Taking a few minutes each week to plan a menu for the week will help you save money. It does for me. If I don't plan a menu I will tend to run out and grab take out for dinner, throw the kids in the car and eat out, or run to the grocery store and grab fresh meat (not frozen in my freezer at 5 pm) and other items that I may already have in my pantry for dinner, thus costing me more money than necessary.
We try to keep a budget in our house but usually our budget goes like this: spend until there is no more money in the checking account. This can make my body panic when we get close to the end of the month or a payday when we have no more money but several more days before we get paid.
In order to keep this panicked feeling from arising I menu plan. It is simple and if done consistently can really save you money.
The Method:
A pen and paper is needed so grab that first.
Make a quick chart with days of the week and the meals you will need to fix for your family. It can be as simple as just planning for dinners, or as complex as planning for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an afternoon snack or evening dessert (or both).
Fill in your chart with the meals you plan to fix.
Mine for this week looked similar to this:
Monday:
B: Cereal, fruit
L: PBJ Sandwiches, chips, grapes
D: Spaghetti
Tuesday:
B: Waffles
L: Buy lunch at school
D: Pizza, salad
Wednesday:
B: McDonalds Drive Thru
L: Turkey Roll-ups, crackers, applesauce
D: Hamburgers, fries, carrots and ranch dip
Thursday:
B: Eggs and Hashbrowns
L: Ham and salami sandwiches, chips, banana
D: Pork Chops, pasta, veggie, rolls
Friday:
B: Cereal, fruit
L: Buy lunch at school
D: Tacos, salsa and chips, rice
This was pretty general for our family as we typically also include in the menu a dessert a couple times a week and an afternoon snack when the kids get home.
I usually make the menu just prior to completing my grocery shopping list for the week. I scan the newspaper flyers for the local grocery store and create a menu using the foods on sale that week. I also include the kids in this process and ask them if they want to add any meals to the menu. With them helping me create the menu, they feel involved in the process. Then I add additional items from the menu to my shopping list so have all the ingredients to make the meals. I also check my pantry to make sure there is no overlap and add any other items I am lacking or low on from my pantry to my list.
Benefits of Menu Planning:
1. Kids are involved so they don't complain too much about what we are having for dinner. If they don't particularly want what we are having tonight they know that the meal that they requested is coming the next day or later in the week so they don't tend to complain too much.
2. I can save money by buying items that are on sale that week when I use the newspaper flyers when planning for the week. I can also add coupons I have as well.
3. The menu is posted so everyone know what we are eating for each meal.
4. I am not as stressed about planning the meals during the week because it is already done.
5. I am rarely without an ingredient for our meal becuase I planned prior to making my shopping list and included everything I needed on the list.
6. My pantry remains stocked and I rotate my food storage because I use it in my meal planning.
7. I don't panic in the afternoon when my kids say, "I am hungry!" about what I will be fixing for dinner. I know what I am fixing and thus no panic.
8. We don't eat out at often because of lack of planning or preparation for meals.
Then entire process of meal planning takes us about 15 to 20 minutes a week. The first time you do this you may find it can take up to an hour depending on how detailed you get. Some people only plan their dinners as their breakfasts are usually the same every day. Others like me, plan every meal. You may want to begin with one meal (like dinners) for a week and see how it goes for you.
Once we complete our menu it is written on our blackboard that is in our kitchen. We love this board because it is our "control center". Not only do we have our menu but we also have the kids' activities and schedules written on it along with emergency phone numbers and other information we use often. It is easy to glance on the board and see what is going on for each day.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
I am a lawn care "widow".
Ha Ha!! Seriously, my husband works in the lawn care business. He owns his own company and only has one employee so most of the work he does himself. This means two things:
1. My lawn looks yucky. Just like the addage, "the cobbler's family has no shoes", our addage is "our lawn looks bad because my husband makes your lawn look good".
2. We don't see much of him this time of year.
The mild winter in our neck of the woods has caused the lawn to begin growing and the weeds to spring up and therefore my husband is working harder than most years.
Where am I going with this? Well, all this means that I am pretty much on my own with the kids. We haven't sat down to dinner as a whole family in two weeks. We don't see much of dad and he isn't reliable to help with running the kids to their practices and games. He can't help with housework, homework, or planting my garden. He can't be called upon to get anything done and therefore, I am a widow, a single mom, all alone!
As much as I would like to end this post here with just a rant and rave, I won't and WILL tell you how we are dealing with it.
1. The kids were told up front by me that dad is too busy right now and that we need to leave him alone. I will do the best I can to help them with anything they need help on, including running them to where they need to go and getting them whatever they need. They understood this.
2. The kids were told that they need to be extra flexible with their demands. I am only one person and I will do my best but they also need to help me so I can help them. If I ask that one does a chore that they don't normally do they need to not complain. If I ask one of the older ones to help a younger one with homework because I can't they are to do it without argument. If I ask them all to go with me somewhere to run an errand they are to go without complaint or argument. AND if I ask one or more to stay home by themselves or watch a younger one while I run somewhere, they are to do so without complaint. Because while I am asking them to do something I am most likely working on something they have asked me.
3. I have had to keep extra clear the schedule of the day and not lolly-gag around or be late anywhere. I must be on time and leave on time to be able to make sure my schedule stays on track. I also have to be sure that everything is on the schedule otherwise I will surely miss something.
How this is affecting us?
1. We are managing but exhausted.
2. For a few minutes of alone time for me I find myself hiding in the bathroom. (not kidding)
3. The kids have done homework in places they normally don't. (ie, the car, the baseball fields, in a restaurant)
4. We miss dad. We miss family dinner time.
5. The house is a wreck, the garden hasn't been planted, and the grass still needs to be cut.
6. The kids and I will be going on vacation but Dad will most likely not join us. This will be our first big vacation without him and we will miss him lots.
When will this end?
Probably in a couple weeks when things start to settle down a bit. Dad is working on his schedule to not work so late in the night but he will still be working every day.
What does this have to do with being prepared?
Well for one, I am making more lists to make sure that we have everything we need when we leave the house. I can't forget stuff. I have to rely on myself for everything and you know what? I can do it. I am also finding out what is important and what is not and learning to prioritize better. The house doesn't need to be clean and neither does that baseball uniform for every single game. He can wear it one more time before I wash it. I am planning better and not waiting til the last minute to get organized.
And two, I am so glad that I have my food storage. I haven't been able to really grocery shop for a couple weeks and I am glad that we have easy to prepare meals right in my pantry. I love that I can go get the items I need and that I have them, and make dinner from that.
Are there any times of the year that you become a "widow" or "widower"???
1. My lawn looks yucky. Just like the addage, "the cobbler's family has no shoes", our addage is "our lawn looks bad because my husband makes your lawn look good".
2. We don't see much of him this time of year.
The mild winter in our neck of the woods has caused the lawn to begin growing and the weeds to spring up and therefore my husband is working harder than most years.
Where am I going with this? Well, all this means that I am pretty much on my own with the kids. We haven't sat down to dinner as a whole family in two weeks. We don't see much of dad and he isn't reliable to help with running the kids to their practices and games. He can't help with housework, homework, or planting my garden. He can't be called upon to get anything done and therefore, I am a widow, a single mom, all alone!
As much as I would like to end this post here with just a rant and rave, I won't and WILL tell you how we are dealing with it.
1. The kids were told up front by me that dad is too busy right now and that we need to leave him alone. I will do the best I can to help them with anything they need help on, including running them to where they need to go and getting them whatever they need. They understood this.
2. The kids were told that they need to be extra flexible with their demands. I am only one person and I will do my best but they also need to help me so I can help them. If I ask that one does a chore that they don't normally do they need to not complain. If I ask one of the older ones to help a younger one with homework because I can't they are to do it without argument. If I ask them all to go with me somewhere to run an errand they are to go without complaint or argument. AND if I ask one or more to stay home by themselves or watch a younger one while I run somewhere, they are to do so without complaint. Because while I am asking them to do something I am most likely working on something they have asked me.
3. I have had to keep extra clear the schedule of the day and not lolly-gag around or be late anywhere. I must be on time and leave on time to be able to make sure my schedule stays on track. I also have to be sure that everything is on the schedule otherwise I will surely miss something.
How this is affecting us?
1. We are managing but exhausted.
2. For a few minutes of alone time for me I find myself hiding in the bathroom. (not kidding)
3. The kids have done homework in places they normally don't. (ie, the car, the baseball fields, in a restaurant)
4. We miss dad. We miss family dinner time.
5. The house is a wreck, the garden hasn't been planted, and the grass still needs to be cut.
6. The kids and I will be going on vacation but Dad will most likely not join us. This will be our first big vacation without him and we will miss him lots.
When will this end?
Probably in a couple weeks when things start to settle down a bit. Dad is working on his schedule to not work so late in the night but he will still be working every day.
What does this have to do with being prepared?
Well for one, I am making more lists to make sure that we have everything we need when we leave the house. I can't forget stuff. I have to rely on myself for everything and you know what? I can do it. I am also finding out what is important and what is not and learning to prioritize better. The house doesn't need to be clean and neither does that baseball uniform for every single game. He can wear it one more time before I wash it. I am planning better and not waiting til the last minute to get organized.
And two, I am so glad that I have my food storage. I haven't been able to really grocery shop for a couple weeks and I am glad that we have easy to prepare meals right in my pantry. I love that I can go get the items I need and that I have them, and make dinner from that.
Are there any times of the year that you become a "widow" or "widower"???
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Being Prepared - Baseball Mom Style
I am gearing up for a season of baseball and softball with my kids. Two of them play, one boy one girl. I was just adding practices and games, etc. to my calendar and I noticed that I will be spending many hours at the fields as they have practices and games back to back or close together where it isn't worth the time to go home and come back to the fields again. This is where I begin to think, "okay, how do I start to prepare to stay at the fields for hours on end and keep another child entertained while the others are playing?".
Here are a few things I have done in the past that help.
1. a good first aid kit with head-ache medicine, bandaids, chapstick, and sun screen. Bactine, gauze pads, and ice packs.
2. a bag of entertaining items for the children who are not playing to include, DS games, cartridges, car charger, books to read, coloring books and other activities.
3. A good pair of sun glasses for me and a hat for each person in the family.
4. Entertainment for me. I find that I tend to do a lot of crochet and knitting while at the fields.
5. A good camp chair with sturdy legs. (Those bleachers are no fun to sit on)
6. Dollar bills. Nothing says yum like something from the snack bar, particularly hot chocolate on those cold days. :)
7. Cooler with snacks, drinks and water bottles for everyone not just the players. I have a great igloo cooler that is a bit taller than a soda can and it can fit a six pack of sodas in it with an ice pack. It is the perfect size for a few drinks and a couple snacks.
8. Several blankets to stay in the car. I have lap size fleece blankets and we love them at the fields because they are smallish but unfold to cover your legs and arms. We use these almost every game in the first half of the season when it is so cold sitting out there for two hours a game.
9. Extra gloves. Just the knit kind are perfect and I leave them in the bag too so we have them.
10. An umbrella. Self explanitory.... hee hee.
Most of these items I leave in the car and I have a large-ish bag that I put most of the blankets, gloves, etc in so we aren't lugging pieces parts around. We just leave the bag in the car with the chairs. I fill the cooler daily and make sure I have a variety of salty and sweet snacks to cure any craving. I also leave the first aid kit in the car too. The ball fields have a first aid kit if we need it but I just like to have one just in case. My kids also have a wonderful habit of not telling anyone they were injured until we get back to the car and then tell me and show me all their scrapes and bruises.
What to you all do to prepare "mom style" for sports seasons?
Here are a few things I have done in the past that help.
1. a good first aid kit with head-ache medicine, bandaids, chapstick, and sun screen. Bactine, gauze pads, and ice packs.
2. a bag of entertaining items for the children who are not playing to include, DS games, cartridges, car charger, books to read, coloring books and other activities.
3. A good pair of sun glasses for me and a hat for each person in the family.
4. Entertainment for me. I find that I tend to do a lot of crochet and knitting while at the fields.
5. A good camp chair with sturdy legs. (Those bleachers are no fun to sit on)
6. Dollar bills. Nothing says yum like something from the snack bar, particularly hot chocolate on those cold days. :)
7. Cooler with snacks, drinks and water bottles for everyone not just the players. I have a great igloo cooler that is a bit taller than a soda can and it can fit a six pack of sodas in it with an ice pack. It is the perfect size for a few drinks and a couple snacks.
8. Several blankets to stay in the car. I have lap size fleece blankets and we love them at the fields because they are smallish but unfold to cover your legs and arms. We use these almost every game in the first half of the season when it is so cold sitting out there for two hours a game.
9. Extra gloves. Just the knit kind are perfect and I leave them in the bag too so we have them.
10. An umbrella. Self explanitory.... hee hee.
Most of these items I leave in the car and I have a large-ish bag that I put most of the blankets, gloves, etc in so we aren't lugging pieces parts around. We just leave the bag in the car with the chairs. I fill the cooler daily and make sure I have a variety of salty and sweet snacks to cure any craving. I also leave the first aid kit in the car too. The ball fields have a first aid kit if we need it but I just like to have one just in case. My kids also have a wonderful habit of not telling anyone they were injured until we get back to the car and then tell me and show me all their scrapes and bruises.
What to you all do to prepare "mom style" for sports seasons?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Wyoming takes things seriously!
I was just forwarded this link from a friend who thought I might be interested in reading it. AND I WAS!!! Thank you so much for showing this to me.
How awesome is Wyoming right now??? They have passed in their House a bill to create a task force to research and plan for catastrophies from simple storms to food shortages, to full on economic and governmental collapse. It passed on the first reading by voice vote which shows that they are all for this measure.
Here is the article for you to see.
http://m.trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/wyoming-house-advances-doomsday-bill/article_af6e1b2b-0ca4-553f-85e9-92c0f58c00bd.html
How awesome is Wyoming right now??? They have passed in their House a bill to create a task force to research and plan for catastrophies from simple storms to food shortages, to full on economic and governmental collapse. It passed on the first reading by voice vote which shows that they are all for this measure.
Here is the article for you to see.
http://m.trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/wyoming-house-advances-doomsday-bill/article_af6e1b2b-0ca4-553f-85e9-92c0f58c00bd.html
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Prepping for a Snow Storm
In prepping for a snow storm, particularly this one which will begin as rain and then change over to snow, I want to make sure that we are prepared for a power outage as well. Power outages in the winter are a bit different than in the summer because in the winter we rely mainly on the electricity to run our furnace. Without power we have no heat. We have two alternative sources of heat in our house. One is a propane fireplace in our living room which does a pretty good job of heating the living room dining room and kitchen. The second is our good ole trusty wood burning fireplace. It is located on the basement level of our home and is in our family room. If power goes out for a long time we can sleep down in the family room by the fireplace.
Also thinking ahead, because it will be chilly if the power goes out we will most likely want warm meals to keep us warm on the inside. We can cook by grill but we also have a Coleman Camp Stove that will serve us well if we need to cook. Baking and other cooking can be done in our travel trailer using the generator.
This morning I took a quick look at my pantry to make sure that I had food that we could heat and eat easily if we have a power outage. I also made sure we had other 'winter standards' like hot chocolate and marshmallows. I had everything I needed and I knew that already. We have had some warning about this storm and a couple days ago I went out and purchased an extra dozen eggs, some bread (for french toast) and another gallon of milk. We had everything else we needed already so it wasn't a big trip.
Later tonight I will gather the snow boots, hats, gloves, and scarves, the snow pants, and winter parkas so we have them all together for play tomorrow and Monday.
My Winter Storm Checklist:
- Food that is easy to heat and eat. (plus the snowy essentials like hot chocolate, marshmallows and other winter foods you enjoy when it is snowing)
- Alternative heating and cooking
- Batteries, flashlights, lanterns, etc. in case of power outage
- Check batteries in weather radio
- Stack wood on porch and cover
- Put snow shovel on porch near door
- Gather and sort winter clothing like gloves, hats, coats, scarves, and boots.
- Wash dishes/clothing in case power does go out.
The one thing I absolutely hate is to have to go out in the car and purchase something in the snow before the roads have been cleared. We may not get this snow but if we do, I will be ready. If not, then it was a good practice for when we do have a storm.
**image from Freefoto.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
When danger is in the area....
The other night I took my girls to a Walmart in an area of town that is not very safe. It was early in the evening and I figured that we would be fine. I had my alerts up and was very aware of my surroundings. I did everything right, keeping my hand on my purse in the store, keeping my kids with me and close. I scanned my environment for anything unusual. We shopped and I had my girls keep their hands on the cart while we walked out to our car. I put my girls in the car first and then put the bags in the car. It was as we were getting in the car that we realized that I had a flat tire. Well it wasn't flat flat but it was super super low. I climbed in and one of my girls said to me, "well, what are you going to do?". I had some options:
This got me thinking a bit. So often we try to prepare for the emergencies by having what we need with us or being able to handle the situation as it stands but we don't often think about the fact that we can often leave the situation and get out of the area. For me the panic wasn't the flat tire but it was the unsafe area we were in. We had already seen some "characters" in the Walmart so we knew what was around. I had all the equipment I needed and the skills to change the flat tire myself. For me though the real situation was the place where we were. I needed to get us out of there. The tire would be fine but if I were to try to change the tire myself someone might want to come and "help" me and they may not like taking a "no thanks" for an answer. They may also have wanted to take advantage of the situation for something not so good. My best option was to leave, slowly and safely with me and the girls locked in the car and to get the car and the very low tire to a gas station in a safer area for either air or repair.
The evening turned out fine in the end. I got the tire filled with air and my gas tank filled too.
We can often learn so much from these "little" situations if we just stop and think about them. Always keep the option to just leave if you can as an option to consider in those type of situations.
- get out and change the tire.
- call for back up help either from my husband or from someone else.
- drive out of there to a safer place.
This got me thinking a bit. So often we try to prepare for the emergencies by having what we need with us or being able to handle the situation as it stands but we don't often think about the fact that we can often leave the situation and get out of the area. For me the panic wasn't the flat tire but it was the unsafe area we were in. We had already seen some "characters" in the Walmart so we knew what was around. I had all the equipment I needed and the skills to change the flat tire myself. For me though the real situation was the place where we were. I needed to get us out of there. The tire would be fine but if I were to try to change the tire myself someone might want to come and "help" me and they may not like taking a "no thanks" for an answer. They may also have wanted to take advantage of the situation for something not so good. My best option was to leave, slowly and safely with me and the girls locked in the car and to get the car and the very low tire to a gas station in a safer area for either air or repair.
The evening turned out fine in the end. I got the tire filled with air and my gas tank filled too.
We can often learn so much from these "little" situations if we just stop and think about them. Always keep the option to just leave if you can as an option to consider in those type of situations.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Chicken Noodle Soup Warms My Soul
There is something soothing to the soul in chicken noodle soup. I truly believe it has wonderful healing properties. There is enough warm mild broth, enough protein, enough hardy vegetables, and enough carbohydrates to be healthy, filling and soul warming. It is one meal that my kids and husband go back for seconds almost every time.
You can make this healthy comfort food from your food storage too.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
1 can mixed vegetables (drained)
1 tbs olive oil
1 can chicken
2 quarts of chicken broth (or chicken boulion with 2 quarts water)
1/3 lb linguini noodles (broken into 1 inch pieces)
Mix all together, cook to boiling, boil for 10-12 minutes or until noodles are cooked.
See how easy that is! Now you can doctor it up and add some spices or other left over vegetables, maybe a potato.
This is how I make it fresh.
Ingredients:
3-4 stalks celery (diced)
1 onion (diced)
3-4 carrots (diced)
1 lb chicken, cooked, chopped (I use left over chicken usually)
1/3 lb linguini, broken into 1 inch pieces
2-3 quarts of chicken broth (either from cans or boullion)
1 TBS olive oil
In a large stock pot heat oil and add vegetables. Stir and cook until partly soft. Add chicken broth, chicken and bring to a boil. Add noodles and boil for 10-12 minutes until noodles are done. Serve with warm bread or crackers.
You can make this healthy comfort food from your food storage too.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
1 can mixed vegetables (drained)
1 tbs olive oil
1 can chicken
2 quarts of chicken broth (or chicken boulion with 2 quarts water)
1/3 lb linguini noodles (broken into 1 inch pieces)
Mix all together, cook to boiling, boil for 10-12 minutes or until noodles are cooked.
See how easy that is! Now you can doctor it up and add some spices or other left over vegetables, maybe a potato.
This is how I make it fresh.
Ingredients:
3-4 stalks celery (diced)
1 onion (diced)
3-4 carrots (diced)
1 lb chicken, cooked, chopped (I use left over chicken usually)
1/3 lb linguini, broken into 1 inch pieces
2-3 quarts of chicken broth (either from cans or boullion)
1 TBS olive oil
In a large stock pot heat oil and add vegetables. Stir and cook until partly soft. Add chicken broth, chicken and bring to a boil. Add noodles and boil for 10-12 minutes until noodles are done. Serve with warm bread or crackers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)