Shopping After the Holidays

Now with the holidays over you may see sales advertised in many stores.  It could be a way to save money, but only if it is something you need and were planning on buying anyways.  If you purchase things on sale and don’t end up using them, you haven’t saved any money.  The same is true with store coupons you may receive.  If you buy items you weren’t planning on purchasing just because you have a coupon to use, you are not really saving money.  

I received a couple of gift cards for Christmas and have been using them combined with sales to replace some things I needed like glasses and pans.  It may not seem very exciting but I did get a gift card for Clothes Mentor also that I requested.  I feel like I can get more for my money and the items are either new or almost new.  No one knows that I didn’t pay full price for the items unless I tell them. 

Following is part of a post I wrote a couple of years ago about shopping during After Holiday sales to save money.

Shopping After Christmas sales you can save money and be ahead of time next year. When I had my first apartment, I didn’t have much for Christmas decorations, but I scoured the after Christmas sales and within a year or two I had a good collection. Now I pick up things I need for a fraction of original price.

It is a great time to stock up on gift bags, gift boxes, wrapping paper, cards, etc. By having things you normally use on hand ahead of time, saves you from having to buy them next year. Also, if you are just starting out or need a new artificial tree, wreaths and other decorations it would be a good time to look for them. Sometimes you can find holiday wrapping paper that not necessarily Christmas themed that could be used for other occasions throughout the year.

Other things to look for are candles, and candies. If you buy the holiday bags of candies like Hershey’s Kisses, Peanut Butter cups, etc you can use for upcoming holidays. The silver and gold ones can be used for New Years, Red and silver for Valentines Day and Green and gold for St. Patrick’s Day.

If your budget can handle it, you may also be able to pick up some gifts for people to use for birthdays, or even for next Christmas.

 

Making Your Own Mixes

Here is a list of recuoes ti nake your own recipes.  The list consists of 31 different categories such as baking mixes, seasoning mixes, and many more.

In most cases, making your own mixes is less expensive than buying store bought and you can control the ingredients.

Free Shipping Day

Whether you have been procrastinating with your holiday shopping or need a few more gifts you may be able to get free shipping.  Over 1,500 merchants are participating in Free Shipping Day on Monday, December 17, 2012.  On December 17 several online merchants will be offering free shipping and other discounts with delivery by Christmas Eve in the contiguous United States.

The 5 Money Personalities

Money is involved in every aspect of our lives so it is not surprising that it is a common reason for disagreements among couples.  You may have heard that fifty percent of marriages end in divorce.  Another statistic is that 70% of divorced couples say that money was a major reason for their divorce.

 In the book The 5 Money Personalities  Speaking The Same Love and Money Language  the authors,  Scott and Bethany Palmer discuss the 5 Money Personalities they have come with after years of working with couples.

Once you realize what your money personality is and what your partner’s is it may be easier to work through your difficulties or to avoid having problems.  The book includes summaries of each personality or you can take a quiz on their website, TheMoneyCouple.com.  Even though you may be able to define what your partner’s personality is, it is important for them to take the quiz on their own.   When reading the descriptions choose a Primary Money Personality and Secondary Money Personality.

The book includes stories of couples that they have worked with and how they were able to communicate about money issues better once they understood how the other was thinking and dealing with money.

It was a quick and easy read and was also informative.  Even if you are in a relationship, it has valuable information to consider with how you deal with financial issues.

I received a copy of the book in return for this review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Review of Brush of Angels Wings

I  have read several books dealing with stories about the Amish life, but Brush of Angel’s Wings was the first I have read by Ruth Reid.  She has a way of telling a story that makes you feel like you know the characters.

The main characters of the story are Rachel and Jordan.  Rachel is 20 years old and has no prospects of getting married, which makes her an old maid.  Her family and friends all think she should get married, but she has no interest in it.  She is more interested in helping her father with chores instead of learning how to cook, bake and sew.

Jordan is a son of a woman that was shunned from the Amish.  His father left when he was very young and has had no contact until recently.  Jordan ends up going along with his father on a trucking route and finds out his true colors. 

Rachel is attracted to Jordan but thinks he is more interested in Kayla.  He is not, he is interested in Rachel.  You will need to read to the book to see if they end up together.  It was a book that was difficult to put down, with the twists and turns.

I received a copy of this book in return for a review through the BookSneeze program through Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Bonus Gift Card Deals

With the holidays coming up many stores and restaurants are offering a bonus gift card of a certain amount if you purchase a specified amount of their gift cards.  Besides using for gifts, you could also purchase these if you visit the establishments regularly to get the bonus amount.

Here is a listing I found online of some of the offers being offere.d  There may be some others.  I saw an offer from Tutti Frutti that was not included in this list.

Review of A Season for Tending

I have read several books by Cindy Woodsmall and was excited to read the 1^st book in her new series. A Season for Tending is the first book of the new series Amish Vines and Orchards. 

Cindy has a great way of telling stories and describing the life of the Amish people.  It is a story of two Amish families and some of the struggles young people face.  They find out they may need to make changes in plans for their lives to have a better life.

There were some story lines left untold so I am anxious for the sequel that is planned to be released in April 2013.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for review.