I started early Like back in June. Made a list and really shopped the sales for the kids. DH and I didn't exchange gifts. Also, I baked alot for people. I think sometimes people enjoy that more. Also, paid CASH for it all!!!!.

This year 2007, I'm putting away $25 every 2 weeks for x-mas and b-day parties and such!!!!

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"Never get so busy making a living you forget to make a life!"

This is my big one too. I haven't gone to the stores yet at all. I will make one trip on Tuesday for a few little things and that is it. Everything was done online and all with pretty good sales and free shipping. I am a terrible impulse shopper, I cannot go to stores without the, "while I'm here or OMG look at that clearance rack!" Wish me luck Tuesday, I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

Another: I cut a ton of people off my list this year. It was getting way out of hand. Everyone seemed happy about it too.

This year we planned ahead of time what we were going to spend. We took the cash out of the paycheck and divied everything up into envelopes. Gas for trips, gifts, our party and food. When its gone its gone.

Of course we had to rework the numbers a couple times but we didn't go over our preplanned amount, just shifted things around.

And made out list and checked it twice :D

I did a bit of ebay shopping, Kohl's clearance and a few after Christmas sales and discovered that the local Eckerd has a lot of good clearance sales (got my mom the worlds best grandma shirt that you color for $3!). I paid attention to what things were going on sale and priced matched them while they were on layaway, but can't do that next year though!

What I did to save money is I just stopped spending money when I had what my kids wanted for Christmas. In the past, I would see things that they like or have asked for in the past and they end up with way more gifts than they can even play with in the whole year. This year, I set out to make a list and only buy those things on the list or that they had asked for and when I got them, that was it. No more gifts...

I had to buy a couple things off ebay and I must be a sucker or something, because I had to spend almost double what the prices were in the store.. I just couldn't find the toys anywhere else and it was what they wanted. I hardly ever get a better deal on ebay, usually just stuff I can't find anywhere else...

Online shopping does not normally help me at all, the only thing it helped me do was to get the few things I couldn't find in the store. I usually end up in the store buying something else..this year, however, was different... I made my mind up that I was sticking as close as I could to my budget and I only went over just a bit... I am thankful for that!

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