Best Money Tips: Financial Mistakes to Avoid in 2011

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Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup! Today, we share the financial mistakes to watch out for, how to make your own glitter flats, and simple ways to spend less on produce.

The Top 5

8 Financial Mistakes to Avoid for 2011 — It's all too easy to forget about recurring and automatic payments — that's part of the convenience, after all. However, it's important to evaluate these payments periodically to make sure the services are still worth the cost. Not Made of Money

Make Your Own Glitter Flats — Glam up an old pair of flats (or really cheap new ones) with just a few coats of Mod Podge mixed with glitter and finished off with clear glaze spray. We Are Not Martha via The Consumerist

Ten Quick Tips for Cutting Your Produce Bill — Use as much of your produce as you can: "Peeling removes much of the flesh and the vitamins too." Cooking Manager

How to Update Last Year's Wardrobe for this Season — Sometimes, all it takes is a few accessories to update a wardrobe. Look for new ways to mix, match, and layer! Sharon Harvey-Rosenberg via Currency

Santa Cookies On a Budget: 4 Shortcuts That Will Save You Time and Money — Start with a base cookie recipe and mix up the ingredients to get several different flavors! Learn how to make brown sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate mint chip, and others with only minor variations to a soft chocolate chip recipe. MintLife

Other Essential Reading

Displaying Christmas Cards: 5 Unique Approaches — Show off your holiday cards and crafting skills on a corkboard ribbon tree. (It actually looks pretty easy to make.) DIY Life

Go paperless next Christmas — If you don't want to use any new paper next Christmas, start gathering any paper holiday materials now. Even used, wrinkly wrapping paper can be ironed and reused for next year's batch of presents! Make it and Mend it

7 Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before The Year Ends —Before you decide on your Near Year's resolutions, do a year-end review to see how 2010 went for you. Dumb Little Man

No Solicitation: Ideas For Worthwhile School Fundraisers — Schools and local businesses can team up to improve the community by combining fundraisers with service projects. For example, businesses can sponsor students to pick up trash in the neighborhood. Parenting Squad

Lending Money to Family Members: Worth the Risk? — No need to say 'yes' or 'no' right away; take some time to think about other alternatives that are open to your money-strapped relative. A few extra days will allow them to decide if borrowing from you is really the last resort. PT Money