Planning Your Boxing Day Shopping

I'm a planner,  thinker and list writer.  Most of all,  I LOVE to get a bargain. Getting the most out of your budget requires a little forward thinking to get the best deals.

I've been Boxing Day shopping for at least 18 years when Jessica was a toddler in a trolley while I scoured the half empty shelves in department stores on Boxing day.

I'm getting better at grabbing the best deals without mindlessly buying rubbish or going over budget. So before you get ridiculously busy with present wrapping,  parties and food prep for the big day, take a few moments to plan how you'll tackle the Boxing Day sales ( or stay at home ).

Here are a few handy hints I use to get lots of bargains -

*  Write a list of everyone you'd like to give a present to next year ( and further into the future ).  Don't forget to include anniversaries,  Valentine's Day ( if you celebrate ),  Mother's / Father's Day and Easter.

*  Write a $$$ amount beside each name making sure you can afford to buy for all the people on your list.

*  Are there any gifts you can make ?  If so,  do you need supplies to make these gifts.  Make sure you add the supplies to your Boxing Day list.

*  Start looking in the shops now as you do this year's Christmas shopping.  Are there items that you just know won't sell out before Christmas because the stores are over stocked ?  These items will be on sale on Boxing Day so make sure you add them to your shopping list with the store name and original price.

*  Christmas decorations are at rock bottom prices leading up to Christmas and on Boxing Day.  Do you need to replace old decos ?  Are you needing to build up your stocks ?  Are you wanting to try a new color next year ?  If so,  write the color on your list.  I've rarely paid full price for decorations. Most I've made or have been bought on clearance.

*  Serviettes, paper plates,  bon bons,  tea towels and hand towels should be planned for in advance to avoid paying ridiculous prices for something red and green.

*  Christmas material will go on sale with up to 75% off after Christmas.  Do you need new Christmas stockings,  table cloths,  table runners,  aprons,  place mats or bunting ?

*  Perfume will be cheaper after Christmas and the best deals can be found at chemists.  Who needs perfume and aftershave on next year's present list ?  Do you need to buy for general use as well ?

*  The discount,  cheap, $2 shops are great for Christmas craft ribbons,  decos and anything Christmas.  While most people are hunting out bargains in the big department stores,  you could be buying the best bargains ever.  Have a look now at what the cheap shops are stocking.

*  Keep an eye out for Boxing Day trading hours.  This can be a very important piece of information.  Plan which store you'll visit first depending on who is open first.

*  Gift tags,  wrapping paper and Christmas cards should only be bought on Boxing Day and the days after.  Are your stocks getting low ?

*  How many Christmas hams can you fit in your freezer after Christmas ?

As you get closer to Christmas,  your list should be forming quite nicely.  Just remember,  only buy what you can afford and what you can use in a reasonable time.  Don't forget to wear comfy shoes and take a water bottle and something to eat.

HAPPY SHOPPING  !!!

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Christmas Presents On A Budget

With Christmas fast approaching,  I'm sure most of you have made plans or bought a few presents.  For those who struggle to find the money to spend on presents,  here are a few frugal ideas

*  Biscuits ( cookies ) in a jar made a delightful teacher's gift,  Kris Kringle,  office party present or a present for a friend.  If you have elderly family and friends this would be ideal.  Many elderly can't or wouldn't bake for themselves.  You could give the biscuits ( or other baking ) in a cellophane bag bought from the discount stores.  Tie the top up with recycled ribbon and add a gift tags.  For a larger batch of biscuits,  use a glass coffee jar ( Moccona comes to mind ),  decorated baby formula tin or an icecream container with a ribbon tied around for presentation.  Here are two suggested biscuit recipes on my blog

Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits

Cranberry Hootycreek Biscuits

Biscuits in a jar

*  Teenage boys can be hard to buy for.  They want expensive branded gadgets / clothes and shoes.  A budget gift could be deodorant and shower gel bought at half price.  Lynx toiletries come on sale quite a few times during the year and cost about $3 each at half price.  Team this up with a couple of giant biscuits wrapped in cellophane bags tied with a tartan ribbon.  They'll devour those biscuits before you know it.

Always buy on sale

*  Make a set of handmade cards.  Kmart sells packs of white blank cards 25 per pack for $3.  Using a glue stick,  recycled ribbon and bits and pieces from around the house you could make an elegant set of card that are unique.  Present them in a handmade box,  a decorated recycled one or maybe buy a suitable size from the $2 shops.  Add a few postage stamps and a novelty pen for the receiver to use.

Using scraps of wrapping paper

*  Not crafty ?  Then maybe the garden is where you'll find a few presents.  Take cuttings from your plants and re pot them into saved garden pots,  containers,  planter boxes or fruit boxes.  Clean the outside of the pot and add a ribbon or saved colored plastic from bunches of flowers etc.

A raspberry cutting we grew

*  Now is the time to plant a mix of lettuce seeds in a pot for a beautiful display to give at Christmas. Both useful and very frugal.

Grow different varieties of lettuce

*  Make handmade soap.  If you make the soap in the next week or so you'll have just enough time for it to cure ready for Christmas giving.  The ingredients only cost a few dollars but produces $30 - $40 worth of presents.  You might even have some of the ingredients in your pantry.  Soap making is not as hard as it seems.  Just follow the instructions carefully and you'll be fine.  Wrap the bars of soap in cellophane and add a ribbon.  This soap could be added to a decorated hand towel or set of face washers.  Here's one of the recipes I use Soap making
  

Handmade soap

Gift wrapped ready to give

*  Men can be hard to buy for.  If they have a bbq then make up a few jars of spice rubs for meat.  Save your baby food or mustard jars to use and add a hand made or printed label.  If you'd like to bulk up the present,  make it into a gift pack buy adding paper towel,  tongs,  canola spray,  foil and cling wrap.  Men who bbq always need these items and it's saves them digging around in the kitchen. I know from first hand experience.  Darren has a tub of his " own " things next to the bbq.


* Google,  Pinterest and Youtube could be your best friend when searching for frugal or free gift ideas.  With a little planning now,  you don't need to spend a fortune on gifts.  Remember,  it's your budget.  You know what you can afford.

Charity Giving At Christmas

For the last three or four years I've written this post for the Cheapskates Club.  Here at  My Abundant Life we've created a lovely caring community so I thought I'd share this post with you.

Many charities find it very hard to meet the needs of struggling people across the globe. Government funding can be scarce and many charities rely on the goodwill on companies and the everyday person like you and I.  Please take the time to read this post and help where you feel you can.

It's about seven weeks to Christmas YAY !!! I love Christmas because it's the time of the year we celebrate the birth of Jesus - the greatest gift ever given. I also love to give to others especially those in need.

As you start to think about Christmas presents and food for your own celebrations, please take the time to plan how you'll help others. Here are some ideas that won't blow out your family budget -

* Clean out your pantry and donate excess tinned and dried foods to charities, churches and schools that are collecting.

* Each time you do your grocery shop add a couple of tins of spaghetti, baked beans, tinned fruit and vegetables. You could do this every time you are tempted buy a bottle of soft drink or a packet of chips as a part of your usual shop.

* Next time you feel like takeaway, put the money towards buying food for charity.

* Start lookng for specials on boxed cereal, porriage, tinned hams and toiletries to donate.

*  Get together with a few friends,  pick a charity and plan to bless those in need.

*  Feel like a cuppa at the shops ?  Instead,  use your coffee money to buy a jar of pasta sauce and a couple of packets of pasta.

*  Buy a couple of toys for charity when you are Christmas shopping for your own family.  Charities are in real need of presents for children over the age of 10.  A tote bag,  skate board,  basket ball or Nerf gun make fabulous presents that won't break the family budget.

*  Ask your children to buy a present from their pocket money.  This is a great opportunity to teach them about budgeting and giving to others. 


With a little bit of planning ahead of time you'll be able to bless many in need.

Who's up for the challenge to start now ?
Have you already put items aside for charity ?

I Now Have An Etsy Shop.

A couple of months ago a group of friends and myself opened up an Etsy shop.  Our shop is called The Crafty Mums Co op and is an online shop to sell our handmade crafts to the general public.

We are a group of mums who get together regularly to make greeting cards,  gift tags and other crafts.  We also do lots of talking,  tea drinking and eating.  In other words,  a fun get together doing the things we love to do.

Please come on over to our shop and have a browse.  Once you click on The Crafty Mums Co op you can scroll through all the lovely handmade items for sale.  The other option is to click on the individual shops listed on the left hand side of our page.  That will take you to the seller you'd like to view.

New stock is being uploaded often so there's always something new to view.  All items are handmade,  unique and made with lots of love.  Some can even be made to order if time allows.

Our greeting cards are beautifully made with quality papers and designed to bring a smile to the receiver.  Check out our Easel cards.  They are show stoppers that stand out from the crowd ( not like run of the mill mass produced cards ).

The craft section will be expanding shortly so keep a look out for lots of gifts to choose from.  At the moment I have decorated hand towels and Christmas decorations for sale that make great presents for teachers,  Kris Kringle,  office parties as well as for friends and family.  I personally have given lots of these items as presents and they are always well received.

Please share our shop details with your friends and family.

The Crafty Mums Co Op shop

The Crafty Mums Co op Facebook page

You can also click on the Etsy ad I have on the right hand side of my blog.

My business card.

Christmas decorations for the tree

All hand towels come with a bonus gift tag.

Easel cards for females

Easel card for men

Gorgeous side stepper card.

Christmas hand towels come in five designs

Cards for car lovers

Summer dance time card.

Ballerina card

These decorations come in sets of four.

Grocery Specials Wednesday 23rd December 2015

I just wanted to let you know I won't be posting the grocery specials this week.  I have a big cleaning job on Wednesday and Thursday will be spent getting ready for Christmas celebrations in my home.

There were a couple of specials I wanted to share with you though.  Coles has celery for $1 a bunch.  It is a fantastic price and well worth getting a couple of bunches to chop and freeze for stews and casseroles when the weather cools down.

Coles also has Praise salad dressings for $1.74 and mayonnaise for $1.69.  These are half price sales.

For those who are wanting to start on next year's present shopping,  Chemist Warehouse has a big sale on perfumes and fragrances. I'm not sure how long this sale is on for but it's well worth having a look at.  I was in a store today with Jessica and we picked up very well known brands for under $20.  Here's the link to their catalogue

 http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/Shop-Online/542/Fragrances

Tomato Relish

It's finally here.  The much awaited,  much requested tomato relish recipe that I make. Tomatoes will be ripening soon and / or coming on sale in the fruit and veg shops.  This recipe is fairly simple to make.  Just make sure you have all the ingredients on hand before you start.  You'll also need lots of glass jars with metal lids ready to fill.

Tomato relish is great to have with Krispy Fried Chicken drumsticks     ( or any chicken for that matter ),  ham or silverside.  It's also wonderful in a cheese and meat sandwich.

3 kilos of tomatoes - diced
8 medium onions - peeled and diced
4 tablespoons of salt
4 1/2 cups of malt vinegar
4 green chillies - de-seeded and very finely chopped
4 cups of brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons of plain flour
1/2 cup of water

Place the tomatoes and onions into a large plastic or glass bowl

Sprinkle with the salt,  mix,  cover with cling wrap and leave for 12 hours ( overnight )

Drain off any excess liquid

Place the tomatoes and onions into a very large saucepan ( or two ) and add the sugar,  vinegar and chillies.

Gently boil for 1 1/2 -2 hours stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced a little.

Mix the flour,  water,  Dijon mustard and curry powder into a smooth paste in a measuring jug or glass bowl.

Very slowly add the paste to the tomatoes while stirring constantly.

Gently boil for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Spoon or pour into sterilised glass jars and seal immediately.

The relish will keep for up to one year in a cool dark place.

Refrigerate after opening and consume within a few weeks.


NOTES -

*  I once made this recipe without doing the overnight draining process ( I forgot ).  So I added the tomatoes,  onions and 1 tablespoon of salt to a large saucepan then continued with the recipe as per usual.  It still worked out just fine.

*  Feel free to add more chillies if you like it hot.  I don't like chillies at all but with four in the recipe,  you don't really notice them.

*  Make your own brown sugar to save some money.  The recipe is in the recipe section under mixes.

*  Malt vinegar is a type of brown vinegar.  The label on the container must say malt.

*  Sterilise the jars in an oven on about 150 degrees Celcius for approx, 30 minutes.

*  The original recipe was given to me from a book.   I've adjusted it to suit my family's tastes.  Feel free to change it to suit your own tastes.

*  This recipe is a double batch of the original version.  I doubled it to save time and to fill more jars.

*  From memory,  you need at least 10 - 15 small / medium sized jam / relish/ pickle jars.

*  Remember,  when bottling relish,  the lids will retain some of the smell after washing.  I don't use these jars for anything other than relish..

*  This relish makes a wonderful present when you add a hat ( material circle ) and gift tag.  It's also great to give with homemade pita chips.

Christmas Stockings For The Whole Family

About five years ago I started giving my girls Christmas stockings with bits and pieces and little treats in them.  This was in addition to their other presents they received from Darren and I.  Although we've never done the Santa thing in our home we do call the stockings " Santa Sacks " mainly because they are red.

Two years after the beginning of the Santa sacks I thought it might be fun for Darren and I to get a Santa Sack each.  With trepidation I bought treats throughout the year for both of us with Darren buying a few surprises for me.  After opening them on Christmas morning I asked Darren if he'd like to do them the following year.  Let's just say he was very excited about the idea and a new family tradition was born.

The size of the Santa sacks or Christmas stockings depends on your budget and the size of the treats you put in them.  I originally started off with small stockings because we were on a limited budget and I bought the treats from the $2 shop.

We graduated to large Santa Sacks to fit in a box of cereal and chips etc.  Last year our budget was tight again so I made up some Christmas stockings from a material panel bought at Spotlight the previous year for $1 a stocking.  It's handy to have a few options and sizes depending on your budget. You don't want a sad looking half empty sack under the tree when a smaller bulging stocking would look the part

Here are some photos of the stockings and sacks we use -

The first two photos are of stockings suitable for lollies

Large Santa sacks

Christmas stockings I made from material panels bought at Spotlight for $1 a stocking.

If money is really tight,  a colorful pillow case would make a wonderful Santa sack.  If you can sew,  a couple of pieces of Christmas material bought on sale before Christmas or at the Boxing Day sales will make a very cheap sack / stocking.


To fill the sack / stocking,  I shop all year round to get the best prices and to make my dollars stretch further.  I check clearance tables in department stores,  op shops,  supermarkets in February / March for stationery clearance sales and  shop the Boxing Day sales.  I also check the shops after Grand Final Day for novelty items, and lollies / chocolates.  Easter Sunday and the following few days are a great time to buy all sort of chocolates and Lindt bunnies and half price.

Checking the supermarket catalogues all year round for half price toiletries and lollies will save you a small fortune.

Here's a list of items I've included over the years depending on the age of my girls and the bargains I can find -

Shower Gel - they tell me their favourites
Razors
Little packets of tissues
Hand sanitiser
Hair ties and clips
Packet of chips
Packet of lollies
Box of fancy cereal
Novelty stationery - note pads,  post it notes,  erasers etc etc
Gel pens
Sticky tape - because they are always borrowing mine
Face washers I fancied up - they asked for them
Drink bottles
Bag of share size chocolates
Mini torch
Colorful sports socks
Thongs
Imitation Van sneakers bought in Big W for $4 ( they were a hit )
Travel mug
Glow sticks
Magazines ( sometimes from the op shop )
Deodorants

For Darren and I I've included -

Bags of mixed nuts in shells for Darren
Flavoured cashews ( and plain )
Lindt balls
Colored socks for Darren
Box of fancy cereal if requested
Chocolate and lots of it ( we are easy to please )
Cookie cutters
Shower gels
Scented candles
Craft supplies
Veggie seeds and garden supplies mostly for Darren
Travel mugs
Lynx deod for Darren
BBQ sauces
Packet of chips
Packet of lollies

I've been able to fill a Santa Sack / stocking on a budget of $30,  $40 or $50 depending on how our budget is travelling.  If you are starting out for the first time or your budget is tight,  have a look in your local $2 shop  or op shop.  $10 or $20 could buy a handful of wonderful treats.

Creating Your Own Mini Economy

Do you ever have the feeling that money is leaking out of your home left ,  right and centre ?  Do you feel that your shopping habits are making everyone else rich and your purse a little poorer ?  Do you cringe when large companies post their yearly profit reports ?

If you are answering yes to any of these questions,  I have a solution that will make you feel a little better about your money situation.

Create your own mini economy at home.

Here's how it works.

Buying presents for family and friends all year round can cost a fortune.  If you're like me you have a present / gift  budget.  I always like to beat the present budget and have money left over at the end of the year to buy treats.  Yes I can buy presents on sale and that will save me money.  If I go one step further I can keep most of my present fund within my home instead spending all that money at the shops.

Making presents is a great way to save money and results in a lovely present to give for just a couple of  dollars.  Because I have a well stocked pantry, when I make biscuits for presents,  I just use what I have on hand.  I estimate that  a jar of biscuits costs me $2 for the jar and less than $1 for the biscuits.  Ribbons and gift tags cost zero because I use free supplies to make my own.   The present looks like it's worth much more,  maybe even $10.  I take $10 out of my present / gift budget and put it into my food / grocery budget ( envelope ) to pay for the ingredients.    By doing this,  my food budget has made a profit of $7.

The savings doesn't stop there.  I might have budgeted $15 for a present for a friend.  By only taking $10 out of the present budget to pay the food budget,  I've saved $5 on the present budget.

Here's another example.

I made a couple of tote bags late last year to be given as presents.  The material cost $4 in total for the two bags and I paid for it out of my clothing budget.  That was the envelope I had with me when I was in Spotlight looking around.  Tote bags cost about $10 in the stores if paying retail  Using this valuation,  I took $20 (  $10 for each bag ) out of the present budget and put it into my clothing envelope to reimburse for the material costs.  My clothing envelope has just made a profit of $16. I usually budget $15 for each present so if I chose to give the tote bags on their own,   I've just saved my present budget $5 on each present.   Everyone wins.  I gave one of these tote bags to Darren's sister for her birthday recently and she loves it.  She's already used it too.

Here's one final example to seal the deal -

I love making jam.  I also love eating it because it tastes so much better than anything I can buy.  I also know exactly what's in it.    If I make raspberry jam using our own home grown berries and lemon juice from our own lemons,  the only cost is sugar.  I have a few friends and family members saving jars for me,  so no cost there.  When I make a batch of raspberry jam,  I might use one kilo of sugar ( for example ) which cost less than $1  That batch might yield 10 jars of delicious jam.   If I put a retail price of $3 on each jar ( they are small / medium jars ) then the total retail value is $30,  yet they only cost me $1 to make.  I could be technical and add in the cost of the gas to cook the jam.  I give lots of jars of jam as presents so each time I give one,  I take $3 of of the present budget and  put it into my food budget

You could use this idea for all sorts of presents.  If you take cuttings of plants or grow seedlings from seeds,  they make wonderful presents.  Put a retail value on them and boost your gardening budget as well as saving a little money on presents.

Make some cards and give them in packs of ten wrapped on cellophane with a ribbon.  Put a retail value on it and boost your craft budget.

Make soap,  wrap it in tissue paper or cellophane with a ribbon.  Put a retail value on it and boost your toiletry / make up budget.  Or boost your food budget (wherever you took the money from to buy the ingredients ).

Yes you are still spending money at the shops.  You are still helping businesses but you are not giving all of your hard earned money to make the rich richer.

What gifts do you like to make ?

Biscuits For Presents

I just love homemade biscuits.  They are delicious,  decadent and absolutely yummy with a cup of tea.  More importantly,  they are very frugal to make.

Whenever I'm stuck for a present,  homemade baking comes to the rescue.  My favourite biscuits to give are Cranberry Hootycreek biscuits, Anzac biscuits and Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits.

For hungry teenage boys I've made giant Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits.  I place a large amount of dough on a lined baking tray,  flatten out with the palm of my hand then neaten the edges with my fingers to give a lovely round shape.  They do need a few extra minutes for baking.  I place 2 or 3 in a large cellophane bag tied with a tartan ribbon  Placed in a gift bag with a can of Lynx deodorant,  it makes a great male birthday present. for about $5  Let me tell you,  birthday boys have gratefully received these giant biscuits.  One of Jessica's friends bought one to school in his lunchbox and woofed it down at recess.  His friends were drooling.

Sometimes when I get a present out to wrap,  it looks like it needs something extra.  That's when I whip out a log of biscuit dough from the freezer and do some baking.  Neatly placing 8 - 10 medium sized biscuits in a large cellophane bag and tying a bow with ribbon,  lace or netting  achieves an elegant present worth $10 - $15 retail.  Realistically it costs less than $1 to make.

For a family present or Kris Kringle,  I buy glass jars from the $2 shop and fill with homemade biscuits.  I print out the recipe and place it in an envelope and tie it to the lid.  You can add a small decoration or garland to the bow to add extra style.    

Here are some photos of biscuit presents I've made -

A male Christmas present.

.A jar of biscuits from the Christmas story I filmed last year.  Total cost of this present was about $3 - $3.50

 

Presents tied with homemade gift tags and ribbon made from netting -

Here is a link to a blog post I wrote on making gift tags.

  

Padded Hearts - A Simple Craft.

I'm not overly crafty but this is a simple one.  If you can thread a needle,  then this craft is for you.  I've made these for teacher's presents,  little girl's birthday presents and as Christmas decorations for the tree and dining chairs.  Megan has one hanging on her bedhead.

Here's what you need -

15 centemetre paper shapes.
Scrap pieces of material
Contrasting cotton
Ribbon


Print off or hand draw a few different shapes that are approximately 15 cm high.  Cut the desired shape out and pin it to a double layer of printed material ( right sides facing out ).  Cut the material shape out with normal material scissors or pinking shears ( zig zag ).



Starting on a straight edge,  sew simple straight stitches about 1/2 centimetre from the edge.  The stitches should look like tacking stitches.


Continue stitching until you are about 3 centimetres from the start.


Stuff the shape with a little wadding.  Just use a very small amount  at a time.  The shape needs to be slightly padded but not like a cushion.


Stitch up the remaining fabric and tie off and cut the cotton.


Attach a small ribbon to form a loop with a few stitches.


Add a little ribbon bow with a few stitches tying a knot at the back.


Some shapes can be joined together with a few stitches to form a wall hanging or to hang on the back of a dining chair.

How To Make Gift Tags.

As most of my readers would know,  I've recently taken up card making .  I love being creative and especially if it's frugal.  Annabel from The Bluebirds Are Nesting recently sent me some blank gift tags to decorate.   I used the pictures I'd collected from magazines,  brochures and a rose book I found at my local op shop.

I started with the blank gift tag or scrap bit of card or card stock. Megan found an art sketch pad in her room and gave it to me.  She needed it for school a couple of years ago and only used a few pages. The card in this is perfect for making cards and gift tags.  Next I choose a picture to use and cut it to size if the picture was too large.  I used my trusty glue stick to stick the picture to the tag.

If the picture is too small,  use a scrap piece of lace or ribbon to fill in the space at the bottom of the tag.  You could add extra embellishments in the way of a bow,  sticker or a little bit of bling.

To make a tie to attach the tag to a present,  use little bits of ribbon,  lace,  material or cut up lace curtains.  I save every piece of ribbon or lace that comes into my home.  It could be from a present,  a toiletry gift box or the ribbons found inside clothing.  This ribbon is for retail shops to hang the clothes on coat hangers. Perfect for gift tags.

Gift tags are wonderful to attach to a gift bag,  wrapped present or a homemade bag / tin of biscuits.

I hope this gives you some inspiration to make your own gift tags.  They only cost a few cents each to make and can really jazz up a present.