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How to Avoid Holiday Dessert Overload and Save Money, Too

12/30/2015

 
Cranberry Apple Crisp
This holiday, we had a much smaller gathering than is typical for us, but I, of course, baked for the usual crowd. It's hard not to do that when you've done it for so many  years.

Besides, even with fewer guests, I still wanted to present a good variety of desserts to those at our table.

As a result, my husband and I were faced with the dilemma of what to do with quite a lot of extra fruit crisps, cakes, and pies. It’s pretty much just the two of us most of the time now, with only occasional stays and visits from our sons, so there is nobody else to eat them.

Throwing them out would make this frugal soul cringe. But I sure didn't want to eat them all myself either. I used to be able to shed any holiday weight gain easily, but that's no longer the case at all, so I try mightily to prevent adding any extra pounds at this or any time of the year.

It doesn't come easily to me to resist the delectable offerings all around me during the holidays, though.

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A Christmas Tree Hack That Makes Life Just a Bit Easier and Safer

12/23/2015

 
Picture
I don’t know about you, but my husband and I have always found the daily task of watering the Christmas tree just a bit tedious and frustrating. 

Half the time, there’s the problem of even accessing the stand to fill it because the branches block it. Then there's the issue of the scratches on our hands and arms from the sharp needles that we have to grab or push aside. 

If there are presents in place under the tree, getting close to the base becomes even more of a problem. 

And then when you finally manage to get the watering container near enough to the stand to pour it, you can’t see what you’re doing, and end up with water all over the floor or the presents.  

Now, in the grand scheme of life problems, this one surely ranks very near or at the bottom. But I also think it can become a safety issue of people avoid this chore because it's a pain to do. 

Well, we've discovered a way to make it as easy as can be. 

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Sticking To A Holiday Gift Budget

12/15/2015

 
Tree Piled High With Gifts
By now, many readers may have heard of the woman in the UK who bought her children more than 300 gifts and posted the picture above on Facebook.  

I don't know about her financial circumstances, but in general holiday shopping can be a huge budget buster, no doubt about it. There is even more enormous pressure than usual to spend, spend, spend, and meet inflated expectations.

This is particularly true if you have children or a romantic partner to whom you (understandably) want to show your love.

My own personal thoughts on this are that you don’t need to spend a lot to express affection.

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Is It Time to Rethink Some Family and Holiday  Traditions?

12/13/2015

 
Christmas Lights Ditto
Photo courtesy of http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Neighbors-Ditto-Display-Looks-Like-a-Bright-Idea-78523157.html
Don't you just love the sense of humor of this homeowner in the picture above?

And I also have to confess that the homeowner's "Ditto" is just about my kind of decorating these days.


How We Used to Decorate...
We used to do it up pretty big with outside lights and displays when my kids were young. And then it occurred to me that we could not even really see any of the decorations from inside the house to enjoy for ourselves.

​I began to question whether we were doing it to impress others in our neighborhood or for our own gratification. And as the years went on, it began to feel more and more like a chore and obligation rather than a fun holiday activity.

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An Example of a Small, Painless Way to Find Savings

12/1/2015

 
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It's undoubtedly true that nobody is ever going to get rich off savings of $5-$10 per month.

But it's also true that wherever such small savings are found, it's highly likely that more wasteful spending can be found as well.

And I'm not just talking about indulgences here. The truth is that most of us mindlessly spend money 
over the course of a month on many different, minor, everyday sundries, necessities and services we often could get more cheaply.... or even do without entirely.  

And
 the cumulative effect of these small purchases can be much greater than we realize, particularly over time.

Before you know it, you're talking hundreds of dollars in unplanned or unconsidered outlays over the course of a year. And the vast majority of the time, these purchases add absolutely nothing to our quality of life.

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    Hi, I'm Nancy Maje Gillis, and I hope to help you find ways to live more cheaply and mindfully to  help you get through this uncertain COVID-19 time  so that you have less stress and more money in your pocket.

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