With Easter right around the corner, here are a few money-saving ideas to help you keep some golden eggs….er, coins in your pocket!
Easter Bunny Pictures. Don’t hit the mall and pay a small fortune for pictures with the Easter Bunny. Instead, there are plenty of community events offering FREE pics with that fuzzy-tailed dude. Just Google “Free Easter Bunny pictures in {insert city}” and you’ll probably find several upcoming fun, family events. Most Walmart stores will be offering a FREE 5×7 picture with the Easter Bunny, April 12th-April 13th from 10 am – 2 pm! And while your kiddo is chatting it up with Peter Cottontail, take a picture with your smartphone, then upload it to Cardstore to create a Custom Easter card for only $1.29!
Clothing. Instead of buying a whole new outfit, consider picking up a new accessory. Maybe a bright, colorful new tie for boys or a pastel purse or hat for girls. Now, if your little girl is begging for a new dress and you’re a Costco member, right now, they’ve got a huge selection of nice, frilly dresses for less than $20. As you can see, my boys were THRILLED with the ones we found….
Easter Candy/Food. Instead of purchasing bags of mini, fun-sized candy, buy bulk bags of loose candy and fill plastic Easter eggs. They’re fun for the kids to open and a much better value. Bake a batch of Easter sugar cookies and put them in cellophane baggies tied off with curling ribbon. They’ll take up more space than most candy, and you’ll feel better knowing exactly what ingredients your kids will be consuming.
Look For Sales. Never pay full price for Easter candy! Just like with Halloween and Christmas, there are always coupons to be found and sales at the drugstores. Combine those and you’ll save a bunch of money. Also, Target has a HOT new mobile coupon available good for a FREE $5 Gift Card when you purchase $20 worth of Easter candy or Easter baskets. Just text EASTER to 827438 to get this coupon. Expires April 12, 2014.
Don’t Buy Pre-filled Baskets. Although they’re convenient, you’ll easily drop $15-$30 on a generic basket that’s probably filled with one toy, and 3-4 small candy items. Not a good value, in my humble opinion. Instead, score a cheap wicker basket at Hobby Lobby or Michael’s (by using a 40% off coupon) or even check out your local thrift store or garage sale to find baskets with lots of life still left in them.
Think Outside the (Chocolate) Box. There are lots of great non-candy basket filler items you can find at the Dollar Store or Target’s Dollar Spot. Right now there are over $80 worth of Hasbro printable coupons available here and go here to see the HOT toy deals you can score this week at Target on board games, Nerf items, dolls and more! Also, Amazon is offering up a FREE $10 Amazon Credit when you purchase 3 select Mattel items. Buy three cards games and it comes out to just $3.16 each, after credit.
Fill ‘er Up! Get creative with those basket filler items. You could make coupons for extra screen time, no chores for a week, stay up late, sleep over, etc. Do you have a drawer full of free samples? Kids love those small lotions, toothpastes, lip balms and other goodies!
Hit Your Stash. The key to really saving the most money is to have a stash of items you’ve picked up at an after-Easter sale and other items you’ve found on clearance throughout the year. I love to go “shopping” in my gift closet. It’s stress-free and I know I got a good deal on everything I pick out!
Kiss My Grass. Why spend money on that messy, plastic Easter grass, when you can make your own. You’ll just need a bunch of old with newspaper or magazine pages and a paper shredder! Also, if you’re filling a girl’s basket, consider using cheerleader pom-poms instead or traditional grass for an extra surprise!
Create a Theme. Use a sand pail, backpack, or any type of useful container, and make a themed Easter basket, like a “Reading” basket with gently-used books purchased at garage sales or thrift stores or maybe a “Gardening” basket with gloves, seeds, watering can, tools, etc.
Reuse It, Don’t Lose It. Instead of buying new items every year, reuse Easter eggs, plastic grass and baskets. I have a large Rubbermaid tub in the back of a closet that contains everything I’ll need to celebrate Easter. I just pull it out and I’m ready to hop on down the bunny trail!
Eggs to “Dye” For. It’s easy to make your own egg dye. Just mix 1 Tablespoon food coloring with 2 Teaspoons of vinegar in a cup. Then add three tablespoons of water and you’re ready to begin coloring all those hard boiled eggs.
Entertaining. Are you in charge of this year’s Easter gathering? If so, instead of an expensive dinner, plan to host a brunch. Egg dishes, French toast and homemade pancakes are inexpensive and easy to prepare. Plus, ham is always on sale prior to Easter, so throw a few hams slices in the mix and you’ll have a full-blown meal.
