The Face of Unemployment/Frugal Holidays Links

• barrieabalard
• November 12th, 2009

I hope you’ll read this short “thinking piece” instead of skipping directly to the frugal holiday links.

A lot of us are having to do more with less these days. While the vast majority have jobs, remember that a little over a sixth of the working population are either unemployed or underemployed. The hardest-hit age groups are those under 25 and those over 50. Consider looking at your neighbors and wondering which ones put a face on unemployment. Then, brainstorm some way you could help them this holiday season. Maybe the forced-into-retirement couple down the block would enjoy sharing a Thanksgiving dinner with your family. Maybe you could be a secret Santa to the family with small children but no job. Maybe you could (secretly, if you wish) leave a bag of groceries on the doorstep for someone in especially desperate circumstances.

This season, please do what you can--that's all I ask. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Donate to the local food bank. Put money in the Salvation Army pots. Contribute more than you usually might to your place of worship, if you have one. Donate something you don’t need that your favorite local charity would be happy to have.

I suggested in last week's blog entry that you shop before Black Friday to get the best deals. Seems I was right--the retailers are taking Black Friday “from a one-day event to a month-long parade of promotions this year, as retailers are making a dash for early holiday cash.” Find the full story at Real Time Economics.  Shout out to Abnormal Returns for the link!

Frugal holiday links below. Enjoy!

Frugal gift ideas:

http://www.thefrugallife.com/christmasparty.html

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/10/17/ask-the-readers-favorite-frugal-christmas-ideas/

http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/money/63giftsunder10dollars.htm

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/one_income_families/85927

http://www.stresslesscountry.com/frugal-christmas-gifts/index.html

General Holiday Season Frugal Ideas:

http://frugalchristmas.homestead.com/

http://lifeofftheshelf.blogspot.com/2009/09/simple-frugal-christmas-part-i.html (This five-part series begins with the link I’ve provided.)

http://beingfrugal.net/2007/11/07/50-frugal-christmas-ideas/

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/12/07/the-amazing-frugal-christmas-savings-spectacular/

http://www.familysanitysavers.com/christmasfrugality.html

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02nov04d.cfm

http://www.frugal-living-tips.com/frugal-christmas.html

http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/holidays/saveatchristmas.htm

http://www.stretcher.com/menu/topic-a.htm#christmas

Kids and Holiday Frugality:

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/11/20/kids-christmas-and-frugality-eight-tips/

http://frugaldad.com/2009/10/27/economically-shopping-for-christmas-toys/

Tickers: Christmas, frugal holiday gifts, frugal living, helping others, holiday season, saving money, unemployment

blog comments powered by Disqus