budgeting

Gift Wrapping, Cheapskate Style

Posted on 12/15/2011 by | The Ultimate Cheapskate | Comments

Money & SavingsDid you know that we spend about $2.9 billion every year on gift wrapping paper and supplies according to Hallmark? And of course most of it ends up being throw way after the holidays, which is one reason why between Thanksgiving and New Year’s we generate an extra one million tons of garbage every week. Consider these creative gift wrapping alternatives to save some cash and tread a little lighter on the environment this holiday season: Wrapping gifts in the colorful …

The B Word, the Ultimate Holiday Buzz Killer

Posted on 12/13/2011 by | Volunteering | Comments

Money & Savings | Volunteering | Your LifeI hate the “B” word, no not blonde, since I hear those jokes all the time. BUDGET….it is just like nails running down a chalkboard for me to even think about, much less have to act upon.   However, at this time of year the man I sleep with always reminds me to stay within a budget. He usually brings up the subject every December  when I am in a slight panic that I have not finished my shopping. He …

4 Frugal Foods to Stock Up on This Thanksgiving…or Right After

Posted on 11/15/2011 by | The Ultimate Cheapskate | Comments

Money & Savings“You must be cooking two Thanksgiving dinners, huh?” the supermarket cashier said to me. I hadn’t realized it, but my groceries marching down the conveyor belt did look like a parade headed toward Noah’s ark:  two bags of sweet potatoes, two sacks of cranberries, two frozen turkeys, two bags of onions. “No, just stocking up,” I said, wondering to myself if I’d forgotten the creamed corn. Or maybe that was the unicorn?

Fall Savings Challenge: How Did YOU Do?

Posted on 10/28/2011 by | The Ultimate Cheapskate | Comments

Money & SavingsWith this edition of the Savings Challenge nearing its end, I’ve been tallying up how I’ve done in meeting the special challenge we set out for the group: Find creative ways to pay less than full price for everything you buy during the month of October. In my case, I’m reminded of that line from the old sitcom Get Smart:  “Missed it by that much.” Between coupons, store specials, and a couple of items from the discounted “dented cans bin” …