12 Useful Tips for Regifting

We have all received gifts that we find unuseful. There are some things that can be returned and other items leave you wondering where in the world they they came from. Rather than tossing or donating your unwanted gifts, consider repurposing them by regifting. Although regifting may sound tacky to some of you, here are some useful tips to consider.

1. Don’t give partially used gift cards. I received a used gift card more than seven years ago when my daughter was born and I still remember it like it was yesterday. The gift card was for $17 and some change. It left me wondering if they returned something and just gave me the gift card from the return or if someone gave them a gift card and they used it, and were giving the leftovers to me. If you have a gift card with an odd amount on it, consider adding a few dollars to it so that you can use it for a gift. Rather than giving someone a gift card with $17.86 on it, add $2.14 to make it an even $20.

2. Only give new unopened gifts. If you have to dust it or clean it first, then don’t regift it.

3. Consider using your unwanted gifts for a gift exchange party. Some refer to this game as Dirty Santa. I have played it with family, co-workers, and at church Christmas parties. It is actually pretty fun. You pick a number and that determines when you’ll get a turn in the game. The first person picks a wrapped present and they unwrap it. Then the next person can take the first person’s present or choose a new wrapped present and unwrap it. Each present can only be taken twice. Honestly, I think this is one of the best ways to unload an unwanted gift. For these gift exchange games, it’s usually assumed that people will bring something funny or something they don’t want.

4. Don’t just regift something to get rid of it. Make sure the person will like or appreciate the gift.

5. Remember who gave you the gift in the beginning. Don’t regift the item to someone who will show it the person who gave it to you. You don’t want to regift that book to your cousin who will show your aunt.

6. Make sure all the paper and tape from the original gift is gone. You don’t want evidence that the item was already gifted to you. (You need to be careful of this issue on things you buy from the store as well. I have seen items on the shelves that had a little bit of tape or wrapping paper left on the boxes.)

7. Be careful what you say about the gifts people give you. I’ve heard of people telling others humorous stories about the gifts they received from others and then regifting the items the next year. The people knew the item was a regift because they remember hearing the stories from the year before.

8. Make sure you know what’s in the box. You may get a present that has a crock pot on the box, but that doesn’t mean that there’s a crock pot inside. Some people simply reuse boxes. It would really be a mess if you thought you were giving someone a crock pot, but you gave them something else. Or worse, there could be a card inside with your name on it.

9. Only regift current items. And by that I mean don’t give someone an old CD, discolored cologne, a bath product that is no longer sold, etc. I remember one year someone gave me a set of Bath & Body Works products. I took it back to exchange it for a different scent and found out that Bath & Body Works had new and different packaging from what was on my gift. To make things worse, when I opened the gift, there was an expired coupon inside.

10. If you don’t have money for a gift, then choose something that your friend has complemented in your home. Then tell them that you didn’t have any money to buy them something, but you knew they really liked the crystal clock you have on your dresser, and you wanted them to have it. Honesty would probably be appreciated and the person would actually get something they like.

11. Don’t regift handmade items. Handmade items are very personal and the person receiving the item will be sure to ask, “Did you make this?”

12. Consider using your unwanted gifts for those in need. Each year, I know that my church will collect coats, blankets, and toys. I also know that each year I will assemble shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. I have used things that we have received to help fill the shoeboxes. (Of course the items were new.) This is an inexpensive way to bless others with a new item of something that you don’t need.

If you don’t want to regift, but don’t want to hurt your pocketbook, try this certificate from Regiftable.com. You can make a certificate for something you want to give someone, such as free babysitting. I’d love for someone to give me some free babysitting or housecleaning.

Do you regift? What items have you regifted? Do you have any regifting tips?

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Save Money with Rainchecks

You see that a store is having a great deal on a particular food item. In your mind you think, ‘It’s stockpile time!’  But you get to the store and they’re out of the item.  Rather than just counting it as a loss, get a raincheck.  

A few tips:

*Consider a raincheck as an I.O.U. from the store which guarantees that item for the sale price.  It is not necessary to use the raincheck during the current sale week.  You can use it weeks and maybe months later.

*Check to see if the raincheck has an expiration date.  Most of them do not have an expiration date which means that you can wait to use them when you need the particular item.

*Use rainchecks as a way build your stockpile.  The general rule is to purchase as much as that item as you will need in the next few months.  For example, if cream of mushroom soup is on sale for $.59/can I might purchase 10 cans.  Cream of mushroom soup has a long shelf date and I know that I will use it when making casseroles.

*Store your rainchecks in a safe location.  I store my rainchecks in my small coupon pouch.  This way I know where they are when I’m doing my grocery shopping and I don’t have to dig through my purse for them.

*Check to see if there is a limit on the sale item.  On really good deals, a store might set a limit on how many of that item you can purchase.  Always have them write the maximum amount allowed on the raincheck even if you don’t plan on purchasing that many.  This allows you to get them if you change your mind or you may have a friend that wants to purchase the deal with you.

*Look for coupons.  Check your newspaper coupon inserts and look online for printable coupons to combine with the sale price for even better savings.

*Give your raincheck to the cashier first.  Before your cashier rings up the items, she should know that you have a raincheck.  This will save time and hassle.  Group all of the raincheck items together so that they can be marked down at the same time.  Also, check your receipt to make sure each item was properly discounted.

*Most rainchecks are not store specific.  This means that if you get a raincheck from a Charlotte, NC store you should be able to use it at the Hickory, NC store.  If you plan to shop in a different area, you may want to check on this first.

When you’re shopping the sales do you remember to get a raincheck?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Recipe Ideas for Leftover Turkey

One of the things I hear weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas are people concerned about the amount of turkey they’ll have left over.  They want to serve their family and guests turkey, but they’re hesitant because of the waste involved.  Rather than letting good food go to waste, try some of these ideas for your left over turkey.

Turkey and gravy - We had this one Friday night.  I simply made some gravy out of cornstarch and chicken boullion and warmed the turkey in the gravy.  I added some leftover sweet potatoes and rolls and made some green beans and mashed potatoes.  The kids enjoyed the meal.

Turkey sandwich - This one is a given, but it is one of my favorites. Some people like their sandwich with mayonnaise and onions.  I like mine with mustard on white bread.

Turkey salad - This is another family favorite.  I chop up some turkey, add some mayo, diced dill pickles, salt, and pepper, and it’s as good as chicken salad.  I also like to make ham salad.

Turkey and rice - Cook rice according to package directions, add desired seasonings.  Throw in some chopped turkey and some vegetables.  You might also like to make a gravy.

Turkey wraps - Add some turkey, cheese, and fresh vegetables to a lettuce slice or tortilla.

Turkey soup - There are many varieties of turkey soup. You could make a cream based soup or a Mexican style soup.  Use your favorite chicken soup recipe using turkey instead of chicken.

Turkey stock – Rather than purchasing chicken stock from the store, make your own and freeze it to use later in soups and stews.

Turkey pot pie – Chop up some turkey, add a bag of frozen vegetables, mix in some gravy, and top with a pie crust or pour on a liquid Bisquick mixture and bake.

Don’t forget to store your turkey properly.

Other resources:
Recipe Goldrush
All Recipes
National Turkey Federation
Healthy Eating Made Easy
Jennie O

What are your favorite turkey recipes?

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12 Inexpensive Fall Activities for Children

Fall is one of my favorite seasons.  It is cooler and nature is simply beautiful.  Take time to enjoy the season change and the gorgeous colors with your children with these inexpensive activities.

Make pumpkin scented playdough.  Simply use a regular playdough recipe and use orange food coloring and add a little pumpkin spice.

Look for free craft demonstrations. Check at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Michaels for free craft and kid friendly activities.

Go on a nature walk.  During autumn, there are so many changes around us.  Discuss the leaves, earth preparing for winter, or give a brief lesson on photosynthesis.  You might want to bring a bag to take some samples with you.

Make leaf rubbings from different types of leaves.  On your nature walk, you may want to take some paper and crayons with you or you can bring home your favorite leaves to use.

Make leaf people and animals. I did this with my preschool class many years ago and I wish I had an example to show you.  You select a leaf for the body and glue it to the paper.  Use your imagination to draw arms, legs, etc to make a person or animal out of your leaf.  The children thought it was quite funny.

Take a trip to a local pumpkin patch or apple orchard.  I know it’s a little late for this, but it’s something to consider for next year.  PickYourOwn.org has a list of many farms around the United States.

Make some fall themed crafts.  I have a selection of ideas at my children’s website.

Plant a tree.  Fall is also a good time to plant trees.

Play in the leaves.  My kids really enjoy this one.  They like to rake them, jump in them, throw the leaves, etc.  I was able to find some kid-size rakes for less than $3 each.

Cook together.  It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate.  Enjoy decorating cupcakes with candy corn, making turkey cupcakes, bake pumpkin bread, or other pumpkin recipes.  My kids are young, but they enjoy to stand on their stepstool and help me stir things and they really enjoy decorating cupcakes.

Make a collage.  Gather up current sales flyers and old magazines.  Look for fall related items. Cut them out and glue them on paper to make a fall-themed collage. 

Make silly looking pumpkins.  Cut out a pumpkin from orange construction paper.  Search through magazines and papers for eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc.  Glue those onto the pumpkin for a funny picture.

What kinds of inexpensive activities do you enjoy with your children?

A Thrifty Way to Stuff Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child

For the past 13 years, I have stuffed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse.   How many shoeboxes we fill depends upon our budget and how many bargains I find during the year.  One year I put together 11 shoeboxes and this year I only did three. 

I do want you to know that you can fill a shoebox for very little money.  It just takes some creative thinking and shopping throughout the year.  Each year I take advantage of after season sales, back-to-school sales, CVS free items (from coupons and extra care bucks) and clearanced items.  I keep a tote in my garage with the items I collect and then in November I use these items to stuff shoeboxes.

Tonight we put together our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Here is a list of the things that were in one of the boxes and the cost involved.

• composition notebook  – $.10 back-to-school sale
• doodle pad – $.50 clearance
• pencil pouch – $.25 September school clearance
• pencils – $.10
• mechanical pencils $.10
• toothbrush – free
• toothpaste – free
• Don’t Break the Ice travel game – $.30 after Christmas clearance last year
• Polly Pocket car with doll – free with coupon
• gloves – $.25 after winter clearance
• soap – $.25
• socks – $.25 clearance
• teddy bear – $.25 yard sale (new, still in plastic)
• Crayola crayons – $.25 back-to-school clearance
• tote bag –  $1.00, Target 90% off clearance
• pencil sharpener – $.25
• small toys – free
• washcloth $.25 (from a multi-pack on clearance)
• candy – free (We had a bunch of candy from a church fall festival two weeks ago.)
• chapstick – $.10 (clearanced multi-pack)

As you can see, we were able to fill a shoebox with nice gifts for less than $5.  This shoebox may be the first gift this child has ever received.  Sarah Pinnix from RealLifeBlog.net has posted an informative video explaining more about OCC. 

My kids were so proud of the shoeboxes.  Filling these shoeboxes provides an opportunity to teach children to be thankful for what they have, to tell them about others that are less fortunate, and to pray for others.  It’s a hands-on lesson in compassion for others.

National Collection week is November 15-22.  Check out the OCC website to download shoebox labels, find out acceptable items for the shoeboxes, local drop off locations, or to donate online.  Samaritan’s Purse is a reputable non-profit organization that also provides emergency relief.

Should You Purchase Cell Phone Insurance?

There are many of you wondering if you should purchase the cell phone insurance.  Most financial advisors, such as Clark Howard, say that in most cases you should not get the insurance. 

If you have a regular cheapo cell phone (like me), then I wouldn’t recommend getting the insurance.  A simple math sentence of $5 x 12 months will tell you that it’s just not worth the money.  You can purchase the cheap phones on ebay or Craigslist usually for less than $50.  The ordinary phones with no bells or whistles are generally easy to come by and last a few years.  The problem with the expensive phones and Smartphones is that are known to have problems.

Take my husband’s phone(ssssss) for example.  He has had probably a DOZEN phones from Verizon.  He first started out with the Blackberry.  After getting about five Blackberry Storms and two Storm 2s, Verizon gave him a Droid. After having a few Droids, they told him the problems were from the things he had downloaded on to his phone and for him to take off all of the applications.  HUH?  What’s the point of having a data phone if you can’t have apps on it? 

All of the phones were sent back for issues such as locking up, not receiving data, the phone staying lit up, etc.  The problem is that when you send back your phone, you’re not getting a new phone; you’re getting a “refurbished” phone.  I have no clue what qualifies these phones as refurbished because they have many issues.  Just a few months ago, we dropped off another Verizon phone at a Charlotte, NC FedEx location to be shipped back and the representative at this location told my husband that they ship approximately 30 phones from that location each day!  Ok, ok, this is moving towards the craziness of Verizon so I’ll move on.

Basically, the advice is this:  If you have a regular cell phone, then the insurance probably isn’t worth the money.  If you have a more expensive phone, I’d strongly consider it.

Do you have insurance on your cell phone? What kind of experiences have you had?

Edited:  Be sure to read the fine print on cell phone insurance policies. Some charge a $35 deductible.

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5 Reasons to Live a Thrifty Lifestyle

I am a thrifty tightwad money saving bargain hunting cheapskate. It’s become second nature to me. In everything I purchase, I am looking for ways to save money.  Many times I don’t even realize I’m doing it and then it eventually becomes obvious to me when I see the things that others are purchasing. I realize that many of us are trying to live a more frugal lifestyle these days. Here are some reasons to save.

No regrets -  Have you ever purchased something and then later are left with buyer’s remorse?  It’s an awful feeling.  Or maybe you have been in a financial hard place and wish you had all the money back that you had frivilously spent. I’ve been there too. If only we could undo our mistakes.  Unfortunately, we can’t have a do-over but we can learn from our errors.

Debt free life -  Saving money allows you to have more money in your wallet.  This enables you to pay cash for your purchases, save for the future, and live a debt free life.  If you have high credit card payments, then you may not have the money to pay cash for every day purchases or you may not have saved for unexpected emergencies, so then you’ll end up charging those things you need.  It all a vicious cycle.

Save for other purchases - By saving money on everything I buy, I am able to put money into my savings account for future purchases.  Last year my husband and I purchased a new mattress set for our bedroom and put a down payment on our house.  This year we purchased a used mini van, upgraded my kitchen appliances to stainless, and purchased an HE washer and dryer.  All of these things were paid for with cash.  Trust me, it’s not because we are rich.  We are everyday people.  We just save money in every way we can, look for the best deals, weigh our options, and pay cash for purchases.

Helping the environment - People that are seeking to save money and live frugally are usually environmental friendly.  They spend less, consume less products, buy used, and try to use the things they already have.

Helping others - By living a thrifty lifestyle, I am able to help others in need.  It may be by giving food and toiletries that I have purchased for really cheap or free with sales and coupons.  It may be by using extra money that we have because we haven’t spent the money on extravagant items or car payments.

Why do you live a thrifty lifestyle?

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Loving the End of Summer Sales!

I am loving these end of summer sales. They are the best time to stock up on seasonal summer clothes for the whole family. 

I have found nice dress sandals for work for $12-20 per pair.  I also bought my daughter some shorts, shorts, and bathing suits.  Many of them were at least 75% off.  During a recent shopping trip, I found five bathing suits for myself and only paid $17 for all of them! 

You don’t have to pay full price for clothing.  If you shop clearance sales, you can pay less for name brand clothing than you would for a poorer quality product.

Do you shop end of season sales?

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A Thrifty Home Remedy for Sinus Infections

It never fails.  Each year I get one or two sinus infections.  They usually come with the onset of allergies from the season changes. 

About three years ago I decided to do some research for a natural remedy for sinus infections.  It just seemed ridiculous to me to see the doctor for each infection and to take overly prescribed antibiotics.  Through my online reading, I found out about apple cider vinegar from Earth Clinic.

At the time of the article, there were about 80 people who said the apple cider vinegar worked and only about two people that said it did not work for them.  With such positive feedback, I decided to give the vinegar a try.  If it didn’t work, then I would just be seeing the doctor anyway.

Thankfully, I was able to find apple cider vinegar tablets at the health food store.  At the time, I could not bear the thought of drinking the vinegar.  I took a high dosage of the vinegar tablets and within hours my sinuses were opened and everything was loosened.  (Sorry to be so graphic but I think it’s necessary to tell you how the product worked.)

Since this time, my husband and I have been using apple cider vinegar during each cold and during bad allergy upsets.  As a matter of fact, I have been taking it this past week while I have been sick. 

Although I have not read of apple cider vinegar being used for this purpose, I use the liquid form whenever I have been exposed to strep throat.  I gargle with it.  It is believed that apple cider vinegar kills bacteria so I have found it to be effective for that as well. 

There is a bunch of information out there on the many health uses for apple cider vinegar.  Perhaps some day we can discuss its uses.

Are there any home remedies that you find effective?

Disclaimer:  I am not a doctor and these tips should not in any way be a substitute for a doctor’s care and advice. Use apple cider vinegar at your own risk.

A Few Health Home Remedies

Dr. Oz was discussing some home remedies today on The Dr. Oz Show.  Home remedies are sometimes very effective and can save money on health care.  Here are a few of the home remedies discussed on the show.

Acid Reflux: Drink a mixture of baking soda and water.  True.  The baking soda neutralizes the acid.

Splinter: Dab a little glue over the area and let it dry.  True.  Peel the dried glue off and many times the glue will pull the spliter out. 

Burn: For a burn, apply mayonnaise.  FALSE.  Run the burn under cold water. Later apply aloe.

Ear infections:  Put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide inside the ear canal.  True.  If there is an ear infection, the peroxide will bubble.  I was confused about whether or not he said the peroxide could be used to treat an infection or if it was only for detection purposes.  However, this has never been confirmed in a trial.

Stay tuned. I am working on a blog post with a natural home remedy for sinus infections.

Image from nkzs on sxc.hu.  I am not a doctor and these tips should not be used as a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

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