Last summer we rented a three bedroom home for a week. Amenities included use of tennis courts, pool, a lake, a full kitchen, a charcoal grill and a washer and dryer. Being in a rancher with two crawling boys was a bonus. We visited a water park and two children's museums with our children ranging in age from 7 to 1.
Keeping our food costs down, we ate our breakfasts and dinners "at home". We brought our lunches if we were out. We traveled 1/2 hour away to purchase our food where we already had a gift card. Our food was paid for at the store we just had to go and pick it out.
I was thinking that to prepare for this summer I could organize all the summer items together in the basement. Items for the beach, pool, hot weather, bbq, outside toys, water cameras, suitcases, beach towels, coolers, flip flops, water shoes, etc could all be grouped together on a few shelving units. This could eliminate some last minute seek and not finds and avoid some overbuying.
Have a happy and safe summer!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Birthday Parties
Do you need a kids party every year? Probably not, but what do you do instead?
Make the day special by having a play date close to the child's birthday. Go on an adventure. Make the child's favorite meal. Celebrate your child.
Our recent birthday party was themed as a kids sports party. They played duck, duck goose. Threw the ball to velcro paddles, took a lacrosse stick and a ball and tried to get the ball into the frog's mouth on a painted wooden board with a hole for the mouth, followed an obstacle course and they started out with a few exercises. Next they had pizza and drinks, pinata, and celebrated with a song and cake. The place that
hosted the party provided the pinata, pizza, birthday themed paper
products and the cake including candles.
Make the day special by having a play date close to the child's birthday. Go on an adventure. Make the child's favorite meal. Celebrate your child.
Our recent birthday party was themed as a kids sports party. They played duck, duck goose. Threw the ball to velcro paddles, took a lacrosse stick and a ball and tried to get the ball into the frog's mouth on a painted wooden board with a hole for the mouth, followed an obstacle course and they started out with a few exercises. Next they had pizza and drinks, pinata, and celebrated with a song and cake. The place that
hosted the party provided the pinata, pizza, birthday themed paper
products and the cake including candles.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Unexpected Hospital Bill in February
Son 2 goes for a sick visit and comes home three days later. Parent portion of the hospital stay is $850. Now the fun part, having to pay this bill after paying all the holiday bills. Options 1) pay in full 2) finance 3)payment plan with out interest or 4)payment plan with interest.
Hopefully #1 will be the only option we need to consider.
If you are close to living paycheck to paycheck; paying an unexpected bill will require gaining more funds. So first we need to look at those options.
1) Are there any snowball payments that can be suspended temporarily?
Items that don't need to be paid immediately but you are doing snowball payments to pay down a debt or debts.
2)Use less of something or do without. Any unnecessary expenses?
Think about what you are doing in the upcoming weeks. Can things be cancelled or
postponed?
3)Grocery savings see www.couponmom.com and America's cheapest family website for ideas.
4)Adjust your thermostat for savings.
5)Pay bills on line to avoid cost of stamps.
6)Eat all your meals at home or bring leftovers from the night before.
7)Keep up with car maintenance. You don't want another unexpected financial problem to creep up.
8)Send in your taxes if you are getting a rebate.
9)If you are getting a rebate, look into adjusting your paycheck so that you rec. more money in your paycheck throughout the year.
10)Evaluate the things that you are paying other people to do for you. Can you do the job yourself? Plumbing, lawn care, babysitting.
Hopefully #1 will be the only option we need to consider.
If you are close to living paycheck to paycheck; paying an unexpected bill will require gaining more funds. So first we need to look at those options.
1) Are there any snowball payments that can be suspended temporarily?
Items that don't need to be paid immediately but you are doing snowball payments to pay down a debt or debts.
2)Use less of something or do without. Any unnecessary expenses?
Think about what you are doing in the upcoming weeks. Can things be cancelled or
postponed?
3)Grocery savings see www.couponmom.com and America's cheapest family website for ideas.
4)Adjust your thermostat for savings.
5)Pay bills on line to avoid cost of stamps.
6)Eat all your meals at home or bring leftovers from the night before.
7)Keep up with car maintenance. You don't want another unexpected financial problem to creep up.
8)Send in your taxes if you are getting a rebate.
9)If you are getting a rebate, look into adjusting your paycheck so that you rec. more money in your paycheck throughout the year.
10)Evaluate the things that you are paying other people to do for you. Can you do the job yourself? Plumbing, lawn care, babysitting.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Here We Go Again
January always seems like crunch time. We refuse to finance on our credit cards and would probably sell some things before dealing with credit card finance charges.
The idea of switching to a cash system still has some draw backs. It is important to track the money. More important is to spend less than we make. No longer immune to the changes in the economy; everything has gone up in price. Has anything gone back down?
The real problem this year seems to be the higher price for oil heat. How can one home need $2000 worth of oil in less than two months? Last winter and summer (Dec 09 thru Aug 10) we spent $3,000. The year previous (Dec 08 thru Aug 09) we spent $2,400.00.
Our electric is on a monthly budget plan. It has rose 35%. From $200 per month to $270 per month.
The idea of switching to a cash system still has some draw backs. It is important to track the money. More important is to spend less than we make. No longer immune to the changes in the economy; everything has gone up in price. Has anything gone back down?
The real problem this year seems to be the higher price for oil heat. How can one home need $2000 worth of oil in less than two months? Last winter and summer (Dec 09 thru Aug 10) we spent $3,000. The year previous (Dec 08 thru Aug 09) we spent $2,400.00.
Our electric is on a monthly budget plan. It has rose 35%. From $200 per month to $270 per month.
Monday, January 25, 2010
What is the price of a smile?
When planning a child's birthday party, what is your intended outcome?
A) For your child to be happy.
B) For your child to have fun.
C) For you to have a relaxing day.
Can all of these goals be accomplished without breaking the bank?
If your venue cost $200 or more without food you might be spending too much.
Let's start with the basics. Fun, fun, fun.
How do you accomplish this task?
Create your own party games.
Bake your own cake.
Skip the party bags.
As your child ages; the guest list increases. Sometimes you even have two parties. How can you have a party without cutting the guest list? Sometimes you can get a discount by having a party at a non-popular time. Skip the extra food. Try just serving the main event, beverages and cake. If it is not a long party this should be fine.
Entertainment
Plan your time well. Always better to have more things to do then not enough.
Location
Can you hold an event at a local park or at your house?
Party Favors
Maybe your party favors can be part of the activity that you did.
A simple snack, craft or game, drinks, cake and a camera might be all you need. Kids enjoy getting messy, being loud and having fun. Parents enjoy seeing a smile.
Happy party planning.
A) For your child to be happy.
B) For your child to have fun.
C) For you to have a relaxing day.
Can all of these goals be accomplished without breaking the bank?
If your venue cost $200 or more without food you might be spending too much.
Let's start with the basics. Fun, fun, fun.
How do you accomplish this task?
Create your own party games.
Bake your own cake.
Skip the party bags.
As your child ages; the guest list increases. Sometimes you even have two parties. How can you have a party without cutting the guest list? Sometimes you can get a discount by having a party at a non-popular time. Skip the extra food. Try just serving the main event, beverages and cake. If it is not a long party this should be fine.
Entertainment
Plan your time well. Always better to have more things to do then not enough.
Location
Can you hold an event at a local park or at your house?
Party Favors
Maybe your party favors can be part of the activity that you did.
A simple snack, craft or game, drinks, cake and a camera might be all you need. Kids enjoy getting messy, being loud and having fun. Parents enjoy seeing a smile.
Happy party planning.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Grocery Shopping
At the beginning of the year is the time to start analyzing your expenses such as grocery shopping. How much of your bill (dollars) is going to food and how much is going towards other items? Some grocery stores actually will give you your categories of spending. More likely, you will need to figure it out yourself.
Here are some percentages from a recent shopping trip.
Food includes fruit and Baby items include formula and baby food.
Food 21%
Beverages 11%
Snacks 14%
Household Supplies 13%
Baby items 41%
A few impulse buys are included in the household supply amount. Rather than hold an impulse buy to one or two items maybe a dollar amount might be a better approach.
Here are some percentages from a recent shopping trip.
Food includes fruit and Baby items include formula and baby food.
Food 21%
Beverages 11%
Snacks 14%
Household Supplies 13%
Baby items 41%
A few impulse buys are included in the household supply amount. Rather than hold an impulse buy to one or two items maybe a dollar amount might be a better approach.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Winterize Your Car
You are at work and outside you car is being snowed on. You are prepared because you have your boots and your ice scraper. It is starting to snow pretty heavy. Your employer releases the employees but the parking lot does not get plowed properly. You are stuck with a snowed in car. What should you do?
Well you forgot to put your mini snow shovel in the car b/c frankly you do not own one YET.
Readers, please share your thoughts on how to get out of this jam and what to pack in the future.
My suggestions would be have an ice scraper at your office, at your home and in your car. Sometimes you just can't get to the ice scraper that is in the car. Have a spare car key in the house in case you accidentally lock your keys in the car while warming up the car. Have a small fold up shovel or a child size shovel. It is a good investment.
Without a snow shovel in this scenario you either need to stamp down the snow around your car or start making snow men to remove the excess snow. Happy winterizing!! Oh and take an extra pair of socks. Trust me, someone will need them.
Well you forgot to put your mini snow shovel in the car b/c frankly you do not own one YET.
Readers, please share your thoughts on how to get out of this jam and what to pack in the future.
My suggestions would be have an ice scraper at your office, at your home and in your car. Sometimes you just can't get to the ice scraper that is in the car. Have a spare car key in the house in case you accidentally lock your keys in the car while warming up the car. Have a small fold up shovel or a child size shovel. It is a good investment.
Without a snow shovel in this scenario you either need to stamp down the snow around your car or start making snow men to remove the excess snow. Happy winterizing!! Oh and take an extra pair of socks. Trust me, someone will need them.
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