Start shopping garage sales to find great bargains on children’s toys, games, and clothing.  In the spring, people begin getting rid of winter clothes that have been outgrown.  You’ll find gently worn items for as little as a quarter.  By buying good used  clothing for the kids, you’ll save a fortune next fall on their back to school wardrobe.  Toys and games can be cleaned up to look like new, and make great stocking stuffers or “extras” if you need to add to the loot under the tree.

Depending on where you live, spring and summer fruit and vegetable crops are beginning to ripen.  Call or visit farms, both private and commercial, and ask if they allow “gleaning”, and when you should check back.  By visiting a farm after the commercial picking and gathering the leftovers, you can freeze, can or dry your own produce and save a ‘fortune’.  Library books can give you all the information you’ll need to preserve produce. 

Keep getting ready for your garage or yard sale.  Consider having a 2 for $1 table.  Put all your little things that you aren’t sure will even sell on this table.  Sort all your other items into categories.  You won’t walk into a store and find kitchen appliances on the same shelves with clothing… so make sure your sale has things sorted and displayed as neatly and professionally as possible.  Price things to sell!  There is nothing more disappointing than doing all the work to get ready for a sale and then having very little money and all that stuff left over.    

Get some more things ready for a garage sale.  Have the kids help.  They should pick out several toys to sell.  Let them keep at least half the money from the sale of their toys, and encourage them to put the other half into the Christmas tin.  All proceeds from the sale of items YOU put up for sale should go into the can.

While this has very little to do with preparing for credit free Holidays it has everything to do with our freedom to celebrate the holidays.  Yesterday, today, and tomorrow many of our people are living and working in this country and in others trying to protect our way of life.  Our military personnel risk their lives and follow the orders of the government leaders we choose.  During this memorial day weekend, while you are grilling your meal, or traveling to a destination of your choice, please remember how many have given their lives so we can have a long weekend.  Please take time during your weekend to write some letters of thanks to our soldiers overseas.  Put together a care package and send it to someone’s brother or sister, to one of our sons or daughters.  Go visit an aging and lonely veteran in a veterans home or hospital, or the elderly gentleman in your neighborhood that fought in world war 2,