Poll: How Much Do You Spend on Groceries Each Week?

Spending for food seems to be one of the utmost concerns we have nowadays. Prices of meat keep soaring and even some commodities too. Trying to cut the cost of grocery expenses seems to be the common goal of every family. But how are you going to cost cut when you really don’t get the exact picture on how much you are spending.

So how much does a certain family really spend each week? Well, this varies in every family of course. Grocery expenses depends on the families needs, family size and family’s preference. For example, families who grows their own vegetable garden can harvest some vegetables and need not purchase them anymore. Families with only one or two kids will probably spend less than those of a family of five or more. Also, a family with two or three boys will spend more on food than a family of only two or three girls. With all these in mind, it is pretty hard to determine the definite strategy in calculating for your grocery budget. Basically, your weekly budget is significantly related to your family classification. First thing you should do is to collect all of your grocery receipts and calculate for your weekly spending.

A family which consumes more of the branded items will definitely spend more in their weekly budget. There will be a big trim on your weekly expenses if you choose store brands than the brand names. Practically, staples such as cooking oil, grain products, pepper, salt, instant potatoes, and other staples are priced almost 50% lower with store brands than the brand names.

Most moms too get overwhelmed with coupons and tend to think that they will be spending less. But actually coupons are tricky unless you use them wisely. You need to consider your family’s needs first before using these coupons so, carefully check if your entire family will enjoy the food you buy with them. Also, avoid buying products you can consumer before their expiration. If coupons are used wisely, you will definitely get as much savings as possible.

One misleading idea that a lot of us follow is the idea that if we buy bulk, we save. This is why most families spend more than what is necessary per week, when in fact they can cut their spending down and save up to 20% of it. Consider bulk buying only if your family is really using that product so you can consume it all up. Items such as toilet papers, kitchen papers, and other commonly used household products are recommended to be bought bulk. Also, when buying food products on bulk make sure that you have somewhere to store them. Be sure to store properly and consumed them before they go bad.

Lastly, most families are fond of junk an unnecessary foods. These are not only unhealthy but also costly. Spending too much on junk foods increase your weekly budget to more or less 10%. You can trim you expenses by carefully screening the food you really need and which are nutritious.

How much you’re spending on your weekly groceries largely depends on how carefully you plan the kind and amount of food you buy and on whether or not you employ saving strategies wisely.

5 Rainy Day Ideas for Keeping Your Kids Entertained

It is always a challenge to find the best boredom buster for kids especially during rainy days so we need to have cool and exciting rainy day activities at hand just in case our kids cry out, “I’m bored”.

1. We can create “the cool box of ideas” with our kids. Here, we can get our kids to decorate a simple box or bowl. Then, we will ask them to write on pieces of paper the activities they want to do and put all their activity ideas in the decorated box. It will be like a draw. When an activity is done, the kids call pull out the next one from the box of ideas.

2. Creating a family tree is also interesting and informative activity that will definitely involve the entire family. During rainy days, we have plenty of time to look at old photos of family members and we can tell our kids about them as we go. After that, we can help them create a family tree of we can make a simple quiz game about the family.

3. We can also get our kids hyped up with Charade. It’s an old fashion game but kids still enjoy it as they compete who makes the quickest guess.

4. An indoor obstacle course is a hit especially if you have boys. This will entail a bit of work but it’ll definitely keep the kids busy. This would need us to mark out a course with easily movable furniture. We can make a tunnel, some stepping stones, something for them to crawl under, or climb…the possibilities are endless. We just have to make sure that everything is safe though.

5. For a hassle-free activity, a fun-filled movie marathon is a good choice. All we need to do is line up the movies the family would like to watch and make the living room a bit more comfortable. We can also prepare popcorn and blankets so the family can enjoy eating and cuddling while enjoying the movie.

Babies are Expensive—But They Don’t Have To Be!

Undeniably having a baby can really be very expensive that is why more and more couples these days are opting for a childless union. True, preparing and supplying for your baby’s needs can be pricey but it doesn’t have to be! It only takes a thorough planning and sensible identification of what is really necessary and what is not.

Parents with babies spent most of their budget on milk formula but that can be avoided by breastfeeding. Breast milk is the best source of nutrients and antibodies for your babies growth and immunity so if you can, it is better to choose breastfeeding over milk formula. Other than it is more natural and healthy, it could save you a lot of money too.

Baby’s clothes can also burden your pockets but there are ways to save on baby clothes. Remember babies grow so fast so it is not necessary to spend a lot of money on baby clothing which are probably only good for two months. I understand, we all want the best for our babies but don’t let this feeling blind us from being practical. Babies don’t care if they are wearing branded or non branded clothes. They don’t even care if the clothes they’re wearing are new or old so let us also not bother ourselves with those. As long as our babies are wearing something clean and comfortable, it’s all good. Accepting handed-down baby clothes from relatives and friends is one good way to save money on baby clothes. If this is not possible, head to the nearest yard sale for baby clothes.

If there are no handed-downs available, other baby things like high chairs, diaper changing tables, potty chairs, crib, and car seats can also be purchased from second hand stores and yard sales. When buying second hand baby things though, make sure that what you are buying are still good and they work like they’re supposed to work.

Second hand toys are plenty and are much cheaper and the best places to find them are in yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores so keep your eyes open for such places.

If you have to buy something new, make sure that what you are buying is reasonably priced and will be used by your baby for a long time. Also, buy something durable so when your baby is done with it, you can also sell it to others.

4 simple ways to save on back-to-school things

As a kid, I always look forward to the start of the school year not because I get to go to school again but because of the new school things mom’s going to buy me. Kids get excited on things like that so when the summer is almost over like it is now, parents start to think about buying school things. Having this in mind, I compiled a few tips on how to save on back-to-school things.

Home Shopping. Before we rush to the store, we should first check what we still have. It’s not necessary to have every single thing new.  School supplies which are not used during the previous school year can still be used. Reusing things, which are still good like calculators, rulers, and pens, will also save us some money. Recycling is not only good for the environment but for your pocket as well. Dig through drawers and boxes for items you can recycle. Unused pages of notebooks can be combined together to make memo sheets. Small boxes and containers can be painted and decorated to create file organizers and nice pen holders.

Early bird gets the worm. Get rid of the hassles by shopping for back-to-school things early. Going to school and office supplies stores a few weeks before school starts can save us the stress of having to squeeze in through the crowd.  It is always smart to visit the stores early so we could compare prices and choose wisely and when it’s time to shop, let’s have our lists ready. It is but wise to have a list when shopping because this will save us a lot of time and this will also help us avoid buying unnecessary things.

Quality over quantity. We’d rather buy something that will last over things that can break easily. Backpacks, shoes, pencil cases and lunch boxes for instance should be good enough to last a whole year. We don’t want our kids complaining about some broken things in the middle of the school year. That would mean unforeseen expenses for us so to avoid this; we should buy things which are durable.

Sales and thrift stores. Tons of great finds are available on stores which are on sale and thrift stores. Stores go on sales every now and then so we should just be a bit keener on the sale dates.  Thrift stores are also not a bad place to find some school stuff.

Tips on How to Save Money on Toys

We tend to give our kids what we didn’t have as kids. This includes throwing fancy birthday parties and buying expensive clothes and toy. Loving parents are like that but there are ways to give our children cool stuff without spending a lot of money and here are the tips on how to save money on toys.

Budget
You need not go for a rush when buying toys for your kids. Most of the time, impulsiveness is a monetary disaster! If you buy toys under pressure, tendency is, you’ll buy them even if they are too expensive or even if the quality is not that satisfactory. What you need have to do plan ahead when buying toys. Allot a specific amount for your kids’ toys. This will assure you of not spending more than what you have in your budget.

Canvass
Most often than not, toys are priced differently in different stores so you need to be a little bit more keen with this. Check out different toy stores and buy from those that offer lower prices. Also, consider the quality when buying toys. Make sure that the price of the toy you are buying corresponds to its quality.

Watch out for sales
As you save up for your next purchase, you can already watch out for toy stores which are on sale. Buying toys with discounted prices is always good for your pocket. But remember; don’t get fascinated with “sale” all the time. Most often than not, we tend to overspend just because of the idea that everything is on its lowest price. Actually, it’s an expected behavior but we need to be careful not to spend more than what we have allotted. So watch out for sale but only buy what’s within your budget.

Be creative
Some toys need not cost you even a penny. There are tons of unique ideas on how to make crafts/toys for your little ones. You can check out the web for a variety of options on inexpensive craft activities. You can try crafts which are easy and fun to do. This is definitely a very affordable way of creating happy moments with your kids.

Secondhand toys
Secondhand toys aren’t too bad. Most likely, they are being sold because the previous owner has outgrown them. So all you need to do is look for toy store that sell secondhand toys. Visiting flee markets and garage sales to look for secondhand toys is also not a bad idea.  Strictly check though if there are defects to ensure that you aren’t wasting your money. It doesn’t have to look perfectly like brand new but it should still work like it is supposed to.

Affordable Craft Ideas for Your Kids

Every parent wants to give all the best to their kids. But making your kids happy and occupied doesn’t need to be expensive or  hard to do. Simple things like crafts will definitely get their attention and give them a fun-filled experience. Now, there is a vast range of options as to what crafts your little kids can try. Here are the tips and bits for choosing the best and cheap crafts for your kids.

Choose crafts which are apt for your kid’s age. This means you need to consider the materials which are safe for your kids. If you have toddlers, ensure not to give very small materials which they may take into their mouth. Avoid sharp and pointed objects which could puncture them. Remember, safety should always come first!

Make it more natural! There are a lot of advantages with this one. Off course, this is what we need – a cheap yet exciting craft. So with these natural materials, you need not spend a penny. You can just go outside your house with your little kids and collect leafs, pebbles, tree branches, petals, twigs, acorns and pine corns.

You can also consider some things inside your house as materials for your kids craft activity. Things like cereal cartoons, paper towels, paper plates bottle caps, bottles, cups, buttons, strings, bond papers etc. There’s always something inside your home which you can use – and it’s for free!

Some of the crafts your kids create are:

Creative cards

Special cards for the special events need not to be expensive! Your little ones can start creating personalized cards for these occasions. They can use the materials found in your home to create colorful cards for all seasons. All you need are scissors, bond papers, glue, color pens, and anything you can use for creative designs such as twigs, leafs, petals, pine corns. These personalized cards are sweet gifts for any occasion your little ones would love to give.

Animal masks

Make your kid’s craft making more exciting with animal masks. Paper plates and home materials are all you need, very cheap and easy to assemble. Allow your child’s imagination to take in and you will definitely appreciate its results. They will enjoy being creative and learn about animals at the same time.

Butterfly hand print

Cherish the memories that you have with your little ones with a very affordable craft they will surely enjoy as well. Cut out papers which can be the head and body of the butterfly. Then trace you child’s little fingers then cut it out to make the wings of the butterfly. Then glue them all together to make a butterfly. Your kids can now make their own designs on the butterfly.

Affordable Ways to Enjoy Summer with Your Family (Part 2)

The summer is still on and so I also added some more summer activities the whole family can do. If you haven’t yet, I recommend that you read my previous post on affordable ways to enjoy summer with your family. You might just find that perfect leisure activity your whole family can do and enjoy without emptying your pockets. Now, I understand that the summer is long and you probably did all summer activities you can think of and afford so here are more tips on beating the season with fun filled activities.

Be on board.
Now, before you think that this is about those luxurious ship cruises, I should tell you that you don’t need to freak out on how much you’ll spend. Summer will never end without some rain so getting some cheap but fun board games you could play with your kids is but smart. Playing board games is a great thing the entire family can do when the weather suddenly turns sour. Don’t let the rain cut the fun and don’t give in to an expensive cinema ticket.

Watch and bond.
When the weather is not so summery and the family would rather stay home, that doesn’t mean everybody has to succumb to boredom. A good movie can cheer us up when the weather can’t. So why not go to the nearest rent-a-DVD store and rent some movies? Picking up couple of popcorn packs on your way home is also not a bad idea. Enjoy a movie time with the whole family while relaxing on your very own sofa.

We are on yard sale!
Summer is not just about spending. You can also make some extra bucks during this season. If you’re talented with baking or creating stuff you could sell then that’s great. Another way to earn money is doing a yard sale. If you have a lot of stuff you don’t use and want to get rid of, organize a yard sale and involve the whole family too. Teach your kids to earn money themselves and to let go of things they don’t really need anymore. In the end of this family activity, you don’t only earn money but you also get to see your basement or your storage room cleaner and more spacious.

These are just a few things you and your family could do this season. If you have better ideas, you are more than welcome to share them here.

Let us all enjoy this season.

Affordable Ways to Enjoy Summer with Your Family (Part 1)

Perhaps one of the utmost concerns of parents during the hot season is how they will make the entire summer a sure fun-filled stretch. Well, the good news is you need not spend hundreds of dollars to please your whole family. Here are the top fun ideas you can do for the summer which will cost you minimal amount if not for free.

Let’s go swimming!
Who would want a sun-kissed skin and a beautiful hot beach? These are definitely things the whole family can enjoy doing. Now, there’s no need to spend too much for this. You can choose to go to the nearest public pool. A lot of public pools only require a very minimal entrance fee and if you go there early, you and your family can enjoy a day swimming and sunbathing. If you live near a beach, you have luck but for those who don’t, why not drive to the nearest to your place? Your kids will definitely enjoy making sand castles and playing with the waves. Just make sure to keep an eye on them and never forget to bring the sunscreen.

Let’s barbecue!
Enjoy a summer day with the whole family in your own backyard with a delicious barbecue treat and while you and your husband are preparing the meal, let the garden sprinkler run. It’ll be fun for the kids to soak under the water droplets. This is a great activity for the whole family and it doesn’t cost a lot.

Let’s catch a fish.
There must be a lake, a river, or a pond near you where you can do this for free. Packing a picnic will make it double fun. All the members of the family can take turns catching a fish. All you need is a fishing rod and you’re good to go.

Let’s ride a bike.
It’s not only fun and cheap but it is also healthy to do this activity. Why not tune up those old bikes in your garage and let the whole family convoy to the nearest park. Or better yet, ride a bit further and find somewhere where everybody can share a refreshing drink.

Remember, having fun need not to be expensive.