Memorable Holidays 2010 – Team Searchamelia.Com
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2010 Brought to you by SearchAmelia.com “And they who do their souls no wrong, But keep, at eve, the faith of morn, Shall daily hear the angel-song, 'To-day the Prince of Peace is born.’” - James Russell Lowell. Memorable Holidays 2010 – Team Searchamelia.com ForewordForeword It’s that joyful time of the year again! We all remember cheerful holiday seasons passed, and begin to anxiously plan for the season ahead. Then we start to panic at the thought of what we’re going to buy and how much we are going to spend, and for whom—especially in today’s economy. We must ask ourselves if we can afford another annual spending frenzy that burns deep holes in our pockets and puts our own families even further in debt with unnecessary credit card spending. For most, probably not. For me— a newlywed and recent college graduate still paying off student loans— definitely not. Most of us are looking to not exceed budgets when planning parties and gifts. Frugal is the word, and being creative is the key to saving money while still enjoying the Holidays with family and friends. First and foremost, the mission of this e-book is to provide actionable information on how to create an affordable, memorable holiday experience for you and your loved ones. So, with an open mind and an open heart, I invite you to join our team of money saving experts as we conceptually turn this year’s spending frenzies and Black Friday nightmares into a frugal holiday adventure you will not soon forget! 2 Memorable Holidays 2010 – Team Searchamelia.com Meet JessicaJessica: Co-authorauthor & EditorEditor “I’m a newly wed, a recent college graduate and a homemaker for five. I have bills to pay and loans to pay off; I’ve had to learn a thing or two about saving, despite my giving nature.” Hello there! I’m Jessica, I will be guiding you most of the way through this eBook. Not yet blessed with a child of my own, this book is my baby. I’ve put a lot of hard work into making sure the information within it is as accurate and up-to-date as possible, though I am certainly not its sole contributor. I hope you enjoy the content and benefit from acting upon it! TheThe Pledge:Pledge: This holiday season, I pledge to follow my own advice: create a budget for (1) spending, (2) saving, and (3) earning. I will stick to the budget and note my progress. I will not supersede the budget because “I have got to get this for so-and-so!” I will be strong, wise and determined, and most of all, as a result of my efforts, I will be giving the greatest give of all: setting a good example for my own family and friends that excessive spending is a choice, not a necessity, and that the holidays are a time to be joyful and free. Money does not create happiness. IfI whowho youyou arearer isis whatwhhata youyou have,hava e,e AndAnA d whatwhw aat youyouu havehava e is lost,losost, WhoWWho areare you?youu? -UnknownUnU knowwn 3 Memorable Holidays 2010 – Team Searchamelia.com Table of Contents I ABC’s of a Frugal Holiday: Saving, Earning and Spending Wisely II Simple Giving: Save on Holiday Cards, Photos and Labels & Consider “Re-Gifting” III Advanced Giving: The Online Approach plus Wise Shopper Tips IV Holiday Travel: Transportation, Dining & more V Deck the Halls with Frugal Flair VI Holiday Entertaining: Checklists, Tips and Customs VII Recipes & Cocktails VIII Gift Wrapping: DIY + Money Saving Tips 4 Memorable Holidays 2010 – Team Searchamelia.com IX Fun games for Holiday Vacation X Carols, Stories, Songs and Poems XI With Santa Around the World XII 12 Days of Christmas the energy saving way! Merry Christmas :: Happy Hanukkah :: Happy Kwanzaa :: 5 Memorable Holidays 2010 – Team Searchamelia.com I.I. The A BC’s’s of a FrugalFrugal HolidayHoliday Photo by http://www.womansday.com A ) T h e B u d g e t Budget! Budget! Budget! Break out your calculator and get a hold of your finances this Holiday season. Holding out against consumer pressure can be quite difficult even when you have a goal. So, the first thing you should do to protect yourself from impulse spending and consumer remorse is create a simple, yet clear and concise, goal. For example: I don’t want to have credit card debt this year. Then go on from there to create a detailed plan of action customized to fit your family’s needs. This plan of action should come in the form of a budget, or the amount of money you plan to make and spend. Be vigilant with your budget and be willing to take steps, great or small, towards sticking to it. You’d be very surprised how far you can push yourself and your income with a little creativity and self-discipline. A simple way to assess your budget is to take a look at your bank account. (Yep, we’re jumping right in!) Now, estimate your projected next three months of income (underestimating this number is never a bad idea). Now do the same for your bills (overestimating this number wouldn’t hurt). Subtract your total bills 6 Photo by http://www.taxguide.govt.nz Memorable Holidays 2010 – Team Searchamelia.com from your total income and write that number down. (Note: Although this method of creating a holiday spending budget is just an outline, I still believe that setting a budget is invaluable towards achieving your financial goals.) Be mindful of your specific needs and trust yourself to find the budget that’s best for you and your family. What my family does might not be the best for yours. If you are already suffering from debt, especially credit card debt, don’t ignore the actual amount of money you have available to spend this season, not including your credit limit if you have one. This will only increase the financial burden for the next Holiday Season and years to come. Being frugal is as much about saving money as it is about maximizing and appreciating what you already have. Whatever your budget, know you can always provide a thoughtful and warm Holiday experience for yourself and your loved ones without putting yourself in debt, and in my opinion it’s those small, priceless moments that make the holidays so memorable! Never doubt the power of discipline and a positive attitude! Now that you know your actual amount of money available, you need to extract from it the total amount you want to spend this year. (If you’re really advantageous or in major need of a budget makeover, you might set your goal as low as $0 and see what happens!) Make sure this amount adequately reflects your family’s customs, needs and available funds. A few free budget-planning worksheets to help you get started on the details: Worksheet Option #1 – Go here for several printable Christmas Budget worksheet options. These styles are very simplistic and basic. This is a great option for beginners or those just looking to budget for the holiday season. Worksheet Option #2 – This option provides a multitude of cross spectrum budgeting worksheets – including those for everyday household expenses, vacations, moving and other special occasions. This is the best source I’ve found for free downloadable budget worksheets as they conveniently come in Excel, PDF and HTML formats making them very user-friendly and compatible with various computer types and programs. This option is great for those looking to work the holidays into an already-existing budget, or save despite extra expenditures. 7 Memorable Holidays 2010 – Team Searchamelia.com B ) A n E a r n i n g s P l a n a.k.a.a.k.a. “The BackupBackup Plan”Plan” The next step towards achieving a frugal holiday is expanding your income to meet your budget and possibly save. This is especially important for those who are already in debt, or who will not be earning enough money to afford the extra costs the holidays sometimes necessitate (i.e. travel, cooking for a crowd, higher electricity bills, etc). Last year, my family’s holiday budget was a negative, so I had to get a little creative and look for new ways to earn a few dollars here and there to be able to afford the extras. Each month, I managed to bring in at least an extra $50, most months I brought in over $100. I didn’t feel like I was taking on another job either. The secret was really simple. I got paid for taking online surveys; if you’re selected, Pinecone Research pays $3 per survey completed. They offer two to five surveys a month and the money you make is deposited directly into your PayPal account that is connected to your bank account. Next, I became a Mystery Shopper. I did as many audits as possible every month, ranging from alcohol age verifications to grocery store procedure audits to fast food service/cleanliness evaluation to having food delivered right to my door! On average, the shops took no longer than ten or fifteen minutes and the pay was at least $9 per audit; almost all shops include compensation for purchases made during the audit–a.k.a. free groceries, prepared food, etc! The pay may not sound like all that much, but it really was worth it for us considering how little time it usually took to complete the audit and fill out all the paperwork.