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Fun (Cheap) Birthday Gift Ideas for Kids
Several months ago, I got a message from Elaine G., who recently had joined a moms group. With all of her newly minted friendships, she and her little one are getting invitations to lots of toddlers' birthday parties. Her dilemma took me back to …Read more.
What You Need To Know if Your Bank Fails
If it seems that more banks are closing this year than normal, you are absolutely right. Since January 2009, 106 banks and 19 credit unions have failed in the U.S. That's more than four times the number of closings in 2008. It's the most since the …Read more.
Make Your Own Sanitizing Wipes
Dear Mary: I would like to find a recipe to make hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. Do you know of one? — Delores, e-mail
Dear Delores: I have been thinking about the same thing, now that we're learning that products like Purell are …Read more.
7 Simple Ways To Stretch Food Further
Buying groceries on sale and cooking meals at home are excellent ways to keep the cost of food under control, but there are other things we can do. Here, for your enjoyment, are simple ways other "Everyday Cheapskate" readers make food and …Read more.
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Give a Gift With PersonalityIf you're looking for a unique gift this holiday season, one that will have a great deal of meaning for both you and your recipient, I have an idea for you. It's called "Journal in a Jar." This has been met with such rave reviews in the past, from both givers and recipients, that it's back by popular demand.
The idea is to assemble in a glass canning jar (or other container) everything your recipient needs to write the story of his or her life. Add a blank journal with plenty of pages and a few pens. Include 365 specific questions that will act as daily idea starters for your recipient's journal writing, such as: Why was your name chosen for you? What was happening in the world when you were born? What is your personal secret to happiness? You can include as many questions or prompts as you like. If you provide 365, you ensure a complete journal that touches on all areas of a person's life. Or you could adapt this idea to 52 questions, one per week in the new year. Once you have assembled the gift, you will want to add a tag or card that explains what it is and how the recipient will use it. It could look like this: RECIPE FOR YOUR LIFE HISTORY: The purpose of this gift is to help you preserve a written account of your life. INSTRUCTIONS: Combine a generous slice of your life history, a dash of nostalgia, several cups of facts and feelings, and a few deliciously interesting questions. This is an idea for kids, too. Here are just a few prompts: Draw a picture of your favorite pet or animal. Draw a picture of your favorite thing to do in the summertime. Draw a picture of your favorite place to go. Draw a picture of your favorite thing to do with Grandma or Grandpa. For an older child or teen: Tell about your favorite pet. What kind of animal is it? When did you get him/her? Tell about your hardest day at school. What is your favorite band? To help you get going, I have posted hundreds of prompts for all age groups, as young as 5 and as old as 105, at my Web site, www.DebtProofLiving.com. Find it by going to "Mary's Web Desk." It's under "QuickLinks," on the left side of my home page. You can copy and paste the questions to your word processing program and add your own unique questions. Print, cut apart and drop them into the jar or other container. Journal in a Jar is not a gift you can make on Christmas Eve. You need to get started now, and while you're at it, make one for yourself. Your finished journal will become a legacy for your children. Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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