Day 1: Secret Santa is the key to a stress free Christmas

If your family is anything like ours you will completely relate to the madness that ensues every Christmas when it comes time to buying presents for everyone. I have three brothers, who have 7 kids between them, a sister who has two kids, my parents, my brother and sisters in law, my in laws, grandparents, my sister in law and her partner, not to mention my soon to be husband and our son. It's insane to think about buying something decent for everyone in the family. Apart from being an expensive exercise, who has the time to go shopping for 20+ presents!

One Christmas, as we sat over the 15 $5 gifts we received, it was decided that the following year we would do Secret Santa.

So, the following Christmas we each drew a name out of a hat and that was who we were buying a decent enough present for that year. And it worked a treat! There was no wastage, no unused gifts and just pure joy at buying something useful for someone that didn't break the budget!

Whilst I realise that Christmas is not about gift giving, it is a huge part of the festive season. So why not save some money this year and instigate Secret Santa with your family.


There is a fantastic free website called Eflster that helps you to co-ordinate and manage your Secret Santa!



Visit www.elfster.com to get the ball rolling. Otherwise, a simple name drawn out of a hat will suffice.

Some quick tips on how you can life a cash only lifestyle

1. Don't take your credit cards with you on a shopping trip! Leave them at home.

2. Take time each month to review your credit card statements. Highlight the interest you paid and the interest you received. Work out where you could have used cash so you can change your habits for the future.

3. Draw up a budget and outline how you will pay the budget items (i.e. Origin bill = direct debit; Weekly shopping = cash). It is important to review your budget when your circumstances change.

4. STOP YOURSELF when you are about to buy something on impulse. It's always worth sleeping on it!

5. Withdraw your weekly cash needs at your bank's ATM and keep it in a safe place at home. If you don't have a safe I'd recommend something inconspicuous.

6. As much as you can, cook at home. It's not only cheaper than eating out, but healthier.

7. Give yourself time to sit down as a family and plan our your financial wants and needs. Becoming debt free doesn't happen just by thinking about it. You need to be an active participant in your financial choices.

8. Only make purchases once your monthly bills have been taken care of.

9. Save for the big ticket items - don't get charged interest when you could've bought it out right.

10. Living frivolously doesn't mean you have to miss out. Use Adelaide Bargain Mums, http://adelaide.bargainmums.com to help your family's budget go even further  

Could you live a cash only lifestyle?

Unless you pay your credit card balance in full every month, it seems mad to use it for every day purchases. Switching to cash for your day to day shopping is the right answer. It helps you stick to a budget and stops those impulse buys at the supermarket. Take this into consideration. If you withdraw $200 for your fortnightly shopping expedition you aren't going to easily go over the amount you have in your purse and you'll be more aware of the items you put into your trolley; costing it out in your head as you go.

Living with cash will also help you sift out what you need and what you don't. Giving yourself an 'allowance' in cash each week and leaving the plastic at home will curb your spending habits. It's hard to do but very well worth it. And like everything, it does take some getting used to. Keeping your family budget under control is all about planning and discipline.

Exciting news... Bargain Mums TV launching soon

Exciting news afoot for the Bargain Mums team and our ever expanding followers and community. We will be launching Bargain Mums TV in the new year. The weekly broadcast will aim to give you some first hand insight into how you can save money in a practical way as well as give you a snap shot of the spots you need to go to keep money in your back pocket. We'll also be reviewing new products and services and opening the broadcast up for discussion about money saving ideas!

Keep your eye on this space! 2011 is set to rock the Bargain Mums world.

Stay tuned!!

Buy buy buy - why now is a good time to save money online

With the Australian dollar in parity with the US dollar now is a fantastic time to save money on your online purchases! So what is this PARITY business?

Parity, when referring to economics is equality in price, rate of exchange, purchasing power, or wages. In this case, the Australian dollar is equal to and if not performing better than the US dollar. Which means, that the Aussie dollar stretches further now when you purchase products from the US.

So get on the bandwagon and save some money by shopping online this Christmas.

Some great sites you should consider:

www.ebay.com

www.amaon.com

www.eastbay.com

www.ezibuy.com

And if you want to find out the exchange rate, the bext webite to do this on is www.xe.com

We don't know how long this will be the case, so take advantage today!

Tip #14 - If you can walk, don't drive!

If you live in an area where you don’t have to drive far away to get to work or stores, walk, bicycle or take a bus/train!

Not only will you save money but you will be healthier.

Tip #13 - Eat before you go shopping

Everything looks good at the grocery store when you are hungry. If you go to the store before eating you may find that you stuff your cart with more than you need! Try to go right after a meal to avoid impulse buys and to avoid getting more than what you need and spending more money than planned.