Search Results for: blog gift card pitfalls

Adding Fido’s Photo to the Holiday Card

With the popularity of Photoshop and other image editing programs, many savvy photographers are bypassing the drama of getting Fido or Fifi to pose nicely in front of the Christmas tree. These days you can get your cat or dog to look pretty on the family holiday greeting card with the simple click of a mouse. Whether you plan to Photoshop your Christmas card or you prefer to take a more traditional route to document your furbabies this season, consider the following tips: Costumes: Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean you have to put away the costumes. If … Continue reading →

Getting Free Gift Wrap

Whether you are wrapping presents for a birthday party or for the holidays, gift wrap can be expensive. Why spend as much on the wrap as you do on the present? There are some strategies that you can use to get some absolutely free gift wrap. Put that extra money toward buying more gifts, or just save it. Take a look at the following ways to get free gift wrap. Around the holidays, most department stores will offer free gift wrapping with a purchase. You just have to head over to customer service. There may be some long lines, so … Continue reading →

Practical Gifts for a Frugal Family Part 2

Are you looking for some practical gift ideas for someone who is frugal? We are continuing with our brainstorming. If you missed the first post in this topic, click here to catch up: Practical Gifts for a Frugal Family. And, now on to some more ideas… Freezer bags or containers Chances are that a frugal family is buying in bulk and freezing ingredients and meals. And chances are also good that they may be using the same freezer bags over and over again. Give them the gift of freezer bags and containers to help them keep on track. Since this … Continue reading →

Frugal Gifts for Hard Times

Practically everyone I know seems to be struggling one way or another in these economic times. With the holiday season approaching, it is more important than ever to practice responsible gift giving. This not only means reigning in the spending for yourself, but also giving gifts that are especially thoughtful during this time. Your gift can not only be a delight but also make a positive impact financially. Really think about what your friends, family and associates need. Is it another coffee mug, or would a basil plant in that mug save them money on cooking? Does your nephew need … Continue reading →

Use those Gift Cards

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Do you still have a bunch of gift cards in your wallet? You haven’t had the extra time to spend them yet? Well, don’t wait, or you may just be throwing money away! No matter how big the retailer may be, if they go out of business those cards are worthless. Stores like The Sharper Image left many customers surprised when they filed bankruptcy and their gift cards were zeroed out. In addition, some gift cards start to charge you a fee if you do not use them within a certain period. Gift cards have been the rage over the … Continue reading →

Inexpensive Co-Worker Gifts

Do you know what to give on Secretary’s Day (Administrative Assistant’s Day) or Boss’s Day? Or how about to celebrate another holiday or a promotion? Getting nice gifts for the people you work with doesn’t have to cost a lot. Here are some great ideas for inexpensive co-worker gifts. Personalized Photo Cards Scan photos from your co-worker’s desk, and then have the files made into note cards. You may save even more money by purchasing note cards and then printing the photos with your home printer. Tie the cards with a ribbon and add envelopes. You can even add the … Continue reading →

Frugal Ideas for Unwanted Gifts (1)

Did santa miss the mark on a gift or two? Maybe you really wanted a mixer instead of a Hermes bag or vice versa? Your first instinct might be to stuff the item in the closet, basement and garage and forget about it until the next time you decide to clean one of those areas. But, there are plenty of frugal ways to deal with gifts that are less than perfect and save yourself some money. If you have an unwanted gift, you can do one of the following things: Re-gift Return Exchange Sell Donate. I’ll offer the hows and … Continue reading →

Gift Card Pitfalls

Giving and receiving gift cards seems like a great trend, doesn’t it? This year, according to recent statistics, more people will give gift cards than any other holiday gift. But, unfortunately, there are a lot of pitfalls with gift cards, such as the fact that some states can claim that money for themselves! I bet you didn’t know that! So, if you are giving or getting gift cards this year, be aware of the pitfalls they could bring to your budget. Retailers love gift cards. Why? Because many of them are never redeemed, and this is free money to the … Continue reading →

Financial Pitfalls: Failure to Budget Important Categories

One major financial pitfall is to neglect to budget the categories that allow for discretionary spending. These categories are the ones that can vary from month to month. These categories can include groceries, eating out, clothes, medical expenses, gifts, and fun money. It is important to track these categories because it is easy to overspend in each of these areas. Many people will sit down and write out a budget that includes only their bills. They see that they have a large surplus of money, and are constantly confused at where the money disappears to each month. At the end … Continue reading →

Take Inventory Before You Shop

Before you shop, stop! Try this quick trick that will save you money now and in the long run. To save money, do a quick inventory of what you already have before you go shopping.  This will help save money in so many ways. From duplicate purchases to avoiding the pitfalls of shopping for bargains that you don’t need, a quick assessment each time you are ready to shop can make a difference. DVDs I’m ashamed to admit that we have two copies of a certain new Disney princess DVD movie. We simply forgot that we had the movie and … Continue reading →