We all like to spend money on our friends and family at Christmas time and there are few things as satisfying as being able to buy and give a gift you just know the recipient will love. However, if you need to tighten your belt a little this year in the Christmas gift department, or you’re just looking to curb your consumerism here are a few tips to help you save on Christmas gifts.

1. Make a list, and check it twice

Obvious? Yes. Predictable? Yes. Pointless? No. Making a list of the people you need to buy gifts for, and working out what you are going to get them before you leave the house means you are less likely to overspend on a person. How many times have you gotten carried away collecting the perfect gifts for your sister, only to realise your brother’s present now looks too small and you need to spend even more on him now too?!

2. Make a budget and stick to it

This should be done when you make your gift list because it allows you to see just how much you are spending on the festive season and chances are you’ll be inspired to curb your spending and set a limit. Setting a limit also stops you from over spending because when you reach the budgeted price ceiling, you know you need to stop shopping. If you are struggling for csah and are going to use your credit card, consider applying for a 0% purchases card before you spend. Its going to save you some serious interest.

3. Do not wait the last minute

Shopping earlier than December can save you money on your Christmas gifts. Firstly, there is more demand for all kinds of gifts and their prices increase and their availability decreases leading shop assistants to say things like ‘I can get it in before Christmas but you’ll have to pay the extra rushed shipping costs…’ Secondly, shopping in the Christmas rush is expensive for parking, petrol and incidentals like coffee and lunch breaks in your shopping marathon, but if you pace yourself, you can save on your entire gift buying experience.

4. Shop for Christmas bonuses

If you are shopping in the Christmas rush you can still save on gifts by seeking out those great seasonal bonuses. Around Christmas time many retailers will package up products and gifts to offer gifts with purchase. While you may be tempted to boost the original recipient’s gift, you can instead use this gift with purchase as a gift for someone else on your list.

5. Make and bake

Making gifts is a sure fire way to save money so if you are handy with a sewing machine why not whip up some Christmas stockings for your nieces and nephews, or if you want to give out hampers, bake the cookies and make the jam yourself, there are hundreds and thousands of free festive recipes online.

6. Secret Santa gifts

Instead of buying gifts for all of your friends and family, why not set up a Secret Santa draw within your gift buying groups. This is as simple as putting everyone’s names in a hat, and each person draws out one name, and buys one gift, with a budget set for the gifts by the group.

7. Shop online

This is another way to save on the parking, petrol and snack costs of Christmas gift buying because you don’t have to leave the house. Plus, you can often find the same products from the stores in the mall, in online stores for much cheaper because online stores have lower overheads and staffing costs – savings they can pass onto you.

8. To wrap up…

Skip the expensive wrapping paper. Glossy Christmas patterned paper can add hundreds of dollars to your final gift budget but simple brown or white paper with coloured ribbon can make an equally impressive gift – the paper will just be ripped and recycled anyway. Or you can use non-traditional gift wrapping tools as part of the gift – why not wrap gifts in tea towels or bath towels, or make a ‘Santa Sack’ from a pillow case?

Written by Fred Schebesta. Fred writes at Savings Account Finders. He offers advice on how to compare savings  accounts and make the most of term deposit accounts

If Mr Rudd gave a gambler $1000 do you think he would spend it on something to keep the economy going or would he pump it into the pokies. After reading this article, I could not stop thinking about a comment mentioned “how many people does it take to empty a pokie machine?” Great question. How can this Christmas bonus money stimulate the economy when a lot of it got fed into a pokie machines. Apparently they have statistics showing a hug spike in pokies earnings in the same month that Kevin Rudds bonuses were unleashed.

Therefore, wouldn’t a lot of that money go back to the government anyway? And with the increase in pokies takings, how many jobs did this create? I wonder if the worker emptying the pokie machine now needed someone to hold her hand while she unloaded the $20 and $50 notes from the machines?

I am in no way saying that everyone that got the 2008 Christmas bonus was a gambler and put the money straight into the pokies. Some people actually needed the money and spent it on Christmas presents for their kids, bills, and so on.

What did you truthfully do with your christmas bonus?

Allot of my friends bought a big screen TV with it. However if they were asked if they actually needed the money before it was handed to them, they most likely would have said no.

And no I have not heard of any other christmas bonuses coming for christmas 2009.  Sorry guys..

Most people presume that having fun at christmas time involves having money, however it does not. In the good old days, fun was for free and you didn’t need to be rich to have a good time at christmas.

Here are some of my ideas on what to do:

1. Get the kids to make xmas decorations. Colored paper at the local newsagaent is still cheap enough. I pay about 80 cents a sheet for a huge piece of cardboard. You can also use bits and pieces you usually keep for recycling. Also buy some glue, sticky tape, and some glitter…It isn’t xmas without the glitter. If you don’t know how to make anything, Google it…There are loads of free ideas out there.
2. Instead of buying gifts, make some. People appreciated anything you give them, well they should, and especially something you have hand crafted. What about baking some xmas cookies, very cheap to make and look great when wrapped in clear cellofane paper. Photos are an easy gift. You can put a photo into an old frame, decorate it, stick a photo on a magnet, and more.
3. Print out xmas activities for the kids. There are heaps of free printable sheets on christmas and it keeps the children in the spirit of christmas just when you need a well deserved break.
4. Print out christmas songs and have a singing competition and give out small prizes for the winners. This can be very funny.
5. Make your own christmas bon bons, you know the things you pull or tug on to get gifts. This is a great way to have a laugh. You can put a message in there, a joke, or even a dare for the person to do.
6. Play christmas trivia, and let the person who answers a question pick a prize from a lucky dip. Prizes can be anthing you like…Could be a christams message, a small toy, or maybe a chocolate. People do not care what they get because it is fun. You can even find prizes at the $2 shop.

Of course there are so many others things you can do to make christmas fun, and asve money at the same time.

Visit FlexYourPower.org for tips on saving money at home and work. Global warming is a choice.

Save money on home improvement and home repair costs this year. There are several ways to reduce remodeling costs and to save money on home repairs. Learn more about why people are spending money on home improvements and best ways to save money.

Home Improvement Costs An Ongoing Expense For Many

Home improvement costs are a constant for many families. More and more people are deciding to stay in their homes rather than trying to sell them. Increasing the home’s value while living in the home can be a great way to get more out of the house. The cost to do home improvements and repairs is mitigated by making the home easier to sell when the time comes, and in the meantime, living in the home becomes more enjoyable.

Save Money On Home Improvement And Remodeling Costs

Save money on home improvement and remodeling costs by planning ahead. Focusing on high priority changes that are most needed like a second bathroom or a roomier kitchen will give you the most for your money. You can also save money on home improvement and remodeling costs by using reclaimed materials in your upgrades and changes. More and more green builders and contractors are visiting salvage stores for their building supplies. Using reclaimed materials instead of all-new bathtubs, sinks, countertops and more can mean a significant savings on remodeling costs.

Tips To Save Money On Home Repair

There are reward credit cards and cash back credit cards that provide an additional way to save money on home repair. The cards provide cash back or rewards for using the cards to make new purchases. Some of these credit cards also provide a bonus savings or extra rewards for using the cards to buy merchandise at home improvement stores. In addition, using a rewards credit card that’s also a low interest credit card for some big expenses can reduce the amount of debt that’s owed, or defer the costs for remodeling for several months or a year. Save money on home repair by getting the card just before the start date of the largest projects associated with the home improvements.