Eating Out On A Budget

In these hard times just about everyone is trying to budget their money.  Just because you are trying to budget wisely it doesn't mean you have to cut out eating out all together.  One thing you can do if you eat out a lot is try to hold of until you are only going out once a week, then twice a month, etc.  After that you can work it down to where you are only eating out on special occasions which can save you so much money.

When you are out for dinner something you can do to save money is try to order the specials.  These are offered daily and some restaurants offer buy one get one deals.

Something else you can do is request that you split a large entree between two people since most restaurants entree's are so large. Restaurants will normally do this for free, or they will do it for a small charge of a dollar or two.  Either way it saves you a lot of money.

You can also bring home left overs and use them for, lets say, lunch the next day.

Jello Finger Paints

Now this one isn't my favorite but I have not tried it out yet so I will have to give a better review after I try it.

What you need for this on is a package of any flavored jello and boiling water. You will mix them together until you get it to a goo consistency that is good for finger painting. You can use any materials that you would normally use to finger paint on.

It seems that kids would love the feel and the smells from this finger paint so try it out and let me know how it goes, that is if I don't do it before you do.

Kool-Aid Finger Paint

Here is another alternative to the expensive finger paints that you buy in the store that you cannot be 100% sure that they are non-toxic.

What you will need is 2 cups of flour, 2 packs of unsweetened Kool-Aid, 1/2 cup of salt, 3 cups of boiling water, and 3 tablespoons of oil. You will simply mix the dry into the wet and then when you are done you will have your own homemade finger paint.

It is very simple and not as costly as the stuff you buy in the store because most people usually have some of these ingredients, if not all of them.

I hope you and your children have some fun with this! Also if your children always want to help you in the kitchen they can always help you mix this all up, just be careful of the boiling water!

Pudding Finger Paints

I know we all worry about our kids eating their finger paints and whether they are truly as non-toxic as they say there are. There are many easy solutions for this but I will share one of them right now.

You can make finger paints from pudding. It can even be sugar free if you don't want your kids eating a lot of sugar(like me) or if your child is diabetic.

All you need for this is some instant vanilla pudding and food coloring. I'm sure you can guess what you do with it because it is all very simple. You mix the food coloring into your pudding (follow the directions on the box to make it) and ta-da, you have an edible finger paint that you know is safe if your child eats it.

You can paint onto disposable paper plates so that you don't have a horrible mess to clean up!

I hope you and your children can now enjoy finger painting for a cheaper cost and with a lot less worry!

Homemade Edible Peanut Butter Play Doh!

This recipe isn't right for everyone, for instance for children who cannot have honey or peanut butter. This is very easy to make & much cheaper then buying play doh, whice you have to keep a close eye on your kids so they don't eat it.

For this you will need 1 c. of peanut butter, 1/2 c. of honey, and 1 & 1/2 c. of powdered milk. The next steps are very easy, mix all ingredients together and then form into balls. That's it. Now tell me that isn't easy enough for you to do so your child(ren) can have some fun, and you won't have to worry about them eating it.

This also can be used as a great 'candy' when you use peanut butter and powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Homemade Glitter!

Art supplies don't have to be so expensive. My next few post will be a series of how to save money on art supplies for home by making them yourselves.

To make Homemade Glitter all you need is some liquid food coloring and a 1/2 c of table salt. You will use 5-6 drops of food coloring, you will mix it into the salt. Then you will cook it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. After it is done in the microwave you will need to spread it out over wax paper and let it air dry. After it is dry put it in an airtight container for storage.

See, very simple and a super easy way to save money for your little artist. Plus this way you can make sure if they end up eating some of it that you will know that it is 100% non-toxic.

Homemade Baby Wipes

Baby wipes can get expensive BUT you can make your own. You can even keep some of these in your car for sticky fingers.

To make homemade wipes you will need a roll of sturdy paper towels, baby oil, baby wash, and a deep Tupperware container. First you will need to cut the roll of paper towels in half. Then fill the Tupperware container half way with the baby oil and baby wash(make sure you don't put to much of either in, half of each should do). Then place the paper towels on top of the mixture and put the lid on the Tupperware container. Lastly, you will turn the Tupperware container over so it is upside-down so the mixture can soak down into the paper towels.

Tada!!! You have homemade paper towels.

Teething Biscuits

So we all know how challenging teething is. It breaks our hearts to see our babies in pain, knowing there is only so much we can do about it. Teething biscuits can get to be expensive and you can never be 100% sure that everything in them is safe for your baby. Truth is, any bread that has been hardened can be used as a teething "biscuit". I have also found a healthy recipe as an alternative to the expensive teething biscuits you buy in stores.

Ingredients:

• 1 beaten egg yolk
• 3 tbsp maple syrup or molasses
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp uncooked oatmeal
• 1 cup flour (white, wheat, or combo)
  
• 1 tbsp soy flour
• 1 tbsp wheat germ
• 1 tbsp nonfat dry milk

Directions:

Blend wet ingredients, add dry ingredients. Dough will be stiff. Roll dough thin and cut into strips and shape to your desired shape. Bake at 350 degree's for 15 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Though the last three ingredients are not needed, they add to the nutritional value.


If you would like additional recipes please comment and let me know, or watch the blog as I will update with more in the future (I have about 6 more).

Getting Things For Free

I've stated before but I'll do it again, time's are tough and money is tight. We are lucky enough though to have people willing to give away things they have, but no longer need, for free. There is a great organization called Freecycle that goes through Yahoo! Groups and it is a great way to either get rid of things that you no longer need/use or to ask/receive things that you are in need of or something you just want.

Hide Some Diapers

We all know that diapers are expensive and we run out fast. None of us want to be stranded without any diapers. One thing I've learned is storing away diapers. When you start to run low on diapers go out and buy more diapers then take the last 2 or 3 and store them away somewhere. You can store them in your car, in a dresser drawer, in a kitchen cabinet, anywhere. Then when you are strapped for cash for a few days and are in need for diapers you have them stored away all over and you will have a small supply to last you a few days until you can afford to go out and buy some more. Just remember to keep the sizes up to date...you don't want to need a size 6 diaper and only be able to find a stash of size 3's.

Saving some $$$ at the Grocery Store

We all know that the economy is hitting us hard. We are finding it harder and harder to get by every day. We also know that it is hard to feed so many mouths on limited budgets, but it has to be done. Every now and then I'm going to offer tips on how to save money on our groceries but still get the most we can out of it. First of all I know it sounds like something an old lady does(no offense grandma) but cutting coupons is a fast way to start saving some pennies. I know it doesn't seem like you are saving a lot but those pennies add up and you will end up saving more than you realize. Second, do NOT go to the store when you are hungry or bring someone with you that is hungry. That will end in a disaster in your wallet if you because you will want to grab every food item you see throughout the store. Third, plan out a menu for 2 weeks at a time. When you plan out your meal you can go through your cupboards and see what you have for these meals and what you don't have. Forth, based on what you will need for your meals you can make a list for shopping. Make sure that you don't deviate from your list, the point of the list is to get in, get what you NEED and get out. Do not linger in the store trying to think of anything else you MIGHT need, you can always make another trip to the store when you run across something you NEED. If you have to go to the store then make sure that you follow the guidelines above. It might not seem like much but if you shop smart that is the first tip to saving money at the grocery store.