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.

Bank of America and Target are both sponsoring free admission days at dozens of museums across the country. B of A cardholders with picture identification and a B of A card can gain free admission on the first full weekend each month. More than 100 museums across 27 states are participating.

For details check out the Museums on Us and click on "Locate a museum near you" to find which ones are participating near you. Free weekends include July 4-5, August 1-2, September 5-6, October 3-4, November 7-8, December 5-6, January 2-3. Note, some museums are free just one day a month.

Not to be outdone, Target is sponsoring dozens of free and discounted events at museums across 17 states, including AZ, CA, CO, D.C., FL, IL, IN, MA, MI, MN, MO, NY, NC, OH, PA, TX, and WA. A Target card is not required for free admission. Check out the list here.

I’m not a parent but I did spend many high school summers babysitting and tutoring my younger brothers and sisters. I’m afraid what we did is terribly old fashioned: swim at the local pool, tromp through neighborhood stream, design forts, etc.

So I updated my list with low-budget or free activities. Feel free to add your own ideas by leaving a comment!

1. Public library often have for free events for children

2. The local department of parks and recreation may have low budget summer camps or one-day programs

3. Look for free days at local museums

4. Design a scavenger hunt for your kids with 10-15 items they can find nearby. You get a break while they search!

5. Help them set up a lemonade stand

It seems my grocery bill is never low enough. So I compiled a list of my top 10 ways to save money at the grocery store. Share your tips in the comment section!

1. Practice the bargain hunters mantra - buy ahead of need. Get an extra cart if a sale is that good.

2. Become a freezer diva. Like, I can totally stuff more meat into my freezer than you can!

3. Grab coupons from the newspaper, the mail, manufacturer Web sites and online sites. You can never have enough coupons for the things you buy most frequently.

My sister has an unusual way of flushing her commode. She lives on the top floor of an apartment building in NYC and it takes a few minutes for the water to get hot when she showers. While the water is heating up she shoves a bucket under the faucet.

When nature calls, instead of flushing the toilet the old fashion way she dumps the water she has collected from the bucket into the toilet boil. Dumping it in all at once jump starts the toilet’s siphon, which swallows the waste.

Doing this saves water by re-using shower water that would otherwise go down the drain and by only flushing the toilet when necessary. She follows the if it’s yellow, let it mellow rule.

Many companies are celebrating Earth Day with big deals and giveaways. Here's a list of 8 Earth Day deals and tips.

1. Visit the Web site of Reynolds Wrap on Earth Day and get a free roll of their new recycled aluminum foil (up to $4). Set up a reminder email here.

2. Get coupons worth up to $2 for Seventh Generation products when you register on their site.

3. Cut back your electricity usage with the help of My Green Electronics, a site that calculates how much electricity each appliance and gadget sucks by the minute, day, month and year. Knowing the cost is half the battle.

Are Forever Stamps a Good Deal?
The United States Post Office is increasing their rates May 11, 2009 by two cents. So a first class letter will soon cost 44 cents to mail. If you buy Forever stamps before the rate hike, however, you can still use them after prices go up. This saves you two cents per letter, or about a half of a percent.

When the USPS first introduced Forever Stamps two years ago Washington Post reporter Allan Sloan wrote, "Hoarding Forever Stamps makes financial sense if you think postal costs will rise at a higher rate than your after-tax earnings on a money-market mutual fund -- currently about 3.5 percent a year for someone in the 30 percent tax bracket".

The thought of waiting on hold to adjust a bill, rescind a charge, or haggle for a lower price is enough to occasionally deter me from picking up the phone. Sound familiar?

That is why it is so important to be able to get a customer service rep on the phone ASAP!

A Web site called GetHuman.com makes this goal possible. The site can save you time - and money. Get Human is one massive list of corporate phone numbers and suggestions to get to a live customer service representative on the phone quickly. I tested out three numbers with differing results.

Call 1: Abercrombie & Fitch
By following the instructions at GetHuman.com I was speaking with a person from A&E in fifteen seconds.

Are you waiting until the last minute to file your taxes, like me?

Ways to E-File for Free
The blog Productivity 501 has a nice list of Web sites that offer electronic filing for free. Each site has some limitations, however, such as income limits or residency requirements.

You can also check out the IRS’ Free File for taxpayers who make less than $56,000 per year. If you make more than that and need to file forms 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ, you can get free electronic tax filing by using the IRS' Free File Fillable Forms. Note, the IRS requires you do the math on your own.

Last Minute Tax Tips
Before you file, check to see if you are eligible for any of these ways to lower your bill to Uncle Sam.

• Verify you are eligible for the Alternative Minimum Tax.
• Charles Schwabb offers these 7 suggestions to lower your tax bill.
• For a comprehensive guide to filing taxes, read SmartMoney's 36-page PDF brochure to find the answer to everything from how the stimulus bill will affect your taxes to tax traps.

I have always been a big meat eater. So foregoing all meat for Lent was a hard choice - but it has had the pleasant perk of saving me tons of money. I’m not really religious but I think it is important to remember what it feels like to want something you cannot have. My deprivation is artificial, but reminds me of all I have in my life.

In February I spent $364.96 on groceries. In March my grocery bill was just $157.78, but that drop is partly due to the fact that I was out of town for two weeks. So I wasn't buying as much food and when I'm gone Hubby eats most of his meals at work (which provides dinner to get employees to work late).

A better price comparison is the cost of vegetarian protein v. the cost of animal protein. For $.89 I can get a can of black beans that will generate 3 meals. A big pack of tofu that will make 5 meals costs $1.19. The total cost for 8 meals of vegetarian protein is $2.08, or $.26 per meal.

A whole chicken cost me for $7.48 ($.99/lb) and will make 6 meals. A pork shoulder was $6.88 ($2.99/lb) and will make 5 meals. Total cost for 11 meals $14.36, or $1.30 per meal.