Several years ago, we decided that Christmas spending had gotten WAY out of hand. We set a monetary limit of $50/person and announced it far ahead of time, so everyone had time to plan. Every Christmas since has been so much more enjoyable and much less stressful. In addition, we have put more thought and care into the less expensive gifts as compared to the pricier ones.
My children are now adults, so my husband and I have simplified the holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Year's). The focus is on the meals. I do a meal for each holiday, not necessarily on the actual day, but rather when we can all get together. My daughter and son-in-law will alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas with his family, but most years we still get together at some point. I have pared down what I make so that it is easier for me, plus I ask everyone to bring a dish or contribute to the meal in some way. For Christmas, we still give gifts; last year we did a white elephant gift exchange and that was a lot of fun and great on budgets. I'm thinking about having everyone give gifts that they've made this year - anything from food to crafts. One year we had to give gifts that we found at the local thrift store...there are ladies who make crafts and donate them to the store, so everything was new if you bought one of those, but there were also some great donated items.
Great list. In regards to #5, I just learned that the state of California was holding $50 that a community college in Arizona owed me from 10 years ago (thanks, internet!). If I can suggest a potentially controversial 10th item: open a good cash back credit card. I actually just opened a new card for the holiday season since it offers 5% back on department store and Amazon purchases through the end of December — hopefully that helps save me some money this year.
I have the best of both worlds. My two cats are 5-year-old litter mates that I adopted at six weeks old. They're very sweet, cuddly purring machines. I also have a one and a half year old lab/shepherd mix named Stella who is a little hyper diva. She likes to keep me on my toes. She's a rescue I adopted when she was just 11 weeks old. Between cat food, litter, dog food and treats I probably spend a good $100 a month. The cats are much cheaper than the dog but they're all worth it.
My fiance and I currently have (2) cats as members of our family - Little Dude and Dexter! Both were adopted from local shelters, adding love to our home. Though cats are fairly low maintenance, they still come with expenses. We spend at least $60-$70 minimum/month for food and litter. Vet visits are definitely costly, but we are fortunate that both are healthy and rarely have to bring them in. They are wonderful to come home to, and worth every penny!
Yes, I have a cat named "Tara". I saved her from a very severe blizzard. She was homeless, alone, and pregnant. She costs about 11 cents a day to feed and a yearly vet visit of about $150. But even if she cost much more then that she would still be worth it. Everyday she makes my life better. She is the most loving, sweet creature I have ever met. I suffer from depression and if I am ever crying she runs up to me and jumps in my lap. She always makes me feel better. I'm doing much better now, but for a while I was suicidal. The only thing that stopped me was that I didn't want to leave her on her own again. So I guess you could say that she saved my life too.
I have an amazing Puggle- she is a joy, a cuddler, a sweetie, and stubborn. She lets me dress her up, albeit that doesn't happen too often. She is so amazing to come home to - tail wagging, smooches and all. She's on the lookout for something to eat often. Something I'm trying control inasmuch as I can. I love her!!!
My dogs are always bored with the dog toys that they have. They have had these toys for awhile, and if I try to play with them they just stop after a couple minutes. All they do is sit there and the only excersise they get is our daily walks and when we run around in the backyard. These dog toys will help a lot, I never want to take the time to buy the toys and have to spend a lot more then these good ideas.
Several years ago, we decided that Christmas spending had gotten WAY out of hand. We set a monetary limit of $50/person and announced it far ahead of time, so everyone had time to plan. Every Christmas since has been so much more enjoyable and much less stressful. In addition, we have put more thought and care into the less expensive gifts as compared to the pricier ones.
My children are now adults, so my husband and I have simplified the holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Year's). The focus is on the meals. I do a meal for each holiday, not necessarily on the actual day, but rather when we can all get together. My daughter and son-in-law will alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas with his family, but most years we still get together at some point. I have pared down what I make so that it is easier for me, plus I ask everyone to bring a dish or contribute to the meal in some way. For Christmas, we still give gifts; last year we did a white elephant gift exchange and that was a lot of fun and great on budgets. I'm thinking about having everyone give gifts that they've made this year - anything from food to crafts. One year we had to give gifts that we found at the local thrift store...there are ladies who make crafts and donate them to the store, so everything was new if you bought one of those, but there were also some great donated items.
I have one dog that I love so much!
I have a dog.
Yes one
yes I have two actually.
I have a dog and cat that I adopted.
No, but I hope I do soon!
I have 2- a cat and dog.
Great list. In regards to #5, I just learned that the state of California was holding $50 that a community college in Arizona owed me from 10 years ago (thanks, internet!). If I can suggest a potentially controversial 10th item: open a good cash back credit card. I actually just opened a new card for the holiday season since it offers 5% back on department store and Amazon purchases through the end of December — hopefully that helps save me some money this year.
I have the best of both worlds. My two cats are 5-year-old litter mates that I adopted at six weeks old. They're very sweet, cuddly purring machines. I also have a one and a half year old lab/shepherd mix named Stella who is a little hyper diva. She likes to keep me on my toes. She's a rescue I adopted when she was just 11 weeks old. Between cat food, litter, dog food and treats I probably spend a good $100 a month. The cats are much cheaper than the dog but they're all worth it.
My fiance and I currently have (2) cats as members of our family - Little Dude and Dexter! Both were adopted from local shelters, adding love to our home. Though cats are fairly low maintenance, they still come with expenses. We spend at least $60-$70 minimum/month for food and litter. Vet visits are definitely costly, but we are fortunate that both are healthy and rarely have to bring them in. They are wonderful to come home to, and worth every penny!
Yes, I have a cat named "Tara". I saved her from a very severe blizzard. She was homeless, alone, and pregnant. She costs about 11 cents a day to feed and a yearly vet visit of about $150. But even if she cost much more then that she would still be worth it. Everyday she makes my life better. She is the most loving, sweet creature I have ever met. I suffer from depression and if I am ever crying she runs up to me and jumps in my lap. She always makes me feel better. I'm doing much better now, but for a while I was suicidal. The only thing that stopped me was that I didn't want to leave her on her own again. So I guess you could say that she saved my life too.
I have an amazing Puggle- she is a joy, a cuddler, a sweetie, and stubborn. She lets me dress her up, albeit that doesn't happen too often. She is so amazing to come home to - tail wagging, smooches and all. She's on the lookout for something to eat often. Something I'm trying control inasmuch as I can. I love her!!!
My youngest daughter has a pet fish and my oldest daughter has a beagle
We have two cats and a 100 lb. dog.
Yes a dog and a cat
We have three pets: 2 rescued greyhounds and a 22 pound orange tabby.
I have two dogs and a cat! I probably spend 100$ a month on them, and lots of time cleaning up after them!
My dogs are always bored with the dog toys that they have. They have had these toys for awhile, and if I try to play with them they just stop after a couple minutes. All they do is sit there and the only excersise they get is our daily walks and when we run around in the backyard. These dog toys will help a lot, I never want to take the time to buy the toys and have to spend a lot more then these good ideas.
Exactly what i am talking about!! you must be ready to learning new thing every-time and seek for fast learning.
If you transferred your balance to a new card, then before the APR period is up, can re-transfer to another card, offering the same incentive?
Smart people don't have credit card debt. We're either on 0% APR already or we pay our bill in full every month.
Yes a very spoiled cat!
Yes a very spoiled cat!