Use Frequent Miles to Shop

Cash in your frequent flyer miles for gift certificates, electronics and subscriptions to dozens of magazines. You can trade your mileage/point rewards for certificates and merchandise through the website www.MilePoint.com, which operates a frequent flyer exchange program with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other major carriers.

Brandname Program Members


Participating companies include JCPenney, Starbucks, eBay and Intercontinental
Hotels Group. By registering at MilePoint.com (with a secure passport), you grant permission to the exchange company to track your rewards balance at participating companies and calculate the exchange rate between airline frequent flyer programs and other frequent shopper/traveler programs. To see options at www.MilePoint.com, click on "Exchange Points," then on "tell me more." Deeper in the website is a complete list of participating companies.

New Reality Show about Money

Hey check this out!

Personal Finance Reality TV Show Seeks America's "Broke Folk" Stories

NEW YORK, NY - "Broke folk," a new reality TV show from Hearst Entertainment (Modern Marvels) and Atchity Entertainment International (Joe Somebody, Life Or Something Like It) and featuring financial author and speaker Peter Bielagus (Getting Loaded Book Series, Mastering Your Personal Finances) is looking for people in their 30's who cannot make ends meet, no matter how hard they try.

The show is now conducting a nationwide search for unusual, extreme, and entertaining stories about real money messes from funny, outgoing and interesting people who are in over their heads in their financial life. And, the biggest turn around story may end up winning the cash resources to start saving Bielagus says interested distributors have wanted to hear more stories from contestants in their 30's.

Offering a financial makeover to contestants with stories unusual or dramatic enough to capture America's hearts, the show is now accepting email stories nationwide from people. In addition to appearing on the show, winners can receive financial coaching to help them solve their money problems.

"We want to hear the emotions and frustrations behind your situation," Bielagus said. "Maybe you are 34, earning $57,000 a year but have $23,000 of credit card debt. How did you get there?"

Bielagus says the show wants personal financial tales from people who range from a married couple ready to buy their first home, to a soldier just home from the war who had to put on life hold for 24 months, to someone who had to declare personal bankruptcy and is now struggling to get back on their feet.

"Maybe you and your spouse are ready to have kids, but are out of money. Perhaps you are so far in debt that you use credit cards to pay your credit card debts," said Bielagus. "We want to hear it - and we want to help."

Applicants are encouraged to send an email describing your situation and why you think you would be a good candidate for the show. "Remember," says Bielagus, "we want more than numbers, we want to hear your story: what are the emotions, frustrations and pressure that got you where you are?"

Stories can emailed to stories@brokefolk.com

For more information, please visit: www.brokefolk.com
###

Free Internet Cafes for Travelers

Don’t be a snob when traveling. Intenet cafes may have great coffee, but public libraries have a wide assortment of computer terminals, programs and Internet service—all free of charge. Indeed, I’ve spent hours at the public library in Kissimee, while vacationing with my family in Orlando.

THE MOUSE IN ORLANDO

At that library, my kids enjoyed a literary break from the overwhelming amusement park scene and I was able to log on to the Internet free of charge. It was a win-win for everyone and my boys enjoyed using the computer terminals in the extensive children’s section.

And by the way, the cafe shop in the Miami Beach branch of the library, also has great coffee: lattes, espressos & more. It's cheap and the Internet Service is free!

Plus the cafe has indoor and outdoor seating, including a garden with a fountain! The scenery even rivals some of the trendy South Beach Hotels. Check it out when you are traveling to Miami Beach!!!

New & Cheap Books!

Discount books -- new and gently used -- are stocked in unusual places.

Last week at my neighborhood library, I stumbled upon a book sale, where new and slightly worn books started at 50 cents, far less than my family usually pays for library late fees. In recent weeks, my husband and I have discovered great book sales at a tropical garden, a hospital and standard bookstores.

STEEP DISCOUNTS

The publishing world is filled with overstocked books and complimentary review copies. These texts are donated to libraries or sold at steep discounts as fundraisers for community groups and charities. For consumers, overstocked book sales translate into big savings.

My visit to a neighborhood branch yielded quite a find. Under the title ''Friends of the Library,'' I found a rack of sale books with a diverse selection of popular fiction, romance, nonfiction bestsellers and classic texts in new or almost new condition. Hardbacks were $2 each; paperbacks, between 50 cents and $1.

BESTSELLERS FOR LESS!!

For $3.50, my purchases included the bestseller Reading Lolita in Tehran for $1 (list price: $13.95) and Summer Sisters by Judy Blume for 50 cents (list price: $7.50) and The Chin Kiss King by Miami Herald columnist Ana Veciana-Suarez for $1 (list price $12.95).

Inside of one of the books, I found a bookmark from Books & Books, a South Florida independent book chain owned by Mitchell Kaplan. Vivienne Evans, manager of the Books & Books store on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, says that she frequently receives inquiries from customers seeking homes for their books or overstocks. She encourages them to donate portions of their personal library to public libraries, which often sell donated books as a fundraiser.

NEW BOOKS FOR NON-PROFITS

For its part, Books & Books receives ''tons'' of complimentary review copies of books from major publishers and distributes those texts to staff members, school libraries and community groups. For example, the store donates books to a low-priced book sale rack run by a group of women at Mount Sinai Hospital, where books are sold for under $1.

''I'm always looking for outlets,'' Evans said. ``I try to do as much as possible, with Mitchell's blessings.''

Likewise, at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, my husband recently found a great book sale, where he purchased new hardback books for $2 a copy. And this summer at college campuses in Utah and New York, I found terrific book sales in the university book stores.

CHAIN STORE SALE RACKS

And don't overlook the discount racks at various stores. We recently shopped at a red-ticket sale at Barnes & Noble, where new books sold for $2 each. For example, the Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo by Paul Huntley was originally priced at $21, marked down to $4.98, and finally priced at $1.99 in a post-holiday sale last week. Borders and Books & Books also have great deals on their sale rack.

''We have regular customers who walk straight to the sale rack,'' Evans said.

OVERSTOCKED BOOKS

That sale rack is typically stocked with an oversupply of once-hot sellers or hard copies of books that will soon be coming out in paperback. In that sales aisle, I have purchased new books as low as $1 and hard copies that would sell for $24.95 may be marked down to $6.99.

Ask for Store Discounts!

Don't be shy about asking for lower prices when shopping for every day items and gadgets. Consider this: when shopping for cars, most consumers have a back-and-forth with the dealer over price.

Now apply that same logic to shopping sprees in major chains and smaller stores.


DISCOUNT FOR DVD PLAYER

For example, today my husband purchased a portable DVD for one of our sons. (My son used a $50 gift card and other cash gifts to finance the purchase.) Unfortunately, his cash pool was short of the $149 sticker for the battery-operated, 7-inch DVD player.

Not to worry. Via cell phone, I told my husband to ask the store manager about future promotions for DVD players. We would just wait for the lower price.

"Hey, if the only thing holding you back is price, I can go lower," the store manager said.

He offered $119 and my husband accepted!

By the way, the manager explained that peers at his store and many others have authority to cut deals with inquiring consumers!

It pays to ask.

Lower Grocery Bills

With a little effort you can reduce your annual grocery bills by thousands of dollars. An organized system, a little research and repackaging can bring you more for your money, consumer experts say.

Strategies include knowing pricing trends at local supermarkets, careful use of coupons, bulk purchases and delayed gratification. You can even call food manufacturers for pricing insights. One pasta maker, for example, told a friend of mine which local retailers sold the company's pasta products at the lowest prices.

ZONED PRICES

Even within the same supermarket chain, prices for individual products often vary greatly. My mother, who lives in Brevard County, has spotted a range of prices for the same item at different Publix locations. Friends and readers in North Miami Beach have also noted sharp price differences between two branches of the same chain.

That's because many chains zone prices according to zip codes based on the cost of real estate, labor and other operations at each store. You can find the lowest prices by either shopping around or checking the company's website, where weekly specials are available for different stores based on zip code or neighborhood.

CREATE YOUR OWN SNACK PACKS

But if you don't have time to shop for deals, there are other cost-cutting strategies. A family of four can save $2,000 to $3,000 a year by skipping individually packaged food items in favor of jumbo-sized boxes and by using reusable items, according to Earth 911, a nonprofit group based in Arizona. Earth 911 says paper towels and napkins cost more than $260 a year for a family of four. Other budget busters include disposable cups, razors and many one-time use products.

Raisins are a perfect example of potential savings, says Meryl Klein, the Gainesville based director of outreach for Earth 911 (www.earth911.org). Shoppers can save ''tremendously'' by purchasing large containers of raisins and then making individual servings. Many re-usable/re-sealable containers are perfect for lunchboxes or day-trips.

SHORTCUTS

Individual servings of cereal, juice, bottled water and dried fruit are expensive. Prepackaged individual servings of snacks and lunchbox goodies cost up to 300 percent more per ounce than larger packages of the same item, according to the editors of Shameless Shortcuts: 1,027 Tips and Techniques that Help You Save Time, Save Money, and Save Work (Rodale, $16.95). Of course, prepackaged items do speed up lunch chores. But with planning, you can ''single serving yourself,'' and also save time and money, according to Shameless Shortcuts.

Here's the drill: As soon as you get home from the grocery store, divide large packages of raisins, chips and other snacks into individual-size portions in airtight containers. This organizational step provides the convenience and cost-savings of bulk purchases. A friend of mine has used this method with great success with her children in a snack assembly line.


But all bets are off during family vacations, admits Earth 911's Klein. When faced with the daunting combination of children, hotels and travel arrangements, Klein finds that nothing beats the convenience of individually packaged servings for her children.

''But for the majority of your life, [bulk purchases] work out really well,'' she said.

Cheap Seats for Sports

My boys and I are avid sports fans, especially of the Miami Heat. We've found a frugal way to see sporting events. Our cheap seat strategies are also applicable to other cities.

A frugal way to see The Heat play is to buy a $10 ticket. That price buys a ''standing-only'' ticket at the top of the AmericanAirlines Arena. Dwyane Wade's dunks and Alonzo Mourning's awesome blocks look especially spectacular from the upper reaches. And the stadium offers large screens for close-up replays of hot scoring runs.

For our latest outing, which included a few school friends, we purchased a block of nine $10 tickets to a Dec. 27 game between The Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks several hours before tipoff. That advanced planning saved the day because by game time, all of the affordable seats were gone and the remaining seats started at $260 apiece.

Ticket Exchange

Miami Heat also operates a ''ticketExchange'' in which season ticket holders sell their individual season tickets -- cheaper than comparable nonseason ticket prices -- for no more than $1 over the face value of the season ticket. The resale program, run through Ticketmaster, is subject to Ticketmaster fees. For more information, go to www.heat.com.

Even Cheaper Seats

There are other affordable options. Sports bars, lounges and do-it-yourself game parties offer a frugal way to enjoy the game with the full benefit of public camaraderie. When the Heat played the Lakers, my oldest son and I watched that heated Shaq-versus-Kobe competition at a sports lounge/pool hall on Lincoln Road, which offered indoor and outdoor screens and lots of atmosphere. And there's always the radio, a valid option in my cable-free home.

Free Radio

Quite frankly, listening to The Miami Heat games on the radio is one of the greatest pleasures that I share with my children. It's free and the listening process enhances attention skills and sparks the imagination. What's more, if they want pictures, my boys can scan the headlines and the captions in the newspaper the next day, which provides a hidden exercise in reading.

OTHER FREEBIES

But if you're really desperate for tickets, a local radio station -- broadcasting live from the front of the arena -- typically offers free tickets to fans who show up before the game in the craziest Miami Heat gear, accessories or team colors. On the night of the Heat versus Bucks game, a quartet of dancing girls in abbreviated Miami Heat outfits with pompons earned tickets for their imitation of Miami Heat cheerleaders.

The Florida lottery has its own contest for free tickets. Fans -- 18 and older -- who show up at the arena with five nonwinning Florida lottery tickets and crazy Miami Heat-themed outfits can win free tickets to a game subject to availability.

Checking into Hotel Furniture Sales

Hotel furniture and fixture sales are an affordable way to decorate a home or an office with sofas, tables and other items. From chunky '50s-style couches to funky lamps, hotel redecorating sales offer a range of unusual merchandise at a great price.

Due to frequent remodeling programs, new ownership or teardowns, many hotels offer special clearance sales. In my household we purchased dressers, lights and television sets for less than $25 each at a hotel on South Beach several years ago.

MIAMI BEACH SALES


In December the Seville Beach Hotel at 2901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, sold the contents from its rooms. Items included double beds for $40 each, dressers for $15 and black-out drapes for $10. Lamps, pictures and armchairs were $5 each. Handled by International Content Liquidations Inc., the sale also included Art Deco ''lipstick chairs,'' color TVs, a piano, office furniture and assorted fixtures.

Shoppers at the recent sale included Karen Fryd, founder of the South Florida Youth Foundation. Fryd purchased furniture and fixtures for several nonprofit organizations.

''I thought the prices were phenomenal,'' Fryd wrote in a recent e-mail. ''We did great for a couple hundred bucks!''

With assistance from teachers and volunteers, she bought a stainless steel service table and a banquet table.

Hotel content sales are usually advertised in newspapers. I have also seen fliers and posters touting sales. Hotel liquidation companies often post schedules of upcoming sales on their websites.

TRENDY PIECES AND REALITY TV

With a mixture of functional and fashionable furniture, hotel sales have become trendy. The concept is even featured in magazines. In a recent article about affordable home design, the editors of Woman's World featured hotelsurplus.com, a California-based company that purchases and re-sells hotel furnishings.

''The tremendous competition in the hotel market generates a constant pressure on hotels to upgrade the furnishings in their properties to reflect the most current decorating trends,'' according to a company statement. ``Therefore, a large number of hotels often liquidate relatively recent furniture on a cyclical basis.''

The company's website and California warehouse is stocked with all kinds of ''no-longer-needed, gently used'' pieces from top-rated hotels, according to the magazine. Recent deals include Barnabey's Olde Style Armoires for $150 each, glass and pewter tables for $20 and large overstuffed chairs for $50.

The company's merchandise has been featured on several television shows including HGTV's Design On A Dime. You can find what's for sale at http://www.hotelsurplus.com.

Carnival: Taming the Debt Tiger

The Carnival of Debt Reduction continues with a submission from Free
Money Finance about taming the debt tiger.



Summary: Strategies for getting your debt under control.
The article: Eight Ways to Consolidate
Enjoy!




Quote of the Day: "Debt, n. An ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slavedriver."

--Ambrose Bierce, An American Journalist (1842 - 1914)

Carnival Day 2: Love & Debt

Hi. Happy 2006. Welcome to the Carnival of Debt Reduction as hosted by the Frugal Duchess all this week!!! It's a great way to start the standard calendar/solar New Year!

Debt and Obsession are the centers of action in the Carnival today. In that playful spirit, the spotlight is on Amy Borkowsky, author of Statements: True Tales of Life, Love and Credit Card Bills. Based on her book, Amy Borkowsky wrote a cute piece about love & debt in a recent issue of For Me magazine. And even if you are not a woman with a turbulent love life, the lessons are universal.

But first a message from the Carnival Ticket Booth:

a) Thanks to the MightyBargainhunter.com, for providing this Carnival opportunity.

b) I will be adding entries through the end of the day, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2006. So, if you have any ideas or rants about reducing debt, drop me a note (sharonhr@bellsouth.net) or file a comment on this blog. I will continue to update the Carnival until 11:59 (EST) Jan. 7.

c) Thanks to those who have submitted ideas, examples and technical advice! Thanks to everyone for stopping by the carnival. Thanks to everyone who has mentioned the Carnival on their blog or website this week.

d) Next week's Carnival of Debt will be hosted by Personal Finance Advice

e) Please visit day #1 of the Carnival, which started on Jan. 2.

LOVE & DEBT

The article: What My Credit Card Bills Taught Me about My Love Life featured in a fall issue of For Me magazine. (Katie Holmes--without Tom Cruise--is on the cover.)

The author: Amy Borkowsky: Statements: True Tales of Life, Love and Credit Card Bills

The Carnival Summary:

The bottom line is that by really studying her credit card bill and purchases, Amy Borkowsky recognized that something was really, really wrong with her love life.

Basically, she figures out that she's spending way too much money to impress the wrong guys.

In her pursuit of love, she spent a fortune running away from herself & reality.
It's an emotional money pit that I have fallen into myself...you know: the expensive rut of spending, denial and self-deception.

Here are the CHARGES that sparked Borkowsky's Aha! moment:

1) Expensive twice-weekly hair straightening sessions called "blowouts" with deep conditioners and other costly hair products because her beau "Rick, the real estate broker," loved her allegedly smooth and shiny hair. HOWEVER, Rick, the broker was "blissfully naive to fact that I had to pay good money to spin silk out of Brillo" OUCH! (personal aside: Curly hair rocks! )

2. $1,400 for dental work after a disastrous dinner date. Don't ask!

3. $4.28 spent a couple times a month at Starbucks to review date notes with a good friend.

4. $51.50 spent at a bar to review an especially awful date with a close friend.

5. $14.73 spent buying toys for the children of a married friend. The toys were a bribe to distract the kids, while the author reviewed her awful love life with a married-with-kids chum.

6. $17.50 for order-out omelets for a beau who wanted a home-cooked brunch. Borkowsky order the food to go, but hid the bills and passed it off as her own home cooking.

7. $42.97 at Amazon.com for self-help books about women and love.

"Thankfully," the author wrote. "My cost of loving has dropped noticeably since I started dating someone who, at least for now, accepts me the way I am."

As such Borkwosky no longer spends at least $70 a week (about $300 a month), before tax, tips and additional grooming products to blow out her curly hair. She stills orders omelets at restaurants but has let go of the home-cooked pretense.

Personally, I recommend a cookbook. There are great cookbooks FOR FREE on loan at the library!

Carnival of Debt Reduction: DAY ONE

Hi. Happy 2006. Welcome to the Carnival of Debt Reduction as hosted by the Frugal Duchess all this week!!! It's a great way to start the standard calendar/solar New Year!

With thanks to the MightyBargainhunter.com, I present the Carnival of Debt Reduction. Debt is an important subject and slicing down debt tops the 2006 agenda for many of us.

For the Carnival of Debt Reduction, I have some great submissions and I will be adding entries through the end of the day, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2006. So, if you have any ideas about reducing debt, drop me a note (sharonhr@bellsouth.net) or file a comment on this blog. I will continue to update the Carnival until 11:59 (EST) Jan. 7.

Thanks to those who have submitted ideas, examples and technical advice! Thanks to everyone for stopping by the carnival.

By the way, next week's Carnival of Debt will be hosted by Personal Finance Advice

And speaking of Personal Finance Advice, the developer of that site offers the following insights about debt reduction.

Debt and Motivation

Here is a quick summary of the article:

"One of the essential ingredients of debt reduction is finding a
motivating factor to tackle your debt."

Full article

"I received an email that asked what it takes to get out of debt. I
don't think there is an easy cookie cutter answer to this. Yes, it
means spending less than you're making and making payments toward the
debt. That's the simple answer, but what I've found is that for the
majority of those who pull themselves out of debt, they have embraced
a compelling reason to get out of debt.

There is more to overcoming debt than merely wanting it to go away and
knowing how to accomplish this. Before any debt reduction plan can
work, you will have to be committed to get out of debt. That is, you
have to find a reason that is more powerful than not doing anything at
all. Not doing anything at all may seem like a silly response, but
it's what most people do. While not doing anything may seem to be the
worst choice, the real life problem is that people have the imagine
that tackling debt takes a lot of time, effort and pain to accomplish.
The pain associated with being in debt has to conquer the pain they
imagine it will take to get out of debt.

Many of the people that contact me seem to be looking for a quick and
easy fix. They keep searching for a quick fix and don't do anything
while searching for it. While I don't believe getting out of debt has
to be as painful as many imagine, it does take dedication and a change
in current lifestyle.

How difficult this change will be depends heavily on how committed the
person is to getting out of debt. If they have truly made a
commitment, they'll find that saving more of the money they make is
actually quite simple (although it may take come practice). On the
other hand, if a person isn't fully committed to erase all their debt,
or they're simply searching for an easy way out with no effort
expended, they'll likely find the necessary steps to get out of debt
much more difficult, if not impossible.

What I think it comes down to for the vast majority of people is that
in order to be committed to reduce their debt, they have to find that
compelling reason that allows them to face the imagined pain the debt
reduction will cause. There has to be something that has finally made
them realize that the current state of affairs can't continue. It can
be as simple as realizing that their current budget isn't working or
as urgent as having creditors knocking at their door or telephoning
them at all hours of the day and night. The ultimate reason isn't near
as important as that whatever that reason is will compel the person to
tackle the debt. Once a person has a reason, they can use it to
motivate and to do what it takes to reduce the debt in a systematic
manner."

--
The Blog: http://www.pfadvice.com
The Website: http://www.savingadvice.com

CUTTING PMI COSTS FROM THE EARLY RISER


Title: Do you need to refinance to eliminate PMI?

Summary: The Early Riser give some advise on how to avoid and eliminate the useless expense of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI).


Overview: Debt Reduction Blogs from the Mighty Bargain Hunter

Summary: "This is a brief discussion of four types of debt reduction blogs I've run across."


mbhunter from MightyBargainHunter.com )
Post title: About debt reduction blogs

Sales Perks & Friendly Smiles

It pays to be friendly to the sales staff at your favorite stores. Managers, clerks and personal shoppers often know when new shipments are due and -- most importantly -- when sales will be on the calendar.

That's the word from Shameless Shortcuts: 1,027 Tips and Techniques that Help You Save Time, Save Money and Save Work Every Day!, by Fern Marshall Bradley and the editors of Yankee Magazine ($16.95/Rodale).

Believe it or not, many store employees are happy to share their information if you just ask them. For example, the manager of one of my favorite stores (Marshall's) told me she marks down merchandise every Thursday, and a cashier at a national shoe chain (Payless) advised me to delay my purchase a week to take advantage of an upcoming sale.

Cheap Movie Tickets

It's free to borrow movies from the public library, including recent hits and kiddie favorites. But if you simply must see Blockbuster first-run movies (aka budget busters), here's a frugal option:

Although first-run movie chains charge as much as $10 a head for tickets, various AAA Auto Club offices sell discount movie tickets to auto club members for far less than standard fares. For example, in South Florida, our local AAA Auto Club charges $5.67 each AMC Theatre movie tickets and $6.05 for Regal Cinema. And there is no minimum purchase.

Meanwhile, Regal Cinema sells group tickets for $6 (restricted for the first weeks of new releases) and $7 a ticket; AMC sells discount tickets for $5.50 (restricted) and $7.00. Both companies require a minimum purchase of 50 tickets. You can split the cost with others; or use extra tickets as gifts.

Frugal & Generous

Clearly, we are a nation of shoppers. The Nation Retail Federation estimates that consumers will spend over $200 billion this holiday season. As gifted shoppers, we can donate our talents and the fruits of our labors to good causes.

Holiday deals and frugal shopping are gift-wrapped opportunities to give to the less fortunate. And even if your holiday budget is tight, there are painless ways to contribute to seasonal charities.

By tapping into sales and assorted promotions, it's possible to satisfy the demands of your gift list, while still giving a bundle to homeless and impoverished families.

Charitable giving is especially important this year. In the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane season, many organizations are working overtime to provide support for hard-hit families. Therefore, donations of merchandise, time and services are appreciated at nursing homes, shelters and other non-profit institutions.

BUY-ONE-GIVE-ONE-AWAY

But you don't have to spend a lot to give a fortune during the holiday
season. For instance, buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free offers provide a frugal
outlet for charitable giving. From shoes to office equipment, holiday
catalogues and shopping flyers bulge with two-for-one deals or other
discounts for multiple purchases.

Toys "R" Us., Walgreens, Office Depot and others retailers have been marketing assorted BOGO offers, which include either free or half-off deals on merchandise. Likewise, educational wooden puzzles are three-for-$10 this week at Target.

Other retailers are offering specials on board games, electronic toys and other gadgets. Tapping into those discounts provides an affordable way to share new merchandise with others. Buy one for your gift list and donate the free or discounted items to a toy drive, a charitable thrift store or a homeless shelter.


The idea is not my own. I was inspired by my friend, Beth, a frugal shopper who picked up great deals after Halloween and donated a significant portion of her merchandise-including tissue boxes priced at 19 cents each-- to a local food bank.

CHILDREN & HOLIDAYS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


I know of other families who incorporate community service into their holiday traditions. Family or group projects include distributing baked goods at a nursing home, visiting hospital patients or serving holiday meals at a soup kitchen. Such activities not only spread good will, but provide parents with a hands-on opportunity to share the values of compassion and community service with children.

I have also heard of families and individuals who operate with a one-in; one-out system that works like this: For every new item (toy, game, or garment) received, a comparable item from the closet is donated to a thrift store or given away. On an organizational basis, this system reduces the glut of toys and trinkets after birthdays and holidays. But more, importantly, recycled merchandise -in good condition-is valuable to others.

Elegant & Thrifty Gift Ideas

Some clichés are accurate. It’s really the thought that counts and homemade gifts are especially appreciated during the holiday season.

For children, the December-January issue of Family Fun magazine offers a variety of gift crafts for the holidays. These items include a jewelry tree made from a small branch, polymer clay, paint and glue. Other child-friendly crafts include furry eyeglass cases and hand-colored candles, fashioned from standard white candles, watercolors and acrylic paints.

Directions for various craft projects are available at the magazine’s website (www.familyfun.com), where the home page offers an “Easy-to-Make Gifts” option.

Meanwhile, through networking with my other frugal friends in Cyberspace, I have also collected more creative holiday tips. For example, Angela, aka, “The Creative Homemaker,” told me that she is knitting scarves and making glass bead necklaces as gifts. Her other holiday bundles include homemade appliqué tote bags, (filled with cookies) for neighbors and friends. And for the grandparents, she’s making small scrapbooks filled with pictures of her children.


“A really cool thing to do is to take a close up photo and put it into the computer,” Angela told me via email. “Then use a photo editing program that has the charcoal sketch option. Print the photo out on sketching paper and trace the lines with charcoal pencils. A simple black metal frame goes great with it and usually only costs $5.”


Beyond photo albums and hand-crafted scrapbooks, the menu of affordable, but thoughtful holiday gifts is extensive. A free gift-giving brochure called “Simplify the Holidays” is posted on New American Dream’s website www.newdream.org and a hard copy is available for $4 if you call 877-68-DREAM.


But if you don’t get around to downloading the brochure or calling, here are a few ideas from the brochure:



· Create a calendar featuring family photographs and children’s artwork.

· Collect a selection of favorite recipes from extended family members and compose a cookbook of family favorites.

· Host a themed-party: board games, skating or other activities.

· Offer homemade certificates for monthly lunch dates, craft lessons or babysitting services.


For those with less time to craft handmade gifts, JLP, the editor of “All things Financial” http://allthingsfinancialblog.com, recommends that consumers take advantage of special holiday gift rates offered by many magazines or buy a single share of a company’s stock and present the share and the stock certificate as a gift.

Review: Money Magazine Dec. Issue

There's good stuff in the latest issue of Money Magazine (Dec. 2005)

Here are my Top Five Reasons for recommending this issue.


5. Frugal Duchess Parenting Award:

Two articles win top honors in this category.

Toddler Fraud by Michael Sivy (p. 32) provides great information about protecting your kids from identity fraud (the latest crime trend.)

Tip: Eliminate kiddie id theft by ordering credit reports in your child's name. This tactic allows you to spot signs of kiddie credit abuse and id theft.


The other winner in this category: Are Your Kids Normal About Money? by David Futrelle. (p.55) This piece features a cute and insightful quiz about kids and money. Here's a sample:

Q. What's the tooth fairy shelling out for teeth these days?
A. About $2 a tooth, according to a national survey.


4. Frugal Duchess Tax Award:

Beat the Tax Clock by Judy Feldman (p.57) is an excellent guide for meeting year-end tax deadlines.

Tip: Earn 2005 tax deductions for charitable giving by getting those donations postmarked by Dec. 31. It doesn't matter if the charity doesn't open your envelope until 2006; you can still earn that deduction for 2005 as long as you beat the year-end postmark deadline, according to the article.


3. The Frugal Duchess 2006 Financial Planning Award


How to Make Money in 2006 by George Mannes (p. 106) and Pat Regnier provides (p. 99) a comprehensive planning guide for 2006. The package of stories touches on real estate, stocks, careers, health and other key topics.

Tip: It's not the best time to flip in and out of real estate. Houses are staying on the market longer and there are signs that the once hot-hot-hot real estate market has chilled.

And don't ask for a big raise; but push for a healthy, incentive-based bonus.


2.The Frugal Duchess Found Money Award:

Treasures in the Attic by Paul Lukas (p. 126) is a gem. How can you not love an article that gives you the 411 on finding valuable stuff at yard sales and in your attic? One family, for example, purchased a $4 piece of pottery (a rare piece) and later sold it on eBay for $4,700.


1.The Frugal Duchess Plastic Money Award.

What Should be in Your Wallet by Carolyn Bigda and Amanda Gengler is an excellent rundown on credit card fees. (p. 133)

Tip: If you are great at paying your monthly balance in full, go for American Express Clear: no yearly fees and a grace period of one month.

Best for transferring balances: Discover Platinum: Zero interest for 12 months on existing balance and new charges; "relatively mild penalty fees."


Also of note: "How to Survive ER," "Making Peace with the Taste Police," and the annual gift guide. (Most of the stuff is richly priced, but the guide is a fun read.)

Cool, Thrifty Gift Baskets & Radio Chat

Frugal Duchess on the Radio


Hey! If you have time on Monday, join me at www.wlrn.org. Hit the "listen now" button on WLRN's website.

I'll be chatting live on the radio with Joseph Cooper, host of Topical Currents at 1 pm on December 5. It's an hour show: Eastern Standard Time.

My frugal buddy Melisa Neuman, another newspaper columnist, will also be on the show.

During the show, you can email questions or comments. We want to hear from you!!!

***

Budget-Friendly Holiday Baskets

At prices of $50 and higher, many gift baskets are budget
busters. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to assemble gift baskets filled
with skin care products, high-end chocolates or holiday trinkets.

From drug stores to craft stores, the marketplace is filled with empty
containers and baskets at low prices. For example, this week through
December 3, the entire basket collection is half off at some locations of Michael's, a chain of craft stores. And beyond baskets, there are other containers. Empty potters stuffed with garden gloves, seed packets and related items can be bundled together as a holiday package for a gardener, according to the December issue of For Me magazine.

Or consider: a mixing bowl packed with fresh baked cookies, recipes and assorted kitchen tools and a large clear cosmetic bag stuffed with body creams, elaborate soaps and other day spa treats.

Discount retail chains such as Marshall's, Ross Stores and others regularly fill their clearance aisles with expensive personal care products at steep discounts.Other specialty stores also feature rotating sales of chocolates, wines, cheeses and other gourmet treats that are perfect for holiday baskets. Just add the cellophane and the bow.

Radio Chat and Cheap Shipping

Frugal Duchess on the Radio


Hey! If you have time on Monday, join me at www.wlrn.org. Hit the "listen now" button on WLRN's website.

I'll be chatting live on the radio with Joseph Cooper, host of Topical Currents at 1 pm on December 5. It's an hour show: Eastern Standard Time.

My frugal buddy Melisa Neuman, another newspaper columnist, will also be on the show. Alone, I'm just a Frugal Duchess, but together with Melisa, we're the Frugal Queens.

We'll even get to the studio in a cool, white convertible late model sports car.
There's a frugal story behind the car, but don't ask me what model, because I don't drive. Melisa drives and I dream about driving

psst....check out www.drivingphobia.blogspot.com

During the show, you can email questions or comments. We want to hear from you!!!

***

Money-Saving Shipping Tip

When it comes to shipping out-of-town gifts, procrastination takes a toll in time and money. That’s the word from the United States Post Office. By tapping into www.usps.com, you can prepare, purchase and print shipping labels for outward bound packages, (local and international). What’s more, with a day’s notice, you can arrange for a free package pickup, with no limit on the number of packages. However, a last-minute rush can be costly: The otherwise free pick-up service jumps to $12.50 for same-day “Pick Up on Demand.”

And if you can’t be home for the actual pickup, the website enables you to leave instructions online for the carrier. The shipping rate for priority mail is $3.85 for envelopes and $7.70 for boxes. Size and destination don’t matter; the prices are the same. Allow two to three days for most U.S. cities.

Recycled Paper Towel Tubes

Have respect for the humble paper towel tube. That’s the word from a reader named Toby, who supplied me with a long and creative list of uses for paper towel tubes. From school projects to frugal travel assistance, those cardboard tubes are a pipeline of convenience, with money-saving potential


On vacations, cardboard tubes are invaluable, Toby said. For example, she stuffs dozens of plastic grocery bags (carefully folded) into the cardboard cylinders. Recycled from past grocery store shopping trips, stored plastic bags are useful for carting around wet bathing suits, dirty clothes and even barf bags during family vacations, Toby said.

“You have your portable mess kit,” Toby said.

Over 20 bags can be neatly stuffed into a single paper towel tube, which saves valuable space in tight-packed suitcases during family trips. During a recent far-flung, three-week vacation through Iceland, Greenland and Scotland, Toby traveled with nonperishable spices, coffee and other odds-and-ends that were stored in ziplock bags and then tucked into cardboard paper towel tubes.

“This way the [non-perishable items] didn’t crush and I was able to store so much,” Toby said, who saved money by preparing some of her own meals while staying in rented homes in Europe.


And on the domestic front, she also puts cardboard tubes to work. Children’s art projects, school certificates and other paper items are tightly rolled, then stored in the empty paper towel tubes. It’s the same concept commonly used by galleries to carry and mail posters.

“You write the child’s name and date on it with a Sharpie. That way it’s identified and I have all their art work saved,” Toby said.

Filled with artwork and school papers, the tubes are neatly tucked into boxes, cabinets and drawers, thereby saving space and creating an organized system. Likewise, Toby also saves empty egg cartons, plastic milk containers and other items that are in hot demand for school projects. And after her children are well-stocked, she typically donates left-over materials to various teachers.

Recycling of common household items is also a hot topic in the frugal cyberspace community. For example, Dawn at www.Frugalforlife.blogspot.com advocates these money-saving recycling tips:

*Create funnels from the top half of plastic bottles
*Use empty butter and whipped topping containers to store food.
*Clean windows with old newspapers (no lint or streak)

And Pat Veretto at www.frugalliving about.com has recently put together a fun list of “Silly Things People Do and Buy.” Her list includes:


*Consumers who toss away large, empty bags of dog food or empty grocery store bags, but then spend cash on boxes of new plastic garbage bags.

*Homeowners who throw away hoses with holes, but later purchase “soaker hoses,” which are essentially garden hoses with holes.

*People who buy “planters” for seeds instead off using the bottom half of two-liter soda bottles.

Meaningful Holiday Shopping Survey

Simplicity and Significance Top the Shopping List for the 2005 Holiday Season


Okay, as we all think about Black Friday Shopping and frugal choices, here's a survey that will give you a lot to chew on as you munch on Thanksgiving leftovers. Here is a shortened version of the actual release:


"With soaring gas prices and the rising cost of living, Americans are showing signs of financial anxiety about the coming holiday season. In fact, a surprisingly number of Americans say they are looking for gifts that encourage savings rather than spending.

A new poll from the Center for a New American Dream shows that more than three out of five Americans (62%) say they are planning to or considering giving family members gifts such as a savings bond or a piggy bank this year.

"American consumers are encouraged to spend. At the same time, they are being told to save money. This holiday season, a growing number are shopping for piggy banks and leaving their credit cards at home," says Betsy Taylor, President of the Center for a New American Dream, a non-profit group based in MD that helps Americans consume responsibly for a better world.

Concern about Materialism

Americans are concerned about finances but they're also worried about core values. More than 3 in 4 Americans wish that the December holidays were less materialistic and 87% believe the holidays should be more about family and caring for others rather than giving and receiving gifts.


"People are focusing on what really matters - financial security, relaxing time with family and friends, and reduced stress during the holiday season," says Taylor.

Only 28% of those polled said that it is necessary to spend a lot of money in order to have a fulfilling and enjoyable holiday and nearly four out of five Americans surveyed said that they would like to have a more simplified holiday season this year.

FREE: SIMPLIFY THE HOLIDAYS BROCHURE

The Center for a New American Dream has a variety of free resources for Americans who would like to have a simpler, debt-free holiday this year. The Cemter's website, www.newdream.org, has suggestions for saving money, giving innovative, low-cost gifts and connecting with friends and family.

Visitors to www.newdream.org have already downloaded over 58,000 free copies of the Center’s popular Simplify the Holidays brochure, (hard copies are available for $4 by calling 877-68-DREAM).

MONEY-SAVING GIFT SUGGESTIONS

Here are a few alternative ways to save money on gifts this year other than putting it a piggy bank:

· Give the gift of time – design a gift certificate that offers babysitting, a home-cooked meal, a tennis lesson or a monthly lunch date for someone you love.

· Create a calendar of family photographs and artwork for relatives.

· Collect favorite recipes from aunts, grandparents and cousins and assemble them as a book of family recipes.

· Focus on fun rather than gifts. Host a skating party, an evening of board games, or a theme party. Make the gathering a potluck so nobody shoulders too much work but everyone enjoys scrumptious food.

· Kids generally demand at least one store-bought gift but consider giving time, skills, or homemade gifts as well. How about an afternoon of football with Dad and some other guys? Maybe a box of dress up clothes for a young child, purchased for less than $10 from the local thrift store? Perhaps an afternoon knitting lesson from a favorite Aunt or the promise of repainting a bedroom - in fire engine red - or whatever!


Poll Highlights

More than 3 in 5 Americans (62%) say they are going to give family members gifts this holiday season that encourage them to save money, such as savings bond or even a piggyback for a child.

Nearly all Americans (91%) say the cost of living has increased compared to last year, and more than 2 in 3 Americans blame the price of oil or gas (68%).

By a nearly 4-to-1 margin, more Americans say they will buy fewer (37%), not more 10%), holiday gifts this season.

About half (48%) say they will buy the same amount as last year.

More than 3 in 4 Americans (78%) wish that holidays were less materialistic.

Nearly 9 in 10 Americans (87%) believe that holidays should be more about family and caring for others, not giving and receiving gifts.

Nearly 4 in 5 Americans (79%) DO NOT believe that it's necessary to spend a lot of money in order to have a fulfilling and enjoyable holiday.

Nearly 3 in 4 Americans (74%) believe that the giving and receiving of gifts is awarded too much importance duringthe Holiday season.

More than 3 in 4 Americans (76%) say that kids are too materialistic and the holiday season just makes things worse.

This documents provides key findings from a census-balanced and representative telephone study of500 American adults conducted by Widmeyer Research and Polling for the Center for a New American Dream during the first week of November, 2005.