Christmas Contemplations-Frugal and otherwise

While my photograhy  skills still need work, I figured I would follow Syd's lead. Although I want some more decorations, I've tried not to go to crazy this year.  Our village has outgrown it's table and next year I will either have to divide it into two sections or come up with another solution.  I've been looking for another piece to add to our town. Unfortunately Department 56 pieces are not cheap-all the above were received as gifts.

Well, my limited entertaining demands are finished.  As I talked about here, these were mainly frugal and low stress events.  In both cases the groups were relaxed and more all about the companionship. Last evening I had eight for lasagna, garlic bread, brussell sprouts, salad, and key lime pie. Oh, and wine, a fair amount of wine. As I've said before, my contribution was the home and the lasagna. I love being able to get out my Christmas wine glasses and dishes and celebrate.  For this reason I usually volunteer for the Christmas dinner. However, I'm glad I only do the entertaining thing twice during the season, and rotate holiday celebrations.  Now I can relax. For the rest of the time, Christmas goodies and dishes are for immediate family and drop ins (although I did volunteer my guest room for Christmas eve if it's needed).

Today I'm enjoying the season and chilling, as the younger generation would say.  Eggnog (which I will have to walk off tomorrow), some mini Quiche appetizers that I forgot I had in my freezer, and the newspaper have kept me busy. Add the football games (Tim Tebow, you're gonna give me a heart attack) and some casual quilting and life is good.  Sometimes the best things in life really are (almost) free

Now I can concentrate on frugal and creative Christmas pastimes such as gift giving and cookie baking.  For me, both of those are stress free-mainly because my family is comfortable with small and homemade gifts and appreciate the little things.  Even though I gift lots of people, I generally find giving to be pretty stress free.  Also, although I shared my $500 holiday plan earlier, I am always trying to be more creativel and frugal. I keep my eyes and ears out for frugal, creative ideas.  Adult men seem to be the most difficult to buy for, even with a list.  In a moment of temporary inspiration today, I found some logos for Avalanche beer, which my brother in law loves.  I copied them to a word program.  Then I printed them out on fabric, and these will be coasters and beer cozies.  I was really  looking for something original to add to his package and this will fit the bill.  I got this idea by looking at these tile coasters-a project  plan to put to good use in my kitchen.  Another frugal Internet visit

When it comes to the kitchen, I try and keep it as low stress as possible. Not sure how many kinds of cookies I will make, but I will do a little each day, using all the stuff I have on hand. Most will be for immediate family. Some will be taken to our large Christmas day get together. Others will be taken to a Christmas event at church, or to my women's party. My goal is also to make some jarred gifts such as Cranberry Walnut conserve, but I'm not sweating the small stuff-if I get there I get there.

All in all as we move into the final days towards Christmas I'm feeling pretty frugal and pretty stress free overall. I'd still like to get in a Nutcracker performance, be it ballet or orchestral-and I'm more than happy to see a local performance. Other than that, days will be spent on book trips, sewing, baking, and planning the post Christmas trip to Denver. Evenings, I'll be reading, drinking more eggnog than I should, and watching as many Christmas films as I can.

It's definitely Christmastime.

Frugal Retirement-Homemade Gift Ideas for the "Non-Crafty"

For some folks, homemade or non traditional gifts have a bad connotation.  I know that some families can pooh pooh homemade gifts (or gifts of time for example). Sometimes the problem is that we try to do home-made gifts in the same manner that we do last minute store bought gifts.  There are three traits that contribute to good homemade gifts-skill of some sort, advance planning and a little creativity.  While the first one is non essential, the second two are a requirement. Note that creativity does not equal craftiness-we are all of us creative. To that end, here are some non traditional gift ideas for the (mainly) non crafty that almost anyone would be happy to receive.

• Homemade food specialties. I'm not just talking cookies here (though I never turned down a Christmas cookie in my life), Canned goods, your secret recipe barbecue sauce, flavored vinegars, homemade pesto. The trick with these is time and packaging. In other words, making a Christmas cover for the jar and putting it in a gift basket, or making a set of three flavors  as  a set is what makes all the difference.
• In a similar vein, family recipes. Get a cheap Christmas scrapbook or use a binder. With the graphic alternatives available today, making beautiful pages is easy. Why make your daughter-in law beg for your killer lasagna recipe. Share it with her now. Or give an album and one or two recipes with promises for more.
• See if you can find a reasonably priced used or classic book from someones childhood.
• Give away your stuff. Not all of it mind you, but a family Christmas ornament or heirloom a year (assuming it's one said child or family member would really use) so that it can be used now is a wonderful gift.
• Write down your memories for kids or grand kids. I'm not talking about a best selling biography here. I'm talking about starting some kind of journal and writing down things about you or your kids that family members may not remember.  Your kids will like it and your grand kids (if you have any) will LOVE it.
• If you are separated by miles, make a video
• If you are separated by miles, consider (if you have the appropriate equipment or can borrow it) recording a favorite story for a child or grandchild. They get their favorite book on CD with the added gift of your voice.
• If you take really good pictures, scrounge a frame, spiff it up, enlarge the picture and give it as a gift. Do you know how much professional family portraits cost?
• While this is not free, consider giving a day outing or family experience. Or do it just for the kids. A Christmas movie with all the goodies, sleigh ride, Christmas tree hunt
• If it's reasonable priced, look for a collectible item. I collect china tea cups.  These can cost up to twenty five dollars, but they can also be found for three to ten dollars (the ones I just saw from occupied Japan). Obviously, you need to know that the individual still collects or really wants this item.
• Burn specific Cd's. I don't like to listen to only one artist. My brother is a computer geek who knows how to download every single free music track there is (as well as video) he has given me many classic rock CD mixes of songs-often with life performances.  He's also given my son DVDs such as Jeff Beck at an Austin, Texas location-amateur video but priceless.
• While this is not free by any means-if you live far from a family member, consider giving the gift of you-in their presence.
• If you have a green thumb, give plants and or clippings. My father in law just looks at Orchids and they grow (in the ground, even in the winter, in north Texas).....I'm happy, to say the least, to take his offshoots.
• Back to the food gifts again-consider an "of the month" gift.  Decorated cookie of the month, homemade soup of the month, you name it.
• Give the gift of your time and services:  Make the coupon book look REALLY good, and make specific definite plans on the coupon book or as soon after the gift is given.  Don't promise to spend the afternoon with your daughter one on one "someday", have a time or an event in mind.  Gifts of service and skill can include: A romantic meal and/or a promise to babysit, spending the day on the floor with your granddaughter having a tea party and playing with Lego's, offering to climb up on the ladder and paint the trim on your parents house.

The trick to making these gifts a success is similar to any gifting. The gift needs to be something that will be used, loved/appreciated and/or needed. And remember, half of giving any gift is presentation, presentation, presentation. A love poem on a piece of paper is nice-in a frame you found at a yard sale and painted is a memory for all time and easily displayed.  Ice cream sauces in jars are lovely. Add some ribbon around the jars, a garage sale container and maybe some sprinkles and you have a gourmet food quality gift.

These are ideas to get you started........next, crafty gifts for the non-crafty.

Frugal Retirement Living: My $500 Holiday Plan

Previously, I mentioned that I was working towards a $500 Christmas holiday. I’ve mentioned that our family (on both sides) has chosen not to get rid of gifts. Rather, we share ideas, needs and wants, and go from there. Gifts range in price from a few dollars on up. I buy for thirteen adults, my son and my daughter and four nieces and nephews ranging from toddlerhood (you read that right) to college age.

Here we are at the beginning of November. I refuse to celebrate Christmas before we’ve seen Thanksgiving. As my son would say, I prefer to celebrate the national holiday and make if not equally as important, at least important in its own right. However, I feel that by planning ahead (sometimes year around), I also free up myself to enjoy both the religious and other aspects of Christmas at my leisure. My original estimate had included hosting a family meal for one side of the family, so I believe that I will come in much, much lower (standing rib roast lives in a place all of its own in terms of price).

How I’m doing this is really not so amazing. I’ve combined deals, free items (not talking samples here), and loss leader shopping. I’ve also used my skills to make some original gifts and decorations. While I’ve not yet done my final total, and still have gifts to organize, I thought I would share some of my gifts and where they came from to make this goal come to fruition.

Some items I’ve gotten by deal shopping or being a “favored customer” Two years ago I signed up as an email customer with Vera Bradley purses. Each year in my birth month, they send me a gift card for twenty dollars off anything they sell. This wristlet was on sale for 19.99 and became a completely free gift to one niece (the one who has twenty purses and dresses up). If I have extra gift cards that I’ve earned, I’ll add a small five dollar gift card to the mix. By doing the same thing with Victoria’s secret I’ve earned a free panty for every month and free bra (stocking stuffers for my daughter). My son is six foot six inches tall. As a result we are registered online and in store as customers to get advance awards of deals. A few times a year we get one that is good for twenty five dollars off anything in the store, and I go to the outlet store and get sale items for free. I’ve also taken advantage of other deals, including those ever appearing ten dollars of ten dollars at JC Penney coupons. I’ve used these for scarves, shawls, individual pieces of jewelry and kitchen towels.

Some of my free low cost gifts have come through earnings and rewards. I’ve earned gift cards from CVS, Penny’s and Amazon (as well as gas cards) through debit card rewards. By using Swag bucks, I’ve earned many many dollars in Amazon cards. These will be used towards gift certificates for members with kindles such as my in-laws (who sure do appreciate the adjustable print sizing).

Another big way I meet my gift giving goal is using my skills and or items already on hand to make gifts (whether those gifts are things or promises of time). While it’s true that I am a quilter (with a large stash of fabric), I do have a few other non-crafty skills that come into play as well. While I don’t enjoy cooking per se, I enjoy baking, and creating various sauces, condiments and such. I enjoy experimenting with flavor combinations. To that end, I’ve four separate barbecue sauces that I will can and give as sets. I’ll also be making such items as pickled cranberries and flavored ice cream toppings. These homemade foods will go into thrift shopped baskets with decorative napkins and a couple other items (thrift shopped ice cream bowls for example), and be made into gifts. Since I buy both canning supplies and pantry items from tomatoes on up at loss leader prices, the cost for these baskets will be a couple dollars.

Since I enjoy writing on occasion, I’ve done my own version of “scrapbooking”. I’ve begun writing down some memories of early times in my kid’s lives or even before. I type this up in nice script on nice paper and mount it. I may add a photo or memento afterwards. These are presented individually rather than in a scrapbook so that they can be framed. I buy the paper with rewards points from my office paper purchases, and may have the additional cost of scanning a photo.

I would be remiss if I didn’t add the crafty quilty items as well. Quilted coasters, sewn spa bags, kindle and ipad covers and baby quilts are all items that will be added to the gift pile. Since I work with fabric on hand, my out of pocket costs will me almost nothing. I do however, keep track labor costs for my own information. Still, these items will cost more than a traditional (often prefab and throwaway gift)

Thrown into this mix will be homemade cookies and candies and other items as yet unnamed. Sometime in the next few weeks, I‘ll figure exact expenses, check my gift list and see where I am in my quest. Meanwhile, I’ve been fortunate to make a big dent, with very little mone

The Frugal Shopaholic

I am by nature a "spender" at heart. I like to shop - I shop for clothing. I shop for seasonal updates for my house, for things for the yard and garden. I shop for craft items of all kinds especially good quilting fabric. I shop for nice gifts for my family-individualized gifts that I know they would appreciate.  I shop for books, although I'm learning to appreciate the library. I shop for souvenirs and mementos when I travel.

I'm not a hoarder-I use the things I buy and I rotate things in and out. I have no debt, and live within my income.  Awhile back, that income was much different than it is now.  But you know what?  I've decided that living on a pension doesn't mean no more Christmas gifts, or not having my house be comfortable.  So what happens when a spender meets a pension?  She relearns how to get what she wants.

I'm very patient.  I have a list, sometimes in my head and sometimes on paper, of the things I need and want. This ranges ranges from Christmas ideas (For my $400 holiday, on which I'll expound later), to clothing to fit my fifty pounds less body (knowing that my goal is fifty pounds more). It includes items to update my home (both needs and wants). In my case it even includes places I want to go and things I want to do that would not otherwise be affordable-prime time movies, museums, the occasional dinner out. This article however, is mainly about the purchase of things.

I take advantage of every possible offer and opportunity. This means that I actually LOOK at the offers that come from companies I shop at (like the $25 CG for my birthday from Vera Bradley that got me the wristlet in the photo below for free, or the coupons mentioned below). I take a few minutes to check out various freebies, group buying sites and like on the web, and I keep track of my rewards through my debit card and hotel preferred customer accounts.  This doesn't mean I have no life and spend all day on the computer or shopping. Remember I have three business, a college student at home, a house to maintain, quilts to make, books to read, a dog to walk and play with, gourmet meals to cook and a life to live. Saving money does take some time, but it doesn't always take a lot.

I shop when the item is available, not necessarily when I need it. This means that I shop ahead and store things. Just as some folks (including me) buy food at loss leader prices, I buy other things, big and small, large and expensive.  Silly example?  We've broken four coffee carafes in past year. While we have one now, if I see one for a quarter, you're darn right I'm buying one (or maybe two or three, knowing myself).

This week as been a perfect example of taking advantage of deals and steals.  I had available to me the following coupons: $10 off $10 at JC Penny, $25 off $25 at Casual Male (my son is six foot six), a coupon for a free pack of undies at Adidas, a $20 coupon to Old Navy (for which I paid $10) and a $40 coupon to the Body Shop (for which I paid $20). I also had two $5 Kohl's cash coupons.  For a total out of pocket expenditure of $45.00 (plus tax) I purchased a summer shawl, a good quality designer style"Americana" polo shirt, a pile of jewelry, a three pack of boxers, a pair of good tall men's swim trunks, a quality wallet, the linen tablecloth shown below, the picture frame shown below, and two large bath and body sets.  Some of these items will be used now, and some put away for Christmas.  The extra five bucks was for the tablecloth-originally 29.00 at Kohl's, marked down to 11.99 before my five dollars Koh'ls cash.

Note: some folks, as evidenced by the comments to Donna's article over at Get Rich Slowly, seem to think that buying gifts in advance is somehow less personal, or less Christmassy. My comment to the first is that I think it depends on your family. In my greater family, we know each other's interests, hobbies, and general needs, so for the most part, its appropriate for me to buy ahead. My six foot six inch son will ALWAYS need extra long Polo's to play golf in, for example. As to the second, I love Christmas and gift buying. By shopping this way, not only do I save money, but I free up Christmas for the relaxing fun stuff-including window shopping with spiced wine afterwards.

I don't consider used a "bad word", and I know well that much stuff in the used market is new and like new.  I understand that for some people this is a reach.  But I have found like new, brand name items in thrift stores since I was buying my now 22 year old Tommy Hilfiger ten years ago. The designer label I wore to church last week on my thinner (not thin, thinner) body came from a consignment shop and cost less than ten dollars.  On my last trip to the thrift store I spend four dollars, got five books, a Longaberger chip and dip bowl and spreader and the candles shown here (a quarter, five bucks each originally at home goods, and like new with the the tags still on.

Shopping is a small part of my life.  As I mentioned above, I have three small income streams I am trying to start, I volunteer and have a full life. More importantly, my needs have lessened. My kids are grown or growing and almost out of the house. I've had a lifetime to build my household and the items in it, although having lived overseas has certainly cut down on the amount of "stuff in my possession.  But I still enjoy getting new things and spiffing up my house on occasion, and being able to gift usable, needed items to family members. More importantly, the tips I use can be used by anyone. By being patient, shopping ahead and being aware of all the deals out there, most folks can lots of stuff, for a little bit of outlay if they play their cards right.

Living Rich in Retirement-Ye Olde Gift Closet (Or Holidays on $500 yearly)

What's this, you say???? Talking about Christmas in February??????

Truly, when you are attempting to live richly in retirement or be frugal on a tight income, certain expenses have to be watched at all times.  One area where unexpected expenses creep in are those holiday costs.  Another red flag are the little gifting and celebratory expenses that pop up, often unplanned and generally unbudgeted.  These costs range from birthday dinners to new baby gifts, with the biggest category being those December expenses. My problem is, I don't want to give up these costs or celebrations. When it comes to holidays and events, I am NOT a less is more kind of gal.

So in order to continue to be able to gift and celebrate the way I like, I've decided to step outside the box and pump up my creativity.  Remember now, creativity is not just about "craftiness," its about thought processes and originality as well.  I'm not interested in dollar tree gifts for all.  Instead, I  want to give meaningful gifts that the recipients will cherish. I just don't want to spend the typical dollar amount for those gifts.

There are a few techniques I'll use to keep costs down. Some of these I already do (and have shared before), some will be new to me.  Other than crafting options, none of these require any real time other than the quick daily perusal of offers and deals.

• I have a gift closet, and when I see a great deal a someone will enjoy, this is where I put it.  I want to say again, that I don't buy junk, and I don't buy things people will not use.  I know family members well, and have a good idea of what they need. Admittedly, we have no ankle biters in our midst, and don't have to worry about changing interests and desires of a six year old.
• I keep an eye out for steals and deals. This is not time consuming, and does not take away from anything else. I visit two websites daily while checking my mail, and have daily email coming in from a couple of websites. In the past week I have gotten two $20 Barnes and Noble gift cards for $10 each.  The week before I got a $35.00 voucher to Bath and Body Works for $10.00
• I use most of my rewards on gift cards from reputable retailers. Some of these come through swagbucks, some from my debit rewards card, some from other places.  So far I have 3 $5.00 Target gift cards (earned for buying my brand of dog food), a $25.00 Walmart Gift Card (earned through Chase debit rewards), and a $15.00 I tunes Card (gotten for buying one of those twinsets of HP ink.
• I keep my eyes out occasionally for those so called "unadvertised" specials.  Although I am not a huge shopper, I do mall walk in the cold weather.  I generally do a quick walk around of the anchor stores in case I see a cosmetic special to take advantage of.
• I allow time ahead and plan for those handmade items, and I don't over extend myself in this area.

None of these tactics would be worthwhile if I didn't store the things properly and keep track of what was there.  Anything can be stored for along time if packed properly. Simply using a Ziploc bag for candles or bath sets keeps them smelling good and in good condition.  When I make a set of coasters, I wrap them in ribbon before storing them in my gift closet.  I keep the gift cards that I may spend (such as Target and Walmart) in my purse, where other gift cards (I tunes and the like) are stored in an envelope with a list of gifts and value.

I truly believe that by enlarging my gift closet (creating a "gift pantry" if you will), up in the creativity and using shopping techniques I already have that I will be able to provide wonderful gifts for half of last year's costs.  Hey, maybe I'll lower that goal to $400.00, what do you think?

To date I have two decorated journals with matching book mark and pen, an eggnog goblet with nutmeg grater, three designer bath sets, an Itunes card and4  gift cards in my wallet to spend. Total amount spent: is $30.00, leaving me $470. If I can achieve the same each month with the same outgo, I will be ahead of the game, and that doesn't take into account the quilts in the sewing room. I love a challenge!!

Post Christmas Musings

Yesterday was a lovely (albeit busier than usual) Christmas. I only host the family of thirteen every so often. While it was enjoyable and festive, I’ve taken advantage of today and remained semi horizontal and blanket wrapped much of the day. This has given me time to think a little bit over the pre-Christmas season as well as yesterday. A few musings on Christmas celebrations in general and “Frugal” Christmas specifically:

• Good gifts do not need to be expensive. Even if your family only does store bought gifts, it is possible to find reasonably priced gifts that can appreciated. Gifts DO need to be something that will be used and/or needed. They don’t even need to be a surprise. If more people would realize that, instead of buying “something to wrap”, life would be so much easier. I’ve said before that my family shares gift lists. But if we didn’t I would get together with someone who had a good idea and get a feel for what was needed and used. My best Christmas gift was a small tabletop tea kettle in a color that matches my kitchen-a gift from both children.


• Gifts do not have to be “equal” among friends and family (I will leave others to comment on the workplace). It is not a requirement that children or family members have the same amount of gifts, or that the same amount of money be spent per person.


• It’s the family get together that counts, not necessarily the amount of time, effort or money spent on food. I say this as a woman who is part of a cooking family and who made prime rib and spiral ham yesterday. I have also had years when lasagna has been appropriate for the gathering. A store bought pumpkin pie is not an abomination.


• Family togetherness is improved when everyone takes part in contributing to the meal. Sometimes those of us in the parental generation need to remember that. My children cooked a vegetable and potatoes. One relative brought another veggie, one a pumpkin pie, and two others appetizers. I only baked some cookies, shopped and cooked the beef.


• It’s good to be open to a few new traditions. Greeting every idea with “but that’s not how we do it in this family”, is not helpful. There is a way to continue family traditions while welcoming new ones. None of my Texas in-laws had ever had Yorkshire pudding before, or green beans cooked al dente. Both were received well and devoured. On the other hand, I had never had sautéed spinach until my mother in law introduced me. For years, when my children were young, we had Italian food on Christmas Eve, and opened a gift when we got home. Now, we have appetizers and eggnog. We sleep as late as we want on Christmas. On the other hand, we also always have scrambled eggs and cookies every single Christmas morning.


• Planning reduces stress. A little thinking about Christmas year around (a gift here, a craft made there) makes the month before Christmas much more enjoyable. Admittedly, gift buying in advance for everyone is not reasonable (especially with young children). But I knew my son wore a certain size of Rugby shirt for a full year, and buying them in April did not diminish the value.


• Christmas should not be spent traveling to and fro. Most of our marriage we lived in Washington DC or Germany. One set of in-laws lived in Texas and the other in South Carolina or London. Christmases were either spent in a small fashion (just the four of us) or they were spent at one family or the other. Running between families was not an option, and if we were close enough to do so, I still would not have chosen that option. I tell myself regularly that I will never expect that kind of obligation from my kids when they have their own families.


• Lastly, Christmas did not end yesterday, it just began. Extending the holiday to its proper end eliminates the sudden post-Christmas depression that many people feel, and is a natural lead in to January. My tree and village with all its lights will stay cheerfully in the living room until January 6.


I’m sure more holiday and post-holiday musings will come to me later. I hope your holiday was as relaxed and enjoyable as mine. Happy Christmas to all.

Christmas on a Fixed Income-Gifts From the Heart

A while back, I wrote about the advantage of including some homemade gifts into your Christmas plans.

However, so called “crafty” gifts are just one kind of alternative gift giving. Many alternative gifts require more thought than money, and are welcomed by the recipient. Even if you’ve purchased all of your gifts and are not worried about the money factor, these alternatives create memories. They also give you an opening for so called add on gifts in future years. And for the most part, they don’t involve a huge accumulation of stuff or a misuse of resources. Most of these could be done now for this Christmas, a few may be ideas to jump start next year. A couple appeared on my homemade gift article previously, but apply here as well. At least one is a so called “store bought gift” that is made through alternate means:

• Bequeath a family heirloom to a child or grandchild now, along with a note about how the item was acquired, be it from a family member on a trip or another source. As a matter of fact, do this each year. Why wait to pass on family heirlooms?

• Type a one page letter or story about a family experience that may or not may be remembered by your children or grandchildren. If you feel the need include a small photo. If desired, put it into a journal or sale scrapbook and add another story each season or celebration.

• If you or someone close to you has heirloom photos, copy one and give it to a family member, with a promise to frame it.

• Offer an experience to a grandchild. This may be a day spent making cookies together, going to their favorite place or simply sitting at the tea party table or playing Legos on the floor.

• If you have unshared family recipes, start sharing, use the computer to print out attractive pages with clip art.

• If you’re a cook, promise someone a gift of the month, be it homemade soup, bread, or cookies.

• If you have grandchildren nearby, offer to take the kids for 24 hours, not when mom and dad have an obligation, but when they have no plans and can simply be alone in their own home. While it’s nice to go out, most women at least would rather be in their own homes alone for 24 hours.

• If someone has a collection that you know they will keep in the coming years, search yard sales and thrift stores to add to that collection. One of the things I keep is a tea cup and saucer collection from my grandmother. I am thrilled to get new cups and saucers at any time. Approach this carefully, and make sure the person truly loves the collection.

• If you have a skill that your children or friends do not have, offer to do a specific thing that you know will either not get done or they will have to pay for otherwise. I cannot climb a ladder or even a stepstool because of an injured knee. A family member offering to come and drill and do those things I cannot reach for half a day is a wonderful gift.

• If you know that there is a food that someone loves but doesn’t buy themselves because they think it is to luxurious, get a small amount of that food for them. Alternatively, buy a few things and make a Hickory Farms style basket at half the price.

• Christmas is a religious holiday. Celebrating the twelve days of Christmas (from Christmas Day to 6 January) not only reminds us of that, it’s also a way to extend the holiday for some. Give a spouse, child or family member a small gift each day, ala Advent season. As a matter of fact, if you have an artificial tree, consider leaving your decorations up through the complete Christmas season.

These ideas are just a starting point, but you get the idea. Many of these gifts can be done in half a day. Christmas is not just about giving gifts, is also about creating memories and celebrating a birth. Hopefully some of these suggestions will resonate with you during these last weeks.

Christmas on a Fixed Income -Part 1: The Homeade Gift

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. Since Thanksgiving, I‘ve already put up decorations, gotten out the Advent wreath, pulled up my Christmas playlists on ITunes. Unfortunately, the holiday season can also be a budget buster. Holiday meals, gifts for extended family members, occasional travel, it all adds up. What’s a person on a fixed income to do?

I enjoy giving and getting gifts, so cutting out the exchange isn’t a solution for me. I do plan and shop throughout the year, as evidenced in this column. One of the ways I provide unique, affordable gifts is by making them.

Right about now, someone who is reading this is thinking “please, no more cinnamon ornaments!” I’m not talking about cinnamon ornaments, or necessarily “crafty” gifts. Nor am I suggesting anyone go out and spend fifty dollars on supplies to make a quilted potholder. Lastly, I’m not advising a completely homemade Christmas (although it’s not a terrible idea).

What I am talking about is using the skills and abilities you have, along with resourses you have access to, to make gifts that are unique and appreciated, but also affordable. Under these circumstances, a homemade gift may have more “oomph” than a discount gift bought for the same amount. The trick is to know the likes, needs and tastes of the people you are gifting, while taking advantage of your own talents. Often people confuse creative with crafty. Everyone is creative.

As I said before, my Christmas will by no means be all handmade. There are gift cards on my shopping list, a mortar and pestle for a niece who is a chef, as well as other purchases. But there will also be homemade items in the mix, among them:

• Homemade barbecue sauces. Since I have a regularly stocked pantry and always have canning jars on hand, the cost of these will be the sets of Christmas lids as seen in the picture. Last year we made flavored Sunday sauces such as raspberry chocolate made with liquor.
• Rather than scrapbooking, I have been writing one page memories of things that happened in the past in my life and the kids’ lives, and then including a picture. Most of these are lighthearted, and I can make two for each child and one for my in-laws (we spent most of our lives an ocean a part and saw them only on holidays)
• A recipe book for my college aged son including all the family recipes he loves from both sides of the family (obviously, we like to cook and eat in this family)
• Hot pads, candle mats and coasters to match the décor of the recipient
.
By the same token, there will be some homemade gifts of which we will be the happy recipients:

• My sister the gardener will probably give me a baby orchid or two

• My brother gives my son a couple cds every Christmas, downloaded for free from various phantom sites on the web that we could never find, often of blues/rock music classes recorded live.

• My brother in law can use a hammer and a nail a bit, and I happen to know that he is making my son a hanging case for his late father's flag

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I share the list above simply to show that not only can homemade gifts be frugal, they can also be unique and appreciated. Like any other gift, a homemade gift is most appreciated when it is a need, want, or a luxury that the recipient could not normally get. Your skills, and your family’s wants, may be different. Are you a good photographer? Take a really good family portrait or a set of candid shots for mom and dad. Can you knit or crochet? Surely you have family members who would appreciate hats, scarves or baby items. Do you like to write? Write a poem, a family history, a book for a grandchild using family names. Computer skills, cooking skills, so many can be used to create a homemade gift that would be appreciated.

I encourage you to take the challenge, use some of that creativity, and vow to make at least one “homemade” gift this year!

Living Richly in Retirement-Taking Advantage of Discounts and Deals

Life is meant to be lived richly. For those of us on fixed incomes, or who have less retirement savings than we had hoped, this can be a challenge. In the long term, there are three things we can do to reach our goals. The first is to cut those expenses that are less than important to us. The second thing that can be done is to increase income, if we are able. The final thing that we can do is find a way to do and purchase those things we need and love for much less.


I had originally meant to write about time versus money in retirement. However, my experiences the last couple of days have me writing in a slightly different direction. An advantage of living a“competitive” economy is that deals and discounts about, from all sources. The advantage of living in the age of technology is the ability to know about and take advantage of those offers, because we are aware of them almost instantly.

Christmas is upon us, and along with it a few minor financial challenges for many. I fully appreciate the “reason for the season” as the saying goes. I also appreciate the food, exchanging presents with sixteen family members and other close friends, holiday travel, and the concerts and festivals that are part of the season. Imagine if I had grandchildren to spoil as well!  Because of my limited budget, I need to have a plan, or I would be unable to do afford those things. One part of my plan is to take advantages of discounts, freebies, deals and favored customer offers that are available to me. This is an area that so many people simply ignore. By spending just a little bit of time (of which I have an abundance), I save money in large amounts.
This past weekend was just one excellent example of using discounts to afford things that might not be in my budget. Frugality does not have to be deprivation. Last weekend, in between quilting and college football, I made a brief trip to my local shopping plaza. In the space of about an hour and a half, I managed to get a group of Christmas gifts for more than fifty percent off. I purchased two fifty dollar ITunes cards for $35.00. Then I bought five Hasbro games ($35.00 value) for about a dollar and a half a game. Finally, I bought $50.00 in borders gift certificates and received an extra $20.00 in gift cards. The total value of my purchases was approximately $205.00 and my out of pocket expenses were a little over $100. All that for about an hour of shopping time and another fifteen minutes of perusing a couple online sites to check on deals available (done while watching LSU and Alabama).

Deals like this abound. I may allow only $20.00 a month for eating out, and a few dollars for so called entertainment. But because I find discounts and specials online, I’m able to do all the things that I like to do at little or no cost. It’s not the whole solution for living on a fixed income, but it makes the difference between deprivation and enjoyment, on a regular basis.

Giving to Others When You Don't Have Anything

One of my problems (of many) since I am on a fixed income is that I am not able to give to all the organizations that I used to in the way I liked. I can volunteer, but organizations need money and food stuffs and so on as well.

Since I have gotten back into serious couponing, I have been able to get items for free or almost free, which means I am able to give much more.

Tomorrow I am supposed to take a toy to my church dinner to give to family center that we sponsor. Due to a triple play (a convergence of a sale, and two rebates) I was able to get a total of seven preschool games for 57 cents each!! They were on sale for 3.99 each. Target gave me a 10.00 gift card (which I will use as a gift), and there is a 2.00 rebate on each item. So I will divide them between the church, my local homeless shelter, and toys 4 tots if I can find one. Obviously if I had children those age in my house I would keep a couple, but I do not.

And last week, during the Kroger mega sale, I got things like Del Monte Veggies for pennies, Carnation milk for free, and Dole Mandarin Oranges for free. I will keep some in my pantry and the rest I will donate to the thanksgiving basket program at church.

I feel much better. Not only does it benefit me when I buy everything at 70 percent off ( minimum) but I get to help others in ways I never could.

Christmas, Intensively

The time has come for me to buckle down and get intensive in my Christmas planning and creating. I will be spending much less than last year, and trying to make everything as much as possible. The other items I will pay for through reward points and gift cards.

I hope to be able to create most things from my various stash and pantry items, or from earned gift cards and rewards, although I may have to fill in here and there. I have piles of fabric including lots of Christmas themes. I have a fair amount of yarn for a beginner. I have many gift baskets, many canning jars and cruets. After living in Germany I have lots of German pottery, polish pottery, and various large and small Christmas items with which to decorate or "spiff up" baskets. I have Christmas papers, cards, stickers, paints and so on with which to make cards, scrapbook pages or gift pictures. I will need baking/food supplies. And for my children I will probably buy some gifts to fill in if I do not have enough cards.

Generally I allow my day to flow, and I still get a fair amount done (although not what I would like). I am printing out a weekly "schedule" so that I allot enough time each week for quilting/knitting, as well as for my online earnings.

On hubby's side, I have four couples (don't know that they will all get "couples" gifts, but counting that way for now). I also have two nieces in college. For my family I have two couples, my single sister, and a nephew. I also have son and daughter.................and then of course I have small gifts for my women's church group, my weekly quilting group, the dog walker and so on.

I have a tentative list of what I want to make, but not complete yet. On the lin-law side: a snowman candle mat and coasters in this fabric line; napkins and place mats; a barbecue sauce basket; patriotic place mats and napkins for my brother and sister in law who are active duty. For my niece the chef who goes to school in Providence-a store bought scarf or a really nice chef apron if I get to it. For my other niece the purse addict, a wristlet from Vera Bradley bought at thirty percent off, and perhaps a small gift card.

My side of the family is still working, however, my sister is a quilter and has been unemployed for ever, so anything will make her happy, happy. I am knitting her a scarf (my first full project) for starters. My nephew will get either a gift certificate to American Eagle or Gamestop (earned through my points) and/or a knit scarf if I have time. The rest I am still working on.

Now its time for me to start creating, crafting, and earning points and rewards.........oh, and baking, and making ice cream sauces and so on and so forth. I'm not complaining though, I do love Christmas, and that includes the gift part!!!