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By Frugillionaire
 You don’t have to spend a fortune on Mother’s Day gifts! Here’s 14 fabulous ways to make her day:
1. Cook your mom a delicious meal instead of taking her to a restaurant. You can put together breakfast-in-bed, an elegant brunch, or a special dinner for a fraction of the cost of dining out. (Even if you’re not a culinary whiz, she’ll appreciate your efforts!)
2. Instead of splurging on an overpriced bouquet, take your mom to the park, or local horticultural center, to admire the spring blooms. This time of year, public gardens are planted with a gorgeous array of flowers, including tulips, lilies, and daffodils. Enjoying live flowers is more frugal, and environmentally-friendly, than purchasing cut ones.
3. Dig through your family photographs, and select pictures of you (and your siblings) from your childhood years through the present. Scan them into your computer, create a digital slideshow, and burn a DVD to give to your mom. For less high-tech moms, arrange them into a pretty album (you can print them in sepia tones, or black-and-white, for an elegant look).
4. Write your mom a poem or a personal letter. Words from your heart are far more touching than a greeting card or store-bought gift.
5. Give your mom the gift of your time. Offer to do household chores or maintenance tasks, or share your skills and expertise. For a formal flourish, present her with handmade coupons for your “services”—like washing the windows, waxing the floor, or installing software on her computer.
6. Wash your mom’s car. In addition to a good soap and rinse, vacuum and wipe down the interior. It’s a great way to make your mom’s day without spending a dime!
7. Give your mom a beauty sampler. Spend an afternoon at the mall, and visit the cosmetic counters of every department store. Collect all the free samples you can—like high-end hand creams, eye shadows, lip balms, lotions, and miniature perfumes—and assemble them into a cute container.
8. Put together a “spa basket” for your mom. Bath salts, body lotion, loofahs, and other pampering products can be obtained inexpensively at your local drugstore. Arrange them in a pretty basket, and tie with a colorful ribbon. It’s much less costly than a gift certificate to a local spa.
9. Put together a “gourmet basket” for your mom. Pick a theme, obtain items inexpensively from the grocery store, arrange them artfully in a basket, and top it off with a decorative ribbon. Some themes include a pancake breakfast (gourmet pancake mix, maple syrup, preserves, and coffee beans), high tea (a selection of gourmet teas, crackers, scones, and preserves) or a chocolate lover’s dream (various bars of chocolate, and chocolate-dipped items, like pretzels, espresso beans, and dried fruit).
10. Take your mom out for a Mother’s Day picnic. Prepare salads and sandwiches, and pick a lovely setting where you can enjoy the fresh air and spring flowers. It’s a wonderful way to spend quality time with your mom, free of the usual distractions.
11. Instead of a buying a bouquet, include a packet of seeds in her Mother’s Day card and help her plant them in her garden.
12. Give your mom something homemade. If you’re a knitter, make her a scarf; if you’re a beader, make her a necklace; if you’re an artist, paint her a picture; if you’re a musician, write her a song. She’ll treasure such a gift much more than something bought in a store.
13. Give your mom something small but decadent, that she wouldn’t splurge on herself—like an artisan soap, a scented lotion, or fresh pastries from the local bakery.
14. Take your mom out for a free, or low-cost, cultural experience: like an outdoor concert, art exhibition, or community theater production.
By Frugillionaire
 Given the recession, I expect we’ll see a significant uptick in re-gifting this holiday season.
In my opinion, it’s a perfectly acceptable way to fulfill your gift obligations. And despite the flack it receives, re-gifting is perfectly in line with some of today’s popular lifestyle trends:
* It’s frugal: it saves you from having to purchase a gift
* It’s minimalist: it clears clutter from your house
* It’s green: it’s a particularly festive form of recycling
Therefore, I think re-gifting is poised to make significant inroads in popularity and acceptability.
Thinking of jumping on the bandwagon? Just follow a few simple rules, and you’ll be passing on your presents like a pro:
1. Make sure the item is appropriate to the recipient. Ideally, it should be similar to what you would have bought them in a store.
2. Re-gift outside the social circle (and preferably region) of the original giver.
3. Don’t re-gift something you’ve already used.
Above all, use common sense and always err on the side of caution. Offending someone (or embarrassing yourself) is never worth saving a few bucks. If something’s too risky to re-gift, don’t do it—sell it on eBay, and use the proceeds to buy something new!
By Frugillionaire
 There’s one gift that’s more valuable than anything bought in a store; more appreciated by its recipient than anything wrapped in pretty paper; and sure to be remembered for years to come. The best part: giving it won’t cost you a thing.
What is this fabulous gift? Your time!
This holiday, offer your “presence”—instead of presents—to friends and family. Make it formal by giving the recipient a handmade certificate for your “services.”
Here’s a few ways to wow those on your gift list (without spending a dime):
1. Offer a free night of babysitting for a friend’s kids
2. Offer to help an elderly relative with household chores or repairs
3. Offer to spend an afternoon chatting, having coffee, or walking through the park with someone special
4. Offer to teach someone something you know—like how to cook, do yoga, or speak a foreign language
5. Offer your expertise to help someone with a task, be it fixing their computer, doing their taxes, or hemming a garment
All too often, store bought gifts mean credit card bills for you, and unwanted clutter for the recipient.
A gift of your time, on the other hand, costs you absolutely nothing—but to the giftee, it’s priceless!
By Frugillionaire
 Family photographs make beautiful, budget-friendly gifts that’ll be treasured by their recipients.
Browse through your digital images to find special snapshots appropriate for the giftee. (It helps if you’ve been toting your camera to family functions and gatherings!) Perhaps, for example, you have a darling image of your two-year-old niece; printed and framed, it makes the perfect gift for her mother!
For adults, dig up some nostalgic photos from their childhood. If necessary, reach out to relatives with old family photos, and offer to scan them into digital format. It’s a great way to preserve family history, while building a wonderful database of images.
Once you’ve selected your images, print and arrange them into gift-friendly format. Single photos are best presented in frames, while multiples work well in small books or albums. Alternatively, burn a slide show of images onto a DVD that recipients can view on their computers or televisions.
By Frugillionaire
 Gift baskets are a luxurious holiday treat—and you can make your own, at little cost, with items from the grocery store!
Purchase a plain, inexpensive basket from the craft store to hold the items. Then simply choose a theme, and gather the necessary foodstuffs or ingredients. Arrange them artfully in the basket, and cover with cellophane; top it off with a decorative ribbon in seasonal colors.
Here are some popular gift basket themes:
1. Gourmet pasta dinner. Include colorful Italian pasta, a nice bottle of extra virgin olive oil, a package of sundried tomatoes, breadsticks, sauce, and seasonings
2. Pancake breakfast. Include gourmet pancake mix, maple syrup, preserves, and coffee beans
3. Chocolate lover’s dream. Include various bars of chocolate, and chocolate-dipped items (like pretzels, espresso beans, and dried fruit)
4. Snack attack. Fill with the recipient’s favorite snacks, like nuts, chips, crackers, pretzels, and trail mix
5. High tea. Fill with a selection of gourmet teas, crackers, scones, and preserves
Get creative, and tailor the contents to the recipient’s particular tastes and interests. They’re sure to love such a thoughtful (and delicious) gift!
By Frugillionaire
 Homemade mixes in glass mason jars make wonderful holiday gifts!
The idea: in a glass jar, layer all the dry ingredients needed for the recipient to make a tasty treat. It can be a hearty soup mix, pasta dish, cookies, hot chocolate—the possibilities are endless!
Here’s a few recipes to get you started:
Confetti Bean Soup Mix | Cooks.com
Gifts in a Jar: Herbed Rice Mix | Family Fun
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar | Nestle Meals.com
Double Fudge Brownie Mix in a Jar | AllHomemadeCookies.com
Hot Chocolate Mix in a Jar | Little Birdie Secrets
Of course, you can adapt just about any recipe to a mason jar mix. Simply identify the dry, non-perishable ingredients in the recipe, and add them to the jar in layers. You can also make spice mixes, seasoning mixes, and coffee mixes.
After you’ve layered the ingredients, top the jar with a pretty fabric or ribbon in seasonal colors, and affix a decorative label with cooking instructions. Voila—an attractive, delicious, and frugal gift that the recipient is sure to enjoy!
By Frugillionaire
 Instead of buying gifts this holiday season, try baking them!
Homemade brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and breads are always appreciated and well-received; and best of all, they’re budget-friendly!
This strategy is particularly cost-effective if you have a large gift list, as you’ll save considerable money by purchasing ingredients in bulk.
Need some ideas for delicious holiday treats? Check out the following recipes:
Chocolate Peppermint Pizzelle | Food Network Kitchens
Gingerbread Cookies | Betty Crocker
Marbled Toffee Holiday Brownies | BBC Food
Peppermint Meringues with Chocolate Filling | Martha Stewart Living
Cranberry Orange Bread | All Recipes
When you’re finished working your culinary magic, package the goodies in low-cost tins, or on paper plates wrapped with cellophane. Tie with a bow in holiday colors for a festive touch.
By Frugillionaire
 To give a fabulous holiday gift, you don’t have to spend big bucks—or for that matter, even set foot in a store!
Consider the following ideas for gifts that are sure to please, without breaking the bank:
1. Give homemade cookies, cakes, brownies, breads, and pies
2. Give family heirlooms (the holidays are a great time to pass down special pieces!)
3. Give the gift of your time, by offering to spend a day with a friend or loved one
4. Give the gift of your expertise or services (like a massage, or automobile repair)
5. Give an experience (treat a family member to a cooking class, or day at a baseball game)
6. Give a beauty sampler, by collecting cosmetic counter samples and freebies
7. Give something handmade, like a knit scarf, homemade soap, or hand-rolled candles
8. Give a gift basket of items from the grocery store
9. Give family photographs that you’ve printed and framed
10. Give a cash gift to a loved one’s favorite charity
By Frugillionaire
 There’s an easy way to get through the holidays with your finances intact: create a budget, and stick to it!
All too often, we use the “spirit” of the season as an excuse to overspend—and figure we’ll worry about the bills come January.
Why make your life unduly stressful? Determine the dollar amount you can afford without resorting to credit cards, and set that as your absolute spending limit.
Don’t be afraid to set the amount low—there’s no rule that says you must spend an entire month’s paycheck to celebrate a single holiday. Wonderful holidays can be had for $100 or less. (If you don’t believe me, check out Bill McKibben’s Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For A More Joyful Christmas .)
Once you’ve determined your amount, list all the expenses you’re likely to encounter. Include gifts, decorations, food, parties, and travel. Then decide exactly how much you’ll allot to each.
The budgeting process will certainly require some prioritizing of categories: for example, you may forego the live Christmas tree in order to pay for a plane ticket home. You may opt for homemade gifts to leave room in the budget for a dinner party. Or you may skip the parties and travel to treat your spouse to something special. It doesn’t matter how you divide the funds—as long as you stay within your total budget!
When you have a plan, you’ll be much more mindful of where your money goes. Furthermore, you’ll be able to focus on the true joy of the holidays: spending time with friends and family, rather than spending money!
By Frugillionaire
 1. There’s a designer logo on your handbag, shoes or clothing. Don’t pay a premium to flaunt a famous name on your attire (they should be paying you for all that free advertising!). Many designer items are made in the same Chinese factories as less expensive goods. The only message those logos convey is that you paid too much.
2. You have a key to a public storage unit. The problem here is twofold: you spent a lot of money on things you don’t use, and you continue to waste money on storing them. The best course of action: sell the contents of the unit on Craigslist, eBay or at a garage sale, and hand over the keys!
3. It takes you more than an hour to clean your house. Consider if you really need all that square footage. Downsizing to a smaller abode can save you money in myriad ways: you’ll reduce your rent or mortgage payment, utilities, and the amount of stuff you need to buy to “fill” your space.
4. You have no idea what your tap water tastes like. Packaged drinks (like juice, soda, and bottled water) can do a number on your grocery budget. Quench your thirst with tap water instead—the recommended eight glasses of water a day cost only about $1 per year.
5. You often receive compliments on the color of your hair, toenails or fingernails. If you’re a regular at the salon, cut your visits in half—or better yet, eliminate them altogether! Have a spa day at home instead: light some candles, put on some relaxing music, and give yourself a DIY manicure or pedicure.
6. You think you’re too young/old/rich/poor/cool/busy to save for retirement. No excuses—everyone should be putting something away for when they’re old and gray. Make it automatic: have a certain amount from each paycheck deposited straight into savings. It’s an effortless way to achieve financial security!
.7. There’s a fancy hood ornament on your car. A car is a means of transportation from point A to point B—not a reflection of your identity or success (as marketers would have you believe). Luxury cars are more expensive to purchase, maintain and insure. Sell that money-guzzler and instead of looking rich, be rich.
8. Your refrigerator is empty. When there’s no food in the house, it’s much too tempting to eat out (or stop for takeout). Action plan: make a menu for the week, shop with a grocery list, and stock your fridge with fresh food that’s easy to prepare. Consider cooking several meals at once and freezing them; they’ll be ready-to-eat on those nights when you’re too tired to cook.
9. You set foot in a shopping mall more than once last month. The best way to save money is to stay out of stores—it’s an incredibly easy way to preserve your wealth. And by all means, don’t shop for entertainment; limit your purchases to necessities, and spend your leisure time at the park instead.
10. You’re still paying off holiday credit card bills. You’ll have much happier holidays by heeding the following advice: never buy gifts on a credit card. Tailor your budget to the cash you have on hand. If you have little to none, don’t despair: give people handmade items, baked goods, or the gift of your time. It’ll be much more appreciated than anything bought in a store!
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