Holiday Dough

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Between hubby and I we only have 3 nieces and nephews .... on hubby's side, one niece (who has a son and daughter of her own so a great niece and a great nephew for us as well) and on my side of the family, two nephews.

Hubby's niece always gets something homemade by me for Christmas.  She is close to my age and we are very casual in gift giving.  She usually asks for a knitted hat, a knitted cowl, homemade jam/jelly or a crocheted afghan which I am more than happy to make for her and her husband.   Her son and daughter and  my brother's two boys are always given cash now that they are older.  Years ago we limited the gifts to $20 so it would be a burden for any of us and it has worked well for many years  BUT  I try to find clever ways in giving the $20 so the gift is a little bit different each year.  I have wrapped the bill in toilet paper rolls so the gift looks like a holiday cracker, I have placed the bill in a small box, which was then placed in a larger box, and then another larger box .... etc until there was one big honking box, I have put the bill in an old CD case to try and fool them ... so each year, I spend more time devising a plan on how to wrap the $20 than I do earning the $20!!!

Well this year, I found a fun and easy way to give them their $20.  I spotted this idea pinned to a friends board on Pinterest and knew I just had to do it!!!

Saving my one dollar bills was actually easier than I thought it was going to be and I didn't even notice the money missing from my budget which was a bonus!

Once I had gathered enough dollar bills, I rolled each bill and tied them individually with a festive ribbon.  Next I typed up the little saying on my computer and finding a clip art gingerbread man on Google images, I printed everything out.  Sorry, for some reason the red candy cane border will not show up around the saying .... ugh, computers!

Gingerbread men with yummy icing,

Are oh so good and extremely enticing

I set out to make a dozen or two,

But ran out of time, oh what do I do?

So instead of the cookies, I tied with a bow,

Your own personal serving of Holiday Dough!

Merry Christmas!!

I filled each Ziploc baggie with 20 - $1 bills, sealed the baggies and stapled the saying and the gingerbread man on each baggie.

I think they turned out ADORABLE and the baggie sure looks like it is holding more than $20!

Now only if a secret Santa would do the same for me but use $100 bills.  Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

My Top Ten Frugal Tips

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1. Make as much food from scratch as you can. Bread, soup, stuffings, cookies, cakes...anything that you can make from scratch will save you a ton of money! Plus it is healthier. You don't know what is in those prepared, convenient foods! Make your own!

2. Make a budget! If you have a budget written down, it will save you a lot of un-necessary spending.

3. Turn off the lights! If you or a family member are not in the room...turn off the lights! Start keeping track of your energy consumption and learn where your money is going. If you watch your power meter, you will learn how much you can save by turning off a switch.

4. Drink water! Children and adults do not need pop, juice, or energy drinks. Get your children and yourself in the habit of drinking water. Not only is it good for your body but it is free! If you start getting into the habit of always having a re-usable water bottle with you, your body will start craving water when it is thirsty.

5. Start a change jar! Perfect for when you empty out your hubby's pants before throwing them in the wash. Oh, and any change in the washer in this house is mine! If they can't empty out their pockets before throwing them in the basket...it goes to the change jar! Change adds up quicker than you can imagine (especially in Canada with the Toonies and Loonies!) Use your jar money for vacation, a special treat for the family or paying off debt.

6. Make your own household cleaners! Educate yourself on how to use vinegar and baking soda to clean everything in your home. Cheap and non-toxic. I haven't used store bought shampoo and conditioner for months.... I use a mixture of 1 tsp of baking soda to 1 cup of hot water and it is better than any shampoo or conditioner I have ever bought, no expensive de-tangler necessary here.

7. Watch flyers and use coupons! I use coupons regularly and watch all flyers for sales when buying groceries or large priced items. I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. If you stock up on sale items, it saves a lot of money which leads to number eight on the list.

8. Stockpile! Stockpiling canned goods, meat, and groceries will save you a ton of money in the long run. My stockpile is large and it is like I have my own grocery store in my pantry. If I want to try a new recipe, I rarely have to worry if I have the ingredients on hand. We also stockpile meat from hunting in our backyard.

9. Do not eat out! Keep a journal of how many days your family eats out in a year and cut it in half. Eating out is not only causing Americans to become obese but if you have ever watched any of those television shows that prove what workers do in fast food restaurants to the food before it is served to the customers....you will never eat out again!

10. Stay out of the stores! You can't spend any money if you aren't there to be tempted.

This is a small sampling of my ways to save money....I have many, many more. I would rather have the dollar in my pocket than giving it to a large corporation.

Make sure you give your loved ones a hug tonight. :)