In my columns, I constantly talk about purging. I find that by purging, you know what you have and once you have a clean and organized home it makes you really think twice about going out and shopping for more.

This is a great time of year to purge. There are a few areas in my life that I am purging to help our family live a more frugal lifestyle.

One of the areas I am currently purging is my Christmas decorations. Throughout the past several years, my family seems to have accumulated a lot of Christmas items. In the summer of 2011, I moved into a smaller town home and many of my Christmas items don’t fit and wouldn’t be able to be used. Last year, I began purging some of my Christmas decorations and this year I have taken the purging even further. This is the time of year when people are searching to buy Christmas items. I have placed my Christmas items on various selling sites and have purged a large amount of them. I also donated several Christmas items to charity. The money I made from the sale of my unwanted Christmas decorations has helped me cover the cost of Christmas this year.

Another area I have begun purging is my children’s toy closets. If you know me, you know that this is an area that I am constantly purging. I feel it’s an ongoing process. Again, I took unwanted toys and sold them to help offset the cost of Christmas or I donated unwanted toys to charities.

By selling these items, I am helping add to my family’s budget as it faces higher costs this holiday season.

Finally, another area I recommend you organizing and purging is your food pantry. Make sure you know what you have in preparation for the holiday meal and set your recipes accordingly. If you have food items close to the expiration dates, make sure you use them so the items don’t go to waste. Every little bit helps.

Do you have frugal tips? E-mail them localnews2005@yahoo.com.