Got Home Improvement Resolutions?

Did you make a new year's resolution to fix up things around the house? Find the tools you need at great prices using the workshop and home improvement shopping guide at ShopWiki.

Compare benefits and prices on corded and cordless power drills, including specialty drills such as screw guns and hammer drills. Research different manufacturers such as DeWalt, or Craftsman.

Get detailed information on the different types of interior house paint and primer to help decide the best way to spruce up your house for the new year. Read reviews and compare prices for paint sprayers and other painting supplies.

Get inspired to stick to that new year's resolution to make repairs and improve your house this year with the right tools and information.

Frugal Tip - Save the Christmas Gift Wrap

Not really a practical tip for little kids, who tend to tear right through the wrapping on presents, but older children and adults can certainly take a little more care in unwrapping gifts in order to preserve the paper for future uses. And taking the time to do it carefully helps stretch out the time involved in the gift exchanging, which can be nice if there aren't that many gifts being given this year. An added bonus, when you pull out the saved wrapping paper next year, you'll be reminded of the good memories from this Christmas, and so might your friends and family who receive a gift wrapped in the reused paper.

Free Christmas Gift!

Your time is truly a free gift you can give, and possibly one of the most valued. When you were a kid, did you ever make those 'gift certificates' for your parents, like "This (card, coupon, etc) is good for one day of taking out the trash (or doing the dishes, cleaning up your room without a hassle, etc)", or have you had your own kids do that? Why not do adult versions? Offer friends with little ones a night out to themselves and you'll watch their kids for free, or older family members a day when you come over and help with chores that might be difficult for them to do on their own. You might even be able to start a new tradition, exchanging some time with loved ones instead of exchanging presents.

Spending Time Together at Christmas

The holidays can be so hectic, and you can feel so pressured to buy buy buy everywhere you look. Get away from all the stress for awhile by having some family time for (almost) free. Take one evening and load everyone in the car, and drive all around a few neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights. You can even make it a weekly or even nightly activity, picking a different neighborhood each time. Take it one step further by picking favorites in various categories like best house, best neighborhood, best house in one color, etc.

Find Rebates, Coupons, and More at DealCatcher

I'll admit, I'm not organized enough to be a regular coupon clipper. I tend to miss the expiration dates. But I found this site tonight and it just might motivate me.

DealCatcher has coupons for just about any store you can think of offhand, from 1800Contacts to Zales and lots in between. Categories include clothes, cameras, jewelry, sporting goods, travel, and more. There are printable coupons, price comparisons, even a forum to join where members can post coupons they find.

They also offer an option to sign up for Deal Alerts, email notifications based on keywords you specify. You have the choice to receive emails daily or as soon as an update occurs.

With all this help ,you may even be able to save some money by not buying a newspaper anymore.

Recycled DIY Draft Stopper

Help lower your electricity bill with draft stoppers at your doors. You can make your own super-fast, easy, and free using materials you already have.

Materials

• Old pair of jeans (don't fit anymore, holes, etc)


• Old towels (also old t-shirts, unmatched socks, etc)


• 2 large rubber bands (or ribbon)

Directions
Cut one leg of the jeans off as high as possible.
Stuff the leg with the towels, t-shirts, socks. Don't overfill it.
Fold over one end of the leg and secure with a rubber band or ribbon, then do the other end of the leg the same way.
Put the draft stopper in front of the door.

You can make two at once by cutting off both legs of the jeans. You can also embellish it if you like. Stay warm!

Budget Tech/Gadget Christmas Gifts

If you think that homemade is the only way to go for cheap Christmas gifts, take notice of the lower prices on tech items that would be appreciated by people on your list.

• 1GB flash drives can be found for as low as $5 at computer stores


• 25-50 pack blank cd spindles are available as low as $5, depending on the manufacturer


• 5 pack blank dvds are about $5 at several stores


• Photo paper is available for as low as $4 for 20 sheets

Look around for things you wouldn't normally think to give, but would certainly be used. Something like this would be much better received than a pack of socks.

Make Money with Your Creativity and Zazzle

You see t-shirts with cute images and funny sayings on them every day. Have you ever thought to yourself 'I can do that'? Sign up for a free account with Zazzle and you can stop saying it and actually start doing it. Zazzle allows members to upload their own images and text products such as t-shirts, mugs, calendars, mousepads, and even items like shoes and skateboards.

You decide how much of a royalty percentage above the base price to go, and you earn that percentage. For example, a basic white t-shirt on Zazzle is $15.95. If you set your royalty percentage at 15%, the price will be $16.90. This will make the amount you receive from a purchase of one basic white t-shirt with your design on it about $2.54. Other products have different base prices, so you have the choice of setting a percentage for each product you create or setting the same percentage for every product.

Zazzle makes and ships the products when they're purchased, so all you have to is create your designs, upload them to Zazzle, and set your percentage. You also have the option of being paid by check or through Paypal.

Share your creativity with the world and earn some money too. Sounds nice.

Budget Christmas Treat - Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

Whether you're looking for something different to leave out for Santa, going homemade on Christmas gifts this year, or just craving something sweet yourself, these truffles are quick, easy, and pretty cheap to make.

Ingredients

• 1 package Semi-sweet baking chocolate (8 squares)


• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter


• 1 8oz tub whipped topping at room temperature


• Various toppings - crushed cookies, powdered sugar, flake coconut, chopped nuts

Directions

Place chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl, microwave on high 1 minute and stir. Microwave another minute until almost melted, stir until it is melted completely.
Stir in the peanut butter until well mixed and cool to room temperature.
Stir in whipped topping and put bowl in refrigerator for an hour.
Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and scoop out mixture with a teaspoon (or melon baller if you have one) and shape into 1 inch balls. Roll each truffle in your chosen topping.
Store the truffles in the refrigerator

Yield: About 3 dozen
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 20 minutes (including refrigeration)

Christmas Gifts from the Grocery Store

Seriously, why not do some Christmas shopping while you're grocery shopping? Think about this - do you know people who like tea? Buy a couple of boxes of different flavored teas, including the new green teas, and make variety packages. Taking the time to put together your own choices, rather than just buying a pre-made variety pack, shows that you actually put some thought into the gift.

You can do the same thing for coffee lovers on your list, especially if they love flavored or gourmet coffees but don't spend the money themselves. Small packages of their favorite flavors or brand will be appreciated and won't strain your budget.

Energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster in 4 packs could be appreciated too, as well as packs of bottled water. Use your imagination and think about how well you know your friends and family. You just might be able to cross a lot of people off your list while you're buying your essentials, saving both money and time.

Quick Free Fix for Eye Puffiness

If you're suffering from puffy eyes from stress or lack or sleep, try this fast solution that's absolutely free. Place two clean teaspoons in the freezer for about 5 minutes until they're ice cold. Take the spoons out, close your eyes, and place the spoons over each eyelid and hold them there for about 1-2 minutes. The puffiness is reduced without spending money on expensive beauty products. Unfortunately, this trick doesn't really help with dark circles.

Cheap Dry Scalp Care - Apple Cider Vinegar

Winter months can take a toll on your hair, making it dry, itchy, and flaky. A cheap and easy alternative to buying a dandruff shampoo is to use apple cider vinegar. Just apply about a half cup to clean hair and massage into your scalp, then rinse with lukewarm water. The acid in the vinegar loosen the sebum buildup, so after using for a couple of days, flakes and itching should go away. and it's safe for colored and permed hair.

Budget Christmas Gift - Cheap MP3 Player

My youngest is asking for an MP3 player this Christmas, and I'll admit I'm a little hesitant to spend a lot of money on something that will probably get broken or lost, even if I had it to spend. So I've been looking for some kind of alternative and finally found this online.

Available at SPI Shop, these MP3 players sell for $20. They have 1 GB memory, can hold up to 250 songs, and come with earbuds and a USB adapter for charging. They even include 50 free downloads from emusic.com.

The players come in 8 metallic colors - deep blue, green, pink, turquoise, red, purple, silver, and gold - and support .mp3 and .wma formats. And for those looking for an even cheaper deal, the site also offers a 128 MB digital MP3 player for $9.99 that holds up to 30 songs and includes a voice recorder and FM radio. USB cable and earbuds are included. At those prices, I won't necessarily go ballistic if it's dropped or traded with a friend for a cute stuffed animal.

Swaptree - Trade video games, dvds, and more

If your kids are begging for video games for Christmas but you're afraid you can't afford it, try looking at Swaptree and see of you can trade with someone.

Once you sign up for free, list items you have and items you want. Swaptree will start looking for your wanted items among other users to set up a trade. You have to make sure to list items in both categories or you won't be able to make a trade. And all you pay is shipping and handling on the items you trade.

Be sure to look through the FAQ, it thoroughly explains every aspect of the site. And then get busy trading for Christmas or any time of the year!

Budget Christmas Gift - Pocket Buddha

It can be hard to find cheap Christmas gifts that don't scream 'I'm a cheap Christmas gift', but I found a very nice collection of little pocket Buddhas and keychains that cost about $5 each at the Borders book store in my town. There's a total of six, each with a sticker and actual Buddha quote based on the message of the particular figure.

• Orange - Love


• Yellow - Praise


• Blue - Harmony


• Gold - Happiness


• Green - Faith


• Pink - Peace

If you can't find them around you, there are several online sources:
Buddha Buddha Life - Directly from the main site at $4.99
China Sprout - Available here for $3.99
Dream in Plastic - This site has them at $3.95
And of course, there's always eBay

So there are ways to give loved ones a nice, meaningful gift without going over budget.

Local Searches Made Easy

Have you searched for a business in your area and been frustrated that you didn't find all the information you wanted? Try using Local.com for one-stop searches of everything in your area. With its ability to pull content from several popular sites, Local.com allows you to look up local businesses, find out when they're open, get reviews and directions, all from one site.

With a simple straightforward layout and extra features such as basic weather information and a classifieds section, Local.com is a full-featured yellowpages with extras. You can also contribute for free with your own business reviews and classified ads.

If you have a business of your own you can get listed with Local.com for free, or take advantange of their low advertising rates. Help local users find out all about you. Editing or updating your listing is also easy with their step by step instructions.

Save time, money, and frustration by getting all the information you need from your local searches with Local.com.

Go All-in with Online Poker!

Get in the game with Flop Turn River's online poker games, forums, and more. Both new and experienced players will appreciate the beginner's guide with detailed information on various poker hands and terms, as well as bankroll management. The handy poker tools, including an odds calculator, are very helpful as well.

Use the Bonus Code to receive a total 150% intial deposit bonus, up to $75 to get started on Flop Turn River. The site also offers live strategy tips and reviews of brick and mortar poker casinos, as well as a history and review of PokerStars, one of the originators of online poker.

Additionally, you can sign up for Full Tilt Poker and recieve a 100% initial deposit bonus, up to $600. Full Tilt Poker offers great bonuses and is one of the largest online poker rooms. The site also enjoys endorsements from several of the top professional poker players today.

If you're looking for a break from the daily stress, place your bet with Flop Turn River!

Cheap Halloween Decor - Shrunken Heads

It's not too late to set an eerie mood for Halloween. Scatter shrunken heads around your house and yard for a spooky setting.

Dried Apple Shrunken Heads

Materials:

• Apples


• 1/2 cup lemon juice


• 2 teaspoons salt


• Optional: Whole cloves


• Optional: Grains of raw rice

Instructions:

Mix lemon juice and salt in a bowl.
Peel apples and coat each with mixture to prevent browning.
Use a small knife or potato peeler to carve out eye sockets, a nose, mouth and ears.

Optional: Use whole cloves for eyes and raw rice grains for teeth

Bake heads in the oven set at 150F for 20 - 24 hours

Create your gruesome display!

Sunglass Shopping?

You don't put your sunglasses away just because summer's over. Protecting your eyes from the sun is just as important in the fall and winter. If your old shades are worn, broken, or if you're just looking for a new pair, try the sunglasses shopping guide at ShopWiki.

Whether you want a high UV protection or sport shades, the Sunglasses Guide can help you find the right pair at the best price. Included is a list of major manufacturers and new products alerts, as well as safety tips and help with choosing the best style.

With the colder weather approaching, be sure to check out other important accessories such as hats and gloves. From baseball caps and fedoras to winter or gardening gloves, you'll find a guide full of information.

Get the knowledge you need and find the best price for sunglasses and more at ShopWiki.

Where's the Cheapest Gas?

With the current gas prices, it feels like I'm having to find more ways to save money just to put gas in my tank. I ran across a site today, GasBuddy.com, that shows the lowest gas prices for the US and Canada. You can search by zip code or city and state, or use the map. The prices are broken down into Regular, Midgrade, Premium, and Diesel, and are shown for the latest 36 hours.

You can also sign up for free to become a gas price spotter, reporting gas prices in your area to help others. Membership also makes you eligible for prizes such as a $250 gas card.