Frugal Friday: Celebrating Advent (A Fun & Resourceful Idea)

I have to admit that I meant to post this on Tuesday on Tuesday’s Topic but I have been busy trying to catch up on all the great deals for Christmas, and getting caught back up with home life since returning from MI for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

I suppose you could consider this a ‘Frugal Idea’ so I figured it would work out great for Frugal Friday. J

This Christmas season I have started a new tradition with my family and I am seeing signs of it being a HUGE hit already, especially with my kids. We are celebrating the 25 days of Advent season by opening cards that have a new little surprise/gift/activity for our family to partake in over the Christmas season.

I discovered this idea from another blogger, Life As a Mom, and thought it sounded perfect for our family.  She has some really great ideas that she and her family did over the 25 days off Advent, and I took some of her and then also used a few of my own.

*Decorate Tree & House for Christmas

*Game Nights – each different game night and different kid is allowed to pick a game

*Read the Christmas story, talk about the real meaning of Christmas and drink Egg Nog

*Have dessert first for dinner

*Go to Lite Up UCF (takes place at the local college & is FREE)

*A different kid gets to pick anything they want for dinner that night

*Movie and Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate Nights

*Drive around and look at lights

*Make a Christmas ornament

*Make Christmas Cookies

*Make Fudge

*Have a night of singing Christmas carols

*Stay up an hour late on a school night – a couple of these

*Open an early Christmas present – something small & I have two days of this, just prior to Christmas

There are so many other great things and fun and unexpected things you do with your family. I just think this makes the Christmas season all that much better, enjoyable, and magical for the kids. Every morning they get up and they each get a turn to open the card for the day, read it to everyone. And they are SOO excited! I love it!

I also think it is great for family bonding over the holidays, and can really reconnect your family, and helps make the season what it is all about.  It’s still not too late to start celebrating Advent.

I just went to my local dollar store and pick up some cheap cards (at least 25), Number them 1-25 and then taped them on the wall. When we open one up we then discard the envelope and tape the card itself back up, makes for a nice decoration, as well.

WISHING YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Frugal Friday: 10 Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas

Some Frugal Gift Ideas For Christmas (or any occasion): 

1.       Lotion or Bath Oils from your stockpile

2.       Gourmet Coffee with a personalized mug

3.       Homemade food (such as bread, cookies, cakes, ect…)

4.       A letter, hand-written on nice paper from you, telling the person how much you appreciate them.

5.       IOU Booklets

6.       An “I Appreciate You Because” Jar. Filled with slips of paper with different reasons why you appreciate and/or love that person.

7.       A good book

8.       A recipe book…include some of your favorite/personal recipes

9.       Scented Candles

10.   Purchase from a Daily Deal site (Groupon, LivingSocial, EverSave, HauteLook, RueLaLa, ect…)

Frugal Friday: FREE Movie Ticket

I thought for this week's Frugal Friday I would share with you a great way to get at least One FREE movie ticket you can use at any theater that accepts fandango.com tickets.

Weekly Cinema is a great way to receive reduced movie tickets that will cover the cost of both IMAX and 3D movies, as well. When you sign up you will receive one FREE ticket, you do have to sign up for a monthly subscription BUT you can cancel at ANY time and you will not be charged the monthly fee. Although I have had the monthly fee for a few months now and love it. We pay $29.99/mth for 5 movie tickets ($5.00ea), and I am able to take the kids to see inexpensive kids films in 3D and/or IMAX. So for us it has been a huge bargain.

If you do not wish to keep the monthly subscription you can cancel, very easily, by clicking on the link that says 'Cancel Me' at the top of the screen, and that's pretty much it, best part you get to keep the one FREE ticket. You could sign up and then just as quickly cancel and have a FREE ticket for the movies this weekend! If you are doing a date night with your loved one, you only have to purchase one ticket now, that's a great savings at the theater.

GO HERE to sign up with Weekly Cinema and redeem your free ticket. Keep in mind you will need to have a theater nearby that does accept fandango.com tickets in order to redeem this FREE ticket.

Frugal Friday: Learning Simple Ways of being Frugal

Welcome to the final new Weekly Topic: Frugal Friday. 

This is a quick little feature where we can share ideas on being frugal in just about every area of our lives. From things we can do at home, to shopping, to conserving on energy, stretching our dollars further.

I want to encourage all of you to submit 'Frugal Ideas', by emailing me, and I will present the best frugal ideas each Friday. 

To get us started I wanted to share with you some of the frugal things we have been doing around our house. 

We have been saving our Chinese food 'boxes' and reusing them to hold leftovers or lunch items. It's cheaper then running out and buying new throw-away or to-go containers. I also recently bought the Bryer yougurts from Publix last week and those containers are perfect for putting little snacks or holding salad dressing to take with you for lunch. They are nice containers and will certainly serve well for future uses. 

There is a two-fold in reusing a lot of these type of containers that you purchase for other foods. It's not only Frugal but it is also 'Green', and great for the environment. It's easy to get in the habit of just throwing everything thing aways. But often times these containers are disherwasher safe and can be used over and over again. It's easier on your wallet and the environment.