Monthly Archives: December 2009

Countdown to a Frugal Holiday: Stocking Stuffers

December 10, 2009
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Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, chances are you’re going to need some “little” gifts at some point during this holiday season. It could be for a Secret Santa at the office, a small gift you’re giving in lieu of a tip or one of the eight nights of gifts you’re giving to your child on Chanukah. (When I was little, I got a small gift on each night of Chanukah. There never was one big gift to be had.)

If you don’t already have a gift closet you can raid for stocking stuffer-like presents, consider some of these suggestions (some of which I read about on a Gather Inc. blog):

  • Magazine subscriptions. You can use a blow-in card (those postcards that fall out of magazines) to order the subscription–or you can go to the magazine’s website to do that–and then you can buy a single issue of the magazine, and present it with notification of the forthcoming subscription.
  • Product samples. How many times have you shopped in a store that tossed in a few product samples–especially cosmetics, lotion or perfume? Is there someone on your list who might enjoy a stocking filled with these single-use items? If so, stockpile samples throughout the year and, voila, insta-gift.
  • Free gift cards. I’m talking about the kinds of gift cards you get as a “bonus” when you transfer a prescription, or make a purchase of a certain amount at a store–and then they throw in a free $5 or $10 gift card.
  • Candy. Two great places to stock up on affordable candy are dollar stores and stores like Five Below–which I guess is kind of like a dollar store, except everything is $5 or under. Whenever I’m going to the movies, I’ll hit up a Five Below for boxes of Raisinets and bottles of water. (So sue me–I bring in my own snacks to the movies. Can you blame me? I’m not paying those kinds of prices, though movie theaters like Regal and AMC are trying to ban customers from bringing in our own food. What are they going to do, strip search me?)

What are some of your ideas on little gifts to gather for stocking stuffing et al?

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Save More than Just Money with Your Holiday Shipping

December 9, 2009
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Another green-themed post for you.

Did you ever stop to think about how your shipped holiday gifts get to their destination? The folks at Rodale did when they did a green comparison on nationwide shippers: UPS vs. FedEx.

Believe it or not, Brown is the greenest shipper of them all, mostly because in addition to eco-friendly packaging, UPS has figured out ways to reduce fuel consumption in its trucking lines. That said, FedEx deserves two green thumbs up for a few of its initiatives, including:

  • Shipping envelopes made of 100% recycled materials
  • Boxes and other packages designed to be reused (as opposed to tossed in the trash after opening)
  • Switching some of its fleet to hybrid vehicles

Sometimes the most affordable way to ship something is through the United States Postal Service, and it’s not too shabby on the green front, too. Some of its eco-conscious efforts include providing a place for people to recycle unwanted direct mail in the post office lobbies, and letting people order postage via their computer and putting their package out with their daily mail, thus saving them the trip (and the cost of gas) to the post office.

Need to ship something this holiday season? Consider these three ways to save money and Mother Earth:

  1. Reuse boxes. Chances are people are sending you stuff. Rather than flatten those boxes and put them out with recycling, keep a few around so that when you need to ship something, you’re not only reusing this item, you’re saving yourself from having to buy a box. You can score complimentary boxes via Freecycle or Craigslist, or even through dumpster diving.
  2. Pack for as little waste as possible. I prefer packing my shipping boxes with something I know can be recycled on the other end, including shredded paper or crumpled up newspaper. Oh and the fact that these packing materials are free, too, doesn’t hurt.
  3. Plan your shipping to minimize trips. Instead of mailing one package today and another tomorrow, figure out the date by which you need to ship your packages to arrive in time for the holidays, and then plan one big shipping trip to the post office, UPS Store or FedEx. You’ll save mostly time and the money for gas in doing things this way.
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6 Tips for a Green Holiday that Saves Green

December 8, 2009
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I know that I don’t want to end up in the red after the holiday season is over. I also know that by making greener choices, I might save some green in the process. That’s why I’m giving you a quick refresher course with 6 tips on how having an eco-friendly Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or general holiday season can add up to some cha-ching for you.

1. Use sustainable gift wrap.
My grandmother would be so proud of how I’ve gotten into the habit of saving and re-using holiday wrapping paper. Not only does this cut down on trash, but it saves me money, too. “In my family, we re-gift gift bags again and again,” adds Wake Forest University Director of Sustainability Dedee DeLongpre Johnston. “Pillowcases can also make pretty gift wraps if done right.” If you can’t reuse gift wrap this year, keep this notion in the back of your mind as you clean up so you have a stash of sustainable gift wrap for next year.

2. Decorate with energy-efficient lighting.
I just wrote a post about green holiday lighting, but it’s a tip worth repeated. If you’re looking to replace your holiday lights, go with LED lights. Like CFLs, they may cost more upfront but, also like CFLs, they have a longer lifespan than standard lights, and LEDs also reduce fire risks because they stay cool to the touch. Want to be even greener? Use light-sensor timers to turn your lights on and off.

3. Give consumable gifts.
I know that around these parts, sometimes baking a batch of homemade cookies or banana chocolate chip bread to give as a gift is the quickest, easiest and most affordable gift to give. If money is tight for you this year, you can make a similar choice–especially if you present your gift in a reusable container. This way you’re not just giving “stuff” that will end up in the trash.

4. Choose a gift that benefits a good cause.
If someone has a passion in life, giving to an organization that supports their cause can be very meaningful. Whether you donate a flock of chicks to support a hungry family through Heifer International or fund the planting of trees through American Forest, you will be giving a gift that gives back and helps preserve the environment at the same time. In addition, consider doing some of your shopping at a local Goodwill store, which supports Goodwill International. Despite the stigma of thrift stores, it is possible to find brand-new, still-with-the-tags-on-them gifts at Goodwill and other resale shops.

5. Give the gift of time.
Schedule time to get together with friends and family for cookie exchanges or other meaningful holiday events. Or if you can swing it, give a gift of a service, such as a manicure or pedicure.

6. Recycle your cut tree.
If you have a cut tree, check with your local municipality to find out when they will pick it up for recycling. (You can also log onto Earth 911 to find out this tree-recycling information, sometimes called treecycling.) More than 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States each year, but more than 90 percent are being recycled for mulch or chipped and used in parks and other public spaces. OK, so this last tip isn’t as much a money saver as the others, but if you get a live tree, the best way to dispose of it is to have it recycled–not toss it in the trash.

Let us know what other green-saves-green ideas you’ll be using this holiday season.

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Countdown to a Frugal Holiday: Spare Change

December 7, 2009
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Let me ask you a question: how much spare change do you have lying around your house? What are you planning to do with it? Have you ever stopped to consider how that spare change might help to take the edge off holiday shopping?

Ever since our family became suddenly frugal, we have gathered up our spare change whenever we needed some extra dough. This usually occurred before going on a vacation or to an event. We figured if we could use “found money” to supplement our spending, we wouldn’t end up in the red. In most instances our spare change gave us $50 or $60 to add to our wallet.

Spare change on the coffee table.

Just yesterday I decided to do another spare-change hunt around my house. I gathered up all the loose change that I’d found in the bottom of the washer or dryer, on my nightstand, or in rolls that I’d intended to take to the bank but never did.

I went on this spare-change hunt now for two reasons: one, I had a few more things I wanted to get for the holidays and didn’t want to go to the ATM if I didn’t have to. And two, I’d heard how Coinstar was having a special with free coin counting. If you brought in at least $40 in spare change to a Coinstar machine and selected that your money be put towards a gift card, Coinstar would add $10 to your total. (I was kind of hoping that if I did this, I would get $10 at every $40 increment, but alas you could get $10 only once. Sadly, the promotion ended yesterday.)

We ended up finding so much spare change that I needed my teenager to come with me. We filled two bags, and they were too heavy for one person to carry. In fact, we had to get a shopping cart in the parking lot and wheel our cash in.

Coins in the Coinstar machine.

It took me about 30 minutes to get all of our coins in the Coinstar machine. I have to admit that it got kind of embarrassing that I was standing there for so long–and making so much noise; coin-counting is loud. The worst part was ripping open those rolls of coins. I had about 100 that needed opening–no kidding.

Eventually, I got all the coins in the machine, with only a few rejected. (We discovered the machine wouldn’t take the Sacagawea gold dollars, and it spit out a wheat penny and a Euro–can’t blame it on the latter monetary unit!)

The grand total: $281.75

The best part was seeing how much money we’d actually dumped into the machine–and would be getting in a Lowe’s e-certificate. (This machine did not dispense traditional plastic gift cards.)

All told we’d cashed in $281.75. Unbelievable. That’s going to buy a lot of home-improvement items at Lowe’s–or at least some nifty Christmas gifts for my husband!

Bottom line: if you’re looking to supplement your frugal holiday shopping, consider gathering up your spare change and seeing if you can eek out a few extra dollars to help get your shopping done.

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Freebie Friday (December 4-10, 2009)

December 4, 2009
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Lots of free food offers for you this week!

Free Food

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Frugal Teacher Gifts for the Holidays

December 3, 2009
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I did a story for the National Education Association’s website on how teachers and other educators should handle gift giving in the classroom during the December holidays. While that story was written from the educator’s perspective, I thought it would be helpful to offer some advice from the parent’s perspective. Here are some quick and frugal teacher gift ideas, broken down by age of your kid/level of school he/she is in.

DAY CARE
A gift card to a nail salon where day care teachers and the classroom aides can get a manicure is a great idea. You figure that these teachers are using their hands all day long, either changing diapers or doing hands-on projects, and they could use the pampering. Best of all, you can usually buy this gift of a manicure for less than $20.

NURSERY OR PRESCHOOL
A gift card for a manicure will work here, too, as would a gift card to a local bookstore or a book from it–my favorite gift to give my daughters’ (long-ago) preschool teachers. If you want to give a book as a gift, check out places like Costco and BJs for great prices on books.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
I still love the notion of a gift card to a bookstore, but a gift card to the local coffee shop, whether it’s a chain like 7-11, Wawa, Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, or the mom and pop “Joe’s java” shop near to the school, would go over well, too. Also, you can get away with spending $5, maybe $10 for one of these. Another great idea? Board games for the classroom that can be used during indoor recess.

MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL
In most instances parents feel that they get off the teacher-gift hook when their kids make the transition to middle school and high school. I’ll admit that I sometimes feel overwhelmed with buying gifts for seven or eight teachers. I know that the teachers here probably don’t expect gifts but if you can afford it, you should try to get them a little something–whether it’s a small tin filled with home-baked chocolate chip cookies or a heartfelt, handwritten note about how much the teacher means to you. Another idea? Make a donation to an education-related cause in the teachers’ names. For example, our school district has an education fund, or you could make the donation to the local public library.

Let me know if you have other, sure-fire teacher gifts suggestions.

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Countdown to a Frugal Holiday: Bag Credits

December 2, 2009
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I did some pre-Black Friday shopping last week at Target and was surprised to read this on this bottom of my receipt:

Get 5 cents off every time you use a reusable bag.

Since when did Target start offering a bag credit? Mind you, I’m not complaining, but it’s an excellent incentive for you to bring your own bag to save the plastic, plus Target gives you this five-cent credit for each bag you bring. And if you were one of the lucky ones on Black Friday, you may have received a free Target reusable bag that you can, well, use at Target. (From what I can tell, Target doesn’t care whose reusable bag you bring with you, just that you brought a reusable bag.)

Though many stores have discontinued offering a bag credit to their shoppers (they make more money selling you the reusable bags rather than rewarding you for bringing your own), many still do.

  • For example, I know that when I shop at either SuperFresh (part of the A&P family) or ShopRite, I’ll get a three- to five-cent credit for each reusable bag I take.
  • If you shop at Safeway, Kroger or Fred Meyer, you might enjoy similar bag credits of three- to five-cents per bag. (This post on the Freemania blog, including comments, offers additional ideas on where you can find bag credits these days.)
  • Some Whole Foods’ locations give as much at 10 cents per-bag credit.
  • And if you spent $.99 upfront for one of CVS’ Green Bag Tag, you’ll receive a dollar back in CVS Extra Care Bucks after every fourth visit.

Don’t forget the opposite of the bag credit–the bag charge. When you shop at IKEA and take one of the store’s plastic bags, you pay five cents per bag. Why not save yourself the money and just bring your own?

While bag-credit money isn’t life-changing money, it would seem unwise not to bring a reusable bag–and receive a small amount off your purchase–when a store offers you this opportunity. Agree? Disagree? Discuss!

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How Suddenly Frugal Saves You Money

December 1, 2009
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Here is a round up of some recent reader comments that show how reading this blog really can help you to live more frugally and to save money:

“Your post just saved me $225 on the appliances for my new home.”

“Yesterday at a furniture store’s going-out-of-business sale I channeled you and asked if they’d give me $100 off if I bought two pieces. They did.”

“Thank you for the printable coupon website. I have saved a bundle.”

“Saved $360. Not bad.”

If reading this blog has saved you money, let me know.

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