Halloween decorating ideas, Creating a holiday budget, and Debt collection

tuxstorm / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Entertainment options – Free and cheap way to entertain your child when they are at home. (Wisebread) UPDATE: Now that I have kids, I can appreciate these ideas. You should also check out our list of 100 cheap and free things to do with your kids. A lot of it are outdoor activities, so if it’s February and you live in Minnesota, you’re out of luck.

Don’t get harassed – How to deal with debt collection agencies (The Digerati Life). I recently got to test out a new Samsung Galaxy S4 on behalf of Cricket Wireless (the network was great, the phone was too once I got used to it) and someone who owed money must have used the number before me because I got a bunch of weird calls the first few weeks I had it. Once I answered them and they realized the number had been switched, the bizarre calls stopped. But I could see how awful it would be to get hounded by creditors. Another reason to pay your bill off in full!

Halloween decorations – 10 cheap DIY Halloween decorating ideas to get your home looking great! (MoneyCrashers) Gotta love making your own decorations for Halloween. (I also make my own decorations for Christmas and Easter.) Especially if you have kids. A lot of times, activities can be tailored to the ages, abilities, and interest of your kids. I’m always surprised when I start a craft activity, how many items I already have on hand. And I’m not even a crafty person.

Holiday budget – How to create and stick to a holiday budget so you don’t miss anyone on your list this year. (MainStreet). Holiday budgeting is a must. One friend has a 3 gift limit for each of her kids. It’s brilliant. In the past several years, my extended family has limited our gift giving and I realized how much more I enjoy the holidays when I’m not bogged down by my Christmas shopping. I’d so much rather spend the time connecting with my family and friends than worrying about crossing every name off my list. That’s not what the holidays are supposed to be about!

Car Insurance – Find out how age affects your car insurance rate and what you can do about it. (Free From Broke). Does this mean FFB has discovered a cure for aging? Otherwise, what CAN you do about your age and car insurance? I mean, other than lying you can’t change your age. I guess I need to read this post!