I know that a lot of my readers are homeschoolers or are interested in how we homeschool, so I thought that I would share something fun that we are doing.
This week is Dr Seuss Week. Dr Seuss was born on March 2nd. So we are doing a bunch of fun things related to Dr Seuss. We are reading some of our favorite Dr Seuss books - The Cat in the Hat, Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Green Eggs and Ham - and doing coloring sheets and crafts and other fun things related to the books.
I will be taking pictures and will share with you guys at the end of the week.
Today we are doing The Cat in the Hat. We read the story, colored his hat, did a "spelling test" with "at" words, are going to do coloring sheets, and are going to play tic-tac-toe with cats and hats.
Other fun things we are going to do:
Hop on Pop - coloring sheet and hop on daddy
Fox in Socks - coloring sheet and tic-tac-toe with foxes and socks
Grinch - coloring sheet, door hanger, Grinch mask, and make ornaments for a tree
Green Eggs and Ham - coloring sheet, tic-tac-toe with eggs and ham, and attempt to make green eggs and ham
I love homeschooling!!!
Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
What It's Really All About
I know that a lot of my posts are about cleaning, organizing, couponing, and household management, but that is just a small part of my homemaking.
My biggest goal of homemaking isn't to have the cleanest or most organized home, to save the most money, or to keep everything perfect, it's
CREATING A HOME THAT IS FULL OF LOVE, HAPPINESS, AND AWESOME MEMORIES.
I pray that when my children grow up they will look back on their childhood and remember all the awesome things we did on a daily basis as well as on specific holidays to make great memories. I try to keep my home clean and organized so that when we want to have fun events we can. I try to save money with couponing and other methods so that we have money to do fun things like vacations or spoil them on their birthdays and holidays.
One of my favorite holidays is Valentine's Day. I don't think of it as just a greeting card holiday or a time meant for lovers to have romantic time. I think of it as a special day to focus on how much we love each other: moms and dads, parents and kids, grandparents, friends, etc.
Here are our Valentine's Day traditions:
1) Luke (and the other children down the road) gets a Valentine bag or basket filled with fun little dollar items (candy, toys, pencils, cute little knick knacks).
2) We make homemade Valentine cards and other projects. This year Luke made cards for his cousins and friends and we put his handprints on paper and he wrote Happy Valentine's Day 2001 Love, Luke on them.
3) We make homemade heart-shaped sugar cookies and decorate them.
4) We have heart-shaped pancakes or waffles for breakfast and any other heart-shaped foods we can during the day.
What are your Valentine's Day traditions? Other holiday/birthday traditions?
My biggest goal of homemaking isn't to have the cleanest or most organized home, to save the most money, or to keep everything perfect, it's
CREATING A HOME THAT IS FULL OF LOVE, HAPPINESS, AND AWESOME MEMORIES.
I pray that when my children grow up they will look back on their childhood and remember all the awesome things we did on a daily basis as well as on specific holidays to make great memories. I try to keep my home clean and organized so that when we want to have fun events we can. I try to save money with couponing and other methods so that we have money to do fun things like vacations or spoil them on their birthdays and holidays.
One of my favorite holidays is Valentine's Day. I don't think of it as just a greeting card holiday or a time meant for lovers to have romantic time. I think of it as a special day to focus on how much we love each other: moms and dads, parents and kids, grandparents, friends, etc.
Here are our Valentine's Day traditions:
1) Luke (and the other children down the road) gets a Valentine bag or basket filled with fun little dollar items (candy, toys, pencils, cute little knick knacks).
2) We make homemade Valentine cards and other projects. This year Luke made cards for his cousins and friends and we put his handprints on paper and he wrote Happy Valentine's Day 2001 Love, Luke on them.
3) We make homemade heart-shaped sugar cookies and decorate them.
4) We have heart-shaped pancakes or waffles for breakfast and any other heart-shaped foods we can during the day.
What are your Valentine's Day traditions? Other holiday/birthday traditions?
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Maximizing Family Time
As per request, I am going to do a post devoted to maximizing family time. This is a great topic for me because I am all about family time. Aside from the Lord, family is top priority to Lee and myself. We are all about quantity time and quality time with our family.
How To Prioritize Family Time -
#1 - Don't Over-Commit to Things
In this busy day and age there are a million things you and your family can do from church activities to school activities to sports to social get togethers to hanging out with other friends. It's not that these things are bad, but if you aren't careful, you could all be going in 100 different directions all the time and not have time for just your family.
Lee and I make it a priority to really think about what we are doing with our time and commitments to make sure we get time as a family unit. That means we aren't excessively involved in our church (we do go every Sunday morning to worship and most Wednesday nights for the meal and classes, but we don't do choir, extra Bible studies, or too many other get togethers that pull us away from each other extra times).
We don't sign up for activities all the time. We like spending time with friends and extended family, but we don't do it excessively.
We will let the kids do activities as they get older, but not excessively. I am not sure what the rule will be yet, but we will look at each thing and the commitment level (ie how much time it takes each week) and decide if it is fruitful enough for the commitment it takes. Of course our children will do church things, sports, and activities, just not every single day of the week. And when possible, I want things to still be family time or at least more than one person in the family going (ie all of us go and cheer for Luke's sporting event or Lee and Nathan go to cub scouts together). That way we aren't split up all the time.
#2 - Have Dinner Together [Almost] Every Night
I have read a ton of parenting books and gotten tons of tips on how to have a successful family unit and one of the biggest things I have seen is how important family dinner is. We try to have dinner as a family every night. I know this isn't possible for everyone but since I stay home full-time, we only have to work around Lee's work schedule. I try to have dinner ready when he gets home so that we can all sit down and enjoy a meal together.
I know that life is going to get busier as the kids get older, but I really want to try to have family dinner every night (at least most nights), so we can all stay on the same page and know what is going on in each other's lives. It doesn't matter if it's a fancy meal, hamburger helper, take out on paper plates, or at a restaurant, family dinner is just everyone being together enjoying a meal and conversation.
On that note, we try to keep family dinner positive. We don't talk about Lee's work (unless it is good stuff) or the misbehavior of the kids all day or bad things that are going on. We try to have fun and enjoy that time together.
#3 - Spend Time Together Playing Each Night (Or at least most nights)
Again I know that isn't always possible for everyone, but Lee and I try to spend time playing with the kids after dinner each night. If you can't do every night, plan nights when you can. Designate at least one night a week for "family night." It is easier now to have this time together and I know it will get a little harder as the kids get older (especially teenagers), but I think setting aside time to play and have fun as a family is important.
I read that as your kids get older you should designate one night for "family night". No friends over, no dates, everyone is there. The book said Sunday night worked for their family because they had gone to church and usually had a lower key day and it was a school night so kids weren't going out with friends/on dates and there usually weren't activities on Sundays. I think whatever works for your family is best.
#4 - Plan Special Outings
We aren't big on going to movies since most of the movies that come out are too violent and/or sexually explicite and it costs a lot, but if there is a good family movie worth seeing, we plan it as an event. For instance, we went to see Toy Story 3 as a family this summer. When we go, we go all out. We get popcorn, candy, and drinks and just have a blast. We don't focus on the cost, we just enjoy the outing.
Same with vacations or special events like the fair. We plan ahead financially and really enjoy ourselves. I look at is as a memory making thing and I want our kids to have lots of great memories of their childhood.
Fun Family Time Ideas -
Go to the movies - Like I said above, when you hear of a great family movie coming out, go and make an experience out of it.
Go to the movies at home - Put on a great movie, snuggle on the couch with blankets and loved ones, pop popcorn, have snacks, and have fun.
Go bowling, mini golfing, or skating - It is so fun to have some healthy competition and do something that isn't just sitting.
Go out for ice cream - Lee and I love to take the kids to our favorite ice cream shop, Sunni Sky's, in the summer and sit outside and have homemade ice cream.
Make homemade ice cream - Get an ice cream machine and make your own ice cream. It's really fun to try new flavors or buy all the toppings for sundaes.
Make homemade pizza - Make (or buy) individual pizza crusts and get all the toppings prepped (I like to put them in individual bowls like a pizza parlor). Everyone rolls out their crust, adds their sauce, cheese, and toppings, and gets to enjoy their favorite pizza.
Go to the park and play (parents too!) - We love to take lunch to the park and play. Lee and I are big kids at heart and have just as much fun going on the slides and swings and playing with the kids and the kids love it.
Have a tickle fight - We love to do tickle fights. Just make sure you go potty first ;).
Go paint pottery - I love to paint pottery. I am not an artist, but there is something so fun about getting a piece of pottery and just painting it and enjoying it for years to come.
Go to the zoo/museums - Lots of places put out coupons (sometimes buy 1, get 1 free). It is so fun to walk around learning about things together.
Wash the vehicles - Put on bathing suits and wash vehicles. Mom and Dad wash the big ones and let the kids wash their bikes/trikes (or let them help with the big vehicles).
Water gun/balloon fight - Again, put on bathing suits and get water guns/balloons and have a fight in the backyard.
Pillow fight - Grab some pillows and have a great pillow fight. Set some boundaries and have fun.
Play sports in the backyard - We love to play baseball or toss the football in the backyard.
Decorate cookies - Make (or buy) cookie dough and icing and use cookie cutters and sprinkles and decorate cookies.
Volunteer - Go to a shelter and serve food, build a house for Habitat for Humanity, etc.
There are millions of things you can do with your family. Some take time, money, or a bigger commitment than others, but the main thing is that your heart is for your family and that they are your priority. I hope these ideas have gotten your juices flowing. I would love to hear how you make family time a priority and what you do with your family.
How To Prioritize Family Time -
#1 - Don't Over-Commit to Things
In this busy day and age there are a million things you and your family can do from church activities to school activities to sports to social get togethers to hanging out with other friends. It's not that these things are bad, but if you aren't careful, you could all be going in 100 different directions all the time and not have time for just your family.
Lee and I make it a priority to really think about what we are doing with our time and commitments to make sure we get time as a family unit. That means we aren't excessively involved in our church (we do go every Sunday morning to worship and most Wednesday nights for the meal and classes, but we don't do choir, extra Bible studies, or too many other get togethers that pull us away from each other extra times).
We don't sign up for activities all the time. We like spending time with friends and extended family, but we don't do it excessively.
We will let the kids do activities as they get older, but not excessively. I am not sure what the rule will be yet, but we will look at each thing and the commitment level (ie how much time it takes each week) and decide if it is fruitful enough for the commitment it takes. Of course our children will do church things, sports, and activities, just not every single day of the week. And when possible, I want things to still be family time or at least more than one person in the family going (ie all of us go and cheer for Luke's sporting event or Lee and Nathan go to cub scouts together). That way we aren't split up all the time.
#2 - Have Dinner Together [Almost] Every Night
I have read a ton of parenting books and gotten tons of tips on how to have a successful family unit and one of the biggest things I have seen is how important family dinner is. We try to have dinner as a family every night. I know this isn't possible for everyone but since I stay home full-time, we only have to work around Lee's work schedule. I try to have dinner ready when he gets home so that we can all sit down and enjoy a meal together.
I know that life is going to get busier as the kids get older, but I really want to try to have family dinner every night (at least most nights), so we can all stay on the same page and know what is going on in each other's lives. It doesn't matter if it's a fancy meal, hamburger helper, take out on paper plates, or at a restaurant, family dinner is just everyone being together enjoying a meal and conversation.
On that note, we try to keep family dinner positive. We don't talk about Lee's work (unless it is good stuff) or the misbehavior of the kids all day or bad things that are going on. We try to have fun and enjoy that time together.
#3 - Spend Time Together Playing Each Night (Or at least most nights)
Again I know that isn't always possible for everyone, but Lee and I try to spend time playing with the kids after dinner each night. If you can't do every night, plan nights when you can. Designate at least one night a week for "family night." It is easier now to have this time together and I know it will get a little harder as the kids get older (especially teenagers), but I think setting aside time to play and have fun as a family is important.
I read that as your kids get older you should designate one night for "family night". No friends over, no dates, everyone is there. The book said Sunday night worked for their family because they had gone to church and usually had a lower key day and it was a school night so kids weren't going out with friends/on dates and there usually weren't activities on Sundays. I think whatever works for your family is best.
#4 - Plan Special Outings
We aren't big on going to movies since most of the movies that come out are too violent and/or sexually explicite and it costs a lot, but if there is a good family movie worth seeing, we plan it as an event. For instance, we went to see Toy Story 3 as a family this summer. When we go, we go all out. We get popcorn, candy, and drinks and just have a blast. We don't focus on the cost, we just enjoy the outing.
Same with vacations or special events like the fair. We plan ahead financially and really enjoy ourselves. I look at is as a memory making thing and I want our kids to have lots of great memories of their childhood.
Fun Family Time Ideas -
Go to the movies - Like I said above, when you hear of a great family movie coming out, go and make an experience out of it.
Go to the movies at home - Put on a great movie, snuggle on the couch with blankets and loved ones, pop popcorn, have snacks, and have fun.
Go bowling, mini golfing, or skating - It is so fun to have some healthy competition and do something that isn't just sitting.
Go out for ice cream - Lee and I love to take the kids to our favorite ice cream shop, Sunni Sky's, in the summer and sit outside and have homemade ice cream.
Make homemade ice cream - Get an ice cream machine and make your own ice cream. It's really fun to try new flavors or buy all the toppings for sundaes.
Make homemade pizza - Make (or buy) individual pizza crusts and get all the toppings prepped (I like to put them in individual bowls like a pizza parlor). Everyone rolls out their crust, adds their sauce, cheese, and toppings, and gets to enjoy their favorite pizza.
Go to the park and play (parents too!) - We love to take lunch to the park and play. Lee and I are big kids at heart and have just as much fun going on the slides and swings and playing with the kids and the kids love it.
Have a tickle fight - We love to do tickle fights. Just make sure you go potty first ;).
Go paint pottery - I love to paint pottery. I am not an artist, but there is something so fun about getting a piece of pottery and just painting it and enjoying it for years to come.
Go to the zoo/museums - Lots of places put out coupons (sometimes buy 1, get 1 free). It is so fun to walk around learning about things together.
Wash the vehicles - Put on bathing suits and wash vehicles. Mom and Dad wash the big ones and let the kids wash their bikes/trikes (or let them help with the big vehicles).
Water gun/balloon fight - Again, put on bathing suits and get water guns/balloons and have a fight in the backyard.
Pillow fight - Grab some pillows and have a great pillow fight. Set some boundaries and have fun.
Play sports in the backyard - We love to play baseball or toss the football in the backyard.
Decorate cookies - Make (or buy) cookie dough and icing and use cookie cutters and sprinkles and decorate cookies.
Volunteer - Go to a shelter and serve food, build a house for Habitat for Humanity, etc.
There are millions of things you can do with your family. Some take time, money, or a bigger commitment than others, but the main thing is that your heart is for your family and that they are your priority. I hope these ideas have gotten your juices flowing. I would love to hear how you make family time a priority and what you do with your family.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Organized CHRISTmas Baking
I love CHRISTmas!!! It's my favorite time of year. I love celebrating Jesus' birth, playing Santa Claus for my kids, spending time with family, all of the decorating, the present giving, caroling, CHRISTmas programs, and of course, CHRISTmas baking.
I love to bake!!! It's so fun to pull out recipes, get out the mixer and supplies, and spend the day in the kitchen baking lots of yummy treats to share with others. As with anything, I have to be organized about it.
Here's how I CHRISTmas bake:
1 - I select all of the recipes I want to make and how many of each (ie batches).
2 - I compute how much of each ingredient I will need.
3 - I go through my cupboards, pantry, and fridge to see what I need at the store and make my list.
4 - I go shopping for all of the baking needs (I also stock up if I notice my baking cupboard is low on something since I love to bake randomly).
5 - I lay out all of my dry ingredients (flour, sugars, baking soda/powder, salt, spices), wet ingredients (butter - so it can soften, eggs, milk, molasses), and misc ingredients (peanut butter, chocolate chips, candies). I put my mixer on the main island. I get out some smaller mixing bowls, measuring cups/spoons, and baking sheets.
6 - I start with the recipes that need to be refrigerated (ie sugar cookie dough, peanut blossom dough) so that they can be in the refrigerator while I am making the other cookies.
7 - I use one set of measuring cups/spoons for dry ingredients and one for wet so I don't have to wash as much.
8 - I also like to keep a sink of hot soapy water to put stuff in as I go to make cleanup easier.
9 - I just work my way through my baking and clean as I go so there isn't a major mess to clean up at the end.
10 - I have a station for cookies to cool and be packaged.
It's just so much fun. I really enjoy letting Luke help me (if he wants to of course) and by being organized it keeps things running smoothly.
I love to bake!!! It's so fun to pull out recipes, get out the mixer and supplies, and spend the day in the kitchen baking lots of yummy treats to share with others. As with anything, I have to be organized about it.
Here's how I CHRISTmas bake:
1 - I select all of the recipes I want to make and how many of each (ie batches).
2 - I compute how much of each ingredient I will need.
3 - I go through my cupboards, pantry, and fridge to see what I need at the store and make my list.
4 - I go shopping for all of the baking needs (I also stock up if I notice my baking cupboard is low on something since I love to bake randomly).
5 - I lay out all of my dry ingredients (flour, sugars, baking soda/powder, salt, spices), wet ingredients (butter - so it can soften, eggs, milk, molasses), and misc ingredients (peanut butter, chocolate chips, candies). I put my mixer on the main island. I get out some smaller mixing bowls, measuring cups/spoons, and baking sheets.
6 - I start with the recipes that need to be refrigerated (ie sugar cookie dough, peanut blossom dough) so that they can be in the refrigerator while I am making the other cookies.
7 - I use one set of measuring cups/spoons for dry ingredients and one for wet so I don't have to wash as much.
8 - I also like to keep a sink of hot soapy water to put stuff in as I go to make cleanup easier.
9 - I just work my way through my baking and clean as I go so there isn't a major mess to clean up at the end.
10 - I have a station for cookies to cool and be packaged.
It's just so much fun. I really enjoy letting Luke help me (if he wants to of course) and by being organized it keeps things running smoothly.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Organized Vacationing
I don't know about everyone else, but I know that for me a vacation is not truly a vacation. As a wife, mom, and homemaker, I spend hours preparing and packing for our trip, hours in the car keeping everyone sane (putting on movies, handing out snacks, and entertaining Luke), hours setting up shop for the week (putting away food, kitchen supplies, clothes, and toys), hours still cooking meals, cleaning up, and getting everyone whatever they need for each outing, hours cleaning up the place when we are done, hours in the car again, and then hours unpacking, doing laundry, and getting us ready for life when we get home. Does that sound familiar to any of you guys?
Well because I am so OCD and have to have order no matter where I am - home, hotel, or beach house - I have to be really organized. It does make things run a lot smoother and I do get a little more down time as the crew knows where everything is and can [sometimes] fend for themselves.
It all starts a few days before we leave for our vacation. I do all of the laundry and clean up the house. It makes things a lot easier when you have clothes to pack and a clean house to go through and get what you need. I also have a packing list on my computer that I print each time we go somewhere. I print it out the day we pack and tweak it. I add things that need to be packed in addition to all of our regular stuff. That saves me so much time and headache. There is nothing worse than getting somewhere and not having underwear or a toothbrush.
Then when it comes to packing, I use lots of different bags and bins. I like to organize things so that we can put bags or bins in their respective spot when we arrive at our destination. I use one bag for Luke's clothes and personal care items, one bag for my clothes and personal care items, one bag for Lee's clothes and personal care items, one bag for towels and sunscreen - my pool bag, one bag for beach toys as they get sandy and I like to keep them in a mesh bag to carry down to the beach, one bag for Luke's toys, one bin for dry food, one bin for kitchen needs, a big cooler for food when we get there, a small cooler for drinks in the car, and one bag for snacks and toys for the car. Yes, it seems like a lot, but it really isn't. It's more organized than cramming stuff in a bunch of bags.
I pack each area/bag/bin and bring it all to a certain spot so that Lee can load it all in the car. This way he sees how much we have and how he should load everything up. If you have stuff all over the house, you might have something heavy that ends up on top or have to take stuff out and reload. This saves time and frustration.
When we get to our destination, we can just put each person's bag where they are sleeping, they toys/entertainment in the area where we will be hanging out/playing, the beach/pool stuff near the door so we are ready to go at a moment's notice, and the food and kitchen stuff in the kitchen. It is really nice. It also makes it possible to not have to unpack as stuff is where you need it.
When we get done with our vacation, we just load everything back up, repack the car, and when we get home, we just put stuff back where it goes pretty efficiently. One note - when we are packing to come home, we pick a couple of suitcases to put all the dirty stuff in and one to put all of the clean stuff in (inevitably we pack too much). The dirty suitcases go to the laundry area and the clean suitcase is unpacked. Super easy.
I hope this helps. Enjoy your vacations. :)
Well because I am so OCD and have to have order no matter where I am - home, hotel, or beach house - I have to be really organized. It does make things run a lot smoother and I do get a little more down time as the crew knows where everything is and can [sometimes] fend for themselves.
It all starts a few days before we leave for our vacation. I do all of the laundry and clean up the house. It makes things a lot easier when you have clothes to pack and a clean house to go through and get what you need. I also have a packing list on my computer that I print each time we go somewhere. I print it out the day we pack and tweak it. I add things that need to be packed in addition to all of our regular stuff. That saves me so much time and headache. There is nothing worse than getting somewhere and not having underwear or a toothbrush.
Then when it comes to packing, I use lots of different bags and bins. I like to organize things so that we can put bags or bins in their respective spot when we arrive at our destination. I use one bag for Luke's clothes and personal care items, one bag for my clothes and personal care items, one bag for Lee's clothes and personal care items, one bag for towels and sunscreen - my pool bag, one bag for beach toys as they get sandy and I like to keep them in a mesh bag to carry down to the beach, one bag for Luke's toys, one bin for dry food, one bin for kitchen needs, a big cooler for food when we get there, a small cooler for drinks in the car, and one bag for snacks and toys for the car. Yes, it seems like a lot, but it really isn't. It's more organized than cramming stuff in a bunch of bags.
I pack each area/bag/bin and bring it all to a certain spot so that Lee can load it all in the car. This way he sees how much we have and how he should load everything up. If you have stuff all over the house, you might have something heavy that ends up on top or have to take stuff out and reload. This saves time and frustration.
When we get to our destination, we can just put each person's bag where they are sleeping, they toys/entertainment in the area where we will be hanging out/playing, the beach/pool stuff near the door so we are ready to go at a moment's notice, and the food and kitchen stuff in the kitchen. It is really nice. It also makes it possible to not have to unpack as stuff is where you need it.
When we get done with our vacation, we just load everything back up, repack the car, and when we get home, we just put stuff back where it goes pretty efficiently. One note - when we are packing to come home, we pick a couple of suitcases to put all the dirty stuff in and one to put all of the clean stuff in (inevitably we pack too much). The dirty suitcases go to the laundry area and the clean suitcase is unpacked. Super easy.
I hope this helps. Enjoy your vacations. :)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Pool Bag
If you guys are anything like me, when the temperature hits 90, you live at the pool. I can't stand to be outside and not be in the water. We usually go almost everyday. This year since I am huge, pregnant, and super hot even in air conditioning, we are going a couple times a week. I figured out a great time saver for being ready for the pool anytime you want to go.
A pool bag. Well, it's not really an original idea, having a designated bag for the pool, but more the philosophy I came up with. Here it is:
You get a waterproof bag big enough to hold all of your pool essentials (pool towels, bathings suits, sunglasses, sunscreen, pool toys, pool shoes), and keep it packed by the front door so anytime you want to go to the pool, you have it all ready to go.
The secret to this is right when you come home from the pool you wash all dirty pool clothes and towels, fold everything up, and nicely repack the bag. This keeps your nasty pool clothes from stinking up the house and when you want to go, you aren't searching for bathing suits, towels, and other pool needs.
A pool bag. Well, it's not really an original idea, having a designated bag for the pool, but more the philosophy I came up with. Here it is:
You get a waterproof bag big enough to hold all of your pool essentials (pool towels, bathings suits, sunglasses, sunscreen, pool toys, pool shoes), and keep it packed by the front door so anytime you want to go to the pool, you have it all ready to go.
The secret to this is right when you come home from the pool you wash all dirty pool clothes and towels, fold everything up, and nicely repack the bag. This keeps your nasty pool clothes from stinking up the house and when you want to go, you aren't searching for bathing suits, towels, and other pool needs.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Save to Spend
I know that the name of my post sounds funny, but let me explain. I am all about saving money anywhere that I can, on groceries, eating out, holidays, vacations, clothes, and anything else I can find a way to save money on. A lot of people wonder, "Why are you so into saving money?"
Well, I can tell you that one of those reasons is to spend it. :) I know that sounds funny, but here's my logic. If I would have had to spend $80 on groceries, but I because I couponed and matched them to sales, I spent $10, I have "$70". I put quotes around it because I don't actually carry out $70 or necessarily see that in overflow in my budget, but the money we have leftover at the end of the month (which praise the Lord we do now and don't have to dip into savings), can be used for things we really want to do.
When we didn't budget and coupon and save money, we never had any money left over at the end of the month and at times we dipped into our savings to break even. Now, we are able to save some money each month. I would love for it to be more and that rests a lot on me (which actually makes me happy because I can do things to have more money), but either way, having leftover is great.
We can save it for big things that will come up, or we can occassionally use it for fun things we want to do like vacations or special treats like the Circus, where we are going tonight. It is fun to take money I would have wasted on something I still was able to get but for much less money and spend it on something fun for the family.
I would love to hear comments as to what you would like to do with your savings. :)
Well, I can tell you that one of those reasons is to spend it. :) I know that sounds funny, but here's my logic. If I would have had to spend $80 on groceries, but I because I couponed and matched them to sales, I spent $10, I have "$70". I put quotes around it because I don't actually carry out $70 or necessarily see that in overflow in my budget, but the money we have leftover at the end of the month (which praise the Lord we do now and don't have to dip into savings), can be used for things we really want to do.
When we didn't budget and coupon and save money, we never had any money left over at the end of the month and at times we dipped into our savings to break even. Now, we are able to save some money each month. I would love for it to be more and that rests a lot on me (which actually makes me happy because I can do things to have more money), but either way, having leftover is great.
We can save it for big things that will come up, or we can occassionally use it for fun things we want to do like vacations or special treats like the Circus, where we are going tonight. It is fun to take money I would have wasted on something I still was able to get but for much less money and spend it on something fun for the family.
I would love to hear comments as to what you would like to do with your savings. :)
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