money

Snow Day!

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So after warnings of blizzard conditions….we did in fact get a “snow day”!! Not quite the storm they projected us to get, but none the less fun for the kids. It has certainly been  enough  to give those who work outside the home a headache, and those like myself plenty of creative ‘play-time’ with my kids. Being the planner that I am…my prep started as soon as the warnings went out;

*First I stopped at the library (making sure I had plenty of “new” books on hand)
*I planned several Sensory Bin Activities (which also included going to buy new bins at the dollar store!)
*I planned a fun craft for the little guys (check…)
* Homeschool continues as usual yes, even during snowstorms! So we will continue our study of Arctic (with emphasis on Alaska)  and of coarse all of our ‘daily’ work too!!

I even completed my “Winter Storm Prep” with a surprise trip to our local Toy/Hobby Shop. (My favorite Mom and Pop Shop around!!) I then let the kids pick a toy using their gift cards from Christmas. I love doing this with them because they get to choose what they want and it costs me nothing (well very little sometimes). I show them how much they have and proceed to walk around the store looking at the price tags with them. I am a firm believer in teaching little ones about money and spending within his/her means (yes, even at 2 and 5 they know what money is). For more on our “Snow Fun” be sure to stay tune as I will be posting all of our Winter Adventures here shortly!!

Money Matter

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Our lovely economy has many people down in the dumps lately and has really put a financial strain on many families. Myself included in this population. This has really bothered me a lot lately and although many things are out of our control I figured I would share some of the things I have been doing in an attempt to save some extra money. I am determined to make saving money my mommy job and will do the best job I can to provide my family with healthy food, and lots of family fun activities despite what the economy may do…

Some of which include planning others just common sense…

We have been using cloth diapers on our littlest addition to our family “Bum Genius 3.0” Yes, there are many skeptics on the cloth diapers vs. disposable, and even more opinions on the brand of cloth diapers to use. However, as an on the go, modern Mommy I can’t say enough good things about these diapers!! I love them!! We have also cut cost on wipes by using cloth wipes I have been using the “organic cloth wipes” with just water. Bonus there are a few less diapers in the landfill bc. of my baby 🙂 The sight I have linked on here is where I bought mine (great sight, super quick delivery, and awesome communication between the owner and myself!)

I do cook most meals at home and my darling husband will eat left overs for lunch the next day at work. That is not to say we deprive ourselves of the occasional out to eat experience it may just be a little more spaced out than some people. We have really found ordering Pizza on Mondays (1/2 price day) at one of the local restaurants by us is a nice treat the beginning of the week. I might also suggest checking out where your “kids can eat free“. This sight provides you with a list of restaurants and the days of the week they are free.

We have also joined a CSA for those of you that don’t know what that is it is a Community Supported Agriculture. We buy shares in a local farm and get seasonal produce (super fresh!) for 20 weeks out of the year. Our farm “Maple Creek” is certified organic and it is AWSOME! Plus has kept me out of the fruit market all summer leaving me less tempted to buy things I don’t really need. I have been able to freeze some veggies and already get a jump start on making my baby food. 🙂 Another great money saver.

I plan a weekly food menu to help with those nights when we just don’t know what to eat. This also helps with unnecessary spending.

Payoff those credit cards!! Or at least try to pay $5- $10 more than the min. balance. Yes, even if that means bringing your coffee from home rather than stopping to pick one up. There are many things you can do to spruce up your coffee from home. Buy the espresso beans and put them on your home to-go cup so that you feel like it is a special treat. Or add a shot of caramel flavor to your favorite cup of Jo to give it a sweet kick!

There are many other things we are doing in an attempt to save money…I will try to post more later. In the end it is all in how you look at things. With an economy that is everything but heading in the right direction it is easy to lose sight of the things that really matter. Friends, family, a roof over our heads, food, water. Those truly are the necessities of life. So the choice is yours learn to live a new way of life. One I might add is much more fulfilling than just take, take, take, buy, buy, buy!! Give a little….and believe me you truly can live with less!!