Search Results for: blog holiday decorating on a budget

Three Ways to Avoid Holiday Debt

It is easy to start racking up the debt during the holiday season. There are many demands on our money, such as holiday gifts, special events, travel costs, food, decorations, and other entertaining costs. We often get carried away when we spot the perfect gift or want to make it the best season ever. As you are planning, cooking and shopping, you might want to use the following strategies to avoid holiday debt. Start with a Holiday Budget In order to control holiday spending instead of letting holiday spending control you, you will need to set a budget. Start with … Continue reading →

Fun Holiday Gifts and Crafts for Toddlers

If you are trying to navigate the holiday season on a tight budget this year, you are not alone. Many people, parents of toddlers included, are looking for ways to make merry for less. Whether your desire to cut back on spending is motivated by necessity or simply a desire to live a little more simply, here are some ideas that you might want to use this year. For your toddler, here are a few ideas. One thing that you can do is to round up any old, broken crayons that are lying around. Home made “crazy crayons”, made from pieces … Continue reading →

Winter Packages That Won’t Bust Your Budget

Our city’s Christmas parade takes place on Thursday. This Thursday. As in a mere two weeks after Halloween and more than a month before Santa makes his trip around the world delivering presents to good little boys and girls. Consequently, I am not at all surprised to see an onslaught of advertisements for Christmas-themed travel packages. The bundled accommodations and activities are a cost-effective way to enjoy holiday festivities with your family. Some popular choices being offered for winter 2012 include: West Virginia: White Sulphur Springs is home to the stunning Greenbrier Resort which is featuring a winter package dubbed … Continue reading →

Decorate for Halloween Without Going Overboard or Over Budget

Have you seen how much realistic-looking severed heads and limbs dripping with fake blood cost these days? Gore can really add up. If you are looking for ways to keep your Halloween decor and spending on the conservative side, you’re not alone. Millions of people across the country prefer embellishing their homes and offices with subtle holiday touches, such as: Leaf Garlands: Show your love for the season by purchasing inexpensive fall leaf garlands from discount stores. The vibrantly colored strands are an easy way to show your love for the season without going overboard. Simply drape the garland around … Continue reading →

Getting Flowers on a Budget

Recently, I was asked to help coordinating the decorating of our church’s main hall for the big Christmas festivities. We are going to have a local outreach featuring a live nativity, a bonfire, a Christmas Tree raffle, lots of food, live music programs and more. We would love to have plenty of Christmas plants and flowers, however, our budget isn’t very large. So, I have been gathering all of the ideas I can get in order to save money. Here are some of the ways, you too can get flowers on a budget, whether it is for the holidays or … Continue reading →

Tis the Season For Holiday Travel Deals

On this day after Halloween, most department and discount stores are busy putting out their Christmas merchandise, so it stands to reason that the travel industry would follow suit by advertising their top picks for holiday getaways. If you are looking to spend quality time with your family this holiday season, but don’t want to stay cooped up in the house your entire vacation, consider these budget-friendly travel options: ILLINOIS Splash into the holidays at KeyLime Cove Resort and Waterpark, located just north of Chicago in Gurnee, Illinois. The massive indoor waterpark features multiple tube and body slides, a wave … Continue reading →

Planning a Holiday Budget

Being on track with a budget can really ensure that your spending doesn’t get out of hand. This is true whether you have a food budget or an entire household budget. Having a budget for holiday spending can be very important. We all tend to overspend at this time of year. Let’s get started planning out our budgets. It isn’t very hard to do, but there are certain areas that tend to get overlooked. I’ll help you out on getting everything organized if you would like. Let’s start as always with the list. It isn’t simply a list of people … Continue reading →

Home Blog Month in Review: October

As I sit here looking out my window at the backyard, the birds are hovering in the pine tree against a strong wind and steady rain. The temperature is chilly today, and the calendar reminds me that we have left October behind. October 1st Buy a Home for $1.75 It seems that the housing crisis has made some interesting news lately. Home Month in Review: September 2008 Has the weather turned cooler now that September has passed? Pretty soon, it will be time to get that heat turned back on! Meanwhile, check out all of the articles that were posted … Continue reading →

Celebrating the Holidays At My Favorite Hotel in Hawaii

It’s a cross between Disneyland and Fantasy Island. A place where you can swim with dolphins in the morning and dine on world-class cuisine at night. A place where you ride to lunch on a gondola, electric tram or boat. And a place where I make a concerted effort to visit each time I travel home to the Big Island of Hawaii. I’m talking about the spectacular and extremely family friendly Hilton Waikoloa Village. I’ve written about the award-winning resort in previous blogs, but I have never covered the magnificent transformation it undergoes during the month of December. Each winter … Continue reading →

Frugal Holiday Path or Driveway Lights

Halloween is such a fun time to decorate, but purchasing the cute things you see at the stores can really add up and wreak havoc on your finely tuned budget. So is there an easier, cheaper way to create decorations? Yes! You know those little path lights you see. Some people use them to outline their driveway at holiday time. Others place them along their sidewalk and still others strategically place them throughout their yard. It doesn’t really matter where you place them, there is a frugal alternative for making them and it is super easy and uses items you … Continue reading →