Moms and Dads going back to school???
It is harder for families in college to save money,just because they just have so many mouths to feed.
Often times, this causes those parents to take less classes and have finish later. Their only reason is, "I just can't afford it, it is go to school and take a class at a time or no money on groceries". This is a sad estate for our fellow college students.
Couponing can be a family affair too.
This is one area where you can be a team and fight to get the high score.
The prize... saving money.
Here is a video that proves it; she even gets a little upset when she thought she didn't get the deal she planned. She chirps up when mom tells here her mistake.
Along the way there are options to get side prizes too.
The kids can find candy coupon or even toys. This works as their side prizes.
Not only are they helping you, but they are learning through experience to save money.
Now, that is something I would like my kids to learn early
.
Parents this is the page for you. Now, there are many ways you can save money, besides couponing.
Planting a garden. Get the kids involved in this one. It does not matter if it is in raised beds in an apartment, in the windowsill or a full blown one in the backyard. Get one or two seed packets for planting, look into the season and area your are in to find the right seeds. The savings from that alone will be great. Plus, it will be a head start for when you apply below for free birthday veggie seeds. Apply for each person in the family, if you can.
Couponing can be a family affair too.
This is one area where you can be a team and fight to get the high score.
The prize... saving money.
Here is a video that proves it; she even gets a little upset when she thought she didn't get the deal she planned. She chirps up when mom tells here her mistake.
Along the way there are options to get side prizes too.
The kids can find candy coupon or even toys. This works as their side prizes.
Not only are they helping you, but they are learning through experience to save money.
Now, that is something I would like my kids to learn early
.
Parents this is the page for you. Now, there are many ways you can save money, besides couponing.
Planting a garden. Get the kids involved in this one. It does not matter if it is in raised beds in an apartment, in the windowsill or a full blown one in the backyard. Get one or two seed packets for planting, look into the season and area your are in to find the right seeds. The savings from that alone will be great. Plus, it will be a head start for when you apply below for free birthday veggie seeds. Apply for each person in the family, if you can.
Stop eating out so much and when you do, shop smart.
Most fast food is expensive unless you are in the dollar menu, and even that gets expensive with sandwich, fries and drinks for everyone.
Even going to Publix to get their fried chicken/rotisserie family meal( chicken, 2 sides and roll) is less than $11.
Making food at home is not only cheaper, it is also healthier too. So, your also cutting down on medical cost.
If it is a special occasion see if you have coupons, slip them to your server. Use coupons to save you money there are many restaurants that offer " a child eats free if parent buys" coupons. If you have a family of four you can divide the tab into to transactions and have both of your children eat free. Tell your server upfront about you divided transactions and hand them the coupons.
Make a menu - no really!!!
-like couponing it takes a little time up front, but the effects last however long you plan it for.
Beginners take a week at a time to sit down and plan with the weekly ads. See what is on sale this week and plan you meals according to that. When you get better at predicting somewhat the sales cycles of products, you can do two weeks at a time, or even a month at a time. When you do this you know what is for dinner every night and this prevents outdoor eating to special occasions only. (a BIG savings) Also, if you do this make sure to put the menus on your fridge. No more "whats for dinner???" The list is on your fridge and all you have to do is " Did you look at the menu on the fridge?" and make it a habit. Your kids (and spouse) will come to expect it and stop nagging you.
This will make your groceries last for how long you expect it too. ( take into consideration for those that eat like birds, and monstrosities called teenagers, who always get at least seconds).
Making a menu and a grocery list for breakfast, lunch ( if your kids don't get school lunches or during the summer), dinner and snacks will give your kids consistency and organization to their lives. This will also help you and your children eat better (if you include a healthy morning and afternoon snacks).
It could be he same menu you always make every week or it could be different menus each week. The key is making you groceries and money last until the next sale, by eating groceries before items expire and not having to make costly extra unplanned trips to the store.
Look for 5 ingredient meals or meals that can use the same ingredients throughout the week
Example:
Monday- Meat loaf and Corn-
cook extra ground beef for Wednesday and save leftover corn for Friday
Tuesday-Rice and beans with chicken and broccoli
make extra beans to make refried beans. Save chicken, broccoli and rice for Thursday)
Wednesday- Tacos, Lots of lettuce and tomatoes
this is what the beans and meat you saved were for. Save all leftovers for Friday. Since in my family this is church night this cuts down on time to get ready, since we did not have to cook the meat.
Thursday- Chicken and rice casserole w/ green beans
(any left overs can be use for Friday)
Friday- Garbage soup-
this is all the left over meat , beans, rice, gravies and sauces, veggies from the week, dump it in a pot, water, season, and eat... (I see the lights go on in your head "ohhhh, so that's what I can do with my leftovers.) You don't have anything that has expired, you freed up fridge space and no money was wasted. SCORE!!!
Saturday- Frozen Pizza (or any frozen dinner- Stoffers Lasagna is good, and buy or make your own garlic bread using butter on bread sprinkle garlic salt and pepper, bake till golden and eat.)
Sunday- Family's Choice-
This list was quick and all you need is some ads and some creative common sense.
Parents you could also, use this opportunity to teach your children to cook healthy, to read using the cookbooks, do some math (measurements), cleanup their messes, and learn their days of the week all while spending quality time with you. The key to making it a fun time for both is patience on your part, because sometimes kids can be more a hindrance than a help, but these will be some of their greatest memories. Licking the bowl, and learning to make their favorite foods, the fiascoes of flour, learn to season food correctly, and learn to crack an egg without having to pick out the eggshells afterwards. Talking while cooking, tasting together, and again cleaning up the mess will be thing they can share with their own children.
Recycle-
~Use your old newspapers to make kites, and sailboats, play dress up with your girls or make origami.
~Butter containers can be Tupperware (just don't heat)
~Notebook cardboard can be indoor signs
~Broken plates and glass can be used to make a mosaic, fancy vase, or windchime.
There so much you can do, and is cheap, just use your creativity.
See your city or town's list of events-
This could become free spots for the family to go out together.
Sometime there are rodeo's or other community activities.
Invest in a vaccum sealer and a dehydrator-
This will make your food have a longer shelf life. Having a longer shelf life means your not throwing it away because it went bad. Here is a video that shows you how to dry goods using a jar attachment. You will see she has dried oranges too. This will be good for some produce, herbs, meats and dried goods.
Learn how to can food.-
This is also another way to preserve you food to make it last longer. Takes a little more in planning and equipment, but it make your food last for yours and often time you can pre mix you recipies, so you have less prep time. Here is a recipies and canning supplies links for you to begin. Also, here are: 1. you tube video and 2. Easier one, showing the canning process, and a site that has some regulations.
Here are a list of sites that could be helpful to you.
(for more look at the unlimited and cool stuff tabs)
~How about a birthday gift that will not only benefit your health, but is also something that you’ll actually use? Join Mike the Gardner Birthday List and you’ll get 2 FREE packs of vegetable seeds on your birthday. By growing more food at home, you’ll save on your food bill, eat food that you know is pesticide and preservative free, and it will taste so much better because it’s fresh.
~Need a more affordable way to dress your children that practically grow out of them before you get the tags off. Try Threadup a more affordable way to dress your children, with deals that don't expire.
Most fast food is expensive unless you are in the dollar menu, and even that gets expensive with sandwich, fries and drinks for everyone.
Even going to Publix to get their fried chicken/rotisserie family meal( chicken, 2 sides and roll) is less than $11.
Making food at home is not only cheaper, it is also healthier too. So, your also cutting down on medical cost.
If it is a special occasion see if you have coupons, slip them to your server. Use coupons to save you money there are many restaurants that offer " a child eats free if parent buys" coupons. If you have a family of four you can divide the tab into to transactions and have both of your children eat free. Tell your server upfront about you divided transactions and hand them the coupons.
Make a menu - no really!!!
-like couponing it takes a little time up front, but the effects last however long you plan it for.
Beginners take a week at a time to sit down and plan with the weekly ads. See what is on sale this week and plan you meals according to that. When you get better at predicting somewhat the sales cycles of products, you can do two weeks at a time, or even a month at a time. When you do this you know what is for dinner every night and this prevents outdoor eating to special occasions only. (a BIG savings) Also, if you do this make sure to put the menus on your fridge. No more "whats for dinner???" The list is on your fridge and all you have to do is " Did you look at the menu on the fridge?" and make it a habit. Your kids (and spouse) will come to expect it and stop nagging you.
This will make your groceries last for how long you expect it too. ( take into consideration for those that eat like birds, and monstrosities called teenagers, who always get at least seconds).
Making a menu and a grocery list for breakfast, lunch ( if your kids don't get school lunches or during the summer), dinner and snacks will give your kids consistency and organization to their lives. This will also help you and your children eat better (if you include a healthy morning and afternoon snacks).
It could be he same menu you always make every week or it could be different menus each week. The key is making you groceries and money last until the next sale, by eating groceries before items expire and not having to make costly extra unplanned trips to the store.
Look for 5 ingredient meals or meals that can use the same ingredients throughout the week
Example:
Monday- Meat loaf and Corn-
cook extra ground beef for Wednesday and save leftover corn for Friday
Tuesday-Rice and beans with chicken and broccoli
make extra beans to make refried beans. Save chicken, broccoli and rice for Thursday)
Wednesday- Tacos, Lots of lettuce and tomatoes
this is what the beans and meat you saved were for. Save all leftovers for Friday. Since in my family this is church night this cuts down on time to get ready, since we did not have to cook the meat.
Thursday- Chicken and rice casserole w/ green beans
(any left overs can be use for Friday)
Friday- Garbage soup-
this is all the left over meat , beans, rice, gravies and sauces, veggies from the week, dump it in a pot, water, season, and eat... (I see the lights go on in your head "ohhhh, so that's what I can do with my leftovers.) You don't have anything that has expired, you freed up fridge space and no money was wasted. SCORE!!!
Saturday- Frozen Pizza (or any frozen dinner- Stoffers Lasagna is good, and buy or make your own garlic bread using butter on bread sprinkle garlic salt and pepper, bake till golden and eat.)
Sunday- Family's Choice-
This list was quick and all you need is some ads and some creative common sense.
Parents you could also, use this opportunity to teach your children to cook healthy, to read using the cookbooks, do some math (measurements), cleanup their messes, and learn their days of the week all while spending quality time with you. The key to making it a fun time for both is patience on your part, because sometimes kids can be more a hindrance than a help, but these will be some of their greatest memories. Licking the bowl, and learning to make their favorite foods, the fiascoes of flour, learn to season food correctly, and learn to crack an egg without having to pick out the eggshells afterwards. Talking while cooking, tasting together, and again cleaning up the mess will be thing they can share with their own children.
Recycle-
~Use your old newspapers to make kites, and sailboats, play dress up with your girls or make origami.
~Butter containers can be Tupperware (just don't heat)
~Notebook cardboard can be indoor signs
~Broken plates and glass can be used to make a mosaic, fancy vase, or windchime.
There so much you can do, and is cheap, just use your creativity.
See your city or town's list of events-
This could become free spots for the family to go out together.
Sometime there are rodeo's or other community activities.
Invest in a vaccum sealer and a dehydrator-
This will make your food have a longer shelf life. Having a longer shelf life means your not throwing it away because it went bad. Here is a video that shows you how to dry goods using a jar attachment. You will see she has dried oranges too. This will be good for some produce, herbs, meats and dried goods.
Learn how to can food.-
This is also another way to preserve you food to make it last longer. Takes a little more in planning and equipment, but it make your food last for yours and often time you can pre mix you recipies, so you have less prep time. Here is a recipies and canning supplies links for you to begin. Also, here are: 1. you tube video and 2. Easier one, showing the canning process, and a site that has some regulations.
Here are a list of sites that could be helpful to you.
(for more look at the unlimited and cool stuff tabs)
~How about a birthday gift that will not only benefit your health, but is also something that you’ll actually use? Join Mike the Gardner Birthday List and you’ll get 2 FREE packs of vegetable seeds on your birthday. By growing more food at home, you’ll save on your food bill, eat food that you know is pesticide and preservative free, and it will taste so much better because it’s fresh.
~Need a more affordable way to dress your children that practically grow out of them before you get the tags off. Try Threadup a more affordable way to dress your children, with deals that don't expire.
