holiday

Not Another Fruitcake Story

Posted on 12/6/2011 by | The Ultimate Cheapskate | Comments

FoodThe article I wrote earlier this week about holiday tipping left me with a craving for fruitcake.  Even though it’s become sport to make fun of fruitcake, I love the stuff.  But that wasn’t always the case. In fact, my passion for fruitcake is a direct result of a holiday tipping story of my own. As I recall, winter came extra early to northwest Ohio in 1967. It was the week before Christmas, and we already had a solid foot …

Holiday Tipping: Show Your Gratitude Without Breaking the Bank

Posted on 12/5/2011 by | The Ultimate Cheapskate | Comments

Money & SavingsI’ve written before about “cheapskate etiquette,” how to pinch pennies and still be polite and respectful of others at the same time. Since it’s tradition this time of year to remember and thank the people who make our lives a little easier and better – from newspaper and mail carriers to the kid’s teacher and babysitter – I was glad to find this definitive article from the The Emily Post Institute about the subject of holiday tipping. Having interviewed representatives of …

Soda Can to Star? Yes! Fun and Frugal Holiday Decorations

Posted on 12/1/2011 by | The Ultimate Cheapskate | Comments

Money & SavingsAs the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, I spend a lot of time in the evenings hunkered down next to the wood stove, reading or tinkering with various craft projects. Of course, I particularly love any craft that lets me recycle something that would otherwise end up in the trash. I call it “creative repurposing.” Here are three simple, fun holiday craft projects that make good use of would-be throw away items and let you deck the halls …

Let your Expectations of this Upcoming Season Be the Unexpected

Posted on 11/29/2011 by | Volunteering | Comments

VolunteeringHow was your Thanksgiving? I hope it was memorable. Ours was one of the best ever. We all loaded up and headed to Baltimore because the NFL decided the Ravens would play on Thanksgiving night. Now, I was perfectly happy about this scheduling as not only did I not have to cook, I didn’t even have to drive around and pick up food. It was just perfect. I told SJ, “You can either have a game dog or chicken tenders, and …

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