Coupons, Freebies, and Tips to Save Money Every Day
The great part of winter break is that you have tons of free time. You should use this time to enjoy the holidays and visit friends and family, but you can also take advantage of this break to make your time back at school less stressful. By mixing equal parts work and fun, you can make the most of winter break without feeling like you
I’m scared to think about how much we spent on Christmas this year. I’ve avoided looking at our credit card bill, which we’ve been capping at $2,000 each month, because I knew we were going to go over. Way over. I tried to save money on Christmas gifts this year – but with a new baby in tow, and a lot of family coming to
I thought I was being such a bargain babe by shopping for an ugly Christmas sweater party at a thrift store, where clothing prices top out at $5 per item. But I ended up overspending by 130%!!!! Egads, as my grandmother used to say. Here’s how I overspent at the thrift store.
Every year my best friend’s Mom has a huge party the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Not only does she make some of a huge amount of food (there were 15 different appetizers this year!) but she also sets up a holiday craft table that I end up showcasing on my tree or in my living room. The best part is that all of these holiday crafts
My extended family has always given gift cards and cash as presents – gifts that were much more valuable to me than even a beautiful piece of jewelry or outfit would have been. I have used this money to fund my frugal travels. I never thought the gift cards weren’t thoughtful gifts. The relatives who gave me general purpose cards would normally write me cards
I recently read the article “Should You Buy a Holiday Gift for Your Boss” on TheBillfold.com. Before reading this article, I had no idea that buying your boss a Christmas gift was uncommon. My Dad owns a small auto parts store in Rhode Island and has always been very close with the staff. Every year my Dad holds a holiday party and the staff get
Ugh. I dread the hours it takes to put together a thoughtful gift. But I also love finding the perfect gift for my extended family and friends. What a bind. This year I may send out electronic gift cards, like the animated ones below that are for sale on Amazon. Check out the cute stuff they have! Electronic gift cards are a great idea for
Let’s just put this out there—I am not crafty. Pinterest gives me panic attacks and feelings of inadequacy, so you can imagine my surprise (at myself) when I (voluntarily) chose to make my own wreath this holiday season. What the WHAT? A homemade wreath. How hard can that be, right? Well…right! This coat hanger rag wreath was easy and under $10. Doesn’t get any better
There are literally thousands of early childhood toys and games. Most of them are not worth the money, but a few are fabulous and well worth the money. As I stated in my earlier article on 10 Family Games that are Worth the Money, “I determine whether a family game is worth the money by seeing how many hours it is used.” Let’s face it
For decades my family traveled from all over the country to get together for the holidays. My job was to bring a great new toy or game that would entertain a group of people, of various ages and interests, for many hours. Here are 10 toys and family games that are worth the money because of the hours of laughter and togetherness they create. I
I fell in love with the mini pinecone Christmas Elves for sale on Etsy – but not their price tag. One set of three is selling for as much as $34! Another set of five is selling for $45! Now, I’m not a professional crafter and my homemade Christmas ornaments are not perfect. But I think the money I’m saving makes up for any imperfections.
I haven’t even started my holiday shopping yet! Seriously, I have not made a single purchase towards all the items on my holiday list. At least this year my extended family has (mostly) decided exchange “couple” gifts. So my husband and I will give my sister and her husband one gift, and they as a couple will give us one gift. Less items to shop
Throughout college I worked many different jobs, from internships to part-time jobs, to pay for part of my college costs. I was also on my school’s gymnastics team. My friends joked that I hardly had time to sleep and they were right. Even though I worked often, I graduated with honors. Still, I can’t help but wonder if my grades may have been even higher
I didn’t take my first airplane ride until I was a sophomore in high school, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t travel. During the summer or holiday season, we’d pack up the minivan with games, snacks and books and hit the road – these trips are some of my greatest memories. According to the US Travel Association, about 80 percent of Americans journey by car,
When I was younger my family was big on professional photos – I can’t imagine how much money they cost my parents. Every year we would dress in matching outfits and head to the photography studio. As we got older, and our schedules grew more hectic, finding a time where we were all available to meet with a photographer became difficult. This is when my
