I’m deep in the holiday spirit! Of course it helps that Amazon.com had some markdowns on some toys and games I wanted.
I had a quick heart-to-heart with Santa and scored some great deals this weekend:
- Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera [1]
- Fisher-Price Go Baby Go! Bounce & Spin Zebra [2]
- Balderdash Game [3]
The best part was that with the purchase of the first two (or other select Fisher Price and Mattel toys) I got a free family game (while supplies last)! So the total for all three when I bought them was $64 (regular price $139).
For those of you who don’t know, each year our family gets a board game. On the afternoon of Christmas we all play the new game. So obviously, this year the game is Balderdash (shhhh, don’t tell my family!)
I even threw in a Mr. Potato Head [4] at the last minute since I thought those were the best thing in the world as a kid. And I find it so much fun to play games with my kids that we played with too.
So of course it’s fitting that most of the articles that caught my eye this week were related to the holidays:
Holiday Articles
LED Christmas Lights Offer Safer, Cheaper Alternative [5]
Everything you need to know before buying LED lights.
Poll: Are You Done With Your Holiday Shopping? [6]
One word: No! Missing out on Black Friday put me a little behind. Although, since I quit my job, I don’t feel as pressed for time to get it all done.
Lazy Man’s Gift Guide 2008 [7]
I have a KitchenArt MeasureMax Spoon [8] and Lazy is right… it’s a terrific gift. Be sure to check out all his ideas for everyone on your list.
150+ Ways to Save Money Over the Holidays [9]
Looking for ideas to trim costs this holiday season? Look no further!
Three Alternatives to Traditional Gift Giving [10]
It never occurred to me to actually put data on a flash drive! What a great idea.
Support Our Troops This Christmas Season! [11]
We’re incredibly lucky that my brother-in-law is home from Iraq for the holidays this year. Of course, for many of you, your loved ones are still deployed. Here is a great list of ways to support the soldiers during the holidays (and all year round.)
10 Hidden Holiday Costs People Overlook in Their Budget [12]
Shipping. That’s the one I always forget in our budget. We never know until the last minute who we’ll see and who we won’t, so the shipping costs are always overlooked.
Ebates Review: Online Rewards, Double Cash Back When You Shop! [13]
If you are using Ebates [14] this holiday season, here are some tips to maximize your earnings.
How Much Do You Want To Save Money This Holiday Season? [15]
This is the second time in as many days that I’ve seen Instructables.com [16] mentioned. I’m going to have to check it out!
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Learning Piggy Bank [17]
Check out one of my favorite kid’s toys that is related to teaching kids about money.
Holiday Cheer By the Numbers
- 10 Unique Gift Ideas for Christmas [18]
- Five Ideas for Charitable Giving in a Bad Economy [19]
- 6 Ways To Give [20]
- Carnival of Personal Finance #183: The Pre-Holiday Sales Edition [21]
- 50 Frugal Gifts You Can Give This Christmas [22]
Personal Finance
Popular Online Bank Routing Numbers [23]
I’m always looking up routing numbers at the Federal Reserve Routing Directory [24], so this will be a handy reference list.
Madoff’s $50 Billion Ponzi Scheme [25]
This just blows my mind. I feel horrible for all those people.
I am Debt Free as of Today! [26]
Congrats to Flexo.
Property tax appeals on the rise [27]
We still haven’t gotten our property tax bill. Hmmm, I guess city hall is a little slow this year. Of course, if you’ve received yours, here’s how to appeal if it’s not assessed fairly.