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. . .
I bake banana bread and give it away with a cookie cutter. I give it to all of my friends on Christmas eve so they’ll have an easy, homeade treat on Christmas morning.
Paula G.
wrinkledshirts@yahoo.com
http://www.wrinkledshirts.blogspot.com
A great way to save money during the holidays is to make things yourself……make gift (if you are so talented), make your Christmas treats as opposed to buying them in the stores, etc. This is, of course, if you have the time!!
rachelsrealdeals @ gmail . com
I also subscribe via google reader, and here is my extra tip. One thing we do in my family is instead of every person buying gifts for every other person, we all put our names in a hat and each person draws out a name. They have to buy a gift for that person.
rachelsrealdeals @ gmail. com
Leave credit cards at home.
Shop online – save gas
The best way we save money is looking for the sales and buying only what we need rather then things we want.
We’ve always done lots of baking and crafting – and especially this year when everyone is feeling crunched! My kids and I decided to give our relatives gifts that will give them memories, skills or time together: cookie mixes in a jar, all those blogger foodie gifts, and craft “kits” we put together ourselves – embroidery, knitting, crocheting, jewelry making, etc. Cheap to put together and builds relationships – the real goal!
The main way we save money during the holidays is budgeting. If it’s not budgeted for then we don’t get it. This works for presents, food and holiday activities.
aogg23@yahoo.com
I tweeted about your give-away here:
http://twitter.com/realdealrachel
Every year we play a holiday game on Christmas Eve. All of our family members brings a wrapped gift under $20 and bring it to dinner. After dinner we play the right/left Christmas game. My mother-in-law reads a story and every time we hear the word left we pass the gift to the left, when we hear the word right, we pass the gift to the right. When the story is over, we keep the gift that we are holding. We unwrap it to see what we got.
This is a fun game and everyone gets a present. This really saves us a lot of money. We only buy one adult gift instead of tons of adult gifts.
I’m a subscriber.
For neighbor and teacher gifts the last couple of years we have canned homemade pie filling for them to use when they want. Last year was peach…this year blueberry. They go over very well and it is nice having the gifts done earlier in the year. All we need is a ribbon and a homemade card and we are good to go.
I am a subscriber!
dana914s @ yahoo.com
My tip would be to make gifts, I have 3 kids under 3 and we are doing homemade ornaments and pictures for the grandparents… SImple easy and cheap, with all the different companies out there offering free print or photobooks just order when you can get them super cheap through out the year.
dana914s @ yahoo.com
I save money by having the kids write down what they want and by checking sale flyers regularly. Getting the best deals takes strategic planning!
If you live near a college, you might be able to find a discarded tree, wreath, or other decorations in mid-December after the students have finished their exams and left for home. Another way to decorate and recycle is to make edible decorations from foods such as kale and apples, then eat them after the holiday.
If you aren’t able to get a recycled tree you might want to wait until very shortly before Christmas and negotiate for price discounts on perishable decorations such as a tree.
readingcoach(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
My holiday money-saving tip is to think about the holidays when it’s back-to-school time. Many art supplies go on sale at this time, and if you stock up when crayons are 25c/box you will have a nice assortment of stocking stuffers–or maybe an entire art set–waiting for your juvenile artist.
I save money in the holiday season by hand-making gifts that I think the person could really use. For example, my sister and brother in law say their new home gets really cold in the evening, so I made them each new fleece throws. This way, the gift is really special AND it is easy on the wallet.
Make wrapping paper from comics from the newspaper. butcher paper stamped or painted with designs, and scraps of fabric or bought wrapping paper. Gift bags can be made from small paper bags, or recycle gift bags you’ve received. Sometimes I find decorations of all types to recycle at thrift stores. Make them into ornaments, or package decorations
Don’t wait until the last minute to shop. I shopped for this years Christmas last year during all the sales. It has worked out perfectly. I bought my kids 1 thing that they really wanted and asked for this year but the rest I got for a great price last year!
Making a family and friends cookbook. I did this about four years ago and it was a BIG hit and only ended up costing about 20.00 per book…not bad folks !!
I called or emailed family members and our closiest friends. Told them I was making a cookbook, wanted thier best recipes…two or three each person. I gave them a deadline for the recipes to be turned in and then I got busy making the books…myself. I typed each recipe, put a related food picture on each page, printed the pages, put them in sleeve covers and put the pages into a 3-ring binder with a beautiful coverpage. These were the best gift I ever gave…everyone loved them, and it’s something that will be in the family forever !!
Thank you for a wonderful contest ~ Merry Christmas !!
tholix at pineland dot net
I’ve started doing all my Christmas shopping online with a few rules. There must be free shipping and of course the prices must be competitive. I also do my holiday shopping through Upromise so that some money is automatically deposited into my kids’ college funds.
When the store I worked for closed down, I was able to buy a lot of Christmas decorations for 90% off.
rasweeps@live.com
watch for sales.
My money saving tip is to do a family secret santa and put a limit, $50 for example. That way no one has to spend too much. However, everyone should still buy for the kids. š
likesprinkles@gmail.com
I’m also a subscriber.
My second tip is to give away tins of cookies instead of gifts. Fresh cookies cost pennies to make and I’ve found that they are just as appreciated as a store bought gift.
Beverly
Make some or all of your gifts homemade. I’ve made cookies, fudge, special breads, etc. for Christmas gifts. I know it costs money for the ingredients, but it’s still cheaper than buying expensive gifts and these are from the heart. People love them and you will save money.
Thank you and Nickelodeon for this great giveaway.
wofat1@lycos.com
Sign up for email lists at all your regular stores. Everyone has big sales coming. I have a super pricey baby boutique nearby that is having a 50% off sale. I got a pair of See Kai Run shoes for $15. I never would have paid the regular price for those. charlenegale at yahoo dot com
Money sure is tight this year!
This year one of my money saving tips is to make the kids a gift of a coloring book by printing out pics of their family in black and white!
Make your own gifts. That is my tip. Please enter me. Thanks, Samantha
sheppard_s@yahoo.com
I do ALL my shopping from home, after picking out what I want to buy early in November and then waiting for coupons and discounts to those websites to make purchases.
Oh, the holidays, how special they are! For gift shopping, the best time to shop is the day after Thanksgiving! You can save a ton of money.
I blogged about this contest @ http://quicktattletail.blogspot.com/ and left another holiday tip at the bottom of my post.
buy next year’s gift wrap and etc. after Christmas this year
I subscribed by reader and e-mail.
Another holiday tip:
Start buying after christmas and make a holiday closet or cupboard, while shopping all year round for all the best deals.
Home made food gifts
I take pictures all year long of everyone whenever we get together. Then right before Christmas I make a DVD of each family with some music and give it to the family with home made goodies in dishes that I thought were neat I picked up flea markets for little to nothing that can be reused.
My holiday savings tip is to give homemade gifts. I love to knit and bake and think folks appreciate a thoughtful gift.
I CHRISTmas shop all year round. I store them in a spot in my storage room. That way, I don’t have to “rush” out and impulse buy. Everything is done waaay before CHRISTmas.
I know gift tags are generally cheap — but I always reuse my Christmas cards by cutting off the pretty part and using that for a gift tag. Last year’s cards are this year’s tags. It makes for unique and pretty gift tags —
Here’s my link —
http://blondiejenthemom.blogspot.com/2008/12/giveaways.html
I’ve subscribed š
I’ve been taking advantage of the photo sites’ deals for several months to get cheap photos and books for grandparents.
When I find a item I want to buy I look online to see which store is offering it at the lowest price and than to see if they also are offering any other discounts I can use towards purchasing this item.
I always make gift baskets with homemade things: peppermint marshmallows, Russian tea mix, hot chocolate mix, caramel popcorn, soap, cookies, and this year we are adding savory spiced nuts. The kids are old enough to help me with some of it, so it is becoming a family event. These seem so much more appreciated than a store-bought gift.
Melissa
I try to save money by buying ahead of time on sale, and making gifts like jewlery, cd’s…etc…
ggp42304(at)gmail(dotcom)
The best money saver for me is all in the planing. I don’t got to the store looking for a gift idea. I’ll know what I want to get for the person and I’ll shop around for the best price and coupons. It saves me time in the store and I don’t end up buying just something so I can cross the name off the list.
I only shop online and look for coupon codes for discounts. Great way to save money especially during the holidays!!
Tessy409@yahoo.com
dont buy any gifts
Iām giving edible gifts to feed the greed and the hunger. Please accept my entry. Thank you.
I’m a relatively new couponer and this year most of our gifts were free! Free magazine subscriptions, baskets of free lotion, cleansers, makeup, mascara and lipstick for the women, baskets of free dog and cat food and treats for the pet lovers, free photo enlargements and photos, free toys and books for the kids and software, free razors, air fresheners, toiletries for the stockings and the list goes on. Even the baked goodies were made with mostly free ingredients. Using coupons along with sales, using store cards, signing up for e-clubs online, signing up for samples, and watching for deals have made this a truly frugal holiday season.