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With the sterling fetching only slightly more than the euro at Travelex, one would reckon there would be lots of excellent deals to be found in alpine ski resorts this winter as snowboarders rest back home to combat the crisis. Provisional numbers recently announced point to the fact that skiing towns are 83 percent booked during the Christmas time period. 14 % higher than the same period of time last year.

You will have some luck in the new year which currently has a 36 percent booking level. The only signs of a recession is during the significant Feb vacation month that has 67 percent bookings, 5 % less than a year ago. Booking centers in the ski domains of Gourette, Les Gets, Chamonix and Montroc have seen good inquiries during November furthered by the brilliant early on winter season snow. Gourette has higher reservations in comparison to last season, whilst La Mongie experienced a supreme New Year as did Alps Chamonix.

There is substantial requirement for larger ski chalets, 8 to 10 beds, as folk group up to save money. Evidence shows that DIY skiing breaks are holding up well, evidence perhaps that keen skiers will not lose their ski holiday. Inquiries for package holidays are lower than last year.

Winter time is depression time for many women. Susun Weed gives Wise Woman wisdom on how to deal when depression strikes!
Winter time is depression time for many women. Perhaps it is harder to look at the bright side when days are short, perhaps the holidays and family demands take their toll on us. Of course, depression can also be triggered by lack of thyroid hormone and by use of steroids, high blood pressure drugs, and ERT/HRT.

But most often the cause of depression is the belief (valid or not) that nothing you do makes any difference. Victimization and poverty lock women into depression. More than one-third of all American women have been victims of sexual or physical abuse; and women make up more than two-thirds of all Americans who live below poverty level. Yet our culture frowns on women who express their anger. No wonder depression is a woman’s issue.

“Look here,” Grandmother Growth motions to you as she spreads her story blanket at your feet. “See how depression is deeply woven with anger and grief. When our need for reliable, joyous intimacy is frustrated, and expression of our frustration would endanger us, depression comes and protects us. When there is no way to deal effectively with situations that enrage us, depression comes and helps us quiet our violent impulses.

“Depression is not an easy companion on your journey, but she knows much about life. In her bundle, she carries the anger you have carefully frozen with frigid blasts of fear and kept nourished with your pain. She carries your wholeness. She carries your ability to go beyond the pain, your ability to allow your rage to move you into health. She carries your wholeness. Will you let her teach you?”

Wise Woman remedies don’t seek to eliminate our feelings, or turn “negative” ones into “positive” ones, but to help us incorporate all of our feelings into our wholeness/health/holiness.

* Welcome the dark. Cherish the deepness. Give yourself over to a day or two of doing nothing. Then, get up, no matter how bad you feel. Set a goal for the day and meet it. Smile - it releases brain chemicals that make you feel good. Smile no matter what. Do it as an exercise. Hate it while you do it. But SMILE!

* Homeopathic remedies include Arum metallicum, for women with frequent thoughts of suicide who feel cut off from love and joy; and Sepia, for women who are disinterested in everything, angry at family and friends, and just want to be left alone.

* It’s more than idle chatter that depression comes with gray skies and happiness with sunny ones. For emotional health (and strong bones) get 15 minutes of sunlight on your uncovered eyelids (outside, no glasses, no contacts) daily. If you can’t get out (or if the sun doesn’t cooperate), wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual. (You can stay in bed, but keep those eyes open.)

* Sing the blues; dance ‘em too. Women have depended on songs and dances to carry them out of depression for centuries. Dance therapy is more effective than talk therapy for reaching and healing traumatic experiences. Even a single session may have a dramatic effect.

* Find your rage and write it down. Get a massage and let the anger move out of the muscles. Volunteer to help change something you are upset about, even a small thing.

* St. Joan’s/John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) lives in very sunny locations and blooms at summer solstice. I call it bottled sunshine. A dropperful of the bright red tincture taken 1-3 times daily has helped many women relieve SAD (seasonal affective disorder), move through grief, ease the physical pain of depression, and walk on the sunny side! CAUTION: Hypericum in capsules is not as effective and can cause unwanted side effects.

* Oatstraw infusion (not tea, tincture, or capsules) has been an ally for depressed women since earliest times. Gentle Avena nourishes the nerves and helps you remember why life is worth living.

To make an infusion: Brew one ounce by weight of dried herb (that’s a cup by volume) in a quart jar filled to the top with boiling water. Steep for at least four hours, then strain and refrigerate your infusion. Drink as many cups a day as you wish. Or make an oatstraw bath by adding two quarts of infusion to your bath water.

* Garden sage (Salvia) is an ancient ally for emotionally-distressed women. In some societies, only crones were allowed to drink the brew made from the nubbly leaves (at least partly because it delays menses and dries up breast milk). Make an infusion (see oatstraw); drink by mixing a few spoonfuls of the dense brew into hot water or warm milk; add honey to taste. The undiluted infusion keeps for weeks refrigerated.

* Behavioral and interpersonal therapies are as effective as drugs in relieving depression. Not only that, two-thirds of those who simply read about therapy improve significantly.

* Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, especially soon after awakening, has been shown to help women whose depression is resistant to all treatments, including drugs.

* Sleep less. If you are a woman who overproduces a normal depression-causing substance which accompanies sleep you will feel depressed and often find it difficult to wake up. Sleeping more will only compound the problem. Instead, stay up all night once a week. If you can’t cope with no sleep, even mild sleep deprivation (such as sleeping five hours or less for two nights in a row) dramatically decreases depressive symptoms in some people.

* Low levels of calcium, zinc, and B vitamins are associated with depression. Get more by eating more cheese and yogurt, more garlic and mushrooms, more whole grains and beans.

* Lack of vitamin B12 doubles the risk of severe depression for older women. This critical nutrient, found only in animal products, is destroyed by tofu and soy beverage. Drink real milk, eat real cheese, eat meat at least occasionally and watch your mood improve

* 1600 mg of SAM-e (A-adenosylmethionine) relieved the symptoms of moderate depression as well as imipramine, but no better than Hypericum (St. J’s wort). CAUTION: Of the brands tested by Consumer Reports, only Natrol, Nature Made, TwinLab, and GNC passed all tests.

* Avoid hormone replacement - ERT/HRT - if you’re depressed; it’s strongly associated with an increase in suicide attempts.

* Women who used to take lithium say they have gradually switched over to skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). A dose of infusion is one cup/250 ml or more per day; of fresh plant tincture is 5-8 drops twice a day; of the dried plant tincture is a dropperful/1 ml several times a day. CAUTION: Skullcap can make you sleepy.

* For women whose depression resists all other therapies, electro-convulsive treatments (ECT), previously known as shock treatments, have been updated with special care taken to minimize harm. The women I spoke with who were using ECT told me it was incredibly effective, and the side-effects, including severe memory loss, acceptable to them. From doing nothing, to ECT, the range of remedies available to depressed women is enormous. To help you choose wisely, these effective, simple Wise Woman remedies are in order of safety: the safest remedies first, and the most dangerous ones last.

This is a shortened version of the depression section in New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, available through www.ashtreepublishing.com or your favorite bookseller.

If you liked this article you will want to visit Susun Weed online at www.susunweed.com

About the Author

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Susun is one of America’s best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women’s health.

Did you know that menstrual cramps is the single greatest cause of lost school and working hours among women?

Also known as dysmenorrhea, menstrual cramps are the cause of an estimated 140 million hours of lost school and work. However, you do not have to live in pain. Below are some helpful tips that can help women during this particularly painful time of the month.

1. Try to eat smaller, more frequent meals. A lot of food
causes blood sugar to rise and fluctuate. instead of eating three large meals, eat five or six small meals a day, each about two and a half hours apart.

2. Exercise. Exercise can help alleviate menstrual cramps by raising the level of beta-endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain associated with pain relief. Studies have shown that beta endorphins have a positive effect on mood and behavior.

3. Try an over the counter Ibuprofen. Advil, Nuprin, and Motrin IB all contain Ibuprofen, which is one of the best pain relievers around. 200 milligrams every four to six hours is the recommended dosage, or twice that if symptoms warrant.

4. Oral contraceptive pills: Have been found to decrease the amount of menstrual tissue formed and lower the pain level (amplitude) of the uterine contractions.

5. Mefenamic acid: Also found over the counter, effectively relieves severe menstrual pain while also reducing heavy menstrual bleeding, easing menstrual migraine, and easing the
physical and emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

6. Reduce salt intake: To prevent water retention that causes bloating. Also, avoid liquor and other alcoholic beverages to reduce headaches.

7. Learn to relax. Rest, sleep and relaxation exercises can help reduce the pain and discomfort of menstrual cramps. A relaxing massage or bath with oil made with chamomile, lavender, marjoram, ginger and/or clary sage. They are aromatic and can aid in relaxation.

Never surrender to pain. There are steps you can take to help alleviate the pain and discomfort. So, the next time you experience any painful menstruation symptoms, be sure to try these tips.
About the Author

Van Whitsett has written on a number of health topics for the Internet and the print media also. For more help and info on this topic, please go to http://www.fast-pms-remedy.com/ Reduce Menstrual Cramps

When considering a cruise vacation this is a very good question. The Cruise lines pre-book massive amounts of airline space. That allows you better access to flights, and many cruise lines pass on their reasonable prices to passengers whose travel agents book through them.

If you choose to make airline reservations on your own please select flight schedules that allow you enough time to get to the pier in time for the ship’s departure on the day of your cruise travel. That applies in reverse, leave enough breathing room to get to the airport with time to make your return flights after your lovely cruise vacation.

Two advantages of using cruise line provided airfare are:

1. By purchasing cruise line airfare, you also receive transfers to and from the airport to the pier.
2. If your flights are delayed and arrive past the time of the ship’s departure, the cruise line assumes responsibility for either delaying the ship’s sailing or getting you to the cruise ships first port of call.

You should let your travel agent book the Airline Reservations through the Cruise Line for safety reasons. This basically makes the Cruise Line responsible in the event of a flight or sailing delay or cancellation. Here’s a cruise tip, for a small additional “air deviation” fee, most cruise lines will attempt to book you on the airline or flights of your choice.

If you have frequent-flier miles be sure to book your flights well in advance to ensure your arrival on time. When scheduling your flight home after the cruise, be sure to take into account disembarking time from the ship and local transportation time to the airport. Leave plenty of time because some local airports may not be as sophisticated as those you might be used to. And in today’s world, security will make it even longer to board your flight for your cruise travel.

You should arrive at least a day before the cruise vacation, especially if you are flying a long distance to pick up the ship. That way, you can rest up and be ready to enjoy every moment of your cruise. You get the added benefit of not having to worry about a delayed or cancelled flight, causing you to miss the cruise. This was the best cruise tip I have learned over the years.

When you are flying to your cruise vacation you will have to consider baggage weight. Generally there are no restrictions on how much luggage you can take aboard ship, but do remember that if your cruise vacation involves a flight, airlines have their own baggage allowance restrictions. These vary on scheduled flights, depending on airline and route. Please note that the allowance may be less on international flights. When flying from New Zealand back to Miami after our millennium cruise vacation, Quanta’s airline was very strict about weight and charged us because we were over.

The cruise lines will generally supply you with its luggage tags which will be in addition to your personal ID tags. The luggage tags will be included with your cruise documents which normally arrive 2-3 weeks before your cruise vacation.

Here are some cruise tips we have learned through our cruise travel.

It is strongly suggested that you remove old airline flight tags to eliminate ANY possibility of confusion on the part of the airline.

An extra folded flight bag takes up very little room and it can be handy on your way home when you have more to carry then can be placed in your original luggage.

Be sure to keep your travel documents, identification documents, medications, valuables, a set of clean underwear, credit cards, cash and travelers checks on your person or in your carry-on luggage. Horror stories concerning lost airline luggage are well known.

When traveling outside the United States to pick up your cruise ship, make photocopies of your passport and cruise itinerary, place one set in each bag prior to checking them with the airline. This will ensure you that your luggage will catch up to you at some time during your cruise vacation.

When waiting in line or sitting in an airport, always have the strap to your carry-on luggage wrapped around an arm or leg, then it won’t disappear without your knowledge.

Be very careful using your telephone card in airports. People will stand behind you and watch as you tap in the numbers. And much to your dismay, a month after your cruise travel, you get a huge telephone bill. I know it happened it me. I was not responsible for paying the bill, but it was a hassle.

It is useful to take an overnight bag for the last night of your cruise vacation. Your cabin steward will be collecting all checked bags the night before disembarkation, sometime around midnight. If you have this small overnight bag you can use it for the clothes you wore the evening before. And as mentioned, it comes in handy for packing all the mementos you picked up along the way.

The most important cruise tip is to relax and enjoy your cruise vacation. You deserve it.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

About the Author
About the Author
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: www.CruiseGold.com www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and www.CruisingTips.com or contact her at mhanna@cruisepublishing

My mother was a diabetic and when she was diagnosed, it was called adult onset diabetes. Do you know why they changed the name to type 2? I’m afraid the sad truth is it can no longer be
called “adult,” because the deadly type 2 diabetes is now showing up in children.

Diabetes has been dramatically on the increase for the past century. Today about 23 million Americans are diabetic and one quarter of those are undiagnosed. Whereas people don’t
generally die of diabetes, they just go blind or lose their limbs, it often leads to heart disease. And heart disease is our biggest premature killer.

Native Americans, who at one time had no diabetes, now have the highest incidence in the world. What happened?
Traditionally, they had lived on an all natural, unrefined diet. Once they were moved to reservations, their only choice was a modern “white man’s diet” of refined foods. Since then, there’s been a huge jump in the incidence of Native American diabetes. Among the Pima Indians in Southwest Arizona, 40%
of the population are type 2 diabetics. Interestingly enough,
they’re eating many of the same foods that they were eating on their traditional diet. Only today, they’re using refined versions of those foods - refined corn products, refined sugars
and refined grains.

Although we’ve known this information for many years, a peer review study just published in this month’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has proven that whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat, can help protect people from diabetes.

The team of researchers from Simmons College, Harvard Medical School, followed the eating habits of 43,000 men (ages 40 to 75) for about 12 years. Although they all started out healthy, nearly 3% developed diabetes in just over a decade. What were they
eating?

Those who ate the least amount of whole grains had a 60% higher incidence of developing type 2 diabetes than those eating the highest level of whole grains. But there’s even more evidence. And, this is a real shocker. Obese men who ate the highest amount of whole grains, and were also physically active, developed 52% less type 2 diabetes, even though they were overweight.

Two other recent studies focusing on women and whole grains confirmed these same Harvard findings: whole grains can help protect from diabetes and possibly other degenerative diseases.

Why?

Whole grains are low glycemic carbohydrates. This means lower blood sugar and less insulin production. But refined grains are high glycemic carbohydrates that more than double blood sugar levels. This causes an insulin surge to clear sugar out of the blood. After a while, the body is no longer capable of handling this blood sugar onslaught. That’s when a person becomes a type 2 diabetic. Then high blood sugar can increase the risk of diabetic related heart disease, kidney failure and blindness.

The Harvard research team’s conclusion to this study was to recommend that people eat more whole grains. They said, “Whole grain products” have “the potential to reduce substantially the incidence of type 2 diabetes and possibly other chronic diseases when sustained over time.”

Makes a lot of sense to me. Whole grains are in their natural,
nutritious form, just the way they were meant to be. You see, “It’s not nice to try and fool Mother Nature.” And, in her never-to-be-humble opinion, she doesn’t mind telling us,
“I told you so!”

Moss Greene is the Nutrition Host at Bellaonline.com. Visit her web site at http://www.bellaonline.com/site/nutrition to find out how to look better, feel your best and have more energy -
naturally. Subscribe now to the News You Can Use Newsletter by going to http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3859.asp

Everything you read about diets should be “taken with a
grain of salt”. If something seems too good to be true, or
not plausible, seek other sources, or ask at
http://mayoclinic.com.

You probably have heard about “anorexia”, self-starvation,
or “bulimia”, binge eating followed by laxatives and/or
induced vomiting. These disorders often affect females
with poor self image. Death can result.

You might not realize that some fad diets are also deadly
to health or to life. Any diet that focuses on just a few
foods, or mostly water or juices, except under personal
medical supervision, can damage critical organs and nerve
tissues beyond repair. Don’t willfully make yourself into
a starvation victim.

Be cautious when reading about such things as “macrobiotic”
diets. “Macrobiotic” is a combination of two words, created
to mean great / long life achieved through diet of whole
grains, vegetables, beans, limited quantities of animal
foods. Some fanatics have taken this to mean nothing but
grains and water. The “brown rice diet” is an example that
has caused deaths.

Don’t expect “the grapefruit diet” to do much more than
supply you with a lot of vitamin C. You had better continue
eating proteins, fruits, vegetables, fiber foods.

As I wrote in my diet eBook,
If calories burned are more / less than calories ingested,
weight will be lost / gained. Physics can NOT be turned off.

By the way, as you can read on their web site, posted
August 22, 2003,
“Mayo Clinic diet: It doesn’t exist.
A number of so-called “Mayo Clinic diets” have surfaced over
the years. None of these originated at or are endorsed by
Mayo Clinic.”

******************************************
* Diet with FACTS, not Fat-Burner MYTHS. *
******************************************
For more pages in this health series, send blank email to
snips@easyhealthdiet.com

Donald A. Miller, Ph.D. is the author of “Easy Health Diet”,
and several thousand other reports, including two eBooks
available through Amazon.Com. More health information can be
found at his web site http://easyhealthdiet.com.
Contact at mailto:drdon@easyhealthdiet.com

Welcoming a newborn baby into the family is always a joyful occasion especially for first-time parents. The nine months of waiting has finally come to an end. How heart-warming it is to hear that first cry. Your baby has arrived!

When it’s time to bring your newborn baby home, the excitement continues from the hospital to your home. Relatives and friends come over to adore your newborn. What an exciting time!

Soon the initial excitement subsides and reality strikes! It’s time to think about providing the best baby care you can for your newborn. There are so many things that need to be done. And, especially if you’re a first-time parent, there are so many things you wish you knew on how to provide the best baby care possible for your infant.

You and your family will have a lot of adjusting to do especially during the first few days after your baby have come home. All of a sudden, there is a new member in the family. Daily routines will be affected. Life will not be the same again.

If you have other children at home, you may have to deal with sibling jealousy as your newborn seems to have robbed them of all the attention they used to get. The best way to handle that is to get your children involved with baby care. Depending on their ages and abilities, you may want to get them to help out with diaper changing, feeding, holding the baby, and other appropriate activities. Once they realized that their contributions are valued, their feelings of jealousy will disappear.

As a new mother, you may have to deal with ‘baby blues’. Your body is undergoing major physical changes after the birth of your baby. This may cause you to feel sad and depressed. These feelings are perfectly normal and should go away after several weeks. However, if you find that these feelings are getting more and more intense and are affecting your ability to care for yourself and your family, you should consult your doctor. You may be suffering from a condition of postpartum depression.

Parenting has its ups and downs, challenges and rewards. It’s a long road ahead raising a new baby up to its adulthood. It’ll be wise to learn as much as possible on how to raise healthy and happy kids. The more knowledge and skills you have, the better parent you’ll become. It is an investment in their lives and yours.

About The Author

Richard Wong offers an ebook that helps parents to be more effective in caring for their newborns.

http://www.baby-first-year.com

I would look at the magazines my teenage neighbor and her friends stashed away in their cupboards and think, “Heck, I could do that!” So one day, while she was away at school, I broke into her room and “borrowed” the magazines.

Teenage magazines have changed since we were teens, I can tell you that. No longer do they advocate sex after marriage and accepting everything for what it is. Teenage magazines today are a whole different gamut. So, if you go into shock mode quickly, this market may not be your cup of tea.

If you want to get published in the teenage market, you have to be familiar with the slang that kids these days use. Gone are the days of the grammar appropriate “I have a crush on…” Now girls are crushing on guys, hanging with their friends and trying to achieve super cool status. And if you’ve got a problem with that, take a chill pill!

Forget vocabulary, forget grammar. Throw all the rules your English teacher taught you in the trash, because you’re not going to need many of them. That’s the deal. When writing for teenagers, you’ve got to be one. You’ve got to think like a thirteen-year old trying to figure out if the guy she’s crushing on really likes her or not. It might not be a big deal for you, but for that thirteen year old, it’s her life. It’s important.

Which brings me to another important aspectyou have to give importance to the subject matter. If you think fighting with your best friend is no big deal, you have no place writing for this market. On the other hand, if you whole-heartedly believe that the sole reason of your existence is the guy you can’t take your eyes off, then you might have a chance. Don’t misinterpret this to mean that teenagers aren’t involved in serious issues, though. You’ll often find articles and issues for the serious teencommunity service, road rage, drinking and even drugsall topics that are given their share of space in these magazines.

Writing articles, quizzes and short stories for this particular market can be a lot of fun. Connect with the younger side of you and write about the ups and downs of high school, making and breaking friends, dating and dumping guys and most importantly, accepting the person you arein mind and in body. Teenage girls have many more issues with their bodies than do boys, and this is the reason that girl magazines far outnumber magazines for boys.

Before you start though, you might want to meet up with some youngsters to get a hold of their priorities, their interests and their lifestyle. Until you don’t have the mindset of a teenager and aren’t capable of the thought processes of one, you’re not going to find success here.

In writing a query to the editor, the most important aspect is your idea and its presentation. Through your query, the editor has to know your voice, your talent and how much you understand this particular age group. It should be apparent from your query that you understand the publication and its requirements. The study-your-market rule applies even more strictly to this market as each magazine has its own lingo and voice.

The pay rates of these magazines, like other consumer magazines, vary widely depending on the publication and its requirements. In general, you can earn anywhere from $10 to $2,000 for a single piece. Quizzes are very popular among teens and again pay quite well. If you’re a cartoonist or illustrator, you can add even more. And you know what, you can get rich writing for teen magazines!

Once you’re hooked though, you’ll find that writing for teenagers is so much fun, that you’ll want to do it over and over again, money or no money. This is one market, where the fun simply exceeds the work factor. So, what are you waiting for? Bring out those high school photographs and like, get writing already?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, “Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer’s Guide to Query Letters That Sell,” available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html

Having been in the Franchising Industry and set up franchised units in 23-states and 4 nations, which did business in 450 cities and 110 major markets, we learned early on that once we had set up the initial marketing “Bonzai and Blitz” mission that most of our franchised outlet’s business came from word of mouth, not on-going advertising.

This is why I have always said that you should; Fire Your Marketing Consultant, as most of your on-going business will come from Word of Mouth. Now then many of the most disreputable marketing consultants who write three or more books on Marketing will call this true observation into question. They will tell you that referrals and word of mouth business is not what brings in the majority of your clientele and that you must buy their books, tapes, go to seminars and even hire these scoundrels as consultants? Not so.

Oh they say things like; “I would be skeptical of Word of Mouth and its benefits to your business; you must market and advertise if you want to maximize your potential”

Look I hate to brag, well, actually now that I am retired and could care less what anyone else thinks, I guess bragging does not bother me too much; but we literally creamed our competition in every friggin market and laid them out for the count and we rarely advertised at all. We asked for referrals and we had people following our service units around town, honking to pull us over and give us accounts or business on the spot. So, let me tell you anyone who says that; word of mouth is not all it is cracked up to be is full of horse dung. Consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Inviting your possible guests on your wedding day can be costly. You have to give them traditional wedding cards to inform them of the date and venue, and possibly those cards are made of elegant or high quality papers and other materials that might cost a lot. If your goal is to save money, then you should think of cost - effective alternatives to send out cards to your guests. Here are some tips.

1. Make a list of possible guests first. Invite only your closest friends and relatives so you’ll know the number of cards to make. Sometimes cards are made in excess and are thrown away.

2. No RSVP, please. Who cares about RSVP cards? Chances are they’ll just tell you in person that they will attend, so don’t include RSVP cards. This is especially true when they are your closest friends and co - workers whom you see everyday.

3. Have a friend, relative or hobbyist make DIY cards. If you know someone talented in making cards, then have her come up with a design instead of hiring a company doing that for you.

4. Print them yourself. Just use a cheap ink and your own printer. No one will notice anyway, or they won’t care too much.

5. Send them ecards. Send your relatives living far away an ecard and add an audio to it. You will save on postage stamps and won’t take too long, too. Tell them to reply early.

6. Shop on cheap materials. Go to local bookstores and see those cheap papers and laces. Compare prices of these materials before making a decision.

Think of more ways to save more money on wedding invitations by being creative and delegating tasks to the people you know. Save on other things, too, like wedding cakes, music, photography and attire. You don’t have to spend a lot to make your special day a success.

About the Author

Dulce Azogue is the owner of
http://www.weddingofherdreams.com, where frugal brides learn to cut wedding costs while having a nice wedding. Visit the site now to join her newsletter that teaches you more cost-effective ideas like these at
http://www.weddingofherdreams.com/gift.html, and download a free ebook.