Reuse Reduce and Recycle this holiday season!

Have yourself a GREEN Christmas.

This holiday season is tight for most people this year, that is why I am giving you a list of ideas on how to save you money, as well as the Earth. Reusing and re-purposing are key to have a wonderfully frugal and eco-friendly Christmas... or Hanukkah.... or whatever you choose to celebrate :) like my birthday a couple days after christmas ;)

So Here are the top 10 eco-friendly/money saving ideas to make this holiday bright!:

1.Hand craft special holiday greeting cards by collaging together wrapping paper scraps, keep the packaging to holiday cookies you buy and cut out graphics or patterns to add, bits of ribbons that are too small, or even from cut outs from cards you received last year.  (and this year be sure to keep your cards and torn paper from this years to use next year!)

2.Wrap your gifts using newspaper, you can even make a bow out of many skinny cut strips and some doublestick tape. You can also add magazine clippings for extra images and text. I tried this last year after being inspired by this image from last years December issue of Country Living . There are so many different kinds of bows that can be made so very easily. 

3.Re-gift. haha. Sounds Cheap, but produciton lines make more if you buy more, so don't buy gifts this year and giveaway any unused present.

4.Visit thrift stores and antique shops for unique hard to find presents. Clothing can be hard to find since thats whats everyone is after nowadays, but I always seem to find the most unique jewelry and dish-ware at my local second hand shops.

5.This is a MAJOR one. Think about using solar powered Christmas lights to decorate your home.... they cost more upfront but your electric bill would be significantly lower than last year, plus you reuse them every year... Or even replacing all your christmas lights with LED low energy lights.

6.Hand made gifts such as knitted scarves or mittens are usually very appreciated in the northern regions. Personalized ornaments can be relatively cheap if you buy in bulk and have the time to decorate them. If you are pressed for time, consider buying recycled hand crafted goods at etsy.com.

7. Decorate your home with handmade crafts using recycled materials such as this old wine bottle that has been painted and flourished with paper flowers and twigs. Try a green bottle with red paint.

8. Dont buy too much food. When we throw away stuff it goes into the landfill, blah blah blah CO2 gas = bad for the environment. 

9. Give someone a plant as a gift! If you have house plants that are overgrown split it into multiple pots and give away the others. So good for the environment and it can be fairly cheap if done well. 

10. LET IT SNOW! Stay inside and don't drive. Have everyone over and spend the night. I know its not ideal for everyone because some must travel for the holidays, but just be conscious of your fuel consumption

Hope this list helps get you thinking of even more ways to save your money and your environment. If you know of any economical holiday ideas PLEASE comment and share the good news ;)