9 Strategies to Save on Groceries
Filed under: Buying Habits, Family Management, Frugal/Simplified Living, Saving Money
With gas prices at an all time high, are you searching for ways to reduce your spending in other areas? In our household, we’ve renewed our interest in using coupons and for added savings we target double-coupon days. Here I’ve offered 7 ways to save money on household groceries.
1. Cut coupons – Each Sunday I look forward to receiving the newspaper, where we receive upwards of 100 coupons in our Sunday newspaper.
2. Download coupons off the internet – Check out www.coolsavings.com or www.couponcart.com for great on-line deals on your favorite items.
3. Join frequent buyer clubs at your local grocers – These no-cost programs offer club members on select products. In my last grocery trip I saved $15 as a member of my local grocer’s club and another $10 in clipped coupons.
4. Join a local warehouse club – Locally we have a Costco and Sam’s Club, as well as a Super Target and Super Walmart, where I have found significant savings over our name brand supermarkets. The wholesale clubs can save you 20
5. Purchase generic brands and/or store brands – I have often compared store brands to name brands and find that there is rarely a difference between the two. In fact, like many other products we purchase (i.e., electronics, appliances), the same manufacturer that makes the name brand often manufactures the generic product.
6. Purchase fresh products instead of processed/packaged products – It’s no surprise that fresh unprocessed foods are healthier for us, but these foods not only save in calories, but are also less expensive than packaged and processed foods.
7. Prepare a List – when you go to the store with a plan, you are less likely 
to succumb to impulse purchases. Check out the ‘All Out Of’ shopping list notepad that allows you to create your grocery list as you deplete household items. It has a magnet on the back so you can affix it to your frig.
8. Shop your supermarket’s weekly specials – Each week we receive our local supermarket’s brochure of advertised specials, which often include two for one sales. These circulars will also advertise double-coupon days. During double-coupon days and two for one specials, I’ve taken the opportunity to stock up on often used staples.
9. Choose products on the top and bottom shelves – It is no accident that higher priced products appear at eye-level on our grocery shelves. These are often the smaller sizes of a product, which typically have a higher per unit cost.
Originally posted 2008-08-24 09:24:48. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Decrease Childhood Obesity With Household Chores
Filed under: Healthy Habits, Organize My Kids, Organized caregiver
In the past 20 years, childhood obesity has tripled in teenagers and doubled in younger children. While these statistics may be alarming and cause for concern for parents, they also don’t have to be a permanent reality. Incorporating household chores into a child’s daily routine has many benefits, two of which are contributing to your child’s overall health and to your child’s sense of self-sufficiency and confidence. Unfortunately, however, it was recently reported in the Wall Street Journal that the amount of time children spend doing chores has declined 12% since 1997 and 25% since 1981.
The fact is that children’s lives are much different than they were even a decade ago. Today’s children spend on average four hours per day watching TV, that was foreign to children a generation ago. Did you know that children who spend more than two hours per day in front of a screen (TV or computer) are more likely to have an unhealthy diet and are less likely to participate in physical activity? When you factor in homework time, hygiene and meals, there’s no time left for children to participate in beneficial activities like physical activity, time spent with family or in positive contributions to the good of the family.
With the rise in suburban sprawl and city living, children no longer benefit from physical activity when the space required to engage in the activities doesn’t exist. Sprawling metropolises and the conveniences within them make it harder for children to remain active in or around their homes. The simple acts of walking to school, riding a bike, or building a fort, once common activities for children, don’t factor into the modern child’s life. The absence of these activities contribute to the problem of childhood obesity, especially when one considers that it was once common for children to spend all day playing outside and contributing to the maintenance of the family property.
Children who choose to spend their extra few minutes of recreational time watching television and playing video games are at greater risk for developing a weight problem, since the minutes add up and eventually turn into hours toward a sedentary lifestyle.
Given the lifestyle changes of US children, parents must take steps to add opportunities for activity into their children’s daily lives. Simple steps can be taken to prevent and combat childhood obesity. Like many other things, it starts from within the home. In addition to changing children’s eating habits and attitudes towards physical activity, parents should incorporate vigorous exercise into their children’s daily lives in the form of chores. The benefits of requiring children to do chores doesn’t end with a clean house or even a newfound sense of responsibility – chores can also improve children’s health by keeping them fit, lean and less susceptible to medical complications associated with childhood obesity, including childhood diabetes and pre-diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, bone disorders, gastro-intestinal diseases, high cholesterol, hyperlipidemia, premature puberty and psychological problems. Keeping active by participating in household chores during childhood can also reduce a child’s risk of becoming an overweight adult and worsening pre-existing conditions.
It’s clear that scheduling household chores as part of a child’s regular routine is not only an investment in an orderly home and a well-adjusted child, but also an investment in a healthy body that can serve them well into adulthood and beyond. Children deserve every bit of a head start that parents can afford them. Contributing to a healthy lifestyle by requiring chore work is only one of the many ways that parents can condition their children, both mentally and physically, in preparation to live full, adult lives.
Originally posted 2008-10-03 06:51:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Five Strategies to Reduce Book Clutter
Filed under: Healthy Habits, Home Organization, Organizing Products & Reviews
One of the toughest types of clutter to control is books. Books enrich our 
lives – they provide enjoyment, humor, an escape to other worlds and they educate – just to name a few of the benefits. We build entire rooms in our home as a shrine to our books and shelves from floor to ceiling are often dedicated to store our book collection. That’s why I said in the first sentence that book clutter is one of the most difficult habits to break.
We become attached our book collections and derive pride from a large and varied collection. So how can coveting books be a bad thing?
As the old adage says … too much of a good thing can quickly turn into a negative. And like any other possession, more of any possession that you aren’t using or enjoying regularly is clutter. Too often a book is purchased, put on a shelf and never touched again. Or the book is read, then put on a shelf to never be touched again. In either case, how is that book, now relegated to a book storage shelf, offering any function to your home or enjoyment to your life?
The downside to coveting books is that they take up a lot of space, they collect dust and moisture (that contributes to allergies), they can infiltrate every room and flat surface of your home, and they deprive us of open space for the possessions and activities that we use and do daily.
In my old life I wished for floor to ceiling book shelves in my living room that had vaulted ceilings, with a rolling ladder that I could climb to the top and get any one of the hundreds of books that I envisioned filling the many shelves. In this era of simple living I now view books in a different way. Now I view the habit of accumulating books and storing them on bookshelves like any other old, useless possession that doesn’t enhance my life on a daily basis. When you look at it this way, aren’t bookshelves just storage spaces for unused items to collect dust. I no longer give into the urge to purchase books that in reality I know I won’t touch anytime in the near future. And on the many storage shelves where my books were once stored, I’ve purged and narrowed it down to only my favorites.
Here are five strategies for keeping book clutter under control:
1. Pass It On, or Swap for Titles You Want
When you’re finished reading a book, pass it on to a friend or make a trade for one of her books you’d like to read. This allows you and your friends to read many books without each of you having to purchase and keep each book in your home. Here’s a great site where you can swap your unwanted books for titles you want – all free. www.PaperBackSwap.com
2. Use Electronic Media (E-Readers)
To a professional organizer, E-Reader technology is the greatest thing since sliced bread. A few of the top brands are:
In my next post, I compare these four popular brands.
The e-Reader allows you to download thousands of book titles from sites like Amazon.com, as well as from free sites like Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg is particularly good if you are interested in reading the classics.
E-readers are great when traveling especially. I have heard from clients that they loaded five or more books on their hand-held e-Reader that would’ve taken up half their suitcase and weighed it down too much to carry.
3. Frequent the Library
Your local library is a great option for current titles that you borrow, read, and return. No lasting book clutter. Before buying a book, always check to see if it is available from your local library. Most libraries will let you put your name on a waiting list for popular titles and new releases. Try to delay gratification by renting the book and giving it back when you’re done, instead of buying the book and adding it to your book storage shelves.
4. Buy One, Remove One
As I always suggest to my clients, if you bring one in, let one go. Make a deal with yourself that if buy a new book, an older one has to go.
5. Use Audio Books
I love Audible.com. I love the selection and quality of their audio books. Project Gutenberg also has many audio books that can be used with an MP3 player.
With my busy schedule, I now prefer audio books, which allow me to “read” while doing other activities like exercising, weeding, driving, or housework. They provide another way for me to read without any clutter.
So the next time you consider buying a book at your local bookstore, or on-line consider if you truly have time to read the book in the near future, or will the new book be relegated to your book storage shelves to collect dust along with all the other books you had good intensions of reading.
Originally posted 2009-11-22 15:44:19. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Learning to Say No – Mom’s Secret Weapon
Filed under: Family Management, Healthy Habits, Home Organization, Time Management & Productivity
Are you suffering from mom burn out? Do you struggle just to make it through each day? Moms everywhere are 
breaking down because they are too chicken to say, “No”.
“No” may be a tiny, two-letter word, but it can be your secret weapon. And you can say it. Here are some ways you can say “no” without feeling guilty about it: “Sorry, I’m taking a break.” The number one reason why you should say “no” occasionally is simply that you deserve a break. You are chef, chauffeur, dish washer, and more. Your job never ends on any given day of the week. You deserve a break. If you feel bad for saying “no”, say, “Sorry, I’m taking a break”. My schedule is full. We tend to jam-pack our schedule full of activities, leaving no time to just rest. Here are some tips for freeing up some of your time in your schedule.
- Cut back on your kids activities
- Start a car pool and share driving responsibilities
- Do whatever you can to free up some time in your schedule. I don’t have time. You’re headed out the door, rushing to the next appointment when the telephone rings. What do you do? Do you come to a screeching halt and answer the phone? Let’s say you do, and it’s a family member, calling to dump their latest woes on you. Do you stand, tapping your foot impatiently while you roll your eyes and listen to the sob story? This is a typical scene for many moms. I have another commitment that day. Say it and mean it.
- Regularly schedule in time with your family or time alone and if someone ask for your help during that time look in your planner and tell them you have another commitment.
- Instead of rushing to be everything to everyone, stop. Ask yourself if you truly have time to add more commitments to your calendar? If not, say no by walking away, turning off the ringer on the phone, or not answering the knock at your door.
- Always remember that you are a mom – not a super hero.
When you have to say no, people will understand. If they don’t at first, they will when you consistently set these boundaries and stick to them.
Learning to say no will get easier the more you say it.
Originally posted 2010-01-31 13:41:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
When to Find the Best Deals from July through December
Back in April I wrote a post about the best time of year to buy to get the best deals on all kinds of products, from DVDs to automobiles. This is the second part of that post which picks up with the second half of the year from July to December.
July
Computers – July and August, or right after a new model is launched. Buying slightly older technology offers great savings opportunities.
Swimwear – As the swimming season draws to a close in July and August, you’ll find the best deals on tanks and bikinis.
Indoor furniture – With the year’s second round of new furniture about to hit stores in August, July is a great time to find discounts on current inventory.
August
Lawn mowers and outdoor furniture – stores start to make room for snow blowers by August.
Dehumidifiers - For the same reason that humidifiers go on sale in February, dehumidifiers go on sale in August.
Computers – see July for details
Swimwear – see July for details
September
Gas/charcoal grills – Fire up your credit card in September through November, when outdoor cooking heads toward hibernation in most areas of the country.
Automobiles – Most new model years start in September, so that’s when dealers are looking to clear their lots of the previous year’s inventory. November and December also can be good though selections may be slimmer.
Scrubs, Trees & Perinials – September is when stores want to empty their garden sections, but there’s still enough time to get plants established before the first freeze.
Digital Cameras – A second round of new models comes out this time of year, so current inventory is marked down to make room for new models.
October
Gas/charcoal grills – see September for details
Winter clothing – cold-weather gear goes back on sale when the weather’s just starting to turn.
November
Automobiles – see September for details.
Televisions – TVs are a staple of pre- and post-Christmas sales, so plan to buy during the winter months (coincidentially, the same time you’ll want to spend curled up on the couch in front of the flat-screen anyway)
Toys - Another area where you can save just when you need to – in time for the holidays.
December
Air conditioners – this one’s easy – buy during winter when demand is low.
Automobiles – consumers are focused on holiday gifts and demand is lower.
Televisions - see November for details
Toys – see November for details
Good Days to Buy
Tuesdays – DVDs. New releases come out every Tuesday, and many stores offer discounts if you buy a movie on the first day it hits video.
Wednesday mornings – Airline tickets. According to Consumer Reports, that’s when airlines try to fill unsold seats on flights for the following week to 10 days.
Holiday weekends- Appliances. This is when stores bring out their big sales. Even smaller holidays like Columbus Day and Presidents Day can be good time to buy, according to SmartMoney.com.
If you know of other best buying times for products to add to my list, I welcome your comments.
Originally posted 2009-06-11 11:00:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
16 Back-to-School Dinner Planning Tips
Filed under: Family Management, Healthy Habits, Meal Planning
Is school really just around the corner? You know what that means – early morning scrambles, after-school tizzies and ragged nerves at dinnertime.
It’s still possible to have pleasant family mealtimes even after school has begun. Check out these back-to-school dinner tips for busy Moms:
1. Have a meal plan.
The most important key to having relaxed family dinners even on school nights is having a meal plan. This will simplify both food shopping and meal preparation, and help you save money to boot.
If you need help, check out Dine Without Whine’s meal and grocery planning service.
2. Try freezer meals.
Cut down on cooking time by cooking large batches and then freezing them for future use. There are many books about freezer cooking from which to choose.
3. Simplify your schedule.
With school comes extracurricular activities that could have you running – or driving around – like a headless chicken. Keep things to a minimum. Overloading children with too many after-school activities is not good for them. They need downtime too.
4. Get the kids involved in cooking.
Get some help by mobilizing your own troops – your husband and children – as your kitchen helpers. Cooking is an important life skill and now it’s bonding time as well.
5. Have an emergency plan.
No matter how well you plan in advance, something always comes up. Plan for that as well. Always have emergency supplies in the pantry so you can throw together a home-cooked meal at a moment’s notice.
It could be a frozen dinner you prepared during the weekend. Mine is pasta, a can of tomato sauce and whatever vegetables are in the refrigerator.
6. Post your family schedule.
Keep a large calendar on the wall where you can see every family member’s schedule at a glance. It will also help you plan activities around your family dinner times.
7. Set a routine.
Decide on an earlier dinner time, bedtime and wake up time and start following them a few days before school officially begins. This way, everybody’s adjusted when the real thing comes.
8. Stay flexible.
Sometimes you just can’t afford disruptions to your meal times. An occasional missed family dinner is no big deal – when you know you’ll have more throughout the week.
9. Consider school schedules.
Take note of school events and other activities in your family calendar – so you can plan your family dinners with them in mind.
10. Cook once, eat twice.
Every so often, cook a double batch of meals that can easily be transformed into another entree or side dish. For example, roast 2 chickens. Have one for tonight’s dinner. Chop up the other for chicken salad for later in the week.
11. Organize your kitchen.
If you haven’t done so yet, now’s the time to take stock of your kitchen. Make sure the items you use most often are accessible from your food prep area. Replace the tools that are broken, and get those gadgets that will help you get dinner ready faster.
12. Have a special meal.
Make Friday night Teen’s night – which means they plan and prepare the meal. That is, if you have teens or any child old enough to prepare meals. They’ll learn how to cook, you get the night off (from cooking), and everybody has fun. The only condition is: everybody has to eat what’s prepared.
13. Make it educational.
This idea is for preschool-age kids. Make or buy a special placemat with letter or numbers. Laminate it with Con-Tact paper so it becomes a wipe-off board. Use it only for dinnertimes.
14. More mealtime learning opportunities.
Plan some meals to coincide with specific topics your child is studying in school. For example, on the night after a field trip to a pioneer town, have a pioneer-style meal.
15. Celebrate school successes at dinner.
Celebrate school successes with a special family meal. Prepare the child’s favorite meal and prepare a nice dessert. It’s more important to have a meal that’s relaxed and delicious, than one that tool hours to prepare.
16. Nurture school relationships.
Get to know your children’s closest school friends by inviting them to dinner once in a while.
Follow these tips to make family mealtimes simpler, easier and more fun. For meal planning and grocery shopping help, go to Dine Without Whine.
Your monthly subscription includes a weekly meal plan with recipes for main dishes, side dishes, 2 desserts and 2 brunches.
You’ll also get a weekly grocery shopping list of everything you need to create the recipes. The list is categorized according to grocery sections, so your shopping will be easier and faster.
. For a limited time, you can try Dine Without Whine for a penny. Click here to find out how.
Originally posted 2009-08-18 19:40:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Moms and organizers offer tips for all things back to school
Filed under: Clear the clutter, Family Management, Healthy Habits, Home Organization, Organize My Kids
(Article appearing in the BerksMont News, PA)
For parents who have been trying to keep their youngsters occupied all summer, September often replaces Christmas as “the most wonderful time of the year!” But for those parents who don’t like rigid schedules and helping with homework, it can also translate into a time of much family stress. Either way, back to school is a time of change. Professional organizers, a growing profession nationally and locally, are often called in to help families in times of transition.
As a professional organizer and a mother of three school-aged children, Debbie Lillard knows this transition all too well. Debbie Lillard started her organizing business, Space to Spare, in 2003.
She is an active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers Greater Philadelphia Chapter (www.NAPO-GPC.org) and has appeared on several episodes of HGTV’s Mission Organization. Debbie’s organizing tips have been featured in such magazines as Woman’s Day, Memory Makers and House & Home. Lillard recommends the following tips to get families ready for the busy back-to-school season:
1. Early to bed, early to rise. During summer months, children tend to stay up and sleep in later. To get them back into the routine of school schedules, put the routine in place as a dry run during the last week of summer. If everyone needs to be out of the house by 8:30 a.m. on a school day, make sure everyone has dressed, eaten and brushed their teeth by that time during your trial week.
2. Shop for school supplies at home first. Once you have the list of school supplies that your children need, take a look around your house first. Folders, crayons and even notebooks that are not full from the previous year can be used again. If the crayon box is broken, use a plastic container or Ziploc bag instead. Have the kids help you and make it a scavenger hunt! Check off what you have, then take the list to the store to purchase what you still need.
3. Create file folders. While you’re shopping for those school supplies, get an extra 2-pocket folder for each child. This can be used for holding any school information that you will refer to throughout the year (i.e. school calendar, absentee notes, teacher website info, handbooks, etc.). Label each folder with a child’s name and keep these in your home office for reference.
4. Visual reminders. Once you have all the information about your child’s special classes and extra-curricular activities, put them on a chart so that each day your child knows what is happening. Kids love pictures, so use stickers or computer clip art to make your chart visually appealing and colorful. Post the chart on the refrigerator or on a centrally-located bulletin board.
5. Designate a dumping ground. It’s been a few months, so even if you had a school routine you may have to review it with your kids. Physically show your children where you want them to put papers for you, homework, shoes, backpacks, and lunch boxes when they come home from school.
6. Clear out the old to make room for new. If you haven’t done so already, clear out your child’s backpack and their school papers from last year. Any special papers or artwork you want to save should be put in a scrapbook, a portfolio or a memory box. Designate one place where your child can put papers and reports throughout the upcoming year. This could be a drawer in their desk, a plastic storage bin in their room or a large art portfolio in their closet.
7. Layout the clothes. If clothing is an issue with your child, make sure they know what they are allowed to wear each day to school. If mom or dad says pants and a short sleeved shirt, then let the child choose which ones. In order to do this, make sure their clothes are accessible and simply organized in drawers or a closet.
8. Map out your activities on a family calendar. Back to school often means “back to busy,” so map it out by writing all activities on the calendar, even before your children commit to activities. Sometimes seeing it on paper helps you realize how much running around you will be doing!
9. Set up carpools. Make your life easier and save on gas and time by setting up carpools with your neighbors for school, sports and after-school activities.
10. Go through the routine with the entire family. Every family is different, so make a morning and nighttime routine that works for you. Involve as many family members as you can to spread the work of getting everyone out the door on time with everything they need. For example, if your kids are typically waiting for lunches in the morning, then pack them the night before or make it the first thing you do in the morning.
The Greater Philadelphia Chapter is part of the national nonprofit organization, NAPO, which has been active since 1985 and consists of more than 4,000 members throughout the United States and in eight other countries. For additional information or to find a professional organizer near you, visit the NAPO Web site at www.napo.org. Just click on “Find An Organizer.”
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I’m a NAPO member in Central Indiana and owner of Simplified Spaces Professional Organizing Solutions. I’m available to help you implement these and many more systems and strategies to clear the clutter and calm the chaos in your home and life. We also work with kids individually to help them establish organization, habits and routines for school and life success. Visit Simplified Spaces Professional Organizing Solutions for more info.
Originally posted 2010-08-28 11:23:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The Benefits Of Family Meal Planning
Filed under: Family Management, Great Deals, Healthy Habits, Meal Planning, Saving Money, Time Management & Productivity
Are you ready to save some time, feed your family healthier meals and save some money along the way? These are just some of the benefits of family meal planning. Let’s look at all of them in a little more detail.
Eat Healthier
Planning your family meals will cut down on your trips to your favorite fast food restaurant and the amount of pizza you have delivered to your door. Food you prepare at home tends to be much healthier than hamburgers with fries, fried chicken or pizza. When you plan your meals include some lean protein like chicken breast, as well as some salads and vegetables. Your entire family will benefit from the healthier meals.
Save Time
How much time are you spending now running to the grocery store a few times a week. I used to run to the store at least 3 times a week to buy something to fix for dinner. Planning your meals out for a week at a time and then putting together a grocery list with everything you need to cook those meals will cut your trips to the store down to one a week. This alone will save you a few hours each week. Plus you won’t be standing in front of your fridge and pantry every night trying to come up with something you can fix with what you have at hand.
Save Money
All that eating out and having food delivered can quickly add up. By preparing more meals at home you will save quite a few dollars each week. In addition, you will save on your monthly grocery bill, since you will be making a list of everything you need for the week and won’t end up buying extras that just go to waste. I used to throw out food almost every week before I started meal planning.
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Less Stress
You know the routine. It’s 6 pm, everyone in the family is starving and you have no idea what’s for dinner. Trying to come up with something to cook from what you have in the kitchen while your kids are tired, hungry and screaming isn’t one of the most fun family activities. You will be much more relaxed about dinner, when you know exactly what you are going to cook ahead of time and known you have everything you need in the house.
Quality Time Together
Meal Planning also encourages everyone to gather around the dinner table each day. Who could resist the delicious smells coming out of the kitchen? Dinnertime has always been a great time for families to gather and share news and experiences of the day. Parents and children can pay each other undivided attention. Cook some dinner, set the table and don’t forget to turn off the TV. Make dinner a daily family tradition again.
I encourage you to give family meal planning a try. I am sure you and your family will see the benefits within less than a week.
Christine Steendahl Is The Founder Of Dine Without Whine – A Family Friendly Weekly Menu Planner. Eliminate Your Dinner Hour Stress And Re-Discover The Pleasure Of The Dinner Hour!
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Originally posted 2011-01-27 22:37:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
