December 11th, 2008 | Author: 
One of the best parts about being one of Wal-Mart’s ElevenMoms is the opportunity to give great prizes away to my readers and subscribers.
Nickelodeon has teamed up with the Elevenmoms and Wal-Mart to offer you a chance to win a $500 Wal-Mart gift card just in time for the holidays. I’m sure you can think of lots of ways to use that card and entering is simple. Just follow the steps below for your chance to win and then head on over to the ElevenMoms website for more chances to win.
How to enter:
- Follow me on Twitter.
- Sign up for the Frugalous Monthly Newsletter (sign up is on this page).
- Post a comment below with ONE money saving tip for the Holidays, your twitter user name, and the email address you used to sign up for the newsletter.
This contest ends at 11:59pm EST on December 14, 2008.
Please note that you must complete all 3 steps to win! Good luck!
Winner will be notified by email on December 15, 2008 and will have 24 hours to reply.
EDIT: a reminder folks – you need to comment with 1. your money saving holiday tip AND 2. your twitter user name used to follow me AND 3. the email you used to sign up for the monthly newsletter. If you do not have all THREE of these in your comment you will not be eligible to win!
Category: cleaning, food, frugal | 
Tags: 11moms, Christmas, contest, elevenmoms, gift card, giveaway, holiday, newsletter, nickelodeon, Wal-Mart, win | 
123 Comments »
Try and avoid using credit cards – pay cash whenever possible. The interest saved will be well worth it
One money saving tip. Cut down on the number of people you buy for. Get family members and friends to agree to set amounts and random 'name out of a hat' is whom you buy for in that grou.
Money saving tip: Homemade gifts. I can actually do a craft project that involves bits from the dollar store, say its from my kids, and viola…a really cheap gift with a super-high love factor.
That and shop at Walmart. It's like the dollar store but it doesn't all fall apart right when you get it home.
Freeze your leftovers for a meal later to save money on groceries.
Tip: Store cards are never a good idea. While some might advertise no-interest, no-payments, its' generally a poor idea to use them. The penalties for forgetting to make that initial payment by even a day result in upwards of 32.99% interest being applied retroactively plus massive fees. These guys love reporting instantly to your credit record too, but only in a negative way.
Comes back to the idea of not spending money that you don't have. Just don't do it, and you'll save a ton for the Holidays.
Set your financial goals & try your best to achieve them. Practicing this will help you to maintain your budget & reduce extra spending. Read complete article here:
http://www.logichub.net/blog/2008/10/17/the-imp...
Money Saving Tip: Spend less than you make.
Try replacing your home land line with Skype! Skype to other landlines are really inexpensive for unlimited calls – mine is $2.95 a month!
@shelleysplace Cook multiples in the oven and freeze the extras. As long as it's on make that resource count!
Twitter username is kash78.
Send out e-holiday cards!
I've been shopping for Christmas since early Nov and taking advantage of the Thanksgiving sales as well as special coupons to save money on gifts. Also, buying early online makes it easier to cut back on shipping and allows some time to find discounts.
Stop buying “stuff” for others that they don't want or need. Don't let the guilt factor rule your shopping.
Buy in bulk! Look for deals like “Get 5 $20 Starbucks Cards for $79.99″ (from Costco) – these make easy gifts.
We have many trees in our yard and this time of the year we burn fires to heat the house in the evening.
I do most of my Christmas shopping on-line now to save time and money and if I'm lucky enough to win I'll be heading to http://www.walmart.com/
Buy gift cards from places with rewards like free gas
twitter.com/jessewisinski
@dixbert sez he's not going to post his email address on your blog, but I DID sign up for your newsletter.
I save money over the holidays by making gifts AND by making small donations to worthy causes in the name of the person who already has EVERYTHING anyway. 
Money-saving tip for Wii:
Purchase Wii Console at Best Buy for low price of $249.. Sign up for credit account and get $25 off purchase immediately, making the Wii (which sells for around $400 elsewhere) $225. WEEEEE! (Of course, I immediately cut up the credit card when it arrives!)
Why not have everyone in your family make up a list of what they want the most and then draw names so that each member only has to buy 1 gift but it will be really appreciated?
MarketersVA
helpvirtual@comcast.net
Garage Sales! Not only have I found terrific holiday decorations, everything from ornaments to a 12' pre-llt tree. I have also found a brand new black cocktail dress, necklace & earring sets just ($15.00) which were closeout deals from Sarah Coventry … When shopping in a store, I always go to the sale racks first. It is amazing what great things you can find for next to nothing.
At the grocery store, always check the price per (ounce, unit, etc)– it's usually in the small print on the shelf, next to the item's price. Sometimes the brand name works out to be cheaper. Many times, the larger bulk package and the smallest package of an item cost much more per unit than the mid-sized package.
Freeze Credit Cards —- literally — in a block of ice.
In order to go shopping you need to wait for credit card to thaw — and for the record DO NOT put it in the microwave to speed things up!
My money saving tip when buying gifts: Use Craigslist.com – a lot of folks got in on great deals on Black Friday & Cyber Monday and now selling items on Craigslist. Some just flip it for a margin and some bought stuff they just don't need. Either way, this is a great time to find great deals on brand new unopened stuff in Craigslist.
My twitter id: KIntheHouse
This year I had a conversation with our kids about expectations. Also, instead of just letting them give us a Christmas list I told them they had to mark the top THREE. No more over the top gifting of things they can't find in a few days anyway!
I'm following you with a twitter name of @sundi_moz.
Buy Holiday/Festive Plates at the dollar store as a leave behind for parties. It looks fabulous but won't cost much more than a paper plate! Also, you don't lose your good plates/containers.
Twitter – cesalmon
Email – buypapers@aol.com
Set low low low gift giving limits with your partner — i.e. $10-$20 max — requires more creativity to give a truly fabulous, memorable gift!
Many schools and churches have craft fairs where kids can make things for grandparents and parents. Usually for less than a dollar a craft.
Holiday Saving Tip: Shop before you shop (online, mail circulars, newspapers), get coupons, figure amount of money needed, take only that amount of cash and put nothing on your credit card. Leave your cards at home. No holiday bills hangover and free and easy Holiday and January!
@CaroleCross
carole@wisewomen.org
RE-Gift!
There are parameters — be sure to keep track of who gave you the item and for what occasion so you don't accidently re-gift it to the person who gifted it to you or someone who was with you when you received it!
http://www.twitter.com/noraburns
Set a dollar amount limit for your circle of family or friends. Helps take some of the stress out of buying the “perfect gift”. Twitter user name: http://twitter.com/FabianMarquez
Email: fpmarquez@gmail.com
Have a budget. Make a list of who you're buying for and what you are buying. Reduce “browsing.” Save receipts and write down totals when you get home. It's helpful to see how those “Little things” add up and blow up your budget..
I follow you already @megin
For coffee drinkers: save money and brew your own coffee. Then put it in this to look “high class”: http://tinyurl.com/64qhtt – Also good for the environment!
Tip for saving money: Keep a running tally of every dollar and penny you spend during the holidays. The more aware you are of your spending, the more likely you'll think twice about how much you spend!
Tip: Wrapping paper and bows are expensive and wasteful. Don't wrap gifts from Santa, just place them under the tree late Chirstmas eve, then when the kids wake up, they will be excited to see all the gifts that Santa left under the tree. No mess, no waste, no expense. Make an obvious section for each child to avoid confusion.
I go for the homemade gift for at least a portion of the gifts I buy. I try to come up with ways to use what I have in abundance – and the past few years that's herbs – but also I try craft projects from recycled things we all have too much of (follow @Craft for ideas)
This is a multi-step plan. If you are in a Speedway / Super America region. Leverage Speedy Rewards points for Tunes or Applebee's gift cards. You can rack up your points by recharging a Speedway Cash Card first (every $50 gets you a 1000 points).
Twitter handle – @gbranger
Newsletter email address is included in the information provided as part of the comment
Wow. Walmart is my fave place! Chris Redding hrseandt@yahoo.com
I didn't follow directions.
Use the store brand of a product whenever possible.
Chris Redding hrseandt@yahoo.com
Make your own gifts! I love crocheting and most of the people on my list will be getting stocking caps or scarves!
Shop online – search for lowest prices, search for retailer coupon codes (on sites like retailmenot, couponmom, couponcabin, etc), and make sure monitor the site for free shipping times. You also save on gas and stress of holiday parking, crowds, etc!!
email: chavrilla@bellsouth.net; twn = havrilla
meganlynn at gmail dot com
twitter: bubbalish
My tip: Buy wrapping supplies at great discounts after the holidays to use the next year. I bought all of my wrapping for this year at 90% off last year. I spent maybe $10 and I have more than enough to get me through this year with plenty to spare.
take an empty 1/2 gal ice cream container and fill it halfway with water. Freeze the water. Now place your credit cards on top of the ice and fill the rest of container with water. Freeze the rest so the cards sit in the middle of the block of ice.
Now, when it's time to go shopping, you have made it inconvenient and time consuming to access those cards. This equates to more time to THINK about your buying decisions and refrain from impulse shopping/overshopping. Overall, it's a good practice in that it keeps you from spending money (you don't have) in haste and waste.
@fave
Favorite money-saving tip for the holidays…Buy items like candles and picture frames at super-clearance throughout the year. They make great presents…and nobody needs to know you got them for fifty cents.
OK – probably a lame tip…just one more reason for me to subscribe to this newsletter.
twitter name lisameece108
email – lisameece at hotmail dot com
@erinbanister
Instead of buying those crazy-expensive christmas decorations, we build them! We get appliance boxes from http://www.freecycle.org, and create our own snowmen, reindeer, and santa claus. It's a super-cheap craft, and the little ones can even partake in the fun!
Use coupons for groceries whenever you can. It's amazing how much I've saved doing this.
Already left comment.
Didn't follow directions properly 1st time. OOPS
twitter:kimberlyspear
krspearit@comcast.net
I just registered to twitter just for you! my user name is jennijean. my email is timnjenni@hotmail.com. My tip is to not feel obligated to buy presents for those you don't want to buy for. Christmas giving should be about being generous and being a cheerful giver. So let's shorten our list of people we need to give to and try to give more meaningful gifts, which to me, means home-made.
1. money saving holiday tip:
Save on gas and avoid headaches by shopping online and at very local businesses. Better yet, make your own gifts from materials on hand. A thoughtful, personalized gift is better than a ubiquitous gift-certificate.
2. twitter user name:
froyse
3. the email you used to sign up for the monthly newsletter:
audiolizard(at)yahooDOTcom
Shop online using Google shopping to compare prices and find the lowest available price. Don't forget to factor in shipping costs! Or give the gift of magazine subscriptions. They are usually inexpensive, and people will appreciate them all year long.
Oh and my twitter name is @jaycejones, email address 1jaycejones@gmail.com..