A Frugal, Flexible & Creative Gift Registry: Community Group Offers Free Alternatives for Gifts

Wedding guests spend about $19 billion annually on gifts selected from bridal registries, according to The Knot, a wedding planning resource.

There are ways to get the gifts you want, be it for a bridal shower or baby shower, and let the givers be frugal and green.

Hardware stores and specialty stores are two options for unusual gift registries. Another is the Alternative Gift Registry from the consumer group Center for a New American Dream.

Registration is free and users can request merchandise from any retailer such as an energy-efficient toaster from Target, organic-cotton sheets from Bloomingdales or a handmade vase from a small gallery.

But whether you sign up for the Alternative Gift Registry at http://www.newdream.org/ or generate your own wish list to e-mail to your friends, the site provides a wealth of gift ideas.

For weddings, consider:
• Recipe cards: Engaged couples request recipes for easy-to-prepare meals that can be cooked in a crock pot or in simple steps.
• Green appliances: Couples can direct wedding guests to the federal Energy Star website, (http://www.energystar.gov/) for a list of energy-efficient appliances, their names and model numbers. Use search engines to locate places where they're sold.

For baby gifts, consider:
• Used clothes: New Dream's registry lets parents request gently used clothing for infants and toddlers.
• Baby-sitting services: Use the registry to line up friends and relatives to help out for date nights and other outings. Specify an amount of hours and the registry will let browsers know when the time quota has been filled.
• Meals: With a new baby, who has time to cook? The registry provides space for home cooks to sign up to provide new parents one or more free meals.

This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.

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My Playlist: Frugal Love Songs for Valentine's Day

My favorite love songs all have a frugal theme and a bottom-line impact with this message: We don't have to spend a fortune on Valentine's Day or any other day to show appreciation, love and respect for the significant people in our lives.

Here's my playlist of love songs with a frugal theme:

Your Song by Elton John. I have loved this song since I was in Junior High School during the 1970s.

Key Lyrics:

"I know it's not much but it's the best I can do

My gift is my song and this one's for you

--Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin

Bottom Line Impact: Forget the diamonds; just write me a song and mean it.

Just the Way You Are by Bill Joel. Okay, I am not a major Billy Joel fan, but these lyrics strike a chord with me. Here's why: Back in the day, I was the type of chick who would spend a fortune trying to be perfect for my dates. If they wanted me to stand on my head, I would sign up for gymnastics lessons.

In fact, I would be very, very wealthy now if I had saved all of the money I used to spend on hair, makeup, clothes and nails. I altered my appearance so much that I stopped recognizing myself in the mirror. But this Billy Joel song helped me to realize that I just needed to be accepted "as-is." (Or to accept myself as-is!) Thank You, Billy Joel!

Key Lyrics:

Don't go trying some new fashion

Don't change the color of your hair

You always have my unspoken passion

Although I might not seem to care

Bottom Line Impact: Cancel the extreme makeover appointments. Take back the new clothes and invest the money. Just be yourself and have fun.

There's Hope by India Arie. This song just makes me happy.

Key Lyrics:

It doesn’t cost a thing to smile

You don’t have to pay to laugh

You better thank God for that

Bottom Line Impact: India Arie says it all: "It ain’t about the size of your car..."

Reality Check: Of course, money matters A LOT in a relationship. It's a real downer when there's not enough to pay the rent, purchase health care insurance or save for a rainy day. But beyond the basics, many of us get carried away with stupid stuff like cars, diamonds and other status symbols. Once the bills are covered, life is too short to stress out about metal, crystals and cloth.

Other favorites from my playlist: Any song by Anita Baker, Tracy Chapman, Sade, The Four Tops and The Gap Band. I love Sarah by Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks). I listen to music for free at Imeem.com.

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Sharon Harvey Rosenberg is the author of The Frugal Duchess of South Beach: How to Live Well and Save Money... Anywhere!, which will be published in June of 2008 by DPL Press.

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Frugal Gift Guide: Pretty DIY Baskets (Last-Minute Specials)

Pre-packaged gift baskets: $45 and up. DIY: $10 and under. I once made gift baskets that were placed in a little gift shop in an area hospital and a little boutique. I kept my day job, but I learned a lot about gift baskets.

BTW: This post was prompted by a post called: Lack of Time = Crappy Christmas Presents? From Make Love Not Debt .

Cheap, Easy and Pretty Gift Baskets

(aka Last-Minute Gift Ideas):

1. Pick a theme: Movies? Home Spa? Cheese 'n Fruit? Candy? Coffee and Tea? Gardening?

2. Shop for ideas. Get visual tips from magazines, catalogues, floral shops and online.

3. Buy inexpensive baskets: Dollar stores have festive baskets for a buck a piece. Thrift stores also have lots of baskets (new or in good condition) for super cheap prices. Also craft stores have periodic sales on baskets.

4. Shop the sales. Hit the clearance section for high-end treats at low prices. For example, at Marshall's I've found gourmet coffee beans, candies and designer bath supplies at super cheap prices. These items look elegant and expensive when arranged in a pretty basket. Also shop the sales at high-end gourmet food shops and natural food stores. Even Starbucks has discounted mugs and trinkets at the sales table.

Other specialty stores also feature rotating sales of chocolates, wines, cheeses and other gourmet treats that are perfect for holiday baskets.

6. Consider the recipient. If a friend is really into baking or gardening, create a special basket with accessories or treats based on their hobby. For instance, for a gardener: seed packets, garden supplies, gardening gloves or a small-how to book on gardening.

7. Buy pretty wrapping supplies: Cellophane paper, ribbons and tags (homemade or otherwise) can really make or break a gift basket. It's not hard to make it look pretty and professional. I have found super cheap wrapping supplies on eBay.com

8. Set up an assembly line: When we make gift baskets, we line up the supplies on our dining room table and set up an organized system for filling, stuffing and wrapping. This division of labor is efficient and everyone gets very professional about filling their specific function.

Here's a proposed shopping list for a bath spa gift basket:

1. Basket $1

2. Pretty soaps: $1-$3. On amazon.com, I spotted gift soaps with prices starting at 72 cents. I have also found great deals at Walgreens, CVS and Marshalls.

3. Bath crystals: Available for under $1.50 in pretty packets.

4. Bath oils (see photo): I found a set of 12 for $3.75 (use all or split up the package and use for several baskets).

5. Bath brushes & other trinkets: Here's a pretty set for $5.25 and I have seen lower prices.

6. Scented candles: $1 . We once found a great sale on scented votive candles for 20 cents each.

Other gift ideas:

1) a mixing bowl packed with fresh baked cookies, recipes and assorted kitchen tools.

2) a large clear cosmetic bag stuffed with body creams, elaborate soaps and other day spa treats.

Recent Posts

Today:

Permanently Parked: How & When to Ditch the Old Car

Yesterday:
What's More Than a Hummer, Beemer or Mercedes? Why We Ditched Our Old Car

Don't Shake & Eat: A Holiday Health Guide to Save $500 & Up
Financial Points from D-Wade's 31-Pt Eclipse of the Suns

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Package Deals: Shipping Cheap; Shipping Fast

I've had a busy afternoon trying to get a five-pound package from Miami Beach to Brooklyn during the holiday season. Fortunately, there are many options, ranging from $3.50 to $95 for the same package.

My advice: Ship early and ask questions. The various shippers, including the U.S. Postal Service, provide online calculators. (Calculate Postage) However, keep the various toll-free numbers handy for your inevitable follow-up questions.

To find the cheapest rates you have to exercise a bit of patience and persistence. For example, when I phoned Federal Express and United Parcel Service, I had to select additional voice-mail options to get the expanded menu of prices and deadlines and, even then, my questions weren't answered. I sought out human operators and requested their cheapest rates for ground shipping.

The U.S. Postal Service offers a ''media mail'' package rate that is available for shipping books, music, scripts and other forms of media. Those rates begin at $2.13 for a one-pound package but shipping can take several weeks.

Allow extra time for the holiday crunch. For example, cards have to be mailed by Dec. 20 to arrive by Christmas Eve.

This is from latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.

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$75,000 Robot & Top 10 Expensive Gifts w/Photos & Frugal Tips

One expert on self-made millionaires has issued his own list (with eye-popping photos) of the most extravagant holiday gifts and his advice: Forget the hype & shop within a real budget. It's a fun list with great visuals. (see below) I have one question: Who buys this stuff???

Here's the guest post with photos, prices and tips (after the photos):

"Americans are expected to dish out a staggering $474.5 billion this year on Christmas shopping, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Jim Trippon, CPA and one of America’s foremost authorities on the money habits of self-made millionaires, has released his annual list of the most expensive gifts to give your loved ones this holiday season.

“Here is Trippon’s annual top 10 list of the most expensive holiday gifts for 2007:

1. Bugatti Veyron - $1.7 million

2. Neil Lane 15 Carat Diamond Earrings - $750,000

3. Runco 103-Inch Plasma Display- $99,995

4. Swami Conversational Robot - $75,000

5. Tiffany &Co. 109.73 Kunzite Bow Brooch - $74,500




6. Vertu 7.2 Carat Pink and White Diamond Phone - $73,000

7. Fendi Selleria Bag - $38,000

8. 1-Degree North Pole Dogsled Expedition - $37,500


9. Serendipity Frrrozen Haute Chocolate - $25,000

10. Friends of Cashmere Classic Pet Bed - $399

Trippon's Advice:

"Each year it seems that American’s top themselves in spending for Christmas,” says Trippon, “If you can afford the best without going into debt, that’s great! But I think most people forget that this holiday is about being in the right spirit, not getting overloaded with debt, which often produces money arguments the rest of the year.”

The NRF said that Americans plan to spend an average of $923.36 in total this year, up 3.7 percent from the previous year’s statistics. Given the credit card rates that are often at 24 percent and assuming minimum payments, Trippon says that this year’s holiday shopping will cost the average consumer closer to $6458.87 when interest and finance charges are included.

Trippon believes that people avoid arguing about finances when they take the time to become educated about money together.

“Get real and deal with your budget,” says Trippon, “Be honest with each other about your money habits and come up with a plan to spend it as a couple. It will improve your love life!”

Trippon is the author of the Amazon best-seller, How Millionaires Stay Rich Forever: Retirement planning Secrets of Millionaires and How They Can Work For You and the upcoming title China Stock Guru.

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Frugal But Great Gifts for Mother's Day

My Mom just called and told me about a great Mother's Day gift idea she heard about today on Oprah. On the show, (A Mother's Day Special), one woman requested a letter from her children as a Mother's Day gift. She only wanted words on a page, plus a 39-cent stamp.

That frugal-but-meaningful gift idea prompted me to create this list of gift tips for Mother's Day.

1. Family Cookbook: Have every kid in the family contribute a recipe for their favorite food, with a story about a family event related to that recipe. Add illustrations, photos or other scrap book items.
2. Vacation Memory book: I have great memories of family vacations from my childhood. I'm sure my mother would love to have a collection of short vignettes based on the different family trips.
3. Calendar: Using the computer, it's possible to have create a calendar filled with a memory a month, with each month honoring something special about Mom.
4. Lunch with Mom: Take your mom to lunch or make a lunch filled with her favorite foods.
5. Favorite book: Find a copy of a book your mom read with you when you were a child. Record your voice or a voice of a child reading the book. When I was little my mom read a book with me about Tip the Dog. I was about four and we were reading the book in our old house in Philadelphia. We were sitting near a radiator on the second floor. It was cold outside, but our house was warm. That's how I learned to read.

I also enjoyed reading this recent column from writer Ana Veciana-Suarez from the Miami Herald. She wants her kids to do garden work on Mother's Day or offer some other non-retail store gift.

"I don't want one more blouse in my closet, one more perfume on my dresser or one more piece of jewelry to display. I own all the possessions I desire, an enviable position that has little to do with affluence and plenty with maturity and acceptance.

What I want -- oh, what I want! -- is rarely something you can buy. In this age of conspicuous consumerism, that may be difficult to imagine.
--Ana Veciana-Suarez

Happy Mother's Day Mom. Thanks for being a steady source of love & inspiration.
And same to you Dad!

Love,
Sharon & Co.
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Making the Season Meaningful

Here's my latest column from the Miami Herald. It's a different twist on the search for last-minute gifts.

The goal is not about frugal choices or money-saving tips, but to break outside the gift-wrapped boxes of commercialized holiday spending.

Cheers!




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Updated Version of the Festival of Frugality!

**Festival of Frugality: Updated with additional comments and links!***

Wow! The Frugal Holiday Gift guide (Plus More!) is here at the Festival of Frugality. Personally, I feel so smart this morning, because I have been reading Festival entries. I've separated the entries into bite-sized categories: Back to Basics, Food, Holiday Shopping/Saving; Generic Shopping, Medicine, Cars/Gas/Energy, Green Living and more.

Plus there is a huge money management section. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the festival and to my education. Thanks to Jim of Blueprint for Financial Prosperity for letting me host.


The posts were great and I have something to say about each one. Next week's FOF host: Penny Nickel of Money and Values.



Back-to-Basics/General Frugal Living

David presents Sometimes the simple things can save the most money. posted at My Two Dollars.
Comment: I really enjoyed this piece about a simplified life. It's a keeper!

Money Walks presents 50 Smart Money Tips That You Never Want to Avoid posted at Money Walks.
FD comment: Great roundup of frugal living! I'm clipping this one.

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Car, Gas & Home Energy Tips

Joe Caterisano presents 13 ways to save on gasoline posted at penny pinching.
comment: Short,informative list with gas-saving tips!

The Frugal Law Student presents Share a Ride, Share a Smile posted at The Frugal Law Student.
Comment: Thoughtful piece about ditching the expense of an extra car! I'm a big fan of public transportation, so I loved this one. It comes with thoughts and numbers.

FMF presents Simple Tip to Save on Heating Costs posted at Free Money Finance.
Comment: Sweet, short piece on the energy value of space heaters and ac room units.


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The Food Aisle

Nina presents Save Money by Cutting Down on Food Waste posted at Queercents.
Comment: Loved, loved this piece about wasted food. Lots to chew on!

Mom in Israel presents The wonders of cholent posted at A Mother in Israel.
Comment: This is a yummy story about one of my favorite food dishes. My family eats cholent almost every Sabbath! (Saturday) B"H!!

Binary Dollar presents 7 Ways To Eat Cheap In The City posted at Binary Dollar.
Comment: Super wonderful tips about saving money while dining out. I highly recommend this list for travelers or for those with out-of-town guests.

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Holiday Gift Guides & Season Savings Plans

Jeremy Waller presents 6 Tips For Frugal Gift Giving posted at WallerBlog.com - Simple Financial Advice.
comment: super list; quick list with helpful gifting and re-gifting tips.

Golbguru presents Don?t Like Your Gift Cards? Trade Them Or Sell Them For Cash posted at Money, Matter, and More Musings.
Comment: Oooh! I like this one also and would like to interview the author for a print column!


Dean presents Mr. Cheap Stuff posted at Mr. Cheap Stuff.
Comment: There's a lot of frugal wisdom in this piece about paying for holiday presents with a cheap strategy. This post gives lots of dignity to the word "Cheap!"

Ryan C. Fleming presents Money In The Bank posted at Bryan C. Fleming.
FD comment: Solid how-to and why-for about Christmas Club savings accounts.


Penny Nickel presents Frugal gift-giving: holiday cookies with a personal twist! posted at Money and Values
Comment: An outside the box guide to creating and gifting unusual cookies. Take a bite out of this post.

Frugal Babe presents
More Christmas non-shopping
Comment: Great tips about making and finding frugal holiday card options.


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Shopping Bag Tips & Retail Therapies

Silicon Valley Blogger presents A Fantasy Shopping Experiment posted at The Digerati Life.
Comment: I enjoyed this fantasy shopping trip. It's a real exercise in mind over matter. Check it out.


Stephanie presents My shopping trip posted at Stop the Ride.
Comment: I loved this piece about shopping and sell stuff at re-sale shops.


Scott On Money presents Internet Shopping Bargain Challenge posted at Scott On Money.
Comment: Shopping with Scott is fun on the Internet. Plus, he makes a good argument about comparison shopping.


Ben presents Shopping Your Way Out of Debt posted at Money Smart Life.
Comment: This blogger offers a challenge and a game. Super strategy for having your cake and saving it too.

Trent presents Hot Tips On Thrifty Shopping From... The New Yorker?! posted at The Simple Dollar.
Comment: You have to love a blogger who pulls frugal tips out of the New Yorker. I'm going to hang out here.


Yan presents Amazon shopping tips and hacks posted at ProBargainHunter.com.
Comment: Wow! This is an excellent on-line shopping guide. It's one of the best I've seen with real insider tips.




Lazy Man and Money presents Ebay on the Razor?s Edge posted at Lazy Man and Money.
Comment: A concete example of how one frugal man shopped on eBay and saved.



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Family Issues

Jane Chin PhD presents What Causes Elderly Parents to Get into Debt? posted at Parents in Debt.
Comment: Insightful tips about older parents & money. Excellent!


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Green Living


Clink presents $.05: What do rodents and shredders have in common... posted at Coins On The Pavement.
Comment: Very funny piece about re-using material. Recycle!

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Medicine & Insurance

Dr Kavokin presents Insurance Expert Discusses Health Care Crisis. Sort of. posted at RDoctor Medical Portal.
Comment: An insiders view about soaring health care costs with some practical suggestions.


Wenchypoo presents “All I Know I Learned Way Back in Medical School” Part Four: The Financial Ties That Bind posted at Wisdom from Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket.
Comment: An inside look at the money side of drug companies and doctors. Ouch! Those conflicts of interest could hurt us all.


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Money Management

Sagar Satapathy presents 101 Financial Tips you Never Learned in High School (but should have) posted at Bankruptcy Reader.
Comment: I wish I read this one in High School. I wish I wrote this also! Great Read.

Joe Caterisano presents How To Budget Your Money posted at penny pinching.
Comment: Helpful list of frugal strategies

Barbra Sundquist presents Outsmart Credit Card Companies at Their Own Game posted at HomeBusinessWiz.
Comment: Great credit card strategies for business owners and consumers.

andy presents Smart ways to save money in a divorce posted at exchange-ingredients.
Comment: Very insightful piece with a link about money & love.


And Finally...

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Ode To Prosperity posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog.
Comment: Clever poem!

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Can We Not Swap Gifts?

Is it possible to halt the holiday gift cycle with friends? and still be polite? and still keep your friends? Try these words: "The greatest gift we can give each other is the gift or our friendship. So let's just go out for coffee instead." That's a gift detour suggested by Mark Victor Hansen,(a Chicken Soup for the Soul co-author) in a recent issue of Woman's World.

Too often, we get caught in a cycle of giving-way-more than we can afford, Hansen said. It's tit-for-tat, presents-by-rote. Keep more of your money and keep your friends out of long merchandise-return lines. Consider thoughtful and frugal presents of time, an afternoon over hot lattes or other creative gifts.


My other favorite frugal gift ideas:

1) Make a scrapook for someone.
2) Fill a beautiful vase (from a thrift store) with pretty flowers.
3) Create a fun basket filled with favorite treats from dollar stores, clearance aisles of Marshall's/Ross/Target, gourmet stores or thrift stores (for unusual one-of-a-kind items.
4) Cook a special lunch.

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How to Recycle Gifts

Regifting! Many of us do it. Few of us own up to it. The problem is the word itself. To my ears, "regifting" sounds underhanded or dubious.

And there's nothing wrong with recycling gifts. If don't like knitting kits, but my neighbor Joannie is a big knitter, what's wrong with re-packaging the knitting kit from Aunt Ida and giving it to Joannie? Passing along the right gifts to the right owners is good karma and very frugal. Why should a perfectly good present turn to dust in my closet simply because it's found the wrong owner?

Recycled gifts are great for holidays, children's birthday parties and other events.

I have four rules for recycling gifts.

1. Be mindful. It's the thought that counts. Really. Mindless recycling is a waste of energy, time and materials. Take the time to really match the right gift to the right person.

2. Make sure the present is in good shape. If it's all dinged up and the package has become very un-gently worn, then I'll just give it to a thrift store.

3. Rewrap. Refreshen. Make the decorations your own before passing it on.

4. Keep Track! Don't give the gift back to the original giver.

Meanwhile, this MSN piece by MP Dunleavey features 12 great tips for "re-gifting" or whatever you want to call it.
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