOT allow overnight parking.
Also check out FreeCampground.com, which lists a limited number of free sites by state. There were just 7 free campgrounds in California, none in Maryland and four in Oregon.
Thanks, Mariel!
Hi folks,
Last night the blogging software I use, called WordPress, began rejecting the photos I uploaded. A timing mechanism is also broken. So no photos today, at least. Hopefully it will be fixed soon. Thanks for your patience!
~Julia
aka
Bargain Babe
I mentioned this site to exchange homes yesterday and just found out they are offering 25 percent of a $99 year-long membership to Bargain Babe readers. Use discount code BB09, which expires May 31, 2009.
I’m jealous if you have the moolah to travel abroad this summer, but not too jealous. International travel is exPENsive! Here are ten tips to keep costs low.
1. To cut down on your food tab, make a trip to the grocery store when you arrive. Stock up on cereal and milk or whatever you like to eat for breakfast. Buy bread and PB&J or sliced meat for lunch, plus snacks like apples, muffins, cookies, trail mix, and chips. If you have access to a fridge, add in carrot sticks, string cheese, yogurts, etc.
2. Check if your credit card charges a foreign exchange fee, says Christopher Elliot, who writes the syndicated Travel Troubleshooter column. This fee can be 2-3 percent of your transaction, sucking up dollars when you could be using cash, traveler’s checks, or a credit card without this fee. Credit unions do not typically charge this fee, Elliot said.
3. Find a place to sleep on Couchsufing.com, which connects travelers with locals willing to open up their homes and a spot on their couch. The site emphasizes the cultural exchange that can happen between host and travelers, not just free shelter. Some say this group is the modern-day equivalent of Servas.
4. Avoid restaurants that are tourist traps (i.e. the cheesy place 10 feet from the tourist attraction) and venture out to places where locals fill their belly. Many countries have excellent fast food and street food options, which are tres cheap, Elliot said.
5. Use mass transit. Americans are not used to taking the train/bus/metro in our hometowns because the systems are, with a few exceptions, terrible. But many cities in Europe have excellent mass transit. Buying a day or week pass is almost always cheaper than taking a taxi or renting a car. Plus, mass transit offers great people watching.
6. If you want to go on a tour but need to save money, book a trip through Untours.com, which boasts cheaper (and less structured) trips than a guided tour. You stay in a home or apartment instead of a hotel and Untours plans as many or as few excursions as you want. Trips are 7 days minimum and meals are not included.
7. When you are planning your trip, look for free days at any museums you want to visit.
8. Rent an apartment instead of staying at a hotel. Use your best judgment when making arrangements. If it sounds too good to be true…you can always go to Google street view to see what the place looks like. Also check for comments from others that have stayed at the apartment or house. Pay with a credit card – never cash or wire transfers – to protect yourself.
9. Stand up for a dose of culture. “Even the most expensive theaters and operas have a backdoor option and that is standing room,” Elliot said. “It sounds like hassle but I’ve done standing room and it costs literally dollars” to see the same production everyone else is paying through the nose for. At intermission, you can fill the seat of someone who has gone home.
10. Research free performances. Arts are so heavily subsidized in Europe that there are plenty of free options. “If want to see a band or orchestra, do a little research and you might find they are performing free in the park the day after they give a concert.”
Note: if you are traveling abroad and need a last-minute passport, AllStarPassports.com, which has offices in LA, can turn it around that same day (for $200), the next day ($150) or in five to seven days ($99). Info at 1-866-525-7255.
Just got word of a fabulous deal for active duty members of the military. “In honor of National Military Appreciation Month, JetBlue is offering active duty military personnel $1 fares for domestic, nonstop flights, for a limited time, departing from the two Jetblue cities nearest to the nation’s capital: Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., and Richmond International Airport in Richmond, Va.,” says a press release from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Good for nonstop flights from Dulles to Boston, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and New York/JFK. From Richmond, the $1 deal is good for nonstop flights to Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and New York/JFK.
Bring a valid Department of Defense common access card and official documentation to check in. Flights booked with this deal are not eligible for online flight check-in or at an airport kiosk. Taxes and fees still apply.
To book the $1 fare, call 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583) and select Option 4.
Caveats: must book by May 7 for travel between May 8 and May 31 from Dulles or Richmond to any JetBlue destination in the continental United States served nonstop from those airports. Proof of eligibility is required. Retirees, reservists and military families are not eligible.
Thank you, Dan.
Get a free personalized card from Hallmark when you register for their site and use a coupon code available on a cool blog called MyMoneyBlog. Delivery is not guaranteed for Mother’s Day this Sunday, May 10, but you may still want to follow through and get the free personalized card.
Hi folks,
Today and tomorrow I’m focusing on saving money on your summer vacation. I’ve suggested five week-long trips you can take for under $1,000, tips to cut down on airfare, and a great site for getting a deal on a cruise.
Come back tomorrow for even more tips about reducing the cost of your summer vacation. And please chime in with your own tips!
~Julia
aka Bargain Babe
Here are five week-long summer vacations that cost less than $1,000.
1. Go camping. For big families camping is the classic cheapo vacation that can be a ton of fun. Look for sites that have a water hole or river nearby, trails and other activities to keep the kids occupied. You can make reservations at federal, state and private campgrounds through ReserveAmerica.com. If you camp a LOT, consider joining PassportAmerica.com, which costs $44 a year but offers camp reservations up to 50% off. Think camping is too rustic? Most KOA’s have WiFi.
2. Go home. This works best for groups trying to pick a destination. Why not head to the house of a group member? Reader Tammy said she and her family are considering going to her sister’s house, which has a pool, for a money-saving vacation. “Fun can be had anywhere,” she said.
3. Swap houses. Cut your hotel bill down to zero by vacationing in the home of a family member, friend, or stranger while they vacation in yours. As long as you are not in your own home, it will feel like getting away! Swapping homes with a stranger sounds scary, but there are ways to ensure your safety. Ask for and check references. Arrange to meet the person face-to-face before the swap, if possible, and alert your neighbors to look out for odd behavior. Have a backup plan just in case.
I had good luck setting up a house swap in Paris via Craigslist and saved $700 over 5 nights. You can also join HomeExchange.com, which costs $99 a year and has detailed descriptions of homes being offered for swaps. Browsing the site is free. (For the vacation-starved this is like dangling paradise in front of your face).
4. Get in the car and drive. Flying is a major expense that you can cut out by staying relatively close to home. So what if a road trip is not exotic? Make the most of it because you’re on vacation! To keep costs under $1,000 for the week, stay in budget hotels or camp.
5. Go to the beach. Many beaches are free or require a low-cost pass, so your main expense is going to be lodging. If you can keep that to $500 or less for the week you should be able to come in under $1,000 for the trip.
To keep all your expenses low, check out my next post on tips to cutting corners while traveling.
