Christmas is here and we all feel the pinch.  I’m sure a lot of us wish Christmas were a little further in the distance rather than a few weeks away.  So, what is the true meaning of Christmas, anyway?  Is it a new iPod, a Wii, a new wardrobe?  Not really.  The true meaning of Christmas is to get together with loved ones and feel the friendship and love of those around you.  But, there are always the presents and the money to buy them with to contend with.   There are many ways you can save money this Christmas without losing any of the Christmas cheer.

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#10   Discount Drug Cards
You may have thought discount drug cards are a scam but they really can work for you.  Here are some websites where you can print out a discount card, that can save you 15-50% off your prescription:  www.yourrxcard.com, www.drugcardamerica.com, www.rxdrugcard.com.  All you have to do is fill out your name and address and print out a card.  You can check the website for participating pharmacies and drugs that are covered.  I have used this on a prescription and saved about $20-30 a month.

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Times are hard, especially if you are looking for a job.  If you are looking for something just to pay the bills for now until the economy gets better, here are the top ten jobs you can get right now.

#10  Day Care Teacher/Assistant

The turnover rate is high for day care facilities so there are almost always available jobs in these establishments.  A caveat, however, is that there is a reason for high turnover.  This job is not easy and can be stressful at times.  Usually you are going to be responsible for up to 13 kids at a time by yourself.  It can be rewarding but be prepared with plenty of activities to keep the kids busy and wash your hands as much as possible so that you do not get sick.  Here’s how to get the job:   Call the day care centers in your area and ask if there are any openings.  If you have any experience with children, let them know.  Have three references ready that will give you a good word.  You may have to attend some training classes and get a background check, but the day care ususally pays for these services.  Pay can be anywhere from minimum wage to $10-15 per hour.
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Substitute Teaching

A great noncommittal occupation is sometimes hard to find. You can try to freelance, sell on ebay or find a part-time job. Another, sometimes overlooked, noncommittal job is Substitute Teaching. We all remember Substitute Teachers when we were in school. A fun excuse to not listen, act up and party hardy while the teacher is gone, just hoping that the sub won’t rat you out for your behavior. Why not be that academic punching bag you remember so fondly? Honestly, it’s not that bad. The younger students think you are a real teacher and listen fairly well to your instructions. The older kids don’t care who is there and are pretty self-sufficient.  Also, you are never bored because each day is a new adventure, teaching different age levels and subjects and you leave the stress at the door when you leave!
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Ways to Get Cash Online
 If you are like me, you want to have the easiest options to sell your stuff online without fees and without hassle.  I have tried to sell on e-bay and it is a great conduit to make some money but now you have to have a PayPal account and there are so many fees I do not see putting in the effort just to break even.  So, I have been researching some sites that will let you sell for free or will buy your items and give you cash (check) or give you money for your stuff through PayPal.  I have not used all of these sites yet but will update how convenient they are as I use them.

Sell Your Books (For Cash)

I have so many books and buy them very cheaply at thrift stores, yard sales and library book sales so this interested me a lot.  I found a few websites that stated they would pay you by check or PayPal for your used books as long as they met with their criteria.  www.cash4books.net s one that I am very excited about.  They have a feature on their site that will give you an instant quote on your books by tping in the ISBN number located above the barcode on the back.  So, you know how much they will pay you upfront and they will provide shipping for you and simply send you a check.  www.webuytextbooks.com  is another site that I found that primarily buys textbooks through check or PayPal and will provide shipping.  I think this is great because even when buying textbooks from a university the bookstore you bought it from may not buy it back or will give you a ridiculously low figure for them.
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Small Change is Still Money in Your Pocket

Recycle
Not only is recycling an excellent way to do your part in keeping our world clean but it holds benefits for you as well. If you recycle aluminum cans, cardboard, paper, copper scrap, etc. you can make a small profit. If you don’t mind taking them to your local recycling center yourself, you could make $10 or more cash. I know it’s not much money, but every little bit helps. For example, I took in 2 garbage bags of aluminum cans (uncrushed) and got back around $6. Note that prices do fluctuate and with a lot more people trying to find ways to earn an extra buck, the prices might be lower if they already have a lot of that particular item. Also, there are some people out there who steal copper and steel from sites and homes so they will ask you for identification if you are recycling copper, steel or any type of scrap metal.

Coinstar
You can find this service at most grocery stores. If you’re like me, you keep every penny but are uncomfortable in using them in excess when buying something (i.e., counting out 100 pennies may get you some unneeded hatred from the line forming behind you). I like to keep my change in a central location (I use a small basket). I find change when cleaning out my purse, doing laundry and cleaning the house. When my basket is full, I take it in to my local grocery store and use the Coinstar machine. You just drop in your coins, the machine calculates how much is there (they do take a slight percentage) and it prints out a cash voucher that you can turn around and cash in at the help desk. Last time I took my basket in, I made $10 from all my pennies, nickels and dimes (I use most of my quarters).
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Easy Animal Hair Lifter
If you own indoor pets and they have fur, I feel you’re pain.  I own two beautiful cats who are sisters, black and white, and very furry.  They leave reminders of that all over the house.  Lint brushes, tape and wet washcloths do not get all of the fur off of the upholstered furniture.  My mother-in-law tipped me in on an easy way to get the fur off the furniture and something to do with the wad of used fabric softener sheets.  Grab some used fabric softener sheets, rub on the area where there is fur on your upholstery, the fur comes right up and the chair now smells great!
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Edible Mud Mask
¼ c. Honey
4-5 Drops Lemon juice
1 tsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Yogurt
* Mix together, spread over face, let set (10-15 min.) and rinse off.
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No matter where you might live, there are many fun things to do – for free.  It might take a little research, creativity or just a willingness to try something new but your wallet will thank you.  You can usually find a state park or metro park website for your state where you are more than welcome to get some fresh air and enjoy the beauty of nature.  A lot of parks even schedule group hiking or activity events for bird watching, tours, etc.  Fishing is also a favorite pastime of mine and although not exactly free (you have to get a license for about $20 for the year) you can fish all year using your own bait.  I find worms make the best bait and the kind that you buy, ie, catfish food, smell like, well…like what you would think it smells like. 
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Help is out there from saving money to finding stuff to do for free to finding assistance of all kinds, it just takes some savvy and know-how to find it sometimes.  Most of the resources are similar in every town and state but there may be slight differences so don’t get discouraged if the information is a little different from where you live.  Most places where one can find out about resources are the same.  Almost every city or town has its own website for visitor and resource information or a city website – just type in your city and state in google and you should find it.  On this site you will find city information and contact information for various city services and officials.  It is always nice to know who to contact when needed.  Also on this site there is usually a link for employment and city jobs. 
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