| As we enter this holiday season, some of us are | | | | Use the outdoors and natural products. Tree |
| realizing we are not as prepared as we had | | | | branches, greenery, popcorn - for those in |
| meant to be. We have dreamed of creating that | | | | suburban areas, make it a family trip. Find a tree |
| Martha Stewart home for our holiday guests, but | | | | farm and cut your own tree, which is often much |
| when we look in our pocketbooks realize we are | | | | less expensive. Or buy a non-traditional tree to |
| much more in line with Ms. Cheap. That is ok! You | | | | plant outside and decorate it indoors (this will hold |
| can still have a nicely decorated home if you trim | | | | fewer ornaments, so you can elect to have a |
| the tree and more with some less expensive | | | | smaller selection of nicer ornaments as well). If |
| ideas. | | | | you are not crafty enough to do this, get a friend |
| The most obvious way to save money is to shop | | | | to help. What a fun holiday tradition to start. |
| after Christmas sales, but since we are at the | | | | Have a holiday swap of old Christmas decorations. |
| front end of the holiday season, we will just | | | | Maybe your sister wants to change her Christmas |
| mention this quickly. You must be astute if you | | | | colors this year and can donate all the silver and |
| want a nice collection of items, and prepare ahead | | | | gold from previous years, just ask! Do not be |
| of time to budget money to buy items on | | | | afraid to make Christmas affordable, as most |
| clearance. Do not go in the store and buy | | | | people will appreciate the opportunity to save. |
| hodge-podge items just because they are marked | | | | Employ your holiday cards. Hang them in a place |
| down. This does not save money in the long | | | | where people will see them. This will mean a lot if |
| term. | | | | someone sent you a card and sees it on your |
| Yard sales are a great venue to find holiday | | | | wall. Set out a bowl with Christmas ornaments, or |
| items. Pack up a friend, head out early, and make | | | | make primitive art. If you have kids, the holiday |
| sure to sift through the boxes to find your | | | | theme can be kid-oriented, with paper link |
| treasures. Since holiday items see such limited | | | | garlands and homemade ornaments. |
| use, often these will look brand new. You might | | | | Do not let the costs of Christmas rob the joy of |
| be shocked (for good reasons) at some of the | | | | the season. It can be fun to start a family |
| bargains you can bring home. As we approach the | | | | tradition of seeing how LITTLE you can spend on |
| holiday season, you will want to do this fairly soon. | | | | the holidays instead of rolling in pain over how |
| Thrift stores also start to set out the holiday | | | | MUCH you spent in January. And as we enter the |
| wares at this time of year. You can find items | | | | new economic crunch with gas and grocery prices |
| there that will not be anywhere else, and for the | | | | rising, who does not want to save money? |
| collector you can sometimes find quite a bargain. | | | | |