Gifting services not products

When gift giving becomes a "chore"or a "have to" perhaps it's time to rethink what you're giving and to whom. I love to both give and receive gifts of services. Each year as my birthday and Mother's Day approaches I ask my family to do something around the house for the day. It could be anything from mowing the backyard to dusting the China in the hutch or polishing the silverware. Any task that is helping out to make my life easier.

Budget minded Holidays @everydaymomideas @celticlady @delovelydetails

Amid the clammer and chaos of gift giving and holiday meal preparation and festivities there is the budget-minded giver attempting to shower their loved ones with gifts while not placing themselves in debt. For you my thrifty present presenter I offer 4 easy ways to save money this holiday season and still give the gifts you love to the ones you love.

Re-vamp your style for less @WobiSobi @lolphie

Have you looked through your clothes lately only to find many are damaged, torn, or missing buttons, or even (gasp) don't fit? It's a waste of money to toss out clothing. If you're not interested in swapping clothes with other people, why not try your hand at making something new from them or darn them yourself. Buttons cost practically nothing, neither does a needle and thread or clothing dye for that matter. You don't have to be a seamstress or a super DIY (Do It Yourself-er) to create new looks from your old clothes or to merely repair something that's damaged. It's simple to create a new look out of an old style and it will save you money while boosting your wardrobe and making outdated looks appear new.


Repairing torn items or a missing button is easy and a quick way to save serious cash which allows you to continue to invest in "you". Doing simple mending to an article of clothing is also a great way to save big. If your shirt is missing a button, sew a new one on.


The simple sewing of a button can be done by anybody-

-get a needle and thread
-thread the needle 
-tie a knot at the end of the thread 
-sew the button
-you can criss-cross the thread through the holes or make 2 parallel lines, makes no      
 difference  
-once button is securely on the shirt tie a knot in the thread and snip the end of it. 

Simple and easy and you can even put funky fun buttons onto the shirt to give it a new style and add flare to it.

A great way to re-vamp style and to help save money is to use the clothes you already own and make slight alterations to them to make them "new". We all have a shirt we love but it has a mysterious stain on it so it doesn't get worn. What about dying it a darker color? You can use Kool-aid or any regular fabric dye to get the job done. You can even add embellishments or tie dye the items.

 

Have a shirt you love? Why not make a drawstring T-shirt backpack out of it? I made some for my family for our trip to disneyland and it was so much fun! Blogger, Laura from Can Can Dancer created this fun beach bag from an old shirt.

Have an old T-shirt you want to revamp? Why not make it into a stunning new skirt? Blogger and creator  of WobiSobi, Anne Hollabaugh is known for taking a fun look at clothing. Making the old new and breathing life into items long past their prime. This great no sew frock was created in mere minutes with minimal effort and looks fantastic!

You can even make a dress into shorts. That's what eHow contributor Freddie Silver did.

These suggestions and options are simple, fun and easy to do. From the novice to the ultimate revamping diva- I guarantee you will have fun and enjoy your "new" clothes. Whatever your style and sewing proficeny, you will find that these options are going to take your wardrobe from bleh to exciting with a few tricks and a little bit of flare.

Cruise savings

Saving on cruises- Do you know how to travel in style while saving serious money and having fun! From shore excursions to how to get free services while on board.

Get more from your credit score

Do you know what a good credit score is? Did you know that you can check your credit through all 3 of the major credit bureaus for free, 1 time each year? You have to pay for your score, however, there are ways around that as well.... You are entitled to know where you stand in the world of credit. It's your credit, you pay the interest on those cards, your house, even that deposit on your cell phone and cable bill. You should have the power of knowledge on your side.

Make not buy

I never thought about how easy it was to make my own food. I was vegan for a few years (no this isn't going to be a post about reforming you to not eating meat) and discovered that making your own items is easier than it looks in most cases. You can make your own food and clothing for a fraction of what it costs you to purchase the same items in stores. And I have a few links to share with you and show you how. Yummy Blueberry/lemon muffins, fresh flavored lemonade, making fun and fashionable accessories. Read on to save time, money and be creative.

Turn off the Tele

Don't think that turning off your television could save you money? Or maybe you do think it can save you money but only in the sense that it will cost you less on your electricity bill. I've got some other ideas of how financially practical it is for you to turn your television off. You might discover that you will save less on your electricity, your grocery bill and lose weight- all of these birds killed with one stone.