Search Results for: blog meal planning for savings

Sneaky Thanksgiving Savings

If you want to get real savings for Thanksgiving, you will have to think outside of the box. Try the following sneaky ways to save on all of your Thanksgiving needs. Travel It certainly won’t be cheap to fly out to see family this Thanksgiving, but you can make it cheaper by choosing a flight that leaves on Thanksgiving morning, instead of one that leaves a day or two before. Expect a savings of $50 to $100 per ticket. Another way to save on Thanksgiving travel is to fly out of an alternative airport. Sometimes a short drive of 20 … Continue reading →

Self-Rationing for Savings

Being frugal still means living the good life. But did you know that a little self-rationing could bring you greater rewards? We can learn a lot from previous generations. To them, rationing food and other goods wasn’t a hardship, just a way of life. They carefully considered what was available and how to make it last. They grew or purchased food in season, or only when it was available inexpensively. In our day and age, we are blessed with a wealth of easy to access goods. If I want an organic tomato in the middle of winter, I can get … Continue reading →

How I Saved Money By Meal Planning

As I mentioned in the previous article, I have spent the greater part of this year utilizing meal planning to help stay more organized and save some extra cash. I was able to show you yesterday, that I did indeed begin saving money after practicing meal planning. And here is how I did it each month, what it included and my own brief review of each month. Month 1: $543 (average out to about $18/day in food) This was when I realized we obviously had a huge problem with food spending. I knew we had a large family, but there … Continue reading →

Year End Savings in January

Many people think once the year is over, and December is gone that the sales and savings stop. This is simply not true. Most stores are in a massive inventory reduction mode to get rid of all the old product. This is not exclusive to discount chains. Most stores in the mall, and retail chains are also getting rid of their 2007 merchandise. The New Year brings new orders, new inventory and a major store clearance event. It doesn’t take much to find them either. Often you will see a huge red or yellow banner hanging on the outside of … Continue reading →

Can Meal or Menu Planning Really Save You Money?

At great lengths we have discussed menu planning, and how it saves both time and money when you stick to a plan and a shopping list. I recently had a chance to see it in action, so I thought I would show you the difference. Being the bold gal I am, I agreed to go grocery shopping with a friend who has a family of five, and I was going to do my weeks shopping for our family of seven. Yes, we had eight children in tow, and it was definitely interesting and mom was a bit stressed out by … Continue reading →

How Being a Stay-at-Home Parent Saves Money

Are you a stay-at-home parent or want to be? Good news! While you may not be earning and income, chances are you are saving a ton of money. Here is how. Child Care Fees Let us start with the obvious, child care fees. If you aren’t staying home with your children, you will probably need to pay for child care. The cost of child care can be high, sometimes wiping out any income you are gaining by working. Obviously this depends on your position and income level, but it is the first expense you should allow for in your budget. … Continue reading →

Vacation Budgeting

Can you afford to get in one more family trip during the upcoming Labor Day weekend? According to AAA, 33 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home during the holiday weekend, despite the fact gas prices are hovering near the $4 mark. Clearly, budgeting for gas is a huge factor for families looking to hit the road on a final summer fling, but it isn’t the only financial element to consider. Crunching numbers can provide a major reality check when it comes to vacation planning. However, by doing the math before you leave home, you can … Continue reading →

Where Will You Spending Memorial Day?

If you are like the majority of Americans, you will be waking up in your own bed on Memorial Day… or on your relative’s couch. According to a new survey, most families won’t be traveling too far from home during the holiday weekend, and of those taking to the skies, rails or highways, less than 40 percent plan to spend the night in hotels, motels or inns. Respondents to Atmosphere Research Group’s online poll say they plan to stay with family or friends rather than forking over money to sleep at a hotel. Others say they plan to stay at … Continue reading →

Summer Disney World Deals

It may only just be April, and around here at least our weather finally started feeling spring-like again after some unseasonably warm temperatures, but it’s time to start thinking about summer. At least, it’s time to focus on summer if you’re thinking about planning a Walt Disney World trip for your upcoming vacation. The special offers on Disneyland’s website still pertain to their spring deals, but Disney World has started looking ahead to the warmer months. Today I’ll focus exclusively on the Disney World deals, and I’ll return to Disneyland in the future when their special offers site is updated. … Continue reading →

Making LIfe Easier

Life can be overwhelming sometimes, especially when you are raising children alone. There is so much to do and never enough hours in the day. On top of that, it’s just hard to remember everything you need to do. In the course of raising my girl I found a few things that were indispensable if I wanted to keep some type of order in my life.. I could tell the difference when I used them and when my life seemed more insane than usual I would realize that I had stopped following my own guidelines. Here is what helped me. … Continue reading →