10 Affordable Gift Ideas for a Girl friend's Birthday or the Holidays- Top Gift Ideas for Less

We all have those girlfriends we celebrate birthdays with. For some of us we may celebrate by sharing a meal together or coffee and for others we may give them a gift to let them know they are special to us.

For those of us that give gifts to girlfriends, relatives or a neighbor- here are a few great gift ideas that will cost you next to nothing but look great and will make a big impact.

It is about looking for a deal and thinking creatively so that you can give a great and thoughtful gift without breaking the bank.

Consider shopping at TJ Maxx, or another discount store. Check Target's under $5 section, look at clearance sections in the book store, Craft store, Grocery Store and even try the Dollar Store for Gift Bags, cards and tissue paper.

Here are 10 Gift Ideas for Your Girlfriends- these gifts are great for women, but can easily be adapted for men or easily adapted for a guy to give to a girlfriend, wife, or friend.

1. Recycle with Style Gift Bag



Pick a Bold Color, Colors or patterns and find items to give that can go together. Here we are suggesting you give a gift of items that your friend will love because of the stylish elegance and because the gifts help save the Earth too. A mug for coffee and tea, instead of paper or plastic that we found for a dollar. A cute Reusable Tote, which we have seen at the check out counters of many stores for 2 or 3 dollars. And a pack of note cards made from recycled paper that were only a dollar. So for under $10 dollars we have a striking gift. You can always add more, but the idea is to find things that can go together by use, theme or color.

2. Decadent Goodness Gift Bag



For your friend or sister who enjoys cooking but could still use some cookware. Search for attractive cookware that is on sale or clearance at TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning. We found these great baking dishes at a Thrift Store for $1.00 each (but no one has to know).
Pair the baking dishes with a cooking or kitchen utensil or tool and a cake mix- you can probably find all of those things at a Discount Store for under $10 dollars.

3. Curl Up on A Rainy Day Gift Bag



Give a friend or loved one the gift of books. Check out the book selections in the front of Barnes and Noble or a bookstore's clearance or buy paperbacks. Pick a few books based on the genre your friend enjoys (classics, mystery, biographies, cooking, etc...). Or you can even get a book of poems, short stories, humor about motherhood or a book from childhood (if you knew her then) that she loved. Pair the book/s with unique bookends or a special memento to display with her books. It does not have to be actual bookends, just find something that will go with her decor or fits her interests and has some weight to it.

4. Delight in Little Pleasures Gift Bag



If your girl friend loves food like sushi or good Italian bread with dipping sauce- find bold, attractive small dishes and pair it with chopsticks or a sauce for sushi or buy a loaf of french bread and dipping oil or spices to go with it.

5. Let her Heart Bloom Gift Bag



Do you have a friend who loves to garden. Buy her items to start a herb garden indoors or out, or new gardening items. Those of us who enjoy gardening or cooking will enjoy this gift.

6. Wake Up and Smell the Coffee Gift Bag



Do you have a friend who is addicted to coffee or tea? Give them a gift bag with a nice coffee mug, a bag of coffee and tea bags and a nice stirring spoon or some other coffee related items. If she likes Cafe Mocha give her the items to make her own and she will save tons of money over the year.

7. Everyone Needs to Wine a Bit Gift Bag



For your friend that enjoys wine-find a recommended bottle that is 5 or 10 dollars and pair it with a personalized wine glass. A store bought wine glass may be $15-25 dollars and up but you can buy a nice wine glass or a set of them at a discount store and use one to decorate for your friend. Go to a Art and Craft Store and purchase paints that can go on glass. The gift will be personal, special and be remembered for years to come and you will have made it for a few dollars. Even the nice Wine Glass or a set without the bottle of wine is a great gift.

The last few are gifts you can make yourself or find on sale.
Do you need to figure out a affordable gift to give to your friends or family members without breaking the bank? 

Want something they can use and that you are happy to give them?  We have a handful of easy to make gifts that cost you next to nothing to make and give to loved ones.&

 

8. Stop the Wining-Charming Gift Bag

Wine Charms are very easy to make and they are very affordable.  You will need to purchase beads and wire rings.

www.beadland.com/wine.htm - $16.00 for 144 Wine charm Rings

www.etsy.com and search wine charm rings - $18.50 for 100 Wine Charm Rings

You will need to purchase the beads online or at a local store but you can probably buy the rings and beads all for under $25.00 and you can make tons of gifts (sets of 6 or 8) for friends and family or for a Holiday Party Favor.

9. & 10. Make a Wine Tasting Party Set or Wine Table Place card Holders Gift Bag

Do you have a friend or family member that loves wine?  Well if you are a wine drinker you probably have old corks in a drawer or you could go to a local wine shop and ask if they have used corks you can have. Take 6-8 wine corks and exact o blade and cut off the a think strip of the length of each of the corks (approximately 1/10 of the cork)-just enough to get the cork to sit flat on the table. Now cut a thin v shape groove across the length of the top of the corks (just big enough to fit a piece of paper in the groove). For Wine Place card Table Settings, put the cut wine corks in a cute box or bag, along with small blank place cards and a nice note about the Place card Holders.

If you want to give a Wine Tasting Set- put the wine corks, place cards, or square note cards, along with a set of pens and 8 notepads in a lined box or a bag with instructions for hosting a Wine Tasting Party. Another option is to include 4 wine covers and stencil a number on the cover that go above the label of the wine to hide what type of wine it is, but most people can vote and comment on each wine, even if they see the label. Red Envelope sells a nice Wine Tasting Set but it is $70.00!!!!

Home Haircuts for Kids - A Great Way to Save Money

If you're looking for an extra way to save some money each month, consider giving the kids haircuts at home. Mom can do it or dad can do it. It really isn't that hard and with a few haircuts under your belt you will be a pro.

For cutting boys' hair, you will need to invest in a set of hairclippers and these can be purchased at many different types of stores. Your local Walmart or Target usually carry them. For your first haircut or two, I highly suggest using one of the attachments so you don't take off any chunks of hair or make any gouges. Believe me, the learning curve for cutting your kids hair is not very long.

For girls' hair, all you need are some good hair-cutting scissors and a comb. It is much easier to cut a little girl's hair if you first wet the hair with a brush or comb, combing through to make it wet but not soaking wet. You can play Beauty Shop with your daughter and make it a fun event.

Just remember, practice makes perfect. Although it takes a little time for each haircut, consider that you actually are probably saving time, since you won't have to drive to the barber or beauty shop. Over the course of a year you can save a lot of money, especially if you have more than one child. An average charge of $15 per child comes to $180 per child per year. That's a big savings. Hey, you can even save more money by cutting your husband's hair ... I do. And that will save you about $200 more a year, not including the tips! Maybe you can get the tips!

Coffee Lovers - How You Can Save $1000 A Year

I love Starbucks just as much as any coffee drinker. I even asked for a Starbucks card for a Christmas present. But I just read something that came as a big shock to me. If I start making my coffee at home and put it in a stainless steel thermos instead of buying that $4 cup of coffee that I have become accustomed to, I can save about $1000 a year. Yes, you read that right!

Figure. If you buy one (only one, mind you) $4 cup of coffee every working day of the week, that will total $1040. Most of us have more than one cup on occasion, so we will take that into consideration and round up to $1100. But if you buy a thermos for $20, filter/papers for $10 and coffee for a year for around $60. (assuming you already have a coffee maker, as most coffee drinkers do)... and make that morning cup of coffee to take with you ... you will save a hefty $1000 during the year.

This is a major, major savings, and well worth the consideration. So sorry Starbucks but we're all in this boat together!

2009 Recession Survival Guide

As we start to think about the new year that will be starting soon, we are all trying to find ways to cut back on our expenses. Many of us have gotten used to buying anything we wanted whenever we wanted. Obviously, this has contributed to the financial state of the economy.

We all have to tighten our belts now and here are some strategies to help.

1. COMPARISON SHOPPING
If you really need to buy something or are still doing limited shopping for the holidays, use the many comparison shopping websites to check prices and also find free shipping if you are ordering online.

2. NEGOTIATE
When buying anything, whether it is clothing, applicances or a car, ask for a discount or if they can do better. You can even ask your existing credit card companies for a lower rate, especially if you have been a good customer of theirs. Remember that paying cash increases your chances for a discount, since retailers can avoid paying credit card transaction fees.

3. REFINANCE YOUR HOME
If you are in a position to do so, now is a good time to consider refinancing your home since interest rates have come down. You can also think about including some high-interest credit card balances in your refinance deal, perhaps saving you thousands of dollars a month in payments. If you are really having a tight time, financially, this is a possible option.

For a more detailed read of the 2009 Recession Survival Guide, found on Yahoo Finance, go to: http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/106242/Your-2009-Rece...

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Recycling Materials for Future Craft Projects

You can be a great example to your kids and show them what recycling is really all about on a personal level that they can help implement. Start saving items that you might normally discard that can be used for some of the fun projects here on Ziggity Zoom.

Although most of the preschool craft projects here at Ziggity Zoom make use of inexpensive materials, by saving items that you might normally dispose of not only will you be recycling but saving money as well. Save items in a tucker tote or cardboard box marked "craft projects" but always be sure to wash and thoroughly dry any containers or lids that were for food products. These are some of the things to start saving:

Yogurt cups/ lids
Plastic caps
Egg Cartons
Toilet paper tubes
Corks
Stray socks
Buttons
Bottle Caps
Extra straws

To inspire even more creativity, ask your kids if they have any of their own ideas for using some of the collected, recycled materials. Maybe they will want to make a free-form robot, monster or mermaid. Encourage them to do this and praise them for their efforts. Children's art has such a wonderful, naive quality to it. It is actually one of my favorite art forms.


It's amazing what wonderful creations can be made from discarded and saved items. From our activities section you can choose fun things to make, such as a pirate or princess castle from toilet paper tubes, a colorful bowling set from fast-food drink containers, or a cute puppy sock puppet from a stray sock. Be sure to check out the projects in detail and to check back often as new projects will be added regularly and you might find some new materials to start recycling!

Take Advantage of Thrift Shops for Kids Clothing & Save Money

As an avid thrift store shopper, I guarantee that you can save a bundle of money by shopping at second-hand stores. It always amazes me that I can leave with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise for less than twenty dollars or less.

Some of my favorite pieces of clothing have been purchased at thrift stores. You can often find clothing that has never been worn, with tags still attached. If you pay attention to some of the most eclectic NY apartments featured in magazines, some of their most unusual finds have been from thrift shops or discarded for trash.

If you live in a fairly large city, your options are increased since you will find a greater number of thrifts to choose from. The best items usually can be found in areas that are located in more upscale communities. But don't forget to check out any thrift shop close by. You never know when you might come across that great find. Some great pieces of art have been purchased this way.

If you are shopping for kids clothing, thrift shops and garage sales are the way to go. Next-to-new furniture can also be found. My friend is basically furnishing her entire house this way. If you haven't tried thrift shopping before now, it's a good time to start!

Switch to Cute Kid-Friendly Cloth Napkins for your Kids and Family and Save Money and the Planet

Does your family go through a ton of paper towels and napkins?

Here is an easy way to save money and help out the environment at the same time. Buy 1-3 packs of brightly colored, cotton cloth napkins, bar towels or wash clothes and a few dish towels. Use the small cloth napkins or towels for your family at breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of using paper towels or paper napkins and use a dish towel to dry hands after washing them. Just remember to switch out the hand towel daily for a clean one and let air dry between uses. The cloth napkins are great because you can let kids pick their own color or assign a favorite color to everyone in the family. Just make sure to have enough to get through several meals before you have to wash them. At my house some of the cloth napkins need to be washed after 1 use and others can be used again before being washed.

The cost breakdown- the average family goes through several rolls of paper towels a month. My family was using at least 1 roll of paper towels every week and some weeks we were going through them even faster. In an average year, we spend $60.00-80.00 on paper towels and create several trash cans full of trash from those paper towels. By using cloth napkins and dish towels, in place of paper towels most of the time, you can cut down on your trash, your monthly cost for paper products and help to reduce our use of paper goods that come from forests.

The cost for dish towels varies but you can get a 7 piece kitchen towel set from Target for $14.99 or a 3 pack of kitchen towels (trendy designs) for $6-15.00 and there are less expensive options available if you buy a set of white no-nonsense bar towels for a few dollars. I would recommend having at least 7 on hand so you can easily replace a dirty one with a clean towel or wipe up a spill with an extra towel. So, for between $15.00-$30.00 (if you buy 2 packs) you can cut down on the amount of paper products you are buying and using. The cute cloth bar towels in the picture were from Target and ran about $4-5 for a pack of 4 towels/napkins.
If you are already a smart shopper and wait until the dish towels or napkins are on sale and use a coupon, you can probably get enough napkins to last the week for next to nothing. Or for those of you that are very crafty and handson, you could take an older towel or sheet and cut it up into enough napkins for the week- but you will have to finish off the edges.