Frugal

Halloween is great fun!  I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite holidays.

Here’s the one holiday where you are allowed to dress up and go around asking people for candy.  And they give it to you!

I remember how exciting it was going around town in my Halloween costume, getting candy from all of the neighbors.

Some years I would really score.

We’d go visit my grandparents in the Bronx (Co-Op City) and go up and down their apartment building visiting as many doors as I could (don’t worry, the grand’rents and the ‘rents made sure all the candy was good to eat).

And do you remember those old Halloween costumes?

You know the ones that came in a box and it was made up of a thin plastic mask with eye holes that hurt and the mask would be full of sweat before long (because it was a big piece of plastic covering your face) and it was held onto your head with an elastic string with a couple of staples that usually didn’t last the night and the body of the costume was a plastic sack-like piece you climbed into which also didn’t make it through the night?

Those were AWESOME!

I remember one year I was Chewbacca and another I was Yoda (I remember terrorizing my younger sister with those masks too.  I was such a stinker!).  I’m sure I was Superman and Batman as well.

I love being able to go through all that now through the eyes of my kids.

But have you seen the price of Halloween costumes these days?!?
[Read more…] about Read These 12 Tips and Save on Halloween Costumes for Your Kids

It’s quite possible, even though we are well into December, that you have not started your Holiday gift shopping.

You are probably wondering who should be getting a gift, what budgets you are expected to spend, and who should get what exactly.

What about the notion of not buying anything for anyone?

I’m sure the word ‘Scrooge’ comes to mind but bear with me here.

Christmas and the whole holiday season has become the season to consume, over-consumption is absolutely rampant and your nephews request for a new Wii controller may make you his worst aunt or uncle — but standing up to it all and bucking the system may well be the most refreshing move you ever make.

The symbols of celebratory holidays shouldn’t be $10 board game deals at Walmart or Target’s Christmas Eve sale.

The emphasis should be on the people we are supported and surrounded by and how much we appreciate each other.

Each year, and especially in this economic climate, families are guilt-tripped into loading up their credit cards and depleting savings to keep up with what the holiday season expects of them.
[Read more…] about What About a Gift-Less Christmas?