Christmas Archives - Page 2 of 4

Category: Christmas

How We Stay Motivated, Chores For Our Toddler, and Budgeting for Christmas | November Budget Q&A

Posted on November 27, 2017November 26, 2017 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Can you believe how close we are to Christmas? I have to admit I was feeling pretty proud of myself on Black Friday because of two things: One – I stayed home all day and didn’t step foot into one store. And two – I finished 98% of my Christmas shopping while sitting on my couch.

The best part of my Christmas shopping is I am way under on our budget for gifts, which is awesome! That means the money we saved on gifts can be put towards debt or savings or anything else we want/need. It’s a good feeling to have a plan and stick to it. Now I just have to sit back and wait for the gifts to start arriving.

Once the gifts arrive I have a few craft projects in mind to make them even more personal, which is the whole goal of Christmas (in my opinion). Don’t get me wrong, I love giving gifts, but I love the idea of giving something one-of-a-kind that actually means something to the recipient.

In this month’s Q&A video I’m going in depth on how we stay motivated with our budget – what our number one tip is for other couples.

I’m also talking about chores for our little guy. At 19 months there are a few things we let him help us with around the house. It takes a lot of patience, which I talk about in the video below.

Finally, I‘m talking even more about how we are budgeting for Christmas and just how I make it all possible. You can watch the video online or down below:

Check out September’s Budget Q&A and October’s Q&A.

For more help with your budget check out these posts:

How To Create Your Budget

What We Use Our Credit Card Rewards On

How Much We Spend On Gifts

Don’t Shop Black Friday

Posted on November 22, 2017November 17, 2017 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Friends! I am going to save you so much time and hassle this shopping season. Make sure to watch today’s video before it’s too late. I’m sharing all the reasons I HATE shopping on Black Friday and what I do to make sure I get the same great deals without the stress.

You can watch the video online or down below:

Let’s face it the stress and competition of going to the store on Black Friday is enough to send me running in the opposite direction. Now by utilizing our Christmas Budget I can have a plan in place that helps me stay focused and I can do everything from home.

Before you do any shopping, make sure to create your plan. You need to know who you are buying for, what you want to get them (even it’s just an idea of what you want), and a budget on how much you want to spend. From there then you can look over your favorite online stores to come up with a plan on what you need to buy.

I gave up in-store Black Friday shopping years ago and I’ve never looked back. Honestly, it was the best decision I made to keep my stress levels down during this time of year. To help with how overwhelming online shopping can be, we tend to only pick 2-3 stores to shop from for everyone. Now we’re not always perfect sticking to only two to three stores, but it makes things a lot easier to narrow your list down. Watch the video to see which stores I prefer to do all of my Christmas shopping at.

For more helpful tips check out these posts:

Why I Love Ebates

Holiday Budgeting Help

How Much We Spend on Gifts

What We Use Our Credit Card Rewards On

How to Make Gift Bags from Wrapping Paper

Posted on November 13, 2017November 11, 2017 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

It never fails – we’re running late and should have left the house 20 minutes earlier. Our son has decided that he doesn’t want to wear shoes, our dogs know something is up and are following me through the house, I have a gift to wrap before we leave and I can’t find a big enough bag.

Luckily there is a trick you can do to turn wrapping paper into a gift bag that is just the right size. Plus, it only takes a few minutes, which is perfect for me since I’m almost always running late and never seems to come easy this time of year.

I created a quick video you can watch online or below to see just how to make gift bags from wrapping paper.

This technique comes in super handy around Christmas time. I don’t know about you, but it seems that gift bags cost so much more than a simple roll of gift paper. So to save money, just buy a few extra rolls of paper and make a few bags to have on hand for those last minute gifts. The gifts will be unique and impressive, but at the same time you’ll be saving money!

5 Frugal Holiday Tips | Help You Save The Most Money This Christmas

Posted on November 10, 2017November 9, 2017 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

I’m coming at you today with my top five frugal holiday tips to save you the most money this season. I know this time of year can be hard. Like, really, really hard. We have our normal, every day lives to manage and now we have to make sure we buy gifts for a lot of people, host dinners and attend parties. Not to mention if you have school-aged kids the Christmas programs you have to help with. This time of year can be stressful.

To help you out, I’m sharing these top frugal holiday tips so that you don’t have to stress about money.

You can watch the 5 Frugal Holiday Tips video online or down below:

The first tip is to create a Christmas Budget. You can read this post from earlier in the week where I shared just how we create our budget, what we track and where we get an idea of how much to spend on every person in our lives.

Your second tip to saving money is DIY. I know this one might seem a little hard, especially if your pressed for time but you can easily find a simple project that takes hardly any time and costs hardly anything. For me, I love the idea of making something for someone I love over buying a gift. It seems so much more personal and shows just how much I care.

Here are a few DIY ideas:

ornaments
wreath
oven mitts
framed photo

A third frugal holiday tip is to host a potluck instead of exchanging gifts. Let’s be honest, gift buying can get overwhelming and expensive. So get together with friends or neighbors and suggest a potluck instead of a gift exchange. Have everyone bring a dish and then just spend time together. I’m sure having a few hours laughing over a meal would mean more than a gift that will end up collecting dust.

The fourth tips is all about shopping smart. You can find amazing deals online by using coupon codes and promotional discounts. Always search on Google for a coupon code before checking out to make sure you’re getting the lowest price. Another great way to shop smart is by going to the Dollar Tree, Big Lots and other discount stores. If you’re willing to go earlier in the holiday season you can find some great items for a fraction of the cost as other retailers.

My final tip for racking up those holiday savings is host a cookie party. Invite a few friends over and each of you bake 1-2 cookie recipes, but make sure your batches are big enough to share. Then at the end of the day you have about 6 different recipes you can split between you to pass out as gifts.

How To Setup Your Christmas Budget

Posted on November 8, 2017October 23, 2018 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

The holiday season is upon us. The moment Halloween is over, it seems that Christmas is in full swing. I need time to slow down just a little, it’s going by way too fast. I can’t believe it’s going to be our little guy’s second Christmas this year. In a recent Budget Q&A I shared the concept of our Christmas Budget – what we include, how it works and what all I track. Well in that post I promised I would bring a more in-depth tutorial on how you can setup your Christmas Budget to help you tame the chaos this year.

You can watch the video online or below:

You need to create a simple spreadsheet in either your journal, Excel or you can even use Google Sheets to create one. You need 7 columns to get you started:

Who
What
Budget
Spent
Bought
Received
Wrapped

Who

This one is pretty self explanatory, who do you need to buy a gift for. Make sure to include all of your family members, friends, co-workers, any hostess gifts for dinner parties, mailman, trash pick-up guys, etc.

What

The what category always takes you a little longer to complete. This is where you will brainstorm a gift idea for everyone on your list.

Budget

Fill in how much you plan on spending for each person. You can use this guide to help with gift limits.

Spent

Once you buy a gift, fill in this section. As I said in the video if you go over by a few dollars on one person’s gift – that’s okay. Just make up for somewhere else. For instance, if I spend $5 more for my sister’s gift than I had budgeted, then I need to spend $5 less somewhere else. It could be on one other gift or I could save a $1 or so on several different people to make up the difference.

Bought, Received, Wrapped

Use the last three columns as a checklist. Now you can look at your budget at any moment to know who you need to buy for still, what gifts you’re waiting on to get in and which ones still need to be wrapped. These three additions to your budget are a game changer. I promise! No more waiting until the last minute to get a gift for someone because you forgot. Now you will know exactly who you have left and about how much you still need to spend.

Want An Easier Way?

For those that don’t want to struggle creating their own holiday planner can now grab the one we use HERE! Included is a budget for Thanksgiving and Christmas to make sure you are completely covered. Plus, I’ve included the gift checklist and tracker that was so popular last year. Finally, there are several checklists and to-do lists to help you get organized for the holidays.

For more tips and budget help, check out these great posts:

How We Use Our Credit Card Rewards

Our Favorite Money Saving Apps

How To Make Money Shopping Online

Stocking Stuffers That Won’t Break the Bank

Posted on December 12, 2016December 9, 2016 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

It’s that time of year again. It seems to come so fast and without warning. I mean, you think Thanksgiving would be a fair warning, but it never is. Last year I did so good shopping for Christmas presents for our family and friends on a budget. I decided this year to do it again. I’m going to stick to last year’s plan, which you can read about here. I was really able to come in golden on our holiday spending. All it took was a little planning and a little Black Friday shopping.

This year with it being the baby’s first Christmas and all, we’re going to break out the stockings. Nothing too crazy because the baby isn’t even a year old yet. I’m not that mom… yet!

Every other year we switch holidays with my family and J’s family. This year is time for Christmas with my family. My Mom always goes above and beyond on stocking stuffers every year. Most of the time the items are too big to fit in the actual stocking, so we each just get a spot on the couch and out stocking is laid on top of everything.

When it’s our turn to be with my family I usually like to help my Dad out by getting stocking stuffers for my Mom. Let’s be honest, he’s not the best at what to get her and never knows if he has enough or too little. So my sister and I usually tag team it and take care of it for him.

This year, I wanted to get some awesome stocking stuffers that won’t the bank. So I’m doing what I do best… coming up with a plan!

The best plan is to be thinking ahead all year long. Whenever you’re out and spot something for a good deal (like a really, really good deal) then go ahead and buy it. But for me that’s hard. If I buy too early then I have to find a place to store the items and actually remember where they are before Christmas. That doesn’t happen too well in my house.

So I like to hit up a few key stores to get some good deals on stocking stuffers.

Dollar Stores

You can get some really great pieces for only $1. You can be creative and think outside the box at these type of stores.

For little ones look for toys and games – chalk, bubbles, little figurines. Let’s face it kids are rough on toys and there are probably some really great items under the tree so stocking stuffers don’t have to be anything too expensive.

For adults you can find some items that are sure to catch your eye. For women I usually go to the nail care aisle. I can grab some nail files and little mani/pedi kit. They also have some cute coffee mugs that make great stuffers. For the men in your life most dollar stores sell car cleaning pieces. They aren’t the highest quality, but the rags and sponges work just fine.

Big Lots

In our small(ish) town Big Lots is the place. You can find just about anything at Big Lots. I like to grab favorite candy and throw that in the stockings. Sometimes you can get lucky and find name brand items that are really discounted. So again, be creative and you can find some great stuffers.

Target $1 Bins

This is another favorite. Those bins are magical! You never know what they are going to have and some of those pieces are really neat. You can find great stuffers for any age.

I’m a huge fan of notepads. I know my Mom likes them to make lists on them and most people can always find a need for a notepad and pen set. You can sometimes find some great kitchen utensils too that are colorful. Those make great stocking stuffers!

Amazon Add-Ons

I use Amazon a lot for our dogs. Yes, I buy stocking stuffers for our dogs because I’m that lady. I’m okay with it too! I like to shop on Amazon for some of our household items. Amazon has really inexpensive add-on items. I like to go through their dog toy sections to find some good quality, inexpensive toys.

I also use the Amazon add-on feature for smaller gifts for friends, co-workers and even my family’s pets.

Christmas Clearance

If you are someone that can buy in advance and then not lose your stocking stuffers, I would recommend stocking up during Christmas Clearance. You can find some great deals at some really great prices. You just have to remember where you store everything before next Christmas!

You can find some great quality pieces at Wal-Mart, Target and even department stores like DIllard’s and Macy’s. You just have to keep your eyes peeled.

Words of Advice: Just because something is inexpensive doesn’t mean it would make a great stocking stuffer. Really think about whether or not you want to gift the item. I like to think about each person I’m buying for – what they like, their hobbies, etc and then try to find stocking stuffers that fit them. I’m also a stickler for quality. Just because something is only $1 doesn’t mean it’s worth $1.

Handmade Items

If you’re feeling crafty then you could always make stocking stuffers. I did a small gift exchange with my cousins a few years back where each gift had to be under $3. So I crafted a DIY ornament. They turned out great.

So what are your go-to stocking stuffers that won’t break the bank?

DIY Wreath {The Perfect Christmas Present}

Posted on December 9, 2016December 7, 2016 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Last year I DIY’d this cute wreath for my sister. I wanted to share about how I made it and was able to stay within our Christmas budget, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise. So I tucked this away to share this Christmas. This gift is seriously the cutest and easiest to put together. You can really customize it to fit the personality of who is receiving it. My sister lives in this cute house in this sweet neighborhood. You know the type of neighborhood where everyone waves to each other, you can easily borrow your neighbors leaf blower and you attend each others’ birthday parties. I wanted to make her the perfect wreath that would fit her and her house.

I headed to my local Hobby Lobby to pick everything up. I started with just a basic wreath, it was brown and pretty boring. Then I picked up the greenery to add some color.

Here’s what you need for the easiest DIY wreath:

wreath base
greenery
floral wire
hot glue gun
wooden letter
spray paint
ribbon (optional)
flowers (optional)

Pretty much every piece of this wreath is optional. You can really mix it up.

The first thing you want to do is lay the greenery over the wreath. Then once it’s in the perfect position you can grab your wire to attach it to the wreath. Just wrap it through the brown pieces to secure it. I also used my hot glue gun to fill any missing spaces and to ensure the greenery would cover what I wanted to cover.

I wasn’t the best at taking pictures last year since I was trying to get like 5 other DIY projects done that day. But I had a wooden B for her last name. I took it outside and spray painted it with a color I had on hand. It was a glossy maroon color. Super pretty. It took about 3 coats to get it to my liking. Then after it was dried I glued it to the wreath. At this point you can add more colors with any flowers or a nice big ribbon. I used the ribbon to make it easier to hang on the door.

I was able to use a 40% off one item coupon so it made the whole project very affordable. The wreath was on sale for 50% off and so was the wooden letter. The only item that was full price was the greenery. So I purchased one using a 40% off coupon then returned later in the week to get the second piece of greenery using another 40% off coupon. I already had the ribbon, spray paint and hot glue so that was pretty handy. I really think this wreath made a statement and it was great to give something handcrafted to my sister.

A DIY wreath doesn’t have to be that difficult!

I’m Back

Posted on December 7, 2016December 7, 2016 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

im-back

Whew! How did you like my disappearing act? I had not intent to just fall off, but life happens. We have been so busy between our son, work, traveling to see family and trying to get things done around the house. This little blog of mine has taken the back seat.

But I’m happy to say I’m back. I’ve got a few posts in the works and am going to try harder to stay on top of everything.

Let’s be honest though when it’s 10 at night and I’m exhausted from being up since 4am with our little guy and he just laid down for the night… I’m going to bed. That’s just how it’s going to be.

I think every Mom (or most Moms) would feel the same way. It’s hard to accomplish everything. It’s hard to always be ‘on’. I had to take something off my plate and this blog was it.

Now that life has calmed down a bit, or at least for now, I’m ready to jump back in. So thank you for sticking around and not giving up on me!

We decorated for Christmas the other day. I decided to take a less is more thought process this year. We put up our tree then J decorated outside, but kept it minimal. No stockings (mainly because I need to order our personalized ones), no other decorations around the house. Just one tree and a little boy who loves crashing his walker into it.

Tips for Hosting Family This Holiday Season

Posted on November 21, 2016October 10, 2016 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

I sent these tips on hosting family to my VIP list a few weeks ago, but I thought they were just too good not to share with everyone. So if you’re on my VIP list then you are lucky because you received these way ahead of any holiday gathering prep.

The Holidays are almost here. The hustle and bustle of holiday dinners and get-togethers is upon us. With a little bit of planning you can have a stress-free dinner party that is filled with making memories.

J and I split our time between his family and my family during the holiday season. One year we spend with my family on Thanksgiving and then his family during Christmas. Then we switch the next year. That way we aren’t driving all over trying to make both families’ dinners. We did that one year and we ended up leaving at 1am to make it back home before the snow hit. It was miserable!

Now we get to spend uninterrupted time with each of our families. We aren’t rushed and it makes time together so much better.

Holidays can be a time for stress, but with a little prep you can really stop any anxiety to enjoy the time when hosting family and friends. As we approach Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas Holiday there are a few things you can do to ease the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Prepare some space

More than likely it will be chilly. People will be wearing coats and winter scarves, so by having a designated coat area in a back room or a hall closet can help decrease clutter. I don’t know about you, but when my main living room is full of stuff it makes me stress out a little. I instantly feel like my whole house is a pit and I can’t focus until it’s cleaned. So by having a space specifically for coats, then you can keep them nice and neat, and out of eye sight.

Childproof Your Home

Even if you don’t have little ones, you should take a few minutes to childproof your home. Take a look around and figure out what needs to be changed or picked up to make it a little more kid-friendly. I recommend picking up an knick-knacks you don’t want to be played with. Also, make sure cabinets are closed and outlets are covered. A few simple steps can really help your guest feel comfortable and ensure little hands aren’t getting into something they shouldn’t.

Smell is Everything

Give off a warm environment by using scented candles or room sprays. I like to make sure I have a scented candle burning in the bathroom as well as the family room. Typically, I pick the same candle so there aren’t conflicting scents through out the whole house. If you’re preparing dinner then I like to put any candles away from the kitchen so I’m not mixing too many smells. A smell overload can make the whole house a bit unappetizing.

Easy Finger Foods

Having a few easy finger foods on hand will help guests feel more at home. Sure you can prepare mini quiches or wraps, but I like to have a few that don’t need any cook time. That way if any of your guests have small children they can be appeased by a few chips or crackers and cheese until dinner is ready. My favorite go to is a veggie and fruit tray. That way you can snack on a few things without ruining dinner.

Keep it Simple

Remember the most important detail is spending time together. Try not to overwhelm yourself with these grand ideas of what Thanksgiving dinner should be like. Sure you see these amazing tables and dinners on TV, but that’s TV. Keep dinner easy to prepare, ask for help, and try not to over plan too much. Just remember everything will be okay and you need to enjoy your time as well.

Quick Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress

Posted on October 24, 2016October 20, 2016 by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

It’s hard to imagine how it’s already the middle of October. I feel like it was just yesterday I was putting away my jackets and pulling out my shorts for summer weather. Now here I am pulling them back out.

Funny story about yours truly. I had misplaced my house key months ago. I had tore apart my house, looked through purses, cleaned out drawers, even searched my in-laws home thinking I had left it during a visit. I seriously could not find it anywhere. Which wasn’t a huge deal because our house has an electronic keypad through our garage so I didn’t really need it. But it was driving me crazy because I never lose anything. Sure, I may misplace something for a short time, but I never actually lose anything.

Fast forward to last weekend and it was a bit chilly in the morning. I pulled out my jacket and tossed it on. About an hour later I reached my hand in the pocket and you know what I found? Yep! My house key! I couldn’t believe it. After months of searching I had found it. It never occurred to me to look in my jacket pocket.

I placed my jacket up about the time our little guy was born so I guess between the commotion of having a newborn I forgot. I hate to lose things and feeling stressed about things, that’s why I am such a planner.

I love saving time, which also means saving money. Because if you can plan way ahead then you’re sure to find good deals and save up the money you need.

It might seem pretty early to start thinking about the holidays, the reality is that most of us are too busy and it will be here before we know it.

Now, I’m not the local hobby store and I’m not recommending pulling out those decorations just yet. But I have created a few quick tips on how to avoid holiday stress. If you do these now then it will really save you later on when the holiday season is in full swing. These tips will only take an hour or two at most and it will be well worth it!

Prioritize Your Yes

Sit down with your spouse and get on the same page about holidays. If you plan now and know what’s important to you and your family then you will avoid holiday burnout. Now is the time to know what Thanksgiving or Christmas will look like, who’s house are you going to be at, etc. That way when invitations start rolling in then you and your spouse will know if it’s a “yes” or a “sorry we can’t.”

Establish Your Budget

Sit down and write out every event, gift, and upcoming expense you’re going to have that is out of the ordinary. I create a spreadsheet in Google Sheets to help narrow down who, what, and how much. That way I can keep an eye out for sales. Plus, having a budget really helps keep you accountable. You can check out my process on how I do Christmas on budget.

Make Your Gift List

This goes with the budget section up above. By creating your gift list now then you can have more time to buy what you need. I created my list last week and it has been a life saver. J and I sat down decided a good idea of what we wanted to get everyone then I created my budget from my list.

Plan Your Holiday Menu

I’m not saying it’s time to make the pie or Christmas cookies, yet. Most grocery stores will advertise items at ridiculously low prices to get you to come in. So if you have an idea of what you need to get for November and December then you can add it to your normal grocery shopping. By breaking down your holiday grocery shopping way in advance then you’ll be able to save money and not have a huge bill later down the road.

What do you think? What else would you add to avoid holiday stress?

Check out September’s Budget Q&A and October’s Q&A.

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I created a quick video you can watch online or below to see just how to make gift bags from wrapping paper.

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You can watch the 5 Frugal Holiday Tips video online or down below:

Share:

Who

What

Budget

Spent

Bought, Received, Wrapped

Want An Easier Way?

Share:

Dollar Stores

Big Lots

Target $1 Bins

Amazon Add-Ons

Christmas Clearance

Handmade Items

So what are your go-to stocking stuffers that won’t break the bank?

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Prepare some space

Childproof Your Home

Smell is Everything

Easy Finger Foods

Keep it Simple

Join the VIP list!

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Prioritize Your Yes

Establish Your Budget

Make Your Gift List

Plan Your Holiday Menu

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