Only 201 days until Christmas. That may seem like an odd topic, given that we haven't even celebrated the summer solstice yet. But now, not Black Friday, is the time to start thinking about gifts.

Or whether you'll give presents at all.  

Sonya Ann, who blogs at A Mom, Money and More, is helping her college-age daughter collect items for her first apartment. Thus far they've gotten cookware, dishes, loads of cleaning supplies, flatware, a couple of lamps, a comfortable chair and a garbage can.

Total expenditure: less than $165.

How'd they get all that so cheaply?

 

Hitting the road this summer? Put together a roadside emergency kit before you leave.

That's not paranoid, it's prudent -- even if you already belong to an auto club or your car insurance includes roadside emergency service.  

Almost four years ago I bought a 5.5-cubic-foot chest freezer. I live in a small apartment with just a sliver of kitchen, so I had to put the freezer in the bedroom. It makes a great valet.

The freezer hasn't noticeably affected my electric bills. But it sure has had an impact on my grocery budget.

 

Looking for cheap recreation? Of the National Park Service's 397 sites and parks, 264 are always free.

The other 133 will be free Saturday, June 9. These no-fee walks in the parks aren't limited to rocks, trees and game animals. They include lighthouses, wild horses, canyons, trout fishing, presidential papers, sled dog puppies, cave tours, whales and, of course, history. Lots of history.

 

Do you have clothing you never wear, books you've already read or gift items that were never a good fit? Join the club. All but the minimalists among us could probably name plenty of possessions that rarely get used.

If you don't want to have a yard sale, try creating your own private Freecycle Network -- but just for an evening.  

Personal-finance blogger "J. Money" recently wrote about how to optimize your trips to garage sales.

 

I've got a few suggestions of my own. A couple of quibbles, too. 

 

Kendal Perez, who got married six years ago, would like to point out that some wedding "traditions" are negotiable. She nixed a bridal shower, let her attendants choose their own dresses, decided against wedding favors, did her own makeup and drove to and from the ceremony in her own car rather than hire a limo.

The shopping-deal expert, who blogs at Hassle-Free Savings, is just as married as the folks who pay the $26,984 that the average wedding now costs (according to The Knot, which runs two wedding websites).

 

"No guest approached me with complaints about missing out on monogrammed matchbooks or pouches of customized M&Ms," she says. "No complaints from guests hoping to shell out even more cash (on shower gifts) to attend my big day."