Saving Money ...of Gifts and LIghts

Sometimes gifts that cost the least matter most. Sometimes its not about how much money you spend, its about how much of yourself you can give.
By Linda Tryek , from AARP ,magazine:
My mom was the perfect gift buyer. She knew what my heart desired without having to be told. She made the holidays magic because each beautifully wrapped gift was just right-- a glamorous makeup kit for a shy teenager, that book you couldn't wait to read or a longed-for toy that was out of stock.
Mom worked long hours to afford those lovely gifts. Once I ask her to stop going to work so I could spend more time with her.
"Don't you like all your nice things?" she asked.
And i told her, " I'd rather have you."
My dad was the world's worst gift buyer. He bought presents he secretly wanted for himself. He bought my sister and me trains, wagons and tractors and then spent more time playing with them than we did. He bought my mom a nonstick frying pan for Christmas because he wanted to make pancakes.
But Dad gave us a gift Mom couldn't-- he had all the time in the world for us. He had time to tramp barefoot through mud puddles. He had time to catch lightening bugs and to walk all the way to Dairy Queen and back on hot summer nights. And he had time to tell stories and to listen to us .
To be perfect, a gift has to be about the person receiving it. That's what my mom taught me. But some of the most memorable gifts don't come wrapped in fancy paper. Sometimes the best gift is simply yourself. And that's what my dad taught me.



Light on the money....
Compact fluorescent lights--valued as energy and money savers compared with incandescent bulbs-- has some new competition: the tiny LED, or light-emitting diode.
Seattle officials estimate that LEDs in holiday lighting reduce electricity use by 90 percent over conventional mini-bulbs. Even at double or triple the price LEDs will save you cash after a few holiday seasons because the diodes are built to last. They typically perform without dimming for 30,000 hours points out Nadarajah Narendran of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. That's eight hours a day for a decade.
LEDs aren't just for decoration, either. These low-wattage bulbs, which don't heat up like other bulbs, are being marketed more widely for everyday use in lamps and spotlights and above kitchen counters.
They're already well-known where reliability matters, such as in auto brake lights and in traffic signals. Non wonder Finland's prestigious(and million euro) Millennium Technology Prize went to Shuji Nakamura last year for developing white green, and bright blue LEDs. The prize recognizes innovators whose work improves the quality of life worldwide. --Cynthia Blayer

So quite a jump from holiday memories to holiday lighting that saves money. Let's see..what else.. oh .. my wife pretty much shredded the coupon section of today's paper but there were a few good ones left. I'm starting a new feature today and if i get good results may make it a regular thing. Let's call it Coupon Corner. I'll list a dozen or so coupons i have ..complete with expiration dates. If you'd like to have any of these, just email me with your name and address and ill send you lets say... 5 coupons. You send me back 3 of your left over one's . Fair enough?? If you have a better plan let me know..also if you like you can put your coupon needs ..and your extras in the comment portion of this blog and we will all work together and see if we can get the right coupons with the right people so we can all save some money! Happy saving!!!

Coupon Corner
Save $5 on a Christmas Bouquet with a five dollar coupon from FTD florist--expires 12/25/07 Save $5 on a Christmas Bouquet - 5 dollar coupon- Teleflora florist-- expires 1/1/08
Save $3.50 when you buy any one Dove SkinVitalizer includes 6 Dove Facial Cleansing Pillows and one AA battery
Save $1.50 when you buy one NutraMist fast-acting oral spray exp. 2/29/08
Save $1.00 on one flavor of 14 oz. Creme De Pirouline Chocolate, hazelnut etc. exp. 2/17/08
Save $1.00 on one Scotch-Brite Cook Top Cleaner Starter Kit exp. 2/29/08
Save $!.00 on any one package of Treasure Cave Cheese (4oz. or larger) exp 3/31/08
Save 50cents on any Robitussin Syrup, CoughGEls or Tablets (excluding cough drops) exp. 3/31/08
Save $1.00 on any L'Oreal Men's expert product exp. 3/2/08
Buy one Pedigree Jumbone or Pedigree Super Chew and get one Pedigree Dentastix free up to $4.35 exp. 3/9/08
Save 50cent when you buy any 3 boxes or 1 multi pack of Scotties facial tissues exp. 3/31/08
Save $1.00 when you buy any two packages of Nestle dough products. 2/29/08

There it's getting late. I'll try to do more tomorrow..remember 5 of mine for 3 or yours. Oh yes .I need cat food , some paper supplies, and ....people food. Don,t mind me..its late.
Again Happy Saving!!!