Times are tight for everyone this holiday season. Wouldn’t it be great to have a little more cash?
Wouldn’t it be great to figure out how to make the cash you do have stretch farther?
Thanks to Nickelodeon and Walmart you can do both!
Yes, Nickelodeon and Walmart have teamed up to sponsoring a contest that will not only collect together some of the BEST holiday money saving tips on the web, they are also giving one lucky Frugal Upstate reader a $500 Walmart gift card!
Talk about a present that will always be the right color and size!
Since the stakes are high for this contest, so is the bar! There are multiple ways to enter this contest, but for each entry you must submit a separate-that means different folks-holiday specific money saving tip.
Be sure you leave an email address with each tip. If I can’t contact you, I’ll have to choose another winner!
You can enter 5 separate times by doing each of, or any combination of, the following:
#1-By commenting on this post and leaving a holiday money saving tip.
#2-By writing a blog post mentioning a) this contest, b) Nickelodeon, c) Walmart & d) Frugal Upstate. Then in that post you have to give a different holiday money saving tip (don’t just repeat your original tip) and link back to this post. Then you have to come back here and leave another comment with the link back to your blog post.
#3-If you use twitter, you can tweet a holiday money saving tip, using the #nick11 hashtag in the tweet, and then return and leave another comment.
#4-You can create a Video Blog (Vlog) with a holiday money saving tip. You must mention a) the contest, b) Nickelodeon, c)Walmart and d) Frugal Upstate in the video. Then post it to Youtube & come back to comment here and link to the video.
#5-Subscribe to this blog, then leave a comment letting me know you have with, yes, another holiday money saving tip. If you are already subscribed you don’t have to do it again, just tell me that and leave your tip.
I WILL THROW OUT any entries that are not about the holidays, or that do not follow the directions above (ie didn’t link back to this post in their post, don’t mention Nickelodeon etc)
The winner will be chosen at random (using the random number generator) out of all the valid entries. I say again-the VALID entries. Make sure you read and follow those directions above folks!!!
The contest runs from today-Friday November 28th through Monday December 15th at 12 noon, EST.
You can enter to win a $500 Walmart gift card not only here but at all of the ElevenMoms’ sites. You can only win once, but you can try to win at each site. Each contest may have slightly different rules, so make sure you read carefully! Many of the tips will be featured on the Elevenmoms site-maybe even yours!
So good luck! I am looking forward to seeing all the great ideas. . .
subscriber-
My other big tip for saving money- is adults really do not need things- so just do a kids exchange and have the adults trade off certificates for services they can do-make the exchange known its something you do not pay for -using your talents- gardening, car work, cooking and baking, etc
Here is my tip, put a big ol pickle jar on the countertop all year for extra change, save money for a family Christmas present, you wont miss your change. Also make homemade baked treats or ornaments for family, they love that you made things for them by hand đ Carm
We buy toys, etc. for our kids, but for the rest of the gifts, we often will give a Christmas tree ornament and a heartfelt note. For our parents, we usually give photos of the kids in some form. These are things that aren’t expensive to do at all, but have a lot of meaning or sentimental value. Our parents don’t need another mug or book or scarf, but they love having new picture to show off.
I purchase all of my baking supplies for Christmas before Thanksgiving. The sales for flour, chocolate chips, condensed milk, etc. are far better in November than December where I live, so I stock up then.
schola.athenarum at gmail dot com
My tip is making hand print ornaments out of plaster. last year my Grandma bought my then 3 year a handprint ornament kit. (you know, the one with a mold, a baggy of plaster and a piece of ribbon.) My son LOVED making it. So, I had the idea of getting the container of plaster, $4.99 at Michael’s, and a $1 roll of ribbon at Wal-Mart, and reuseing the mold. My son made one for everyone in our family.There is alot of plaster in those buckets! Not only that, my neice and nephew also made them for their grandparents. Everyone was so happy to get the ornaments, and my son was so proud that he made (and painted them with glitter). Now everyone will have a memory of my son when he was 3 years old. We plan on doing it again this year too.
One way I save money during the holidays each year is to purchase Christmas plates from Walmart at the end of the Christmas season. I typically save %80 off of each item and get them for next to nothing. I save them for the next Christmas when I use them to hold home-made goodies that my children and I have made to give to friends and neighbors. The cute Christmas plates and treats are a big hit each year.
rweston810@yahoo.com
I subscribed to your blog, my tip: My youngest son loves to bake cookies, so to save money instead of buying cookie dough rolls/or break aparts, I make a HUGE batch of cookie dough, then freeze cookie balls on cookie sheets. When they are frozen I then put them in a big ziploc bag and he can make a cookie sheet at a time without the high cost.
To save money this time of year, I limit my trips to the store. There are so many tempting sweets, great deals and such that it is easy to spend over budget, or impulse buy. I make sure to make a shopping list and stick to it!
Have or go to a cookie party. Cookies are great gifts for teachers, co-workers, etc. You get a great assortment of homemade cookies to give to people and you only have to bake 1 type of cookie.
Can’t say enough about the clearence racks
The link to my post is: http://kbhawkins00.blogspot.com/2008/12/500-giveaway.html
I’ve added you to my Google Reader too!
Finally, my best tip is to give gifts of your time – my family always includes at least one thing on their Christmas lists that would qualify. For instance, babysitting for a date-night… cataloging my Dad’s books into a spreadsheet… a ladies afternoon of shopping or coffee – this one is more about spending time together and less about spending money.
I am going to make jar gifts this year. I just wrote a post on this very plan and I am quite excited about it! Unique, fun and frugal! This Friday I will be sharing yet another Frugal Friday idea for Christmas and I am going to tell my readers about your very cool contest! Come on over to Catholic Notebook and check it out!
Before I go shopping for Christmas gifts, I create a list and a budget for each gift. It sometimes takes a bit longer to find a gift that meets my budget but it’s well worth it in the end. We also set a $ amount for our family gift exchange.
Plan early. I have a giftlist for everyone (birthdays/holidays) and I look out for deals and gifts throughout the year. That way I don’t buy last minute things.
Ann
anncsu.biz@gmail.com
http://missionrice.blogspot.com/2008/11/giveaways-week-dec-1st.html
anncsu.biz@gmail.com
For me, just cutting back on spending so much for each person. Making gifts this year. Drawing names in the family.
Teresa
Tdstout57@aol.com
Wow. I really thought I had entered this already. My best frugal holiday tip? Homemade bread. It takes a bit of work, but you can make 6 loaves for about $5 and that’s 6 different gifts. (Assuming you don’t make flops, which I have done). Its a great gift for family, coworkers, or people who don’t need anything. Plus its not sweets. That’s a nice change for the Holidays.
I am already a subscriber, but for fun here is another tip! Reuse cereal boxes, and other food boxes for presents. If you are creative you can modify the cover art with some photo software…or just use a sharpie. Then for wrapping paper? Those paper grocery sacks that are sitting in the closet (you can also buy brown paper) Then have fun decorating the outside. This is also a great way for kids to get involved. Let them help decorate each other’s gifts!
Keep plugged in decorations in mind when contemplating your electric bill. Unplug Christmas lights and decorations (and for that matter, other applicances, etc.) when not in use. So much unused and wasted energy continues to go through those plugs, even when they are in the ‘off’ position, which is a drain on the environment AND on your electricity bill. The US Dept of Energy says that not only do appliances continue to draw electricity while the products are turned off, but in the average home nearly 75% of all electricty used to power electronics is consumed by products that are switched off. Unplugging unused appliances will become a good and easy money-saving habit once you do it enough!
I haven’t actually done this, but I read about someone who shopped on Craigslist and saved a bundle.
I celebrate Hannukah and what I do to save money for the Holiday is watch for the deals. A lot of things I buy for my 5 children for Hannukah are sold at my local CVS. I am able to buy Menorahs, candles, Dreidels, Gelt, Hannukah decorations and many more things. At the end of the year when they mark down all the holiday items at 70% off, this includes the Hannuakah items. This is when I really do most of my purchases and then I have most of what I need for the next Hannukah. Thanks for the Great Giveaway.
Sarah B
allenandsally(at)hotmail(dot)com
Give gifts of food. I can fruit preserves, and my husband is an avid deer hunter, so we give out baskets with different types of preserves, summer sausage and homemade breads each year.
I buy kids books from Amazon year round for a dollar or two apiece. I save them up for birthdays and christmas. They have a lot of great cheap books and new ones often. These make great stocking stuffers!
Knit scarves or slippers for the ladies in your life, or heavy wool socks for the men. This costs very little and means more because you took the time to make them!
I do a lot of shopping at *gasp* yard sales. Really! You can find new or almost new items, especially clothes for kids. I don’t get ALL of my Christmas things from garage sales, but I have been known to whip out something I bought in June for a Christmas gift.
Thank you for the contest! We could really use a $500 Walmart giftcard!
Oh, boy! This is getting harder! So, for my number 5… Sew tote bags. You can buy great fabric at wal-mart on the dollar rack. I buy this through-out the year and make great tote bags. They are fun and very easy! I think the first one I made took about an hour and a half. Now I can whip one out in about 30 minutes, and I am not a good sewer!!! (Plus with everyone taking their own bags shopping instead of using platic bags from the store, these are getting more appreciated!)
Tip #4- Give the gift of a night of free babysitting! I know all of my parent friends and family REALLY appreciate this one!
My favorite Holiday Money Saving Tip is to simplify your list of gift recipients by getting together as a group to draw names. In my family, between my siblings and I, we have six kids â and more on the way! We all work in industries that are suffering in this economy, and are all tightening our belts this year. We decided that this year, instead of struggling to buy gifts for all of the kids, we put all the kidsâ names in a bowl and chose the number of kids that we have to buy for. If we pick our own childâs name, we put it back and pick again. We raised our spending minimum because we felt that since the kids would be receiving gifts from fewer aunts and uncles, they should be nicer gifts.
Hereâs how it worked. I have one child so I used to shop for my four nieces and one nephew. The spending minimum that we had decided on in the past had been $20, so for me it meant $100 in gifts. This year, because I have one child, I drew one name â my nephewâs â and have a $30 budget to spend on him, saving me $70! We all agree that with all the gifts the kids get from their own parents, grandparents, etc., they wonât even notice fewer gifts, and they certainly will not be deprived! In fact, with my $30 budget and frugal and creative spending habits, I was able to get my nephew quite a nice pile of gifts!
This method could work in any group. If you regularly buy for all of your coworkers, siblings, etc, narrowing things down by choosing names is not only a money-saver, but itâs more personal. Itâs also fun to see whose name you get!
I blogged about your giveaway at Frugal Fulfillment!
http://frugalfulfillment.blogspot.com/2008/12/500-walmart-gift-card-giveaway.html
I purchase stocking stuffers throughout the year. I have a secret hiding place in a spare bedroom in which I collect all of the stuff. My rule is each single item can cost only 25 cents or less. When you have a whole year it’s amazing what you can find during clearance sales!
I just subbed to your blog – I love it!
My husband and I do most of our Christmas shopping the day *after* Christmas. Lots of items are discounted by as much as 75% or more! We will do our Christmas shopping for the next year at that time, and also our shopping for each other. It really works out quite well!
I subscribe to your blog already.
I wrote about this contest on my blog at http://southernseven.blogspot.com/2008/12/50000-gift-card-give-way.html
My frugal tip is to make up cookie dough and freeze it. When we need to take something to a party I take it out and make a quick batch of cookies. With all the running around this month it is so nice to be able to have it already mixed up.
I already subscribe to your blog. My tip is to keep my car filled with an ice chest and some protein based snacks and water in my car. We are always running to the stores or to parties or events and I run out of time to cook. I save myself from grabbing take out if I keep nuts, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, protein bars and other quick snacks to keep us from getting too hungry. I keep a cooler so that I can pick up any deals and still continue to shop.
Okay, this is tip four if anyone is counting! I don’t buy clothing with Christmas trees or Santa or other specific items. You can only wear them one month unless you want to look strange in March. Instead, wear a white buttondown with a red or green sweater. Add touches of color to look festive without looking like a Christmas clown.
make a list and stick with it. debra.pauley@yahoo.com
Hi Jenn,
I save Money by making most of my gifts. I craft or buy yr. around. After holiday sales sves alot of $.
Happy Holidays!
Blessins’,Lib
I begin holiday shopping early and take advantage of the clearance sales in October. During this time, stores are making room for their holiday items and there are great deals!
Thanks for the chance to win!
I have subscribed via Google reader!
my best Christmas savings tip is to shop for paper the year before and store it.
then set limits for your gift giving AND STICK WITH THEM!
I do a lot of my shopping online, which saves on gas and crowds, but the shipping can be a large expense if you are not careful. The best thing I have found is with Amazon.com if you join their Amazon Prime, for $9.99 a month (which can be cancelled at any time, and they give a free 2 week trial) they will ship anything you order with 2 day shipping at no charge. A major site like Amazon has so many options for presents, that you can do the majority of your shopping and save big bucks on shipping.
I shop after Christmas and throughout the year, looking for sales.
I also make a lot of gifts.
My nieces and nephews are getting hand-painted wall art. I buy the supplies from Hobby Lobby when they’re 50% off, or when they have their 40% off any item coupon.
Reuse those pretty Christmas bags! I have a ton of them — can’t remember the last time I had to buy one. Add some new ribbon to dress it up and there you go. Probably best though you don’t give it back to the same person it came from! m04taes(at)verizon(dot)net
I can think of many money saving tips but I will limit them. The first is if you have children let them draw pictures and frame them in cheap frames. My little girlâs grandparents love receiving her âartworkâ. It isnât pages from a coloring book that we put in cheap frames but drawings on white paper or construction paper or matte board.
Another money saving tip is related to food. I know I spend alot more during this time of year on food so I really keep my eyes open for coupons.
Thanks for the opportunity.
When I was younger our school had a penpal program, me and my penpal are friends to this and we are both trying to convert many aspects of our lives to greener ones, and with this recession, economical ones too, one cost cutting tips for the holidays we both love are holiday e-cards instead of expensive store bought ones. Not all family members and friends have embraced this idea and I honor the traditionalists in my lives, but for those that have embraced it, e-cards have saved us so much money over the past few years!
My best holiday tip is to give home baked goodies as gifts rather then buying expensive things at the store! They are always received well, and a gift I alos love to get! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
Great contest [wow – waaaaay better than mine!] I think the best way to save money during the holidays is to set limits and stick to them. Spend so much per person, depending on your budget and stick to it. Same thing with decorations, food etc. Christmas is about way more than the “stuff” anyway, so finding ways to celebrate without spending too much money is all part of it for me!
I start buying early, I use coupons, and I also win things in radio contests.