Comments on: Reminder: Enter the Get-Rich-Slowly Holiday Tips Contest http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/ personal finance that makes cents Sat, 17 May 2008 00:57:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Mike http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27826 Mike Mon, 11 Dec 2006 03:30:29 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27826 I like to buy my Christmas stuff for "next" year, the week after Christmas, and then pack it away. Retailers want to get rid of this stuff as soon as they can, and the longer it's in their store, the lower the price will be. I've actually seen them just throw holiday stuff in the garbage just to get rid of it. The best places to shop are retail drug stores. Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, etc. will sell leftover holiday supplies for 90% off. I like to buy my Christmas stuff for “next” year, the week after Christmas, and then pack it away. Retailers want to get rid of this stuff as soon as they can, and the longer it’s in their store, the lower the price will be. I’ve actually seen them just throw holiday stuff in the garbage just to get rid of it.

The best places to shop are retail drug stores. Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, etc. will sell leftover holiday supplies for 90% off.

]]> By: Stacey http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27758 Stacey Mon, 11 Dec 2006 02:05:29 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27758 I send for internet freebies throughout the year and throw them into a drawer. At Christmastime, I use them as stocking stuffers. I've received Schick razors, deodorant, body wash,lotions and all sorts of cosmetics etc. I receive about $50 worth of freebies a month. I travel frequently and accumulate a lot of frequent flyer and hotel points. I also accumulate credit card and cigarette points. I use these points to buy Christmas gifts and for holiday travel. Last year my husband used his points to buy me an espresso/cappuccino maker and I used mine to buy him a camcorder. We offered my daughter a round-trip airline ticket to come and visit for the holidays. Once a year my cell phone provider gives us 3 free phones. This happens to be in December so I hand these phones out to my family as Christmas gifts. I make my own holiday cards and bake gourmet treats for the holiday. Lastly, we save our change all year and usually have about $500 saved at Christmas. We use this to buy the ingredients for our holiday meal and for anything miscellaneous we might need to buy. I send for internet freebies throughout the year and throw them into a drawer. At Christmastime, I use them as stocking stuffers. I’ve received Schick razors, deodorant, body wash,lotions and all sorts of cosmetics etc. I receive about $50 worth of freebies a month.
I travel frequently and accumulate a lot of frequent flyer and hotel points. I also accumulate credit card and cigarette points. I use these points to buy Christmas gifts and for holiday travel. Last year my husband used his points to buy me an espresso/cappuccino maker and I used mine to buy him a camcorder. We offered my daughter a round-trip airline ticket to come and visit for the holidays.
Once a year my cell phone provider gives us 3 free phones. This happens to be in December so I hand these phones out to my family as Christmas gifts.
I make my own holiday cards and bake gourmet treats for the holiday.
Lastly, we save our change all year and usually have about $500 saved at Christmas. We use this to buy the ingredients for our holiday meal and for anything miscellaneous we might need to buy.

]]> By: Suzanne http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27709 Suzanne Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:01:26 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27709 We don't have much to spend on friends, so I create a dinner for them. I give them a mixture for a main course (typically a breaded crumb mixture), a rice mixture (that I mix myself.. its not store bought), and brownie mix (sometimes cookie mix)in a jar. This year I'm also throwing in a muffin mix! I buy baskets, ribbons, and fabric during clearance sales and I decorate the jars and baskets for each person. My friends love that I spent time on their gift instead of buying it (and they get dinner on us!) and we love the fact that it costs pennies to make. I believe last year I spent $7 on each gift basket. That includes the basket, jars, mixes, and decoration. We don’t have much to spend on friends, so I create a dinner for them. I give them a mixture for a main course (typically a breaded crumb mixture), a rice mixture (that I mix myself.. its not store bought), and brownie mix (sometimes cookie mix)in a jar. This year I’m also throwing in a muffin mix! I buy baskets, ribbons, and fabric during clearance sales and I decorate the jars and baskets for each person.
My friends love that I spent time on their gift instead of buying it (and they get dinner on us!) and we love the fact that it costs pennies to make. I believe last year I spent $7 on each gift basket. That includes the basket, jars, mixes, and decoration.

]]> By: Chris http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27082 Chris Sat, 09 Dec 2006 21:17:25 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27082 This year my wife and I are employing two money saving strategies at Christmastime. We just got married this May, and we have many relatives who either did not take pictures or did not order pictures from the photographer or were not able to come to the wedding at all. While it is slightly presumptious to give a gift of a picture of oneself, we thought that a nice gift for our families (especially the grandparents and great aunts and uncles) would be wedding collages or wedding pictures. We can print the pictures for free using various drug stores and all we would need to pay for would be the frames. The second way we are saving money is through Mary Kay. My wife is a Mary Kay consultant- a financial pro/con discussion in and of itself. Mary Kay has many products similar to what you could find at Bath and Body Works or other similar stores. By giving gifts of Mary Kay we are actually investing in the business as we are spending the cost of the item (50% of retail) and we are also exposing the recipient to the various products that MK offers and hopefully we are gaining a customer for the future! This year my wife and I are employing two money saving strategies at Christmastime. We just got married this May, and we have many relatives who either did not take pictures or did not order pictures from the photographer or were not able to come to the wedding at all. While it is slightly presumptious to give a gift of a picture of oneself, we thought that a nice gift for our families (especially the grandparents and great aunts and uncles) would be wedding collages or wedding pictures. We can print the pictures for free using various drug stores and all we would need to pay for would be the frames.

The second way we are saving money is through Mary Kay. My wife is a Mary Kay consultant- a financial pro/con discussion in and of itself. Mary Kay has many products similar to what you could find at Bath and Body Works or other similar stores. By giving gifts of Mary Kay we are actually investing in the business as we are spending the cost of the item (50% of retail) and we are also exposing the recipient to the various products that MK offers and hopefully we are gaining a customer for the future!

]]> By: Aimee http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27071 Aimee Sat, 09 Dec 2006 19:24:30 +0000 http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/08/reminder-enter-the-get-rich-slowly-holiday-tips-contest/#comment-27071 My favorite way to save money at Christmas is to do a gift of time. Either a coupon for some sort of time related gift (free babysitting, ect), or spending time together instead of exchanging gifts. My favorite way to save money at Christmas is to do a gift of time. Either a coupon for some sort of time related gift (free babysitting, ect), or spending time together instead of exchanging gifts.

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