Fatten Savings During The Holidays

When I was single, my bankbook was pretty happy about my savings. Now, with the family’s growing needs, I have simply forgotten the art of putting aside some money for savings. There were numerous attempts to add to my savings, but somehow the money went to little things I thought were too little to be noticed like my kid’s happy meal every Sunday and my hubby’s additional coffee serving in the mornings.

Today, before the year ends, I am making an early new year’s resolution. Top on the list is “save money”. How to save money is a broad topic, I know. This time I want to be very specific how I can save money and I should deposit the money straight to my bank at the end of the year. 2015 get ready!

Goal: Save as much money on all household expenses.

These are the things that I will diligently do:

1. Avoid 3in1 coffee. These coffee mixes are more expensive than making your own original cup.

2. Buy fruits early and store them properly. Buying fruits the day before Christmas and the day before the New Year will make you spend more because prices are likely to go up because of the demand.

3. Wrap gifts using recycled papers.

4. Turn on the Christmas lights only at night and turn them off before going to sleep.

5. Turn off the TV before going to bed. My hubby has a habit of sleeping with the TV on.

6. No eating out on weekends.

7. Cook food in small batches. I have a tendency to cook more than we can eat.

8. Spend an extra few minutes in the grocery and compare prices. I’m sure
I could get same quality goods at cheaper prices.

9. Prepare lunch for my hubby and beg him to eat it instead of him eating at the cafeteria. ( I hope the begging part will work :-)

10. Go through our old stuff and sell things that are not being used anymore.

These are only some of things I can think as of now. I will sure add to the list. But I will go back to this post again at the end of the month and I will share with you how it will go. How about you, what are your thoughts in saving? You can also share them here.

Happy saving!

Earn Money This Christmas

Its the time of the year again when people are busy for the yuletide season. You may be in a rush to buy gifts and plan for Christmas parties. But you know what? You can also do some business on the sides so you can have extra money for the holidays. Here are five business ideas you can try to do at the comforts of your home.

1. Gift Baskets - Use your gift wrapping skills and earn from it. Tell your family and friends that you can help them prepare gifts for their loved ones. Gift baskets are perfect gifts because the contents of the basket can be customized according to the recipient's personality. The price range of gift baskets are also flexible because it is easy to mix and match the contents.

2. Customized Greeting Cards - Are you a crafty person? Put your creative juices to use and make customized greeting cards this Christmas. Its so easy to design and make those pretty crafty cards. You can attend some local bazaars where you can display your cards. You can also go online to sell your products. Maximize free social media platforms to reach as many customers as you can. You can try https://www.etsy.com

3. Baked Goodies - If you are a kitchen genius, you can try baking various cakes and pastries perfect for the holiday season. Contact family and friends and tell them you can cater to them if they need extraordinary and yummy baked goodies this holiday season.

4. Freelance Graphic Design - This Christmas season, many small and medium business enterprises are busy updating their companies' overall look. Graphic designers are in demand to update websites,  design brochures and other point-of-purchase materials. There are many websites that host freelancing jobs. And for most of them, signing up for an account is free. You can try https://www.odesk.com

5. Online Retail - If you love selling but don't have a store space, you can set up an online store instead. Setting up an online store is less hassle compared to setting up a physical store. Online retail is very favorable for those who want a business with a bigger room for expansion. If you can manage your online store well, you can expect to operate it even past the holiday season. You can try http://www.ebay.com