Recently I saw on Facebook a cute cartoon showing a Mom in bed watching a movie. The house was a wreck, the kids were running amuck and the dog, well let's just say he needed a walk that he didn't get. The husband comes home from work and sees the absolute chaotic state of the house and frantically searches for his wife. When he finds her he asks if she is sick. Does she need to go to the doctor. Her reply? "You know how you always come home and ask what I did all day? Well, today I didn't"
It may lose something in translation but how many times has a husband (including my ex) thought that a stay at home Mom does nothing but watch soap operas and eat bon bons all day?
An article in Forbes magazine quoted the site salary.com in saying that if a stay at home Mom got PAID for everything she does, she would make about $115,000 dollars a year!!! And this article didn't even include being the family nurse/doctor. In this economy, how many full time workers are earning that much? As an officer in the United States Navy, having served 24 years, my ex didn't make that much!!
Stay at home Moms need to be appreciated for just how much they actually contribute to the household and the family.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2011/05/02/why-stay-at-home-moms-should-earn-a-115000-salary/
Living life together. Helping others help themselves by sharing tips and advice from personal experience. 
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Save more money in 2013
I don't usually "do" New Year's Resolutions. This year is different. 2012 had so many ups and downs, I felt like I had purchased a never ending "E ticket" at Disneyland. Does ANYBODY remember the "E tickets"? I know, that makes me old but some of my fondest memories are of my Dad tearing an E ticket from the book of tickets and handing it to me just moments before we got on a ride. Being old enough and tall enough to use an E ticket was a big deal and being at Disneyland with my Dad was a magical time.
Anyway, sorry for the nostalgiac moment. I actually hadn't thought about those times in a while. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go look through some old photo albums. I'll be right back.
OK, I'm ready now. So the main thing I want to do in 2013 is to save money. If you read my post about breaking my leg, then you know I don't currently have health insurance. It's not that I'm not trying to get insurance because I AM. I've either been denied or can't afford it so I'm still shopping. In the meantime, I have a huge mountain of medical bills I have to budget for on top of my current monthly living expenses. I am on a very tight budget and limited income so every penny has to be accounted for and stretched to it's max.
I'm guessing that some of you are on tight budgets also, so I want to share with you some money saving ideas that will help all of us have a better financial year in 2013 than we did in 2012.
Let's start with saving money on food. Depending on the size of your family, this can be a huge part of your budget.
Buy what's in season and on sale. If you love a certain fresh produce that you can't find in the "off season", learn how to can or freeze properly. That way you can have it all year long and you saved money by buying it when it was at it's lowest price. This rule applies to non perishables too.
Summer is the best time to buy anything and everything "picnicy". Ketchup, mustard, paper plates, plastic utencils, hamburgers, hotdogs, buns for both, charcoal, a BBQ gril, etc...
Winter, specifically November and December, all of your baking supplies go on sale. Check expiration dates on canned goods like condensed milk, evaporated milk, pumpkin, other pie fillings. Why do we only eat pumpkin pie twice a year? I make pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin "whip" all year long. Buy 2 turkeys in November and put one in the "big" freezer for smoked turkey in the summer in that new smoker you bought for Thanksgiving. Same with ham.
I usually buy holiday items the day AFTER the holiday when it's on clearance and stash it away for next year or a fun treat in the middle of the year. Red Christmas cookie sprinkles can be used in February for Valentine's cookies or on your child's birthday cake.
As long as you store things properly, there's no reason you can't buy them now when they're on sale and use them later in the year.
Use coupons. Buy it when it's on sale AND when you have a coupon. Doing it this way, doubles your savings so you can buy more than one. Take your coupon to the store that doubles or triples your coupon. Look online for your store's coupon policy. At some stores you can only buy 1 of a particular item with a coupon. Don't load your basket only to find out that most of your coupons can't be used on the same order or on the same day.
If you can't find a coupon for an item you buy on a regular basis, email the company and ask for a coupon. For example, bananas. The ONLY time I've seen a coupon for bananas is when my friend emailed for one. Don't be afraid to ask. The worst that can happen is they say "no" or just ignore you. LOL!
Plan out your shopping trip. Take a little bit of time on the weekend or in the evening and read the sale papers, check your coupons and store card discounts. Then write down a plan. You may have to go to 3 different stores to get the best prices but it will save you a lot of money that way. And now-a-days, stores are within blocks of each other so you're not spending that much more in gas.
Bring a cooler with reusable ice packs for the cold stuff and keeping frozen goods together will help keep them from defrosting too much.
Double the recipe. It doesn't take much to double a recipe. Freeze or can the second batch to save time and money later in the month. If you know that you have dinner that can be reheated at home, you're less likely to stop at the drive-thru after work or after the kids' soccer practice. Leftovers should be divided into individual serving sizes, in reusable, microwave safe containers for lunch the next day or an after school snack.
Stretch the meat. I am definitely a "meat-atarian" as my nephew used to say. LOL! I can't believe how much meat costs these days!! And I've read that the price of beef is going to go through the roof due to droughts in the cattle ranching states. So, trying to make every bite, penny and pound go as far as possible, here's a few things I do.
Add Quinoa. Technically it's a seed but it's in the grain family so you're also getting your extra serving of whole grains. Cook the quinoa separately and add to whatever meat dish you're making. Quinoa has very little flavor on it's own so it won't change the flavor of your dish. Plus it's very filling so you can serve smaller portions which will stretch your recipe and your money.
Adding grated potato is another way to make your pound of meat go further. For me personally, I only add potato to a recipe that has strong flavors like Mexican or Italian but watch out for the added carbs.
Next time, we'll look at how to save money on clothing for the entire family.
Happy shopping AND saving
Auntie
askauntieann@gmail.com
Anyway, sorry for the nostalgiac moment. I actually hadn't thought about those times in a while. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go look through some old photo albums. I'll be right back.
OK, I'm ready now. So the main thing I want to do in 2013 is to save money. If you read my post about breaking my leg, then you know I don't currently have health insurance. It's not that I'm not trying to get insurance because I AM. I've either been denied or can't afford it so I'm still shopping. In the meantime, I have a huge mountain of medical bills I have to budget for on top of my current monthly living expenses. I am on a very tight budget and limited income so every penny has to be accounted for and stretched to it's max.
I'm guessing that some of you are on tight budgets also, so I want to share with you some money saving ideas that will help all of us have a better financial year in 2013 than we did in 2012.
Let's start with saving money on food. Depending on the size of your family, this can be a huge part of your budget.
Buy what's in season and on sale. If you love a certain fresh produce that you can't find in the "off season", learn how to can or freeze properly. That way you can have it all year long and you saved money by buying it when it was at it's lowest price. This rule applies to non perishables too.
Summer is the best time to buy anything and everything "picnicy". Ketchup, mustard, paper plates, plastic utencils, hamburgers, hotdogs, buns for both, charcoal, a BBQ gril, etc...
Winter, specifically November and December, all of your baking supplies go on sale. Check expiration dates on canned goods like condensed milk, evaporated milk, pumpkin, other pie fillings. Why do we only eat pumpkin pie twice a year? I make pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin "whip" all year long. Buy 2 turkeys in November and put one in the "big" freezer for smoked turkey in the summer in that new smoker you bought for Thanksgiving. Same with ham.
I usually buy holiday items the day AFTER the holiday when it's on clearance and stash it away for next year or a fun treat in the middle of the year. Red Christmas cookie sprinkles can be used in February for Valentine's cookies or on your child's birthday cake.
As long as you store things properly, there's no reason you can't buy them now when they're on sale and use them later in the year.
Use coupons. Buy it when it's on sale AND when you have a coupon. Doing it this way, doubles your savings so you can buy more than one. Take your coupon to the store that doubles or triples your coupon. Look online for your store's coupon policy. At some stores you can only buy 1 of a particular item with a coupon. Don't load your basket only to find out that most of your coupons can't be used on the same order or on the same day.
If you can't find a coupon for an item you buy on a regular basis, email the company and ask for a coupon. For example, bananas. The ONLY time I've seen a coupon for bananas is when my friend emailed for one. Don't be afraid to ask. The worst that can happen is they say "no" or just ignore you. LOL!
Plan out your shopping trip. Take a little bit of time on the weekend or in the evening and read the sale papers, check your coupons and store card discounts. Then write down a plan. You may have to go to 3 different stores to get the best prices but it will save you a lot of money that way. And now-a-days, stores are within blocks of each other so you're not spending that much more in gas.
Bring a cooler with reusable ice packs for the cold stuff and keeping frozen goods together will help keep them from defrosting too much.
Double the recipe. It doesn't take much to double a recipe. Freeze or can the second batch to save time and money later in the month. If you know that you have dinner that can be reheated at home, you're less likely to stop at the drive-thru after work or after the kids' soccer practice. Leftovers should be divided into individual serving sizes, in reusable, microwave safe containers for lunch the next day or an after school snack.
Stretch the meat. I am definitely a "meat-atarian" as my nephew used to say. LOL! I can't believe how much meat costs these days!! And I've read that the price of beef is going to go through the roof due to droughts in the cattle ranching states. So, trying to make every bite, penny and pound go as far as possible, here's a few things I do.
Add Quinoa. Technically it's a seed but it's in the grain family so you're also getting your extra serving of whole grains. Cook the quinoa separately and add to whatever meat dish you're making. Quinoa has very little flavor on it's own so it won't change the flavor of your dish. Plus it's very filling so you can serve smaller portions which will stretch your recipe and your money.
Adding grated potato is another way to make your pound of meat go further. For me personally, I only add potato to a recipe that has strong flavors like Mexican or Italian but watch out for the added carbs.
Next time, we'll look at how to save money on clothing for the entire family.
Happy shopping AND saving
Auntie
askauntieann@gmail.com
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