Three Holiday Shopping Tips To Save Money

Feeling the holiday shopping stress creeping up on you? Relax. Here are 3 quick tips to help save money with holiday shopping (maybe you've tried these before, but never hurts to use them again, right?):

1. Shop at home first!

Check out your closets and shelves, really! Search, get creative and possibly come up with 1 or 2 or even more gift ideas right from your own home.

2. Stay away from malls: Shop online.

Being in person in the stores is an easy way to spend more than you budgeted on gifts. Stick to online shopping if possible, and your budget. When the holidays are over, you will be so happy you did, and so will your wallet.

3. Hit the Thrift Stores.

Seriously. A cute pin, brooch, vase, scarf....who knows what else you can find at a thrift store for so much cheaper than a regular mall store! Wrap your finds in pretty boxes and save a bundle!!

Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Dishwasher Detergent and Save Money

I love my dishwasher.....but I hate the pricey dishwasher detergents I buy at the store way too frequently. Plus, we have hard water where we live, and I am always pulling out glasses and cups that are not cleaned right and even look kind of nasty!

I found this recipe for making your own automatic dishwasher detergent, and the bonus (besides being very money-saving indeed!), is that this detergent is eco-friendly. The cost? On average, it works out to 50 loads for 50 cents!

DIY: Automatic Dishwasher Detergent Recipe:

1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup citric acid

Shake thoroughly or stir and store in tightly covered jar. Use one tablespoon per load. For best results add white vinegar to the rinse dispenser.

Arm and Hammer makes a washing soda also known as sodium carbonate. It is a natural substance made from salt and limestone. Borax is a naturally occurring substance in the environment and you can usually find it in the laundry detergent isle. Kosher salt is a pure salt.

This recipe came from www.care2.com a site for the environment.

Debit vs. Credit: Warnings For Debit Card Users

Did you know that using your debit card frequently may actually be a bad thing? We have all become credit card conscious no doubt, but according to shopsmart.com, swiping that debit card everyday may be not such a wise move for a few reasons. Here are some Do's and Don'ts to consider before you pull out that debit card.

DON’T use debit cards for big purchases. They don’t offer the same protection that credit cards do. Credit cards allow you to reverse or dispute charges, and some will even extend the length of warranties.

DON’T use a debit card online. If you use a credit card, your liability for unauthorized charges is capped at $50, no matter what. If your debit card is lost or stolen, it must be reported within two business days to limit liability to $50. If a lost or stolen debit card is reported within 60 days, liability can go up to $500. If an unauthorized transaction is not reported within 60 days of the statement date (and the card hasn’t been reported lost or stolen), you’re on the hook for charges made after the 60th day until the report is made.

DO click on “credit” and sign for payments instead of giving a PIN. Card companies might extend the same zero-liability protection to debit cards as they do to credit cards if the debit cards are processed like the latter, but PIN transactions might not have that protection.

DON’T link your debit card to an account with a lot of money. It is too easy for thieves to empty your debit-card-linked checking account, so keep just enough in the account to cover current purchases.

Save Money This Christmas Making Homemade Christmas Decorations

Here are two of my favorite inexpensive (if not free!) homemade Christmas decorating ideas:

Make a holiday display using matched or mismatched
mittens around your house. and staircases
make great backgrounds for a mitten arrangement!


Homemade Christmas Decorations made from
small branches or twigs in the backyard and tied
with twine, ribbon or yarn. Simple, inexpensive, and
pretty!


source

10 Online Swapping Sites Where You Swap Instead of Shop!

Everyone has something in their closet they do not need, use or want anymore. Like that wedding dress? Or how about that bowling ball in the corner of your garage? Or the books on that dusty shelf in the attic? There are exchange sites to swap almost anything: clothing, books, music, DVDs, video games, and more. Some of them offer prepaid postage so members can take advantage of reduced shipping fees, paying only a flat rate for shipping.

Why not try an online swap site and swap your stuff for things you do need and want? The benefits of online swapping include-

1. Frugal – you can get new items at no cost simply by exchanging them for your unwanted ones
2. Eco-Friendly – swapping reduces both waste and resource consumption, as you get rid of unwanted items without discarding them and others continue to use them
3. Fun – much more exciting than simply shopping online, and you’ll make new friends in the processes.

Here are 10 popular online swapping sites. Most have some system of feedback, and some of them actually award usable credits for good trades. Members who do not behave honorably are removed, and rules governing the type and condition of the items that can be listed are enforced.

1. SwapStyle.com
2. rehashclothes.com
3. dignswap.com
4. clothingswaps.com
5. makeupalley.com
6. chancexchange.com
7. swaptree.com
8. bookins.com
9. barterquest.com
10. u-exchange.com

Happy Swapping!

Saving Money Tip : Insect Repellent

A cheaper and healthier alternative to insect repellent: Bounce® dryer sheets! Just place the dryer sheets around the house to keep spiders away. Try putting them behind a couch or under a bed out of site. So much cheaper and healthier than bug spray.

New Use For Old Things

Ah....being a mommy to three, I especially love this idea that I found on Real Simple.com:

Instead of buying those plastic or paper tablecloths for kids' birthday parties....try using a Twister Game Mat as a tablecloth! Wipe off spills and stains, and save for the next family game night and the next birthday party!!

Don't you love it?