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Do you have game plan set for your holiday shopping this year? Do you know how much you plan to spend this holiday season? Regardless of how much money you may have, it’s never a good idea choose credit and going into debt as a way to pay for your holiday gifts and purchases.

There are some easy tips that you can follow that will help you avoid going into debt this Christmas.

1. Shop year-round. If you haven’t yet started your Christmas shopping that’s okay, it’s still pretty early. Next time you head out on a shopping trip be sure you keep your eyes open for good deals that will make good Christmas gifts. Try to shop like this year round so that you can keep a well-stocked gift closet full of great gifts that did not cost you a lot of money.
2. Give homemade. There are countless homemade gift ideas out there that can be made for a small amount of money. And people really do enjoy homemade gifts. Several years ago we got smoked salmon from a family member that happens to be a fisherman and it was everyone’s favorite gift that year.
3. Use coupons. We encourage coupon use for everything else, why not Christmas gifts? There are lots of coupons that are released for items that will make good gifts. Keep your eyes open for these coupons and be sure and visit our site often for any new ones that may pop up.
4. Shop clearance. Clearance items are a great way to save on Christmas gifts! Whether you’re looking at clothes, household goods, or even toys and electronics. With some stores you can find clearance marked as much as 75% off.
5. Set a budget for each person. Make sure you have a list of all of the people that you need to shop for this year. Once you have your recipient list set be sure to set a budget for every person. If you start your shopping with a budget you are far less likely to overspend therefore less likely to charge the purchases and go into debt.
6. Just remember that the holidays are about family and spending time with those you love. It’s not about who gets the biggest, most expensive gift. Make sure you focus on what’s truly important this holiday season.

Do you have any holiday budget tips? How do you make sure to not go into debt during the holiday season?

With the cold weather swiftly making its appearance, we are all looking for ways to stay warm without cranking up the heat and increasing our expenses.  Did you know that there are actually quite a few ways that you can stay warm while maintaining your frugal mindedness.  

1. Grab a sweater.  Wearing warm clothes or layers is perhaps the easiest and the cheapest way to save money on your heating bill.  Simply adding a sweatshirt and socks will keep you warm enough to prevent touching the thermostat.
2. Start Baking.  If you like to bake, take advantage of of the cool weather to do just that. Using your oven is a great way to keep the house a couple of degrees warmer.  Also, be sure to leave the door open when you are done baking.  You may as well not let that hot air go to waste!
3. Reverse your ceiling fans.  Do you have a ceiling fan?  If so, be sure to turn it on reverse.  This will push the warm air down into the room as opposed to trapping it near the ceiling.
4. Use draft warmers. Purchase an inexpensive draft stopper or roll up towels to keep at the bottom of your doors to prevent cold air from making its way in.
5. Open your curtains.  When the sun is out (even if it is cold) be sure to open up your curtains to let the sunshine warm the room.
6. Change your sheets.  We always keep several sets of sheets available for each bedroom in our house and one of those sets is always flannel.  They keep you much warmer at night, which helps prevent you from needing to turn the heat up to stay warm while you sleep.
7. Keep your doors closed. This goes for your interior doors as well.  If you have rooms that aren’t used as often, be sure to keep those doors closed to prevent wastefully warming a room.
8. Cover windows with plastic.  You can buy inexpensive rolls of plastic to cover your windows with during the Winter.  Many people also use shower curtains for this same reason.  The plastic prevents warm air from escaping your home and also keeps cold air from coming in.

Do you have any other great tips to staying warm on a budget.

Most of us could use new ideas when it comes to saving money.  If you struggle to save money, any idea is a good one.  Even if you are great at saving money, new ideas could never hurt. There are many things that you can do that will help ensure that you save money each month and throughout the year.

1. Keep a spending journal.  At the beginning of your spending journey, create a spending journal for yourself. Keep track of everything that you spend your money on throughout the month and use this to see where your money is going and where you can avoid the waste.
2. Pay extra on your mortgage each month.  If you pay a mortgage, you should pay extra on your monthly payment.  Even $5 to $10 extra each month will make a significant difference in the amount of interest you pay.
3. Call your utility companies.  Call the customer service departments of your utility companies and ask for any discounts that you may qualify for.
4. Sign up for auto pay for your bills.  This does two (2) things.  First, you save money on any late fees.  Second, many companies offer discounts to customers who sign up for auto pay.
5. Use a clothes line during the warmer months.  A clothes dryer uses a significant amount of electricity.  Consider using a clothing line instead.
6. Create a menu plan.  Preparing and planning your meals in advance is a great way to save on groceries and dining out.
7. Pack a brown bag lunch.  Consider packing your own lunch as well as lunch for the kids.  My kids’ school lunches cost $3.50 per day per child.  If you have two children that is $35 per week.  Your lunch out likely cost twice that.
8. Shop used.  When doing your clothing shopping, be sure and check out thrift stores instead of department stores.
9. Use coupons.  Use coupons in your regular grocery and household shopping to save up to 40%.
10. Use your phone.  There are countless money saving apps out there.  Take full advantage of your phone’s capabilities to their fullest extent to save money on everything from groceries to activities and more.

Are you tired of running out of money before you run out of the month?  There are ways that you can save money so that you don’t have to deal with the stressful paycheck to paycheck cycle.  Here are several tips that can help you to stop wasting money and even put a little money aside at the same time!

Stop Buying Bottled Water.  Do you buy bottled water?  If so, you may want to rethink your decision.  Oftentimes bottled water costs upwards of $1 per bottle, which will add up significantly when you consider that the average person will buy several of these each day.

Pack Your Own Lunch.  If you go for the convenience of the deli or restaurant over packing your own lunch for work or school each day, you are wasting money.   An occasional restaurant meal is fine, but even hitting the “cheap” drive through restaurant at $5 dollars each trip adds up to $100 per month.  

Start Shopping for Used Stuff.  There are many items that you can and should buy used.  A car for example, in my opinion, should never be purchased brand new.  You can get much more car for your money if you purchase one that is pre-owned.  A brand new car loses thousands of dollars in value simply buy driving off of the lot.  Why not get the top of the line ride with a couple thousand miles and save big money instead.

Start Using Coupons.  Chances are, if you are visiting this website, you are quite familiar with coupons, but don’t forget to use them often!  Using coupons is a great way to save up to 40% on your grocery bills, which we all know is a huge expense for families.

Stop Avoiding Generics.  For many, many items, the generic version is exactly the same as the name brand one.  In most instances, items of all types (from diapers to aspirin to frozen corn) the product came off of the same assembly line as its generic counterpart and is identical with nothing different but the label.  

Have you found any great ways to stop from wasting money?