Saving Families Money Since 2007
Today’s question is from Jill:
What are your favorite free/inexpensive ideas to keep young children busy during the long summer days (I have a 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter)? -Jill
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Guest post from Leanne of Cooking With the Johstons
When I was a teenager, my parents divorced and I saw first-hand that the number one cause for divorce is money problems. As a young adult, I did what I knew and overspent.
At 24, I overdrew my checking account for the umpteenth time. What was different this time was that I had also gone over my limit on all four of my credit cards. I had no cash, no savings, and no safety net. While I’d spent years overspending and overdrawing, this was rock bottom.
Because of that experience, I created a budget. It was the first time I saw on paper that I was spending far more than I was earning and had absolutely nothing to show for it but a car payment, credit cards, and student loans.
Shortly thereafter, I discovered the Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps. The concept of living below your means was completely foreign to me. I started to live differently. For the first time in my life, I had peace about money and my future.
Two years later, when I met my husband, I was well on track of being debt free within the year. When we married, my debt turned to our debt. Combined we had $117,000 and were making $40,000 a year; however, we had peace and a plan because we had a budget.
A budget saved our marriage before it even started — here’s why:
My husband and I have incredible peace in our marriage because of our budget. Our plan allows us to give generously, save for our future, and be in control of our money. Our infant son will have the skills necessary to manage his money and make an impact in the world.
Leanne is an organizational whiz working with youth and young adults in Fort Worth, TX. She is a seminary graduate and a walking warrior. She’s the nerd who loves spreadsheets and finding a good deal. She lives in the Dallas area with her husband and infant son, Wesley. Visit her blog, Cooking With the Johstons.
Here’s a creative Mother’s Day gift idea! Create a Homemade “Mommacino” for a Christian mom in your life who could use a pick-me-up.
So, I’ve shared lots of really simple, no-brainer tips here over the years, but I think this might qualify as just about the most basic of ideas I’ve ever shared.
In fact, I doubt I even need to do a post about it, since I could probably just put a picture and say, “I made peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for the freezer today. The end.”
And that would about sum it up. But that would also probably be the most boring post I’ve ever written, too. So I’ll try to expand a bit on this basic of basic ideas, for those who would like a few more details. 🙂
I first happened upon the idea of freezing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when Jesse was in law school and we were eating a LOT of PB&J. I usually packed one or two sandwiches in his lunch each day and since he often had to leave for school early in the morning, I’d try to have as much stuff prepped ahead of time so that I could just take 20 seconds to pull it all out and put it in the lunch pail.
While it doesn’t really take long to make PB&J, when your time is really crunched in the morning, it can help speed things up a little bit. Plus, I’ve also found it’s so nice to have sandwiches at the ready if you end up needing to leave to go somewhere unexpectedly and no one has eaten any lunch yet.
I listened to The Little Big Things today while making PB&J in an assembly-line fashion. {The audiobook has some good things in it, but the crass language is driving me batty! Honestly, that’s a “little big thing” to me!}
I ended up having to break out a new jar of jelly and peanut butter about halfway through. And Jesse got home about this time and he sat at the kitchen table and told me about his day while I finished up the sandwiches. Multi-tasking at its finest! 🙂
The end result: A big pile of sandwiches! I cut the sandwiches in halves, put them in individual baggies, and then put the baggies in large ziptop bags.
Spread peanut butter on both sides of bread. Put a dollop of jelly on top of one side (over the peanut butter) and spread around making sure that no jelly touches the bread (the peanut butter acts like a seal and makes sure that no jelly gets through! This is a super important step as it prevents the bread from getting soggy! As long as no jelly touches the bread, you shouldn’t have to worry about soggy sandwiches!)
To freeze: Cut and put in baggies (if desired) and store in airtight freezer ziptop bags in the freezer for 4-6 weeks.
To thaw: Stick frozen sandwiches in sack lunches in the morning and they will be thawed by lunch time. Or, you can be weird like me and eat them straight from the freezer. 🙂 You can also warm them in the oven or microwave if you like your sandwiches warmed.
I ran into Dillon’s today to buy some meat for my freezer cooking this week and found a few extra deals, too:
Three packages Sterling Silver Ground Sirloin — $3.73, $3.73, and $4.20
Milano cookies — $1.99, used $0.75/1 coupon (“doubled” to $1 off) = $0.99 after coupon (woot!!)
Half gallon milk — marked down to $1
2 packages of yogurt — marked down to $0.99 each
Total with tax: $16.83
Here were the deals we picked up Target today:
Bought 10 SoBe Lifewater (20 oz) at $1 each = Got $5 Target gift
Bought 1 Merona tee at $6, used the $3/1 Merona coupon = $3 each after coupon
Bought 4 Degree Men’s Travel Size Deodorants at $0.99 each, used 2 $2/2
Degree Men’s Deodorant coupon= free after coupon1 Neutrogena Lip Balm at $2.24, used $2/1 Neutrogena cosmetics coupon = $0.24 after coupon
1 Aquafresh Toothpaste at $3, used $1/1 Aquafresh coupon stacked with $1.50/1 Aquafresh coupon = $0.50 after coupon
3 Banana Boat sunscreen at $0.97 each, used 3 $1/1 Banana Boat coupons = free after coupons
Total with tax: $14.74 + I got a $5 Target gift card back
Guest post from Alison of Experimental Wifery
My husband and I dated for six years before we got married. We thought we had this relationship thing figured out. But, after only nine months of marriage, things had started to get a little rocky.
My gentle, understanding husband had suddenly become grouchy and irritable. Instead of helping him, all I could think to do was nag him to tell me what was wrong. Because we were saving up for a down payment on a house, we didn’t go out together often.
We worked. We ate. We went to bed.
No wonder our marriage was running into trouble. We barely ever talked to each other!
So we went on a date. He told me how much he hated his job (that’s what was making him grumpy) and we problem solved about how to fix it. For the price of a $20 dinner, we solved a problem months of evening meals together hadn’t.
Nine months into our marriage, I learned that great conversations — the kind that make or break a happy marriage — don’t just happen. I believe that healthy marriages need regular date nights — weekly, if at all possible.
A date night is a night that you and your husband set aside to spend time alone together. It’s a time to refresh as a couple. It’s a time to reevaluate what’s working for your family. It’s a time to discuss big ideas together.
But I don’t believe that it is a luxury. I believe that setting aside money every month for a date night is one of the most important things you can do for your marriage.
Still, $20 (or whatever you can budget) doesn’t go far — especially when you throw in the added expense of babysitting. So here are some great ideas to make your date night money stretch a little further:
When you have kids and are paying for a babysitter, the longer you’re out, the more expensive the date — no matter what else you’re doing. Try going out for dinner only. Or have dinner at home before you catch a movie.
Sitters normally charge only $2-3 more for extra kids, so split a sitter with friends. Or check out these great sitter savings ideas.
Look for local restaurants with moderately priced menus. Many restaurants have early-bird or two-for-one specials.
In warmer weather, break out the picnic basket! Visit a local playground or nearby national park for some sandwiches and dessert.
Check out organizations that sell cheap events tickets. Think about events that always have inexpensive tickets — nosebleed seats at a baseball game are a great venue for a little couple’s time.
My husband and I have found that dinner + a movie + a sitter is just too expensive. Instead, choose a special film (in advance!) and order out. Put the kids to bed and enjoy an evening in.
Money doesn’t buy happiness, but I believe a weekly date night is an important investment in your marriage.
Alison blogs about learning to be a better woman and wife at Experimental Wifery. She’s a wife, mommy, and high school English teacher. She lives near Washington, DC, where walking around the monuments at night is a cheap, date-night favorite.
Many, many of you have written in or commented in the last few months that you are really struggling with home organization. So I’m excited to let you know that I’ve teamed up with Andrea Dekker from Simple Organized Living to bring you a brand-new monthly feature called called “Ask the Organizer“.
Each month, we’ll feature one organizing question and let you weigh in your thoughts, answers, and opinions. Then later in the month, Andrea will pick one or two of the most popular responses and share her tips, ideas, and suggestions for dealing with those issues!
This month’s question is:
What do you struggle with most when it comes to organizing busy summer schedules?
What are your biggest challenges when it comes to planning family vacations, fun activities, sporting events, holiday get-togethers, etc.?
Leave your answers below and then check back in a couple of weeks for Andrea’s expert organizing advice!
Smashed Peas and Carrots shows you how to make Mason Jar Frog Lids.
Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Jenae from I Can Teach My Child shows you how to make a Mother’s Day Coupon Bouquet.
Thrifty and Thriving has a tutorial for how to make Washer Pendant Necklaces.
And A Thrifty Mom posted details on how to make Mother’s Day Flowers (I think these are so cute!).
Have you posted a frugal Mother’s Day idea or DIY? Submit it here and I might share it over the next few days!
After a busy weekend, I seemed to take forever to get going this morning — even though I got up early.
I finally got the Homemade Baking Mix made tonight at 7:45 p.m.
{Notice anything wrong with this picture? Maybe that I somehow am a month behind?! I noticed that after I’d taken the picture! :)}
And tomorrow we move onto freezer-friendly lunches. I think those are going to be a bit more time-intensive to make, but they are going to be so nice to have in the freezer that it will be every bit worth it!
Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening or cold coconut oil until you have fine crumbs.
To freeze: Store in an airtight container or freezer bags in the freezer for up to two months.
To use: Use the Homemade Baking Mix straight from the freezer in place of Bisquick. Or, use this to make our family’s favorite Cinnamon Roll Biscuits. For other recipe ideas, check out a similar Homemade Baking Mix recipe from Kitchen Simplicity.
Homemade Cinnamon Roll Biscuits — you can whip these up in a matter of minutes using the Homemade Baking Mix!
Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.
Are you ready for another week of filling your freezer? This week, we’re tackling lunches.
Here’s my plan for making Freezer-Friendly Lunches this week. Remember that you are more than welcome to change any or all of the recipes as it fits best with your budget and family’s preferences:
Tuesday — Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches {Yes, these freeze really well and it’s nice to have some on hand for when you need to fix a sack lunch really quickly.}
Wednesday — Brown Bag Burritos
Thursday — Pizza Pockets
Friday — Ham & Cheese Pockets
Monday – Southwest Rollups
(I rounded up on the amounts needed, just to be safe. You probably have many of these items already on hand. You’ll want to double-check that you have the correct amounts, though.)
3 pounds ground beef
Ham (you’ll need enough for 3 cups chopped ham)
Chicken (you’ll need 2-4 cups chopped cooked chicken)
4 cans refried beans (you can also make your own Refried Beans with this recipe)
2 cans enchilada sauce
1 jar pizza or pasta sauce
1/2 cup salsa
1-2 loaves of bread
1 jar of peanut butter
1 jar of jelly
36 flour tortillas (If you prefer, you can make your own Homemade Tortillas with this recipe)
1/3 cup minced or dried onion
12 cups flour (whole-wheat, white, and/or a mixture of both)
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
16-oz. block of mozzarella cheese (or 3 cups pre-shredded)
2 16-oz. blocks of cheddar cheese (or 8 cups pre-shredded)
chili powder
garlic powder
salt
oregano
yeast
olive oil
Italian seasoning
sugar
milk
honey
Parmesan cheese, optional
1/2 onion, optional
1/2 green pepper, optional
1/2 c. sliced or chopped mushrooms, optional
4 oz. pepperoni, optional
Foil
Paper Towels (for wrapping burritos)
Plastic Wrap
15 large ziptop freezer bags
Plastic sandwich baggies (for PB&J sandwiches, if you prefer to store them individually to pull out for separate lunches.)
Something to label packages with (marker to write on bags, labels, and/or tape)
Click on the “Print This” tab at the top of the list to generate a printer-friendly list. (If you’re reading via email or a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to print the list.)
The last six months have been some of the most-stretching, faith-building months of my entire life. I’ve jumped farther out of my comfort zone than I ever thought I would.
I recorded an audiobook, released a book, spoke in front of thousands of people (cumulatively — not all at once, gratefully!), traveled to the Dominican Republic with Compassion International, appeared on national television, did dozens and dozens of radio interviews, faced some of my greatest lifelong fears, and saw God come through in big and powerful ways on my behalf.
All of these are things I would have never dreamed I was capable of — and I wasn’t, in my own strength. But it has been a truly awesome experience to experience God’s power in my weakness, and His strength shining through a once very shy and insecure person like me. I’m living proof that, with God, all things are possible!
While I’ve loved {almost!} every minute of the last six months and am so thankful for my husband constantly cheerleading me and encouraging me to do things that are far outside my comfort zone, I’m very ready to step back and have a few weeks to just enjoy some quiet, relaxed days at home for the next few weeks.
Last week’s goals:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Read five chapters each ofQuest for Truth:Takenand Thomas A Edison: Young Inventor aloud to the children.
2. Start reading a book individually with each child.3. Write a love note to Jesse.
4. Family trip to Joplin, MO.Personal Goals
5. Finish reading The Three R’s, Remembering You, and Read for the Heart.
6. Run at least five times.
7. Start listening to The Little Big Things8. Write and send two handwritten notes.
Home Management
9. Follow my Freezer Cooking plan and blog about it.Business Goals
10. Prep for my speaking engagement in Joplin, MO on Saturday.
This week’s goals:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Finish reading Quest for Truth:Taken aloud to the children. Start reading Spy for the Night Riders.
2. Spend at least 30 minutes everyday doing something fun together as a family.
3. Write a love note to Jesse.
Personal Goals
4. Finish reading Escape from Saddam. Start The Referral Engine.
5. Run at least five times.
6. Listen to 2 hours of The Little Big Things.
7. Write and send two handwritten notes.
8. Sleep for at least 7.5 hours every night.
Home Management
8. Follow my Freezer Cooking plan and blog about it.
Business Goals
9. Get my “to answer” email file all cleaned out.
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives!
You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
Breakfasts
Granola bars
Cereal
Strawberry Pineapple Smoothies, Oatmeal
Scrambled eggs, Cinnamon Roll Biscuits, fruit salad
Waffles, scrambled eggs, fruit
Egg-in-hole, fruit
Granola, yogurt, and berry parfaitsLunches
Waffles, scrambled eggs, fruit
Snack-y lunch
Leftovers x 2
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples, granola bars
Salad, Hard-boiled eggs, toast, fruit
Beans and rice, veggiesSnacks
Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Chocolate Waffle Ice Cream SandwichesDinners
Build Your Own Haystacks
Homemade pizza, tossed salad, fruit salad
Dinner out
Steak, sweet potatoes, Easy Whole Wheat Bread, fruit salad, Pain Au Chocolat
Italian Chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, fruit
Dinner with extended family x 2
What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.
Guest post by Lindsay from Lindsay Sews
With some changes to your everyday life, you can change your spending habits and essentially “raise” thousands of dollars for your adoption by saving.
Here are just a few ideas to get you started!
Ramp up your couponing efforts by getting together a group to swap and share coupons. Subscribe to a few extra copies of the Sunday paper (or find more ways to get coupons for free!) for extra savings on essentials.
Turn off extra features on your cell phone plan, cable subscription, or insurance plan (auto and home). Check your bank statement or credit card bill and see what is being auto-billed to you, that you could cut back on.
Gym membership not being used? Netflix subscription no longer worth the money? You’d be surprised how much money you can save with these simple switches.
Plan your errands nearby your home, so you can walk or ride a bike. If you must drive, group trips together to save on fuel.
Try carpooling or working from home if it’s an option. If you drive a gas guzzler, consider switching to a lower-cost vehicle that has better gas mileage. If you still have a car payment, consider downgrading your vehicle to a car that has a lower payment or no payment.
Make eating at home a fun time by cooking themed meals with friends, and take turns hosting a pot-luck. If you spend money on coffee at the drive through, switch to home-brewed. Plan meals according to what you can get on sale that week, instead of what sounds good in the moment.
Think about how much you currently spend on gifts for birthdays, baby showers, weddings, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day. Instead of buying gifts for your friends and family this year, make a conscious effort to give them a thoughtful gift like a CD mix of music, a scrapbook made with recycled papers, or a handwritten note.
Instead of shopping for a new dress, swim goggles, or backpack, ask around to see if you can borrow or swap with a friend. If you are tempted by racks of new clothing, switch to thrift stores.
Trade movie nights at the theater for $1-rental movies at home, through sites like Redbox. Instead of taking a large summer vacation, switch to a few shorter, weekend jaunts or go somewhere that you can stay with friends or family.
I also recommend the book Adopt Without Debt by Julie Gumm. After you’ve done the hard work of pinching your pennies, here are some ideas for fundraisers you can use to finance your adoption:
Lindsay Conner is a crafter, writer and editor near Indianapolis. She blogs at Lindsay Sews and sells handmade fabric earrings to raise money for adoption at her Etsy Shop, where MoneySavingMom.com readers can save 30% off with the coupon code SAVE30.