Don't hate me because I'm "one of those!" Yes, it's true....I'm a stay-at-home mom home schooling our 4 children and I hope to keep it that way! There are times when things can get really tight on the budget with a family of 6 (soon to be 8 through adoption) on a single income, but God provides - always. When He meets our needs, it's affirmation to me that home is my place to be and this is how our family runs well. Being a stay-at-home mom isn't every one's cup of tea, and it might not always work this way for us either, but I sure enjoy it while I can.
Many people ask me how we do it. Mostly it's questions about home schooling and the budget to stay at home to do that. So I'd like to take a blog post of time to share with you our best money saving tips and tricks. Ready for this? It's really good stuff. Are. you. ready?? I actually don't have a magic answer! But somehow someway every time, God has got us covered!
God's hand in our family is absolutely the answer, and He also gives us gifts, talents, and resources to make the best of our situation too. So here are some things that we do to keep our spending low:
The market bill. By far the grocery bills can 'eat' away at the budget very quickly. It's easy to grab an extra bag of snacks or ready made meals. These extras do 'chip' away at your wallet! Some of the ideas I'll share you might think only will save a couple bucks. But a couple bucks over time adds up. Here we go:
1. We don't buy coffee, drinks, snacks at convenience stores/gas stations. Ever. It is so much cheaper to make your own and take it with you when you are out and about.
2. We buy generic brands. Yes, at the grocery store many times the generic brand tastes absolutely fine and you can spend way less. Did you know that sometimes food is processed in the very same factory then just labeled different as it comes off the assembly line? It's true. So you are paying for a pretty label and not a better product. Many times times 'off-brand' products also have fewer ingredients too so you are getting a less chemical saturated deal! Try it out.
3. We don't shop at the big name stores and bulk isn't always better. Even for our size family (and growing) we are careful when buying in bulk. Many times the membership fee or the gas to get us to the store just isn't worth the savings. Know how to break down your prices and be sure to check if bulk is really saving you. We also do most of our shopping at places like Aldi's and Save-a-lot. Some fresh items just aren't available at these stores, but many pantry items are with a big savings.
4. We don't use coupons. Now, I know there are folks out there who do an awesome job on coupons. I have a friend who is gooooood. But, I don't have that skill and so for me, coupons mean buying things that aren't on my list and that I don't really need. Or coupons are running me to several different stores which take up my gas money and time that isn't worth the coupon value. That's all. I'd like to learn that skill someday.
5. We have a list and stick to it. Let me back that one up. We have a weekly menu and we stick to it. Yes, take the 10 minutes to write out your menu for the week. I'm talking breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. Then break it down and make the grocery list for only the things you need for those recipes for the week. Look at the calendar and think of what is going on that week and what you realistically could make for dinner that night. I mean, who really needs 8 cans of green beans in the pantry when you aren't going to eat them until next month? You don't need 5 cereal choices. Get what you need. This is where the BIG savings can happen. If you take no other advice from this list, take this one.
6. Make it yourself. Don't buy the already prepared chicken pasta meal in a box when you can buy the chicken and stick it in the crock pot yourself. Ready-made foods are a big budget buster and the more you learn to cook from scratch, the more you will save. Trust me, I am not at all skilled in the kitchen with cooking. Not. at. all. But, I can toss in a casserole or dump in ingredients and turn a crock pot on. I will give a big kudos to my hubby here because he IS gifted in the kitchen and makes many of our dinners from scratch.
7. Skimpy down. Already doing most of these things but still not saving? Try cutting back on the frills of your market list. For example, you have a dinner menu planned out and it includes steak with salads. Steak is expensive, but gotta have the meat? Try burger instead and make tacos or better yet go vegetarian and try black beans with sweet potato tacos. Making salad with lettuce and only a few veggies will save you too. Instead of buying bacon bits, croutons, craisins, sprinkles, etc. etc. just eat the lettuce with carrot and tomatoes. You will survive. Got chicken on the list? Try getting a roaster chicken. Put it in the crock pot or bake it- whatever you do. Do that one night. Then pick the left over meat off the bone and make chicken salad for lunches. Boil the remaining chicken carcass and make broth for a noodle soup and grilled cheese meal. After I learned to make the most of what we had, it really helped us save too. (thanking friends who showed me this along the way!)
8. Cut it out. Go through you pantry and your fridge and see what things you can do without. Do you have to buy juice boxes or could the kids get used to drinking water. We go through a lot of lemonade here. We buy the powdered mixes so we can water down the mixture to how we like it (and how we can stretch out the jar). Juices are really full of sugar and if the kids are eating a healthy diet, they don't need what little vitamins that juices offer. Cut it out. Another alternative to eliminating juice is to water it down. The kids love this orange mango juice we get. It is so sweet that we split the jug into two jugs then add water to dilute it. They still love it and now it's half the cost. Really? Do you need 5 creamer choices for your coffee? Just pick one or two and save money.
9. We pace ourselves. What are you talking about? Well, we buy what is on the list for the week right? So if we go through the mango-orange drink like camels on the first two days of the week, then guess what? It's gone. We don't go out to get more or make 'quick stops' to reload at the store. We wait until the next market run. Want a snack bar? Sure, but remember that box has to last for the week. It's a good lesson for kids and parents alike. Little trips to the store in between 'real' market runs can destroy what good thing you have going. Just don't go back. It'll help you to save!
10. We stick to the budget. Now that you are getting in the mindset of saving money at the store, think about where you'd really like to see your market bill. What amount? Set it and stick to it. Now the first couple rounds you might be off, but after you allow yourself a time or two and make your adjustments to your menu and such, then set your amount to spend and don't go over. When we go to the store we put the essentials from the list on the check out counter first. If we think there is room on the bill for gummy snacks for the kids or dad wants that flavored coffee, etc. then those items go on the check out last. If the limit has been reached at the register, then those extras are NOT bought. It's no biggie and the kids don't freak out. They enjoy the challenge of sticking to the limit without going over too as if it's a game to figure out. When you figure it out- it can save you BIG.
Next up is a recipe for home made laundry soap. This is a great saver for us. We typically go through 5-7 loads of laundry at week and to make our own soap saves a chunk. Another thing to take off the market list too!
Powder Dry Soap:
Grate 1 bar of soap - your choice: Ivory, Dial, Irish Spring
(we use a cheese grater, some people use their food processor - I wouldn't)
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
1+ Tbsp Oxy Clean (optional but recommended)
1+ Tbsp Tide or Cheer (optional. I just like it to smell good)
Mix this together in a medium mixing bowl and put it in an air tight container. Use 1 Tbsp per load or 2 for really dirty or large loads.
I'm going to link you to this site as it's where I got the recipes from. We have used the liquid soap version too and really like it. We just recently switched over to the powder soap due to it's faster to make the powder version. Visit here for the recipes (just don't get lost and come back ok?)
homemade dishwasher detergent and homemade dish soap recipes can be found here. I haven't tried these, but it is my next step in savings and I'm eager to give it a try.
Eating Out Tip: Just don't. Ok, so just sometimes, but be careful in how you order.
It's all in how you order it. There is the occasional time that it's great to just have a run through Mc Donald's or our family favorite is Chic-fil-A, but even there you can cut the costs. And note to the word "occasional." For us this means once every other month. On the go too much? Pack up snacks or pack up yummy sandwiches to picnic in the car. The kids get used to it and our kids even prefer home cooking to eating out. Don't get happy meals or kids meals. If you have a few kids, then get a regular adult meal and have the kids split it. All it takes is another napkin and you have one meal out of two. Most of the time, the kids will have more to eat splitting one meal than if they had their own mini kids meal. Share drinks or don't get soda at all. Adding sodas adds dollars. Ask for water instead or have the kids share drinks. We even ask for extra cups then pour out the large drink into the kids drinks (eliminates some arguing). Kids didn't get enough to eat? I'm sure what they had will hold them off until you get home and they can have a healthy snack costing you pocket change instead of ordering more fast food.
Try a side job. I do know that even with a top notch effort at all of these ideas mentioned above, that money can still be tight. Here is where you pull from your talents and bring in some cash to aid the family budget. This is a tough area to make suggestions because everyone is so different with their time and talents. This is just what I do and what works for me. Some things that I do to help add to the family financially is to paint. I love to paint and for over 10 years now I have had a small side business of interior decorative painting. I paint murals, stencil, faux finish, renew furniture, etc. you name it, I'll paint it. I can work at home in the evenings on some projects that I can have here in my garage or I can work evenings and weekends on other projects. Think of a talent you have that could serve others and try a go at it! I do other artsy things too like jewelry making and sewing that can bring in extra money too. I sell on ebay sometimes (just randomly when I have a load of odds and ends to sell), and I also am a consultant for Thirty-one gifts (purses, wallets, home organization). Through a painting job I met a lady that I now help tutor her on the computer. We meet once weekly doing various tasks like creating Shutterfly photo albums, merging mailing addresses, or learning about the latest edition of Publisher. This lady is now a dear friend and I look forward to our weekly tutor sessions. The Lord really placed her in my life. All of these odd jobs come together and are able to help out our family. Sports, birthday parties, school supplies, and the Christmas budget comes from these extras side jobs. You'd might be surprised at what talents you have that others would gladly pay you for your services. Do you knit? Crochet? Scrapbook? Coupon? Try selling some of your items on facebook or create a tutoring class to teach others your talent!
Pray about your financial situation and ask God to give you wisdom. Ask Him to show you ways to save and to open up opportunities to help the family budget. He will answer, just be ready to listen, be creative, and be brave in trying new things!
Above all, keep your focus. It's easy to get wrapped up in the "I need that" mindset when really, it's a privilege to live as we do here in this country of plenty.
Matthew 6:20, 21 will remind us: "Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
Many people ask me how we do it. Mostly it's questions about home schooling and the budget to stay at home to do that. So I'd like to take a blog post of time to share with you our best money saving tips and tricks. Ready for this? It's really good stuff. Are. you. ready?? I actually don't have a magic answer! But somehow someway every time, God has got us covered!
God's hand in our family is absolutely the answer, and He also gives us gifts, talents, and resources to make the best of our situation too. So here are some things that we do to keep our spending low:
The market bill. By far the grocery bills can 'eat' away at the budget very quickly. It's easy to grab an extra bag of snacks or ready made meals. These extras do 'chip' away at your wallet! Some of the ideas I'll share you might think only will save a couple bucks. But a couple bucks over time adds up. Here we go:
1. We don't buy coffee, drinks, snacks at convenience stores/gas stations. Ever. It is so much cheaper to make your own and take it with you when you are out and about.
2. We buy generic brands. Yes, at the grocery store many times the generic brand tastes absolutely fine and you can spend way less. Did you know that sometimes food is processed in the very same factory then just labeled different as it comes off the assembly line? It's true. So you are paying for a pretty label and not a better product. Many times times 'off-brand' products also have fewer ingredients too so you are getting a less chemical saturated deal! Try it out.
3. We don't shop at the big name stores and bulk isn't always better. Even for our size family (and growing) we are careful when buying in bulk. Many times the membership fee or the gas to get us to the store just isn't worth the savings. Know how to break down your prices and be sure to check if bulk is really saving you. We also do most of our shopping at places like Aldi's and Save-a-lot. Some fresh items just aren't available at these stores, but many pantry items are with a big savings.
4. We don't use coupons. Now, I know there are folks out there who do an awesome job on coupons. I have a friend who is gooooood. But, I don't have that skill and so for me, coupons mean buying things that aren't on my list and that I don't really need. Or coupons are running me to several different stores which take up my gas money and time that isn't worth the coupon value. That's all. I'd like to learn that skill someday.
5. We have a list and stick to it. Let me back that one up. We have a weekly menu and we stick to it. Yes, take the 10 minutes to write out your menu for the week. I'm talking breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. Then break it down and make the grocery list for only the things you need for those recipes for the week. Look at the calendar and think of what is going on that week and what you realistically could make for dinner that night. I mean, who really needs 8 cans of green beans in the pantry when you aren't going to eat them until next month? You don't need 5 cereal choices. Get what you need. This is where the BIG savings can happen. If you take no other advice from this list, take this one.
6. Make it yourself. Don't buy the already prepared chicken pasta meal in a box when you can buy the chicken and stick it in the crock pot yourself. Ready-made foods are a big budget buster and the more you learn to cook from scratch, the more you will save. Trust me, I am not at all skilled in the kitchen with cooking. Not. at. all. But, I can toss in a casserole or dump in ingredients and turn a crock pot on. I will give a big kudos to my hubby here because he IS gifted in the kitchen and makes many of our dinners from scratch.
7. Skimpy down. Already doing most of these things but still not saving? Try cutting back on the frills of your market list. For example, you have a dinner menu planned out and it includes steak with salads. Steak is expensive, but gotta have the meat? Try burger instead and make tacos or better yet go vegetarian and try black beans with sweet potato tacos. Making salad with lettuce and only a few veggies will save you too. Instead of buying bacon bits, croutons, craisins, sprinkles, etc. etc. just eat the lettuce with carrot and tomatoes. You will survive. Got chicken on the list? Try getting a roaster chicken. Put it in the crock pot or bake it- whatever you do. Do that one night. Then pick the left over meat off the bone and make chicken salad for lunches. Boil the remaining chicken carcass and make broth for a noodle soup and grilled cheese meal. After I learned to make the most of what we had, it really helped us save too. (thanking friends who showed me this along the way!)
8. Cut it out. Go through you pantry and your fridge and see what things you can do without. Do you have to buy juice boxes or could the kids get used to drinking water. We go through a lot of lemonade here. We buy the powdered mixes so we can water down the mixture to how we like it (and how we can stretch out the jar). Juices are really full of sugar and if the kids are eating a healthy diet, they don't need what little vitamins that juices offer. Cut it out. Another alternative to eliminating juice is to water it down. The kids love this orange mango juice we get. It is so sweet that we split the jug into two jugs then add water to dilute it. They still love it and now it's half the cost. Really? Do you need 5 creamer choices for your coffee? Just pick one or two and save money.
9. We pace ourselves. What are you talking about? Well, we buy what is on the list for the week right? So if we go through the mango-orange drink like camels on the first two days of the week, then guess what? It's gone. We don't go out to get more or make 'quick stops' to reload at the store. We wait until the next market run. Want a snack bar? Sure, but remember that box has to last for the week. It's a good lesson for kids and parents alike. Little trips to the store in between 'real' market runs can destroy what good thing you have going. Just don't go back. It'll help you to save!
10. We stick to the budget. Now that you are getting in the mindset of saving money at the store, think about where you'd really like to see your market bill. What amount? Set it and stick to it. Now the first couple rounds you might be off, but after you allow yourself a time or two and make your adjustments to your menu and such, then set your amount to spend and don't go over. When we go to the store we put the essentials from the list on the check out counter first. If we think there is room on the bill for gummy snacks for the kids or dad wants that flavored coffee, etc. then those items go on the check out last. If the limit has been reached at the register, then those extras are NOT bought. It's no biggie and the kids don't freak out. They enjoy the challenge of sticking to the limit without going over too as if it's a game to figure out. When you figure it out- it can save you BIG.
Next up is a recipe for home made laundry soap. This is a great saver for us. We typically go through 5-7 loads of laundry at week and to make our own soap saves a chunk. Another thing to take off the market list too!
Powder Dry Soap:
Grate 1 bar of soap - your choice: Ivory, Dial, Irish Spring
(we use a cheese grater, some people use their food processor - I wouldn't)
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
1+ Tbsp Oxy Clean (optional but recommended)
1+ Tbsp Tide or Cheer (optional. I just like it to smell good)
Mix this together in a medium mixing bowl and put it in an air tight container. Use 1 Tbsp per load or 2 for really dirty or large loads.
I'm going to link you to this site as it's where I got the recipes from. We have used the liquid soap version too and really like it. We just recently switched over to the powder soap due to it's faster to make the powder version. Visit here for the recipes (just don't get lost and come back ok?)
homemade dishwasher detergent and homemade dish soap recipes can be found here. I haven't tried these, but it is my next step in savings and I'm eager to give it a try.
Eating Out Tip: Just don't. Ok, so just sometimes, but be careful in how you order.
It's all in how you order it. There is the occasional time that it's great to just have a run through Mc Donald's or our family favorite is Chic-fil-A, but even there you can cut the costs. And note to the word "occasional." For us this means once every other month. On the go too much? Pack up snacks or pack up yummy sandwiches to picnic in the car. The kids get used to it and our kids even prefer home cooking to eating out. Don't get happy meals or kids meals. If you have a few kids, then get a regular adult meal and have the kids split it. All it takes is another napkin and you have one meal out of two. Most of the time, the kids will have more to eat splitting one meal than if they had their own mini kids meal. Share drinks or don't get soda at all. Adding sodas adds dollars. Ask for water instead or have the kids share drinks. We even ask for extra cups then pour out the large drink into the kids drinks (eliminates some arguing). Kids didn't get enough to eat? I'm sure what they had will hold them off until you get home and they can have a healthy snack costing you pocket change instead of ordering more fast food.
Try a side job. I do know that even with a top notch effort at all of these ideas mentioned above, that money can still be tight. Here is where you pull from your talents and bring in some cash to aid the family budget. This is a tough area to make suggestions because everyone is so different with their time and talents. This is just what I do and what works for me. Some things that I do to help add to the family financially is to paint. I love to paint and for over 10 years now I have had a small side business of interior decorative painting. I paint murals, stencil, faux finish, renew furniture, etc. you name it, I'll paint it. I can work at home in the evenings on some projects that I can have here in my garage or I can work evenings and weekends on other projects. Think of a talent you have that could serve others and try a go at it! I do other artsy things too like jewelry making and sewing that can bring in extra money too. I sell on ebay sometimes (just randomly when I have a load of odds and ends to sell), and I also am a consultant for Thirty-one gifts (purses, wallets, home organization). Through a painting job I met a lady that I now help tutor her on the computer. We meet once weekly doing various tasks like creating Shutterfly photo albums, merging mailing addresses, or learning about the latest edition of Publisher. This lady is now a dear friend and I look forward to our weekly tutor sessions. The Lord really placed her in my life. All of these odd jobs come together and are able to help out our family. Sports, birthday parties, school supplies, and the Christmas budget comes from these extras side jobs. You'd might be surprised at what talents you have that others would gladly pay you for your services. Do you knit? Crochet? Scrapbook? Coupon? Try selling some of your items on facebook or create a tutoring class to teach others your talent!
Pray about your financial situation and ask God to give you wisdom. Ask Him to show you ways to save and to open up opportunities to help the family budget. He will answer, just be ready to listen, be creative, and be brave in trying new things!
Above all, keep your focus. It's easy to get wrapped up in the "I need that" mindset when really, it's a privilege to live as we do here in this country of plenty.
Matthew 6:20, 21 will remind us: "Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
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