Posts Tagged ‘saving money’
Cheap options to exchanging gifts
December 14th, 2009
When my brother and I were kids—in the pre-Internet days—our mom used to hand us a catalog from some department store, turn to the toy section, and ask us to show her what we hoped Santa would bring. It’s a tradition we continue as adults. My brother, sister-in-law, and I create Internet wish lists
That’s the nice thing about gift-giving among family members. We can be honest about our likes and dislikes. I’m not embarrassed to e-mail my sister-in-law and say, “Do not get me any pink football jerseys.” Ewww. But we can’t be quite so blunt with friends—which is why regifting
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How to cut holiday spending
December 10th, 2009
In the classic 1906 O. Henry
Since each is without funds, Jim secretly decides to sell his watch to pay for the combs. And Della decides to cut and sell her hair to pay for the watch chain.
6 fun money-saving tips
November 5th, 2009
Several years ago I worked for a company that was downsizing and my job was unexpectedly eliminated. It wasn’t a big deal because the economy was good, work was plentiful, my financial responsibilities were few, and that job was just something to do until I found what I really wanted. So the first thing I did after being laid off was head for the mall to do some shopping and celebrate being temporarily freed from my alarm clock
These days I have a different perspective. I have many more financial responsibilities—and that means a lot more worries. As a freelancer, I’m vulnerable to the whims of a struggling economy. I’m trying to avoid spending money on anything nonessential. And that’s making me a little grumpy