Category Archives: Frugality

Favorite frugal holiday traditions from childhood

Photo by yogi

Tony and I have only been married six months, so we’re still working on building our own family traditions. While some of our own traditions are completely new (like our private gift exchange and candle lit dinner at home a few days before celebrating the actual holiday with family), many of them are borrowed and adapted from our families.

We’ve been thinking a lot about which traditions we’ve to carried over from our own childhoods. Here are some of our favorites, and the ways we’ve adapted them.

Then: Every year, I watched old Christmas movies with my mom (“It’s a Wonderful Life,” “White Christmas,” and “The Bishop’s Wife” were our favorites).

Now: Tony and I still watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” every year. We’ve also added “Love Actually” to our list of holiday favorites. This year, we’re attending a free screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” in an old theater downtown, so we’ll get to see it on the big screen.

Then: Tony listened to a local radio station’s frequent on Santa’s whereabouts Christmas Eve.

Now: Well, not right now, but someday when we have kids we’ll track Santa with them online at a site like Norad’s Santa Tracker.

Then: Both of our mothers baked huge trays of Christmas cookies for us to eat every year.

Now: I don’t trust myself with large amounts of cookies around the house, so if I bake I’ll give away most of the cookies to co-workers or family.

Photo by ggladman

Then: We both grew up in the Midwest where there was plenty of snow for snowmen, sledding, and snowball fights.

Now: No snow in North Carolina. :( We’re heading north for Christmas, though, and we’re hoping to see snow then. Cross your fingers for us!

Then: When I was a kid, we opened one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest in the morning. Once we were all too old to wait up for Santa, we began exchanging gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve. We celebrated all evening by eating good food, listening to Christmas music, and playing board games. Tony’s family has always exchanged gifts on Christmas morning.

Now: We’ll celebrate on Christmas Eve until we have young children who are expecting Santa. But as they get older, we’ll probably abandon the Christmas morning gift exchange for a Christmas Eve celebration. As a teenager, I loved celebrating with my family on Christmas Eve then sleeping in on Christmas morning and relaxing all day.

Then: My mom always put an orange in the bottom of our stockings. It was a nice healthy snack that didn’t at all make up for the pounds of junk food we ate at Christmas. But it was a nice touch.

Now: I will always put oranges in stockings, no matter how weird Tony thinks it is. :)

What about you? How have you adapted your family’s traditions?

TGIF Round Up: Holiday Countdown Edition

I can’t believe we’re down to 3 weeks until Christmas! Time has been flying by.

The decorations are up, most of my shopping is done, and our plans are all set for our trip to see family. I just can’t believe how soon it’s coming. Despite the fact that everything’s pretty much done, I’m still feeling pretty unprepared for the holidays this year. Like they snuck up on me. Anyone else feel that way?

Tonight we’re going to a holiday party. I’m looking forward to getting all dressed up and enjoying some holiday cheer. :)

And onto my favorites from my reader this week:

  • Emily at Remodeling this Life is slowing down this holiday season. I absolutely agree with her. We’re all so stressed during the holidays, but it should really be the time to slow down and enjoy ourselves.
  • Christina at Northern Cheapskate shares how you can be generous even if you’re broke. It’s really important this time of year to remember that even when you’re struggling, it’s still important to help others.
  • Get Rich Slowly shows how to afford anything (but not everything). It’s so easy to get blinded by all the things we want, that sometimes we forget how easy it could be to get one thing with a little focus and effort.
  • On Simplicity offers alternatives to traditional gift giving. In the economy, we should all be thinking outside the box for ways to make the people we love feel special without spending a lot of money.

Hope you’re all enjoying the holiday season so far. Happy Friday!

Online or in-store shopping: which is more frugal?

Photo by engnr_chik

Who doesn’t love online shopping? It’s fast, convenient, and often offers lower prices. But it’s not always the most frugal way to shop.

I bought all of my nieces’ and nephews’ Christmas gifts through Amazon. They were shipped right to my door, and I did all of the shopping right from my couch. It doesn’t get more convenient than that.

But what happens if one of them already has the gift? What if it’s defective or they just don’t like it? In the past, I loved including gift receipts with any and all gifts. There’s no way to include a gift receipt with gifts purchased online.

It’s also easy to overlook shipping costs when shopping for online deals. Sure, the item itself might be $5 cheaper than in stores, but you’re not saving money if you’re paying $6 to ship it.

Time is another important factor. Are you shopping at the last minute? If so, it’s best not to risk holiday shipping delays for a few bucks off.

Shopping online may be more convenient overall, but it requires extra research and care.

Compare online and in-store prices, and be sure to factor in shipping costs when shopping for the best deal.

Consider the likelihood that the gift will need to be returned. For gifts like clothing that must be tried on, it might be worth it to spend a little more in-store so you can include a gift receipt. If it’s an appliance, book, or other item that you know the recipient wants, online shopping is the way to go.

Find out the person’s clothing sizes before you start shopping, and make sure they don’t already have the item you buy.

Because I knew I wouldn’t be able to include a gift receipt, I was extra careful when I shopped for my nieces and nephews. I checked with my sisters to make sure the gifts were a good fit. I also read product reviews to ensure I was buying quality toys that weren’t likely to be defective.

Shipping was free, and I paid for the gifts with an Amazon gift card I received through MyPoints. You can’t get a better deal than free, but if I had been paying out of my pocket, I would have comparison shopped to make sure I was getting the best deal.

In our culture of convenience and technology, it’s very easy to convince yourself that online is always better. Be sure to look at the whole picture before you make a decision, though.

Christmas presents, not status symbols

Over the weekend, Tony and I were picking up a gift card as a Christmas gift for his grandparents. A month ago when we worked out our Christmas budget, we agreed upon an amount that we could afford. But as we stood in line I found myself second guessing our decision. “Do you think this is enough?” I asked him.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. I ask myself that question almost every time I buy a gift. “Is this enough?”

That’s a pretty silly question, though, isn’t it? Enough for what? After all, anybody who would receive a gift only to think it isn’t good enough really doesn’t deserve the gift at all.

Of course I wasn’t worried that Tony’s grandparents would feel that way. They’re probably not expecting anything from us at all, and they’ll be thrilled that we thought of them. So where does this doubt come from?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this doubt is more about me than it is about them. I enjoy giving gifts to the people I love because it makes them happy, but the desire to give more than I can afford comes from the same place as the desire to buy fancier things than I can afford.

It’s a tough thing to admit, but in the past I’ve used gift-giving as a status symbol. I’ve charged up credit cards and spent money I didn’t have on gifts. I’m sure the people who love me would be horrified if they knew that buying them gifts was putting me at financial risk. I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to risk their financial security to buy something for me.

I told myself that I was being generous. I wasn’t being generous, though. It was quite the opposite. Buying those fancy gifts made me feel good about giving them. Sure, it made the person who received the gift happy, but that’s not the real reason I was doing it. The people I love would be just as happy with a thoughtful gift that I could afford to give, whether it be something small, homemade, or even baked. The truth is, I liked the way it made me feel to give fancy gifts.

The past couple years have taught me valuable lessons about spending that I’ve learned to apply to gift-giving. Spend only what you can afford, and give only what you can give.

I’m still tempted to break my gift budget, but I have to remind myself that the people who love me would much rather I didn’t risk getting myself into trouble. After all, the safety and financial security of the people I love is much more important to me than receiving Christmas gifts. When I’m tempted to overspend, I remind myself that the people who love me want the same security and safety for me much more than they want presents.

The holiday season is a great time to make the people I love feel special. Spending more than I can afford just isn’t the way to do it.

Fresh turkey for next to nothing next year

If you’re like me, then you found yourself staring longingly at the fresh turkeys this year, convinced that they must taste better. After all, they’re fresh.

OK, so I’m not convinced that they do taste better. My husband swears by it, though. I’ll admit, the idea of skipping the thawing process with a huge turkey taking up half my fridge for a week before Thanksgiving is appealing to me. But there’s no way I’m ever going to spend $1+ a pound for fresh turkey when the frozen ones are on sale for 49 cents a pound.

I was kicking myself yesterday, though. You see, this year Tony and I went to a potluck for Thanksgiving Day and cooked our own Thanksgiving meal yesterday. We ran out to the store for a few last minute items yesterday and discovered that fresh turkeys were deeply discounted. They were actually about 40 cents a pound.

“Why didn’t we think of that?” my husband asked.

He’s right. We’ve known since before we bought our turkey that we would be cooking on Friday. It makes perfect sense that fresh turkeys would be dirt cheap the day after the holiday. What else are they going to do with a bunch of fresh turkeys with a sell-by date a week away?

Next year we’ll try a fresh turkey, and we’ll only pay 40 cents a pound. I don’t mind cooking a day late if it’s just us again.

Black Friday? No thanks.

Sigh. Black Friday.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite frugal holiday. Nothing but friends, food, and relaxation. Aside from food, I typically don’t spend any money at all the entire weekend after Thanksgiving. I’ve never headed out to the sales on Black Friday. I’d prefer to spend the Friday after Thanksgiving in my PJs grazing on leftovers and watching movies.

This year, we’re attending a potluck Thanksgiving on Thursday. We weren’t invited until last week, and we’d already spent the month collecting food for our own meal. So we’re having Thanksgiving 2 on Friday. That makes me feel even less motivated to go out and shop.

I think my problem is that there’s just nothing I need. Our Christmas shopping is done, and I usually try to avoid crazy sales unless I need something anyway. I don’t want to be tempted to buy just because the deal is great.

I’m curious about the deals, but I’m afraid to look at the circulars because I don’t want to be tempted. With our big trip back to Indiana for the holidays coming up next month, we really don’t need to be spending extra money right now. Even if it’s a good deal.

I know how hard it is for me to turn down a great deal. So I’ll most likely stay home this Friday relaxing. I probably won’t be able to resist looking through the ads, but hopefully there won’t be anything so compelling that I can’t resist. I’m not so into the crowds, to be honest. I don’t like feeling like shopping is a competitive sport. :)

My advice to those of you braving the sales racks? Look through the ads, make a list of ONLY what you need, and stick to it when you hit the stores. Don’t be tempted to buy just because it’s a deal!

Are you heading out this year? What are you buying?! (I have to ask. :) )

Thanksgiving is the most frugal day of the year

According to the American Farm Bureau, the average American family will spend $44.61 on a traditional Thanksgiving meal for 10 people this year. That’s a $2.35 increase from last year’s price, which is more than double the typical yearly increase of $1 and some change.

There’s been a lot of buzz about this increase in the news. You know what, though? That’s not too bad if you ask me. Try finding a restaurant meal of Thanksgiving proportions for under $4.50 a person. Not happening.

Thanksgiving really is the most frugal day of the year. What other day do the majority of American families stay home instead of going out to eat? Most stores are closed, so nobody is out shopping. Instead of spending money, we stay home eating a good home cooked meal and spending time with family.

I was curious about our Thanksgiving costs, so I took the time to add up the numbers for our meal. Here’s an estimate of what we spent this year:

12-pound turkey: $6
Potatoes: $2
Cubed stuffing: $2.50
Celery: $1
Fresh cranberries:$2
Canned pumpkin: $1.25
Miscellaneous cooking items (flour, sugar, eggs,milk): $3 (a very rough estimate)

Total: $16.75

It may look like we’re spending more than $8 per person, but don’t forget about the leftovers! We’ll be eating them all weekend long. :)

What about you? How much are you spending on Thanksgiving this year?

New traditions for my favorite frugal holiday

Photo by rick

pumpkin pieBeing newly wed is so much fun at the holidays. It’s so fun combining traditions from each of our families, adapting them to suit us, and creating our own. We’re building our own family history starting now.

Last year we ate a traditional meal on Thanksgiving Day, but the holiday really ended there. Because I worked in retail, I had to head back to work early the next morning and throughout the weekend. No fun. :(

This year is our first opportunity to enjoy the entire holiday weekend. So we’re thinking about the kinds of traditions we’d like to begin.

For starters, there’s turkey and pumpkin pie and a whole day devoted to cooking and eating. Of course.

But then what?

We won’t be home for Thanksgiving, but that’s fine. If we lived closer to home, we’d be spending the day with family anyway.

On Friday, we’ll cook our own Thanksgiving meal this year. I like the idea of staying home all day and watching movies. Normal weekends are so jam packed with errands and cleaning and everything I have no time to do during the week. Since Friday is a freebie day off, the idea of lying around all day in comfy clothes appeals to me.

When I was a kid, we usually ate another Thanksgiving meal on Friday every year. We went to my grandma’s for Thanksgiving Day, but my mom loved cooking for Thanksgiving so much that she liked to make her own meal on Friday. I can see us doing the same thing in the future.

Saturday night we have tickets to a holiday show. I thought that would be a fun way to kick off the season, and they only cost $10 each. We decided to skip our monthly restaurant meal this month and use that money for the tickets.

We’ll spend Saturday afternoon decorating our apartment for the holidays, putting up the tree and the lights and eating Friday’s leftovers. Then we’ll head out for the show.

I’ve always felt like the Christmas season really only begins after Thanksgiving is over. That’s why the holiday is so much fun. We get to celebrate Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Christmas season all in one weekend. :)

How about you? What are you favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

Frugal ways to give back this holiday season

As tight as our budget has been, I’ve always recognized how good we really had it. Even when our financial situation was at its worst, we always managed to make ends meet. We never came up short for rent, there was always plenty of food on the table, and most importantly we had our health and each other. Life has been pretty good to us so far.

That’s why even during our toughest times, we’ve always looked for ways to give back, particularly to those less fortunate that we are.

I know how it is, though. When you’re struggling to get by, it can be really hard to make room in the budget for charity.

Frugality is about finding ways to live well and give more to the world around you without spending a lot of money. There’s no reason that charity should cost a lot of money, either. Using the same principals you use to stretch your income, you can find frugal ways to give back.

I hope you’ll consider contributing to one of these worthwhile charities or programs in your area this holiday season. Here’s how you can do it without breaking your own budget.

Shop smart for canned foods.

Frugals are masters at stretching a buck in the grocery store. Consider using your coupons, circulars, and grocery know-how to get a bargain on canned food and non-perishables for a local food drive.

Clear some space in your coat closet.

What better way to clear the clutter from your coat closet than by donating to a coat drive? Your gently used coat could make a huge difference for a homeless or impoverished family this year, and it costs you nothing.

Volunteer your time.

If you’re really struggling this season, consider making time to volunteer at a soup kitchen or any charitable organization in need of your help. Giving a few hours on your day off costs very little, but it could make a big difference.

Make it a team effort.

Many churches, schools, and community groups work together for adopt-a-family programs, bake sales, and other fundraisers. The expense isn’t that great if you’re one of several people contributing. If your church or community group doesn’t already participate, volunteer the time to organize a program yourself.

Remember: No donation is too small.

Don’t assume that what you can afford to give isn’t enough. Even if you can only spare $5, I guarantee that no charitable organization will balk at your gift.

If you’re wondering where to send it, here are three of my favorite charities:

Ronald McDonald House

American Cancer Society

Doctors Without Borders

Did I leave something out? Please leave a comment with your favorite charitable program or organization! Let’s all find a way to give back this season!