Family Budgeting Tips ans Advice
It seems that about a month after getting my kids in new clothes, they have either outgrown them already, or have managed to ruin them.
I’ve given up buying new and expensive clothes for them, except for special occasions of course.
Instead, I ask for hand-me-downs, and I shop both at consignment shops and discount stores.
If you keep an eye out for a good deal, your children can be just as well dressed for a fraction of the cost.
I don’t have to tell you that it can pay off big to compare prices at the grocery store. But how are you supposed to remember the cost of all those things that you buy for your family on a regular basis?
On the other hand, how can you judge if an item on sale or bought in bulk is really a good deal if you can’t remember what you usually pay for it?
Here’s my solution…I keep a tiny notebook in my purse and in it I record all the things I buy on a regular basis.
It’s a little extra work to set up to begin with, but it is well worth it when the time comes to judge whether something is a deal or not. Give it a try and let me know if it works for you.
With grocery prices on the rise we are all trying to save at the supermarket. I’m sure many of you have considered anything from planning your meals ahead of time to clipping coupons. Problem is that all of this takes a good bit of time and you have to make it a habit to work. That’s not always easy and time is about as scarce for us as grocery money is. What’s a Mom to do?
Here’s a really easy way to save… go to the store less often. Seriously. Studies show that as much as 60% of what we buy at the grocery store are impulse purchases that we didn’t plan on buying and don’t really need. It’s part of the reason why so much food gets thrown out each week.
If you go shopping a few times a week, try to cut back to just once a week. Then move on two shopping only every two weeks (provided you have the freezer space) and if you’re really brave, you may want to try cutting grocery shopping back to once a month. Personally, I’m not that brave, but I am averaging grocery shopping about every two weeks, with the occasional stop at the convenience store to buy a fresh gallon of milk or a loaf of bread.
I just stopped to get some gas and had to take a deep breath when I saw the total. Lets just say it wasn’t pretty.
At least I’m not stopping quite as frequently at the gas station as I used to because of two simple changes I’ve recently implemented that turned out to save me quite a bit of gas.
1) Go Slow
Don’t stomp the gas petal. Going just a little slower will do wonders to the gas mileage you are getting.
2) Check Your Tire Pressure
Invest $5 in a simple tire gauge and make sure your tires are always properly inflated.
Imlement both these ideas and you will notice that the same tank of gas suddenly takes you further.
We are headed for a local amusement park in the morning, so I thought I’d share one of my favorite money saving tips when it comes to these types of outings. You know, the ones where you can end up spending a small fortune in refreshments, souveniers and the likes, especially if you have kids (or are nice enough to take someone elses).
Here’s what I do … as soon as we get there, each child gets some spending money, usually about $5. They can use it to buy ice ceam, or a small toy… whatever they like, but when the money is gone, thats it.
Everyone understands the concept and every child I have tried this with has done well with it. Kids take pride in the fact that they are choosing and buying and there are no complaints when the money is spent.
I was watching TV last night and heard some business analyst talk about how the increased prices in food and gas are forcing people to spend less on Mom this Mother’s Day. How sad, the female anchor replied. I was just thinking “Who Cares?”. As a Mom, Mother’s Day was never about the monetary value of of any present I’ve received, but about how it showed their love and appreciation for what I do throughout the year.
My favorite mother’s day presents are the homemade cards, a special picture drawn by a 4 year old and of course the macaroni jewelery box that sits on my dresser and the little flower garden in a baby food jar that’s right here at my desk. The kids spent a lot of time on all of these presents and were excited and proud to present them to me on Mother’s Day… that’s what it’s about… (that and of course lots of hugs and kisses), not some expensive piece of jewelery, $60 worth of flowers that will be gone in a week, or a fancy dinner.
I think we have gotten to a point where we turn to expensive gifts to express our love, because we don’t have time anymore (or better think we don’t have time) to show our appreciation through little gestures throughout the year and don’t have time to work on a homemade gift that actually has some meaning. To drown that guilt, we turn to expensive but otherwise meaningless gifts. Maybe the fact that we don’t have as much cash to do that this year is a good thing…
Between your home phone and the cell phones, you can and up paying quite a bit each month just in phone bills. Here are a couple of tips to help you cut down on those bills.
1) Consider getting rid of your home phone
If you have home and cellphone, you may want to consider getting rid of your home phone. How many calls do you really make from it anymore? Even if you don’t have a mobile phone, consider switching to a voip (voice over the internet phone) that can be quite a bit less than your regular phone.
2) Don’t pay for long distance service. We have family overseas and ended up paying over $5 a month just for the option to call them. If you have to make a long distance call, use your cell phone if it has nationwide free calling, or use a long distance service like 10-10-2-20, or my own favorite Tel3.com - it’s like a long distance phone card, but more convenient. You can reload it any time and they even accept paypal.
3) Check Your Cell Phone Plans regularly… Phone companies change their wireless plans regularly and you may be able to get more minutes and better long distance services, or more bells and whistles (like text messaging or mobile internet) for the same amount you are paying now.
Don’t forget to also review your usage of those minutes regularly. It may make sense to switch to a lower plan if you don’t end up using all your minutes each month.
Just a few little changes like this can easily shave 20 or more dollars from your phone bills each month.
Now here’s a deal that’s too good to pass up if you have a school-aged child. You can get your child to read more this summer and get him or her a fee book as well, all courtesy of Barnes and Nobel Bookstore.
Here’s how it works according to the Barnes and Noble website:
1. Kids read any 8 books.
2. Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell us their favorite part of each book. A parent/guardian signs it when it’s complete.
3. Children bring their completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between May 29th & September 2nd, 2008.
4. We’ll give them a coupon for a FREE book! They choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles.*
* Eligible books will be listed on the coupon. Choices must be made from eligible stock. No special orders. Limit of 1 form per school-age child (grades 1-6), please. Incomplete forms will be ineligible for free books.
Click here to learn more about this Summer Reading Program and how to claim a free book for your child.
Here’s a quick tip for you that might end up saving you quite a bit if you have credit card debt. Call them up and ask for a lower interest rate. If you have been making your payments on time and have relatively good credit, the bank may be willing to lower your interest rate. It definitely can’t hurt to ask and if they agree, it can save you quite a bit of cash in the long run.
And since the Feds have been lowering interest rates for quite a while now, you may be entitled to a lower rate anyway. So grab the phone and call your credit card company up. All you have to lose are a few minutes of your time.
One of the ways I’m keeping my grocery budget fairly low is by skipping meat a few days a week. On of those days is almost always “Bean Day”. I rotate through quite a few bean dishes, including pinto beans and corn bread, black bean and rice burritos, bean soup and the likes.
My family likes the dishes, it fills us up on just a few dollars and it’s actually pretty healthy. It’s a great way to stretch your food dollars and get some extra fiber in your family’s diet at the same time.