I’m convinced the winter blahs are a combination of freezing cold weather and credit card bills rolling in from Christmas!

If Christmas bills are getting you down, it’s time to come up ways to save for next Christmas! It’s time to try The Budget Diet’s painless penny pinching plan.

According to the American Consumer Credit Council, the average American family spends $935 on Christmas gifts, so if you can save around $78 a month – you’ll be set! Pick just 1 item from my painless penny pinching plan, and you’ll save at least $78 each month – it’s an easy way to save money for Christmas!

Christmas Club
Open a Christmas Club account at your local bank or credit union. It’s a simple way to save and earn a little interest. Most Christmas Clubs will set-up an automatic deposit from your paycheck in the amount you choose.

Brown Bag It!
The average lunch out costs $8, so if you’ll brown bag it on Monday, Wednesday and Friday – you’ll save $96 a month!

Make Your Own Starbucks!
Does your morning routine include a trip to Starbucks? It’s time to kick the Starbucks habit and start saving about $3 a day or $90 a month! For $90 you can buy a coffee maker, Starbucks coffee beans, flavored coffee syrups and even whipped cream if you so require! After your first month as a coffee brewmaster, start stashing the cash for Christmas!

Credit Card Rewards
Does your credit card offer a rewards program? Cash back? Points? If you can be good about paying off your credit card bill in full each month, you might consider using that credit card for all your purchases, and then use the rewards to purchase gifts!

$5 Jar
This is the old fashioned coin jar adjusted for inflation! At the end of each day, place any $5 bills in the jar. At the end of the year, you should have more than enough money for Christmas, and it will be even more fun than counting coins!

Ditch the Drive-Thru
Try going 1 month without going to a drive-thru for any food or drink, and put all that money in a jar! It’s sadly become the American way, and you might be shocked to discover how much you’re wasting! Is it really necessary to drive-thru for breakfast???

Get Serious About Grocery Savings
You’ll easily cut your grocery bill by $50 a week if you start using The Grocery Game. The Grocery Game shows you what’s on sale, and tells you where to find the coupon to make it even cheaper or FREE! You’ll soon be a coupon queen!

Eat In, Not Out
Growing up, eating out was for special occasions. This year, bring back the home cooked meal! If your family eliminates just 1 dinner out per week, you’ll save over $100 a month!

Buy 1 Gift Each Month
There are no rules that say you have to do all your Christmas shopping in November and December, so start trying to buy 1 gift each month! If you see a bargain, snatch it up, and don’t forget about it come December!

That’s it, just pick one and stick to it! If skipping Starbucks is not your idea of painless, then try the $5 jar. If you’re not sure what to pick, try something new each month! Why don’t you ditch the drive-thru this month and brown bag it next month!

Please leave a comment to share your ways to save for Christmas.

Have you visited The Budget Diet’s freebies page today?

It’s Friday, another meat free day on this journey we call Lent! This week’s recipe for Lent is Spinach Quiche, a delicious vegetarian version! It is very thin and not too “eggy.”

 
Looking for more vegetarian recipes? Click here!

Whether you’re celebrating on Valentine’s Day or this weekend, there are plenty of Valentine’s restaurant deals to enjoy!

As always, call ahead to make sure your neighborhood location is participating.
 
 
 
Valentine’s Dinner Deals

• Buca di Beppo – Get a $10 eCertificate!
• California Pizza Kitchen – Valentine’s Celebration for Two just $30 2/14 – 2/17. Special Valentine’s menu includes your choice of 1 appetizer, 2 entrees and 1 dessert.
• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar – Dine between 2/14 – 2/17, and receive a $25 gift card for your next visit.
• Longhorn Steakhouse – Through 2/17, enjoy a $37 dinner for two! Dinner includes endless bread, 2 salads, 2 sides, 2 tender 7-oz. Flo’s Filets plus your choice of an appetizer or dessert.
• Olive Garden – 3-course Italian dinner just $12.95 per person! Includes unlimited breadsticks and soup or salad plus your choice of entree and dessert, through 3/3.
• Ruby Tuesday – Print a coupon for a free Valentine’s dessert when you make online reservations between 2/14 – 2/17.
• Spaghetti Warehouse – Valentine’s Day only, $34.99 dinner for two includes appetizer and dessert to share plus 2 entrees.
• Texas Roadhouse – Dinner for Two $39.99 through 2/16, includes 1 appetizer, 2 sides and 2 entrees.

 
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According to Rachael Ray, going veggie just one night a week can save you over $1000 a year, and Lent is the perfect time to add some meat free meals to your menu!

If you’re giving up meat for Lent or just on Fridays, The Budget Diet will feature a vegetarian recipe each Friday for the next 6 weeks, and don’t worry, nothing weird like tofu and spouts!

Ready to get started? Tempt your taste buds with these frugalicious and fast meat free recipes for Lent…

What are your favorite meat free meals? Please leave a comment with a link to your favorite vegetarian recipes.
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Image courtesy of: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 
 
So…what goodies will your man discover when you purposely leave your computer screen open to the RetailMeNot Valentine’s coupon codes and exclusive offers? He’ll discover that RetailMeNot is the source for money saving coupon codes.

Take a peek at these Valentine’s deals…drop another hint and tell him how you feel!

I’ll bet you could find a great gift at Macy’s, and with 15% off, he just might buy you more than one gift!

If you’re the type that expects flowers, make sure he knows that 1-800-FLOWERS is offering 25% off sitewide and
Pro Flowers will give him 20% off orders of $29 or more.

Chocolate = Valentine’s in our house, so I’ll make sure my husband doesn’t miss this great deal on Godiva – 15% off orders of $60+. I’ve always thought it would be fun to get a bag of personalized M&M’s, and it’s not such a splurge when they’re 10% off ($40+).

Are you a jewelry lover? Macy’s, Blue Nile, Zale’s and others are offering huge savings with their coupon codes on RetailMeNot.

Now I’ve got just one more idea to help your man with Valentine’s Day…

Make sure to enter the RetailMeNot Share the Love Sweepstakes for a chance to win 1 of 7 great Valentine’s gifts! Click here to enter and don’t forget to make and share a fun Valentine’s Day card with your Facebook photos after you submit your entry!

There you have it, now you know…make sure to tell me how it goes!

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Budget Cupid is here to help put a little romance in your life for less this Valentine’s Day with 10 cheap date ideas!

 
 
 
 
 
Enjoy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Champagne by the Fireplace
How romantic, just like a scene out of the movies! Take it one step further and make the chocolate dipped strawberries together:

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 Revisit Your Wedding Album
Cozy up by the fireplace and rekindle the flame as you look though your wedding album! How’s that for a FREE DATE NIGHT!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Dine In, Not Out
Cook a nice dinner together and don’t forget the candlelight! Try a some new recipes or recreate a meal you saw on Food Network.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Scenic Drive
My all time favorite date with my husband was when we took a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hiking, picnics and sunsets…how romantic is that?
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Walk on the Beach
If you live in a warm climate, and you’re near the beach – take a walk, hold hands, collect shells and enjoy a glass of wine.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Wine Tasting at Home
Ask your local wine store to recommend a few cheap wines then cover the bottles in brown paper bags, taste and rate. You just might discover a new favorite cheap wine! Don’t forget to pick up a nice loaf of French bread from the bakery and a couple of deli cheeses.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Couples Massage
If you’re looking for a cheap date, the $200 couples massage at the local spa is most likely out of the question, but a massage at home can be much more romantic! Check out an instructional book or watch an instructional You Tube video together, take turns giving each other a massage and RELAX!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Half & Half
If you can’t decide what to do for Valentine’s Day, each of you should plan an activity. Maybe you plan dinner and your spouse picks a movie? Celebrate the entire weekend, and you can each be in charge of a day. Add to the romance by surprising each other with your plans.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Movie Night
There’s nothing better than curling up together on the couch with a warm snuggly blanket and watching a romantic movie! My personal favorite? Love Actually!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 Celebrate Early
If you have a Bank of America credit card, check card or ATM card, you can enjoy FREE ADMISSION to more than 150 museums, zoos and botanical gardens the first weekend of every month. Cupid really won’t know if you celebrate on February 5th or 6th, and Budget Cupid will be thrilled because it’s a FREE DATE NIGHT!
 

So, there it is – 10 Cheap Date ideas for Valentine’s Day, but if you’re just a traditional flowers and dinner kind of gal…please let your husband know about discounted gift cards at PlasticJungle.com. He’ll save up to 30% on restaurants, flowers and gifts!

Please leave a comment to share your favorite cheap date ideas and Valentine’s date ideas with Budget Cupid!

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You don’t need money; you need creativity for a perfect Valentine’s Day!

On Valentine’s Day, it isn’t the budget that creates the romance; it’s the intimacy! You don’t automatically have to choose the more expensive options—especially if doing so will hurt you financially.

Here are some ideas for creating a fantastic date that won’t empty your bank account.

Go Small or Go Home

There are certain traditions associated with a romantic Valentine’s Day: roses, a shiny piece of jewelry, a fancy dinner. There is no reason that you can’t still do these things—just do them on a smaller scale. For example: Instead of a dozen red roses, bring one. Instead of actual diamonds or gemstones, order a custom piece of jewelry from one of the talented artists on Etsy. Rather than a five-course dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town, have starters there at the bar on your way to something more fun.

Personalize It

The trick to genuine romance on Valentine’s Day is to give your date what you know he or she really wants. If, for example, your girlfriend is really into hockey, give her tickets to the next game or a jersey with her favorite player’s number. If she really loves gourmet food, instead of spending possibly hundreds of dollars on a fancy gourmet dinner, buy her one of Julia Child’s cookbooks and then make a few of the recipes from it for her. If your date loves movies, give him a book of movie tickets. You get the idea.

Make It Yourself

Sometimes the best gifts are those that you make yourself. Grow the flowers you give her on Valentine’s Day in your yard or on your patio. Make the fancy dinner yourself. You’ll get bonus points if you make the person’s favorite food (even more if it is a food you normally loathe). If you are able, make the gift yourself—especially if you are planning to give jewelry.

Handmade does not mean that you are cheap. It means that you pay attention and are willing to put real time and effort into creating romance for your special someone on Valentine’s Day.

Vouchers are Awesome

You might think that vouchers or coupons are a copout, but if you do them right, they will mean more to your special someone than anything you could have purchased in a store. Vouchers can be for things or actions, and in this case, actions do often speak louder than words.

Set a Price Limit

Make a deal with your date that Valentine’s Day gifts can’t go over a certain dollar amount. This will force you to be creative and find something that you know will tickle your date’s fancy. It will also help you relax because you won’t be worried about whether or not the value of the gift you are giving matches the gift you are being given.

Stay Home

A quiet evening at home can be far more romantic than a night spent out surrounded by Valentine’s Day clichés. Make your own dinner or order in. Watch your favorite movies. Snuggle on the couch.

Money does not automatically equal romance, care, or attention. In fact, often it can feel like quite the opposite. Use these suggestions to create a memorable and romantic Valentine’s Day that you’ll both remember forever!

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written by:  Erin Steiner

Erin Steiner is a freelance writer who is well versed in living on a shoestring budget and writes about a variety of topics for a number of websites include Reputation.com.