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Topics: Holiday Entertaining |
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| "12 Tips for Enjoying a Debt-Free Holiday" (Women's Day) |
Submitted by:
Phillip O 11/21/2008 2:24 PM
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I just came across an article from Women's Day that provides tips on how to enjoy the holidays without piling on debt. The holidays can be really stressful, with all of the different personalities coming together in my family. Add in financial issues, and it can become almost unbearable. While some of these tips are pretty obvious, not all of them are. And for me, they're good reminders nonetheless.
- Check your list twice: "when your ideas are on scattered Post-its in your purse, it’s hard to see the big picture of what you’re spending"
- Decorate like a pro: "An inexpensive but dramatic idea from Ramsland: Tie a bright or metallic sash around the back of each chair at your dining table, then add a few matching accents like napkins and candles."
- Keep a holiday cash stash: "decide on a holiday gift budget—seems obvious, but it’s something only about a third of Americans do, according to Consumer Reports"
- Don’t be scared to DIY: "One super-easy and inexpensive crowd-pleaser: Give jars of vanilla sugar, which practically makes itself"
- Party all weekend long: "instead of inviting your college friends over one week and your neighbors the next, book the events back-to-back"
- Be a smart shipper: "buy all the items for one household through a site that’s offering free shipping and ship them direct"
- Don’t throw away money on wrapping paper: "it’s painless to make your own gift wrap. Start with a big roll of plain brown kraft paper, then decorate it any way you can dream up"
- Buy hostess gifts in bulk: "early in the season, visit a local liquor store and pick up a case of wine—either of a particular bottle you love, or a mix-and-match assortment, which many stores allow"
- Burn less cash getting to Grandma’s house: "if a road trip’s on your holiday agenda, Hamm suggests airing up your tires, getting an oil change and removing any heavy items that are just sitting around in your trunk"
- Start a new food tradition: "enlist the kids’ help in making pasta and sauce from scratch—the ingredients cost next to nothing, and the process makes for a fun annual tradition"
- Streamline your card routine: "update, organize and number your address list so you know exactly how many boxes of holiday cards to buy"
- Don’t panic: "if you don’t know what to get someone, that’s a sure sign you should give them a ring and have a conversation"
Women's Day link: 12 Tips for Enjoying a Debt-Free Holiday |
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