French Fashion 2011 - French makeup for girls 2011

French Fashion 2011 - French makeup for girls 2011

French Fashion 2011 - French makeup for girls 2011

European Fashion 2011 - Collection wedding dresses for brides in 2011

European Fashion 2011 - Collection wedding dresses for brides in 2011

European Fashion 2011 - Collection wedding dresses for brides in 2011

Korean Fashion 2011 - Clothes for teens 2011

Korean Fashion 2011 - Clothes for teens 2011

Short dresses to exit 2011 -luxury short dresses for girls 2011

Short dresses to exit 2011 -luxury short dresses for girls 2011

Collection Accessories 2011 - Rings for Girls 2011 - accessories for girls 2011

Collection Accessories 2011 - Rings for Girls 2011 - accessories for girls 2011

Collection Accessories 2011 - Rings for Girls 2011 - accessories for girls 2011

Collection Lingerie 2011 - Lingerie for brides in 2011

Collection Lingerie 2011 - Lingerie for brides in 2011

The holiday season has officially begun. It's the time of year when many Americans whip out their credit cards to make gift purchases. And, some spend money they don't have. Don't let the holidays flip your good money management upside-down. Follow these few simple tips for smart holiday shopping and you'll find you can save money without sacrificing the quality of your gifts:

Make a List

Before you head out to the stores, start by sitting down and making a list of the people you'd like to buy gifts for. Next, mark down the item you want to buy for each person. In case the store is out of the item, write down some backup ideas or the price range you need to stay in for a gift.

Stick to Your List

When you get to the store, stick to your list! If the item is out of stock, choose the alternate gift option. You can also find a gift that falls in the price range you have set for the person.
Buy Gift Cards

Numerous websites and discount retailers sell gift cards at a discounted rate. For example, you can buy a $100 gift card for $90, or any denomination for a percentage of the face value. Start searching for discounted gifts cards on websites like Giftcards.com, eBay, Costco.com and BJs.com.

Shop before You Shop

The Internet is a rich source of money saving options. Comparison sites such as Pricegrabber.com, Pronto.com and Dealio.com allow you to search for the gift items you want to buy and help you locate the lowest price for each. You can also use sites like Retailmenot.com and Shopping-Bargains.com to get the best coupons in your email.

Use Rewards Shopping

Websites such as Upromise.com and eBates.com reward you for spending the money you're going to spend anyway. These sites provide you with instant rebates on your purchases or allow you to rack up points that you can use as a discount on future purchases.

Use Rewards Credit Cards

Especially during the holiday shopping season, many credit card companies offer special savings, instant rebates or other rewards for using your credit card. Statement inserts and credit card rewards websites alert you of these special options. You can also contact your credit card issuer for seasonal deals.

Shop Early and Often Don’t wait until the last minute to start your shopping. Start as early as possible or pick up items throughout the year when they're on sale. When you’re shopping in April and notice an item that your family member has been coveting is on sale or is offered with free shopping, pick up the gift at a discount and stash it away for the holidays.

Implement these smart shopping habits and you’ll quickly see the savings add up during your holiday shopping spree.

For more money saving tips and tools, visit Quizzle.com, where you can get a personalized plan to get out of debt faster and sign up for identity theft protection to watch over your good name during the busy holiday shopping season.

10 Tricks to Save Money with Credit Cards

The most credit savvy among us have been able to use credit cards to their benefit in order to wisely and optimally save money even while charging on their cards. If you are careful about how you use your credit cards, you may actually come out ahead by using them, rather than if you just stuck to cash. I've written about the perks of using cards before and why I prefer credit cards over cash, but this time, I'd like to share some actual strategies we can use to get the most out of our credit cards.

10 Tricks To Save Money Through Prudent Credit Card Use

1. Consolidate your credit card debt with care.

Many consumers use a common strategy to trim what they owe on their cards: they use balance transfer credit cards, which offer 0% or low APR on the balance that is moved over, but for a limited introductory period. Make sure you perform a cost benefit analysis before executing this plan since most cards these days have a balance transfer fee (typically around 3% of your debt) that you'll need to pay when you do the switch. You should also assess if you'll be able to pay off your debt entirely before the promotional 0% rate period is up, in order to avoid any increases in the card rate. If you can't make this work, it may still be worth doing a balance transfer if the new card carries a much lower APR than your old one.

2. Use rewards cards only if you can pay your balance in full.

I'm a huge fan of credit card rewards. But to offset the rewards that they pay out, rewards cards tend to have higher interest rates than regular credit cards. For instance, it would only make sense to earn American Express rewards if you intend to pay your balance in full each month, no fail. If you can't commit to such a schedule, then it's better to apply for lower interest cards.

3. Be careful about participating in credit card arbitrage schemes.

Because of today's more restrictive credit environment, it's now tougher for shrewd cardmembers to execute any money making schemes using credit cards. In the past, it was fairly easy to make money with cards by taking borrowed funds and funneling them into a high interest savings account that sported an attractive yield.

With savings accounts no longer yielding such great returns and balance transfer cards with awesome terms now dwindling in number, this strategy is no longer as lucrative as it once was. There are still people who play this game though, but it's a game that requires top notch organizational skills since any misstep (say a forgotten or late payment) can cost you much more than you'd earn in this plan.

4. Pay more than the minimum and pay on time!

By simply practicing good payment habits, you'll avoid exorbitant finance charges and penalties levied upon your account. It's best to pay off any monthly balance in full, but if you can't swing it, then paying more than the minimum will save you quite a bit in interest over the long term. There are also certain credit cards that will reward you for this type of good behavior (check out my Citi Forward credit card review for more details).

5. Do your research before applying for a card.

Compare credit card offers before signing up for anything. Have you read the terms carefully? Based on your shopping habits, you'll find that there are certain credit cards that will suit your spending patterns better than others.

6. Don't own too many cards.

I'd avoid collecting rewards cards simply because owning too many may prevent you from optimizing your rewards on any one card. Also, having too many cards may just encourage you to charge more than you should and to overuse your credit.

7. Avoid relying on credit cards to cover an emergency.

Some people I know don't have emergency funds and end up relying on their collection of credit cards to bail them out whenever the need arises. However, with no savings, you're likely going to keep a balance on your credit card as soon as you use it for any unexpected expenses -- and keeping a balance means paying extra in interest. So keep in mind that while depending on your cards as backup is quite tempting to do, it will certainly be expensive in the long run if you charge up a storm.

8. Carry a spare credit card.

Here's a great compromise: if you are interested in taking advantage of rewards, you can still own a rewards card but use it only for those items that you'll be able to pay off completely each month. You may want to consider applying for a second card which should be of the low interest kind; this is the card that you can afford to own with a balance given its lower rates.

9. Talk to your card issuer about lowering your rate.

If you've got a good history as a cardmember, you may have some leverage here. When you've been a customer for a while, give your card company a call to discuss the possibility of cutting you a break on the rates. They're more amenable to this type of request than you think since card companies would love to hold on to their good clients.

10. Don't use your card for cash advances.

Avoid using any free checks that come your way that draw from your credit card account. And try not to use your card for any form of cash advance -- it's not worth what you'll pay for the convenience.