My
dear friend Patti is a "Pro" at pinching pennies.
With
her family of 6 she HAS to be!!
So
I have asked her to share some of her
expertise
with other HS Mom's.
Put
the coffee on and enjoy!
Saving
Money on our Food Bill
"Make
it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your
own
business and to work with your hands, just as we
told
you, so that your daily life may win the respect
of
outsiders and so that you will not be dependent
on
anybody" Thessalonians 4:11-12
As a homeschooling
mom, the first question you should ask yourself should be: “How can
we live on less money?” not “How can we make more money?”
Making more money isn’t always the best answer. It seems as soon as you
make ends meet, the economy moves the other end!
Scaling back, using less of everything and making due have been my personal
goals for years. Living on one income as opposed to the society’s
normal two income rat-race is truly a calling from our God.
"By
wisdom a house is built,
and
through understanding
it
is established;
through
knowledge it's rooms are filled with rare and beautiful trasures"
Proverbs
24:3-4
Saving money is
a job I do in order to stay at home and educate my children. I don’t see
being frugal as a punishment but as a privilege. My Heavenly Father has
given me the tools to not only stay home with my babies , but to keep my
babies home with me!
The
first and actually easiest way to save money is your family’s food bill.
Bulk
buying, scratch cooking,menu making, and bargain shopping are all strategies
all of us can apply to everyday life. The hardest part [believe me]
is not spending less on your food bill but actually SAVING
the money you didn’t spend on food. Put the money you don’t spend at your
grocery store in a special savings account and watch your savings grow!
Some of us need the immediate funds somewhere else as opposed to the savings
account. If that’s the case, by all means use the saved money [from your
grocery bill] in the areas you need it...back taxes, past utilities, home
and car repairs...just try to save as soon as you can. A savings account
,as allusive as that may seem will be an important step in saving even
more money later on. We all need cash funds available so we can take advantage
of money saving opportunities. these might include a sewing machine or
a freezer.
"But if we have
food and clothing, we will be content with that"
I Timothy 6:8
Small
Steps To Saving On Your Family’s Food Bill.
1.Break
your name brand habit. This strategy alone can save you up to 40% the
first time you shop! No kidding! 2.Keep
track of food prices every where. Some experts suggest keeping a food
prices dairy. This is a great idea. You need to know when to buy because
prices are at the lowest and when to wait because the same type of product
can be bought for less somewhere else.
3.Don’t
shop for everything at the same store.
Very few of us actually live so far out into the country that we only have
one choice in where we shop. We need to comparison shop every week for
the best bargains on the foods our families eat most.
4.Re-think
Meat. First, let me point out, I have a family of carnavores! My husband
and kids love meat. Scaling back here was difficult, but I managed to save
$ here by following these simple steps. A.)
look for the cheapest price and then buy as much as you can store in the
freezer. B.)Choose
less expensive cuts of meat.[i.e. chicken quarters vs.. chicken breast
or round steak vs.. porterhouse] C.)
collect recipes. Your family will be less likely to say “Hamburger
again?” if you present something other than meat loaf three
times a week. [look here each month for new cheap recipes to feed your
tribe!]
5.Forget
cereal! Even the store brands of cereal cost too much! I have
found once you make the step towards a “CEREAL FREE” environment your kids
will actually enjoy breakfast more. My three oldest children can
all make a few different morning meals and not depend on a cold bowl of
cereal if mom sleeps in!
6.Bake
ahead or have a old fashioned baking day.The
kids will beg less for those expensive Oreo’s if you have yummy homemade
cookies waiting on the counter! Spend one morning a week [in homeshool]
baking muffins, cookies, breads and other family favorites; then freeze.
My older kids can measure, level, mix and bake with supervision. This is
so good for them! They work together for the good of the family, learning
math and life skills, having fun with each other. This is the essence of
homeschool.
7.Start
a pantry. Not every home has a traditional pantry area. but most of
us have wasted space where we can store our bulk purchases. My girls are
used to having cases of 16oz. peanut butter under their beds! Be
willing to go to new frontiers of storage!
8.Waste
not, want not. This old saying still holds true. If cooking with left
overs isn’t easy for you try to double your recipe then freeze half.
This will actually produce less left-overs and give you an extra meal ready
for one of those really busy nights!
All of these tips
are easy, common sense type stuff that you can use as
a springboard
to saving your own way.
*
Can you garden?
Can you barter?
*
Ask yourself “How
can I feed us for less?”
Finally, PRAY.
Asks God to help you be a wise steward of
his many blessings;
thank him for talents that enable you to save and
honor your husband’s
money making efforts.
We are the keepers
of our husband’s home, caring for his
children and seeing
to his needs.
This is one of
the many roles our Lord has blessed us with.
"Her
husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She
brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life" Proverbs 31:11-12
God bless your homemaking efforts.
Great Books
To Read:
The
Tightwad Gazette I, II and III by Amy Dacyczyn.
Your
Money Or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
Email
Patti