$50 Groceries for the Week

I realize that planning budget meals for a family takes extra time, but it really pays off! With a little extra effort, I am able to spend between $40-60/week on groceries for my family of three.

Here is how I did it this week:

3 bulk bags of cerael ($1.99/bag - buy two get one free)

1/2 gallon milk

1 Brick of cheddar cheese

1 pound of Ground beef

6 Chicken Breasts

2 Sweet Potatoes

3 Hearts of Romaine Lettuce

2 Cucumbers

2 Tomatoes

6 Bananas

1 Loaf Wheat Bread

1 Package of Red Skinned Potatoes

1 Package of pretzel rods

1 Green Pepper

1 Cannister of Oatmeal

1 Package of frozen stir fry veggies

2 Sizzler Steaks

1 Package Bowtie Pasta

Meals for the Week:

Breakfast

Each morning my family eats cerael or oatmeal with fresh fruit.

Lunch

Each day, we pack our lunches to take to work. PB&J, grilled chicken with salad, or leftovers. Add some pretzel rods and we are good to go!

Dinner

Monday

Chili - only thing I added from my cupboard was a jar of tomatoes, tomatoe paste, beef broth, and some spices.

Tuesday (Our eating light night)

Grilled chicken with salad

Wednesday

Chili (Leftovers)

Thursday

Chicken Stir Fry

Friday

Steaks and salad with red skinned potatoes

Saturday

Chicken Paninis with sliced red skinned potatoe fries

Sunday

Pasta! Again, from the cupboard added jar of tomatoes, tomatoe paste, and spices for tomatoe sauce.

Barter!

I stumbled across an article in 'Parents' magazine this weekend about bartering. Many parents would love to have their children involved in all sorts of fun activities, but it can be challenging to fit pricey karate, dance, or piano lessons into the budget. Perhaps you could work out an exchange of services instead. One mom in the magazine cleans her son's karate studio on weekends and answers phones for them one evening/week while her son is in class. Not a bad idea! What can you barter?

Money Saving Girl!

Check out Money Saving Girl! http://moneysavinggirl.blogspot.com for some great tips/tricks on how to sock away some extra cash.

Many of us are looking for ways to save a little extra money here and there. I have already limited eating out, stopped my Starbuck's habit, etc. So what is left? Some ideas that I have and/or tried are...

1. Cancelling cable television - I personally tried this one! My husband and I decided that summertime was better spent taking walks, reading, and finding more creative ways to pass time than sitting in front of the TV. We still watch a movie from time to time, but not having to pay the $65 cable bill each month has been nice! When we do decide to bring TV back into our home, I think we might opt for the basic cable package.

2. Living with one cell phone. Could your family live with one cell phone? Many of us are quick to answer with a loud NO! But, really...if you needed the cash, could you feasibly do it? Most likely, most of us could get by with one cell phone per household.

3. Eliminating a car. Could you or your spouse carpool/take public transportation to and from work? If the answer is yes, you might want to consider selling that 2nd or 3rd vehicle. With the cost of fuel, insurance, maintenance, and repairs...getting rid of a vehicle can really add up!

4. Coupon Clipping! One of my favorites! CouponMom.com is a great site for finding coupons on items that most of us purchase. I save on average $10-20/trip to the grocery store!

5. Eat with your budget in mind. By packing your own lunch each day, only eating out on special occassions, and even planning 1-2 budget friendly meals to eat at home/week can really add up! Each week, my husband and I have two budget meals. We eat pasta, eggs/toast, or other things that costs just a few dollars to make. No, it is not always fun...but it is one way that impacts our budget in a very good way.

6. Shop the sales. I know this sounds simple, but not many of us actually do it. Personally, I hit up the outlet mall on Memorial/Labor Day. Banana Republic has all I need and more and usually at an additional 40-60% off during holiday weekends!

7. Barter. Having my cosmetology license is a nice thing when it comes to bartering. By offering a haircut in exchange for a mani/pedi, I am able to still get in my pampering without having to shell out the cash! What can you offer? Another idea is to start a sitter exchange in your neighborhood. Babysitters are expensive! By offering to care for a neighbor's children in exchange for a date night yourself, you can get away and keep it budget friendly.

8. Travel on a budget. When going on vacation, it is nice to splurge. However, your pocketbook can take a real hit by eating out every meal with a family. When you get to your destination, buy a disposable cooler or utitlize the hotel's refrigerator by visiting the local grocery store. By making breakfast/lunch and only going out to dinner you can enjoy a nice vacation and keep some money in your pocket!

If you have any more money saving ideas, e-mail them to me at PlymouthMommy@gmail.com

Here comes the calligraphy...

Hey gals! So, it has been a VERY long time since I have posted. Apologies! Anyhow, I have lots of new ideas and am ready to share!

Calligraphy is a wonderful art and one that most anyone with time and practice can master. One way to turn this craft into dollars is to lend your hand to wedding invitations. Most brides pay $1.50 per invitation (and that is on the more reasonable end) to have them hand addressed in beautiful script. With the average wedding guest list at 150-200 guests, that is easily $225-$300! Beautiful thing about this money making idea...you can do it almost anywhere. Pack up your pens, ink, and invites...and enjoy a nice day in the park or enjoy a movie with the family while you address away.

Say cheese!

Have a knack for taking interesting/fun pictures? Well, get out there and hang a shingle! Many moms are looking for more affordable ways to capture their little ones on film without paying an arm and a leg. By charging a modest "sitting fee," you could earn some extra cash for doing something that you love!

The Big "O"

Do you L-O-V-E to organize? I know this sounds crazy to those of you that don't, but there are a select few of us that live to turn that messy "junk drawer" into useable space! When I was younger, I used to organize closets and drawers for fun. It didn't occur to me that this would be a service that people would be willing to pay for until college. I took an all day seminar on professional organizing and learned some great tips/tricks for organizing different areas of the home/office and also how to market myself. I worked for a few small businesses looking for more efficient ways to organize their workspaces and also for some private clients in their homes. Going rate for professional organizing: $20-25/hour. Not bad for doing something that you like to do!

Another way to share your love of organizing is to teach a class through your local community center. Charging $20-25/person would allow you to make some spending money and give your "students" some great ideas to bring home. Contact the proper organization in your city for guidelines on how to organize this.

Keep in mind...professional organizing is not a "cleaning" service. Most clients simply want a consultation for ideas. The goal is to create useable spaces that are easily maintained. Market your services on Craigslist, in local home improvement stores, and via word of mouth. A great marketing tool is creating a flyer with "before" and "after" photos. This service can be performed anytime! Perfect for a mom on the go!

Craft Inc.

Are you an avid knitter, jewelry maker, or seamstress? Do you spend your evenings/weekends scrapbooking? If so, you might want to think about what your favorite hobbies might fetch in the marketplace. Sites like http://www.etsy.com/ were created for people like you, who love to craft and are willing to sell their wares online. Check out local boutiques and craft stores...many of them have small areas for you to sell your goods as well. Church bizarres and school craft fairs are great places to set up shop too!

Some ideas that have been successful are:

- Knitting - socks, hats, scarves, baby blankets
- Hand-made Halloween costumes for children
- Jewelry making of all kinds!
- Altering gowns for brides/bridesmaids
- Dollhouses, children's toy boxes, bird houses...etc.
- Scrapbooking baby books/vacation albums