Shop for the Holidays All Year Round

The MommyDaddyBlog shows us how we can spend frugally all year round to increase our gift giving at holiday time. Think it’s too early to get started? January is one of the best times to buy as items which didn’t move much during the holidays have their prices slashed low. Don’t forget the number one tip for shopping frugally all year:

Check out your local papers and even magazines for coupons. Even if the coupon is for something that you don’t think you’re going to purchase any time soon, clip it! There are many resourceful sites online where you can not only print out coupons but grab codes to use at the checkout of your favorite retailers. Some of my favorite places to find coupons are Coupon Chief and Retail Me Not. Both sites are powered by bargain hunters alike. Coupon Chief even has a Pays-2-Share program which allows you to get paid each time someone uses a coupon that you submit.

How to Find the Best Stuff for Your Kids Online

Sometimes we head straight to the online store to purchase gifts for our kids. It’s easy, straightforward and expensive. There are a couple more places you should add to your browsing list if you tend to buy online. A Savvy Mom posted on The Mom Speak a list of five places you should look for frugal online finds. Here’s number one (which was a new one for me!):

Join Freecycle, where people just want to get rid of their stuff, so they’re happy to give it to you for free if you come to their homes and take the stuff away. I’ve cleaned out a lot of unwanted clutter that I had neither time nor energy to sell, plus I’ve scored useful things like gDiaper inserts and personalized stickers for a friend’s little girl.

Last Minute Christmas Shopping

Another quick tip from Lifetips.com. (Thought I’d squeeze this one in before the big day!)

Know what gift(s) you are shopping for before you leave the house. Review with the kids before you enter a store, exactly what you are getting and for whom. No side trips, no fuss, no gawking, no candy. It is extremely simple to keep the children on track if you can distract them by enlisting their help in finding the section or item needed.

The flashing lights and over the top display of their favorite goodies is sure to make them a bit giddy before the big day. If they still have to pick out a gift for Dad, make sure they come prepared… or you’ll be stuck in Holiday traffic forever!

Buying kid’s shoes every 2 weeks

Mom 2 Mom Tips shares here secret in purchasing back to school shoes.  The dilema of trying to find the half size shoe your really need or realizing that you kid grew 3 sizes over the summer and you’re plagued with guilt from not noticing the mangled toes of your daughter can be solved with a simple soulution.

Well, there is a much more flexible solution! Stuff the toes of the shoes with cotton balls. Plain old, ordinary cotton balls. Fit them into the toe along the shape of the shoe so they don’t feel “weird” when the child wears them. Add a few, try them on, add a few more until you’ve achieved the right fit. One advantage of cotton balls is that you can put different amounts into each shoe. As we all know, everyone has one foot that is larger than the other.

Here all about Mom 2 Mom’s shoe buying experience here…