The Family Wallet

One of the best parts of the holiday season is the abundance of goodies that seem to fill many hones. I love preparing special treats for my friends and family to enjoy. I keep goodies on hand for many different occasions. A plate of homemade treats makes the perfect gift for holiday hostesses, school teachers, and neighbors.

Each family has their own idea of what constitutes the perfect sweets for Christmas. Some families want lots of chocolate. Others like pies and cakes. Whatever your family’s preference is, there is always room, however, to make a few easy-to-make additions to your holiday preparation plans.

Cinnamon Rolls – Nothing beats the warm, sticky goodness of cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. While making these sweets used to require hours of work, Pillsbury makes a canned cinnamon roll product that eliminates all of the work. Simply remove the contents from the tube (You’ll find it in the refrigerated case of your grocery store with the biscuits.) and place them onto a baking sheet. Then, pour the enclosed icing on top of the rolls when they come out of the oven.

Chocolate Pie – Pies are another treat that used to take tons of work. Now, however, with the advent of frozen pie crusts and pudding mix, you can have a picturesque pie in almost no time. I love to use the milk chocolate pudding, but you can use banana cream, caramel, or any other flavor your family likes.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Kisses – Peanut butter cookies have always been easy to make, but this traditional treat adds a little extra something to a classic cookie. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a single Hershey’s kiss into the center of the cookies. The addition of the chocolate to the sturdy peanut butter cookie makes this cookie a holiday favorite.

Chocolate- Dipped Pretzels – Nothing is easier than melting chocolate in a sauce pan, but a coating of chocolate takes pretzels from standard snack fare to decadent treat in a handful of minutes. For an even richer taste, try dipping Oreo cookies into the sweet topping.

Fudge – No listing of holiday treats would be complete without including good, old-fashioned fudge. This treat is a little more work than the rest of my goodies, but you’ll quickly see that a little goes a long way with this fun dessert.

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Food Expenses, Saving Money | 3 Comments

Do you love to present your friends and family with beautifully-wrapped gifts at Christmas? For me, half of the fun of gift-giving is finding inexpensive, but stylish, ways to wrap my gifts. In fact, I sometimes spend more time agonizing over my gift-wrapping choices than I do my shopping expeditions.

Making your own gift wrap is a great way to save money while creating really unique-looking gifts. Friends and family will know at a glance which gifts came from your house. And, while your gifts will look like a million bucks, you’ll know that you didn’t spend anywhere near as much as everyone else did.

Use Plain Paper – Plain paper serves as the perfect canvas to display your creative talents. Brown kraft paper (grocery bag sacks) will look very chic with some well-chosen embellishments and a bow made from jute string. You can stamp cute designs onto your paper or just attach a fun motif (cut from last year’s Christmas cards) to the bow.

Make Your Own Paper – Small gifts like DVD’s or books are just the right size for wrapping in paper from your home computer. But don’t leave the paper blank this time. Instead, create your own gift wrap on your computer, print it onto the paper, and enjoy your instant wrapping paper. You may choose Christmas designs from a clip art website or something as simple as the words, “Merry Christmas” written over and over again. Experiment until you have a design you love.

Use Newspaper – Many newspapers don’t include the pages and pages of comics that we had growing up, but you can still find ways to use that newspaper when wrapping gifts. If you have a financial wizard in your family, why not wrap his gift in the stock trading pages of the paper. Or, save those Black Friday ads that will soon be coming your way. The pages from toy ads will add just the right touch to your little guy’s gift; it may even give him a hint about the package’s contents.

Use Fabric – Large or odd-shaped gifts can be hard to wrap with paper. Instead of buying one of those expensive, giant-sized gift bags, why not buy one of those inexpensive flat sheets or pillowcases available at every discount retailer. For under $5 you will have everything you need to wrap that bulky gift. (Don’t forget to check your favorite thrift store, too. You may find even less expensive fabric options.)

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Frugal, Gifts, Saving Money | No Comments

Family gifts are some of the most difficult to select. You know your neighbor at the office will be touched that you chose to get them anything at all. The same is probably true for your child’s teacher. But family members can be an entirely different ball of wax.

There are a lot of emotional issues tied up in gifts for you family members. You might think that if you don’t spend a lot of money on your family that they might think that you don’t care about them. Or, perhaps you don’t want them to know that you’re struggling with your finances, so you agree to exchange gifts with your entire family. Many different factors can influence your decisions regarding family gifts.

Rather than going overboard on family gifts this Christmas you should consider choosing more frugal gifts. While you can still share the fun and excitement of exchanging gifts, you will find that the thought put into your gift means much more than the price tag attached to it.

One way to put an emphasis on meaning rather than price for your family gifts is to choose gifts that show that you listen to your family member. Has your mom mentioned while doing the laundry that she really needs new towels? Surprising her this Christmas with a matched set or two of towels that coordinate with her bathroom will really make her day. Pay attention to conversations you’ve had with family members to find gifts that will be certain to strike a chord with them.

Another way to give a frugal gift that still carries a lot of meaning to the recipient is to give a gift of time. No, of course you can’t really give anyone extra time. But how many times have you heard your dad complain about having to shovel the walk. Why not have the grandkids present him with a book of coupons for sidewalk shoveling. Make sure, however, that the gift-giver is ready to follow through with their good intentions.

Finally, choose gifts with a nostalgic value for the most impact on their recipients. For instance, maybe you and your sister used to spend your afternoons playing board games. Why not give her family one of your old favorites so that she can recreate the tradition in her own family now? Board games are inexpensive, but the fun shared while playing them is priceless.

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Frugal, Gifts | 1 Comment

If you have a teenager on our Christmas list this year, you already know how hard it can be to shop for them. You might think that you’ll just get your teen a CD, but then you realize you don’t know exactly which ones he already has. Maybe you’re considering getting him a nice shirt, but then you realize that you don’t have the first idea how to pick out a shirt that he’ll actually wear. This business of shopping for teenagers is not for the faint of heart.

Before you give up and resort to giving your teen cash, here are a few other options that make gift-giving a little simpler. Check these out; they just might be perfect for the teenager in your family.

Car Care Basket – Every teenager with a car will appreciate a gift that allows them to pamper their ride. Stuff a canvas tote with car accessories like cleaning wipes or air fresheners. You might even want to splurge and include a small vacuum that can be plugged into the car’s power outlet or cigarette lighter.

Music Service Subscriptions – The popularity of iPods and other MP3 players have made music services like iTunes or Rhapsody almost a necessity for teenagers. Give your teen an entire month of music for around $15.

Teen Reading – The days of searching to find age-appropriate recreational reading for your teenager are long gone, fortunately. Now there are tons of books (and series of books) available that are suited for boys and girls. Don’t be bashful about asking the help desk at your favorite book store to recommend something for you if you aren’t sure what to pick.

Gadgets – While you probably aren’t going to rush out and buy your teen the latest technology gifts out there, you can’t go wrong by buying a gadget gift. Look for decorative flash drives featuring covers in the shape of a tiger or panda or other drives that feature trendy designs, colors, or even cartoon characters.

Room Accessories - Every teenager loves to find ways to express his individuality in his own room. Look for fun room accessories like Clocky, the runaway clock, that wanders away if your teen doesn’t get up and turn it off each morning.

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Gifts | 1 Comment

Article Couresty of ARA Content

(ARA) - With the brisk air settling and the end of the year quickly approaching, many people are eagerly turning their focus towards holiday preparation and excitement for the wonderful things to come. From gatherings with friends and family to building a snowman in the first snowfall, traditional activities will begin anew. But one tradition that may bring more anxiety than excitement this season is the anticipation of holiday spending and gift giving.  

It should come as no surprise to most that economists are predicting significantly less spending this holiday season than in previous years. Facing growing financial concerns, a lack of confidence in the economy, and rising food and fuel costs, many shoppers will be much more conservative with their holiday spending.

But there is good news that should turn that “Bah Humbug” attitude around. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways a savvy shopper can avoid the squeeze to ensure that the “season of giving” remains just as it is.

Here are five simple ways to cut back on costs this holiday season without having to cut back on giving:

* Be Thrifty!
Believe it or not, it is possible to get top of the line items without paying top of the line prices. Seek gifts from consignment shops and thrift stores. Savvy shoppers can find everything from designer clothes and shoes to home appliances and furniture, all for highly discounted prices. Often these items can be found brand new.  

* Stay Alert.
Just because a deal seems too good to be true doesn’t mean it is. Utilize retailer incentives and in-store promotions. Offers such as free shipping, buy-one-get-one-free or “the more you spend the more you save” are great ways to save excess funds, particularly when buying multiple gifts at once or when buying in bulk.  

* Shop Smart for Practical Items.  
Buying gifts during the holidays is often just the tip of the iceberg. It’s the food and other everyday items that add up too. The good news is you don’t have to skimp on quality to save on cost. Shop smart and choose brands that offer great performance at a lower price. Take batteries, for instance.  Americans will spend more than $600 million on them this holiday season. But there’s an easy way to save. Rayovac batteries are proven to last just as long as the top two brands but cost less. So that remote control car for Johnny may cost an arm and a leg, but the batteries don’t have to.

* Create a List.  
This is probably the easiest and yet most underestimated tool there is — create a list and stick to it. Creating a list accomplishes a couple of very important things: it helps shoppers stay organized and focused, and it serves as a good tool for managing a budget. Take extra time upfront to carefully think through who will be on the list and how the set budget will break out overall. It will make shopping a breeze and ultimately alleviate unnecessary stress along the way. And isn’t that the best gift of all?

* Shop Online.  
Online shopping has many benefits beyond avoiding crowded stores and checkout lines. A number of online couponing sites now make it quicker and easier than ever to shop online and save big. Shoppers can often browse by their favorite store or category to find coupon codes for discounted prices, free shipping and more. And you can achieve this from the comfort of home, where the gas prices don’t matter.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Personal Finance | 1 Comment

Article courtesy of ARA content

(ARA) - Long before the sweltering summer humidity dissipated, before the leaves changed into vibrant reds, oranges and yellows and before football games and halftime shows were the weekend entertainment, Americans were planning ahead for upcoming holiday expenses.

In the Western Union Money Mindset Survey taken in August, 43 percent of consumers were already planning cuts on all holiday gift purchases. The survey was conducted by Javelin Research.

“In today’s struggling economy, budget-conscious consumers have been thinking ahead and planning changes long before this holiday season kicks in — and with good reasons,” says Royal Cole, executive vice president and general manager of Western Union Payment Services. “As watchdogs of their own personal finance affairs, consumers are trying hard to stick to their budgets so they can keep paying necessary expenses such as rent, mortgage, utility, credit card and auto bills.”

However, less green in your wallet doesn’t have to equal pre-holiday blues. Western Union Payment Services offers some simple ways to curb spending and still preserve holiday happiness.

* Decide how much money you can spend on gifts and make sure to stick to this budget. If you need a point of reference, look at what you spent last year, and determine if you are able to match that, or if you can cut back on the list, either by buying fewer gifts, or spending less. Make a list of who you will purchase gifts for and tally how much you can spend on each to ensure you don’t go over your budget.

* Be a savvy shopper and watch for sales, special promotional discounts or buy-one, get-one free offers. Also, spread your shopping out, so you can balance the costs between paychecks. If you find yourself short on funds and need to get the bills paid, consider last-minute, same-day payments, which can keep your payments current and avoid late fees.

* Discuss setting a budget limit on gift-giving with family and friends. One way to cut back is to draw names out of a hat, so you’re only purchasing one nice gift for one person, rather than many gifts for everyone.

* Go online to www.overstock.com or www.half.com to find good deals. Remember, it’s the idea behind the gift, not how much you spend on it.

* Research flexible payment plan options to maximize your cash flow for the holidays; ask your bank or creditor if they offer these customized bill payment plans. Or ask if you can organize a holiday account, with little deposits made into the account all year long.

* Give the gift of cash this holiday season — a modest cash gift can help a friend or relative pay for basic necessities and living expenses. In this economy, it’s a universal gift that everyone will appreciate, and you get a bang for your buck — no extra costs for taxes, shipping or handling. Visit www.westernunion.com for more information.

* Make sure you’re monitoring all household budget items so you might have a little extra money to keep you going during the holidays. Read personal finance articles for the latest ways to tighten your budget on sites such as www.smartmoney.com, www.ivillage.com or www.kiplinger.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Personal Finance | 1 Comment

Article courtesy of ARA content

(ARA) – Home technology just keeps getting faster, better and more amazing. It’s also getting more expensive, too.

While prices for certain high-demand high-tech toys – like plasma TVs – are edging down, it’s still probably safe to say the average American family is spending more on technology as more “toys” emerge. From upgrading to the latest, leading-edge PC to high prices for Internet connections that can quickly move video and audio files, families face escalating technology costs – at a time when prices for everything else are also climbing.

Most modern families probably can’t imagine living without technology, so completely eliminating the cost is likely out of the question. It is possible, however, to curtail costs when it comes to how much of your family’s budget goes towards technology. Here are some simple tips:

To PC or Not PC

More than half of all American households have computers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And most of those actually have more than one. But are multiple PCs — each one costing around $1,000 — really necessary for your home?

College students may reasonably need a laptop for their schoolwork, but elementary and high school students should be able to make do with the main family PC. Keep in mind that many parenting experts advocate close supervision of children while they use PCs and the Internet. It’s easier to supervise a single computer centrally located in the house than multiple ones in kids’ rooms. And, it’s cheaper to buy and maintain a single PC that spends its days sheltered in your house rather than multiple ones exposed to the rigors of kids’ daily lives.

Dial-up is Not Dead

High speed Internet connections like cable and T1 lines have made it possible to move massive amounts of information quickly and easily – but at a hefty price. Cable Internet service can cost up to $100 per month.

If your daily computer use is limited to accessing your e-mail or simple surfing, you may not need all that power. If you do not regularly download or upload video or audio files, you can access the Internet cheaply with a dial-up connection. Services like Netzero and Juno offer accelerated dial-up for as little as $9.95 per month.

What’s more, if you travel and want to be able to access your account remotely, Netzero allows you to dial in from your laptop (or any Netzero-equipped PC) for the cost of a local phone call in most areas of the country. Accessing the Internet at some hotels can cost as much as $20 per day. Plus, rather than paying for your college-aged child to have a separate service provider at school, he or she can use your account to access his e-mail.

Dishing it Out

Thanks to satellite TV it’s possible to watch a live cricket match taking place in Shri Lanka, flip between a classic movie on one channel and the latest blockbuster on another, or listen to hundreds of music channels. The sheer volume of viewing material may seem impressive, but the reality is few people really watch all those channels on a regular basis.

Do you find yourself sticking with the network channels and only watching the occasional movie on the satellite stations? It may be cheaper per month to subscribe to basic cable and an online movie rental service that charges a flat monthly fee.

Really Smart Phones

Finally, if you have access to e-mail from your home and/or work PC, do you really need to have it through your cell phone too? Smart phones are in vogue for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their ability to get you online wherever you are. But before shelling out hundreds of dollars to buy smart phones for everyone in your family, carefully evaluate your cell phone habits and objectives.

If you and your family really only need cell phones for having phone conversations, then chances are you’ll all do just fine with basic cell phones. Basic mobiles will be far cheaper and many service providers offer package deals and incentives for family plans, including discounts on the phones themselves.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Recreation, Saving Money | 1 Comment

The holiday seasons is a time of year filled with special family times. Some of my most special memories growing up include our family’s Christmas traditions. Our family always seemed to find a way to make the holidays special without spending a lot of money. We loved playing Christmas music as we decorated the Christmas tree. And don’t get me started about how special our church’s annual Christmas pageant was. These really are the types of memories that stay with you for the rest of your life.

Why not take the time to start some fun holiday traditions with your own family this year. There are many different things you can do to mark the Christmas season. Choose activities that you and the kids will enjoy and make them a part of your annual holiday festivities. Repeat the activities each year, and before you know it you’ll have your own family traditions.

Some ideas to get you started on the trail to creating your own family traditions include:

Have a Christmas movie night. You can serve hot chocolate and enjoy a holiday-themed movie to mark the beginning of the holiday season. Children’s classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Charlie Brown’s Christmas are good choices. More modern selections might include The Santa Clause or A Christmas Story.

Enjoy a favorite Christmas tale. Much like the Christmas movie night, you can serve holiday cookies and hot chocolate to really make the evening special. Then, let each of the kids select a story to be read with the whole family. What child wouldn’t love hearing wonderful tales like The Polar Express or The Night Before Christmas.

Check out area light displays. Many communities’ parks and recreation departments create elaborate displays of Christmas lights. If you don’t have community displays, however, you don’t have to give up checking out Christmas lights. You can load the little ones up in the car and drive around your neighborhood.

Volunteer together to help someone else. If you can afford it, adopting a family for Christmas is a wonderful way to share the Christmas spirit with someone else. However, you can always choose to donate your time rather than money. Maybe your elderly neighbor needs help putting up her Christmas decorations. You and the kids can go over to her house and help her. Gather your kids and decide together who you will help this year.

Spend an afternoon doing your holiday baking. Nothing is more fun than an afternoon in the kitchen making sweets with your kids. Sure, you’ll make a mess, but imagine what a good time you’ll have. You can share the fruits of your fun day with family and friends by making and delivering goodie baskets to spread the fun beyond your own family.

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Kids, Personal Finance | 5 Comments

You’ve probably already heard a thousand times how important it is to have a budget for your Christmas gift-giving. Having a budget allows you to plan for your holidays expenses and to keep them under control. However, having a budget and sticking to it are often very different things.

You have to be prepared to face many different temptations and pitfalls in order to stick to your holiday budget. Compulsive buys, unrealistic expectations, and lack of time can all wreak havoc on your careful planning. When creating your budget and getting your shopping done, be sure to keep these things in mind:

Start planning (and shopping) early. Starting early helps you build a solid gift-giving budget. You will have time to consider gift options for your friends and family and shop for a great price. And, you won’t fall victim to bad decisions caused by frantic last-minute shopping.

Build room in your budget for those necessary, but unforeseen, expenses like sales tax or shipping charges. You may find a great deal at your favorite website, but internet shopping often requires you to pay shipping charges. In the best circumstances, you will be able to use coupon codes to decrease or eliminate these charges. However you shop, online or in person, you should make plans to include the cost of sales tax in your budget.

Be flexible in your Christmas shopping whenever you can. You will find that there are some items that make their way to your shopping list that can’t be fudged. If your kids have their hearts set on a specific video game, you can’t exactly find a generic version of it. Less specific items may leave you a little more wiggle room. Look for similar products in the same color or style when shopping for home décor items, clothing, or kitchen goods.

Shop with cash. Going over your holiday budget is easy if you’re putting the total of your purchases onto plastic. There’s little to no pinch as you make your way through the checkout line. But, if you’re shopping with cash, you will know that you can only shop until the money runs out. That factor will make you much more cautious as you fork your hard-earned cash over to the cashier.

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Gifts, Money Management | 3 Comments

The idea of creating a family budget can be pretty scary. If you’re not good with numbers, you may consider this basic task to be a lot tougher than it really is. Really, though, the act of creating a budget doesn’t have to be horrible. By following a few simple steps, you can have a family budget that will serve you and your entire family very well.

Start by determining what your income is. For most people, this task is as easy as taking a look at your pay stub. Self-employed people however will need to work a little harder at estimating their income. Looking at the previous year’s tax return is a good place to start.

Now, you’ll need to decide how much you have to spend each month. Mortgage or rent payments, utilities (although these vary from month to month, you can estimate an average monthly amount), and debt payments will all need to be included in this figure. The idea is to work out exactly how much of your money is already committed each month. If you are afraid you’re going to forget something, try looking through your bank statements from the previous year.

Flexible spending should also be accounted for during the budget process. For instance, you know that you’re going to spend money at the grocery store each month. You should also include estimates for things like fuel for your car or clothing for you and the kids. Don’t be tempted to budget a bare bones amount that is unrealistic. Be honest and allocate funds accordingly.

Finally, don’t forget to set some savings expectations in your budget. You’re going to want to set up an emergency fund, as well as saving for big ticket purchases you plan to make later. Retirement and college savings plans should also factor into this part of your budget.

Hopefully, when you subtract all of the expenses and savings contributions you planned from your monthly income you haven’t exceeded your income. If you have, then you’ll need to go back and try to find some excess in your budget.

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Filed under: Budgeting | 1 Comment