Frugal FineBlog

With Christmas coming up (not to mention any kid birthday parties you will be invited too) the cost of gift wrapping can really add up.
 
The obvious way to avoid spending money on gift bags and boxes is by saving every gift bag you receive throughout the whole year.  Even the cute little gift bags that mall retailers offer year round can be reused for other gifts (for example, Victoria Secret, Sephoria, Body Works etc.)
 
Although you are usually charged for gift-wrapping in December, many retailers offer free boxes and gift wrap outside of the holiday months, so make sure to ask for those items year-round.  Even if you’re not purchasing a gift. 
 
Many items you purchase year-round also make great gift boxes:  Shoe boxes, Diaper Boxes, kitchen ware boxes, appliances boxes etc.
 
To neatly store  your collection of gift bags, collapse them flat and just place them over a clothing hanger in your closet.  That way they stay nice and neat and not on the floor.  Also store boxes within each other to conserve space.  Before you know it, you will have a small inventory of gift wrappings ready for whenever you need it.

If you must go out and buy a wrapping tissue or bags, the dollar stores are always the best bet.

MSN Money published an article called “15 ways stores trick you into spending” which is from the money blog called the ”Simple Dollar.”  I listed my favorites tips from the article in addition to some of my own in the list below:

• Use cash in the store:  Head to your bank’s ATM and pull out only what you want to spend.  That way you cannot spend more than your budget.
• Don’t use Shopping Carts whenever possible.  Carts make it covinenat to do big shopping “making it psychologically easy to toss in an item you don’t need.”  If you have a specific list of a few items, don’t get a cart and just quickly pick up the items you need in your hands to prevent impluse spending.
• Have a specific shopping list and stick to it.  Avoid enticing end-caps that highlight impulse items you didn’t go into the store for. 
• Walk quickly - avoid making too many stops in the store to look at items, it is too tempting to pick up additional items that will drive your bill up at the cashier.
• Use your cell phone calculater - to calculate price per unit volume.  That way you can quickly calcuate what a good deal or not.

and my favorite tip:

• “At the checkout, rethink everything you put in your cart” and don’t be scared to hand unwanted items to the cashier.  Don’t feel guiltly about this.  You don’t have to pay for anything you dont’ want.

Frozen whole turkeys can be stored in the freezer for at least 12 months, so November is a great time for stock up on these frozen birds.  Many grocery stores even give FREE turkeys away with certian purchases so watch out for the best deals. 

Why stock up on turkey?  Well there are just so many different meal options for left-over turkey.  You can make oven roasted turkey the first day, then have enough meat left over to make a week’s worth of dinners and lunches - thus saving you money on your grocery bill.

I have noted before the advantadges of owner a chest freezer.  That way you can buy at least 3 frozen turkeys at the rock-bottom prices that November brings.  Use one for Thanksgiving and plan delicious leftovers for that week afterwards.  Use one for Christmas and the other one to be used in the next coming year. 

Leftovers don’t have to be boring.  Look for reciepes online for turkey:

• Casseroles
• Soups
• Sandwhiches
• Stir-fries
• Unique Rice Pilafs
• Quiches
• Pot Pies
• Pasta dishes

Plan ahead for delicious varieties of dinners that will excite your family…and you pocket book!

Make sure to wash your clothes properly to preserve your clothing and prevent you from have to frequently replace key peices of your wardrobe.  Especially for children’s clothes, removing and pre-treating stains immediately will pro-long the life for many wears and hand-me-downs for younger children.

The web is a great resource for building a mental guide on the best ways to remove stains.  I found that mrscleannw.com has a detailed article on how to remove stains.

Below is some quick tips on removing the most common stains:

• Wine & Blood - Rinse with cold water, pretreat with dish soap and hydrogen peroxide
• Juice-  Pre-treat with dish soap and rinse with hot water 
• Chocolate - rinse with cold water and soak in non-chlorine bleach and water.
• Grass Stains - Apply a stick stain remover and let it sit over night. Wash with chlorox bleach if the fabric is white.
• Ink - Pre-treat with dish soap or stain remover.  Leave in cold water over night.  Wash with Chlorox if fabric is white.
• Mud - allow the mud to dry completely.  Shake and crack the dried mud off.  Use a vacuum to suck all the dirt off before throwing it in the washer.

For higher priced wardrobe peices like suede coats or boots, pre-treat with a fabric/shoe spray to protect it against rain, mud and wetness.  Also for childrens clothes, try to use a bib whenever possible to the best stain protection.

Circuit City filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday and is in the process of liquidating at least 155 stores nationwide.  If you are in the market for a new TV or camera this Christmas, then Circuit City should be on the radar right behind the “Black Friday” deals.

As of today, Circuit City plans that they will continue to operate in hopes that they will survive the Christmas season and rebuild in 2009….but I wouldn’t bet on it.  Save money by turning down any offers from the register clerk selling Circuit City warranty upgrades (most of the time this extra expense isn’t worth it even for Best Buy.)  Make sure to check the manufacturer’s warranty so that you are still covered if Circuit City becomes history.

That goes the same for Circuit City gift cards.  Unfortunately, the economy has narrowed consumer confidence in retailer-backed gift cards to just Wal-Mart and Target – the only retailers (crossing fingers) that probably won’t go bankrupt this January.

-For more budget tips, visit my Frugal Living Examiner page.

If you are like millions of other Americans, you may not have had the most fruitful year.  Sometimes it is hard to feel warm and positive when financial stress comes your way.  Well don’t let a tight budget ruin your holiday. 

Despite some of the money woes that may be going on, there are always tons of things to be grateful for.  A nice (and FREE) activity to do for Thanksgiving is to have everyone in the family share what they are thankful for.  Make it a fun game by having everyone write it on a piece of paper and place it in a “Thanksgiving Pot.”  After dinner is over, you can pull and read all of them in front of the family.  (No anonymous rude remarks about your in-laws)

This will help to bring in cheer and to remind you about the most important things in life…….some of which money can’t buy.

As the winter months are approaching, you may notice that your skin is becoming a little drier.  If you are a fan of using petroleum jelly, there are are tons of household uses for this product.  The best place to purchase Vaseline is usually from a dollar store.  You can save up to $2.00 per container. 

Always feel free to buy the generic version at the store whenever possible. It works just the same.  Be sure to max out the uses for Vaseline so you can get the most for your dollar.  There are lots of articles online listing redundant uses for Vaseline, so I consolidated them below:

1. Prevent car battery corrosion
2. To remove a ring stuck on your finger
3. Add a dab to apply a little shine on your leather shoes or bags
4. To prevent diaper rash on babies
5. Apply to your curtain rod so that your shower curtain slide more easily
6. Rub it on leather to prevent cracking and water damage
7. Use it to stimulate fish egg bait when by coating it on pieces of sponge
8. lubricate the cylinders of skateboard and skates so they roll faster
9. Stop refrigerator racks from sticking
10. Repair stains and minor scratches in wood furniture
11. Use while scuba diving to prevent mask from leaking
12. Apply Vaseline to exposed edges of a cut Halloween pumpkin to extend the life and prevent it from going dry.
13. To prevent outdoor light bulbs from being stuck in fixtures, coat the threads with a little petroleum jelly.
14. Discourage candle wax from sticking to candle holders
15. Mix with sea salts for a hand or body scrub
16. Mix with a loose powder bronzer for a nice even glow!
17. Add loose powder pigment for a more solid crème eye shadow
18. Add a very small amount to lipstick to create a cream blusher for your cheeks
19. Soothe and protect dry or chapped skin
20. Use as a Lip gloss
21. As a moisturizer – apply to damp skin or add a little water first.
22. Apply to feet under sock over night to wake to up ultra softness
23. Apply to nails as a cuticle softener
24. Stretch your favorite body lotions by mixing it with Vaseline
25. Use it when doing a massage.
26. Rub Vaseline on the neck of your nail polish bottles so the cap won’t get stuck
27. Apply a little to your hair line to tame fly-aways
28. Apply to your scalp before shampooing to help condition it.
29. Aids in skin healing after cosmetic surgery
30. Helps heal and protect new tattoos
31. Apply to teeth to prevent your lips from sticking to teeth when smiling
32. Body lubricant
33. Makeup Remover
34. Use a little to keep eyebrows groomed
35. Apply to your toes after your pedicure has gone a little dull to revitalize shine.
36. To Remove chewing gum from your hair – it slides right off
37. To prevent lipstick stains from linen napkins
38. To prevent hair coloring from dying your skin
39. To prevent hair relaxing chemicals from burning your skin

For beauty tips on a budget, visit the Beauty on a Budget Examiner at www.beautyexaminer.com

Some of these uses are listed from ebeautydaily.com and dooyoo.co.uk. Photo from Tyra’s blog

Whether you’re for Obama or McCain, most would agree that we LOVE FREE FOOD!  Remember to wear your “I Voted” sticker to take advantadge of tons of free stuff!  Here are the following deals waiting for voters on Election Day:

• The celebrate the big election, Ben & Jerrys will be serving FREE ice cream scoops to ALL customers between 5pm - 8pm
• Starbucks is offering a FREE  ”Tall” 12 oz brewed coffee
• Select locations of Chick-fil-a restaurants across the country  are offering FREE Chicken Sandwiches on Nov 4th
• Krispy Kreme will be giving away FREE star-shaped doughnuts to everyone wearing a  ”I Voted” sticker!
• Babeland, an adult and exotic novelty store is offering a FREE “Maverick Sleeve” for Palin fans and a vibrating “Silver Bullet” for all those fans of older men like Obama, Biden or McCain…I will leave the rest for your imagination….
• Shane’s Rib Shack, in Atlanta, is offering a “free three piece chicken meal with a drink and fries”
• Select restaurants of Pat & Oscar are giving away free appetizers for voters
• Anaheim White House in California is offering FREE bottles of champagne with dinner
• Pizza Hut is offering a 20% discounts on all pizzas deliver on Election Day.

Local bars will also have lots of special drinks and promotions for this big day.  Word has spread all over the blogosphere so expect big lines, if you are up for it.  So vote and save a little in your wallet!

November is here and you may be already planning how you will spend your Thanksgiving holiday.  Although the grocery stores will be packed this month, below is a list of items you will usually find on sale or for a great price in the month of November:

• Post-Halloween candy on clearance
• Sweet Potatoes and Yams (Fresh and Canned)
• Baking goods like canned evaporated milk,  flour, pie crust etc.
• Canned Pumpkin
• Turkey
• Canned cranberries
• Marshmallows
• Chicken Stock or Broth
• Stuffing
• pumpkins

If you happen to find some of these non-perishable item at a rock-bottom price this month, stock-up.  You will be able to use many of these items all through-out the year