Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Christmas Savings Club - June Edition


It's the 25th again and Family Balance Sheet is hosting its monthly Christmas savings club. So far I still need to transfer this months $63 for June to my online savings account, but it is there. I ended up moving some more money to my savings account and it made me hit my goal, which stopped the automatic payments. I am so proud of myself for saving this money and I know I will love myself come Christmas time.  This month Krista at Family Balance Sheet is suggesting ways to earn money if you are short on saving for Christmas:

  • Host a yard sale. Or sell some bigger items on Craigslist.
  • Have a pantry challenge. Or challenge yourself to reduce your grocery spending by your shortfall.
  • Sell your unused gold.
  • Pick up extra hours at work.
  • Cut your cable TV.
I have tried to have a yard sale but my area has not proven to be a great area. I have sold my trail bike for $50 this month on Craigslist plus this week I hope to sell my old stroller for $25. It helps to post pictures and to be honest about any flaws in your item. For kids clothes and toys I like to take them to Once Upon A Child. They have a decent price and will go through the items quickly. Some consignment stores have you drop the items off and then call you when the have a price, which can waste time and gas. My husband is the one who buys our food, so just cutting down on extra unnecessary food buying or eating out would help me save some money in this area. I don't have any gold, we have cut our cable, but I have picked up hours at work when I can to earn extra money.  I also applied for a new job and was offered the position. It comes with a raise, but now I will be salary, so no OT for me. I also received a bonus at work for working OT on a deadline, which I didn't even know was possible, so things have been going my way.  I also saved some money on vacation by packing lunch when we went to the Jelly Belly Factory Tour. As soon as we drove in to Wisconsin they have a Welcome Center and we were able to eat our lunch and take pictures by the Welcome to Wisconsin sign.  At home we have tried to not turn on the air and to sleep in the cool basement as much as possible. I also make sure to have heavy drapes and keep them closed when we are gone for the day to keep the temperature down in the house. When I am not using electronics I also make sure to unplug them, as they still suck energy even when off.  I take free hand me downs from my sister when ever possible, and make sure to pass on clothes to others who need them. I bypass movies in the theater to request DVDs from the library. One library in my area also has video games to borrow. Making sure to pay your bills on time and also paying off the balance on credit cards will also save big bucks on fees. I also find ways to earn gift cards with apps on my phone or online, see my post about programs available.

My plan is to save $650 by November so I can shop early for Christmas if needed. My son has already started his Christmas list since this is the next holiday he will receive presents. Only 6 months till Christmas!

Don't forget to check Family Balance Sheet for more information on this online club.

1 comment:

  1. Great tips. We had to turn on our AC this week, so I won't be able to save money there. The heat will be 90+ all week and the nights are humid too.

    I had to chuckle about your son already starting his Christmas list. So has my youngest daughter. Her b-day is in the spring, so she has a long time to wait.

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