Nowadays, it’s the same lecture but it has new buzz words: green and energy.  Conserving energy equals saving money.  Going green equals saving the world’s resources.  Of course, now we are using a lot more electricity.  I moved into an old house that had two electrical outlets in the living room.  That was sufficient, I suppose, for a couple of lamps and the tv or the radio.  The kitchen was wired in much the same way; an outlet for the refrigerator, and one for the mixer, or toaster.

When I sit in my living room today, I count four lamps, a television, a receiver, a CD player, a DVD player, a gas fireplace, and my desk tools, which include an electric pencil sharpener, an external hard drive, the laptop, and a charger.  When it’s hot, we plug in a fan.  That’s fourteen electrical plugs.   The kitchen has four plugs in constant use, and several more when we are actually cooking something.

Beside the obvious tactics of closing the door, and shutting off lights and appliances, there are several other approaches.  Good insulation has always been a homeowner’s best friend.  Weather strips, double panes, caulking cracks, and closing gaps will help.  Believe it or not, carpet and blinds and curtains perform heat-saving tasks.  Overhead fans will circulate the air, hot or cool, to keep the air at the correct temperatures.  Shutting the doors to any outer rooms not in use will also reduce heat loss.  My bedroom feels like a refrigerated room when I enter it at night.  I like to turn my electric blanket on 30 minutes before I go to bed, so that I have a warm bed to climb into.  I turn it off as I climb in, because it gets too warm, and 7 hours of heat energy is more than I want to claim.

You may have an electric company that does a 12 month amortization program, in which you pay an average monthly amount rather than the high-cost bills of the seasonal heat usage months. This helps if you have allocated a regular amount of income to your electricity budget.  Perhaps you might even qualify for some subsidies when/if you agree to have energy saving home improvements installed.  These are questions for your utilities company.

Don’t forget to have blankets or throws on hand for your use.   The cozy feel of slippers and a warm blanket on a winter’s eve is one of the pluses of the season.  Thirty years ago, when we were young, and students, unemployed, and living in a trailer, our efforts to conserve money were extreme.  We wore multiple layers of clothing, and piled the blankets on our bed.  We turned off the water heater, only using it one day a week.  We heated water on the stove for the few instances of washing dishes, or washing up.  To warm up the trailer, I baked rolls, or a casserole.  We took our clothes to the laundromat, and brought them home wet, to dry on the line.   I am not advocating any kind of return to that lifestyle.  Life should be more pleasant than that, not an arduous fight to stretch a penny.  The efforts we make and the time and money we spend to conserve our resources will pay us back, not only in savings, but in providing us with an environment we can also enjoy

I’m back.  As I was typing the last sentence, my dear husband interrupted me with a question, which led to a discussion.  At that point I forgot about this blog, and offered to make breakfast.   Now, 2 hours later, after breakfast and a phone call, I sat down to turn off my computer, and discovered the opening paragraph.  Ironic, isn’t it, that it had completely slipped my mind.

Thankfully, though this happens almost daily, I have a planner where I note each task to be done, and check off each task as it is completed.  It helps me with the “now, where was I?” question I usually ask upon my return.

I walked into an organizational tools store last month to look at planners for the new year.  I had devised my own, but it was horrible.  Living in a remote location makes you inventive, but sometimes those inventions are just sad.  I had created a 5×7 form on Word, printed 50 pages, hole punching them 14 times, and then twisted some flexible wire through them to create my own custom made spiral planner.  Sounds good, except the wire didn’t cooperate very well, and the loops were uneven and bent.  Hence, the pages sometimes tore as I turned them.  Well, you get the picture.

I was very excited to be in a large metropolitan area at Christmas and enter a store devoted to organizing my business.  There were many planner sizes and formats and I was grateful when a store employee approached me to assist.   I told her I needed 6 columns, a spiral binding, and the 5×7 size.  She led me to the perfect planner.   I would have bought it, too, in a minute, if I had had the cash.  But, alas, it was over my budget.  (This being a super shopper, bargains kind of blog, you know that I am working with a reduced budget in most instances, and, even striving for purchases under budget specs.)    I left the store reluctantly.

Thirty minutes later I came up with the perfect idea.  I stopped in at a dollar store and purchased an inexpensive spiral bound journal.  Then I went home, picked up my trusty ruler and lined out columns.  It may seem tedious, but it is definitely cheap, and most assuredly fell within my budget guidelines.  The cover is a heavy laminated cardboard and the design is cheery.  Now I’m in business.

HQ4Deals.com lists a multitude of travel links so that you can take advantage of the best deals and compare prices without having to spend a lot of time.  Recently expanded, HQ4Deals has created pages for hotels, air travel, and tours, cruises, car rentals.

The hotels page has eighteen website links to vacation home rentals, home exchange sites, luxury hotels, budget hotels, bed and breakfasts, independent hotels, and hotel club listings, as well as the popular Priceline, Orbitz, and Travelocity websites.

The air travel page has eleven air travel website links you can use to shop around, as well as Air France’s website.

The third travel page has a combination of website links: seventeen links to cruise  car rental, and tour sites.

The intention of the HQ4Deals.com website is to bring as many deals together as possible to make finding the best bargains quick and easy.  The more options you have in making your travel plans, the more savvy you can be in your spending.  Visit HQ4Deals.com and save time and money.

It seems that the easy solution would be to stop using a credit card.  That may seem obvious.  However, just writing those words reminds me of a popular weight loss guru’s book title: “Stop the Insanity.”  Continuing to do the thing we are working so hard to control—which in this case is spending–does seem a little like insanity.  And, yes, it is hard to stop doing it.

We are always spending.  We buy the essential things, like food and gas, rent, car payments, insurance, our mortgage.  Then it starts getting fuzzy.  We do need clothing, whatever our career may be.  We do need supplies for our various jobs-whether it’s a computer, Blackberry, Iphone, or simply a mop.  Most of our jobs require a certain level of networking and that involves time and money.  Giving and getting.  We can cut back, but how far down the rabbit hole do we go with the concept of not spending?  It’s a necessary evil.

I am sure I don’t have the answer.  But here’s an idea that might help you get a grasp on spending.  Consider spending cash.  Imagine that you have no credit card, no debit card.  Pretend that all the cash in your wallet is all the resource you have.   Now every purchase is a depletion of that resource. Sounds scary, doesn’t it?  The realization that soon you will be carrying around an empty wallet may register as a means to limit frivolous spending.  Only you can decide what purchases constitute frivolous spending.

Try it.  It’s a good exercise.  If we don’t curb our spending impulses, and we run up our credit cards, we just may be in this position.  What’s in your wallet?

I discovered recently that I had $40 a month going out on products that I was not using.  How could I have done this?  It’s actually so easy, so insidious, even, that you may be surprised you are doing it too.   Here’s how it goes:

You’re driving down the road and your cell phone rings.  You may be on vacation as I was, or simply too busy to make a note of this call.  The person calling you is selling you something and you know you don’t want it.  You even tell them you don’t want it.   But they are very good at selling and they say, no problem, just take a look at this product, review it, and cancel it if it’s not for you.  And just for doing so, hey, we’ll send you a $15 Walmart gift card.  You can use that, right?  Or xyz, some other gadget or semi-useful promotional item.  And because you are distracted or begin thinking about the promo item, you say yes.   Yes: the most dangerous word in the world.   Now of course, you know you are going to cancel, because you’re not entirely brainless, but you have to wait for that gift card, or the item.  And besides, you have 30 days.

The next thing you know, the gift card or promo item is forgotten, and so is the 30 day decision to cancel.  And there’s a charge on your card now, and every month until you fix it.  And three months down the road that monthly $40 becomes $120.  Do you see why I said it’s insidious?

The time I agreed to review the emergency accident insurance that will save me money on a trip to the ER (who doesn’t want to save money at the ER?) I waited for the materials to come in the mail.  Guess what.  They never came.  When I called to cancel, several months later, I learned that they were sent.  They were sent in an email,  as was my gift card.  I am sure I deleted them without looking, thinking they were spam.  I spent $45 for a free $15 gift card I deleted.  How dumb is that!

I hate when I do dumb stuff, and I try hard not to tell people when I do.  However,  it seems that this is not all that unusual, and it might be a useful tip.  It was an expensive lesson.  In short, study your credit card statement, and make that call right away.  It will save you money.

For myself, I’m happy to get a fresh start.  It may be a ridiculous notion, a fantasy purely in my mind, but starting a new year feels like I am beginning with a clean slate.  The realist that I am knows that I am still accountable for 2009.  But I wish, especially in this economic downturn, that we could begin without unpaid bills, debt, without thoughts of bankruptcy or foreclosure looming over us.   I have read of many ancient Asian practices of clearing old debts, paying them, or forgiving them, and of cleaning house, and preparing for the new year with the hope of prosperity and good fortune.  If these were current, common practices of our own, it would be a very Happy New Year for those of us struggling with last year’s financial crises.

But I’m not looking back.  I’m going to forge forward with the idea of making this year better than last.  I’m going to work on three areas:  debt reduction, controlled spending, and buying discount.   Wish me luck!  I am wishing you the same in whatever New Year’s goals you may have.  May they be doable, and give you a feeling of accomplishment as you reach them.

There’s plenty to do.  The annual Christmas puzzle is waiting to be finished.  The new novel or how-to book is at hand.  Maybe I’ll watch the new DVD or listen to the new CD I received.  I will most certainly put on my new warm fuzzy slippers.   And I’ll probably eat the gift basket treats on the table.  Christmas isn’t really over—I have all the spoils of it before me.

I take my time with the decorations.  I don’t want to rush taking them down.  But what to do with all the Christmas cards?  First, don’t throw away the envelopes.  Put them with the newly purchased, half-priced, discounted Christmas cards you bought this week.  Or better yet, enter or update the addresses in your planner, computer, or blackberry, etc.  The Christmas cards you can save, or reuse, cutting them up for postcards, or gift tags, or mini puzzles for a small child’s entertainment.

I like the idea of a holiday to celebrate the new year ahead.  With Christmas behind me, I can take stock of where I am, what I’ve done, and what I want to do differently.   I like the idea of a clean slate.  My New Year’s holiday is all about me.  That’s pretty unusual.

I would also buy more of those large, plastic tubs with the red lids to use to pack away the Christmas decorations. The clear, see-through ones are especially useful for organizing the trappings of Christmas as you remove the decorations.  I found that if I am careful taking down the decorations and storing them well, they last longer.

One trick I learned that has saved me time and money is to save the empty, discarded wrapping paper rolls, cut them in half, and use them to hold the Christmas lights.  Start by placing the plug end through the roll and leave it dangling.  Starting at the opposite end, wrap the lights carefully around the roll from the top to the bottom and connect the two ends together.  The lights are secure, and they are not tangled in a big wad.  Next Christmas you can just unroll them as you place them in the tree, or along your staircase, etc.

Some smart shoppers take advantage of the After Christmas Sales to buy next year’s presents.  That might seem foolhardy to you if you have specific and changing tastes to please, but consider the idea of generic gifts for those occasions when a gift would be a nice gesture, such as a housewarming, a visit to the hospital, a new baby, or a business thank you.  Do you have nieces and nephews you visit during the year?  A simple gift is always endearing.

Everyone has birthday gifts to buy.  Sometimes, if I find I have bought too many gifts at Christmas, I save something back and give it as a birthday gift.  The birthdays in our family begin in February and March.  I find that if I plan ahead for them while I’m out shopping sales, it saves me both time and money.  If you have young grandchildren, buying toys at sale prices makes sense.

Is there room in your budget for some houseware purchases?  I noticed a lot of discount sales for linens, and kitchen items.  The savings are big.  Now might be the right time to replace old pots and pans, or expand your repertoire of baking utensils.

My husband likes to buy electronics after Christmas.   In fact, I think he believes it still is Christmas, because I come home and find DVD players, and new TVs.  I went to the New Year’s Rose Parade with the kids one year, and when I returned discovered new speakers, receivers, and controllers set up in the living room.   The following year, while I was out shopping, he bought a 60” HD TV.  The funny thing about it is that I am out saving a dollar so he can spend it.  But I love the surprise of it, and he does shop around before he buys the big ticket items.  He can’t wait for me to leave so he can buy a blu-ray player.

Whatever your budget, whether it’s half-price decorations to make your holidays more festive next year, or electronic gadgets to make your year more entertaining right now, there are ways to shop and save at the After Christmas Sales.  What are you waiting for?  Go have some fun and save.

1.  When to put the tree up
2. How much to spend on the tree
3. Pre-cut or cut it down yourself?
4. A living tree in a pot?  Planted after Christmas for posterity?
5. What variety?  What kind of needles?
6. How tall should it be?
7. Artificial or real?
8. Flocked or unflocked?
9. Tinsel?
10. Fake green, or another texture, color?  (Do they even have metallic trees any more?  We had a silver metallic tree when I was growing up with a three color light wheel.)
11. Homemade ornaments or store bought?
12. One tree or multiple trees throughout the house?
13. Tree topper– Angel or star?
14. Lights, blinking or not?
15. Who decorates it?  Mom? Dad? Kids?
16. When to take it down?

Perhaps you are flexible in your Christmas tree opinions.  I have my own preferences, but I have often deferred to the group.  Sometimes it’s fun to experiment.  My daughter and her husband disagree on the perfect variety.  One year they have a noble fir, the next a douglas.  One year I got the bug to do a designer tree; an artificial tree with gold leaf and pinecone ornaments, ornate birds, and red and gold plaid ribbon.  My family would have none of it.  They barely noticed it.  The real tree with the homemade ornaments was the tree of tradition.

One year when I was without a car or a budget, my new sister in law dragged me out to find a half-price tree the day before Christmas.  One year I cut up the Christmas cards and covered them with contact paper  for ornaments.  Once we walked around in circles on a tree farm arguing about which tree we should cut down and lug home. 

You see what I mean?  The tree is obviously a big part of the holiday fun.  Whatever your choice, I hope you found one to love.  Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree!  How lovely are your branches.    Merry Christmas Everyone!

1. You can get any kind of gift card you want, from an all purpose Visa or Mastercard, to a site specific card for favorite stores or restaurants

2.  Gift cards are so easy to find, and buy.  You can buy them at the grocery store, online, or at the store or restaurant of your choice.  Often the mall will sell a Visa or Mastercard gift card.

3.  A gift card tied to a specific store or restaurant will generally last a little longer than straight cash. (Straight cash often ends up in the gas tank, or paying bills, etc.)

4.  A gift card gives the recipient a chance to dream, to contemplate the exact item they want to purchase.

5.  A gift card can be used all year long, or in the future.  It can have a recurring gifting affect. A gift card can be used for multiple purchases.  The remaining balance is saved.

6.  A gift card can be used at sales and on clearance items, extending its purchase power.

A couple of important things to remember:

7.  Before you buy someone a gift card, find out if the store or restaurant you are choosing is one they will use.

8.  Make certain that the store or restaurant has a location near the recipient.

9.  Find out if there is an expiration date or any other restrictions and be sure to share that information.

10.  Check back to see if the gift card is working for the recipient.  Ask about the shopping or dining experience,  for future reference, and to enjoy the satisfaction of your gift.

See how easy it is!  It may be just the perfect gift for someone on your list.