Saving Families Money Since 2007
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Guest post from Elizabeth of ElizabethClareBlog.com
Christmas is fast approaching! Thanks to planning ahead, most of my gifts are purchased, wrapped, and under the tree. Inevitably though, there are always a few people on my list that I have no gift for… and no idea what to give them.
Running to the store to do last-minute shopping usually means spending more money than I want on something the recipient won’t even want. It also means fighting a crowd that steals my peace during this holiday season. No, thank you!
Over the years I developed a mental list of frugal gifts I can quickly throw together for anyone remaining on my list. This list of gift ideas is great for several reasons:
We all need to eat, but don’t always have the time to cook a well rounded, delicious meal. Preparing freezer meals for those on your list would be a gift many would love to receive. Maybe you don’t have time to prepare the meals. Providing recipe cards and ingredients for a well-loved meal or dish in a beautiful basket would be even easier.
Our family also likes to give specialty food items we don’t normally purchase for ourselves, like the following:
We all seem to be short on time these days. What about doing something to lighten someone else’s load? Here are some ideas:
Maybe it seems boring, cold, or thoughtless to some, but I have never known anyone to be disappointed when receiving cash as a gift.
Cash is what my father-in-law calls the “Gift Card to Anywhere.” You can suggest the recipient uses the cash for a specific purpose, or leave it up to their discretion.
This gift is the cheapest of all, and often the most appreciated. Take time to step away from the busyness of your life and really invest in someone else.
Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning:
No matter who is left on your list, or what your budget is, I am sure this list will help you come up with something anyone would enjoy!
Elizabeth Clare is a dairy farmer’s daughter learning to navigate the ropes of Catholic homeschooling, mothering, and homemaking. She gives advice and encouragement on those topics at her blog ElizabethClareBlog.com. She also runs her Etsy shop, A Pondered Life, which specializes in creating beautiful family traditions.
Aldi
1 pkg Plain English Muffins – Marked down to $0.50
1 loaf Bread – $0.99
2 pkg Lasagna Noodles – Marked down to $0.49 each
2 gallons Milk – $1.99 each
1 pkg Frozen Tilapia Fillets – $3.39
1 bag Frozen Boneless Chicken Breasts – $6.69
1 Half & Half – $1.79
1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89
1 Honey – $4.99
1 Celery – $0.69
1 bag Yellow Potatoes – $0.99
1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.29
1 bag Mini Marshmallows – $0.69
Used $5 Aldi coupon that was mailed to me
Total after coupon: $23.86
Dillons
4 Moms Best Cereal – $1.50 each
1 Welch’s Grape Juice – $1.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 pkg Romaine Lettuce – Marked down to $1.79
1 Kroger French Bread – $1.99 (We will split this in half and use it for 2 dinners.)
2 lbs Ground Beef – Marked down to $0.99 each
1 pkg Stew Pork – Marked down to $2.25 (I will use this for 2 dinners.)
1 pkg Hormel Deli Turkey – $3.99, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $3.49 after coupon
1 Cucumber – $0.50
1 Nabisco Ritz Crackers – $2
2.33 lbs Bananas – $1.37
1 StonyField Kids Yogurt – Marked down to $1.89
Total after coupons: $23.26
Total for both stores: $47.12
Cereal x 3
Baked Oatmeal
Eggs & English Muffins
Brunch with family
Cinnamon Rolls
Peanut Butter & Jelly Rice Cakes, Carrot Sticks
Turkey Sandwiches, Veggies x 2
Pizza (from a friend), Salad
Leftovers x 2
Lunch with family
Spaghetti, Tossed Salad, French Bread
Grilled Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Baked Potatoes
Chicken & Rice Casserole from freezer, Butterhorns from freezer
Pork & Gravy in Crockpot, Green Beans, French Bread
Grilled Tilapia, Biscuits, Tossed Salad
Lasagna, English Muffins, Green Beans
Dinner out
Last weekend, in the middle of a very busy week and month, Jesse and I took off a day and a half to go to New York City.
Was it because we needed one more thing to do? No, it was because we are learning that it’s important to be intentional about making time for fun — especially when it comes to our marriage.
We can get so busy with life… with the things we feel like we need to do and with the things we feel should do. We can feel like we’re just rushing through life — going from one project and to do to the next.
When you’re a person like me with a very Type A, driven personality, busyness and productivity come naturally. Taking time to rest, relax, and have fun do not. But, as I’m learning, it’s very important if I want to have a healthy balance in life.
So, as we flew home from New York City, I through about three reasons why it’s important to take time for fun…
We often need to remind ourselves to relax and breathe. When Jesse and I were in New York City, we left the to-do’s, the projects, and even the kids at home. It was the first time we had both left the kids with a babysitter and gone on a trip in at least three years!
It was so good to get away from all of the noise and to just breathe. And honestly, in taking time to breathe, I realized that I’d been figuratively holding my breath for months and months — never allowing myself to fully relax and unwind. It felt so good and it was so needed.
We need to refuel ourselves. If we just go and go and go and we never take time to refuel, we’re going to feel burned out and exhausted.
I’d been feeling really tired and exhausted recently, so I found myself thinking before the trip, “Why are we going on this trip when I’m already tired and exhausted?” But, as I discovered, taking that time to step away from normal life and to just do fun stuff completely re-energized me — even though we didn’t get very much sleep on the trip!
We went to a Broadway show, we went to a really nice restaurant (something we rarely ever do!), we got to hang out with our dear friends who were in the states from South Africa, we got to take the Staten Island Ferry, see the Statute of Liberty, ride the subway, see Wall Street, go to Rockefeller Center (with about every single other person in New York City, it seemed — the crowds were insane!), and go to the World Trade Center Memorial.
On the plane ride home I kept thinking, “You know? I was tired when I left and I’m kind of tired from all the walking, but I feel so re-energized and ready to jump back into life!”
I feel like the quick trip away cleared my head and helped me to be able to come back to real life with a fresh perspective. It reminded me of what’s really important.
Yes, there have been a lot of to-do’s and projects and deadlines the past few months, but while those can be important, people matter so much more than projects and productivity.
My marriage is what really matters, my kids are what really matter… that’s what I want to wrap my time and life around. That’s what’s going to matter most in 25 years from now.
Some of you might be feeling discouraged right now and maybe even saying, “That’s nice for you, but there’s no way on earth we could get a babysitter and go to New York City!”
To be 100% transparent, we paid very little out of pocket for the trip. We almost always fly the same airline and stay at the same hotel chain when we travel, so this allows us a lot of perks and the ability to earn a few free flights and hotel rooms. So, we were able to get our flights for free and our hotel stay only cost us $4! We went really cheap on food (except for the nice dinner our), we walked or rode the subway most places so transportation was very inexpensive, and most of the attractions we went to were free (other than the Broadway show).
But most of you probably don’t travel a lot for business so you don’t have these same perks and maybe you don’t have any wiggle room in your budget right now for fun. If that’s the case, don’t feel discouraged. You can still make time for fun — without speaking a dime!
Get together with friends over homemade dessert and play games while your kids play in the other room. Swap afternoon childcare with another mom so you can read a book from the library or work on a project you love. Plan a family night with a themed dinner. Watch a comedy with your spouse after your kids go to bed. Try a new sport as a family or couple.
Fun comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes — and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Get creative. Think about what sounds fun for you and then start brainstorming ways to make it a reality. It will be worth it.
What are your favorite ways to have fun — individually, as a couple, or as a family? I’d love to hear!
Bethany emailed in the following tip:
I just wanted to remind everyone to periodically check the bills and accounts you have set up for paperless billing with autopay or autodeposit…
I just found I had been charged $5 per quarter in our savings account for not updating our address — a loss of $35 because I didn’t realize it for so long! I don’t have our savings account at our regular bank because I don’t want to be tempted to use it… but that also meant I clearly didn’t look at it on any regular basis. We just let the money build.
Then I found that even though the bank withdrew the money for my car loan in June, the payment was never actually credited to the car loan company — potentially a $400+ loss if I didn’t find it! Again, with autopay, I saw the money go out and just assumed it made it to it’s destination – wrong!
Check those accounts, my friends! Don’t let someone take your hard earned cash!
Since we are going to be traveling most of the next three weeks, I only bought a few sale/coupon items this week at the grocery store. We’ll spend the few days that we are at home trying to “clean out” our refrigerator so that nothing gets thrown out. Yep, I’m like that. We might end up with some interesting meal combinations, but no one will go hungry. 🙂
1 bag Dark Chocolate Chips (these are a seasonal item, and – YUM!) – $1.79
1 24-oz container Cottage Cheese – $2.29
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $1.99
1 8-oz Baking Cocoa – $2.19
2 3-lb bags Mandarin Oranges – $5.98
Total: $14.24
2 2-lb bags Dixie Crystals Powdered Sugar – $4.00, used 2 $0.55/1 Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar, Poly Bag Light, Dark Brown or Powdered Sugar, exp. 12/30/15 (SS 12/06/15 R)(doubled), plus $0.55/1 evic – $1.35/2 after coupons
1 Progresso Chicken Broth – $1.50, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons
1 Sauer Seasonings Roast Rub – $1.50, used $1.50 off Sauer’s spice, extract, or food color (SS 12/13) – FREE after coupon
2 64-oz jugs Old Orchard Juice – $2.85, used 2 $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.85/2 after coupons
1 Mazola Cooking Spray – $2.00, used $0.55/1 Mazola Oil or Spray Product, exp. 2/6/16 (SS 12/13/15 R) (doubled) – $0.90 after coupon
4 8-oz blocks Philadelphia Cream Cheese – $6.00, used 2 $1/2 printable, plus $1/4 evic – $3.00/4 after coupons
2 8-oz blocks Challenge Butter – $4.00, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $0.50/2 after coupons
Total: $6.60
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Oatmeal x 2
Eggs, Toast
Lunches
Almond Butter Toast, Oranges, Mini Peppers
Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Tossed Salad
Leftovers
Dinners
Christmas Party with Friends (we’re having a taco bar and desserts – I’m bringing The Pioneer Woman’s Pecan Pie, and several taco toppings)
Family Christmas Dinner (we always have Chinese food since we lived in Taiwan for 2 years and grew to love traditional Chinese food. Usually, we make it. This year, because of sick children and travelling plans…it will be take-out. 🙂 I am making Cottage Cheese Pie for dessert, so that counts for something homemade, right?!)
Ham and Beans, Cornbread
Guest post from Marci of My Heavenly Recipes:
I’m willing to bet that you don’t need any more toys lying around your house, right?!?
Whether it’s Christmas, a Birthday, or a special occasion, there’s no reason you must give toys for a gift. Think outside the box a bit and I’m sure you’ll come up with a great non-toy gift to give.
Whether you create a themed gift basket using the items listed below or throw a few of the non-toy gifts into a gift bag, I’m sure they will be a welcome surprise for anyone on your gift list!
You can find Marci Loehner sharing recipes for busy Moms at My Heavenly Recipes. Each recipe and project is kid tested & Husband approved.
20 Simple Ways to Easily Add $100+ To Your Gift Budget Before Christmas! 🥳
Guest post from Beth Anne Schwamberger of The Brilliant Business Moms podcast
In Crystal’s book, Money-Making Mom, she gives incredible advice on how to find a great business idea and how to grow that business wisely.
I agree with Crystal’s advice: You shouldn’t have to go into debt to start a business. There are so many opportunities to market your products or services, and grow your income without taking a hit to your bank account. While these methods will require hard work and an investment of time, the benefit is that once you know how to use them effectively, you can train a dependable team member to perform these tasks while you continue to grow. Catch Crystal’s Periscope replay on how to find and manage great help right here.
1.) Pinterest. Pinterest isn’t just a great place for bloggers. Product-based businesses can do well here, too. Our current storefront is getting over 50% of its traffic from Pinterest. And did you know that pins that originated on Etsy make up some of the most re-pinned content on the entire site?
Quick Tips for Pinterest Marketing:
2.) Instagram. Instagram combines the visual appeal of Pinterest with relationship-building. Once we reached about 700 followers on the platform, we were able to make consistent sales. We’ve sold our products with flash sales, a Black Friday deal, lifestyle shots of our products, and photos and quotes from happy customers.
Quick Tips for Instagram Marketing:
3.) Email Marketing. One of the best things you can do for your business is to build an email list. Despite all of the work we do on social media and the sales we earn there, email performs even better. You can build a relationship with your potential customers over time, and as you provide value in the form of great content and helpful information, they decide to make a purchase. Many email service providers are free until your first 2,000 subscribers. Crystal shared tons of practical tips on building your email list on Periscope. You can catch her replay here.
Quick Tips for Email Marketing:
4.) Guest Posting. One of the most effective ways to reach a new audience, establish authority, and build relationships with influencers in your niche is to guest post.
Quick Tips for Guest Posting:
I wouldn’t be following my own advice if I didn’t offer you something fun for reading this post! Go here to grab a free download of guest post planners and Pinterest marketing sheets.
These sheets are also included in our Brilliant Business Planner. If you decide to visit our shop, use the coupon code MONEYMAKINGMOM at checkout to get an exclusive $5 off all orders of $10 or more for the month of December!
Beth Anne Schwamberger is the younger, quirkier half of the Brilliant Business Moms Podcast which she co-hosts with her sister Sarah. They’re passionate about providing the encouragement, support, and resources moms need to grow businesses on the side while also spending time with their families.
Guest post from Valerie of Our Healthy Foodie Life
Six months ago, my husband and I sold our only TV!
Being glued to the TV night after night became a regular occurrence in our household. At some level, it was comforting to get cozy on the couch after work and forget about all of the day’s problems. But at the same time, the anxiety caused by the constant realization that we were missing out on more fulfilling activities was too much to handle.
So finally we cut off the source of our unsettled feelings: we sold our TV and our gaming system.
Some (actually, most) people thought that selling our TV was crazy. I’ll be the first person to agree that, yes, this was a radical move for the norms of our culture. But after having long conversations about the subject, my husband and I found it even more crazy to spend evening after evening immersed in electronics rather than enjoying life.
We spent part of this spring, the entire summer, and a portion of the fall without our own TV. If we wanted to watch our favorite shows, we had to watch them on our computer, or watch someone else’s TV.
The emptiness created from having no TV was scary at first, but ultimately became freeing.
Here are three things we learned during our six months with no TV:
After giving up our TV, my husband and I had an incredible amount of free time for activities other than watching TV.
And do you know what we did? A lot! We read books outside on our porch, spent time with friends, went on bike rides, volunteered, read extra Bible devotionals, walked our dogs, started a garden, etc.
I think you get the idea by now: eliminating TV gave us so much in return.
I wrote point #1 with a focus on unintentional TV watching. What does that mean? We’ve all been there before: turning the TV on as background entertainment, binge watching the latest show we discovered, or re-watching episodes of a favorite show.
During our six months without an actual TV, we did get to watch our favorite shows on our computer. However, watching TV on a computer is less enjoyable and is far less convenient. When we wanted to watch TV, it was something we truly wanted to watch.
Being intentional about our TV consumption allowed us to enjoy shows and movies, but it didn’t drain our free time.
The main lesson that we learned from this experience is that there is so much more to do in life than watch TV. This statement also applies to excess time spent on gaming, social media, tablets, and similar digital activities.
When we stay in the house glued to our digital devices, we lose out big time on the other wonderful activities in which we could participate. We also lose out on real, face-to-face conversations with one another.
If you take away one thing from our experience, this point is probably the most important: get outside, learn that hobby you’ve always wanted to learn, invite friends over for a night outside to catch up with each other face-to-face, volunteer, or start on that exercise goal you’ve thought about for months. Step away from your TV and your other digital devices, and enjoy the life that is happening right in front of you.
In doing so, you’ll give yourself the opportunity to feel more relaxed, fulfilled, and build new, healthy habits. We love the healthier perspective we have on using technology in moderation, and we are incredibly thankful for having completed our “no TV” experiment.
Valerie lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband and two dogs. She is the creator and writer of the blog Our Healthy Foodie Life.
Lisa emailed in the following tip:
I’m really lazy when it comes to couponing, but I’m always looking for ways to save money when I can. One way I’ve learned to easily save money is by purchasing discounted gift cards from Raise.com, using cash back websites for purchases, and using the “store pickup” feature.
The idea is really simple. When I know what store I’d like to shop at, I head over to Raise.com to see what gift cards I can purchase with the highest discount. When I checkout, I then choose to have the gift card e-mailed to me vs having it sent by mail. That way, I receive my gift card in minutes and can use it instantly online or print it off to use at the store.
After I receive the e-mail, I then head over to Rakuten.com (formerly Ebates) to see if the store I’m shopping at offers cashback for purchases made online. After finding my store through Rakuten, I then go about adding the items to my shopping cart and I make sure to choose the “store pickup” option.
When I’m shopping, I also try to find items that are already on sale or already discounted so I save even more money. If the store I’m shopping at also has a rewards program, then it makes this even better because I’m able to accumulate cash back rewards for future purchases.
It’s been a f-u-l-l few weeks and I didn’t even get a chance to get this Saturday post up until now! I’m headed out to Colorado Springs for a radio taping on Wednesday and Thursday and then I’m done with book launch and business travel for 2015.
And I am so, so, so grateful that 2016 is going to be a much calmer year… or at least that’s the plan! 🙂 I’m going to be speaking a lot less, am not writing any books, have cut way back on my online responsibilities, and cannot wait to just stay home more and focus more on my home and family and just a few select business things.
The past few years of speaking and traveling and book-writing have stretched me and forever changed me in good ways as a writer, speaker, and person, but I’m excited about a new, much quieter season. In fact, my word for 2016 is REST. And that’s actually my biggest goal for the new year. 🙂
Stay tuned for more on my 2016 goals and plans next week! For now, here are 5 Things I’m Loving:
Jesse and I got to go to NYC for 24 hours to hang out with our dear friends from South Africa who were in the states for meetings and it was absolutely amazing!
The weather was gorgeous (we didn’t even need coats!) and we packed so much into our trip: a nice dinner out at a wonderful restaurant, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, riding the subway, good coffee, the Staten Island Ferry, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bride, Wall Street, the World Trade Center Memorial, laughter and conversation with our friends from South Africa, trying to not get lost, good conversations as a couple, and a Broadway show!
After a hard few months with lots of heavy and emotionally and physically exhausting challenges, this getaway (our first as a couple in a few years!) was such a gift! And we used points and credit earned over this past year, so the trip cost us very little out of pocket, too.
I got to see Wicked last year when I went to NYC, so it was so fun to take Jesse to see it. He really loved it… though probably not quite at the fangirl level as me, but what can I say? I’m kind of into it. 🙂
I’ve only been to this one Broadway production, so I can’t speak for the others, but the production quality is just incredible. So well done and the quality of the performers is top notch! It’s expensive, but so worth it for a very, very special treat!
Jessica Turner sent me her new book, My Fringe Hours, and I went through it on the trip to NYC and found so much valuable information and encouragement in it. If you read and liked her first book, The Fringe Hours, I think you’ll really enjoy this as a companion guide.
I already shared this picture earlier this week, but I love it so much that I have to share it again. 🙂 This is my Coffee Cozy from Julie who runs the adorable Etsy shop called Tokyo Blossom.
This Coffee Cozy has gone with me multiple places this week because I just love it so much!
We are so proud of this girl. She had her Christmas program last Friday evening and it was her first “big” program. She was a nervous wreck all week about it, but when her performance came, she went out and completely rocked it. You can watch the whole video of her performance here. She’s put in so many hours on the ice this last year and we are so excited to see how it’s paying off — not only in her figure skating, but also in her character development.
What are YOU loving right now? Tell us in the comments!
Guest post from Kathy of Kathy Hutto:
I know about the lean years that Crystal talks about — I’ve had times when budgeting was an absolute necessity.
Like Crystal, I’ve tried to continue a philosophy of frugality, even now that times are better. I’ve tried to adhere to a strict budget. In fact, I have a penny taped to the dashboard in my car as a constant reminder to “watch every penny”!
Throughout the years, I’ve tried lots of different strategies for budgeting. I’ve tried the Excel spreadsheet idea, the envelopes with cash method, and the notebook with pockets system. But, what I’ve found most effective for my family is a modified envelope system.
I write the name of each budget item on the outside on an envelope. For example – Food, Gas, Recreation, etc. I do not load the envelopes with cash, but instead I assign a dollar amount to each category (you can write the amount on the envelope, if you’d like… I just keep up with it in my head.)
Here’s how it works:
Throughout the week, I put the receipts from trips to the grocery store, Farmer’s Market, or restaurant visits in the Food envelope. I’m ever mindful of how the receipts are totaling up. In fact, throughout the week, I’m known to take the receipts out and add them up to see what’s left for the week.
This modified envelope system can be especially effective right now with our Christmas gift budgets. I have an envelope labeled “Christmas” and a certain dollar amount budgeted for that category.
When I purchase something from a store, I put the receipt into the envelope. When I order online, I print the receipt and add it to the envelope.
I’m ever mindful of how much I’ve spent, and though I use my debit card, the receipts are accounted for and this helps me to keep a close eye on my spending.
I hope this gives you yet another idea for staying on budget!
And since I mentioned my “Food” category above, I thought I’d share my simple Winter Budget Menu booklet that I created for my family. Enjoy!
Kathy Hutto is a homeschooling mother of two. She also serves as the Preschool Ministry Coordinator for her church. In her “free” time, she writes curricula and other resources for teachers. You can find her blogging at Kathy Hutto.
Guest post from Keelie of Love Hope Adventure
Over the years, we have struggled to afford gifts for our friends and family at Christmas. However, even though our gift budget has been next to nothing, I’ve always found ways to give for free!
What I learned is that people truly appreciate you thinking of them, no matter how much you spend. The best thing to do in lean budget years is to find creative ways to use the resources you have.
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking…
Children are especially excited when they receive something that belongs to you. Of course, this does need to be age-appropriate, but you might have a few items you wouldn’t mind handing over.
Consider giving:
Also, you can encourage your kids to go through their own possessions and consider passing down toys or items to younger siblings.
I realize this is not a socially acceptable practice when giving outside of your immediate family, but I think it can be a great learning opportunity for your kids.
We all need to look at what we have as resources and come up with creative ways to bless others.
With the amount of stuff that comes into your house at Christmas, giving clutter-free gift items is a great idea. I love to do experience-based gifts with my family, as well as for others I know.
If you do not have the funds to purchase new items for a date night with your family or spouse, then use what you already own. It is ok to look around your house for things you can do together as a family or couple.
Consider putting together these types of date night boxes:
These are just a few of the experiences you can give your kids or spouse. I give my husband an at-home date night every year. It means a lot to him.
I know that handwritten notes are a dying art, but I love them! I’m a huge fan of letter-writing. If you are not that person, it doesn’t mean you can’t give the people in your life words of encouragement.
One of the best things I did this year was to put together an “I’m Thankful When…” notebook. I did this for my friends and they loved it so much that I plan to do it for my children’s stockings this year.
I took a very small notepad and wrote something that I feel thankful for that they do. I put one sentence on a page and filled it up about halfway through with things they do that make me feel thankful. For example, I might say, “I’m thankful when you text me randomly”.
If you aren’t the type of person who enjoys handwriting notes, consider putting together a short email or Facebook message. You can even send out a few text messages on Christmas day to someone you care for.
We have a camera at the tip of our fingers these days, but how often do you go through the photos as a family? A simple thing you can do on Christmas morning is scroll through the highlights from the previous year.
You can also take the time to personalize the pictures and make them more meaningful. I love to use the free version of Picmonkey or Canva to edit photos. Consider putting fun phrases on the pictures or encouraging words.
There have been years where I put together activity spaces in my home for the kids. You can find a corner in the house where you set up a reading nook or a place to put a small table that they can play on.
Consider giving them permission to re-arrange their room with the existing things they own. If you can, give them unused decorations or furniture for their space.
If you are craft savvy, you should look for instructions on upcycling what you have lying around. Even if you are not super crafty, there are simple things you can do to re-purpose what you own.
For example, if you have an excess of coffee mugs, fill one with leftover Halloween candy. Maybe you have a house plant that you can take a cutting off of and root. These are just a few ideas that come to my mind.
Take your existing budget and purchase some of the items out of the appropriate categories. This will serve a dual purpose, you won’t go over budget and your kids will receive things they need.
Grocery budget = Put together a snack basket for their lunches
Toiletry budget = Buy toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, etc. for their stockings
Clothing budget = Pick up one or two clothing items they need
Eating out budget = Buy a gift card for your next night out as a family
If you already have certain items budgeted, then you can use those existing funds to make up for a lack of a present budget.
One thing I have had to do in my life is understand that money is not the only thing that can be used as a resource; everything in my possession, including time and creativity are resources.
Keelie is married to her highschool sweetheart and is the mom of three awesome boys. She is a creator and loves sharing with the world around her. One of her biggest passions is to help married couples fall deeper in love with one another. You can read her marriage tips at Love Hope Adventure.
Guest post from Alex and Cassie of The Thrifty Couple
We love the Christmas season! There seems to be so many more opportunities to share, give, love, and enjoy others during Christmas time than any other time of the year.
With that, we love to find unique opportunities for more family time — giving us more quality time with our kids while doing something valuable. So we take this time of year to combine three of our favorite things: reading, time with family, and opportunity to share with one another.
Last year we implemented a 12 Days of Christmas book reading idea. This year we are doing the same with a count-down to Christmas in a slightly different way.
Normally each week we try to reserve one night per week where we play board games and share a fun snack… and this year, we are combining it with our Christmas Countdown!
The rules are simple:
Here’s what we are doing:
Each night, there is a gift under the tree — most of the time, it is a book. This book is either new, or it could even be an old, forgotten book from our bookshelves. Each night, a different child unwraps the book and then we all sit and read it aloud together.
Then one night per week, there are a few gifts under the tree: a new (or old and forgotten) game and possibly the non-perishable parts of that night’s snack. For example, one night we wrapped gluten-free waffle cones and popcorn seeds. We made the popcorn and ate them out of the waffle cones while we played games. If you’re ever lacking ideas, don’t forget that Pinterest is a valuable resource for healthier, easy, themed snacks!
This has been an amazing, eye-opening, memory building experience for our family. We have intentionally taken a little bit of time each day during this very busy season to slow-down, relish our kids’ joy and enthusiasm for life, nurture their love of books in an electronic world, and to garner precious time together as a family.
Perhaps give a version of this a try in your family and see how relationships bloom and grow. Then, after the Christmas season, transform this countdown into a convenient excuse to set aside one night a week that is electronic-free and dedicated for valuable and fun family time! It is truly one of our most favorite nights of the week!
Alex and Cassie are a Christ-loving, homeschooling, busy, family of 8 and in their “free-time”, they co-blog at The Thrifty Couple, founded after they dug themselves out of over $100,000 of consumer debt. They share debt-free, frugal living and financial ideas along with DIY, recipes and other unique ideas for creative and intentional living.
1 3-lb bag Honeycrisp Apples – $3.99 (I’m a honeycrisp snob – anyone else? ;))
1 3-lb bag Gala Apples – $3.39
3 1-lb bags Baby Carrots – $2.07
1 3-ct pkg Garlic – $2.89
1 box Corn Flakes – $1.49
2 cartons Grape Tomatoes – $1.98
2 8-oz cartons Mushrooms – $1.58
1 4-ct pkg Zucchini – $1.99
1 3-lb bag Mandarin Oranges – $3.49
1 head Cabbage – $1.29
2 Avocados – $1.18
2 Cucumbers – $0.78
1 4-lb bag Sugar – $1.65
2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $5.18
1 gallon Milk – $2.99
Total: $35.94
1 10-oz bag Fisher Pecans – $4.99, used $1/1 Fisher Recipe Nut Item, exp. 1/3/16 (SS 11/08/15 R) – $3.99 after coupon
2 pouches Betty Crocker Potatoes – $2.00, used $0.50/2 evic, plus $0.50/2 printable (doubled), plus receive $0.50 back from SavingStar – FREE after coupons
2 5-lb bag Flour – $2.67
6 cans Green Beans – $2.04 (had a rain check from last week)
4 pouches Crab Classic – $5.98, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled), plus 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons
3 tubs Lettuce, reduced – $3.00
1 container Bean Sprouts, reduced – $1.00
2 18-ct cartons Eggs – $3.94
10 8-oz pkgs Shredded Cheese – $13.16
Total: $29.80
Total for the Week: $65.74
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Cereal x 2
Oatmeal with Fruit (from the freezer) x 2
Homemade Granola x 3
Lunches
Cheese Quesadillas, Oranges, Carrots x 2
Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Tossed Salad x 2
Almond Butter Toast, Apples, Carrots
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Homemade Cheese Pizza, Tossed Salad
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Roasted Carrots, Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Turkey Gravy over Brown Rice, Pumpkin Dinner Rolls, Roasted Zucchini
Taco Salad, Corn Bread
Egg Roll in a Bowl, Oranges, Green Beans
Leftovers x 2
