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Shared Dec 7, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 5 {Update}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Yesterday’s project was to read Chapter 3 of Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.) and to figure out when you’re buying/making your Christmas gifts — if you haven’t done so already.

I’m a little late in getting this post up because we had two Christmas parties yesterday afternoon/evening and didn’t get home until late last night. One of them was a Gingerbread House-Making Contest Party, which was so much fun — even if our team’s attempt making a Monticello Gingerbread House didn’t quite pan out as we’d anticipated. 🙂

I sat down and put dates on my calendar for what I was going to buy and make when and it feels so good to have that all planned out! Once I got those details out of my head, I realized that things are in pretty good shape for our Christmas gifts. And that was a great feeling!

Did you figure out when you’re going to buy/make all your Christmas gifts? I’d love to hear what you’re doing — especially if it’s something creative or a little outside the norm. And if you’re blogging about this challenge, I’d love it if you left a link to your blog post, too. Let’s encourage each other to simplify and savor this season more!

Shared Dec 6, 2013 comment

Meat Quiche

Published: by MSM Team on December 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Looking for an easy dinner recipe? Try this easy meat and potato quiche recipe! Use sausage, shredded potatoes, eggs, and cheese as the main ingredients!

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

Mom’s Special Meat Quiche

Growing up, my mom served this quiche for Christmas brunch. She always made it with Swiss cheese, evaporated milk, and sausage, and we all LOVED it!

As a child, I always categorized this as a “special” meal. I was pleasantly surprised once I got old enough to cook and realized it was much easier to make than I had imagined!

Once I started paying my own grocery bills, I appreciated it even more – it relies on basic ingredients that don’t cost a fortune.

Sausage Breakfast Quiche Variations

Meat Potato Quiche is completely flexible. You can use any kind of leftover meat, or substitute chopped cooked vegetables for a vegetarian version.

Feel free to mix up the cheeses, or add extra milk and eggs to stretch it a little further.

How to Serve Potato Quiche

If you are hosting brunch over the holidays, this is a fabulous recipe to include. You can even make it up the night before and wait to cook it until the next morning – freeing up your kitchen time to do other things.

It can also be made even further in advance and frozen, either cooked or uncooked. It doesn’t get much easier when it comes to “fancy” holiday cooking! 🙂

Potato Quiche Recipe Ingredients

3 cups shredded potatoes (either grate your own or use packaged hashbrowns)
3 Tablespoons oil or melted butter
1-2 cups grated Swiss or cheddar cheese (my Mom always used Swiss)
¾ cup cooked browned sausage (or any kind of cooked diced meat)
1 cup evaporated or rich milk (you can just use whatever milk you normally buy as well)
2 eggs (I use 4, but we like eggs around here!)
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon parsley flakes

How to Make Meat Quiche

1. Preheat oven to 425º.

2. Grease a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix grated potatoes with oil or butter and press evenly into a pie crust shape.

4. Bake this “crust” in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or just until it begins to brown.

5. Remove crust from the oven and layer on the cheese and meat.

6. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture on top of the other ingredients and sprinkle with parsley.

7. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until knife inserted 1-inch from edge comes out clean.

8. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Recipe

Potato Quiche Recipe

Author Brigette

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Ingredients

3 cups shredded potatoes either grate your own or use packaged hashbrowns
3 tbsp butter melted
1 – 2 cups grated Swiss or cheddar cheese
¾ cup cooked browned sausage or any kind of cooked diced meat
1 cup evaporated milk or whatever milk you normally buy
2 eggs I use 4, but we like eggs!
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp parsley flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425º.
Grease a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix grated potatoes with oil or butter and press evenly into a pie crust shape.
Bake this “crust” in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or just until beginning to brown.
Remove crust from the oven and layer on the cheese and meat.
In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture on top of the other ingredients and sprinkle with parsley.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until knife inserted 1-inch from edge comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Nutrition

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Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy. She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.

Shared Dec 6, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 5

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 5 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge! Now that you’ve got your Christmas budget in place and determined who you’re going to buy presents for, and figured out what you’re going to buy/make, it’s take to figure out the specific details of when you’re going to shop or make your gifts.

Creative wrapping idea: Make your own gift bows!

If you’re buying presents, sit down today and determine:

When will you take the time to buy these gifts? Will you be buying online or in-store?
Look at your calendar and schedule a shopping time. I’d encourage you to schedule an extra hour or two more than you think you’ll need just to give you some breathing room and prevent feeling stressed.
Also, make a list of what you’re planning to buy at which stores. Map out a route that is the most efficient for the different stores you’ll need to stop at.

If you’re making presents, sit down today and determine:

When will you take the time to make these presents?
Do you need to purchase any supplies? If so, when will you purchase the supplies?
Look at your calendar and schedule time(s) to make these gifts. I’d encourage you to schedule an extra few hours more than you think you’ll need just to give you some breathing room and prevent feeling stressed.

Creative Wrapping Idea: Use old maps as gift wrap!

Do you need to buy any wrapping supplies? If so, add these to your list. Check the creative wrapping ideas in Chapter 3 if you need ideas.

Day 5 Project

1. If you didn’t get a chance to do so yesterday, read chapter 3 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. Schedule when you’ll do your Christmas shopping/gift-making. Evaluate each item on your list to make sure you have the time and money to pull it off. If not, pare down your plan so that it’s realistic and doable.

3. Come back at around 9 p.m. EST tonight and I’ll have a follow-up post sharing about our Christmas shopping plans and encouraging you to share about yours, too!

Shared Dec 5, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 4 {Update}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s project was to read Chapter 3 of Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.) and to figure out what you’re buying/making for those on your Christmas gift list.

Unfortunately, I’m going to have sit this project out… because just about everyone on our Christmas gift list knows about my blog. So I don’t want to risk ruining their Christmas gifts by sharing my list publicly. 🙂

But I did sit down and finish the list today — and assign days and dates to when I needed to have the gifts finished. And it feels so good to have that all planned out!

Did you figure out your Christmas gift list? I’d love to hear what you’re doing — especially if it’s something creative or a little outside the norm. And if you’re blogging about this challenge, I’d love it if you left a link to your blog post, too. Let’s encourage each other to simplify and savor this season more!

Shared Dec 5, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s $33 Grocery Shopping Trip + Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

1 Raisins – $2.79

1 Roma Tomatoes – $1.29

3 lbs Gala Apples – $2.99

1 Cucumber – $0.59

1 dozen Eggs – $1.49

1 canister Oats – $2.29

1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.99

1 can Refried Beans – $0.79

1 bag Tortilla Chips – $1.19

1 Flour Tortillas – $0.99

Total with tax ($1.10): $16.50

Dillons

4 General Mills Cereals – $2.50 each, used $2/4 catalina coupon – $2 each after coupon

1 gallon Milk – Free (since I bought 4 General Mills cereals)

1 Kroger Cheddar Cheese (16 oz) – $2.99

1.68 lbs Banana @ $0.54/lb – $0.91

1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99

1 Ham Steak – $2.79

Total with tax ($1.26): $16.94

Total for all grocery items: $33.44

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Toast, Bananas

Lunches

Pancakes, Cheese Quesadillas, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Leftovers, Tossed Salad

Dinners

Cheese Pizza, Steamed Cauliflower

Ham & Cheese Biscuit Bake, Steamed Broccoli

Poor Man’s Steak (using ground deer meat), Butterhorn Rolls, Tossed Salad, Green Beans

Hamburger Vegetable Soup (using ground deer meat), 30 Minute Rolls

Southwestern Roll-ups, Chips and Salsa, Fruit Salad

Chicken Rice Casserole, Steamed Broccoli

Spaghetti, Toast, Green Beans

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Shared Dec 5, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 4

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 4 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge! Now that you’ve got your Christmas budget in place and determined who you’re going to buy presents for, it’s time to figure out what you’re going to buy or make for those on your list.

Some of you have commented and said you’ve actually already gotten all of your Christmas shopping/gift-making done this year. If that’s you, I’m impressed and inspired. And the rest of us will try not to envy your organizational skills. 🙂

For those of you like me who haven’t finished our Christmas shopping and crafting, today’s the day to make a plan for what you still need to buy/make and when you are going to buy it/make it.

Free Printable Handmade Gift Planner from Callaloo Soup

Look at the master list you made yesterday of who you are going to buy/make gifts for and decide for sure what you’re planning to buy/make — or at least jot down some ideas of what you think you’ll buy. {You can use one of these free printable gift list spreadsheets, if you’d like.}

Once you have your list written, step back and evaluate it:

Do you need to be buying all the items listed?
Can you afford to buy all of the items listed?
If not, do you have time to make something for that person?
If so, what are you going to make and how much time do you have to invest?

Pare down your list, if need be, based upon the answers to these questions. This is not because you are not generous or cold-hearted, but because sometimes you just have to face the reality that you can’t do it all.

Remember, like I said yesterday: Streamlining and simplifying your gift list so that you have breathing room and aren’t exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed all December could be one of the best gifts you could give those closest to you — the gift of your presence!

Free printable Christmas Shopping list from Exceptional Charm

Day 4 Project

1. Read chapter 3 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. Make a list of everything you’ll be buying/making as gifts for Christmas. Evaluate each item on your list to make sure you have the time and money to pull it off. If not, pare down your plan so that it’s realistic and doable.

3. Come back at around 9 p.m. EST tonight and I’ll have a follow-up post sharing about our Christmas gift list and encouraging you to share about yours, too!

Shared Dec 5, 2013 comment

Swagbucks Helped Pay for our Emergency Preparedness Supplies

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Nora

Both my husband and I are originally from an area of the country that is not prone to tornadoes, so when we moved to the Midwest, we had no idea what we were in for.

As tornadoes kept hitting close to where we live, we became more aware of items that we needed to have on hand. Being on a tight budget meant that we couldn’t afford things that could very well save our lives in the event of a tornado.

At the time, I had just started using Swagbucks, I decided to redeem my Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards so that I could “buy” very important emergency supplies. It was easy to earn Swagbucks just by switching my standard search engine to Swagbucks, taking the daily poll, and by inviting my friends to join in, too.

Pretty soon, we were able to make our first big purchase — a NOAA weather radio. Since then, we have also purchased a solar lanter, hand crank radio/flashlight, first aid supplies, and more!

We still have a long way to go when it comes to being prepared; however, I am thankful for Swagbucks helping us to get there! -Nora

Shared Dec 4, 2013 comment

52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Frequent the Library {Week 39}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Every week in 2013, I’ll be sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you’re already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.

When Jesse was in law school, there were a lot of really hard things about that season of life, but there was one huge bright spot about those law school years: the library. I’m not exaggerating.

You see, we lived in Topeka, KS, and it’s home to what I consider to this day to be one of the best libraries in the U.S. It was new, it was large, it was clean, and it was FREE.

We had almost no wiggle room in our budget, we were a few hours away from family, we lived in a town where we knew very few people, and we were newly married. Needless to say, that library was a sanctuary for us. We spent countless hours there. In fact, when we went back to Topeka for a visit not too long ago, we stopped by the library for old time’s sake.

When we moved to Kansas City, we were blessed to find a rental that was within walking distance of the library. Every Friday, I’d load the girls up in the stroller and we’d spend a few hours at the library — checking out books, playing with puzzles and games, and playing with the train set. We didn’t have a second vehicle, so the library became on oasis for us in Kansas City, too.

Yes, I’m a wee bit sentimental about libraries… but they’ve saved us so much money over the years and provided so many hours of inspiration and entertainment that I just can’t help myself. 🙂

While the library is a great place to check out books, of course, most libraries also offer many other money-saving programs and resources. Here are a few more ways to save at the library:

1. DVDs & CD’s

Not all libraries offer free DVD rentals, but if your library does, take advantage of it! Our kids especially love checking out old TV series to watch during movie time each day. We also have enjoyed checking out music CD’s from the library, too.

I can’t even begin to fathom the money we’ve saved by checking out DVDs from the library over the years instead of renting or buying them!

2. Kid’s Toys

Many libraries have kid’s play areas — with puzzles or other toys that children can play with. It’s a great place to take your children on cold winter days that doesn’t cost any money (and mom can bring some books home, too!). All for free.

3. Audiobooks

Check your library to see what their audiobook collection is like. Many have a pretty extensive collection — and some even offer audiobooks you can download for a time period.

4. Ebooks

Have you checked to see if your library offers ebooks you can “check out”? Here’s a tip from Hannah:

Many people don’t realize that most public libraries have eBooks available for checkout through their websites. All you have to do is log into your local library’s site using your library card, then follow the links for eBooks (often, there are also digital audio books available).

In just a couple of minutes, you should be able to search through the available titles, download your selection, and begin reading on your device! No late fees for failing to “bring the book back,” because it will simply expire after 2-3 weeks. This is a great, free way to read some of the newest and most popular books without paying a cent — or leaving your home! -Hannah

5. Local Attraction Memberships

Some libraries offer memberships to local attractions (zoos, museums, etc.) that you can “check out”. If your library offers this, it’s a great way to visit local attractions and have some family fun — without spending a dime!

6. Online Foreign Language Programs

Want to learn a foreign language? Michele from Saving Money In Real Life emailed in this tip:

I recently learned that my public library has an online foreign language program that I can access for free. There are dozens of foreign languages available that I can learn!

Many public libraries across the country have the same free program. It’s called Mango Languages. If you check their website, you can find out if your local library participates. You can find out if your library participates here.

I thought your readers might enjoy this program especially those who homeschool. My son and I just discovered it last week, and we’ve been having a lot of fun with it! -Michele from Saving Money In Real Life

7. Summer Reading Programs

We started doing our library’s summer reading program in the past few years and we’ve been incredibly impressed with it. Not only does it provide huge motivation for our children to get in a lot of reading during the summer, but the rewards are amazing!

The above picture is what our kids earned from last year’s library reading program. Not only did each child get to choose a free book to take home, they also got a bag stuffed with great coupons and offers from local businesses — things like free Kid’s meals, free miniature golf, a free smoothie at McDonald’s, free baseball game tickets, free ice skating passes, and more.

Note: If you have a relatively small library that doesn’t have a great selection, check and see if they offer Inter-Library loan. Most libraries do, and this offers a much, much broader selection. You have to request the book and then wait for it to come in, but it’s free–which usually makes it worth a bit of a wait!

You can also suggest books for your library to purchase. They might not heed your suggestion, but it’s always worth a shot.

Rebekah from Simple Rebekah shared that her library also offers the following two resources:

Online Classes – My library offers free online classes through Universal Class. There are hundreds of classes to choose from out of there 42 areas of study. Some of those areas include: office skills, performing arts, parenting, homeschooling, do it yourself, gardening, cooking, computers, accounting and web development.

Kindles — I was shocked to find out that my library just started loaning out Kindles! They come pre-loaded with 15-20 titles. My library has 13 Kindles, each with a different theme. The themes include New York Times Fiction & Non-Fiction Bestsellers, Romance, Mystery, Science Fiction, Classics, Popular Fiction, Biography and more! This is a great way to test out a Kindle before you buy one.

How do you save money by using the library? What other ways do you use the library? I’d love to have you add to my list!

photo credit; photo credit

Shared Dec 4, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 3 {Update}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s project was to read Chapter 2 of Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.) and to figure out your Christmas gift list.

Our Christmas Gift List

As I mentioned, we pared down our list this year. Here’s my list:

Immediate family: gifts + stocking stuffers
Extended family: Names we drew + a few family gifts
Our team members
White Elephant gifts for upcoming Christmas parties
Service workers: mail people, library staff, etc.
Kids’ friends

And I think that’s it. If I get inspired to do more, I might. But I’m giving myself grace this year to not have to do a bunch of gifts for a bunch of different people. And it feels good. 🙂

Did you figure out your Christmas gift list? Share it with us in the comments. And if you’re blogging about this challenge, I’d love it if you left a link to your blog post, too. Let’s encourage each other to simplify and savor this season more.

Shared Dec 4, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 3

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 3 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge! Now that you’ve got your Christmas budget in place, it’s time to figure out your Christmas gift list.

Some of you probably had this done ages ago — and that’s fantastic. The rest of us admire you. 🙂

If you haven’t had time to write down a gift list, today’s the day to do it!

Think of everyone you need/want to buy gifts for and then make a master list. You can use one of these free printable gift list spreadsheets, if you’d like.

Once you have your list written, step back and evaluate it. Do you need to be buying for everyone on that list? Can you afford to buy something for everyone on the list? If not, do you have time to make something for them?

Streamlining and simplifying your gift list so that you have breathing room and aren’t exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed all December could be one of the best gifts you could give those closest to you — the gift of your presence!

Day 2 Project

1. Read chapter 2 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. Make a list of everyone you’ll be buying gifts for this Christmas. Evaluate each recipient to make sure they are someone that should be on your list.

3. Come back at around 9 p.m. EST tonight and I’ll have a follow-up post sharing about our Christmas gift list and encouraging you to share about yours, too!

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Click here to download!

Shared Dec 4, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: $15.08 worth of products for $1.71 out of pocket

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Walgreens Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

1 Crest 3D White Mouthwash – $3.99
Used $1/1 printable

Redeemed 3,000 points (like $3)

Total with tax ($0.29): $0.28, Received $3 Register Rewards

Transaction #2

2 Wheat Thins – $2 each (Buy 2, Get 1,000 points)
Used 2 $1/1 printable

1 Scunci Clippies – $2 (Buy 1, Get $2 Register Rewards)

Used $3 Register Rewards from Transaction #1

Total with tax ($0.43): $1.43, Received $2 Register Rewards AND 1,000 points (like $1)

Total for both transactions before sales and coupons: $15.08

Total for both transactions after sales and coupons: $1.71

Shared Dec 4, 2013 comment

Reader Tip: Using Listia to Shop for Free

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Jane emailed in the following tip:

I recently came across Listia, an online auction site that uses points instead of money.

Listia works very much like Ebay, but you bid on auctions with points instead of money. You can earn points by posting things that you want to give away, and spend those points on things other people are giving away. Some auctions include free shipping or free local pick-up, while others charge for shipping.

As a buyer, Listia is very cool. I earned 600 points in the first half-hour just by signing up, watching a tutorial video, and listing an item for sale. There are many other offers you can do to get more points — like signing up for (and then immediately canceling) the free trial for Lumosity, or signing up for Spotify, which I’ve been meaning to do anyway.

If you are a parent or teacher, there are lots of items with free shipping that you can win for around 100 points, such as stickers and other small rewards.

(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

Shared Dec 3, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 2 {Update}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s project was to read Chapter 1 of Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.) and to determine your Christmas budget.

Our Christmas Budget

We typically start planning for Christmas spending halfway through the year. Since we use a cash envelope system, we just start socking away most of our gift cash for Christmas. In addition, we also save up our Swagbucks Amazon gift cards to use for Christmas presents. And I keep my eyes open for other ways to earn free gift cards or products that would be good for gifting.

By the time December rolls around, I usually have a nice stash of gift cash plus gift cards to use for gifts and this becomes our Christmas budget. By doing it this way, we don’t have to dip into any of our regular savings or other money to pay for Christmas–we just have to plan ahead and then look for deals to stretch that money as far as possible.

This year, I’ve saved up around $250 in our gift envelope plus Amazon credit that I’ll be using for gifts. We’re scaling back on Christmas presents this year and just drawing names for our extended family members, so this should make it pretty easy to stick with our budget.

Jesse has a separate cash stash that he uses to buy gifts for me and our kids for Christmas (most of it is from his blow money!), so I only buy a few things for the kids. I found a couple of deals on Black Friday that I snatched up, so other than stockings, I’m done with their shopping!

Did you figure out your Christmas budget? Share it with us in the comments. And if you’re blogging about this challenge, I’d love it if you left a link to your blog post, too. Let’s encourage each other to simplify and savor this season more.

Shared Dec 3, 2013 comment

7 Ways to Save on Stocking Stuffers

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Tanya of My Fruitful Home

I know from experience that Christmas gift giving can cost a lot of money and I am always looking for ways to save. One area I’ve found many ways to save is in buying stocking stuffers.

I actually enjoy picking out the stocking stuffers for my kids more than the presents! In fact, I start collecting them for the following year right after Christmas.

There’s a dresser in my guest room where I collect them all year. That way, when I see a deal I just grab it and save it. Shh! Just don’t tell my kids!

Here are seven ways I save money on stocking stuffers:

1. Look in dollar bins at Michael’s

Michael’s has great dollar bins as you are waiting in line to make your purchase. They make great stocking stuffers.

2. Shop at the Dollar Store

The dollar stores is a great place to find bargains on hair accessories, candy, socks, books, stuffed animals, and craft supplies.

3. Check the Target dollar bins

I have purchased eye masks, lotion, flash cards, and notepads from the Target Dollar Bins.

4. Re-gift

Although I am always appreciative of every gift I receive, I think we can all admit that we can’t always use everything we are given. Some of the things I have re-gifted are scented body lotions, small books, and pens.

5. Sign up for freebies

I have signed up for sites such as Freebies Frenzy and I Crave Freebies and received things like razors, shampoo, makeup and lotion samples.

6. Give something useful

I like giving my kids things they can actually use as I know that it won’t be money wasted. Socks, toothbrushes, razors, and books make great stocking stuffers!

7. Shop after Christmas

Shopping after Christmas is a great way to save on things like Christmas ornaments, Christmas themed books, and coloring books. You might also be able to find things like scarves, hats, and mittens.

I hope these things have given you a few ideas of how you can be frugal during the Christmas season.

How do you save on stocking stuffers?

Tanya blogs at My Fruitful Home about trying to create a beautiful and loving home while living on a budget.

photo source

Shared Dec 3, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 2

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 2 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge and we’re broaching the “B” word. Yes, we’re talking about budgets.

I know, I know. It’s not glamorous. It’s not fun. And it sounds restrictive.

But here’s the thing: A budget can best one of the best ways to save your sanity and simplify your Christmas. Knowing exactly how much (or little!) you have to spend, will help you to plan your gifts and your shopping accordingly. And will guarantee that you don’t begin the new year with the burden of credit card debt from your holiday spending.

A budget gives you freedom. It lets you be in control of your money — not the other way around. You get to choose how much you’re going to spend and then be intentional about spending it.

When you have a plan, you are empowered. No longer do you have to worry whether you’re going to have enough money to cover your expenditures or whether you’re going to max out your credit cards. You know what you have to spend and that’s what you spend.

Approach your Christmas budget with a can-do, creative attitude. Don’t be frustrated or stressed over how little you have to spend and how many gifts you need to buy. Instead, see it as a challenge: how far can you make your budget go? Your attitude will go a long way in whether or not you are successful at sticking with your budget!

You can do this. I’m cheering for you!

Day 2 Project

1. Read chapter 1 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. Decide on a workable, realistic Christmas budget. Don’t stress over this — just pick a number that you know is doable with the resources you currently have. If it feels too low but it’s all you have, don’t feel badly. We’re going to be talking about creative ways to maximize the mileage of your Christmas budget in the next week.

3. Come back at around 9 p.m. EST tonight and I’ll have a follow-up post sharing about our Christmas budget, plus encourage you to leave a comment telling us about yours.

Get Your FREE Copy of Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas

Psst! Be sure to download your FREE Christmas ebook. It’s my gift to you this year — and you’ll need it if you want to participate in this challenge!

To get a copy, just fill out your name and email address here. Then, click on the link in your inbox to confirm your email address. You’ll be emailed a download link as soon as you do so. It’s my gift to you this year — and you’ll need it if you want to participate in this challenge!

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

Mom’s Special Meat Quiche

Sausage Breakfast Quiche Variations

How to Serve Potato Quiche

Potato Quiche Recipe Ingredients

How to Make Meat Quiche

Potato Quiche Recipe

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Nutrition

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FREE 50+ Easy and Cheap Breakfast Ideas!!

Day 5 Project

Aldi

Dillons

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Day 4 Project

1. DVDs & CD’s

2. Kid’s Toys

3. Audiobooks

4. Ebooks

5. Local Attraction Memberships

6. Online Foreign Language Programs

7. Summer Reading Programs

How do you save money by using the library? What other ways do you use the library? I’d love to have you add to my list!

Our Christmas Gift List

Day 2 Project

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Walgreens Shopping Trip

Our Christmas Budget

1. Look in dollar bins at Michael’s

2. Shop at the Dollar Store

3. Check the Target dollar bins

4. Re-gift

5. Sign up for freebies

6. Give something useful

7. Shop after Christmas

How do you save on stocking stuffers?

Day 2 Project

Get Your FREE Copy of Celebrating & Savoring A Simple Christmas

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Ingredients