Here is my update for our Christmas on a budget this year. So far I have done well.
Take my mother's gift for instance. I'm making her a gift basket and my budget was $50. Here is what is in her basket...
Magnet of our two girls (free other than paying for shipping for MULTIPLE items so extremely cheap, maybe .20)
Picture Calendar made online (free, same as above)
Book "Christmas Box" (.75 - ordered 20 for $15)
3 boxes french vanilla Cappucino (free with triple coupons)
2 Christmas mugs (2.00)
Large Glade soy candle (2.00, after sale and coupon)
2 small Glade soy candles (2.00, 1.00 each after coupons)
3 iMotion oil air fresheners (3.00, 1.00 each - after sale and coupons)
McCoy Pottery Book (new from Amazon 19.77 but got for FREE!!!)
Total Spent - $10.15
SHOULD have spent - $91.52
SAVINGS - $81.37
This is a great example of using what you've got and what's on sale (with coupons) to stock up on stuff to buy for others.
Mom just finished rehabbing a house so I figured some candles and smelly things would be nice for the house. She asked for the book specifically and I'm sure you're wondering how in the world I got that for free!
Well... one word... SWAGBUCKS!! There is this great site. It's a search engine that is powered by google and ask.com. You just go on and use that for your search engine and "poof" you will earn swagbucks. I redeemed some of my swagbucks for amazon e gift certificates and got my mom's book for free! I have been slack on this site and have just NOW realized it's full potential and am definitely going to be using it all that I can to earn more.
I am going shopping on Black Friday, the BEST shopping day of the year. The sales this year some are saying aren't as great, but I'm not one of the "crazy" people out there that's pushing and shoving people to get to a $50 computer or $10 laptop! I am there for the toys and those they always have plenty of. Bring on the Barbies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Play Doh and Crayola stuff!!
I have an annual tradition with one of my oldest friends that we do this together. It's just the one tradition that we have always kept up with. The hubs' hate it, the kids are asleep and we are out and about for hours child and hubs-less. Free to do any and all holiday shopping that we wish. While we rack in the bargains and shell out the bucks we seriously get into the spirit of the season (not like we haven't been listening to Christmas music since the day after Halloween!!).
We start out about 11:00 p.m. on Thursday night. We have an outlet center about an hour away that opens at midnight so we are going to head out there first. Toys R Us also opens at midnight, but we won't get there until about 3:00 or so. Then, to Walmart and Target after that. They open at 5:00 a.m. this year and that seems a bit late for them, but oh well.
Regardless of where we go, we get into the spirit... we're not pushing and shoving, but saying excuse me and I'm sorry when someone runs into us! We gather all our treasures and finds and head home. When we get home we start decorating the house (drinking lots of coffee!), putting up the tree, string out the lights, putting up stockings and wrapping presents (when the girls are napping of course). It's the greatest day of the year to me.
At least that's what I'm saying today... ask me again come 7 p.m. Friday!!!
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving as we all have tons to be thankful for as we're probably doing better than someone else in this world.
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