by Mrs C | Mar 26, 2020 | Blog, Groceries
If you’re like most families, you are constantly looking to save money. More often than not, that means trying to reduce your largest expenses. For the vast majority of American families, food purchases rank among the highest costs that they have, and they often spend more than $6,500 on groceries and eating out each year. Even a 10% savings can chop $650 off your budget, and that’s a decent amount of money. So, how can your family save money on food? Here are three suggestions.
Plan Out Meals
Meal planning has emerged as a fantastic way of both saving dollars and ensuring that you eat healthily. It involves cooking your meals days in advance. Doing so helps to reduce food waste, ensuring that you can plan nutritious meals. This, of course, can help you save money. Even better is that meal planning and advance food prep can be fantastic ways of cutting down on unnecessary food purchases at both grocery stores and restaurants since you’ll always know what’s for dinner.
Reduce Eating Out
When you eat out, you are paying a premium for the food that you eat and the service that you receive while eating. Yes, it can be very convenient and tasty, but if you are looking to save money, you should try to eat out as infrequently as possible. Remember that eating out less often is about more than just your own individual diet or budget. It’s also about helping your kids learn how to be more frugal with their money. Not instilling healthy eating habits in your kids early on can have consequences for them later.
Purchasing in Bulk
Purchasing in bulk can often be a great way to save money because it allows you to leverage big discounts and buy many products at the same time. If this is a route that you take, you have to keep in mind that you will need large amounts of storage space at home. Additionally, buying in bulk works best if you incorporate the suggestions above. Combining buying in bulk with meal planning will allow you to see big savings on your food budget.
Saving money on your food budget can yield a great deal of savings. However, it often requires a change in mindset. Many people are used to spending relatively loosely when it comes to their food budget. Saving money in this category requires you to think differently and invest more time in preparing your own food and altering your purchasing patterns.
by Mrs C | Mar 24, 2020 | Blog
If your budget does not allow for a spring break trip this year or if you simply want to take it easy and stay close to home, going on a staycation is a great way to have fun without breaking the bank. There are a variety of different angles that you can take when planning your epic staycation. Here are three activities to consider for your family spring break at home.
Head Outside
Spring is the ideal time to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air and rising temperatures. Head to your favorite park with a picnic lunch. Or, find a place to go on a nature hike. You can even make this educational by turning it into a scavenger hunt. If your family are thrill enthusiasts, seek out your nearest amusement park for a day of fun. Zoos are also fun places to spend time if you have animal lovers in your party.
Spend a Day in the City
If you live near a major city, you can harness all of this fun by heading downtown. Spending the day in the city is a fun way to feel as if you have traveled somewhere new. Start your day early with breakfast before heading off to explore your favorite museums and other tourist attractions. Plan a special dinner to cap off your big city experience. If you have small children who may tire easily with a day spent exploring downtown, you may want to consider renting scooters. If you decide to rent one, keep in mind the risks of push and electric scooters in order to stay safe.
Try Something New
A staycation provides the perfect opportunity to try something new in your area. Pretend you are a tourist when brainstorming ideas to try. Maybe there is a new museum that you have not seen yet. Or, perhaps you want to take in a show or other type of production. Your local newspaper is a good resource for what new things are available to see and do in your local area. This is also a good time to check out that latest hot restaurant that has been on your list.
You can make the most of your spring break by doing a little research and coming up with an exciting staycation itinerary. As a bonus, you will end your staycation feeling refreshed and not worn down by travel.
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by Mrs C | Mar 20, 2020 | Blog
Raising a toddler is such a wonderful experience. They are finally able to communicate quite well, they play independently at times, and they have incredible imaginations. Unfortunately, toddlers tend to make a mess as they go about their day. They will often pull out a toy, play with it for a bit, and then they will just drop the toy where they finished up. By the end of the day, there can be quite a mess in the home.
It’s helpful to teach a toddler how to help tidy up. Cleaning up before bed is a great way to keep the house organized each day. You can also schedule a couple of other times during the day where you clean up. This can take place before naptime or after dinner. Here are some tips for teaching your little one to tidy up.
Set a Good Example
Your toddler isn’t going to want to tidy up if it’s not something that they see you doing yourself. You can help them to clean up their toys. You should also be setting a good example by cleaning up your own messes. If a toddler is living in a messy house, that child isn’t going to understand why they need to take the time to clean up their items. Not to mention that stress levels tend to go down in a household when things are kept neat and tidy. You can set aside a time each day for everyone to clean up their belongings to help set the example for the toddler in the family.
Make a Game of Tidying Up
When it comes time to tidy up, see if you can get your child excited about the process. If your child is old enough to understand competition, you can compete with your child to see who can get a certain amount of items cleaned up first. As you race through the house, you’ll be making quick work of the cleaning up that needs to be done. By the time the house is all clean, you will both be laughing and bonding together. Cleaning up doesn’t have to be a negative experience that your child will dread.
Designate a Correct Place for Everything
Having a specific spot for each toy can keep your toddler’s playroom clean and safe. Having a place for everything and keeping everything in its place promotes organization. You can let your child pick out a fun toy chest that they will be motivated to put their items into when it’s time to tidy up. If you have various play areas throughout the home, you can invest in a few different toy organizational items. In addition to toy chests, there are cube organizers with various bins included. This allows you to keep items organized where they belong.
Use a Reward System
Many children understand that their parents want them to clean up after themselves, but there are children that simply don’t respond well unless they are getting rewarded in some way. An acceptable reward for a job well done cleaning up could be a small piece of candy, a cookie, getting to watch a television show or getting to stay up five extra minutes past bedtime. You can also set up a system where your child accumulates points each time that they clean. When they reach a certain amount of points, they can cash those points in for something they want. A reward system tends to work out better than having to discipline your child. Disciplining them when they don’t clean up will often make them resent the process of tidying up even more.
Teaching a child the basics of how to tidy up is just like teaching them how to use the potty, brush their teeth or sleep through the night. It takes patience and consistency. If you expect your child to clean up each day, you’ll need to tell your child each day that this is something they need to do. A good rule to have in your home is that one toy should be cleaned up before something else is pulled out. This gets a good flow of tidying up as they go along.
Here’s another article you might like: What You Can Do to Save Money on Everyday Household Items
by Mrs C | Mar 17, 2020 | Blog, Household Supplies
All of us are constantly looking to save money, and the internet is replete with advice and hints that allow you to find ways to save a small fortune. While this advice can sometimes feel overwhelming, there’s good news: Saving money on household items really isn’t all that hard, and there are plenty of ways you can do just that.
Do It Yourself
Thanks to the advance of the internet and a slew of “do it yourself” websites, you can make a variety of household goods at home. For example, in order to save money while doing laundry, you can make homemade detergent. Instead of buying water bottles, get a reusable thermos and fill it at home. Don’t buy vegetables at the grocery store – grow them in your garden at home. Whatever you are looking to buy, if you have the time and the talent, see if you can’t make them on your own.
Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk is a great way of saving money. You will need storage space to store excess goods, good organizational skills and potentially a membership at a warehouse club, like Costco or Sam’s Club. However, it can be well worth it in the end. Furthermore, remember, there are plenty of websites that offer you discounts on subscriptions or bulk purchases. In other words, the discounts that come from buying in bulk are not just limited to brick and mortar purchases.
Purchase Gift Certificates
Believe it or not, there are websites that allow you to purchase discounted gift certificates. Here’s how this works: You find a store that you use regularly, and buy a gift card at a discounted rate. You can then use that gift card at the store, saving you a good chunk of money if you make regular purchases. You have to make sure that the card you buy works, but most of these websites have money-back guarantees. This is free money that is literally just waiting for you to use.
When it comes to saving money, more often than not, it’s not about finding one item and saving a small fortune. It’s a matter of saving small amounts over extended periods of time. This means that you really have to pay attention to your finances and grab opportunities as they arise. With hard work and a savvy eye, you can save a lot of money on your household purchases.
by Mrs C | Mar 6, 2020 | Blog
DIY is a popular choice for many people performing home repairs. However, it’s not always the cheapest way to go. There are a variety of factors to look at before you decide if DIY is the right choice for your home repair project.
Labor Is Expensive
A universal truth is labor is expensive. Paying someone else to perform a job you could do yourself raises the cost of any home repair project. You are also charged for materials when you hire someone else to do repairs, and you are generally charged more than if you simply buy the supplies yourself. There are situations in which you need to hire someone for one part of a complicated repair but can still provide the materials yourself. This can save you money if paying for labor is absolutely something you cannot avoid.
The Risks Can Be Costly
You need to assess the risks you are taking by performing a home repair yourself. If you’re not completely comfortable with what you are doing, you could actually cause damage that will cost you more money later. Roofing is a great example. Many common roofing mistakes can lead to much more costly repairs down the road. Shingles that are not replaced correctly can cause leaks that lead to mold or other structural problems. Fixing this damage will likely cost you more than simply paying someone upfront to do the work. Electrical work is also not usually a good DIY job unless you know everything there is to know about electricity. Mistakes when it comes to electrical jobs can cost you money or even your life.
Time Investment
It’s important to look at the financial benefits of performing home repairs yourself. However, your time investment also factors into the decision. The more time you invest in a home repair project, the less time you have for activities that might be financially beneficial. You have to compare the cost of paying someone else to do the work with the cost of losing money while you are doing it yourself to see if it’s worth it.
There are times when doing it yourself will still be the cheapest option. Just make sure to consider all the investments you will be making if you do the work yourself. DIY is not always the cheapest choice, but there are plenty of situations where avoiding labor costs is worth it. You have to decide based on your individual situation.
Here’s another article you might like: What to Do If You Think You Can Get a Better Deal on Your Mortgage
by Mrs C | Mar 5, 2020 | Blog
Everyone who has a house or apartment wants a floor that not only plays up the decor of the room but is beautiful and durable in and of itself. But lovely floors, be they made of stone, tile or hardwood, can be pricey. The good news is that now you can still have a luxurious floor without the luxury cost. Here are three examples of flooring options that can save you money.
Laminate
As its name implies, laminate flooring is made up of layers. The bottom is made of paper or melamine that supports a fiberboard core. The design layer is on top of the core, and it is often an actual photograph of a more expensive material such as natural stone or porcelain tile. Some really deluxe laminate flooring is even textured. Then, on top of the design layer is a tough, transparent wear layer to protect it. Homeowners prize laminate flooring because it can be placed over an old floor without the old floor needing to be taken up. It doesn’t need to be sealed, resists stains, dings, scratches, and fading and can stand heavy traffic. These attributes also make laminate flooring easy to clean. It needs to be broom swept at the end of the day, and damp-mopped once a week.
Carpet Tiles
Carpet tiles have the beauty, warmth, fun designs and softness of wall-to-wall carpet without the labor and expense of wall-to-wall carpet installation. They are easy to clean and only need regular sweeping and vacuuming, and badly stained tiles can be popped out and washed. Carpet tiles have multiple advantages in addition to being a low maintenance flooring option. They can be installed by a layperson with ease and speed. They have few drawbacks, but two of them are edge fray, and if a person really looks, they can see the lines between the tiles.
Linoleum
A type of resilient flooring, linoleum is also easy to clean and resists water damage and stains. It got its name because it was first made out of solid linseed oil, but now it can be made from wood flour, resins or cork dust. As with laminates, technology has allowed it to mimic far pricier materials. The one caveat with linoleum is it shouldn’t be installed in a place where people are coming in from the swimming pool, such as the mudroom or a cabana, because it can be damaged by chlorine.
Just because flooring inexpensive doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful and long-lasting. Laminate floors, carpet tile, and linoleum all come in fun designs, are easy to keep clean and can last for years even if the floor gets heavy traffic.
Here’s another article you might like: Ways to Save Money on Your Utility Bills
