Holiday Tips And A $50 Bank Of America Gift Card Giveaway!

This time of year, everyone is talking about running errands and trying to get all their shopping done, while still saving time and money.  Some people think this is impossible, but it's not.  You just have to have a plan in mind, and then make sure that you stick to that plan.  You can also make all the running around more fun by doing it with a friend.  I am taking this advice to heart and going shopping with my sister tomorrow.

Not only does this make it more fun, it also saves on gas and babysitting.  I will sit in the car with the kids if she needs to pop into a store for something, and she will do the same for me.  We also have a route all planned out, so we don't end up backtracking.  I had no idea that you could use Map Quest to map out a route ahead of time, putting in all the stops you need to make (up to 26 different locations!) and getting the fastest route.  I always just used Map Quest to get to places I didn't know how to get to.  I think I am going to be taking advantage of this feature frequently in the next week or so.

Another great tip is to call ahead and make sure the gifts you are after are actually in stock before driving all the way to the store.  Last year, we had a hard time finding a wii.  My husband spent fifteen minutes on the phone locating one, instead of spending an entire day driving from store to store.

Once you have all your gifts bought, why not have a wrapping party?  Invite over your girlfriends and spend the evening wrapping gifts, drinking, and eating yummy food.  If you are really ambitious, you can even bake some cookies for a cookie exchange.  I do this every year with my mom and sisters, and it is always a lot of fun.

I also take advantage of the kids being out of school by roping them into helping around the house.  My youngest daughter loves to dust and clean the bathrooms (I know that's weird, but it means I don't have to scrub toilets, so I let her do it...I mean, who am I to stop her if that's what makes her happy?) and my son is a whiz at getting the dishes done.  My middle child has taken over doing the laundry, which frees up a lot of my time, so I can concentrate on blogging and Facebook.  You know, the important things.  My point is, if you have little helpers in the house, let them help.  Ask them what they would like to do, and let them do it.  If they don't want to help, make them.  It's okay, you're the parent.  It's your job to make your kids miserable.

Okay, so maybe I'm kidding a little, but I find that if the kid gets to pick what they are going to do, it gets done better and faster.  And I am all about getting things done fast and easy.  Let's take banking, for instance.  I have been with Bank Of America for a little over a year, and have only been in the bank one time.  I had to go in the day after I opened my account online to make the initial deposit.  Since then, I have done all my banking online and with their ATM's.  Honestly, I have never seen an ATM that can do so much.  You can make deposits consisting of checks or cash.  You don't need to have envelopes or deposit slips, either.  When you deposit cash, you simply put the entire wad into the little window (instead of having to feed each bill into the machine separately), and it prints out a receipt listing not only the total amount deposited, but exactly how many bills and which denominations they were.  I know, it's pretty cool.  You can also have an image of the checks you deposit printed on your receipt.  It really is pretty awesome.

Mostly, though, I do all my banking online.  I can go on whenever I want, and check my balance and transfer funds.  Debits show up immediately, so whenever we go out shopping, the first thing I do when I get home is check online to make sure everything went through properly.  There was one time that a produce stand charged me three times for one order, claiming they were having issues with their debit card machine.  I was able to go home, print out my bank statement, and take it back up there, showing them their mistake. They refunded my money, and I was on my way.

These are just two of the features Bank Of America offers to the people who bank with them.  I know that not having to run to the back for every little detail saves me not only time, but sanity as well.  Banks can gets crazy busy sometimes, and you all know how much I hate being around people. 

Since it is Christmastime, I am going to give one of you a pre-loaded $50 Bank Of America gift card.  I can't have it to you before Christmas, but I am sure that it will come in just as handy after Christmas for all those "after Christmas" sales.  I know I buy a ton of decorations every year after Christmas when they slash the prices.

To enter this giveaway, simply share with me one of your Holiday time saving tips. (of course, if you tweet, facebook, or blog about this giveaway, or follow me, or like me, you can earn extra entries...just leave separate comments for each!)

This giveaway will run until 11:59pm on December 24, 2010, and I will announce the winner on Christmas. or probably the day after, depending on how busy Christmas is.  US bloggers only, please. Good luck!

This contest is hosted and fulfilled solely by my kids are my world.  I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Bank of America and received a Bank of America preloaded gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.