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It's simple to create a new look out of an old style and it will save you money while boosting your wardrobe and making outdated looks appear new.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.

Sign Me up!

Do you shop at a specific company often, how about a few different companies? Do they have an incentive program that's free and rewards you for spending money that you had already planned on spending? Are you signed up with that program? WHY NOT... it's free and can save you some real dough on gas, on drinks, on food, on household necessities. Free things are out there...

Cancel those unsed memberships

Disney Movie Club, your W.O.W account or that Farmville game, don't forget your magazine subscriptions that are piling up on your coffee table collecting dust and deducting your hard earned money out of you wallet. Also, that gym membership that you thought was a great deal. If you aren't using it, then lose it for good. You have lived without these luxuries of life for this long why not just give them up? 

Video game savvy

Video games can become pricy and we all know that new systems come out all the time. Thus making current consoles obsolete. Any gamer or budding gamer understands that this hobby can become quite expensive. There are many tricks to getting more bang for your buck when playing games. You can join an online client that houses your games. You can also trade in your old games for new ones and save on new purchases

Interset rate piquing your interest

High interest rates? You have the right to call and ask that they be lowered. You can save serious money just asking to have the interest rate on a loan altered. You will be amazed what lowering 1-2% on your interest rate can do for your ability to pay the loan off sooner and get yourself out of debt quicker. 

30 day rule

Impulsivity will thwart your chances of saving money and attempts to pay off bills sooner rather than later. If you constantly overspend because you see a really cool item, you will find it difficult to save money and maintain a budget. 

Lists not impulsivity

How many times hare you gone to the store and said that you were only going to get that one item nothing else.... Next thing you know you're asking for assistance to your car for your overflowing cart of items that you didn't intend to purchase, but did.

Baby blues to baby news

Having a baby? Wonderful! Have you thought about the cost involved with kids? Diapers, food, daily needs...etc. Having kids can add up quickly and can make it difficult to budget, read on for a few tips.

Price compare to save money

Always compare prices when shopping. Clipping coupons isn't for everyone. It is however extremely simple to put a comparison app on your phone and make sure you are getting the best deal in your area.

Yard $ale Cash

The time for yard sales has arrived. It's not just about ridding yourself of clutter in your home and making money but it's about clearing out unused items and allowing yourself freedom form the item(s) that have been burdening you and just sticking around your house collecting dust. 

Utilities got you down in the cashflow department?

The easiest way to save money on a regular basis is to remember to run your house as if you were a "micro-managing mother". Turn off lights when you're not in a room, don't just run the water when taking a shower or washing dishes. If your mom would wag her finger at it don't do it!

Be a kid with your kid

I have been a foster parent for many years and seen this time and time again, let me make this clear- kids want to be with there loved ones, they don't care what they are doing. Spending money on your kid rather than spending time with them is not what they crave. It's so easy to save money and time and still keep on track with your financial goals while creating fun and exciting memories with your kids. 

1- click money back into your wallet

That 1-click shopping certainly comes in handy... that is until you're trying to not over spend and save some money. Then the convenience of being able to just hop onto a site and use you credit card on file becomes a hindrance and begins to cost you money. 

The ease of just finding a product and purchasing it is great in certain situations, but it can really become too convenient and allow for over spending. Take your credit cards off sites and take away that convenience. Just like I discussed in another post (Count to 10) if you take a moment and think about what you are purchasing you might realize you don't really need the item or even better that you can make it for les money than it would cost to buy and ship it. 

Breaking  this habit can be difficult, however the best way to break it is to simply remove the temptation and credit card all together. If the card isn't readily available then you might not be willing to put in the effort to purchase the item and thus you are saved that money. 

Every penny counts and the more you save the better you can feel about your financial decision and about your future. 

Banking on you and your future

You getting charged fee after fee just to have an account with a bank? Those rack up and cost you tons of money. Every tried to have your fee waived? How about using bill pay or cash back options (ATM fees, etc)