Monday, May 30, 2011

Creative Fun


I don't spend alot of money or time entertaining my kids. We don't watch much TV either or have a video game system. We are too cheap for a big satellite package and I think too much TV warps your brain. As a result these kids get really creative with play. They were just dragging each other down the hall with a blanket having a great time. Earlier this morning Natalie got out the sewing machine and made some pants for one of the barbies. It was just something to do, but it was creative. See, not providing your child with every gadget and electronic toy not only saves money, but it is good for them. People at church always comment to me that they are amazed that these kids will just sit through church. I believe it is because we are not always entertaining them, so sitting for an hour of church is not a big deal. I will let the younger kids draw during the sermon, but they are still able to tell me what the message was and that is what church is all about!

Just Running to the Store is a bad idea



I ususally shop with coupons and a plan with a list. This week I was busy with the end of school and babysitting and a trip to the bigger city with coupons and a list just wasn't going to happen. Yesterday we were running low on the basics and we needed some fire ant killer, so I went to the Wal-mart in our small town. Big mistake! I spend $75 bucks and don't feel like I got much of anything. I did use some coupons, but Wal-mart does not double, so you don't get the same bang for your buck. Oh well, live and learn. This summer my sister and I are going to do one big shopping trip a week by ourselves. I just can't shop with the kids if I have to think even if they are this cute getting ready for church. This should help our budget stay in line.



On the home front it is Memorial Day and Steven is working, so we are heading to grandma's this afternoon to cook out and swim in their pool. We are bringing baked beans and potato salad, my parents are cooking hamburgers and hotdogs, and my sister is bringing dessert! It should be fun.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Clothing a teenager

One thing that I get asked is how do I keep these kids in clothes, especially a almost teenage girl who wants to wear the name brands to school? Well, my little secret is that we have friends that give us bunches of clothes. I am talking clothes that have barely been worn and are the name brands that my girls want. We take anything that someone will give us, even if we don't think we can use them. I then go through them and pass them on if we can't use them. I store clothes that are not our size right now in rubbermaid totes in the attic and we just look through those first before we buy anything. I do usually end up buying pant because me kids are slim and shoes, but not much else.

Do you coupon?





I thought some of you might like to see my coupon binder. I just upgraded to a 3 inch binder to hold all of my coupons. I am not one of those crazy people on TV who clear the shelves and buy 200 tubes of toothpaste, but I do use coupons on a regular basis to keep my grocery bill low.






I do like to buy alot of fresh fruit and veggies and there are not usually coupons for those items. I also rarely see coupons for meat, milk or staple items such as flour and sugar, so I usually look for sales on those items and stock up when the prices are low. I do however use coupons for most of our other items that we buy. Things like yogurt and snack items are often on sale and have great coupons with them. I buy most of our paper products, laundry detergent, and toiletries with coupons. I also find great coupons for sports drinks and sodas. I buy item with coupons that we would not be able to buy with our small grocery budget and that makes my kids very happy!