August 21st, 2009
Welcome to part 3 in this 3-part back to school planning series. OK, so you’ve done a little due diligence, you’ve made a plan, you’ve shopped the sales, and now your kids are all ready for school, right? Maybe.
 Odds are, while your kids may be a little bit excited about seeing their friends again, they may have the blues about giving up their summer freedom and settling back into a routine. The good news is, you can help beat the back to school blues with these easy ideas.
Beat the Blues Strategy #1: Back to School Bash
Why not plan an event to celebrate back to school? Invite your kids’ favorite friends and their parents and let everyone enjoy catching up from the summer before school is back in session. You could call it the “Goodbye Summer” party, make it a movie night, or even get out of town for a quick weekend before the family routine changes and time grows thin again.
Ongoing Family Fun
Why not set aside some time for family during the first few weekends after school session resumes? You can grab a projector rental from Projector123.com for just $99 a weekend and hold video game wars, watch family flicks, or showcase a family vacation slideshow from summer. Use your imagination and have fun with it — it has less to do with WHAT you do, and more to do with being together during a time of transition.
Kids’ Choice
Like any change in routine, going back to school can be stressful on kids, so why not give them a little more freedom during this transition time? Offer “kids’ choice” options — for anything from weekend family activities to dinner choices, which movies to watch, or even which family game to play. Kids love to feel included and to have their opinions valued.
Got more ideas for beating the Back to School blues? Write us or post a comment here, we’d love to hear from you.
August 19th, 2009
In Part 1, we talked about creating a powerful strategy (the Plan of Attack) for beating the Back to School blues…in this post, we’ll explore how to save money by hitting the Back to School sales.
PART 2: Shop the Sales.
Back to school sales are ideal ways to get what you need at a reasonable price — but only if you stick to your plan. Walking into a huge sale without a plan is a lot like grocery shopping when you’re hungry — you’re likely to buy things that look good right now, but then you get home and realize you don’t have any real meals you can pull together.
The same is true for clothing — without a bit of wardrobe planning, you’ll end up with a bunch of pieces that you might like individually, but you can’t pull together enough great oufits with them. Once you’ve got your plan, hit the sales and stick to your budget. Start by purchasing the necessities on the list BEFORE you address any impulse buys.
Another essential tip is to start early — and DO NOT SETTLE. It doesn’t matter if the item is $2, or an amazing color, or the perfect fit. If your child doesn’t like it, he/she won’t wear it, so it’s not a good find. Keep looking and hold out for a perfect match. Starting early (when the sales start, ideally) allows you the best possible selection and keeps you from settling because you are rushed or running out of time.
Sticking to your budget also allows you the space for some must-have (unplanned) items that your kids are sure to ask for. And because every parent loves the ability to leverage, this offers another great opportunity to do just that. The back to school shopping experience may also provide a great opportunity to talk to your kids about money, value, budgets, and proper planning. You can get your kids ready for school and pass on a little of your parental wisdom at the same time. (Have you noticed that kids tend to listen a bit more when they know you’re buying them something?)
Planning and shopping with your child is a great way to connect as a family, have fun, and ensure that your child will actually be happy with their back to school wardrobe. And isn’t a little planning now worth all that in the long run?
Join us in the next installment for part 3 of Back to School: Beat the Blues
August 17th, 2009
Depending on where you are in the world, you may already be thinking about getting the kids ready to go back to school. But with this state of the economy, planning may be more important than ever for this time of year.
How can you get your kids all that they need for the new school year without breaking the bank? Here’s part 1 of our 3-part series.
PART 1: Plan Your Attack.
Each year, back-to-school sales seem to start earlier and earlier, but one thing is for sure: the sales cannot be beat. Sure, you can save money by shopping the sales — but without a clear plan, you could wind up spending more! To avoid going overboard, take a walk through your children’s closets before you hit the mall. See what clothing & accessory items are in good condition and still fit for this year, and make a list of what essentials are needed.
For smaller children, fashion doesn’t change as rapidly as it does for older kids and adults, so many items can be used as hand-me-downs or repeat seasons. Older children may be able to create fresh looks with existing basic components (like jeans, jackets, etc.) simply by adding new accessories such as hats, jewelry or scarves.
Taking a few minutes to create a wardrobe strategy will keep you from buying more than you need — and more than you can use (for example, 3 pairs of black jeans is not nearly as versatile as 1 pair of black jeans, 1 pair of dark jeans, and 1 pair of chinos).
Some school supplies may still be fully functional for this year, while others will most definitely require replacement. Having a very clear list will keep you within your spending budget while ensuring that you get everything your children need. And starting your list NOW will help you keep your eyes peeled for those essential items — at the best possible price.
Stay tuned for part 2 of Back to School: Shop the Sales
August 10th, 2009
We recently ran across this great article from Lorie on busymommy.us and wanted to share it with you. (You can see the full article by clicking here.)
My kids love pizza and love to watch movies, so why not do both in one night? This summer my kids made a list of fun things they wanted to do this summer and Pizza and a Movie night was one of those. I really like to do these nights because it’s a time for my family to spend together doing something fun. We usually get our movie from the Redbox, which cost $1.00, but we have also gotten movies from the library for FREE. I don’t cost the count of the pizza because I make it homemade and we would have had dinner anyways. So, I think this is a pretty frugal summer activity.
Here are the recipes that I used to make our pizza, pizza sauce cheesy breadticks, and Monkey Munch (our movie snack):
Pizza Hut Style Pizza Dough or Cheesy Breadsticks
* 1 1/3 cups water
* 2 tsp sugar
* 1 1/4 tsp salt
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 2 Tbsp cornmeal
* 3 1/4 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp onion powder
* 1 1/2 tsp yeast
Add ingredients to bread machine, according to manufacturer’s settings, and run dough setting. After the machine beeps, roll out the dough. You can roll the dough into two 9×13″ pizzas (great for kid’s lunches!) or into two medium pizzas or a large pizza and an order of breadsticks (as instructed above). Parbake the crust with a drizzle of olive oil on it at 450 degrees for ten minutes. Remove the crust and add sauce and toppings. If making breadsticks, add your breadsticks at this time. Place into the oven for another ten to fifteen minutes or until golden and bubbly. Enjoy!
You can freeze your pizza dough for an easier night.
Easy Pizza Sauce
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 2 cloves garlic
* 3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
* 4 teaspoons dried onion flakes
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 2 cups water
Combine tomato paste, garlic, parsley flakes, onion, oregano, basil and water in 2 quart saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Cool a little and spread on your pizza crust and proceed with remainder of your toppings.
Makes 3 cups
You can freeze this pizza sauce easily.
Monkey Munch
* 9 cup Chex
* 1 cup chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Put cereal in large bowl. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over Chex cereal, put into a large plastic bag with powdered sugar and shake well to coat.Spread mixture evenly on wax paper and allow to cool.
This does not last long at my house!
We will be doing this several more times this summer. I hope you get to plan a Pizza and a Movie night for your family this summer.
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And if you want to upgrade your movie night, why not nab a high quality DVD projector rental from Projector123.com? We’ve got a $99 weekend rate that gives you 4 days of movie and gaming fun — place a projector rental order to get started.
July 29th, 2009
In Part 1 of this series, we talked about changing your mindset around free/fun stuff and then doing your research to see what exciting activities are lurking in and around your own town. In this installment, we’ll explore more ways to find fun and interesting low-cost family activities.
1. Go back to basics.
Think about the things YOU enjoyed doing when you were a young child. Odds are, most of the activities were either free or practically free — and your kids will like to do the same things, too. Whether it’s making a collage out of macaroni, using letters cut from magazine clippings to create a “ransom note” style letter for a friend, or going on a nature walk, often the simplest, most basic activities are the most entertaining. Simple art projects and craft activities teach your children to settle down and focus for extended periods of time. Creating word and letter projects allows children to use the right and left hemispheres of their brain, stimulating creativity and focus. Even games as simple as “I Spy” and the “Alphabet Game” (where you take turns coming up with words that start with each sequential letter of the alphabet) can keep kids and adults entertained for hours.
2. Go for a drive.
 Sure, the price of gas is currently fluctuating (and always increases during the summer months) but how often do we hop in the car without a plan? There’s a great wide world out there, just waiting to be discovered, and sometimes the best way to find something new is to pile the family into the car and drive around unfamiliar territory. Who knows? You might discover a new park or playground, a new family restaurant, or a new entertainment venue that you never knew existed. Don’t be afraid to get out and explore together — it teaches your kids to step out of their comfort zone and explore the world. (Exercise common sense and good safety precautions, of course)
Stay tuned for more installments of money-saving family fun — and be sure to post your suggestions and comments, we love hearing from you.
July 27th, 2009
If you’re looking for ways to plan a fun-filled season with your family — without breaking the bank — then this post is for you. With a little planning and forethought, you can create fun ways to enjoy the rest of summer — and to keep the good times rolling all throughout the year.
1. Rethink your idea of “free” and “low-cost”
Unfortunately, many people believe you “get what you pay for” but this isn’t always true. After all, haven’t you had the experience at some point in your life where you’ve paid far more than something was worth? Then surely the opposite must be true — sometimes you really can get more value than cost. Begin by realizing that you really can get great value from something that is either free or low-cost. Shifting your mindset in this way opens you up to find low-cost opportunities for fun that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
2. Do your homework
Hop online and see what’s available in your area. Even if you’ve lived in the same area your whole life, odds are you haven’t “been there, done that” with EVERYTHING of interest. Try these searches on Google (or your favorite web browser) for inspiration and new ideas:
[name of your town] + “day trips”
[name of your town] + “free family fun”
[name of your town] + “discount coupons”
[name of your town] + “events calendar”
[name of a nearby ] + “affordable family fun”
You can also try combining the name of a nearby town with all of the above.
If you prefer to do your research in person (rather than over the web), visit your local tourist information office (even smaller towns tend to have one of these — and rarely do local residents take advantage of it!) Additionally, visit your local chamber of commerce, your local library, and a hotel in town (to check out their “brochure wall” — which many times, offers coupons and other types of discounts).
That should keep you busy between now and part 2 of this post. Enjoy!
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