The question is, “Are you ready for the kids to be home?” Will you let them hang out in front of the television all day complaining about boredom? Of course you won’t! With a little prep work ahead of time, you can have plenty of entertainment options ready and waiting for the kids to enjoy.

Baking Day – What kid doesn’t love making a mess in the kitchen and creating a few special treats? You can combine some of your holiday meal preparation and entertaining the kids by enlisting them in your baking projects. You can make sweet cookies, tasty breads, or even a fresh pie. The kids will be proud of their creations, and you’ll get some much-needed help.

Board Game Tournament – Whether your family likes traditional board games like Monopoly or card games like Uno, they’re certain to enjoy a tournament based on their favorite game. Play several games until a winner can be declared. You may even name the winner King (or Queen) of the Day, and let him wear a crown for the rest of the day.

Holiday Movie – Although I am not a big fan of making the television the center of our day, I do enjoy a good movie now and then. Kick off the holiday season with the kids by settling down to watch one of your favorite movies. Young kids might like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (either version). Older kids might prefer something like a classic like Miracle on 34th Street. A Christmas Story is, of course, a favorite for all ages.

Wreath Project – Get the kids involved in your holiday decorating by having each of them create a holiday wreath with construction paper. Allow them to color the wreath and make any sort of embellishment they like. Then, let each youngster hang his wreath on a door in the house. They’ll love to show off their creation when your Thanksgiving guests arrive.

Content provided by Not Made Of Money: Keeping the Kids Entertained on Thanksgiving Break

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I realize, though, that many people aren’t out there shopping for fun. They are shopping for some very specific items on their shopping list. For those people, I’ve come up with this list of Black Friday shopping strategies:

Divide and conquer. Black Friday definitely isn’t the day to try to do everything yourself. There’s just no way to be at Target for a 5 AM opening, to be at Wal-mart at the same time, and to be at Kohl’s at 6 AM. Instead, call your friends and family the night before. Figure out who is going to be in each store and trade shopping lists. If nothing else, sharing your shopping chores will give you and excuse to get together to share shopping stories (and divvy up the purchases).

Travel in tandem. If you’ve ever been shopping on Black Friday, you know how quickly the lines can get long. Getting to more than one store in a hurry can be hard, though, if you have to spend an hour in the checkout line at Kohl’s. We get around that inconvenience by shopping in pairs. My husband jumps in the checkout line and hangs out there. I venture out into the store to find things and bring them back to him in line. Then, I take his place and let him go find things.

Make a list and take it with you. Shopping from memory on Black Friday never works. You’ll forget something every time. After all, you start shopping before the sun’s up; are you even awake yet? Having a list can help you stay on track as you work your way through the massive crowds and keep you from picking up a bunch of extras, too.

Shop online. You can purchase some Black Friday items through the internet. Now, you’re not going to find those great doorbuster items online. You can, however, take advantage of great discounts. For instance, last year Kohl’s had some steep discounts on their Fisher Price toys. Unfortunately, our local store didn’t have the specific toy I was looking for. I was able to log onto Kohls.com and order the toy at the same discount I would have enjoyed at the store.

Content provided by Not Made Of Money: Black Friday Shopping Strategies

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We use a few different tricks to make sure that we use up the leftovers in our house. None of these tricks are fool-proof, but together they seem to keep the mound of leftovers at bay.

Date your leftovers. We always write the day’s date on a piece of tape and stick it to the container holding each night’s leftovers. This information allows us to keep track of each leftover’s age and ensure that we eat the container’s contents before they become inedible.

Transform leftovers into something new. No one can complain about eating last night’s leftovers if they don’t realize that they are. Look for recipes that allow you to utilize your leftovers. Grilled chicken breasts from yesterday’s cookout, for instance, can become tasty ingredients in a dish of enchiladas or a warm topping for a lunch salad.

Pack leftovers in lunches. Chances are that you’re always looking for tasty lunch ideas, anyway. Why not pack small portions of last night’s dinner dishes into your or your spouse’s lunch? A helping of warm meatloaf or tasty pasta is much better than another humdrum sandwich or a drive-thru burger.

Have a “Leftover Night.” When all else fails, an easy way to get rid of a random batch of leftovers is to host a leftover night. Allow each member of the family to fill his plate with his choice of leftovers. One family member might select one dish for his meal. Another might select tiny portions of several dishes to create a buffet-style meal. You can create excitement about “Leftover Night” by hyping it up. Ask the kids throughout the day what dish they are looking forward to having on the big night. Before long your family will love “Leftover Night.”

Content provided by Not Made Of Money: Leftovers Management – Don’t Let That Food Waste in the Fridge

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If you’re on a budget, though, you already know how tough it can be to plan a party on a tight budget. Tailgate parties can be especially trying since they tend to require a lot of meat and high-priced snacks. How will you ever plan your tailgating bash without putting a huge dent into your grocery budget?

One way to save on your tailgate party is to save on the cost of those expensive game tickets. Although nothing beats the excitement of seeing a game in person, you don’t have to miss out on all the fun if there isn’t room in your entertainment budget for tickets. You could always invite all of your friends for a tailgating party in your own backyard. Use the same paper plates and napkins you would use in the stadium’s parking lot. You’ll have the same easy cleanup without the hassle of moving your grill.

Another way to keep your tailgate party under budget is to refrain from including steaks or pork chops. Instead, why not offer bratwursts, hot dogs or hamburgers. You can find these meaty options at a much more reasonable price. Hearty stews or chili are other sturdy, but budget-friendly options for tailgate party fare.

You can save on side dishes, too. Skip high-priced potato chips and offer potato salad (potatoes are very cheap). Chopped vegetables offer a more health-conscious option. If you do the work to chop and wash the vegetables yourself, you can keep the cost of your veggie spread pretty low.

Don’t forget to include drinks in your tailgate party plans. Purchasing beer on sale can keep the cost of alcoholic drinks down. You may also want to keep some warm beverages on hand, though. Those winter games can get pretty chilly. Hot tea and coffee cost almost nothing and will take the chill off your guests as they wait for the big game to start.

Content provided by Not Made Of Money: Tailgate Parties on a Budget

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Let the sunshine in! Let Mother Nature take responsibility for heating some of your house during the winter months by opening the curtains on south-facing windows during the day. Be sure to close them, though, at night to keep the night’s cold air from chilling your rooms.

Help your heating and cooling systems do their jobs. You can do a lot to help your HVAC systems work efficiently by keeping your registers free from dust or dirt. You should also keep your furnace’s filters regularly.

Use landscaping to shelter your home. Trees aren’t just a lovely addition to your yard. A well-positioned tree or two can offer your home cooling shade and protect it from harsh winter winds. Don’t worry if you can’t afford large trees; you can always plant smaller, more inexpensive trees and wait for them to grow.

Air dry your clothes whenever possible. Hanging your clothes from a clothesline rather than running your dryer can save energy and keep your clothes looking great. You also won’t have to worry about trying to cool your house after the dryer heats it up.

Turn off electronics when they are not in use. Electronics that are left on or in standby mode can suck up a great deal of electricity. I have to admit that I’m still working on this one; I tend to let my desktop computer run in standby mode for days on end because I forget that it’s on. Now, I’m trying to make more of an effort to remember to shut it down entirely when I’m done using it.

Use motion sensors to manage room lighting. These sensors will turn on the light fixture in a room whenever they detect someone entering the room. After a period of dormancy, they will also turn the lights back off. You won’t have to walk around the house flipping switches at bedtime anymore.

Content provided by Not Made Of Money: Home Energy Saving Tips

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