The first day of school can be exciting, frightening, liberating, sad, and all of the above. And that’s just for the parents. 🙂 Imagine how the kids feel. (more…)
I’ve said it before, teachers are the unsung heroes of life. They teach our kids to be smart and good people, they bandage their boo boos and wipe their noses. Well, depending on the age of your kids. 🙂 And they spend hundreds of dollars of their own hard-earned money on classroom supplies.
That’s why they need all the help they can get from parents.
Each year on your school supply list you probably see a section at the bottom of the page for suggested items that are helpful to donate on top of what you’re getting for your student.
So I went right to the teachers to find out what they really need.. and what they would rather you not spend your money on.
And I’ll include one free thing you can give teachers that’s more important than everything else combined. (more…)
“For crying out loud, how many pencils could a kid possibly use?” I find myself exasperated, asking questions like this every year around this time. Back to school supply shopping time. And the answer is a lot.
It takes a lot of supplies to prime kids for learning. But the good news is school supplies are relatively inexpensive. Just think about 50 cent folders and 99 cent notebooks. If you snag prices like that, it can be manageable. (more…)
Do you want to eat healthier and buy more organic food, but you’re not sure what to get or if you’ll like it? That’s me. I know organic food is better for me and my family. But I also live on a budget and absolutely hate to throw out food (and money). So I love sampling products first to make sure we’ll like them.
That’s why I’m super excited about this month’s Daily Goodie Box because it’s jam-packed full of all-natural, organic goodies that I can’t wait to try. (more…)
Buying new clothes for back to school can be daunting.. emotionally and financially. Especially when you need to build a whole new uniform wardrobe from scratch.. for two kids. That’s where I was last year when we moved to Florida. I was initially anti-uniform, mostly because of the money. But I grew to love it.
Not only are there social benefits, there are also money saving benefits. Yes, there is the initial expense of starting the wardrobe. But after I tackled that, I bought very few other types of clothes for my kids for a whole year. And if you know where to look, school uniform pieces can be affordable.
I’ll cover how to get started, how to save the most money and I’ll list the current deals at the most popular and trusted stores. (more…)
“Yay, it’s almost time to go back to school!”.. said no kid ever.. but said EVERY parent.
It seems like summer vacation has gone by so quick, even when it’s only two months long. But believe it or not, it’s about time to put the kids back on the bus. And that means lots of prepping for parents. (more…)
As summer wears on into the second month, I’m looking to rev up our daily schedule a bit. Despite my good intentions there’s been way too much screen time. So I’m pretty much just dragging them out the door and figuring something out along the way. My goal is to leave the house in the morning and not return until late afternoon.
As someone who grew up on a farm in the country and played in the woods all day until I was called in for dinner, it seems funny to me that this is even a struggle. But, there you have it.
Here are some totally free ways I try to get my kids out of the house and promote family bonding.. this summer and year ’round. (more…)
I’m a frugal mom, obvi. But there are some things I will happily pay for, even if it’s not cheap, if I think it’s a good value or it’s important for my family. Here are a few family activities I believe are a great value.
I asked her several times if she was sure she wanted to do it. I’m sorry to say I even tried to talk her out of it. And she not only said she wanted to every time I asked, she said ‘of course’ she did, as if not doing it was the silliest concept she’d ever heard.
So race day came and we stood at the starting line about to set off on a 5K that would take us across a 34-hundred foot long bridge over a river, down two more miles of highway, then back over the bridge. In 90 degree heat. In July. In the subtropics.
As the starting horn sounded she took off like a bullet, stopping to take a break only after making it up the 55 foot incline and down the other side to the one mile marker. We walked off and on through the next two miles but my 6-year-old’s spirit never skipped a beat. (more…)
If you’re really looking to cut spending, you can do it. But it may take a real, hard, honest look at what you’re spending your money on.
Some of these suggestions are no-brainers. Some are a little harder. And some might make you mad that I’m even suggesting them.
But maybe you’ll find a few ways to save a little money.. and help your health and the planet in the process. (more…)
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