The practice of gift card giving for Christmas is highly debated, and from what I have seen in a lot of online forums, highly frowned upon as lacking in thought and effort. But I must confess, I am not one of those who frown upon gift cards for Christmas and actually like them. And I strongly believe that in the current economy, gift cards can be more of a blessing to many people than presents.

How Gift Cards Can Be a Blessing This Christmas

Many of us are worried about not having enough money for living expenses in the coming months and possibly years. A gift card to a useful store or a Visa or American Express gift card that can be used to purchase groceries and other necessities could be more helpful than say an Xbox or iPhone.

Multiple Gift Cards Into One Big Gift

Even in times without economic crisis, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with giving or receiving gift cards. Despite the common belief that gift cards are an easy way out and show a lack of thoughtfulness, I think that in a way, they can show thought.

For example, say a family wants or needs a new television (or computer or washing machine if you prefer the more practical) and their friends and relatives know about this. Instead of each person giving a gift, they could all give gift cards that can be pooled together and applied toward the purchase of the big item they really want or need.

This can be for things practical or non-practical. But the end result would be the recipient being better able to afford something more expensive they could otherwise afford on their own.

Why Not Just Give Cash?

While gift cards are almost the same as giving cash, they are a little more subtle and a step closer to the gift category. Giving cash for Christmas may feel a little blunt, and maybe even crude to some people. And while a gift card is just cash in another form, the name and implications are a little more gift-like. With a gift card, the recipient has a choice in regards to what their gift will be – be it food, clothes or a luxury.

Examples of Gift Cards That Can Be Helpful During Economic Crisis

• Visa or American Express Gift Cards

  These can be used to buy necessities such as groceries or household necessities anywhere Visa or Amex are accepted. They can be used in store, online and by phone, but be sure to include the accompanying instructions. I would recommend going with Visa as they are more widely accepted than Amex.

  If you wish to add a personal touch to your gift card, GiftCards.com lets you design your own cards with custom images.

  

• Amazon Gift Certificates or Cards

  Amazon.com has a huge selection of merchandise including dry groceries, personal care items, household supplies, clothing, furniture and home improvement. An Amazon.com Gift Card or Gift Certificate can be used to buy anything through the Amazon website including those from the Marketplace (fulfilled by merchants other than Amazon).
  

• Department Store Gift Cards

  Department Store Gift Cards such as the Target Candy Cane Zebra Gift Card pictured below could be helpful to families with children who need to buy things like school clothes and shoes, as well as things for the house.
  

Thoughtful Gift Cards

If you want to show that you do put thought and effort in the giving of a gift card, purchase one from a store or type of store that sells niche items for your recipient’s personal interests or hobbies. Many stores these days sell gift cards – it’s no longer just the big department stores:

• Toys and Games
• Books
• Music or iTunes
• Electronics
• Clothing
• Home improvement
• Restaurants
• Specialty and niche stores such as our own custom dog clothing and costume business. The recipient can select the item and have it customized to his/her pet.

Of course, if you’re just not comfortable with giving gift cards, there is nothing wrong with a traditional gift. After all, the Christmas tradition is one of luxury, and gifts should be luxuries. Only this year, and every year until the current economic crisis is past, I believe gift cards might be more well received than in previous years.

Related posts:

• Holiday Blog Carnivals
• Free Printable Templates: Christmas Candy Stripe and Plaid Carrier Gift Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Holiday Snowflake Gift Tags, Treat and Mini Carrier Bags
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #12
• Frugal Christmas: Skipping the Tree and Presents This Year

From Our Fourpence Worth

• Father’s Day
  If you’re still looking for a Father’s Day present, many of our ideas from Frugal but Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gift Suggestions could also apply to fathers and father-figures in your life.
• Tax Rebate
  If you are truly interested in helping the US economy, check out Don’t Spend that Tax Rebate Just Yet for a few suggestions on how to and how not to spend your tax rebate based on an article by Liz Pulliam Weston of MSN Money.
• Motivating Children to Practice Music
  Take advantage of summer vacation to help your kids get ahead on their music practice and get the most out of your music lesson fees with some advice by Madoline, who majored in music and has had experience in teaching children’s piano lessons.
  • Motivating Children to Practice Music: Introduction
  • Part 2: Playing the Piano is a Privilege (Not a Chore)
  • Part 3: Playing Slower for Faster Results
  • Part 4: Divide and Conquer

  (If you like the image to the right, which is an original illustration by my sister Madoline, check out our CafePress store Mozartini for gifts and collectibles featuring this image and other artwork by the same hand.)

• Editor’s Picks
  We’re starting to get the hang of blogging (which was completely new to us when we started this blog in February), and have produced a few Editor’s Picks in recent blog carnivals:
  • The Frugal Literate’s Guide to Affordable Reading
  • Frugal but Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gift Suggestions
  • My Favorite Money and Time Saving Websites
  • Guide to Safe and Smart Traveling with Pets
  • Lottery Tickets: Worthy Investment or Waste of Money?
  • Simple Solutions to Staying Out of Debt

News from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

• Personal Finance Buzz
  Check out PF Buzz for lots of great personal finance articles and vote for your favorite ones — hint hint — my profile.
• Finance Fiesta
  Last Thursday (June 5th) saw the first edition of the Finance Fiesta blog carnival hosted at Master Your Card. This week (today), the Fiesta is being hosted at Wide Open Wallet and will be hosted by yours truly next Thursday. If you have a finance or frugality related article, be sure to submit it by Wednesday June 18th 5:00PM EDT to be considered for inclusion in the 3rd Edition of the Finance Fiesta!
• Summer Savings Series
  Money Life Network is running a Summer Savings Series over the course of 3 weeks with tips including but not limited to:
  • Ways to save on travel
  • Frugal activities for the kids
  • Ways to save on your auto expenses
  • Ways to save on groceries
  • How to get motivated to save

  Be sure to also check out my last article Frugal, Fun and Productive Summer Activities for some ideas for keeping cool, busy and fit this summer.

I promise to return soon with more scintillating material. Thanks for reading!

Please consider subscribing to our RSS Feed to keep up with new posts. If you prefer, you can also have new posts delivered directly to your inbox by Subscribing by Email.

Related posts:

• Tips for Staying Healthy This Winter
• Hosting the 3rd Edition of the Finance Fiesta Blog Carnival
• Hosting the 16th Finance Fiesta Blog Carnival
• Does Thinking About Money Make You a Bad Person?
• Closing Your Credit Cards Can Hurt Your FICO Score

Originally posted 2008-06-12 05:48:09.

Our products include .t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, journals, greeting & note cards, post cards, posters, coasts, memory boxes, throw pillows, clocks, magnets, mousepads, stickers, pet dishes and more

These illustrations make great gifts for frugalites, penny pinchers, bankers, accountants and anyone with an interest in personal finance and frugality.

To browse our whole store, which includes classical music-, animal & nature-, language-themed as well as more financial related artwork, visit Mozartini to see all.

Here is a sampling of our ever growing collection.

All the images are available with and without captions

Click on the images to view them on products in our shop. Images below are low resolution; images on products are high res.

Financial Artwork
Classical Music Artwork Divas, Prima Donnas & Primo Uomos come in many combinations of hair and clothing colors.
Whimsical Works Horses are available in an assortment of colors and breeds & anatomical charts.
Unique Clocks Language clocks are available in 20 different languages and we take requests for additional languages.

Related posts:

• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights Giveaways: Cute Piggy Bank Magnet Prizes for Hosting and Submissions
• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2

Gold Coin Sprout Magnet $4.49 Don't Forget to Water Your Money Tree Framed Tile $11.49 Incontinent Spending? Journal $10.49 "Frugal" Definition Magnet $4.49 One is the First Step to a Million Postcards (Package of 8) $13.99 Time is Money: Spend it Wisely (in French) Wall Clock $13.99 Prune Your Spending and Watch Your Savings Grow 3.5" Button $3.99 Penny Poem Rectangle Magnet $4.99 Bankrupt Baby Blocks Small Framed Print $37.49 A Penny is the First Part of a Million Note Cards (Pk of 10) $19.99 Interest Bears Fruit Ornament (Oval) $7.99 Reap What You Save Hooded Sweatshirt $28.99 Don't Forget to Water Your money Tree Cap $17.99 Our Fourpence Worth Crest ~ Liquidité, Equité, Frugalité $4.49 Reap What You Save ~ Money Tree Growth Stages Large Mug $12.99

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Undoubtedly, the only thing worse than having a “cheap date” is being called one. But in the current economic atmosphere when one should be more concerned with prudence in spending habits, a frugal date, in my mind, is something to be lauded rather than repudiated.

After all, dating is all about finding the person you will share your life and finances with till something beginning with the letter “d” do you part. So this year, and perhaps for a few to come, remember this and cut yourself and/or your significant other a little slack and remember that there are more important things in life than extravagant dinners and presents.

Here we will offer some Valentine’s Day Gift and Date ideas that won’t cost a fortune and hopefully make this Valentine’s Day special and fun. I’ve divided this post into several sections with subsections such as “Gifts under $10,” etc. within each section.

Table of Contents

Click to go to each section, click your browser “back” button to return here.

• Valentine’s Day Budgeting Suggestions
• Gestures
• Date Ideas
• Romantic Foods and Treats
• Gift Ideas
• Gift + Date Ideas
• Valentine’s Date Movies

The artwork contained in this post is by Madoline and more can be seen and purchased on a variety of products from our CafePress store.

Valentine’s Day Budgeting Suggestions

Before we begin, a few suggestions on the finances of Valentine’s Day.

• Discuss a gift budget beforehand whether or not you are married or share finances.
• Set a spending range that is comfortable for both parties and stick to it. (If one person gives an expensive gift but the other a more economical one, awkwardness may ensue.)
• Consider combining your individual budgets if they are low. This way you might be able to afford something pricier that you can both enjoy.
• Consider a “useful” gift. Something more practical rather than romantic that can make your life together more pleasant (long term benefits vs. short term).
• Consider making both your gifts by hand and from scratch.
• Discuss your date budget and activities that you will both enjoy without spending too much.

It may seem unromantic to talk about the date or gift ahead of time, but lack of communication in financial matters (i.e. spending) is one of the main causes for marital strife, so it might be better for your relationship in the long run if you share in such decisions.

Gestures

for Her

• Let her sleep in. Make the kids breakfast and keep them occupied with cartoons or other activities.
• Breakfast in bed. As this year Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday.
• Help out around the house or yard. Is there something she’s been asking you to do for a while?
• Take the kids out for the morning or afternoon to give her some quiet time to relax and get ready for your date in the evening.

for Him

• Let him watch football (or whatever sport is on in February). Bring him popcorn, chips, beer or whatever he likes. If you need to speak to him (even about the game), wait until commercial break.
• Go with him to do his favorite sport or activity. Is there something he often asks you to do with him that you always say “no” to? Go with him, let him show off for you and compliment him on his prowess.

for Each Other

• Ask a friend or relative to take the kids for the day and just relax and enjoy each other’s company at home.
• A massage. Lower back for someone who does a lot of physical work (e.g. housework), neck and shoulders if he/she works at a desk or computer.

Date Ideas

• Tour of your romantic spots. Plan a route including some or all of the local places where significant points of your relationship took place. Pack a picnic to enjoy at one of your spots. Suggestions of places: where you met, where you  had your first date, where you first kissed, where you proposed/were proposed to, your first home together, etc.
• Assemble a scrap book of your relationship. This can be an annual activity done on each Valentine’s Day chronicling your life together in the past year. Save and assemble memorable items such as: pictures; notes you’ve written each other; ticket stubs from movies, shows and sporting events you attended together; receipts from romantic dates; and if married or planning marriage: engagement announcement, bridal shower invitation,  wedding invitation, baby showers, etc.
• Read a favorite childhood book together. Find a book that you both loved as kids, check it out from the library or buy it used and take turns reading it aloud.
• Plan your future. This might be a dreaded subject for the commitment-phobic, but if this is a serious and committed relationship, Valentine’s Day is a good time to plan your future life together. Take a scenic tour of neighborhoods and homes that you want to live in, think about the kind of home you want to own (if you don’t own one already) and start thinking about how you are gong to get there.
• Do anything together. Paint a room in the house, work in the garden, play games, watch a movie, or just anything you both enjoy.

Romantic Foods and Treats

• Pink and red food such as pink butter, cheese, milk, cereal, cake, salad dressing, pudding, rice, sauces. Naturally red and pink foods are beets, cranberry/mayo, frosting, jello, strawberries, jam, and various ice cream.
• Heart-shaped food and treats. With heart-shaped cookie cutters and bakeware, you can make heart-shaped cookies, brownies, cakes, sandwiches, fruit, eggs, toast, pasta (lasagne) or whatever your heart desires.To make heart shaped eggs or pancakes:
  1. Grease the inside of a metal cookie cutter
  2. place on oiled heated pan
  3. Firmly hold down while pouring a layer of egg or batter inside of cookie cutter (careful not to burn your hands)
  4. Lift cutter when shape is firm and flip pancake/eggs
• Give a heart shaped chocolate cake instead of a box of candies. Cake mix can be had for $1 or less on sale. Write your message in frosting on top and save the expense of a card.

Interesting  Fact: The Chinese customarily give gold jewelry as a sign of caring, because the recipient may sell it for money in times of need.

Gift Ideas

Some suggestions for frugal but nice gifts. If you are giving a small gift, check out Madoline’s Eggshell Gift Wrap post from December; this is a unique way to wrap a small gift (such as jewelry) in a way your recipient will never forget.

Price breakdown for specific product suggestions doesn’t include shipping as rates may vary and some items might be purchased locally.

Gifts Under $10

• The language of flowers. If you live in a area where wild flowers are available, pick your own bouquet of flowers for your date. Refer to the language of flowers for meanings for various kinds of flora, known as floriography.
• Plant a rosebush or her favorite flowers in the yard. Plant seeds or transplant a potted plant and mark the spot with a romantic sign.
• Hand-knitted or crocheted scarf, hat and/or mittens in his/her favorite color(s). Yarn in fairly inexpensive and the paper wrapped around the skeins often come with instructions for making something.
• A Digital Photo Keychain filled with pictures of the two of you that he/she can carry around and look at at any time.
• Print his/her favorite poem in the center of a sheet of paper. Frame and matting will make it an elegant art piece and a nice, thoughtful gesture.
• A paperback book with your greeting written inside the cover instead of spending money on greeting cards which might get thrown away.
• For a nature lover, assemble and paint a bird house in his/her favorite color(s)  – Bird House Kit.

Gifts Under $20

• A 365 page-a-day calendar and write in personal notes on the anniversaries of all your special dates – date you met, first date, first kiss, when you started “going steady,” when you first said the “L” word, birthday and other holiday wishes, etc. And if you’re really good at this, one note a day for every day of the year.
• A customized mug with your valentine message or a photo of the two of you printed on it (and date and year if desired).
• A personalized chair or piece of furniture. Go to thrift stores in your area and look for nice pieces of wood furniture. A good solid wooden chair or other small piece of furniture such as a small shelf can often be found for $5 or $10. Sand off the finish and paint it in your significant other’s favorite color. Don’t be afraid to be creative and use colors out of the norm. You will need: a pack of sandpaper, a paintbrush and some enamel paint, or a can of spray paint. All can be found for reasonable prices at Walmart and sand paper and brushes can be found at some dollar stores.

Gifts Under $30

• A nice set of feather pillows so he/she thinks of you before falling asleep each night.
• A set of fluffy new towels.
• For her: pastel colored hand weights to help her meet her fitness goals.

Gift + Date Ideas

As Valentine’s Day this year is on a Saturday, you might be able to spend the day together instead of just the evening. Here are some suggestions for activities for your Valentine’s date are also gifts.

• Make heart-shaped chocolate candy together – Chocolate Heart Making Kit.
• Make aromatic candles that can provide ambiance for a romantic dinner and evening in – Candle Making Kit.
• Personalize His & Hers chairs together. (Date version of the personalized chair idea above.)  Go to thrift stores together, pick out and paint chairs for each other.
• Make dinner together. Cook something neither of you have made before like an Indian curry or sushi – Sushi Kit with instructions.

Interesting  Fact: The word “Gift” in German, means “poison.”

Valentine’s Date Movies

A Valentine’s date doesn’t have to mean an expensive night out. In fact, a quiet night in watching movies together on the couch has more appeal to me. Here are a few suggestions and favorites of mine.

Under $10

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Audrey Hepburn)
• Notting Hill (Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts)
• You’ve Got Mail (Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks)
• Sleepless in Seattle (Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks)
• Sense & Sensibility (Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant)
• Pride & Prejudice (Keira Knightley, Matthew McFayden)
• Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northem)
• Bridget Jones’s Diary (Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant)

Under $20

• Lady and the Tramp (Disney)
• North & South (Richard Armitage, Daniela Denby-Ashe)
• Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart)
• My Fair Lady (Audrey Hepburn, Harry Stradling Sr.)

Well, this wraps up our Valentine’s Gift and Date Suggestions. I hope you found at least a few helpful ideas here that will save you money but not get you called a “cheap date.” Just remember the purpose of the holiday is to honor the one you love, not compete for who gives the priciest gift.

The best gift would be to be considerate of him/her, everyday and not just on Valentine’s Day. Be creative, and be yourself.

Also check out our Frugal but Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gift Suggestions for more gift ideas.

Related posts:

• Recent Blog Carnivals (February 2009)
• Friday Fun: Meme Me! 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me (Penelope Pince)
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #3
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading
• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary

These images are provided for personal non-commercial use and may not be published elsewhere. If you want to share this with your friends, please link to this page.

If you enjoy our free printable templates, please consider making a donation to help us produce more.

Gingham Gift Boxes

For gift boxes, print on cardstock or heavy paper.

1. Print colored top and one plain bottom template.
2. Cut on dark lines
3. Fold on lighter lines.
4. Glue tabs to sides.

Yellow Gingham Gift Box	Pink Gingham Gift Box
Green Gingham Gift Box	Blue Gingham Gift Box
Print one of the following Gift Box Bottom for each box you make. Gift Box Bottom

For more original free printable templates by Madoline Hatter, visit our Freebies section.

Related posts:

• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Gift Accessories by Madoline Hatter
• Free Printable Templates: Holiday Snowflake Gift Tags, Treat and Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Dairy Cow Milk Cartons (Black, Brown, Tan & White)
• Free Printable Templates: Mini Wall Street Journal Carrier Gift Bags

These images are provided for personal non-commercial use and may not be published elsewhere. If you want to share this with your friends, please link to this page.

If you enjoy our free printable templates, please consider making a donation to help us produce more.

Gingham Carrier Bags

For carrier bags, regular printer paper is recommended. Directions are provided on image:

1. Fold down top of bag.
2. Crease on lines to make rectangular shape and glue into a tube.
3. Fold bottom of bag end as if gift wrapping a box.
4. Use yarn, ribbon or string for handles and make a crease down each side as you have seen on paper bags.

Click on the small images to enlarge and print.

Yellow Gingham Bag	Violet Gingham Bag	Spring Green Gingham Bag
Red Gingham Bag	Blue Gingham Bag	Pink Gingham Bag
Orange Gingham Bag	Green Gingham Bag	Brown Gingham Bag

For more original free printable templates by Madoline Hatter, visit our Freebies section.

Related posts:

• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Gift Boxes
• Free Printable Templates: Holiday Snowflake Gift Tags, Treat and Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Christmas Candy Stripe and Plaid Carrier Gift Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Mini Wall Street Journal Carrier Gift Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Patriotic American Flag Miniature Gift Accessories Set

As for actual gifts, we believe most mothers would appreciate something you made or put some thought and effort into. Below are some suggestions for Mother’s Day gifts. Ideally, you would do some of these things all year round, but Mother’s Day is a good time for them too. Not all of these ideas will suit everyone, but hopefully some of these will work for you and your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, wife, or any other maternal figure in your life.

Note: Not all of these suggestions are really “frugal” as in “cheap”, but they are frugal in that they are ideas for prudent, useful and practical, but still meaningful gifts that show you’ve put thought and effort into it and, therefore less likely to go to waste as many commercial Mother’s Day gifts tend to.

Hobby Gift Baskets

A few suggestions for baskets you can assemble. You can often find nice baskets at dollar stores or at thrift stores for a very low price. Many of the items recommended in the following list (i.e. books and music) can be purchase used and still in good condition. Used items often clean up nicely with a bit of rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. And even purchased new, these items still make useful gifts with lasting benefits.

• For the Literary Mom
  If she likes to read, scour used books stores and library sales for books she would like (mysteries, vintage books, classics, etc. – paperbacks suggested) and assemble a book basket. You could even include a few snacks to enjoy while she reads (cookies, chocolates, cocoa, tea or coffee mix).
• For the Crafty Mom
  A basket of yarns, fabrics, sewing, knitting or crochet supplies. You could pick out a craft instructions book, find a project she might like and assemble the necessary supplies for that project.
• For the Musical Mom
  CD’s, sheet music, and music books. You might pick a particular theme such as Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, romantic piano, or Italian opera or music from her youth. For older moms, you might have to include a CD player. For pianist moms make or buy a cushion for the piano bench (the unpadded ones are incredibly hard even for young bodies).
• For Moms with Pets
  Assemble inside a new litter box or pet bed: treats and necessities such as grooming supplies, pet vitamins, hair catching tools, odor control, collars and leashes, training equipment, hair bows, super odor suppressing cat litter, car restraints (seat belts), and/or an obedience class paid for by you.
• For the Gardening Mom
  An assortment of seed packets with flowers, spices, fruits, and vegetables. The frugal mom may save a lot of money growing her own produce. For areas with insect problems, herbs such as lavender may deter bugs from the home. You can also include a book on using herbs for health and beauty and include seeds for the plants described.
• For Culinary Moms
  Collect free recipes online to present on index cards or a handmade book. You might choose recipes based on a theme, such as appetizers, a certain ethnicity, a favorite ingredient, or health benefits. You might wish to include few kitchen gifts like a baking pans, knives, silverware bought on clearance (we got ours for under $5), cheese graters, rolling pins, seeds for herbs or young herb plants. Instead of a basket, you could give a blender filled with fruits and smoothie recipes.
• For the Scrapbooking Mom
  Scrapbook supplies and the promise to provide future memories for her to document. Look for creative scrapbook materials such as pretty paper salvages from greeting cards, gift wrapping paper, and nice packaging from things you buy. Ribbon, beads, lace, small toys, letters of the alphabet cut from magazines, cards, and used books. Doilies and decorative embellishments can be purchased at half price or less after a holiday. Glue and scissors might be useful too.

Home and Garden Help

• Clean her house for her (this is one of those that may not suit all personalities)
• Tidy her garden or yard for her
• Go through her house and look for things that need minor (or major) repairs and maintenance and fix them if you can, or arrange for professional assistance if necessary
• Clean all her windows, inside and out. This is a sure way to brighten a life.
• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries if needed. Install a carbon monoxide detector if she doesn’t have one.

Favors and Services

• Make a nice breakfast and clean up afterwards
• Wash her car, vacuum the interior, clean the upholstery and carpet, take it for a tune up and oil change, check and inflate the tires if needed, and preset her favorite radio stations.

Flowers

• Buy some flowers to plant for or with her (small plants and flowers are often available for under $1.00 at garden centers and even drugstores like Rite-Aid)
• Instead of cut flowers, which while nice, are not very frugal because they only last a few days, you could give her a vase for putting flowers from other flower gifters (this way she’ll think of you every time someone else gives her flowers)
• Give attractive artificial flowers that last all year round. You could even fashion them into curtain tiebacks or trim a hat with them (just use hot glue).

Health and Fitness

• If she doesn’t get enough exercise due to weather, time, environmental or other constraints, consider a Pedal Exerciser that she can use while sitting at home – i.e. on the couch while watching TV. (We bought one of these for ourselves when we lived in the Bay Area where it was cold in the winter, and our grandmother took it because she said it was perfect for her situation.)
• Dumbbells in a pretty color. For the non-athletic mom, you might get a pair of 2 lb. dumbbells.
• Make slipcovers for her stationary bike, treadmill, or other exercise equipment.
• Spend the day with your mom, watching DVDs and pedaling or doing some other aerobic exercise.

Pets

While pets are not considered a frugal gift for the giver or recipient, they can bring a host of other benefits that make the cost worthwhile. Pets are especially good for elderly people who live alone and can use the companionship and are capable – physically, mentally and financially – of caring for them. If your mother lives alone and is fond of animals, a nice gift would be to help her adopt a pet. There are thousands of cats and dogs in need of good homes, and studies have shown that pets bring many health benefits, both physical and mental, to their owners including:

• Lower blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol
• Lower stress and anxiety levels
• Fighting depression and loneliness
• Faster recovery after illness
• Overall better health and fewer doctor’s visits

However, don’t surprise her with a pet. Rather, discuss it with her ahead of time and if she likes the idea and is sure that it is a commitment she is capable of taking on, go to a local animal shelter, pet rescue or other pet re-homing organization together and spend some time choosing a suitable pet for her. Be sure the animal you choose is suitable for in various ways:

• Type of Pet
  While both dogs and cats provide companionship, dogs tend to be more interactive and require more attention and maintenance than cats. Cats and dogs are not the only types of pets to be had, however. Birds, mice, gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas and guinea pigs also provide a presence and can help fill the space and quiet of an empty apartment or house.
• Size and Weight
  Make sure the animal is a size and weight that she can handle. If it is a dog, it should be a weight that she can easily control when walking on a leash.
• Age of Pet
  For elderly persons, mature pets are often more suitable, as they do not require as much physical interaction and activity as young animals, and will have reached a more stable mental, social and emotional level.
• Home Environment
  Make sure the animal will be compatible with the living space. Size isn’t necessarily the only factor to consider, but disposition. A small but high energy dog may or may not be suitable for a small living space, and there are older and larger dogs that can live happily and comfortably in smaller living spaces.

There is no end to the benefits and happiness pets can bring people, especially elderly people who live alone, so if you think your mother might be a suitable candidate for pet ownership, here are a few links to websites with more information on pet ownership for the elderly:

• How Pets Help People
• Animals and Your Health: The Benefits of Pet Ownership
• Safe Dog Breeds for Elderly People
• The Pets for the Elderly Foundation
• The Importance of Pets for Elderly People

Again, remember that pet ownership, regardless of the size or type of pet, is a responsibility not to be taken lightly and sprung on your mother without prior research and consultation with her.

These are just a few suggestions. Whatever you choose to do, remember that what your mother will appreciate most of all is the thought and effort put into the gift and not the monetary value of it.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #3
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading
• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary
• Recent Blog Carnivals (February 2009)
• Frugal, Unique and Meaningful Valentine’s Day Gift & Date Ideas, Plus Budget Tips

• Disposable trash receptacles. Food cartons stand up nicely and are good for catching bits of trash while you are cooking, saving you the cost of trash bags. The foil-lined and plastic bags inside these cartons are often sturdier and more leak-resistant than trash bags proper and are ideal for holding food scraps and bones.
• Throw-away cat litter boxes. Very few people relish the task of dumping out cat litter, lifting liners full of sopping litter, or scrubbing the gray-brown clumps from the bottom and sides of cat litter boxes. You can avoid this age-old task by cutting a rectangle from of the side of a cardboard carton instead of opening the top, filling this homemade commode with litter, and throwing the entire litter box away once a day. These litter boxes can be set on newspapers or other floor protectors if you have large cats.
• Cheap homemade notebooks. Use flat cartons as book covers, using one narrow edge as the spine. Paper can be stitched or stapled in folded sections or simply stacked. To be efficient, cut the box to fit the size of the paper rather than cutting the paper to fit the box. I made an exception with the sample pictured here because the idea of a notebook in a Jello box was too good to resist. Affix the pages to the spine with hot glue. If you want a bookmark, glue a piece of ribbon or string to the spine before gluing the pages. These are good for address books, shopping lists, anything. They can be covered with pretty paper or fabrics for a fancier look.
  
  

  

  

   

• Storage and desk organizers. Cartons covered with paper or spray paint can be used for storage on shelves or desks. Cereal boxes can be cut into trays for holding paper and file folders. I have covered all sorts of boxes with gift wrap paper (bought on sale) and Japanese rice paper (received as gift) with good effect. A good coat of varnish preserves these items for years.
• Gift boxes. For presents to family members, recycled cartons should be acceptable. After all, they will be wrapped . . . or not.
• Craft materials for children. Encourage creativity by having children make useful or decorative items with the nice cardboard from food packaging. Providing a wastebasket (or cardboard carton) at the project area will prevent mess. Some possible crafts are:
  • Doll houses. Simple or multi-level doll houses (or horse barns) are easy to make. Boxes can be stacked or adjoined, with doors cut between them. Plastic from packaging provide transparent window glass. Furniture is easily procured from cardboard and small cartons (Jello again). These houses can be papered, carpeted (old towels?), or painted. If used as cozy homes for small pets make sure they include no unsafe materials as rodents and guinea pigs tend to eat their homes.
  • Message box. Cover and decorate cartons for each family member to hold mail, messages, gifts and treats. They can resemble mail boxes, bear the owners name, and be hung on bedroom doors. It is also easy to cut boxes into heart shapes as pictured.
  • Picture frames. Cut one face of a carton into a frame and use the other face as a backing. Cover with paper, fabric, lace or other trims (flowers, candy, knickknacks). Glue on three edges, leaving one edge for inserting artwork (or photo), or glue entire frame with artwork inside.

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #2
• April 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary
• Blog Carnivals
• Covering Cardboard Cartons: The Simple Suitcase (Storage Box)

Originally posted 2008-03-17 06:38:26.

These templates are provided for personal non-commercial use and may not be published elsewhere. If you want to share this with your friends, please link to this page.

For more free printable templates by Madoline Hatter, visit or Freebies category page.

If you enjoy our free printable templates, please consider making a donation to help us produce more.

Miniature Gift Baskets

Printing and Assembly Instructions

1. Cardstock or heavy paper is recommended for this item.
2. Click on the small images below to view and print them in their original size.
3. Select “scale to fit page” before printing and choose “landscape” paper orientation for maximum size.
4. After printing images, cut along outlines, fold and glue tabs to hold basket sides together.
5. For the handle, fold in sides of long strip together and glue ends to inside of basket.

Mini Blue Basket	Brown Mini Basket	Gary Mini Basket
Gold Mini Basket	Green Mini Basket	Rose Mini Basket
Pink Mini Basket	Purple Mini Basket	Sage Mini Basket
Tan Mini Basket

For more original free printable templates by Madoline Hatter, visit our Freebies section.

Related posts:

• Free Printable Templates: Patriotic American Flag Miniature Gift Accessories Set
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Gift Boxes
• Free Printable Templates: Holiday Snowflake Gift Tags, Treat and Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Hawaiian/Aloha Floral Print Treat Bags & Greeting Cards
• Free Printable Gift Accessories by Madoline Hatter

Originally posted 2008-08-15 14:35:20.

Our freebie for this week is a Hawaiian or Aloha floral print treat bag and greeting card template. It is simple to assemble and can be used to hold treats or small gifts.

These templates are provided for your personal, non-commercial use and may not be published elsewhere. If you want to share this with your friends, please link to this page.

For more free printable templates by Madoline Hatter, visit or Freebies category page.

If you enjoy our free printable templates, please consider making a donation to help us produce more.

Hawaiian/Aloha Floral Print Treat Bag/Greeting Card Templates

Click on the thumbnail images to view full size and print. Instructions are printed on the templates.

To assemble treat bags: Cut along outside line and follow gluing instructions.

To make greeting cards: Print on card stock or heavy paper and cut off glue flaps.

To see more original free printable templates,

Related posts:

• Free Printable Gift Accessories by Madoline Hatter
• Free Printable Templates: Miniature Flower, Treat, Gift or Decorative Baskets
• Free Printable Templates: Holiday Snowflake Gift Tags, Treat and Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Patriotic American Flag Miniature Gift Accessories Set
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Gift Boxes

Originally posted 2008-09-06 18:45:47.

With Christmas almost upon us, here are some last minute gift bag templates for the eleventh hour shoppers and gift wrappers. The Small carrier bags measure approximately 4 1/2″ tall, and the Mini carrier bags 3 1/2″ if printed on an 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of paper.

The images are large enough to be printed on slightly larger paper if desired. Select “scale to fit” when printing. Directions for folding and gluing are included on the printout. Click on the small images below to view and print.

Merry Christmas!

Red and White Candy Stripe Holiday Gift Bags

Red, Green and White Candy Stripe Holiday Gift Bags

Red, Green and White Plaid Holiday Gift Bags

Related posts:

• Free Printable Templates: Holiday Snowflake Gift Tags, Treat and Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Mini Wall Street Journal Carrier Gift Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Gift Boxes
• Free Printable Gift Accessories by Madoline Hatter

Originally posted 2008-12-22 07:15:23.

My spring cleaning therefore begins with using up these scraps as fast as possible and disposing of the remaining shreds. One easy way to use fabric scraps is to make patchwork berets which are highly individual and as colorful or demure as you choose. My recent hats are very colorful as I have a large variety of small pieces to deal with, but I intend soon to make some with fabric choices limited to one or two tones.

 

I have two styles of patchwork berets pictured here. Each beret is a 16 inch circle gathered onto a 22 inch band and took less than half of a day to make. The brims are optional and stitched on afterwards. The first beret is composed of truly small scraps of pretty fabrics (velvet, satin, cotton prints, suede, & corduroy) appliquéd to a circle of an ugly blue-green cloth that we once purchased for some inexplicable reason. The stitched edges were concealed by sewing white lace on top, which gives the whole piece a sugary, frosty look. You can use other trims such as ric rac, ribbon, or dimensional fabric paint to cover these edges. I opted for a white satin bow at the top instead of a pom pom (fitting for children) or a silk daisy and finished it off with a pieced together brim and three buttons in different colors.

The second hat is made of five pie-shaped pieces sewn into a circle. I made the pattern on my computer using the simple drawing tools common to word processing programs and added ½ inch to each edge for sewing. I then joined two or tree pieces of scraps to get a piece from which a section could be cut. These five piece were joined, lined with flannel (two leftover pieces joined together) and gathered on a patchwork band. The brim is made from leftover suede, stiffened with iron-on stabilizer. A button tops off the hat.

These hats are possibly too colorful for some people, but they are nice when worn with conservative clothing such as white shirts and coats. They can also be pieced together entirely from scraps of one fabric or the remnants from sewing a garment which becomes a matching accessory. Lining is optional and can add warmth or durability. The flannel pieces I used were from sewing a nightgown and old-fashioned ruffled caps. Other good fabrics for lining hats are: fleece, cottons, satin & faux fur. When you have enough hats for yourself and your family, produce them as Christmas, birthday, and baby gifts, saving the money you would spend buying presents.

Related posts:

• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary
• Affordable Storage Solution: Covering a Cardboard Box to Make a Treasure Chest
• Our Favorite Sources for Affordable Fabrics
• Elegant French Memo Board from Thrift Shop Picture Frame
• The Frugal Art

Originally posted 2008-03-27 16:48:57.

Tan Milk Carton

I have to admit that I am quite proud of my newest idea for free printables. These milk cartons with dairy cow prints are perfect for gift boxes, decoration, or storage. If putting cookies and treats in these cartons, be sure to choose a non toxic glue like Elmer’s Glue. Using a glue stick to seal the top will make it easier to tear open later. A plastic blag can be inserted to keep food fresh.

For myself, I am considering using one or more of my milk cartons to store jewelry that I don’t plan to wear in the near future. Other uses I can think of are table decorations for baby showers, packages for party favors, store-and-pour containers for buttons and beads or mini time capsules filled with keepsakes.

Mini Black & White Carton

Carton templates come in two sizes, regular and small. The tan and pink cartons have the word “Milk” in English, Italian, French, German, and Spanish. Printing on card stock recommended. Select landscape paper orientation and “scale to fit media”.

These free printable milk carton templates are provided for your personal non-commercial use. Enjoy! And more colors coming soon!

Click on the thumbnails to view and print. Instructions are printed on the templates.

Black & White Dairy Cow

Black & White Mini

Brown & White Dairy Cow

Brown & White Mini

English

English (Mini)

German: Milch

German: Milch (Mini)

French: Lait

French: Lait (Mini)

Italian: Latte

Italian: Latte (Mini)

Spanish: Leche

Spanish: Leche (Mini)

Check back soon for more colors!

To see more free printable templates, visit our Freebies section.

If you enjoy our free printable templates, please consider making a donation to support the future development of more. Every little bit helps and no amount is too small.

Related posts:

• Free Printable Craft Template: Birdhouse with Siding, Stucco Walls and Tile Roof
• Free Printable Gift Accessories by Madoline Hatter
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Miniature Flower, Treat, Gift or Decorative Baskets
• Free Printable Templates: Christmas Candy Stripe and Plaid Carrier Gift Bags

Suggestions: Gift tags can be printed on cardstock paper and tied to a carrier bag with twine, yarn or string, or printed on paper and glued to a bag.

If using on an inkjet printer, make sure the ink is fully dry and avoid touching the color ink when gluing.

Printing and Assembly Directions:

1. Click on the small images
2. Select “scale to fit” on your paper. (These images are large enough to be printed on paper sizes larger than 8.5″ x 11″.)
3. Follow directions for folding and gluing where applicable.

We will be uploading several more designs to our Freebies category over the next few days. Hopefully they will help save you some money this Holiday Season.

Happy Holidays from Pecuniarities!

Snowflake Holiday Treat Bags

Snowflake Small & Mini Holiday Carrier Bags

These carrier bags come in 2 sizes. The Mini Carrier Bags (left) measure 3 1/2″ tall, the Small Carrier Bags (right) measure approximately 4 1/2″ tall.

Snowflake Holiday Gift Tags

Related posts:

• Free Printable Templates: Christmas Candy Stripe and Plaid Carrier Gift Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Mini Wall Street Journal Carrier Gift Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Gift Boxes
• Free Printable Gift Accessories by Madoline Hatter

Christmas is in the air and I am bundled up to resemble a fat penguin, wearing 4-5 layers, and huddled in front of a space heater as I type. The weather also forecasts snow for us tomorrow, which is somewhat rare as we live in the Mojave Desert in Southern California. Having grown up in Hawaii, I can’t say I’m not a little excited about the snow but don’t really look forward to the accompanying cold.

But anyways, on to our roundup for this holiday season.

• Wide Open Wallet offers 10 Holiday Budget Busters.
• Frugal Dad offers Holiday Saftey Tips.
• My Dollar Plan shares 37 Homemade Gifts Under $20.
• Master Your Card shares 42 ways he’s going to make 2009 awesome.

We participated in 2 blog carnivals last week and would like to thank the hosts for including our posts.

• Carnival of Personal Finance #182 – Don’t Go Broke Over The Holidays Edition was hosted by Free From Broke and included Madoline’s post on Two Natural and Economical Ways to Shed Dry Winter Skin.
• Festival of Frugality #155: The Chic-Tacky Christmas Edition was hosted by Greener Pastures and included Madoline’s post on Beautiful Homemade Christmas Ornaments from Eggshells.

Well, this wraps it up for today. Happy Holidays!

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #12
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #2
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #3
• Early to Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Man [or Woman] Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

These templates are provided for your personal non-commercial use and may not be published elsewhere. If you want to share this with your friends, please link to this page.

For more free printable templates by Madoline Hatter, visit or Freebies category page.

If you enjoy our free printable templates, please consider making a donation to help us produce more.

Patriotic American Flag Gift Set

Click on the thumbnail images to view full size and print. Instructions are printed on the templates.

Miniature Square Box	Gift Box Bottom	Patriotic Envelope
Gift/Treat Bag	Patriotic Carrier Bag	Small Carrier Bag
Single Note Card	2 Note Cards

For more original free printable templates by Madoline Hatter, visit our Freebies section.

Related posts:

• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Gift Boxes
• Free Printable Gift Accessories by Madoline Hatter
• Free Printable Templates: Miniature Flower, Treat, Gift or Decorative Baskets
• Don’t Spend that Tax Rebate Just Yet
• Free Printable Templates: Holiday Snowflake Gift Tags, Treat and Mini Carrier Bags

All the artwork is 100% original and features finance- and frugality-related images and captions that tie in with the theme of our site. These products make good gifts for people working in financial professions – accountants, bankers, teachers, etc. – as well as for individuals who take an interest, or should take an interest, in their personal finances.

The commissions we earn on the merchandise ranges from $1.00 – $5.00 per item depending on the size of the merchandise and image (less for small items such as magnets and stickers, and more for apparel and large posters).

As we continue to develop new content for our blog, we will also develop new artwork for our store. Here are a few examples of the current items in our store. Almost all of our artwork is available on posters and framed panel prints; greeting, note and post cards; mugs and steins; magnets, stickers and buttons; t-shirts, tank tops, caps and sweatshirts; clocks, throw pillows, coasters and framed tiles; journals, mousepads, tote bags and more.

Visit Our Fourpence Worth Store to see more.

Related posts:

• The Life Stages of a Dish Sponge
• Terms of Use
• ‘Tis Not a Crime to Pinch a Penny
• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!
• Thank you!

A sponge is a Porifera, a sedentary creature characterized by its numerous holes (or pores). Sponges are water dwelling animals generally found in the sea. The dish sponge, Spongilla familiaris, is a domestic variety of sponge which frequently inhabits the damp places of human dwellings.

The common dish sponge begins and ends its life in and around the kitchen sink. In the kitchen sink, its natural environment, the sponge consumes and eliminates an omnivorous diet of food particles, thus fulfilling its purpose (Figure 1.1). However, in the course of its life, the dish sponge suffers wear and tear and becomes infected by other natural inhabitants of the kitchen sink: bacteria and mold. While sponge disease may be delayed or temporarily cured by the application of sodium hypochlorite (bleach), decrepitude follows and the inevitable end of the common sponge is sadly in the kitchen trash.

A too little known fact is that when a dish sponge is ready to quit the occupation for which it is named, it is not an “old” sponge, but a sponge in its prime (Figure 1.2). The life of a common dish sponge can actually be prolonged by a change of environment. If it is well kept, a former dish sponge can scour kitchen counters, stove-tops and other surfaces for food. When it outgrows this activity, the mature sponge can feed in the sink drain or on the floors.

The final habitat for the water-loving sponge is naturally the bathroom where it usually becomes so infected from its feeding habits that it ends its life in the bathroom trash (Figure 1.3). But, compared to the solely kitchen dwelling sponge, the dish sponge that has seen the world can be said to have enjoyed a life of greater fulfillment.

Disclaimer: The illustrations are for effect and are not guidelines for determining usability and sanitary state of an individual sponge. Use and dispose at your discretion.

More from the Life Stages of the Spongilla familiaris store

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• Fast & Frugal Recipe: Vegetable & Rice Teriyaki Bowl

Just a reminder for our American readers that new and increased USPS (United States Postal Service) postage rates take effect this coming Monday May 12th, 2008. If you are planning to ship any packages via USPS, now is the time to do so – today Friday May 9th or tomorrow Saturday May 10th – especially if you will be shipping a lot of items.

Below is a quick overview and reference for the various shipping options taken from a prior article I wrote back in February, Save by Knowing Your Shipping & Mailing Options, but with added info and updated rates that will take effect May 12th. (If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the above referenced post for tips on how to save on shipping and why you should be aware of your shipping options rather than relying solely on postal clerks to advise you.)

A few items of note:

• Express Mail is switching to a zone-based system with lower rates for closer destinations, so the new rates for some weights and destinations may be lower than current rates.
• Printing postage online can save you time and money; Priority Mail postage printed online can save you about 3.5% and Express Mail 3%.
• Purchase your Forever Stamps before Monday if you do a lot of mailing to save one cent per stamp. However, if you don’t do all that much mailing – i.e. by paying all your bills online (we’ve only used about half of a 20-pack I purchased last May) – it might be wiser to not stock up on a lot of stamps if you have a tendency to misplace them.

USPS Package Shipping Options

• First-Class Mail
  • Time: 2-5 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $1.17 for 1 oz. up to $3.21 for 13 oz.
  • Description: This is a good option for small and light-weight items including a single book or DVD with a total weight (envelope + item) up to 7 oz. as it would only cost you $2.19 as opposed to the 1 lb. Media Mail Rate of $2.23, and is faster than Media Mail. Using a padded envelope is highly recommended to prevent damage to the book or DVD.
• Media Mail (Book Rate)
  • Time: 2-9 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $2.23 for 1 lb. up to $26.38 for 70 lbs.
  • Description: Can be used for “books, film, manuscripts, printed music, printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders consisting of medical information, videotapes, and computer-recorded media like CDs and diskettes”, but cannot contain advertising.
• Parcel Post*
  • Time: 2-9 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $4.55 for 1 lb. and increases with weight and distance (zones)
  • Description: Can be used for general shipments of gifts, merchandise, etc. You will need to use your own packaging (free Priority and Express Mail boxes cannot be used for Parcel Post).
• Priority Mail*
  • Time: 2-3 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $4.80 for 1 lb. and increases with weight and distance (zone)
  • Description: Can be used for general shipments of gifts, merchandise, etc. You can also mail small, non-fragile parcels that will fit in the Flat Rate Envelope for $4.80 regardless of weight. While the 2-3 days estimated delivery time isn’t guaranteed, in my experience, Priority Mail is almost as fast as Express Mail. A package from California to most destinations is 3 business days, but some packages to New York City have been delivered in as quickly as 2 business days, delivery to Texas is almost always 2 days. Occasionally a package to destinations such as Georgia may take 4 days, and only one package in the past 3 years took 1 week.
• Express Mail*
  • Time: 1-2 business days
  • Cost: Starts at $12.50 for 1/2 lb. and increased with weight and distance (zone)
  • Description: Guaranteed on-time delivery by USPS. If your package isn’t delivered by the guaranteed date and time, you are entitled to a refund of the postage you paid. Also includes up to $100 of insurance against loss or damage. I only suggest using Express Mail if the delivery date is of vital importance. Otherwise, I have found Priority Mail to be almost as fast and much less expensive. If you live in more outlying and remote areas, Express Mail usually takes 2 business days.

*Zone-based. Go to http://postcalc.usps.gov/Zonecharts/ and enter in your zip code to get a Postal Zone Chart based on your zip code.

A Note About the Priority Mail Flat Rate Box

USPS is always trying to promote the Priority Mail flat rate box and telling us how much time and money we can save by using it. In my opinion: Time – possibly. But money – not necessarily (again, refer to this article). Be sure you check the full rate chart and compare the actual cost of mailing your package via regular Priority Mail if you are really interested in saving money.

For example, you can still mail a 12 lb. regular Priority Mail package to a local zip code for $9.75. You can mail a 4 lb. package to a zone 3 zip code for $7.85. So spend a couple of minutes checking the actual regular rate before packing up the Flat Rate Box and you could save a few dollars.

In order to figure out the rates, go to:

1. Postal Zone Charts and figure out what zone your recipient’s zip code is in
2. Prices and Fees and see what the rate for regular Priority Mail (or even Parcel Post) is

The rates for the Flat Rate Priority Mail Boxes are as follows:

• $9.80 for regular size (11″ X 8.5″ X 5.5″)
• $12.95 for large box (12” x 12” x 5-1/2”)

More info:
New Prices Coming May 12, 2008
International Shipping Rates

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Related posts:

• Save by Knowing Your Shipping & Mailing Options
• Our Favorite Sources for Affordable Fabrics
• Beware of Fake IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Phishing Email Scams
• Frugal Travel Begins Before the Trip: Vacation Preparation Checklist
• Giveaway: TurboTax Premier Online (Free Federal, State Preparation & e-File – $85 value) to 2 Winners

Originally posted 2008-05-09 05:32:27.

Our freebies today are mini carrier gift bags in Wall Street Journal headline and print from the July 12-13, 2008 Weekend Edition. The headline reads: “Talks on Mortage Titans Continue.” This makes a cute gift or decorative item for a friend with interests in finance, newspapers and all things quaint.

In our sample pictures, we show 2 ways of making handles for these bags. One uses paper and the other uses twine or jute string.

These templates are provided for your personal, non-commercial use and may not be published elsewhere. If you want to share this with your friends, please link to this page. Please note that the content in the newsprint belongs to the Wall Street Journal.

For more free printable templates by Madoline Hatter, visit our Freebies category page.

If you enjoy our free printable templates, please consider a donation to help us produce more.

Regular Mini Wall Street Journal Carrier/Gift Bag Template

Click on the thumbnail images below to view and print.
Instructions are printed on the templates.

Tall WSJ Carrier Bag

Short WSJ Carrier Bag

Antique Style Mini Wall Street Journal Carrier/Gift Bag Template

Tall Antique WSJ Carrier Bag

Short Antique WSJ Carrier Bag

Related posts:

• Free Printable Templates: Holiday Snowflake Gift Tags, Treat and Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Christmas Candy Stripe and Plaid Carrier Gift Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Carrier Bags
• Free Printable Templates: Gingham Mini Gift Boxes
• Free Printable Gift Accessories by Madoline Hatter

Originally posted 2008-10-01 06:00:41.