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. . .
5 tips are make your own ornaments from pine cones, pretzles, popcorn, and household left overs such as cans milk bottles ect.. Make your own wrapping paper with the sunday paper funnies, make your own cheap fruit cake with a cheap Jiffy mix plus jellied fruit, make your own gifts with yarn plus a cheap weaver from walmart to make scarves, hats ect,, and the final tip is to get a cheap permit to cut down your own free Christmas tree. From, Frugalgal5@aol.com
We use an artificial tree — I can’t stand the thought of killing a beautiful tree year after year plus it save us a lot of money over our lifetime. We also use LED lights which save an awesome amount of energy/money.
I think the best advice is to use what you have.
There are so many different things that are used and even thrown away in our homes every day that could be turned into special gifts. For example, clean an empty aluminum can, punch holes in the pattern of a star on it, paint it, and put in a candle.
You can turn ordinary objects into many wonderul things. This can also be used for holiday decorating. Have empty boxes? Wrap them up pretty and use them as decorations on your front porch. My sister has even used tomato cages to make fun, abstract Christmas tree decorations in her yard using the cage, a pot, ribbon, and garland.
So, look around your home with an open mind. Think outside the box and let your creativity flow.
Awesome contest! To save $ this season we are doing a make it/bake it/thrift it with our family. This was a great idea my mother in law came up with and we are all excited about it.
I subscribed to your blog!
Another tip is to gather up all the tissue paper and gift bags that your family is going to throw away. I do this every year! (gift boxes too) then when the holidays roll around the next year I’m all ready set up and don’t have to go out and buy that kind of stuff!
This August (or was it Sept) I found a pear tree that had been abandoned. I harvested it three times and made batches of pear jelly. It only cost me for the jars the first round and pectin (which was on clearance for $0.10) Now that’s the only jelly my 4 yo wants on her PBJ. Hopefully I’ll still have some leftover for holiday gifts!
Gloria
gjbrown@mdhenryco.com
I blogged! http://myfrugalfinds.blogspot.com/2008/12/enter-contest-to-win-50000-giftcard-to.html
Another tip is to use the kids artwork and make wrapping paper out of it!
I always do my holiday shopping with eBates.com. This site links to over 900 merchants and offers cash back for my purchases. Every few months I receive a check! Around the holidays most stores offer free shipping and some don’t charge tax! Plus, I save time, gas, and the headache of dealing with mall parking and long lines. I also refer my friends and family to help them save money- and by doing so, eBates gives a credit to both of us! Can’t beat that!
cdrury@gmail.com
do a google search for “coupons off” – lots of sites have coupons for percentages off or free shipping that won’t be listed on the site itself – check out several different sites.
Decorate paper bags for unique gift bags.
My money saving idea is to first of all shop all year long and second of all..don’t take your kids shopping..they can spend my money faster than anything I know.
https://twitter.com/CPAMom/status/1039397437
cpamomva at hotmail dot com
subscribed!
tip: shop year round to take advantages of sales when you run across them. you can keep an excel spreadsheet on what you’ve bought.
tip – make memories with your kids instead of spending yourself into debt w/ gifts they won’t care about next week. Volunteer at a soup kitchen with them. Take them to see lights around the neighborhood. Watch Rudolph for the eleventith hundred time!
To save money decorating this holiday season, swap your stuff with a friend. This way you both win with some different stuff and you didn’t spend a dime!
I am now a subscriber via google reader 🙂
Making your own ornaments for the Christmas tree can save you a bundle. With so many tutorials online these days, you are sure to find something that fits your style!
I only buy gifts for close friends and family. Co-workers and extended family I see during the holidays get homemade cookie platters.
I also set a budget for how much I’m willing to spend so I’m not out tons of money come the turn of the new year. 🙂
Rockapink [at] aol.com
My tip is to clip coupons so that you will save money on food that can be used for holiday shopping.
Please enter me to win! My holiday money saving tip is this: Don’t buy junk. We have a bunch of kiddos and for many years bought junk just for the sake of having things for the kids to open.
Also, we give handmade and homemade items to all friends and family. I can easily buy ingredients with my coupons along with regular groceries. Then when Christmas comes I don’t have the expense of buying baking supplies.
Word verification word of the day: unitedwi
One way I am saving some money this year is by reviewing my Christmas card list and cutting out people who see my kids on a regular basis (and thus don’t really need a picture of them) OR people who I have not heard from for several years! I think I can cut it in half! Which could save me $40-50.
Rebate all year long particularly at stores like CVS and Walgreens. Usethe items to make up spa baskets, men’s toiletry baskets etc. Wrap them with last years ribbons and bows.
rosans4@comcast.net
Hi, my money saving Holiday tip is to buy for next year the year before. I always buy my decorations after The holidays are over, I save a lot of money doing it this way, then I use plastic totes and store all of it until the next year. Not only is it like Christmas all over again (cause I always forget what I bought) but we always have brand new decorations to put up, and no one knows I only paid a fraction of the price !!!
Thanks for this great blog and your helpful tips all year long. And thank for the wonderful giveaway!!!
xbeth@yahoo.com
AKA plussizemommy
I choose gifts partly based on price. For children that don’t have to have a particular toy, I look for the Black Friday sales.
Cards are so expensive and typically get thrown away. So, I’m having my 15 month old daughter “make” Christmas cards for everyone this year. I’m going to let her scribble on the front of some holiday themed paper and then write a heartfelt mesage to the recepient myself. I think they’ll appreciate it more and if they throw it away it’s no big deal, either. Good luck to everyone!
To save money for the holidays, I try to reuse as much as possible. I use paper bags or packing paper (from the packages I get from online shopping) as gift wrap. I save ribbon and gift bags from previous years and reuse them for this year’s gifts. I also try to save things like mason jars, cardboard boxes, fabric scraps and other useful items so that I have them when I’m feeling creative.
Cut back the lists – everyone is scaling back and I talked to my brothers/sisters – inclucing the in-laws and decided that at our ages (30+) there is no need for us to all buy each other something. We just buy for the kids now. I cut several gifts and quite a chunk of money from our budget this year!
Sign-up for e-mails for the stores you love. You’ll get lots of coupons.
Sounds simple, but make a list of gifts you already have, so you won’t over-buy at the last minute. Sometimes I forget about thing I bought earlier in the year.
use grocery coupons! There are lots of them out there for several different holiday baking items.
We draw names in our family, so we don’t have to buy gifts for so many people.
recycle bags, bows, tags, etc
Turn old happy meal toys, especially figurines, into ornaments by screwing a tiny eye hook to the top & tying some ribbon through the eye to let it hang. We did this when we had a bunch of Disney characters from old happy meals. The kids still love them, years later!
merrileemacqueen@hotmail.com
Email the family newsletter or Christmas card-save on stamps & cost of printing/making the cards.
merrileemacqueen@hotmail.com
I don't give in to holiday ADVERTISING & I NEVER bother with Black Friday. Both of these because I'd just spend too much if I did. My family always had a one gift rule and we never made a big deal about the gifts. Now that my son is older, he was shocked to find out all of the money that his girlfriend's family spends on gifts, even though they really can't afford it. I have a NO DEBT rule – double that for the holidays.
My money saving tip for the Holiday’s, is to make gifts yourself. Go to a craft store etc, and get creative!! You may find a talent you didn’t even know you had, plus I still get comments on things I’ve made for people.
Ren
soccerren1@gmail.com
Plan ahead…shop after Christmas sales for wrap, bags, bows, decor, etc. and then create a gifting closet (buy when things are on sale throughout the year) so that you are ready for holiday gift giving (as well as birthdays!!) jtmkcm at yahoo dot com
I love Christmas every year my mom takes us kids and our kids and spouses to the hotel with a pool for our christmas present and then we just buy gifts for the little ones. We all bring our favorite foods to share. It is nice all 3 families and my mom and dad have our own room and mom pays for it all. It is just a fun time of the year to listen to the little kids talk about Santa Claus and unwrap there gifts.
I also love seeing our church get decorated with all the trimmings too. It is so pretty.
If you have hobby-lobby stores in your area, you can print the 40% coupons on their hobbylobby.com site, so You don’t have to wait for the Sunday ads to flip through. They have great holiday supplies to decorate your home!
heartgrayson at yahoo dot com
My holiday saving tip is to think of families, as a family. Too often I get hung up on buying “everyone” something, so I try to remember everyone in their family unit, it helps. For instance last year each family received the game “Apples to Apples” and now we have rousing tournaments. Another example is a gift certificate to eat out, so many families can’t afford that right now, that I night out “on me” provides a night of fun for the whole family.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Susan
http://www.car-insurance-choices.com
I love having a variety of candy treats on hand at the office. However, everyone else thinks they can have a hand at it too…which can be costly.
I brought my old bubble gum machine to work, filled it with my favorite treats and when coworkers came to steal my candy, they thought nothing of putting in a quarter to grab out treats. It certainly helped the cost of the treats.
I try to package things carefully and store neatly at the end of each holiday season. It makes decorating the following year go much smoother. I make small additions each year to the decor, either bought or handcrafted, but the bulk of my decorations are intact and well preserved. It sure saves money.
Know when to stop shopping, when enough is enough and then you´re done. Over doing it can foster many unattractive and embarrassing (to the parent) qualities in children that they cannot fairly be blamed for as they are a direct result of our over indulging them as parents.
laikilu@yahoo.com
You can make your holiday cards yourself, on your computer/printer. Or add a special touch and have your kids help out and have creative cards.
walters123 (at) hotmail (dot) com
I try to find most of my gifts throughout the year by watching for great sales and clearance items. You would be surprised by how much can accumulate! Thanks!
Tons of great tips here, and thanks so much for offering the giveaway. When wrapping gifts for friends’ young kids, I like to make the “wrap” part of the gift -for example, buy an inexpensive “character” pillowcase that you know the child likes, bag up the gift/gifts, and tie with a bow at the top. Very simple to do, and makes a big hit with the children.
My sisters and I have a day of making cookies and candies that we then wrap up and give to our coworkers and friends. This saves a lot of money and people love that it is homemade – we switch recipes every year!
Thanks
Sarah
believedreamcourage (at) gmail.com
I purchase art supplies throughout the year on clearance and at the dollar store and then my daughter makes homemade presents for grandparents and aunts and uncles. They love to get those with the homemade paper she designs from newspaper endrolls and crayons or stampers.
I am now a subscriber. My second tip is to encourage family potlucks instead of one person doing all the cooking. It spreads out the costs and also brings new foods to each event.
Estate sales are great ways to save money. Not only are the prices right but you may find a very special item that is an antique or something you know someone would love. Many times you can find beautiful unused lace and lines. Who wouldn’t want that? I just found some unused real linen pillowcases with handmade lace. These are a find and would make a stunning gift! For the best deals do this year round. You can find things for men, woman, children and babies and know no one else will give the same gift!
Always buy your Christmas decorations the day after Christmas. Not only will you save a ton of money, you’ll be really excited the next year to look at the new stuff!
jana_mccraine(at)hotmail(dot)com