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 If you’ve still got a few more rounds to go at the mall or online, there are still ways to tighten the belt and meet your goals. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to follow in the final hours to help you keep a little green in your wallet. > Don’t shop for yourself While it may be tempting to buy those perfect gold hoops, it’s not about you. You are on a mission and cannot be distracted. > Do attend parties We all need to celebrate and let off a little steam every once in a while despite our personal struggles this year. It’s critical to nurture our circle of friends and keep in mind that they are the ones we will turn to in times of need. In addition, you never know who you might meet at a party; remember when one door closes … > Do host parties If you are known for your annual Open House and feel it’s important to keep the tradition going, go ahead and throw the party … with a twist. Make it a potluck this year! Send an e-vite to your friends and family asking everyone to bring their family’s favorite holiday side dish or dessert. > Do beg, borrow or steal From your friend’s closet, that is! Your husband’s office party is coming up and you’d love to have a new dress. However, for many of us, now is not the time to buy a new dress that we may not wear again. Instead, raid the closets of some of your fashionista friends … and while you’re at it, hit up their jewelry boxes too! > Do get crafty Being crafty has never been so chic. So, when you’re looking for last-minute gifts for those key people who help you hold your life together, skip the gift card or other store-bought gift and get cooking … literally! Cookies, breads or homemade hot chocolate with a personal note are perfect for the neighbors, teachers and sitters in our lives. > Don’t buy snacks When you’re out there going toe to toe with hundreds of other shoppers, you’ll need to keep your energy up. While it may be easy to just grab a quick latte and muffin, that’s money you don’t need to spend. Throw bags of nuts, a few energy bars or a piece of fruit in your purse to give you the boost you need to shop ’til you drop. > Do keep track of your spending Each time you return from a shopping trip, pull out your receipts and compare your projected spending per person versus the actual, then make adjustments accordingly. At the end of the year, when all of your spending is complete, add up your total and divide by 12. That’s the amount you should try setting aside each month to prepare for the holidays in 2009! Maria Bailey is founder of smartmom.com and author of “Trillion-dollar Moms.” Jennifer Arnold is a freelance writer and mother of three. •> Smart Mom Goes Green Make your own gift wrap Moms know the scene all too well: It’s Christmas morning and your living room floor transforms into a sea of shredded snowman, glittery stars and red bows. Now imagine all that store-bought paper stuffed right into a landfill, which is where most mass-produced wrapping paper goes, as it cannot be recycled. Instead, here’s a great chance to get creative! Make it a fun family event so that the kids feel they are part of the process. Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section of the newspaper, or glue together a few of your child’s art projects that have been collecting since the start of the school year. You can even use extra scraps of fabric tied with ribbon especially for those oddly shaped gifts. •> Solution of the Month Daily Specials Are you tired of going through your refrigerator each week throwing away mushy produce and expired yogurt? Here is a great way to let your family know what’s inside while keeping your refrigerator well organized. A few days before you plan to do your regular grocery run, pull out items that need to go, such as lunch meats, dips and things that will spoil quickly, and place them in a small storage bin on an easy-to-reach shelf in the fridge. Create a sign that reads, “Daily Specials” and list the items – a magnetic white wipe-off board works great so that you can change easily. Little ones can get in on the act by cutting pictures from magazines or drawing items on their own that you can use on your sign for pre-readers. Similarly, when you return from the market, you can change the sign to read “Fresh Today.” Beauty shots for tired moms Whether you’re trying to choose a picture of the kids for a holiday card or ready to frame a great multi-generation photo of your family from Thanksgiving, chances are there’s not one picture where everyone looks their best. Professional retouching can be costly and Photoshop only goes so far and can’t cover those pesky under-eye circles. Check out picwash.com, a small company with cutting-edge capability to provide touch-up services for as little as $7 per photo. The work is done by real humans, and in as little as 48 hours you can have your photo retouched and returned to you. This company understands that crows feet really are for the birds! |
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