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Target Markdown Schedule for Christmas

Take advantage of the Target markdown schedule for after Christmas deals. The day after Christmas, Target will generally mark it’s seasonal merchandise down to 30 percent off, which is great if there was something that you want to make sure that you don’t miss. Some items go quickly, such as Christmas trees and decorations for the yard. This bigger ticket items may be worth getting right now, with the new discount. Other items may be worth waiting for until the discounts go to 50 percent, generally five to seven days after Christmas. Get ready to grab light strings and gift … Continue reading →

Organize the Clutter Before Christmas

Christmas and clutter seem to go together. There are the boxes of decorations that we take out of closets, basements, garages and attics. There are the extra toys and other presents we need to make room for in our homes. There are even extra food supplies that may overstuff our refrigerators and pantries. Because I get overwhelmed with clutter (although I’m not always very good at keeping it at bay), my first instinct is to run out to the store and fill the cart with all sorts of new organizers to wrestle the clutter away. Did you know that there … Continue reading →

Inexpensive Ways to Countdown to Christmas

My 8-year-old adores her Snoopy countdown to Christmas calendar… and her wooden Advent calendar… and her chocolate-filled Advent calendar… and well, you get the idea.  My kid is obsessed with counting down to December 25th. While I enjoy seeing her excitement as she tears open the doors to her various candy-filled chronicles, Advent calendars don’t come cheap.  Neither do secular versions featuring syndicated cartoon characters. Fortunately, there are ways you can celebrate the coming of Christmas without going broke.  For example: Paper Chains:  Kids can craft a countdown to Christmas chain to help them visualize how many days until Santa’s … Continue reading →

Three Ways to Control Impulse Buying at Christmas

The shiny decorations, the pretty lights, the wonderful smells, the bustle of shoppers, the increase in commercials, and the demanding kids all combine at Christmas to raise the risk of impulse buying. Many debt services report that the number of phone calls they get for help really drops off in December, as people put aside the idea of debt and just go ahead and spend. Of course, the calls in January are another story. These agencies often see their highest traffic then, as people find themselves in debt crisis. Don’t let this happen to you. Control your impulse buying at … Continue reading →

Simple Decorating for the Christmas Season

We’re heading on into the Christmas season. Next weekend we’ll put up our decorations – we wait until December 1st to do that, no matter how tempting it is to do it earlier. If you’re decorating on a budget, it’s quite simple to look festive with virtually no money. You don’t really need to wait in a lineup to get the latest blow up Santa from the store, although you can if you really want to. But sometimes simple is just as effective and much less expensive. Create paper snowflakes out of white paper, tissue paper, and scrapbook paper and … Continue reading →

Christmas Decorating

It’s the tradition in my home. The day after Thanksgiving I start pulling out the Christmas decorations. Then I take the rest of the day off and save the actual decorating for Saturday. I absolutely love the day of Christmas decorating. A hot mug of coffee, Christmas music playing and my living room is transformed. This is also the perfect opportunity to get in some cleaning. Because I have to move furniture in my living room to fit the Christmas tree, I take advantage of this by wiping down the baseboards and getting on my hands and knees to scrub … Continue reading →

Simple Teacher Gifts For Christmas

The carols are blaring and the decorations are out, and I am tempted to put my head under something minty-scented until January. Although I love the giving aspect of the Christmas season, its commercial bent gives me a strong desire to flee. But then there’s the problem of homemade. In this world of busy and this world of “but I don’t know HOW to make things,” how can you create homemade Christmas items for teachers, friends, and family and have them delight in what you have made? Over the next two weeks, I’ll explore some super simple ways to create … Continue reading →

How Christmas Creep Can Cost You Part 2

Yesterday I talked a little bit about how Christmas creep, the practice of retail stores displaying and selling Christmas and holiday items months in advance, is not only annoying but dangerous to your budget. Christmas creep can cost you, and I shared two of the main ways that it does. There are more than two ways that Christmas creep can affect your budget, and knowing how it does can help you avid the pitfalls. Wanting the Latest and Greatest If you rush out and purchase your Christmas items right away, you may be proud to have everything done so soon. … Continue reading →

Money Saving Ways to Prepare for Christmas Now!

Yes, the summer is still here, and temperatures may still be in the 90s or higher, but it is a perfect time to start making some preparations for Christmas right now. From gifts and decorations to food and entertainment, making the right moves now will be big savings during one of the toughest seasons for the budget. Stock up on the following items during the summer and fall, while you still can. Fresh Produce You’ll get the best prices on fresh produce right now, thanks to the bounty of late summer. Blueberries, strawberries, cherries, corn and other fruit and vegetables … Continue reading →

Even More After Christmas Sales – 2011

The after Christmas sales are still going on! This is the best time to pick up some deeply discounted Christmas decorations, or to purchase some of the things you wanted for Christmas, (but didn’t get). If you have already shopped your way through the list of sales from yesterday and the list from the day before then it is time to check out today’s list of after Christmas sales. Hot Topic is having a “Hot Mess Clearance Event”. You can save up to 75% off the original price of all items included in this sale. Apparel is going for either … Continue reading →