Frugal Family: Last Minute Holiday Gifts For Everyone - $10 And Under

Marietta Patch provides a selection of great bargains for the whole family each week.

Here we are, the big Christmas “crunch” week. If you are like many last minute holiday shoppers, you have a lot to do, many to buy for and a very limited budget. If you’d rather not battle the traffic at a mall or go to umpteen stores to buy toys, gifts for Him and Her, holiday housewarming gifts and a million other things you have forgotten, never fear. Just go to Big Lots. You can spend $10 or less on each gift featured this week and do all that shopping in one place. And before you assume that you are not going to find gifts that will impress or hit a particular soft spot of a gift recipient, take a look at what they’ve got – it’s a lot. A Big Lot – pun very intended. Many items are brand names you’ll recognize and cost half the price …

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Christmas Fun Facts and Trivia

How much will we spend this year? And what's the best-selling Christmas song of all time? Find the answers below.

We know that there were three Wise Men, 12 days of Christmas and that Santa delivers all his presents around the world in one night. But did you know... $23,439.38  How much it would cost to buy your "true love" the gifts in the 12 Day of Christmas . 12.9 billion hours, $447 billion How many hours Americans were expected to spend shopping, wrapping and returning gifts last year. That was about 42 hours and $688.87 per person.  Get your postman/postwoman a gift According to Hallmark, Christmas is the largest card-sending occasion . Nearly 1.5 billion cards are sent to friends and family every Christmas Season. (That's actually down 400 million cards since 2004.) $983 million The value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China…

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Top 10 Holiday Gifts for $15 or Under

Need a gift for a teacher or gift exchange at work? Perfect inexpensive gifts abound! Check out our list of ideas and let us know if you have one to add!

Do you need a nice, inexpensive gift for someone on your list this year? Check out these suggestions for gifts $15 and under. Also keep in mind that gift cards, which allow you to set your own amount are always the right size.

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Speak Out: What Will You Spend on Holiday Gifts?

Do you plan to spend more on holiday gifts this year? If you’re the average shopper, one survey says you probably will.

If you’re the average shopper, chances are you may be spending a bit more on gifts this season than in years past. Earlier this month, American Research Group reported that its phone survey earlier this month showed that Americans plan to spend an average of $854 on gifts this holiday season, up nearly a third of last year’s average of $646. That’s also the highest average since ARG’s 2007 survey, when survey respondents’ average was $859—that amount fell by about half in 2008. Here are the average amounts of planned spending survey takers have reported since 2002. Year Average Spending Percent Change   2012 $854 + 32% 2011 $646 - 2% 2010 $658 + 58% 2009 $417 - 3% 2008 $431 - 50% 2007 $859 - 5% 2006 $907 - 4% 2005 $942 - 6% 2004 $1,004 + 3…

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What to Buy Dad for Christmas

Men can be tricky to shop for. Northeast Cobb shoppers give some advice.

What does Dad really wants for Christmas? Northeast Cobb Patch asked shoppers...and got surprising answers. 1. Hardware "My father and husband like tools. My advice...a gift card to Home Depot or Lowes," Carol Smith said browsing ceiling fans in Home Depot. "Nah, get him a Weber, all-stainless, gas grill," said Smith's friend Janice. "What man doesn't like a stainless steel grill?" 2. Clothes "If your Dad is a sports fan, get him gifts like ball caps and jerseys," said 8-year-old Bryon Clark shopping with his mom at Target. "My Dad loves the Green Bay Packers. Easy." "Buy him a pair of nice Italian leather shoes-or whatever shoes are his favorite. Don't ask for his shoe size...look inside his shoe for the size. You will impress him by …

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Shelby on the Street

Christmas Has Gone to the Dogs

Can milk and cookies help a dog get what's on his Christmas wishlist?

Watch the video to see a special holiday greeting starring a dog who eagerly awaits Santa.

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Poll: How Much Are You Spending During the Holidays?

More than half of holiday shoppers intend to spend between $251 and $750 on gifts this year, according to a recent survey conducted by AAA Consumer Pulse.

The holiday season can be an expensive time of year when it comes to gift giving. According to a recent survey conducted by AAA Consumer Pulse, more than half of holiday shoppers plan to spend between $251 and $750 on gifts this year. The majority of survey respondents, 44 percent, plan to purchase gifts for six to 10 people, and 43 percent said they planned to make purchases using a credit card, while 54 percent plan to use a debit card, checks or cash. Four out of five holiday shoppers—82 percent, said they intend to shop at discount stores such as Target and Walmart. These are the top 10 categories for gift shopping, according to AAA: The AAA Consumer Pulse Survey was conducted online among residents living in the Southern Region of The…

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Happy, Healthy Kids: Painting for Dad

Art on canvas can make a memorable Father's Day gift.

If there is one thing my kids would love to do every day it’s painting. My Grammy is an artist. We all seem to have he genes and frequent desire to express ourselves on canvas. With Father’s Day coming up, kids and dads may enjoy a handmade painting. Michael’s Arts & Crafts is one of my kids favorite stores and place for painting supplies. For paintings we use: Since we paint fairly regularly, I find that the total cost for a painting comes in at approximately $1 - $3 each.   We put newspapers on the floor and use paper plates for the pallets. Our canvas is sitting on the little easels. We are ready to see what develops before our eyes. The trick is finding a picture for the kids to look at. It’s also great for kids to make up their own …

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Mom About Town

Early Christmas Gifts Best For Some Families

Limited holiday visitation among divorced families results in early Christmas presents for some children.

The divorce rate in America is said to be 50 percent of first marriages, 67 percent of second, and 74 percent of third marriages, according to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri. If that many families are split up, that means over half the children in America are split between two homes, especially during holidays. With limited time during Christmas, what do you do about presents? My children are with me until the day after Christmas. Do I make them wait the entire week and then open presents on Christmas Day and only be able to play with their toys for one day, or do I let them spend their week vacation being able to jump on their new trampoline? Weeks ago, I decided it would be …

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Toys For Tots Brings Holiday Cheer To Families

Bags filled with toys were prepared for over 100 local children through Toys For Tots.

Forever Free Outreach Ministry has been a Toys for Tots drop-off point for the last 15 years. This year instead of being a drop-off location, Forever Free was a distribution point where families picked up their Christmas Toys that had been donated throughout the county over the past three months. 63 years ago, a group of Marine reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed toys to over 5,000 needy children. The idea was so successful that the next year the Marine Corps adopted Toys For Tots and made it a nationwide program. In 1995 it became an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserves. Toys for Tots brings the community together for three months as they work to provide a Christmas for children who would otherwise go without. "…

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