Collecting On a Budget

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Let's face it - Collecting is an expensive hobby. Don't even ask me how much I spend on ornaments each year; it's a scary thought and honestly I don't even want to know the answer. Then let's add in that other collection. You and I both know there hasn't been a collector yet that could stop with just one collection. Okay, so now let's added the extras - displays, storage, things like that. Of course, as ornament collectors we're a little worse off than most collectors - we buy whole trees to display our treasures.

Is there a way we can collect our prized ornaments without having to take out a second mortgage on the house? I can't promise that if you follow the tips below you'll get your ornaments for free; but at least you can feel a little better about all the money your spending.

First and foremost; if you don't have one - (and I can't imagine there's a Hallmark collector who doesn't ) - get a Gold Crown Card! By using your Gold Crown card you basically get paid for buying. The card is free and you were going to buy the items anyway, so why not get rewarded for doing so. Once you're a card carrying Gold Crown member you'll start receiving promotion in the mail - from freebies, to dollars off offers, to special "point" promotions - it's just an all around good deal. During "point" promotions - you usually get additional points for buying specified items during a limited time. Watch your points add up and voila - here come your Gold Crown certificates. Carry them down to your local Gold Crown store and buy to your heart's content without a guilty conscience.

Second - okay, I hate to say it; but look for other areas where you can cut back. Basically create a "collecting budget" - then look at where you spend your money to find where you can funnel money from one area to your new account - collecting funds.

I've found a couple of ways I can save money on my groceries each week - coupons and price matching. Coupons, you say, everyone knows about coupons. That's true - but did you realize that you no longer have to wait for the Sunday paper to clip them? That's right - online printable coupons that you print and take them to your local store and they work just like the old ones. Almost all the coupon sites update once a week and a couple of them provide archives that you can browse for old, but still valid coupons.

Price matching is another great way to save on your grocery bill. If you've got a store in your neighborhood that does price matching you can take advantage of all the sales from all your neighborhood stores at one place. My local Wal Mart Super Center has price matching; each week when I get the sales circulars for all the local grocery stores I make out my grocery list. I note the item and specifications, who has it on sale and the sale price. At the checkout counter I simply place my price matching items up first and tell the clerk how much I should be charged for each of the items. Simple and I can take advantage of sales from six stores instead of just one.

Another fun way to save money and get free stuff in the mail is to browse the free stuff sites on the internet. You can get free samples, free catalogs, free coupons, free information pretty much anything you can think of and it's fun too.

In closing, although collecting is fun and a wonderful hobby it can be costly especially in a one income family like mine. Just remember there are ways to find a little extra money in your budget and at times it can even be fun searching for new ways to save.