6. Give what YOU can afford. Do not give what your mother believes she deserves, a gift equal to what your sister-in-law gave you last year, enough presents to make a ski-slope-sized pile under the tree, or whatever unrealistic measure might be luring you toward overspending. Would your loved ones want you to suffer financially in order to give them a bigger gift? Surely not. Give reasonably, with a generous smile.

7. Have a card-signing party. In lieu of gifts to friends, a painfree Christmas money saving tip is to prepare holiday cards together. Ask each attendee to bring cookies or an appetizer. You provide drinks, tables to write on, and plenty of pens. The fun will provide more memories than a gift and incur no financial stress.

8. Slip and slide in the snow. Have a kids’ afternoon that will wear little bodies out (a gift to parents, too!) and provide fun memories. A Christmas money saving tip is to make a snowman, a snow fort, have a snowball fight or go sledding. Live in a warm-weather climate? Try a trip to the beach or a nearby hike. Afterwards, invite everyone in for hot cocoa. If you feel like spending a few dollars, spring for a few gingerbread house kits. Kids can take their creations home to last all season.

9. Give by giving. Ask your family to think of activities you can do all through the holiday season, rather than just purchasing a gift. The gift of time and caring can mean much more than a present — for giver and recipient. A compassionate Christmas money saving tip is to shovel snow for an elderly neighbor, or get a group together to surprise neighbors with an old-fashioned caroling party.

10. Get creative with at-home coupons. Another Christmas money saving tip is to get into the at-home “gift card” tradition with homemade coupons. Kids can give parents coupons for prized commodities like “No whining” or “No begging.” Parents can offer up unexpected treats kids love, like “Make cookies together,” “Get out of one punishment free” or “Choose candy for movie night.” Personalize a coupon pack with the recipient’s favorite color or stickers featuring a favorite animal to help you save money at Christmas.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping !

Sadly, we must face mobs of shoppers, picked over items, shopping malls where everything seems to be on sale, TV commercial overload, and the list goes on and on and on.

Times are tough and we all need to find ways to save money. Doing that over Christmas is extremely difficult, but not impossible.

The editor-in-chief of Cosmo Magazine for over 30 years – Helen Gurley Brown says,  “Money, if it does not bring you happiness, will at least help you be miserable in comfort,”

Here are the first five of 10 money saving tips for Christmas, from Bills.com
(Note: Part 2 will be published tomorrow.)

1. Visualize your perfect holiday. How do you envision your perfect holiday? For some, a holiday isn’t a holiday without piles of gifts. But for most people, the holidays really are about family, friends, fun and peace. Imagine how you can bring those values into your holiday celebrations. Then, stand by your goals. Inform “gift-grubbing” friends or family that you want to make the holidays more meaningful this year, and explain that you will be finding ways to share experiences, rather than giving expensive gifts. Another Christmas money saving tip is to limit gifts to one per person even if the recipient usually expects more. By setting expectations early, you can avoid significant holiday disappointment, blues and stress.

2. Plan and budget first. Much holiday stress is caused by finances and by lack of planning. Before the mall’s holiday tunes jingle your willpower away, think practically about Christmas money saving tips. For instance, plan and budget for all items you anticipate spending on this holiday season. Remember to include:

Everyone you’ll give a gift to and how much you plan to spend.
Cards and postage.
Decorations.
Entertaining, including food, drink, special garments, child care, etc.
Year-end tips for newspaper carriers, babysitters, housecleaners, doormen, hairdressers and other service providers.
Gifts for teachers, doctors, neighbors or others close to your family.
Travel costs.
Then you can make sure to purchase just what you need. No budget? No shopping. Put the car keys down until you look at your bills, your checkbook, and your savings balance – and, if you have a spouse, until you have a discussion. Decide what you can afford and want to spend on the holidays.

2. Take inventory before shopping. A pain free Christmas money saving tip is to scour your closets, under your bed or anywhere you might have stashed your clever, early purchases. Think back: Did you stock up on Grandpa’s argyle socks at last year’s post-holiday sales? Check before you rush out to buy a few more pairs now.

3. Shop early online. Avoid stress of malls altogether, skip the temptation of store displays, and steer clear of the hassle of fighting over the last must-have toy. Buy online, especially when you find free shipping deals. You won’t buy a thing more than your list includes. And you can find especially good bargains if you find free shipping to out-of-state family and friends.

4. Time it right. If you really do need to go to a mall, avoid the busiest times to avoid stress. If possible, go early in the day when stores open or late on a weeknight. Take advantage of many stores’ extended hours during the holiday season. Monday night at 9 p.m. can be very quiet, even in mid-December. Another Christmas money saving tip is to try to avoid weekends.

5. Delegate. An effective Christmas money saving tip is to decide who – in your family or group of friends – will shop for each recipient. This can help ensure you get to priority sales and stores, especially if trying to shop on Black Friday or other busy days, and make sure no one doubles up. If you and your daughter split up at the mall, and you both spend $100 on Dad, whose gift budget was $100, you’ve outdone yourselves – in a bad way.

(Note: Part 2 will be published tomorrow.)