7 Tips For Holiday Gift Giving

by La Tunya Sifford
Avoid the hassles of holiday gift giving this year by following a few simple tips.

1. Make a list of all the people you would like to buy gifts for.
2. Set a budget for each gift that you give
3. Write down gift ideas, Consider holiday gift baskets, or gift certificates.
4. Set a dealine to finsh your holiday shopping.
5. Look online, catalogs, for great deals.
6. Set aside a time and day for you to do you holiday shopping, when you find something that interests you, decide who on your list might like it
7. Gather shipping boxes, tape, etc.... Remember to ship your gifts as early as possile.
   

These tips will save you a lot of holiday hassles, and you can spend lots more time with you family for the holidays.

La Tunya Sifford has a online holiday gift basket website, you can visit http://www.fullmoongiftbaskets.com/holiday_gift_baskets.html for more info on Holiday Gift Giving.

Cut Holiday Bills in Half

Most of us have a certain number of holidays that we celebrate each and every year. That means quite a number of extra "gifts" that will need to be purchased for family and friends.

In a bit, you will learn exactly when to get the best bargains on holiday merchandise, and how you can save you quite a bit off your "gift" shopping bills.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS
Every single year, about a month and a half prior to any "major" (popular) holiday, most retail and department stores offer holiday related merchandise. For example, you'll probably find

Halloween Costumes - October
Santa related decorations - December
Autumn and turkey decor - November
Hearts/Candy assortments - February

As each holiday approaches, the majority of the general public rush to buy these high priced "holiday" gifts a few weeks or days before the celebration. Stores expect this. They love the holidays. Why?

Simple. Hundreds and thousands of eager shoppers will come through their door and spend, spend, spend.

KEY TO SAVING MONEY
You can use the 'retailers tradition' as an incredible chance to save money. What is the 'retailers tradition'?

Immediately AFTER any given holiday, retailers clear out ALL holiday relatedinventory in order to make room for the next. Think of it this way, how many of you NEED to buy a Halloween costume after October 31st? Not many right?

In addition, stores do not have the time, space, or manpower to pack leftover holiday merchandise and store it in a warehouse until next year. There is little or no profit in it for them.

Instead, stores advertise HUGE post-holiday sales with discounts generally ranging from 30%-80% off normal retail prices. They need to get rid of the merchandise, and depending on an items popularity, are willing to sell at a very low price.

Here is your chance to stock up on gifts that you KNOW you can give to someone the following year. Remember, nothing perishable of course.

If at all possible, designate a large plastic container as a "Gift Box" where you store all the gifts that you buy throughout the year. To take this idea one step further, keep a list of all the people you exchange gifts with. When you come across a gift for someone in particular, you can then cross them off your list.

TO SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY 
When you go to a 'post' holiday sale, check the prices and quantities of the items you want. Ask the store manager if the merchandise isn't sold within a week, will the price be lowered even more.

Generally, stores do not have much time to clear out inventory and if the merchandise isn't selling, they will lower it to a price that will sell.

If you have the time, check every other day to see if there are any more price reductions. Better yet, ask the manager to call you if the prices get lowered. You might find the manager offering you an additional 20% off just for inquiring for future price reductions.

CONCLUSION
When purchasing gifts throughout the year, you get to put more thought into what you are buying for someone. Your shopping will be done with ample time to spare, and you'll avoid those over crowded mall excursions. At the same time, you'll get holiday related merchandise at 30%-80% off regular retail prices when bought immediately after the celebration.

By the time Christmas or Valentines Day comes around again, you won't find yourself spending $900+ on presents that most likely will be forgotten in a month or two. Try this shopping strategy after the next major holiday. You'll be surprised at how much $40 can buy you.


-------
© Copyright 2005  --  http://www.SavingSecrets.com Get immediate access to over 500+ pages of effective money-saving articles, newsletters, and downloadable ebooks directly at their website. 

The Art of Good Money Management

Good money management needn't be difficult although it can often feel that way.

In fact, there a number of easy steps recommended by most financial professionals to help manage your finances better.

Pay your bills on time to avoid late fees. Don't wait until the red bill turns up!

Make notes of due dates in your diary and remember to allow extra time for postal payments to reach the recipient.

Pay more than the minimum on your credit cards. If you are paid weekly then pay a little each week rather than waiting until the monthly statement arrives.

Read your bank statement regularly. Keep an eye on all your incomings and outgoings.These days identity theft is very common so you need to make sure you are not paying someone else's charges.

Keep your receipts and check them off. This will give you a better idea of what you are spending.

Look around for and switch to credit cards with lower rates. Many credit card companies offer low interest rates for transferring balances from another card.

Follow a monthly budget.This may be easier said than done but if you are sensible about your outgoings then you will find managing your money much easier.

Try to spread big expenditures like Christmas shopping out by making a list and starting early.

At the beginning of each month try to have an idea of any birthday present you want to buy so you can spread the cost of buying them.

Many of the Good Money Management ideas are really just common sense but they do work. Try them for a couple of months and see if they can work for you. Open a savings account and put what you are saving each week or month into it and watch it grow. This can be all the incentive you need to carry on with Good Money Management!

Lorna Mclaren has an information and resources website at http://www.123-debt-consolidation-loans.com where you can find out about all types of Debt Consolidation.

A Debt-free Holiday

For many people, the holidays present a monumental challenge for sound financial decisions. We want to give our friends and family generous gifts so they know our love for them. This admirable desire leads to our overspending, forcing us to face the new-year burdened by additional financial stress. Financially Savvy has a few suggestions to help you start the New Year without the holiday debt.

Recapture the True Spirit of the Holiday
Take a journey back to your childhood and your memories of the holiday season. What made it so special? Not the gifts; the magic of anticipation made this time of year so happy and exciting. What can you do rather than buy to help your loved ones recapture their childhood experiences of this season? For some, the smell of sugar cookies will invoke the fondest memories. For others, their favorite holiday song can bring a smile to their face. Rather than spend a fortune on a gift, call your best friend’s mom to find out what cookies to bake or songs to include on the CD or cassette you create for your buddy.

Set a Dollar Limit
Anyone can spend $150 on a gift that thrills a loved one. Try spending $25 to get the same effect. You have to get really creative and focus on what makes the recipient tick. For many years my father claimed he enjoyed most the gifts that I made or that didn’t cost much but showed I really understood what makes him happy. Parents are supposed to say these things so I never put much credence in his words. I always swore that when I have money of my own, I’d spoil my family. Then I gave one of my friends an inexpensive money clip I found that would allow him to get through airport security without emptying his pockets. He gushed gratitude. I spent all of $10! Set a reasonable dollar amount per person ($25 has served me well but only you know what you can afford) and get creative.

Make a List and Check it Twice
Most of us include on our gift giving list people who would feel embarrassed by our generosity because they didn’t include us on their list. Review your list with an eye towards identifying those individuals that would appreciate a card. Then write a really special message beyond the “Happy Holidays”. Think about the person, what they mean to you, and all that they contribute to your happiness. Looking for ideas on what to say? - check out “The Art of the Letter” by Alexandra Stoddard. People who fall into this category of sentiment include your boss, fellow colleagues, neighbors (acquaintances, not friends you spend much of your time with on a regular basis).

Shop Early and Often
You can’t implement this tip for this holiday season but keep it in mind for next year. In January, I usually pick a theme that drives my gift giving for the winter season. Inspiration comes from a variety of sources. Some themes I’ve done in the past include clean spirit/clean mind, and travel. Equipped with the theme and a list of gift recipients, I keep an eye out for sale items throughout the year that would appeal to my loved ones. By July/August, I usually have the bulk of my shopping completed and just have little finishing touches to add.

For instance, Last year I chose the theme correspondence and communication. Over the year, I purchased note cards, special pens, and such to create correspondence kits for my sisters and girlfriends. I put all the goodies (including postage stamps) in plastic envelopes from the local office supply store so they have one place to go when they need to write a “thank you” or other letter. I clipped from a magazine some guidelines and suggestions about writing “thank you” notes. In all, I’ve spent $25-$30 per person and have very individualized gifts that reflect the recipient’s personality and/or interests.

Use a Check Register for Your Credit Card
Once you set your per-person dollar limit, you can calculate your total holiday shopping budget. Put that amount in a blank check register as your starting balance. Then, every time you make a purchase enter the details in your register just like you would a check. When you subtract your purchase from the available “balance”, you reduce the amount available for future gift purchases. Seeing how much you have available to spend will do wonders for preventing you from going crazy and overspending. When the “available balance” hits zero, you have to stop shopping! Pay off the full balance when you receive your next credit card bill.

Most importantly, remember that most of the people on your list (even the children) just want to spend quality time with you. Somehow, this season became very commercial and focused on the value instead of the sentiment. Together we can change this perception. Let’s bring quality, not quantity, back into the lives of those we cherish the most.

About the Author:
Catie Fitzgerald is a 10+ years veteran of the money management profession and the founder of Financially Savvy. Financially Savvy provides investors with the education and resources necessary to gain confidence in making their own financial decisions. We offer a variety of educational venues including classroom sessions, one-on-one coaching, and online resources. If you have a personal finance question you would like answered, contact Catie at cfitz@financiallysavvy.com.

Holiday Gift Giving Ideas

It's that time of year again, time for traveling, decorating, holiday parties, family, friends, relatives and of course. . . . shopping.

How many of you simply whip out the credit card and start charging every gift you can find, only to dread the day when your statement arrives in the mail? Or are you one of the few that save a little every month just to cover the holiday expenses when they come around?

Before you spend your hard earned money on the latest over priced, trendy gadgets, why not take the time and really think about a gift with special meaning. Something that will remind that person just how much they mean to you.

YOUR HOLIDAY LETTER
Sending a yearly "wrap-up" letter to your family, friends and relatives is a great way to save time and money. Instead of buying expensive store holiday cards and writing individual letters to everyone on your list, design your own holiday letter.

When writing a "wrap-up" letter, remember this is the perfect time to inform friends and relatives what's been happening in your family's life over the past year. Even if something important happened in your life back in February or March, some of your acquaintances might not have heard about it, so let them know.

After writing a rough draft, use your computer (or a friends) to help produce an attractive letter. You'll find that programs such as Microsoft Publisher walk you through step by step so you will have a beautifully designed letter in an hour or two complete with colored graphics.

SIMPLE GIFT IDEAS
Sit down and take the time to think about what each person on your list would like to receive. Of course everyone would love to get tickets for a seven day Caribbean cruise, but very few of us can afford to spend that kind of money on a present.

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking of all the possible gifts that can be aasily put together without the need to spend much money.

Know of anyone entering college? Put together a "care package". Fill it with all the basic necessities a college student might need (or want). Cookies, snacks, toiletries, wool socks, a new college student "manual",  etc... Anything you think a young 18-21 year old student could use while away at school.

Do one of your relatives work in an office?- Put together an "office pack". The key is in the presentation. Find a suitable container and pack it with office supplies, personalized pens, coffee mugs, magazines, Far Side calendar, crossword puzzle book, etc.

CREATE A BASKET
Have you seen the decorative basket assortments that are sold around the holidays?  Why pay $30-$50 for a basket of "goodies" that probably only costs about $5-$10 to put together? Put the basket together yourself, save a fortune, and even add a bit more creativity!

You can find baskets (straw usually works best) at any discount store or yard/garage sales.  Then, simply line the bottom with a decorative cloth (ie: colored  bandana, checked cloth, etc...), organize the appropriate items and trim/wrap with holiday decorations.

You can find all types of holiday arts & crafts ideas in books at your local library or on the Internet. Just do a search at Google and you're sure to come up with tons of ideas. The possibilities are endless. Here are a few basket ideas to get you started:

Coffee Lovers Basket 
Assortment of coffees, mugs, stirrers, creme assortments, Sunday comics

Cookie Basket 
Homemade cookie variety, chocolate/fudge toppings, funny napkins, cocoa mixes

Traditional Jelly Basket
Small jars of homemade jelly, muffin/cornbread mix, spatula, butter & knife

Sweet Tooth Basket
Brownies, cookies, small jars of candy, cocoa mix, peanut brittle, chocolates

Pasta Lovers Basket
Jars of various pastas and sauces, parmesan cheese, pasta ladle, strainer

Fire Starter Basket 
Pinecones, long stick matches, starter blocks, candle scents/oils, ash shovel

Brownie/Candy Jars
An attractive gift, perfect for friends, co-workers, and neighbors. A nice large sized jar filled with either brownies or candies. Attach ribbons or bows to the lid and decorate with puffy paint or simply glue colored pasta shells around the jar. Again, be creative.

Homemade Decorative Cookies 
Great teacher or babysitter gifts. Buy a cookie cut out pattern, add some colorful icing and a few ribbons with a nice card is a special holiday gift.

Framed Collage
Perfect for any occasion, great for friends or loved ones. Gather pictures of the person you're making the collage for.  Look for pictures of various places you've both been and fun times you've shared. Once you have your pictures, cut and organize them to make an attractive display. Glue them in place, decorate the frame and you have a gift that's a lasting memory. How can you put a price on that?

Homemade Ornaments 
Get a recipe for a hardening clay from any holiday crafts book. A childs' foot or hand imprint creatively decorated make excellent gifts for grandparents or relatives. This is something special that you can only give once. Your kids will quickly grow up.

Family/Children Portraits 
An 8X10 of the family/kids is a perfect gift for grandparents or distant relatives you might not get to see very often. You can even make a holiday frame for it. Look for low prices at JC Pennys or Sears.

Magazine Subscription
Who doesn't like to read magazines? Reasonably priced, magazine subscriptions make excellent gifts. Find out what magazines or interests they have and then every time your friend receives another issue, they'll think of you.

TIS THE SEASON . . . . KEEP THIS IN MIND

All too often, the holidays seem to come and go in a flicker of an eye leaving us wondering if we even had a celebration at all.  Take the time to visit with others whom you do not get to see very often. Spend time with the elderly in your family.

Start a 'tradition' within your family that everyone, including the kids, can participate in. These will all be your cherished memories of the loved ones in your life that no gift can replace.


© Copyright 2005  --  http://www.SavingSecrets.comGet immediate access to over 500+ pages of effective money-saving articles, newsletters, and downloadable ebooks directly at their website.