Hobbies & Beauty Stuff
the Discount Diva
Hobbies & Beauty Stuff
There's No 'I' in 'Team'
This year, my husband and I have pulled in the reins on our holiday spending. This means we can't get as many gifts as usual for the people on our list.
But before you shed a tear for us, listen to our plan B:
We will buy for groups or families instead of individuals. Genius, huh? Everyone will still get something (each person gets one tear at the wrapping paper), and we'll get to keep more money in our wallets. Here are a few group gifts that are just as good as individual ones:
-Board games
-Wine
-Chocolate
-Gift jars
-DVD's
*What is a "group gift" that your group would be happy to receive?
Four Giftable Gadgets that Give Back
Men are the hardest to shop for. Do you agree? Since I can never think of anything creative to give the guys in my life -- hubby, dad, brother, father-in-law -- for the holidays, I usually result to a gizmo or gadget (i.e. an electric window scraper that plays music) that I know they'll be jazzed about...at least for a day or two.
This year I'm not going to deviate from the gadget gifts they've come to expect from me, but I am going to be smarter about my choices. Here are four little devices that will actually save my recipients money -- something that EVERYONE wants for Christmas.
1.)Filtered Water Bottle for the man who spends money everyday on bottled water. Katadyn Micro Bottle Water Filter, $30
2.)Spice Grinder for the man who likes buying spices in bulk -- now he can grind up his own! Krups GX4100 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder, $30
3.)Self Cleaning Electric Shaver for the man who spends his loose change every week on razors and shaving cream. Braun 7526 Syncro Self-Cleaning Electric Razor, $100
4.)Espresso/Cappuccino Machine for the man who likes his java on the go -- and pays for it! Self Cleaning Electric Shaver for the man who spends his loose change every week on razors and shaving cream. DeLonghi Espresso/Cappuccino Maker, $78
It's a Wrap
I went to stock up last week on boxes of tissue (my hubby has already started sniffling) and was drawn to the decorative/stylized name brand options. Why not? They'd match perfectly with the very different color schemes in our apartment -- one room is bright blue and fire engine red, another is hunter green and khaki. I piled six of them into my cart before I saw the price tag. $5 each! Yeah, right.
A light bulb went off in my head as I stacked the name brand tissues back on the shelf and dumped six of the store brand, kind-of-hideous tissue boxes into my cart. My total was $5.
At home I pulled out my stash of wrapping paper and covered each box in a different pattern. I can honestly tell you that I've never seen a prettier box of tissues in my life!
Rainy day? Try it.
Halloween on a Shoestring
The last time I dressed up for Halloween was when I was five. Yes, it's been that long. My mother transformed me into a fortune-teller with a sparkly beanie on my head and a magic 8 ball in tow.
I've finally found two reasons to don another quirky costume in my lifetime. First, one of my good friends is hosting a huge costume party and you're not allowed in unless you're dressed up. Sneaky way to get all of your friends to participate, huh? Second, there are tons of websites selling great costumes for pennies. Here are some of the best. Happy Haunting (er, Hunting)!
HalloweenExpress.com w/ full costumes for women marked down to $19.99
ZoogsterCostumes.com w/ costumes for the whole family at 50-75%off
CostumeCraze.com w/ costumes for pets for as low as $6.95
CostumeDiscounters.com w/ a "Lowest Price Guarantee" on costumes for all ages
My To-Do List
1. Freeze my tights and stockings (they'll last longer).
2. Shave (and then heal any nicks with honey).
3. Update my family photo album (and use egg whites to secure the pictures instead of buying glue).
These are just a few of the many so-quirky-I-MUST-try money-saving tips outlined in The Penny Pincher's Book Revisited: Living Better For Less written by British couple John and Irma Mustoe.
And, on next week's list (I love this planning ahead thing): Put nail polish in the fridge so it lasts longer; boil left over salad to add to soup; and wrap my brother's birthday gift in an old calendar page.
What's the strangest penny pinching idea you've ever tried?
about the blogger
Ayren
Ayren Jackson-Cannady has yet to find a bargain or sale she didn’t like. It’s a good relationship for her wallet, but not so much for the dwindling closet space in the apartment that she shares with her husband, John and her cat, Shiny in Brooklyn, NY.
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