I've been thinking a lot about gift cards lately (yes that's how exciting my life is), and I had three thoughts I wanted to share. They aren't necessarily connected, but I didn't want to overshare by putting them into three separate posts.
Gift Cards as a Budgeting Tool
Occasionally we get random money from random sources. A bonus check, a tax return, birthday money, etc (many of you may have just received a stimulus check). These are funds outside our normal budget, so they can be hard to utilize effectively. One way I like to make sure extra money lasts is through gift cards.
If I'm thinking practical, that $1200 Corona cash could be gas money for a year for one of our cars. So I could take that money and buy 12 gift cards from the gas station at $100 each, then each month I pull out the gift card and know that I've got gas covered. The same could be done for groceries, haircuts, or any regular expenses that are bought repeatedly at the same place.
If I'm thinking more fun, I might buy restaurant gift cards. I know we're going to want to eat out on special occasions. If I have the extra money now, I can buy a I gift card and be confident that we'll be able to pay for the restaurant when we need it. Another great benefit is that restaurants will often offer deals on gift cards where a free gift card may be given with the purchase of another, so you get more bang for your buck.
Gift Cards to Support Local Businesses
A lot of us are concerned about supporting community businesses, especially when so many have been closed lately. Gift cards are a great way to help put money into a small business when you may not immediately be able to use their services. These could be gift cards for your own future use, or gift cards to give to others throughout the year. Imagine if every birthday party you sent your kid to over the next few months (heck, even a birthday party on zoom), you could just give them a gift certificate to a local salon or movie theater! Wouldn't that simplify life?
Re-Gifting Gift Cards
In the course of cleaning out my house, I have found a LOT of gift cards. I mean literally hundreds of dollars in gift cards to all kinds of businesses. Some of these have been a blessing to my family allowing us to make purchases that might not have been in the budget. But several of them have been re-gifted to others. I may be in the minority here, but I think there's nothing wrong with re-gifting gift cards. If you're comfortable with your twelve year old buying a DQ gift card for a friend, you ought to be equally happy giving a gift card that you already had on hand. Now when I'm cleaning and I find a gift card it goes one of two places. If I think I will use it soon, I put it strait into my wallet. If I don't have an immediate need for it, it goes in the "birthday box" to bless someone else at some future time.
Showing posts with label thrift. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thrift. Show all posts
Big money, and What to Do With It
It happens every now and then that we get a lump of money that isn't part of our normal income. Think tax return, gift, insurance settlement, work bonus, etc. There are just times when money comes in various amounts from a variety of places. We all love these moments. It can be very exciting (and sometimes downright miraculous) to get an unexpected influx of cash. But if you aren't careful, that money (and more!) can be gone before you've even had a chance to enjoy it, and you are left wondering where did it all go?
Typically one of two things has happened. Either you failed to plan, or you over planned. If you don't have a plan for your money, it will quickly spend itself a few dollars at a time, disappearing in places like McDonald's and Walmart. Or you may over plan, telling yourself all the things you can use the money for, without realizing that this limited supply of cash can't fulfill all of your expectations. In the end, your extra money is gone, and you've racked up extra dept on your credit card because you thought you had enough extra money to cover your extra purchases.
The cure for both of these problems it to have a plan ON PAPER. Always spend your money on paper before you spend it in real life. This helps you to realize just how far your money can and can't stretch. It gives you direction when making spending choices. And it provides a record to help you remember where your money went when it's all gone.
BORING!
I know. But it's a necessary evil that allows us to get what we want. So let's talk about the fun stuff: SPENDING!
My husband and I have a policy of never spending "extra" money on "regular" bills. We don't want it to just disappear into the bleak abyss of our everyday budget. If money comes from an unexpected source, then we spend it in an unexpected place.
So how can you put that money to the best possible use before it slips though your fingers?
That will depend a lot on how much money you receive, and what your personal circumstances are, but here are some suggestions:
Pay Off Debt
If you have debt, paying it off is always a great idea. If extra money comes in and it's enough to completely (or almost super close to completely) pay off a debt, we do it. It's like a gift to ourselves. Paying off a debt is not only good financial sense, but it's a gift you can relive every month when you don't have to make that dreaded payment! We have paid off two cars with tax returns, and in my opinion living without a car payment is the only way to live! My sister is more ambitious than me. She uses every extra bit of cash that flows through her fingers to pay off her mortgage. No mortgage, can you even imagine? How awesome is that!
Build Up Your Savings
If you don't already have a solid savings account, use the extra money to start one. Just be sure to put it out of sight, so you don't dip into it on accident. That end of the year bonus, could be the emergency money you need next summer when your car gives up the ghost. You could build your savings in general, or start a savings account for a specific purpose. A newer car, vacation, repairs, school, tires, etc. I once put away $500 for possible car repairs, and when my car broke down six months later, I was almost happy about it. As I spent my "Car Repair Fund" on actual car repairs, I felt really confident, like I was in control. I know it's a little crazy, but it's still true.
Stock Up On Things You Need
I worry about the value of the dollar (I know I'm a total, nerd), so I'd rather keep my savings in supplies instead of cash. My husband used to sell cars for a living, so our income fluctuated a lot. Whenever he had a paycheck that was more than the usual amount, I would take the extra money and buy laundry soap and toilet paper in bulk. There are some things that never go bad, and you know you'll always need them. So why not buy them now while you can afford them?
Budget with Gift Cards
Not everything can be bought and stored. But gift cards can. My husband is in school right now and our income is pathetic. It doesn't even begin to cover our monthly expenses. When you can't pay your bills, things like gas money can be impossible to come by. Last year when we received our tax return, I took $1200 down to the gas station and bought twelve $100 gift cards. I wrote a different month on each of them. Now on the first of every month, my husband takes out the card for that month, and he is guaranteed to have gas money without having to scrounge through the house for spare change.
We bought several other gift cards for things we were going to need in the next few months that we knew we were unlikely to be able to afford with our current monthly income. We bought five gift cards to each of our five children's favorite restaurants. That way when their birthday rolled around, we didn't need to worry about whether we had the money to take them out for a treat. We also knew we were going to need to redo our bathroom soon. We put $1000 on a Lowe's gift card so that we would have the money in the right place when we needed it.
Lessons
Perhaps that extra money could be put aside to pay for lessons that you wouldn't be able to afford out of your regular monthly budget. An $800 work bonus could be ballet lessons for a year!
FUN
It is good to have fun. If you have extra money that isn't part of your normal budget, there is nothing wrong with having a little fun. A little extra cash can be the perfect excuse for taking a vacation that you've been putting off for years. Just remember to only use your extra money for the trip, and don't over-plan and end up going into debt to pay for the little extras that pop up during your vacation.
Intent
Another important question to ask yourself is Where did this money come from? and What was the intent? A few years ago my grandmother died and left each of her grandchildren $1000. I did not have a good relationship with my grandmother while she was alive, and the money she left me was not only a surprise, but was the only nice thing I could ever remember her doing for me. As we considered what to do with the money, we decided that whatever we spent it on, it should be something lasting. We decided to spend the money on a piano. We had been planning to buy a piano for years, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to not only buy what we wanted, but create a lasting memory of my grandmother that was positive. My kids are all beautiful pianists now, and I have my grandmother to thank for it.
Letting Off Steam
If you are living on a super tight budget, and some extra money comes into your hands, your first impulse may be to blow a quick $40 on a long-denied dinner of fast food (or whatever it is that you always want but never get). THAT'S OKAY. You don't always have to be super stingy and frugal. Sometimes you need to let off a little pressure and indulge. Just make sure your splurge has boundaries. Perhaps you got an unexpected $500 work bonus. You and your husband both agree that building your emergency fund is the responsible thing to do. But it's not fun! So lighten up a little. There is nothing wrong with allowing each of you to spend $50 on whatever it is you want, and putting the other $400 into the bank. Remember, it's only money.
Now go have some fun!
Marcia
Typically one of two things has happened. Either you failed to plan, or you over planned. If you don't have a plan for your money, it will quickly spend itself a few dollars at a time, disappearing in places like McDonald's and Walmart. Or you may over plan, telling yourself all the things you can use the money for, without realizing that this limited supply of cash can't fulfill all of your expectations. In the end, your extra money is gone, and you've racked up extra dept on your credit card because you thought you had enough extra money to cover your extra purchases.
The cure for both of these problems it to have a plan ON PAPER. Always spend your money on paper before you spend it in real life. This helps you to realize just how far your money can and can't stretch. It gives you direction when making spending choices. And it provides a record to help you remember where your money went when it's all gone.
BORING!
I know. But it's a necessary evil that allows us to get what we want. So let's talk about the fun stuff: SPENDING!
My husband and I have a policy of never spending "extra" money on "regular" bills. We don't want it to just disappear into the bleak abyss of our everyday budget. If money comes from an unexpected source, then we spend it in an unexpected place.
So how can you put that money to the best possible use before it slips though your fingers?
That will depend a lot on how much money you receive, and what your personal circumstances are, but here are some suggestions:
Pay Off Debt
If you have debt, paying it off is always a great idea. If extra money comes in and it's enough to completely (or almost super close to completely) pay off a debt, we do it. It's like a gift to ourselves. Paying off a debt is not only good financial sense, but it's a gift you can relive every month when you don't have to make that dreaded payment! We have paid off two cars with tax returns, and in my opinion living without a car payment is the only way to live! My sister is more ambitious than me. She uses every extra bit of cash that flows through her fingers to pay off her mortgage. No mortgage, can you even imagine? How awesome is that!
Build Up Your Savings
If you don't already have a solid savings account, use the extra money to start one. Just be sure to put it out of sight, so you don't dip into it on accident. That end of the year bonus, could be the emergency money you need next summer when your car gives up the ghost. You could build your savings in general, or start a savings account for a specific purpose. A newer car, vacation, repairs, school, tires, etc. I once put away $500 for possible car repairs, and when my car broke down six months later, I was almost happy about it. As I spent my "Car Repair Fund" on actual car repairs, I felt really confident, like I was in control. I know it's a little crazy, but it's still true.
Stock Up On Things You Need
I worry about the value of the dollar (I know I'm a total, nerd), so I'd rather keep my savings in supplies instead of cash. My husband used to sell cars for a living, so our income fluctuated a lot. Whenever he had a paycheck that was more than the usual amount, I would take the extra money and buy laundry soap and toilet paper in bulk. There are some things that never go bad, and you know you'll always need them. So why not buy them now while you can afford them?
 |
| My monthly stash of fun and practical. |
Budget with Gift Cards
Not everything can be bought and stored. But gift cards can. My husband is in school right now and our income is pathetic. It doesn't even begin to cover our monthly expenses. When you can't pay your bills, things like gas money can be impossible to come by. Last year when we received our tax return, I took $1200 down to the gas station and bought twelve $100 gift cards. I wrote a different month on each of them. Now on the first of every month, my husband takes out the card for that month, and he is guaranteed to have gas money without having to scrounge through the house for spare change.
We bought several other gift cards for things we were going to need in the next few months that we knew we were unlikely to be able to afford with our current monthly income. We bought five gift cards to each of our five children's favorite restaurants. That way when their birthday rolled around, we didn't need to worry about whether we had the money to take them out for a treat. We also knew we were going to need to redo our bathroom soon. We put $1000 on a Lowe's gift card so that we would have the money in the right place when we needed it.
Lessons
Perhaps that extra money could be put aside to pay for lessons that you wouldn't be able to afford out of your regular monthly budget. An $800 work bonus could be ballet lessons for a year!
FUN
It is good to have fun. If you have extra money that isn't part of your normal budget, there is nothing wrong with having a little fun. A little extra cash can be the perfect excuse for taking a vacation that you've been putting off for years. Just remember to only use your extra money for the trip, and don't over-plan and end up going into debt to pay for the little extras that pop up during your vacation.
Intent
Another important question to ask yourself is Where did this money come from? and What was the intent? A few years ago my grandmother died and left each of her grandchildren $1000. I did not have a good relationship with my grandmother while she was alive, and the money she left me was not only a surprise, but was the only nice thing I could ever remember her doing for me. As we considered what to do with the money, we decided that whatever we spent it on, it should be something lasting. We decided to spend the money on a piano. We had been planning to buy a piano for years, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to not only buy what we wanted, but create a lasting memory of my grandmother that was positive. My kids are all beautiful pianists now, and I have my grandmother to thank for it.
Letting Off Steam
If you are living on a super tight budget, and some extra money comes into your hands, your first impulse may be to blow a quick $40 on a long-denied dinner of fast food (or whatever it is that you always want but never get). THAT'S OKAY. You don't always have to be super stingy and frugal. Sometimes you need to let off a little pressure and indulge. Just make sure your splurge has boundaries. Perhaps you got an unexpected $500 work bonus. You and your husband both agree that building your emergency fund is the responsible thing to do. But it's not fun! So lighten up a little. There is nothing wrong with allowing each of you to spend $50 on whatever it is you want, and putting the other $400 into the bank. Remember, it's only money.
Now go have some fun!
Marcia
Episode 5, Konmari Komono: Soaps and Lotions
Short version: SORT AND TOSS ALL YOUR EXTRA SOAPS AND LOTIONS FROM THE WHOLE HOUSE.
Longer version: next on my checklist of komono (everything else) was soaps and lotions. This included hand soap, body soap, shampoo, conditioner, dandruff shampoo, lotion, scented lotion, sun screen, hand sanitizer, face wash, hotel samples, etc.
Remember we're sorting by category, not by room, so you can't just go in and clean out your bathroom. You must gather everything from every where. For me this included two bathrooms (I didn't touch my girls' bathroom since most things in there don't belong to me), the kitchen, and a lot of shelves. I brought them all out onto my kitchen table (What would I do without a table to sort through my life on?) and sorted them into groups of similar items.
While sorting, I went ahead and threw out anything that was stinky (lotion definitely goes bad).what stinks. I also consolidated half used bottles and washed up any dirty bottles.
Once I had everything sorted, I put one of each type of item in each useful location. So each bathroom got a soap, shampoo, and hand soap. And every nightstand got one bottle of lotion.
Then I took all the extras and organized them in one single bathroom cabinet. My kids were not entirely excited about this. They felt like extras should be kept in each bathroom. That's how we've stored things in the past. But in the past we've also run out because we had no idea how much of anything we had in the house. So I'm sticking to the script on this one and storing the extras all in one place by category for easy counting and restocking. It turns out I'm short on body wash and dandruff shampoo but have have enough sun screen to survive the apocalypses.
It feels so good to add something to my shopping list knowing that we actually need it, and that I don't already have a dozen bottles hiding somewhere in my house. So in the end I'm saving money by only buy what I'm actually running low on. I promise you'll love it too!
Good luck!
Confession of failure: I also saved all those tiny little hotel samples. I really like having little bottles for when we travel, so I just couldn't bare to part with them. I have a small ziplock bag for each category, and all the bags are together in one bin. Now when we camp or fly and are in need of a tiny bottle, we'll know just where they are. If a year from now I find that my stash of tiny bottles is growing instead of shrinking, I'll rethink this choice.
 |
| In my defense, I bought most of these soaps on clearance. |
Longer version: next on my checklist of komono (everything else) was soaps and lotions. This included hand soap, body soap, shampoo, conditioner, dandruff shampoo, lotion, scented lotion, sun screen, hand sanitizer, face wash, hotel samples, etc.
Remember we're sorting by category, not by room, so you can't just go in and clean out your bathroom. You must gather everything from every where. For me this included two bathrooms (I didn't touch my girls' bathroom since most things in there don't belong to me), the kitchen, and a lot of shelves. I brought them all out onto my kitchen table (What would I do without a table to sort through my life on?) and sorted them into groups of similar items.
While sorting, I went ahead and threw out anything that was stinky (lotion definitely goes bad).what stinks. I also consolidated half used bottles and washed up any dirty bottles.
 |
| Check out this army of soaps! |
Once I had everything sorted, I put one of each type of item in each useful location. So each bathroom got a soap, shampoo, and hand soap. And every nightstand got one bottle of lotion.
Then I took all the extras and organized them in one single bathroom cabinet. My kids were not entirely excited about this. They felt like extras should be kept in each bathroom. That's how we've stored things in the past. But in the past we've also run out because we had no idea how much of anything we had in the house. So I'm sticking to the script on this one and storing the extras all in one place by category for easy counting and restocking. It turns out I'm short on body wash and dandruff shampoo but have have enough sun screen to survive the apocalypses.
It feels so good to add something to my shopping list knowing that we actually need it, and that I don't already have a dozen bottles hiding somewhere in my house. So in the end I'm saving money by only buy what I'm actually running low on. I promise you'll love it too!
Good luck!
 |
| Nothing warms my heart like a fully stocked shelf. |
Confession of failure: I also saved all those tiny little hotel samples. I really like having little bottles for when we travel, so I just couldn't bare to part with them. I have a small ziplock bag for each category, and all the bags are together in one bin. Now when we camp or fly and are in need of a tiny bottle, we'll know just where they are. If a year from now I find that my stash of tiny bottles is growing instead of shrinking, I'll rethink this choice.
 |
| Free samples may be taking over my house. |
Kids and Holidays: What do you do to fill your children's Christmas stockings with that is both cost efficient and practical?
"I am practical when it comes to gift giving. I cringe to buy toys for my kids because I know they'll enjoy them for a day or two, but after that they become just another item laying around the house. I hate the thought of wasting money on things that in the end become clutter. What do you do to fill your children's Easter baskets or Christmas stockings that is both cost efficient and practical?"
I have to admit, my husband and I tend towards the lean side of stocking stuffers. This is usually what's in there: a toothbrush and toothpaste, the annual Christmas ornament, some kind of candy, and a dollar store toy - usually everyone gets the same type of toy, so we can have some crazy car races, or puzzle competition, or whatever. Maybe a chapstick or travel-size lotion (why is travel-size anything so appealing to kids?). That's really it. Around $5 per stocking, so it's pretty inexpensive, and mostly all "useful" stuff and candy, so it's not a total waste and most of it won't stay in the house for too long. I could probably lose the toy if I wanted to cut back a bit, but it's fun to have something to do while we're waiting to open presents - we do stockings, then breakfast, then the rest of the gifts - so I keep it. And if you're not big on candy, fruit is a great alternative. For reasons no one can explain, an orange in a stocking tastes much better than a regular orange in the kitchen.
You can also go the "quality time" route with something like a gift certificate to the aquarium or the zoo, or even a promised date with mom or dad (as long as you are sure to follow through). It may be more expensive, but certainly isn't a waste and won't clutter your house for weeks to come.
Do you hide your Easter baskets? You can hide stockings too. The hunt heightens the excitement, and your kids will be thrilled no matter what they find in them. This is one of those times when presentation and occasion overshadow what they actually receive, so spruce it up with a little style and imagination and not so much clutter.
My point is: your kids probably aren't going to feel the loss if you skew a bit lean on their stockings this year. Do what you think is best, and what your budget allows for, and know that if you are enthusiastic, your kids will be too.
Kate
Adventures in Thrift: Clothing Five Children for Free
My entire living room is covered, wall to wall, three feet deep in folded clothes. But when I took a stack of my clothes to my bedroom to put it away, I was surprised to see that the dresser was already full. So I put my clothes back on the couch and picked up a pile of my boys' clothes. But when I went into their room, I found their dresser was already full too! My daughter had only a small stack of clothes, so I took it to her room to put away (surely I could find room in her closet for just a handful of shirts). When I walked into her room, what horror awaited me? She already had a huge pile of clean laundry stacked on her bed! When I asked her why she had so many clothes on her bed, she answered with the obvious, "I can't fit them in my drawer."
The truth is I spend almost NO money on clothes. Nearly everything we own comes in the form of free hand-me-downs. Really. Occasionally we need to buy someone a specific color shirt for a music recital, or we'll get the kids an outfit for their birthday or Christmas. But 99% of the clothes in our house came to us free of charge from friends and family. That includes my clothes too. Most of my clothes come second hand from my sisters and my friends. The only person who doesn't get a lot of hand-me-downs is my husband. Apparently men just don't like to share clothes as much as women and kids do (but he is a referee, and he has gotten some of his uniforms second hand from other refs who outgrew them!).
So now you're thinking, "Who wants to wear second hand clothes? Isn't that weird?"
My little boys LOVE getting clothes from their bigger friends and cousins. A bag of used clothes is a huge treat for my 5 and 7 year olds because wearing an admired friend's clothes makes them feel special. My teen/pre-teen girls know that clothes from a friend are ten times more likely to be cool than the clothes I'd be likely to pick out for them. I hate shopping, so having someone else pick out clothes for me, saves me a lot of time and trouble.
So back to my laundry problem...
I decided we needed to get rid of some of our clothes before they took over the entire house. So I pulled out two weeks worth of clothes for the kids (pants, shirts, undies, socks). And guess what I had left? One full garbage bag of clothes per kid left over! Seven people in our family = seven giant bags of clothes to get rid of. The sad part is I just cleaned out our closets at the beginning of the summer. Somehow we've doubled our clothing hoard in just a month and a half!
So now what do we do with all those extra clothes? The easy answer is to just haul them all off to the thrift store. And that is fine (just remember to get a receipt so you can claim it as a tax deduction). Or you could have a yard sale and make some extra cash. I don't care much for yard sales because they are so much work, but lots of people love them, so it's up to you. Another option is craigslist.com. Advertise an entire summer wardrobe for "boy size 4" and you'll get plenty of people willing to buy the whole lot in one easy transaction. However, my favorite thing to do is to pass them on.
So that was our adventure this week. We participated in the great clothing circle of life. Not only were we able to share with friends while we got rid of some excess clutter, but we also got a chance to see how very blessed we are. Because of the generosity of friends, our closet runneth over.
Marcia
Inexpensive Thanksgiving Table Center Pieces
We have a big Thanksgiving dinner coming up, and we've got to set a lot of tables. So I was looking online for some inexpensive Thanksgiving table center pieces I could make at home out of everyday items. Many of the ideas I found were way too fancy (aka expensive!). Even more of them were pathetic little kids' crafts that could hardly be called a center piece at all. However, I did find a few good ideas that weren't completely lame, but were still in my price range and skill level (sort of).
There is this great idea of simply putting candles on upturned glasses. Simple and elegant.
So I gave it a try.....
Unfortunately I don't own any long stemmed glasses, so I had to use mugs. I'm told that variety makes things more interesting, so I threw in a Crater Lake mug for extra aesthetic appeal (I think it makes us look well-traveled).
Then there was this idea of putting flowers in flower pots (not very creative if you ask me), but still pretty:
I didn't have any pots, so I just used a vase. My boys bought me these flowers just yesterday, and they are.... BRIGHT! While they aren't completely terrible, I think my little boys may have manhandled the flowers a bit too much because they came out looking a bit wilted. And still not incredibly original as far as centerpieces go.
Next I tried this leaf on a jar idea:
We don't have any trees in our yard, or in our neighborhood really, so leaves were difficult to come by. But we did manage to scrounge up a few. Also I don't have any of those clear glass candle jars, so I just had to use some rinsed out alfredo sauce jars instead.
Last on the list were these pitchers with berries:
Nailed it!
Okay, maybe not. I didn't have any fake berries, and I figured real fruit would look better anyway. I guess there is a big difference between plastic and ceramic because mine didn't look right at all.
So after failing miserably at copying these online beauties, I decided to branch out on my own. I found this sparkly pumpkin for a dollar at Walmart. Then I used my bow-dazzler and some old wire ribbon to make this ginormous bow! Bigger is better, right?
While at the store, I also stumbled upon this super cute (just kidding, I think we can all agree this little guy is really scary) little scarecrow for 10 cents. I tried sticking him in a candle, but something about this whole set up just didn't seem right.
So in the end I went to the dollar store and found this:
I'm thinking I'm just gonna stick with this cornucopia of autumnal bliss, and quit while I'm ahead.
Good luck!!
Marcia
Tip of the Day: Find the Leaks in Your Money Boat
I just found three leaks in my boat this week.
And one of them was really big.
Honestly it's kind of embarrassing.
My husband and I have a credit card that we rarely use. It's set up so that if there is ever a balance on it, it automatically gets paid every month from our checking account. I never look at our statement because it's on auto pay. Out of sight out of mind.
Well this month we are tightening our belts, and that means looking for any and all places to cut back on our spending. As I was combing through our bank statements I noticed that my credit card has a payoff balance of $29.99 every single month. So what is this money going to? I had absolutely no idea. It took several phone calls to track down the original source, but eventually I discovered that fifteen months ago I signed up for a document subscription service (I don't even know what that means!) and it's been charging my credit card every month since. Every month! Fifteen months times $29.99, that's an embarrassing amount of money for a service I certainly wasn't using.
Further searching yielded two more similar accounts, things that we had somehow signed up for but were no longer (or never even were) using.
Just three little leaks in our boat, slowly draining our money away.
These leaks could be anything. Memberships to places you don't go. Subscriptions to things you never read. Banking or credit card fees that could be easily avoided by changing your account settings. The list is endless.
So if you feel like you're barely treading water, or even if things are smooth sailing, it never hurts to take a second look at your financial boat and check for leaks.
Marcia
Better Baskets for Easter
*Originally posted on April 16, 2014
"I am practical when it comes to gift giving. I cringe to buy toys for my kids because I know they'll enjoy them for a day or two, but after that they become just another item laying around the house or yard. I hate the thought of wasting money on things that in the end become clutter. What do you do to fill your children's Easter baskets that is both cost efficient and practical?"
Kate:
I'm gonna throw out a wild idea here: don't even do Easter baskets!
I know, nearly scandalous. But simple, and still fun. We always find a church or neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt (it's this Saturday, and it's already on the calendar - my kids don't want to miss it!) so they're not completely deprived of fun and candy, but at my house, this Easter morning, there won't be any baskets full of candy/art supplies/toys. And at the risk of sounding way to "churchy", I'll tell you that we'll spend the morning reading the story of the Resurrection, then maybe eat the last piece of candy from the Hunt the day before, and we'll still have a wonderful, fun-filled Easter.
I'm not saying this is an idea for every family, or really even for any family. It's just what works for our family.
Marcia:
I'm not ready to give up Easter Baskets yet (but we do get them on Saturday so as to not detract from the Sabbath). But even though I like doing baskets, I still have a hard time filling a basket full of candy and little toys for my kids for many reasons. I'm cheap. My kids own too much junk already. They certainly don't need to eat five pounds of sugar (especially right before church!). And it seems a big distraction from the actual spirit of the holiday.
But... we do it any way.
So here are a few things I do to make it special without feeling too out of control with the commercialization of Easter.
Candy. Yes, I give them candy (mostly because I intend to eat candy, and it would be rude to eat in front of them). One trip down the candy aisle at the grocery store will have you feeling like each of your children need ten pounds each. They don't (and neither do you or I for that matter). So pick a candy, and put it in their basket. One chocolate bunny or one small bag of jelly beans. They don't need one of everything, just one of their favorites.
If you're not big on candy, fruit is a great alternative. An orange, a box of raisins, a fun pack of applesauce. There are a lot of healthy options in a variety of flavors and price ranges. It may not seem like anything special to you, but a pear in an Easter Basket is infinitely more exciting than a pear sitting on the table at lunch time.
When it comes to toys, think creative and disposable. Art supplies are always a great choice (and super cheap too). Everyone loves a new box of crayons. It's getting warmer out, so bubbles and sidewalk chalk are also great purchases that will be used quickly and out of your house in no time (plus you can get them at the dollar store!).
You can also go the "quality time" route with something like a gift certificate to the aquarium or the zoo, or even a promised date with mom or dad (as long as you are sure to follow through). It may be more expensive, but certainly isn't a waste and won't clutter your house for weeks to come.
Do you hide your Easter baskets? The hunt heightens the excitement, and your kids will be thrilled no matter what they find in them. This is one of those times when presentation and occasion overshadow what they actually receive, so spruce it up with a little style and imagination and not so much clutter.
The bottom line is your kids probably aren't going to feel the loss if you skew a bit lean on their Easter baskets this year. Do what you think is best, and what your budget allows for, and know that if you are enthusiastic, your kids will be too.
Happy Easter
Kate and Marcia
"I am practical when it comes to gift giving. I cringe to buy toys for my kids because I know they'll enjoy them for a day or two, but after that they become just another item laying around the house or yard. I hate the thought of wasting money on things that in the end become clutter. What do you do to fill your children's Easter baskets that is both cost efficient and practical?"
Kate:
I'm gonna throw out a wild idea here: don't even do Easter baskets!
I know, nearly scandalous. But simple, and still fun. We always find a church or neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt (it's this Saturday, and it's already on the calendar - my kids don't want to miss it!) so they're not completely deprived of fun and candy, but at my house, this Easter morning, there won't be any baskets full of candy/art supplies/toys. And at the risk of sounding way to "churchy", I'll tell you that we'll spend the morning reading the story of the Resurrection, then maybe eat the last piece of candy from the Hunt the day before, and we'll still have a wonderful, fun-filled Easter.
I'm not saying this is an idea for every family, or really even for any family. It's just what works for our family.
Marcia:
I'm not ready to give up Easter Baskets yet (but we do get them on Saturday so as to not detract from the Sabbath). But even though I like doing baskets, I still have a hard time filling a basket full of candy and little toys for my kids for many reasons. I'm cheap. My kids own too much junk already. They certainly don't need to eat five pounds of sugar (especially right before church!). And it seems a big distraction from the actual spirit of the holiday.
But... we do it any way.
So here are a few things I do to make it special without feeling too out of control with the commercialization of Easter.
Candy. Yes, I give them candy (mostly because I intend to eat candy, and it would be rude to eat in front of them). One trip down the candy aisle at the grocery store will have you feeling like each of your children need ten pounds each. They don't (and neither do you or I for that matter). So pick a candy, and put it in their basket. One chocolate bunny or one small bag of jelly beans. They don't need one of everything, just one of their favorites.
If you're not big on candy, fruit is a great alternative. An orange, a box of raisins, a fun pack of applesauce. There are a lot of healthy options in a variety of flavors and price ranges. It may not seem like anything special to you, but a pear in an Easter Basket is infinitely more exciting than a pear sitting on the table at lunch time.
When it comes to toys, think creative and disposable. Art supplies are always a great choice (and super cheap too). Everyone loves a new box of crayons. It's getting warmer out, so bubbles and sidewalk chalk are also great purchases that will be used quickly and out of your house in no time (plus you can get them at the dollar store!).
You can also go the "quality time" route with something like a gift certificate to the aquarium or the zoo, or even a promised date with mom or dad (as long as you are sure to follow through). It may be more expensive, but certainly isn't a waste and won't clutter your house for weeks to come.
Do you hide your Easter baskets? The hunt heightens the excitement, and your kids will be thrilled no matter what they find in them. This is one of those times when presentation and occasion overshadow what they actually receive, so spruce it up with a little style and imagination and not so much clutter.
The bottom line is your kids probably aren't going to feel the loss if you skew a bit lean on their Easter baskets this year. Do what you think is best, and what your budget allows for, and know that if you are enthusiastic, your kids will be too.
Happy Easter
Kate and Marcia
Gardens: They're Fun Stuff!
It's just about Springtime, or it's going to be soon. (I promise, Boston, it's going to be, soon!) And springtime around here, means Garden Time!
Seriously, my family loves having a garden. They love planting, they love watching all those little seedlings poke up through the dirt, they love making yarn-and-stick trellises for beans and peas... okay, they don't totally love weeding, but they don't mind too much. Many hands make for light work and all that.
We had a great garden in Utah, no garden at all in Massachusetts, and have big plans for one here. We can't wait!!
No matter where you live, or what your circumstances are, there are endless reasons to grow a garden!
You Will Save Money
Growing your own food can save a lot on your grocery budget. A single head of lettuce will continue to give leaves all summer long. For the same price, you can buy either four cucumbers or one cucumber plant that may produce dozens of cucumbers over the next few months. From a money standpoint, it just makes sense to plant a garden.
It's a Teaching Tool
Planting a garden provides learning opportunities for you children that can't easily be duplicated other places. Hard work, patience, and the satisfaction of a job well done will be priceless lessons throughout your child's life. Memories of being out in the sunlight and fresh air with your kids will be way better than those memories you have of sitting on the couch and watching Power Rangers for the six thousandth time.
There are also a lot of very practical lessons to be learned. A child who watches a seed grow will understand plants better than the child who simply reads about them in a class room. Younger children can learn skills like counting, color matching, and sorting as the learn to identify which plants are ripe an ready to pick, and which are not.
Most of All: Gardens are FUN!
Free food at your fingertips all summer long, what could be more fun than that?
Make sure to plant "snacks" like snap peas, cherry tomatoes, or carrots. When your kids are playing outside and get hungry, they can simply go get a snack from the garden instead of coming into the house and begging you for a sugary treat. We always have what we call a "salsa garden" because we'd just go out and pick three kinds of peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and whip up a quick salsa. Nothing better.
Enjoy!
Kate
Seriously, my family loves having a garden. They love planting, they love watching all those little seedlings poke up through the dirt, they love making yarn-and-stick trellises for beans and peas... okay, they don't totally love weeding, but they don't mind too much. Many hands make for light work and all that.
We had a great garden in Utah, no garden at all in Massachusetts, and have big plans for one here. We can't wait!!
No matter where you live, or what your circumstances are, there are endless reasons to grow a garden!
You Will Save Money
Growing your own food can save a lot on your grocery budget. A single head of lettuce will continue to give leaves all summer long. For the same price, you can buy either four cucumbers or one cucumber plant that may produce dozens of cucumbers over the next few months. From a money standpoint, it just makes sense to plant a garden.
It's a Teaching Tool
Planting a garden provides learning opportunities for you children that can't easily be duplicated other places. Hard work, patience, and the satisfaction of a job well done will be priceless lessons throughout your child's life. Memories of being out in the sunlight and fresh air with your kids will be way better than those memories you have of sitting on the couch and watching Power Rangers for the six thousandth time.
There are also a lot of very practical lessons to be learned. A child who watches a seed grow will understand plants better than the child who simply reads about them in a class room. Younger children can learn skills like counting, color matching, and sorting as the learn to identify which plants are ripe an ready to pick, and which are not.
Most of All: Gardens are FUN!
Free food at your fingertips all summer long, what could be more fun than that?
My little cutie, watering the peppers.
Make sure to plant "snacks" like snap peas, cherry tomatoes, or carrots. When your kids are playing outside and get hungry, they can simply go get a snack from the garden instead of coming into the house and begging you for a sugary treat. We always have what we call a "salsa garden" because we'd just go out and pick three kinds of peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and whip up a quick salsa. Nothing better.
Enjoy!
Kate
Saving Money on Food: A Word of Caution aka "When Good Food Goes Bad"
So we all know we should buy In bulk whenever possible, and we should snap up those great deals we come across, and not be afraid to buy 200 boxes of cereal if it's on clearance. Right?
Yes. Definitely yes. Always yes.
But... keep an eye on it. If you're not eating it like crazy right away (for example, when I bought 100 boxes of my kids' favorite cereal, it was gone in two months), pay attention. I still say that expiration dates are an imperfect way to decide when your food is too old to eat, but...
But sometimes food, even "non-perishable" food, goes bad.
I have to admit, there's a possibility that it's not just that my food was past date. Maybe it's that I've trucked some of it coast-to-coast twice in the last two years, in a super hot moving truck. I don't know. All I know is that for two things: canned tuna, and boxed pasta, this fall was definitely not good to them. It started with the pasta. This was "boil in 3 minutes" pasta, that I'd gotten on sale, plus in-store coupons, and ended up paying 48 cents per 16 oz. box. Naturally, I bought over a hundred boxes.
I think, in hindsight, if I'd moved the pasta from it's individual (not at all air-tight) cardboard boxes, into some kind of air-tight, lidded, plastic container, it would have lasted longer. I don't know. What I do know is that this pasta, which I expected to last for years (like all my other bagged pasta) is so stale and gross we almost can't stand to eat it. I'm about ready to toss it, which should give you a clue as to just how much we hate it...
The other is canned tuna. And this one makes me sad. Canned tuna should last years. Like ten years. Or more, if you keep it cool, which I did not. My moving truck got so hot it melted candles I had packed in boxes. And "hot" is definitely not the way to go for good food storage practices.
Anyway, when I was unpacking my food storage (actually Marcia and her daughter did most of the unpacking - it's so nice to live kind of near her again, and not just because she helped me unpack!), I noticed that my tuna cans were bulging. Now, I'm a pretty cheap person, but I'm not stupid. They all went straight into the trash.
So keep an eye on that food storage. It's not a super great deal if you end up throwing it away.
Kate
Tip of the Day: Reset Your Thermostat. Again.
A good way to save on your energy bill is to have a timer on your thermostat. That way you can set it to come on at the right time and cool down at the right time. So you are using only the energy you want and keeping your house perfectly comfortable without having to remember to turn it down at night or fighting over how warm it is (or isn't) in the morning.
This probably isn't anything new to you. You probably already know this. Right?
I already know this. I already DO this. But last night I had a thought....
My heater is set on a timer to heat and cool throughout the day based on our comings and goings. BUT IT"S SET ON LAST YEAR'S SCHEDULE. I hadn't even thought to reset the schedule this fall. I just turned it on and assumed it was good to go. But my life is vastly different now than it was even just a few months ago. Things have changed, schedules have changed, even who lives in my house has changed (my in-laws moved out). So even though I thought I was already being careful with my energy usage, I really wasn't.
So if you already think you've got your thermostat set, take one more look. Make sure it really matches your current lifestyle. No use heating an empty house. Now I am not Jimmy Carter here telling you to, "Put on a sweater." You can have your house as warm as you want. I'm just saying, why keep it warm if you aren't in it?
Marcia
P.S. Wait, what? You don't have a timer on your thermostat? You gotta fix that. They cost as little as $25 and will save you so much money in the long run (or even the short run, if you're heating an empty house all day). Plus it just makes your house more comfortable. I love that mine shuts off just after I go to bed, so the house is cooler while we sleep without me having to remember. And I set it to come on super hot about 15 minutes before we all need to wake up in the morning, so we are all eager to get up and out of the covers to escape the heat instead of hiding in our beds against the cold.
Stop by your local hardware store and ask where the thermostat timers are. It's definitely a smart purchase. You might even pay for it in one month or less.
This probably isn't anything new to you. You probably already know this. Right?
I already know this. I already DO this. But last night I had a thought....
My heater is set on a timer to heat and cool throughout the day based on our comings and goings. BUT IT"S SET ON LAST YEAR'S SCHEDULE. I hadn't even thought to reset the schedule this fall. I just turned it on and assumed it was good to go. But my life is vastly different now than it was even just a few months ago. Things have changed, schedules have changed, even who lives in my house has changed (my in-laws moved out). So even though I thought I was already being careful with my energy usage, I really wasn't.
So if you already think you've got your thermostat set, take one more look. Make sure it really matches your current lifestyle. No use heating an empty house. Now I am not Jimmy Carter here telling you to, "Put on a sweater." You can have your house as warm as you want. I'm just saying, why keep it warm if you aren't in it?
Marcia
P.S. Wait, what? You don't have a timer on your thermostat? You gotta fix that. They cost as little as $25 and will save you so much money in the long run (or even the short run, if you're heating an empty house all day). Plus it just makes your house more comfortable. I love that mine shuts off just after I go to bed, so the house is cooler while we sleep without me having to remember. And I set it to come on super hot about 15 minutes before we all need to wake up in the morning, so we are all eager to get up and out of the covers to escape the heat instead of hiding in our beds against the cold.
Stop by your local hardware store and ask where the thermostat timers are. It's definitely a smart purchase. You might even pay for it in one month or less.
Tip of the Day: ROKU
So we've been a TV free family for quite some time. AND I LOVE IT! But there have been a few things that we have wished we had TV for (mostly church and sports).
So we recently got a ROKU.
Normally we don't endorse specific products or brands here, but this is one thing my family loves.
ROKU (if you've never heard of it) is a little device that sits next to your TV and uses your wifi to stream TV programs from the internet. It costs about $60-$80 to buy, but is free to use forever.
What I love best is that you have to specifically choose a show to watch. There is no channel surfing or flipping from one station to another. You can't mindlessly turn on the tv and sit there for hours switching from one program to the next. You open a station, you choose a show, you choose an episode, you wait for it to load, and you watch it. It is so much more intentional and so much less mindless.
I also love that my kids can't stumble onto "bad" stations. They know exactly which icon will open up PBS Kids. They click on it, and every show available there is safe and kid friendly. So far my kids have only even discovered three channels. BYU-TV, PBS Kids, and Disney Channel. I personally hate Disney sit-coms, so I will be locking-out that channel when the kids aren't looking. But the other two channels are nothing but church and educational programming. It's awesome!
My husband gets his sports and history channel when he needs it, but it's not a constant presence in our house.
So if you are looking for a cable alternative, I totally recommend ROKU. It's TV (which I hate) with limits (which I love!).
Marcia
So we recently got a ROKU.
Normally we don't endorse specific products or brands here, but this is one thing my family loves.
ROKU (if you've never heard of it) is a little device that sits next to your TV and uses your wifi to stream TV programs from the internet. It costs about $60-$80 to buy, but is free to use forever.
What I love best is that you have to specifically choose a show to watch. There is no channel surfing or flipping from one station to another. You can't mindlessly turn on the tv and sit there for hours switching from one program to the next. You open a station, you choose a show, you choose an episode, you wait for it to load, and you watch it. It is so much more intentional and so much less mindless.
I also love that my kids can't stumble onto "bad" stations. They know exactly which icon will open up PBS Kids. They click on it, and every show available there is safe and kid friendly. So far my kids have only even discovered three channels. BYU-TV, PBS Kids, and Disney Channel. I personally hate Disney sit-coms, so I will be locking-out that channel when the kids aren't looking. But the other two channels are nothing but church and educational programming. It's awesome!
My husband gets his sports and history channel when he needs it, but it's not a constant presence in our house.
So if you are looking for a cable alternative, I totally recommend ROKU. It's TV (which I hate) with limits (which I love!).
Marcia
Tip of the Day: Be Your Own Convenience 2
Chips, crackers, cookies, popcorn.
If your kids are anything like mine, an open bag of chips becomes in empty bag of chips in a matter of seconds. They just can't resist. So rather than hovering over them and handing out snacks one at a time, I just bag them into snack size baggies ahead of time. All kinds of snack foods can be bagged for later consumption. When the kids get home from school, they know they get one snack. They can choose from the snack bucket what they want to eat, and I don't have to listen to fighting about who ate the last handful of crumbs from the bottom of the Doritos bag!
Yes, it costs money for the baggies. But we reuse them again and again (they aren't dirty, it's just crumbs), and it's a whole lot cheaper than buying individual servings, or going through a bag a day.
Marcia
If your kids are anything like mine, an open bag of chips becomes in empty bag of chips in a matter of seconds. They just can't resist. So rather than hovering over them and handing out snacks one at a time, I just bag them into snack size baggies ahead of time. All kinds of snack foods can be bagged for later consumption. When the kids get home from school, they know they get one snack. They can choose from the snack bucket what they want to eat, and I don't have to listen to fighting about who ate the last handful of crumbs from the bottom of the Doritos bag!
Yes, it costs money for the baggies. But we reuse them again and again (they aren't dirty, it's just crumbs), and it's a whole lot cheaper than buying individual servings, or going through a bag a day.
Marcia
Re-Bean Your Bean Bag
I was complaining one day about how all my bean bags had gone flat, when my good friend Kate said, "They all go flat eventually, but you can refill them if you want. But you shouldn't! It will make a mess."
It hadn't crossed my mind before that I could re-stuff my bean bags. And in my excitement to have newly fluffed bags, I completely ignored Kate's warning.
Here is what happened:
In less than an hour, I had tiny little white puffs in EVERY room of my house! In my bedroom. In the tub. In my dinner! EVERYWHERE. They possess magical properties that allow them to quickly travel long distances and adhere to any surface.
And here is what I learned:
1. You should never re-bean a bean bag with children in the house. It's just too risky.
2. You can use a paper clip to grab onto the hook-less inner zipper to get it open.
3. You can use a funnel to pour the new beans into the bag.
4. Having a second pair of hands helps (but NOT kid hands!).
5. Bean bags don't have to be filled with beans (aka Styrofoam fluff balls). You can use anything soft!
After I took all the beans out of one bag to combined it with the other, I was left with a sad empty bean sack in need of stuffing. So I took an old comforter out of the closet and stuffed it in. I was surprised that it didn't fill it up very much. So I grabbed a second comforter. And then a third. And then a fourth!
So all that extra bedding that I have no good place to store, but I have to keep around in case company comes over... it's in the bag. It's totally serving a useful purpose AND it's out of the way! Win-Win.
Good luck with your soon to be new bean bags! Just remember to keep a vacuum handy and NO KIDS ALLOWED!
It hadn't crossed my mind before that I could re-stuff my bean bags. And in my excitement to have newly fluffed bags, I completely ignored Kate's warning.
Here is what happened:
In less than an hour, I had tiny little white puffs in EVERY room of my house! In my bedroom. In the tub. In my dinner! EVERYWHERE. They possess magical properties that allow them to quickly travel long distances and adhere to any surface.
And here is what I learned:
1. You should never re-bean a bean bag with children in the house. It's just too risky.
2. You can use a paper clip to grab onto the hook-less inner zipper to get it open.
3. You can use a funnel to pour the new beans into the bag.
4. Having a second pair of hands helps (but NOT kid hands!).
5. Bean bags don't have to be filled with beans (aka Styrofoam fluff balls). You can use anything soft!
After I took all the beans out of one bag to combined it with the other, I was left with a sad empty bean sack in need of stuffing. So I took an old comforter out of the closet and stuffed it in. I was surprised that it didn't fill it up very much. So I grabbed a second comforter. And then a third. And then a fourth!
So all that extra bedding that I have no good place to store, but I have to keep around in case company comes over... it's in the bag. It's totally serving a useful purpose AND it's out of the way! Win-Win.
Good luck with your soon to be new bean bags! Just remember to keep a vacuum handy and NO KIDS ALLOWED!
The Benefits of Being TV Free
Several years ago we canceled our cable TV because we ran out of money. It just didn't make sense to be three months behind on our utility bill and still paying for TV. When you are unemployed a lot of the "must haves" in life become "do withouts." What we didn't realize at the time was just what a blessing not having TV in our home would be. A few months later our situation improved (and my husband's need for football increased) so we signed up for cable (or satellite, or netflix or something) again. WOW!
Seriously. WOW!
You have no idea how bad TV really is until you go with out for a little while. It was completely shocking how much loud, and vulgar, and completely offensive material is spilling into your home. When you have TV all the time you become desensitized to it. But go without for a while and you will be shocked by what you see. And aside from moral reasons to throw out the TV, there were two other big benefits we saw.
First we saved money. BUT NOT LIKE YOU'RE THINKING. Of course we saved the money we would have spent on cable, but that's not all. We also save money by not being exposed to advertising. Our kids stopped asking for Happy Meals when they didn't know what cool new toy was inside of them. When you don't know what you're missing, you learn to be happy with what you have. All of our wants gradually diminished. It was awesome.
The second big change we saw was in our kids' attitude. Even the best of family programming is filled with kids who back talk and fight and are rewarded with laughs for every witty yet insulting one-liner. My kids used to talk like TV kids. They used to have attitude and thought it was funny. Now they don't. It was amazing. TV is basically a bad friend; the kind you don't really want your kids to hang out with.
So let's recap.
Four Reasons to Become TV Free:
1. Save money not spending it on tv/satelite/etc.
2. Stop the river of immoral filth from flowing freely through your house.
3. Save money by not exposing yourselves to advertising.
4. Stop letting your kids hang out with their "bad friends" from their favorite TV shows.
I promise you won't regret it!
Marcia
Seriously. WOW!
You have no idea how bad TV really is until you go with out for a little while. It was completely shocking how much loud, and vulgar, and completely offensive material is spilling into your home. When you have TV all the time you become desensitized to it. But go without for a while and you will be shocked by what you see. And aside from moral reasons to throw out the TV, there were two other big benefits we saw.
First we saved money. BUT NOT LIKE YOU'RE THINKING. Of course we saved the money we would have spent on cable, but that's not all. We also save money by not being exposed to advertising. Our kids stopped asking for Happy Meals when they didn't know what cool new toy was inside of them. When you don't know what you're missing, you learn to be happy with what you have. All of our wants gradually diminished. It was awesome.
The second big change we saw was in our kids' attitude. Even the best of family programming is filled with kids who back talk and fight and are rewarded with laughs for every witty yet insulting one-liner. My kids used to talk like TV kids. They used to have attitude and thought it was funny. Now they don't. It was amazing. TV is basically a bad friend; the kind you don't really want your kids to hang out with.
So let's recap.
Four Reasons to Become TV Free:
1. Save money not spending it on tv/satelite/etc.
2. Stop the river of immoral filth from flowing freely through your house.
3. Save money by not exposing yourselves to advertising.
4. Stop letting your kids hang out with their "bad friends" from their favorite TV shows.
I promise you won't regret it!
Marcia
Be Your Own Convenience
Standing in the checkout line the other day, I saw a big bin of individual cereal packages for sale. Cereal on the go! You know, for all those busy people who don't have time to get out their own bowl and pour the cereal themselves, right? Essentially it's one cup of cereal that costs almost as much as a whole box. It seems crazy to me, but obviously somebody is buying it or they wouldn't keep selling it. And the longer these products sit on the shelf the more they start to seem normal to all of us. And sooner or later a large portion of reasonable minded people (like you and me) are going to see them and start to think we need them too.
Do I need individual servings of cereal?
No.
Would my life be better if I had individually packaged cereal?
I don't think so.
But sometimes my kids need to eat on the go.
True.
And I really hate to see them go to school on an empty stomach.
Yes.
And sometimes the kids just need a snack, right?
Sometimes.
And think about how much cereal we waste when kids pour their own bowls and spill or just eat half and throw the rest away. Portion control would be great, right? And it would save money by eliminating waste!
Right.
So my life would be better if I had these individual cereal servings after all.
Yes. I guess it would.
So rather than wait for convenience food mentality to sink into our subconscious, let's fight back now. Let's make our own lives more convenient (for free) before the advertisers have a chance to persuade us.
Bag your own cereal.
There is a really simple solution. When you bring home a box of cereal, immediately bag it up into individual serving sizes. Then whenever someone needs cereal, they just grab a bag. Cereal stays fresher longer because you don't have an open box sitting on a pantry shelf forever. It helps with portion control, prevents spills, and makes it easy for kids to grab a snack "on the go". (Hey! That sounds familiar!) The baggies stay clean except for the crumbs, so we reuse them again and again with no waste. It really is that simple. It only takes a few minutes of your time (actually I don't do it at all. My kids do. As part of our regular chores one of my kids is assigned to make sure the cereal bucket is filled up each week!), and is totally worth it.
Marcia
Do I need individual servings of cereal?
No.
Would my life be better if I had individually packaged cereal?
I don't think so.
But sometimes my kids need to eat on the go.
True.
And I really hate to see them go to school on an empty stomach.
Yes.
And sometimes the kids just need a snack, right?
Sometimes.
And think about how much cereal we waste when kids pour their own bowls and spill or just eat half and throw the rest away. Portion control would be great, right? And it would save money by eliminating waste!
Right.
So my life would be better if I had these individual cereal servings after all.
Yes. I guess it would.
So rather than wait for convenience food mentality to sink into our subconscious, let's fight back now. Let's make our own lives more convenient (for free) before the advertisers have a chance to persuade us.
Bag your own cereal.
There is a really simple solution. When you bring home a box of cereal, immediately bag it up into individual serving sizes. Then whenever someone needs cereal, they just grab a bag. Cereal stays fresher longer because you don't have an open box sitting on a pantry shelf forever. It helps with portion control, prevents spills, and makes it easy for kids to grab a snack "on the go". (Hey! That sounds familiar!) The baggies stay clean except for the crumbs, so we reuse them again and again with no waste. It really is that simple. It only takes a few minutes of your time (actually I don't do it at all. My kids do. As part of our regular chores one of my kids is assigned to make sure the cereal bucket is filled up each week!), and is totally worth it.
Marcia
Patching Pants... the Right Way
Kids wear out their pants, right? If your kids' pants are completely gone, check here for what to do with them.
If they just have a little worn spot in the knee, or even a little hole, then it's not too late to save them!
First, you need some patches. They're less than a dollar for two at WalMart, or JoAnn Fabric, in a variety of colors and thicknesses. You can choose one that matches the pants you want to patch, or you can just use whatever you have. Mostly you won't see the patch anyway, so it doesn't really matter.
My mom taught me how to put a patch on "the right way", and it turns out that it really does matter. If you just slap it on there any old way, it's going to start peeling off really quickly, which is frustrating and a waste of a patch, and of your time.
First, decide how big you need it to be. An inch bigger than the hole or worn spot, in every direction, is a good rule of thumb. Sometimes this means you need to use the whole patch, and that's okay. Fifty cents to keep your kid's favorite pair of pants around another few months isn't a bad deal. Usually though, you can get away using half or less of the patch.
1. Take a pair of sharp scissors, and (here's the most important part): Round The Corners Of The Patch. If you don't, they'll start peeling off within a wash or two. So do yourself a favor, and round those corners.
2. Set your iron to the hottest setting that your item of clothing will allow (no steam). Usually you'll be patching jeans or other cotton pants, so you can go ahead and go all the way up to Linen, or whatever your hottest setting is.
3. Pre-heat the spot to be patched by ironing it for at least 15 seconds, maybe 30 or more.
4. Put the patch on, (shiny side down - you really don't want to stick it to your iron!) and iron away. Err on the side of doing it for too long. Move your iron around, making sure the hottest part of your iron makes contact with every single part of the patch, especially the edges.
5. Check to see if it's stuck all the way around, and if it is, let it cool before you put it on or fold it. If it's not, keep ironing.
Hooray for making pants last longer!
Kate
If they just have a little worn spot in the knee, or even a little hole, then it's not too late to save them!
First, you need some patches. They're less than a dollar for two at WalMart, or JoAnn Fabric, in a variety of colors and thicknesses. You can choose one that matches the pants you want to patch, or you can just use whatever you have. Mostly you won't see the patch anyway, so it doesn't really matter.
My mom taught me how to put a patch on "the right way", and it turns out that it really does matter. If you just slap it on there any old way, it's going to start peeling off really quickly, which is frustrating and a waste of a patch, and of your time.
First, decide how big you need it to be. An inch bigger than the hole or worn spot, in every direction, is a good rule of thumb. Sometimes this means you need to use the whole patch, and that's okay. Fifty cents to keep your kid's favorite pair of pants around another few months isn't a bad deal. Usually though, you can get away using half or less of the patch.
1. Take a pair of sharp scissors, and (here's the most important part): Round The Corners Of The Patch. If you don't, they'll start peeling off within a wash or two. So do yourself a favor, and round those corners.
2. Set your iron to the hottest setting that your item of clothing will allow (no steam). Usually you'll be patching jeans or other cotton pants, so you can go ahead and go all the way up to Linen, or whatever your hottest setting is.
3. Pre-heat the spot to be patched by ironing it for at least 15 seconds, maybe 30 or more.
4. Put the patch on, (shiny side down - you really don't want to stick it to your iron!) and iron away. Err on the side of doing it for too long. Move your iron around, making sure the hottest part of your iron makes contact with every single part of the patch, especially the edges.
5. Check to see if it's stuck all the way around, and if it is, let it cool before you put it on or fold it. If it's not, keep ironing.
Hooray for making pants last longer!
Kate
Five Minute Halloween Costumes
Halloween is two days away. At this point, it is time to accept that the lovely, hand-sewn costumes you have been thinking of (haha!) are probably not going to happen.
We've all been there. Some years we are totally on the ball and prepared, and some years Halloween just sneaks up on us. So here is our list of last-minute costumes to throw together in a pinch:
Zombie
Bum
Jeans and old shirt
Beard: colored on with eye pencil
Snow Cap
Coach (this is my husband's favorite lazy costume)
Polo shirt
Gym pants
Baseball cap
Whistle
Mime
Black pants
Black shirt
White gloves
Face: powdered white, pencil in eyes
Monster/Animal
Clothes of all one color
Super messy, spiky hair
Face: smear Kool-Aid or coca powder in matching color
Mummy
wrap toilet paper or a ripped up sheet all around
Martha Stewart
Apron and gardening gloves
(Could add handcuffs or ball and chain...)
Low-Key Witch, Angel, Cat (good for moms or teenage girls)
Dress in all black or white, put on one accessory: witch hat, angel wings, cat ears
Black-Eyed Pea
Black makeup around eyes
Tape a large P on your shirt
Couples and Group Costumes:
Salt and Pepper
Two people dressed in all black and all white
Shoes (even mismatched)
Solid color t-shirt, safety pins, yarn/string threaded through to make shoelace
Nesting Dolls (perfect for families with lots of little girls)
M&M's
Eggs
Lots of people wearing all white preferably with white hats (or brown for brown eggs)
For more Halloween costume ideas check HERE.
Good luck, and get going!
Marcia and Kate
We've all been there. Some years we are totally on the ball and prepared, and some years Halloween just sneaks up on us. So here is our list of last-minute costumes to throw together in a pinch:
Torn Pants
Dirty and torn shirt
Bed Hair and loose pony tail
Blood: Steak sauce on face and shirt
Ghost
White sheet with a hole for the head
White hat
Three Hole Punch Jim (as made famous by The Office)Ghost
White sheet with a hole for the head
White hat
Button-up Shirt and Dress Pants
Three Dots: black circles made out of paper taped to your shirt in a line down the left hand side like a piece of paper
Cowboy/Cowgirl
Cowboy Hat
Bandanna
Boy: draw on stubble with eyeliner
Girl: braids
Cowboy/Cowgirl
Cowboy Hat
Bandanna
Boy: draw on stubble with eyeliner
Girl: braids
Bum Jeans and old shirt
Beard: colored on with eye pencil
Snow Cap
Coach (this is my husband's favorite lazy costume)
Polo shirt
Gym pants
Baseball cap
Whistle
Black pants
Black shirt
White gloves
Face: powdered white, pencil in eyes
Monster/Animal
Clothes of all one color
Super messy, spiky hair
Face: smear Kool-Aid or coca powder in matching color
Mummy
wrap toilet paper or a ripped up sheet all around
Martha Stewart
Apron and gardening gloves
(Could add handcuffs or ball and chain...)
Low-Key Witch, Angel, Cat (good for moms or teenage girls)
Dress in all black or white, put on one accessory: witch hat, angel wings, cat ears
Black-Eyed Pea
Black makeup around eyes
Tape a large P on your shirt
Princess
Dress: any dress-up dress you already own
Couples and Group Costumes:
Salt and Pepper
Two people dressed in all black and all white
Shoes (even mismatched)
Solid color t-shirt, safety pins, yarn/string threaded through to make shoelace
Nesting Dolls (perfect for families with lots of little girls)
Matching (or similar) Dresses
Matching Head Scarves
Matching Aprons: scrap of fabric tied around the waist
M&M's
Everyone wears solid colored clothes (like blue pants, blue shirt)
Tape a giant "M" to the front of every tummy
Lots of people wearing all white preferably with white hats (or brown for brown eggs)
For more Halloween costume ideas check HERE.
Good luck, and get going!
Marcia and Kate
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