Photo by joshbousel

In our overly politically correct society, it's a conundrum that marketing around the annual birth date of Jesus Christ becomes fiercer each year.  Just what is the purpose of Christmas trees sans angels and the rabid replacement of "Christmas" with "holidays"?  Most people have no self-reflective radar on the meaning behind trudging off to the mall and digging into debt for some nebulous tradition.  After all, how do "holidays" motivate folks to buy, if not out of obligation?

I don't offend easily, but the aggressive Christmas marketing strategies are enough to make me boycott gift buying.  If you want to take a stand against commercializing Christmas, you don't have to swear off buying completely.  Just be smart and follow these savvy shopping tips to avoid becoming a "holiday" lemming.    

1. Make your own gifts.
Get Rich Slowly has an amazing list of 34 easy-to-make Christmas gifts.  Who doesn't love a jar of hot chocolate mix or a homemade gingerbread house kit?

2. Never enter a mall without a list.  No browsing allowed.
The music alone will lure you to the cash register.  I'm convinced stores pipe in cookie scent too.  If you must go to a physical location to purchase, enter at your own risk with an agenda in hand.

3. Avoid shrink-wrapped gift packages.
Nobody likes the generic body lotions and candle sets.  I'm sorry if you've been that aunt thus far, but it's time to stop.  No more gift sets.

4. Give only to charities.
Shop within your budget for a selected charity.  Don't give blindly, but rather research each option and make a few phone calls to verify what they need.  Nonprofit organizations have specific requirements for donations, so don't assume your benevolent gesture will be appreciated unless it matches their needs.

5. Shop online only.
Recognize your Pavlovian nature and avoid the "holiday" mall environment all together.  Most stores offer free shipping this time of year--you'll probably find better deals online anyway.

The good news is prices are settling back down after last year's spike in food costs.  Whereas food rose an average 5% across the board during the 2008 summer, it has now deflated to more reasonable costs.  But it still doesn't change the cha-ching price tag on feeding a group of people this Independence Day.  The median price for a pound of hamburger patties, lettuce, cheese, tomato, and pickle is $11.  If you are the lucky host this year, give more to your guests while staying within your budget using the tips below:

1. Buy food in bulk.
Dust off the Sam's or Costco membership and buy your buns, burgers, pickles, tomatoes, and chips in bulk.  Buying cuts separately can double your cost according to Patrick Johnson, owner of D&R Supermarket.  Opt for cheese, lettuce, onions and other sides at the regular grocery store to reduce waste.  

2. Let your guests bring something.
You aren't a bad host by letting your friends pitch in.  No one likes to show up empty handed, so rather than say "um, no thanks, I think we have everything", tell them to bring sodas or a side of beans--the more specific the better.  They will enjoy contributing just as much as you do.  

3. Sale away.
Most stores are vying for your dollar around popular cookout times.  Right now Kroger is offering $.99 16 oz. packages of strawberries and a 12 slice packages of Kraft singles for $1.47.  Head to Tom Thumb for $.99 Ball Park franks (16 oz.) and 93% lean ground meat for just $3.99.  Check out weekly specials at your preferred store's website.  And don't forget about Walmart's price match guarantee!

Time to save for Christmas? You betcha!

The winter holidays are six months away (Hanukkah is Dec. 11 this
year), which means…ug…it’s a perfect time to start saving for the
yearly gifting spree. Here are five ways to prepare. I hope one of
them works for you!

1. Set a budget for much you want to have to spend on presents and
divide by six months. This is how much you need to save each month.
Set up a special savings account with an automatic deposit each month
so you don’t leave it up to chance. If your budget is $400, save
$66.66 each month.

2. Examine your budget and see how much you can really afford to save
each month or week. This is your holiday budget.

3. Begin setting aside gifts you come by NOW. This approach is similar
to the first but instead of saving cash you are socking away gifts. I
keep a box of gifts in my closet that I add to periodically. I
currently have a beautiful red sushi plate that I’m going to give to
my neighbor, a few small toys for my nieces and nephews, and a handful
of cookbooks. Some people swear by shopping for Christmas/Hanukkah
year round. I like to combine No. 1 and No. 3.

Please stop with the ties and soap-on-a-rope.  Dads tend to get the raw end of the deal after a knockout Mother's Day.  Our papas are just as important, so take this special day to let him know how valued he is to your family.  Don't get him a Best Buy gift card or cologne--those are boring, totally cliché, and quick fixes.  Even though we are closing in on the last few days here are some ideas on how to extend a meaningful gesture.

1. Make a movie with the camcorder.
Wipe the dust off that thing and put it to good use. Visit several significant locations in town to recap memories, narrating key moments.  Using a simple program like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker (a free download) piece together background music and titles.  This shouldn't take more than two or three nights or afternoon.

2. Enlist the kids to make homemade cards.    
Use any of the awesome templates from Disney's Family Fun website to make awesome, personalized cards and printable gifts.  Some gifts require additional basic supplies that can be purchased or made with materials from the craft store.

3. Purchase cool iTunes applications for cheap.
Some of his top favorites may include:

• Gas Cubby, an automobile tracker that helps monitor vehicle maintenance, gas mileage, and more, will keep his steed running in top shape. $3.99
• iFitness helps you ditch the gym notebook--keep track of cardio, weights, and health goals.  $1.99
• MLB at Bat 2009 is for the ballpark lover!  Every conceivable stat and video highlights are at a finger's touch.  $9.99
• Golf loving dads will dig Green Finder, an app that calculates the exact distance to the green using GPS.

Christmas is closing in on 230 days away!  What better time to get going on your Christmas savings.  It’s been about three years ago now that my wife and I started our own Christmas Club account at an online bank.  We signed up for a savings account there, and came up with a reasonable Christmas shopping budget for the next holiday season.

To make saving for Christmas as painless as possible, we divided our annual Christmas shopping budget by 26 equal contributions, since I’m paid every other week.  Each paycheck, a little bit of money is diverted to our online saving account.  The beauty of these contributions is that they are so small we hardly even miss them.  

In the past we were ill-prepared for most holiday seasons, and wound up charging Christmas gifts to our credit cards.  Those debts seemed to drag on much of the next year, until it came time to do even more Christmas shopping.  Since we had been focused on paying off debt most of the year, we had little cash saved up for the next year and out came the credit cards again.  It was a vicious cycle.

If you plan on retreating to eShopping this holiday season to avoid long lines, beware!  Online shopping scams are on the rise. To decrease your risk of being an easy target, use the following tips to save your pocketbook:

1. Never give your financial information to companies who "claim" to need it.  Check the privacy statement to ensure that your information will not be sold without your permission.
2. The Better Business Bureau is also online.  Look for the BBB seal of approval before ordering.
3. When you enter into the checkout site, the address bar should read "https" thus indicating a secure site.  Without the "s" the site may be hacked to reveal your financial information.

Run, don't walk, to Amazon's two-day only President's Day Sale!

February 16th and 17th Amazon.com is offering up to 65% off more than 400 kitchen and home items. Choose from products in kitchen, bath, patio, furniture, tableware, small appliances and more. These are some of our favorite picks.

Here's a hint to keep you out of the doghouse this Valentine's Day. She really DOES want flowers! Yes, she has told you countless times what a waste of money they are or that they die too fast, but you're sure to get extra points from Cupid for your flower delivery. Good news is shipping fresh, fragrant bouquets is much cheaper than you think.

Most online flower delivery companies are offering super coupons for February 14. The Flower Store has original, stylish arrangements of roses from which. Our favorites are the "Just Smitten" and "Hearts Afire" bouquets available for same day $10.99 shipping. Send the "Hugs and Kisses" arrangement from ProFlowers.com for $49.99 and get free weekday delivery. Many purchases from Pro Flowers qualify for a free vase with purchase. And save 25% on your Valentine's Day purchase when you ship early with 1-800-Flowers.

Chocolate or candy may be better options if your valentine has a sweet tooth. Check out FreeShipping.org's coupon code for Gertrude Hawk Chocolates--complimentary delivery for orders of $50 or more. Order today from Harry and David for free standard delivery on all Valentine's baskets with Moose Munch, chocolate, and all things heart-shaped.

If you're wanting to make next Saturday a bit more intimate for him, Victoria's Secret is just a click away with $15 off $100 or $30 off $150. Femme Fatale, Fun and Flirty, and Sweet Little Somethings intimate apparel are sure to please! Also get free shipping coupons from Lingerie Diva at FreeShipping.org.

Don't put it off--waiting will only increase your shipping fees. Take advantage of Valentine's Day coupons at FreeShipping.org and fill this year with hugs and kisses.

So you've left it to the absolute last minute. Here are a few websites that you can shop at that are offering free shipping and will guarantee delivery by Christmas.

1. OhToy! - Get your toys under the tree by Christmas with overnight free shipping on orders over $100. Must order by 12pm ET.
2. Zappos - Order by 1pm ET today to get your order by Christmas. You'll also get free shipping on your order.
3. Endless.com -Get your shoes and handbags by Christmas when you order by 5:15 PST today. Shipping is on them.
4. 7forallmankind -Order by 12:00 PST for free overnight shipping with delivery by Christmas. Doesn't matter how much your order.
5. Blue Nile - There's still time to find the perfect gift at Blue Nile. Order by 6pm ET today to get free shipping and delivery by Christmas.
6. Fossil - Get that watch for that special loved one by 12pm CST with free overnight shipping and it will arrive in time for the big day.
7. Origins - Origins is offering free overnight upgrade shipping until 1pm ET. Use coupon code Ugrade1.

We recommend that you double check these offers with the merchants in the chance that they may have changed.

This week Walmart introduced a new feature to it's free shipping with Site to Store that could benefit you this holiday season. Walmart Site to Store orders typically take 7-10 business days to arrive at the store after your order is processed. You then have to pick your order up from your local Walmart. Site to Store Express is a paid membership program that ships your eligible Site to Store order to any Walmart store in the contiguous United States in 3-5 business days plus processing time. There is an annual fee of $29 for membership in Walmart Site to Store Express. If you shop at Walmart.com frequently and use Site to Store then this might be just what you need.