Here's how to make more, save more and spend less during the Holidays. There are several ways to create extra cash flows, ways to save and ways to spend less. In my opinion it's easier to spend less on things, rather than to find extra ways to make more money but both are ways to eventually get rich later.
Spend Less- One way is to not be concerned what others may say about you. For example if you contact friends and relatives and explain that you would like to skip exchanging presents you can save both time and money. Money that can be invested in stocks when the market is down. Purchasing items from the 99 cent store can also be a way to save money.
Save More- coupons, buying things in bulk on sale. CVS offers a lot of great discounts via the CVS card. CVS typically offers 20% on most items and have many specials. Eating habits like becoming more vegan and growing your own vegetables is another way to save more on the food bill.
Make more- one way to make more is to invest in stocks/quality companies when the market is a severe decline. Investing in batches can be a way to stretch the investing dollar to buy more shares of quality companies cheap. Be careful though and think more Coca Cola than Facebook. One is a company that will stand the test of time the other is a bet at the racetrack.
Get more for less this Holiday Season when you give gift cards as presents. Sometimes it just makes more sense to give a gift card to family, friends or service providers (i.e. salon, pet sitter, babysitter, etc) Many of us have those handy-dandy reward programs attached to our credit or debit card. Log on to your card's website; most rewards programs are on-line and offer the latest program details. If you are a point-saver (those little points really add up over time) you may qualify for one or more gift cards.
Every month my particular credit card showcases a different gift card at less than the going rate. Most card programs offer choices like department stores, restaurants, hotels, gas and services and make wonderful gifts. If you plan ahead not only will you save precious cash, you can make your earned points go farther.
As always, don't spend more than you have to buy things, just to get the points. Going into debt will not help your cause to win financially. Before spending any money buying gifts with a credit card, open up excel and create a simple budget to limit the amount of purchases. Winning rewards points feels like a good incentive but could be counter-productive to getting out of debt.
A good tip to cut down on those Christmas expenses is to buy refurbished. There are plenty of great Christmas items that can be bought slightly used and these are usually the better gifts.
To refurbish simply means to clean up and make like new. For electronic items, this could be accepting a return from a customer on a perfectly good item that may have been slightly used. Or it could be a defective part that was replaced on something that is practically new.
When looking for electronic items, consider refurbished items, especially if those items come with a warranty. By taking the risk of replacement under warranty, this means that the manufacturer or retailer believes that the item is good and will not break.
If there is any question, ask whether the seller accepts returns on the item and how long after the sale that offer stands.
Living frugally means getting more for less or delaying purchases as long as possible. A great example of something refurbished is a used car, which has been thoroughly inspected, cleaned, and fixed. Driving a used car will save you thousands.
You don't need to stuff your children's stockings with holiday-specific Christmas candy. Use the Halloween candy bars that go on sale the day after the holiday. This goes for Valentine's day and Easter too. Supermarkets load up with holiday specific items and then discount them the next day. Stack some coupons on top of the heavily discounted candy and then stash it in your freezer until the next holiday.
How long can you freeze candy?
If properly sealed in a Zyploc bag, candy will keep for months in the freezer. Make sure you have an airtight seal. Even if you loose power, the candy should be fresh and fine as long as it stays dry in the airtight bag.
A good way to save money during Christmas is to slash the budget when giving gifts. Be sure to communicate this well in advance of the big day too. The last thing you want to do is hand your sibling or parent a box of cookies and they give you a BlueRay player in return. Don't feel bad about cutting corners when thinking of gifts. This is about taking responsibility for your financial future.
When giving gifts to coworkers, do they really expect you to buy them something expensive, or will they be happy with a thoughtful tasteful gift. For example, instead of getting everyone in the office a present, merely bake them some festive cookies. In return, you are likely to get your own tin of something in return and your coworkers won't feel obligated to buy something expensive.
Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
1.Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
3.Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
Cost per Serving
Flour costs about 12 cents per cup. This recipe calls for 45 cents of flour. There are 6 teaspoons of Baking powder per ounce and 8 ounces will cost about $5.50. So, each teaspoon costs about 11 cents. The salt costs less than a penny. The sugar costs 93 cents and the eggs cost 20 cents. 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract will cost 10 cents. 1 cup of margerine can cost about 50 cents. The total cost of the recipe is about $2.30 and the recipe makes 4 dozen cookies. The cost per cookie is about 5 cents.
Make as many gifts as you can. There's no need to spend days on this. Try making up bottles of your favourite salad dressing. Use any suitable old bottle which you've washed and soaked the label off. Add
a new label with something exclusive sounding eg My Very Own Secret Recipe and you're done.
Or make your own Peppermint Stick Cocoa. Put it in a jar that you've thoroughly cleaned and it is an excellent gift. (Recipe below.)
Other quick gifts of this type are flavoured oils - try chilli flakes, peppercorns and herbs as the flavouring. A good use for all those dried herbs languishing at the back of your cupboard!
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Peppermint Stick Cocoa Recipe Ingredients
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
Note:
This mix will fill a 1-quart jar (12 servings), but if your containers are different sizes, just keep the ratio of ingredients constant. On the back of the tag, write: "Mix contents in a large bowl. For each serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup boiling water. Store remaining mix in airtight container."
Many people like to save money while shopping for the holidays, and there are many simple ways of doing so without a lot of effort. Since you have become financially savvy, you now only shop with a list, right? Well, before heading to the store to buy something, grab
another store's advertisement that has that item in it, or find the item online with a price. Almost all stores have a price match system
and will match the advised price of another store, and some will even beat it by 10%! When you head out shopping, take other store flyers with you, and you could find yourself saving some money on unexpected items. This also goes for store coupons. Lowes and Home Depot will honor any coupon used by their competitors. Just take the coupon to
customer service to get the discounted rate.
Earn extra cash this holiday season by working a seasonal retail job. Find a Christmas Tree lot that needs an extra hand. Help someone rake up leaves around their home (Craigslist posts have this). Even consider working as Santa.
Apply to local and national retail outlets this holiday season who hire scores of season employees to meet the demands of the season. Accumulate more experience for your resume and make money for your holiday gift list. As an added bonus, lots of stores give employees discounts to purchase items. So, you might do all your Christmas shopping in one place.
Right now you can get a FREE video message from Santa for your children! Just head to Portable North Pole TV and you will be able to create a personalized video message that includes your child's picture, favorite toy and more!
Nothing says Christmas like fruit cake. Given as a gift, it could be an unforgettable Christmas moment. Here's a recipe that won't break the bank. Living frugal is all about the effort and so is Christmas.
Making homemade food is always a cheap way to give great gifts during the holidays. Here we have three recipes found on a recipe website that will all fit the Christmas Holiday theme. Visit the recipe site to find more great recipes. Making food from scratch is frugal.
Fudge Sauce - $2.64 per Gift
Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped $
2 teaspoons vanilla
Preparation
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour into jars and cool completely before covering or refrigerating (otherwise the sauce will become granular). Keeps up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container.
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Peanut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies - $1.54 per Gift
Ingredients
1 cup (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, at room temperature $
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar $
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter $
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour $
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz.) $
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
Preparation
1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
2. In another bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips, oats, and peanuts.
3. Drop dough in rounded 2-tablespoon portions, 3 inches apart, onto buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. With a lightly floured fork, flatten slightly into 2 1/2-inch rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Bake in a 350° oven until cookies are golden and tops feel set when lightly pressed, 12 to 14 minutes (they will feel underdone but will firm up as they cool); if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.
5. Let stand 5 minutes on sheets, then, with a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
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For about $1.50, you can make a cute little Santa Sleigh stocking stuffer or Christmas gift for an acquaintance. You'll need a candy bar, wrapping paper, tape, a glue gun, small boxes of candy or raisins, candy canes, and holiday chocolates.
This isn't a unique candy craft idea. There are many variations. A helpful tip may be to save some used wrapping paper after gifts are opened this year and use them in next year's crafting. The most expensive part of this craft may be ribbon, so use it sparingly if at all.
If you have a large family filled with women or a lot of female friends, you may be looking for a way to give a thoughtful yet affordable gift for under $5.00. Perhaps you might want to consider a homemade beaded bracelet. This gift could actually cost much less than $5.00 if you buy your materials in bulk off of the internet. Consider sites like eBay where sellers sell bulk craft items every day.
If you aren't sure about the fashion tastes of your gift recipients, make a lot of different bracelet styles and then let your friends or family choose the bracelet they want. You may also be surprised to hear them ask if they can make their own bracelet. So, before heading off for that holiday party, pack some crafting supplies, just in case.
Here's a great little stocking stuffer idea that will be super cheap for you. Make some pre-mixed flavored instant oatmeal that is functional and decorative. The video below explains the recipe, but the key to this gift will be in presentation and the container that you deliver the gift in.
Container Types
Consider high end plastic containers like the Rubbermaid containers seen here. These containers will last long into the new year and the red top fits the Christmas theme of the gift. The best part about this gift is that most of the ingredients can be bought using grocery coupons that frequently run in the paper.
Are you running short on time and need something cheap and easy to give as a present? Try making a bookmark out of an old necktie. Or buy a cheap candle from the Dollar Store and wrap it with a colored print. Giving a gift card? Wrap the gift card in fabric from an old shirt. Use some old buttons and fishing line to make cuff links.
Last Minute Gifts
Not satisfied with these gifts? Then, think of something better. Just remember, its the thought that counts.
Make Your Own Soap
Making soap is super easy and can be inexpensive. Add food coloring to make your soap look extra special for gifts. Most of the necessary ingredients can be found at any craft store.
Other DIY Gifts
Christmas gift giving can quickly get out of hand, even if you are buying small gifts. If you have a lot of friends or family, those small gifts add up to a really big number. Here is a really cheap do-it-yourself Christmas gift idea that costs less than $5.00.
