The After Christmas Sale

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If you have not already begun, it is now the time to stock up for next Christmas. Discounts can be found everywhere from department to drug stores and from grocery to thrift stores. You can find bargains now with deep discounts that you can use for upcoming occasions and holidays other than just Christmas. Get red and white tissue paper now for your Valentine gifts and the chocolates are deeply discounts, especially those in Christmas packaging. Just discard the packaging and put in a pretty heart shaped container. Use your imagination and the possibilities are endless. Gift sets can be purchased now for birthday and anniversary gifts later. Returned opened up and taped back merchandise can be bought cheaply, so think big. It is a good time to get a better tree. The longer you wait the better the deal. To get more ideas on how you can save go to http://www.frugalliving.about.com/ and http://www.thriftyfun.com/. Where are the best deals? You can find an extensive list at http://www.geekettebits.com/. Just look under the Popular Post section at the Day After Christmas Deals & Sales. Here you will find a list of 45 different retailers with deals set to expire within the next couple of weeks. Don't forget about adding to your ornament collection at this time. Here is another tip on the fireplace pleasers. Start saving empty toilet and paper towel rolls and dryer lint. Get some twine if you don't have any and use it to make a wick that goes through the inside of the rolls and then pack with the dryer lint. Color some paraffin with red and green or blue and white candle coloring and dip these packed rolls into them. You can even dip one side in one color and the other side in another color. You can even add fragrance oil into the heated wax for scent. Lay these out on wax paper to dry and seal in airtight containers for next Christmas. You will be ahead of the game with these ideas and you could literally save yourself hundred of dollars buying now.

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Fireplace Pleasers without the Price

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With Christmas quickly approaching, give a gift from the heart. This is one present that you will spend time on making wonderful. Fire starters are very useful and much desired gifts. If you can commit to an afternoon of gathering twigs and lots of pine cones, your guaranteed a low-cost and eye-catching present for the one you love. Gather up kindling of any kind that you can find outside. Try to find twigs or branches big enough that you can cut into uniform pieces. Take them and place in a bucket of water to clean off debris and bugs. Remove the pieces and put 2/3rd's of the pine cones aside. Put remaining pieces on a baking pan and place in the oven at 200 degrees for at least 30 minutes or until dry. When pine cones open their petals, then remove them from the heat and set aside. You can take a third of the pine cones and place in a 1/2 gallon of water and add 1 cup of borax or Allum. Take the other third and place in 1/2 gallon of water and add 1 cup of boric acid and let these soak for 8 hours, remove, and allow them to dry in a warm place until Christmas. When these are dry place them in a cellophane bag and tie with raffia. They will burn red and green when placed in a fire for a beautiful effect. If you don't have fragrance oils, then go to your local florist and ask for any lavender and rosemary stems. You can add bayleaves, lemongrass and mint. Bundle this together in two to three arrangement and add some cinnamon sticks to each and tie with raffia and set aside. Buy some paraffin wax, candle coloring, and candle fragrance and melt in an old tin can big enough to dip cones. Place tin cans in a double broiler to heat. Use Christmas colors of red and green or your color theme can be blue and white. Submerge pine cones with tongs and set on wax paper to dry. Place in a cellophane bag and tie with raffia. Assemble twigs and branches in separate bundles and tie together with raffia. Arrange bags and bundles in a basket or empty cardboard box decorated with wrapping paper. I like to give this with a Christmas popcorn tin so they can use the tin to put cool ashes in during the holidays. Don't forget to include a box of kitchen matches and your set to provide the lucky recipient with some wonderful nights in front of the hearth.

More Inexpensive Christmas Ideas

Image by Ana Santos via Flickr

I wanted to buy each of my colleagues at work a Christmas present this year. This is one thing that always creates a dilemma. I want to get them something that they will like while making sure my family members presents are covered. After brainstorming for several days I came up with a very inexpensive solution. Recently I had purchase a cute little locker organizer at you guessed it , Wally World . My coworkers had commented on how much they liked it. I purchased 9 of them for about $20.00. I know that they will love it, and I didn't break my budget. I got them something that they will use every time they go to work. I found them in the clearance section at Walmart. They also have locker lites in the shape of stars and heart that come on when you open the door. They are only 50 cents apiece. This makes a great little gift for a niece or nephew. So go pick up a few while supplies last.

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