Money Saving Talk

Single moms know just how expensive it can be to feed a growing family. Seeing the grocery bill at the end of the week can be a bit of a shock! Here are a few handy tips on keeping that cost down:

Avoid eating out if at all possible. Consider this: Even if you eat out only once a week and use coupons when you do, you are still paying at least twenty bucks for two or three people. Twenty dollars per week equals 100 dollars per month – and that money could go a long way toward paying your grocery bill.

Make a list. When you go to the grocery store, make sure your list reflects the foods you really need. Don’t be tempted to pick up other foods because they look tempting, or because they happen to be on sale. Choose only what your family will eat.

Scour cookbooks for “big” meals that will provide leftovers. Make your food dollar stretch by making recipes that can do double-duty as a second meal. Foods like meatloaf are perfect for this, and so are casseroles. Make two of them at once and freeze the one you aren’t eating that night.

Make a weekly trip to the store. Many people go to the store every day, but if you can trim that down to just once per week, you will be more likely to buy in bulk and avoid those convenience foods that look so tempting after a long, hard day.

Clip coupons! Look at your Sunday paper for the coupon section. Clip them out and take them with you to the store. Compare the coupon prices with the generic items and then look at the nutritional values. If generic is cheaper but has the same ingredients, go for it! Otherwise, use that coupon. Twenty-five cents of savings might not seem like much, but when you have a full basket, those coupons add up to serious money.

Shop without kids. Children are the biggest culprits when it comes to those little things that you really don’t need. It’s hard to deny a child when he or she wants to put more food in your grocery basket, so make things easier on everyone by leaving the kids at home when you shop.

Don’t shop on an empty stomach. When you’re hungry, everything looks good! Avoid the temptation to grab that bag of chips or that hot, tempting deli food by eating a good meal before you go shopping. You will be amazed at what you can walk away from when your belly is already full!

About The Author
Financial Help For Single Mothers is available at SingleMomFinancialHelp.com. You can also get information about Grants For Single Moms as well. http://www.singlemomfinancialhelp.com

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As a mom of 4 who’s youngest child is about to start Kindergarten this Fall, I’d like to share with you some things I’ve learned about Preschool over the last ten years, along with a list of readiness skills every child can be learning at home – whether attending Preschool or not.

Preschools, especially those taught in a church environment, are a wonderful resource that help prepare children for regular school. Not to mention they also provide social interaction with children of the same age, and for a few hours each week, a much-needed break for Mom. Overall, we highly recommend them!

There’s just one catch – Preschool is expensive!

Though I truly enjoyed successfully homeschooling our first child for preschool in 1994, by the time our next child was ready for preschool (in 1998) I also had a toddler at home (our third child), and another shortly on the way. My husband and I decided it was definitely time for some help, and somehow we managed to put our second child through preschool, as well as the third. And the fourth – as I’ve already mentioned, will be graduating this year.

If you’d like to send your child to Preschool but would like to keep the costs down, try finding a school that offers just two days a week, that’s what we did. Of course homeschooling would cost even less, but we realize that’s not an option for everyone – especially working moms.

Whether you choose to home-preschool your child or send him/her to a local Preschool on a part-time basis, here’s a suggested list of academic, physical and social skills every preschooler should be learning. If your child will be attending Kindergarten in the fall it would be a good idea to continue working on these things over the summer. Kindergarten is a lot tougher than it was even a few years ago, so the more prepared your child is the better off he/she will be!

You will find that Kindergarten Readiness lists will vary but this is a great list that covers the basics.

Academic Skills

• Say the alphabet
• Recognize own name, and letters in name
• Recognize as many letters as possible (A-Z)
• Count to 10
• Recognize numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
• Count items
• Name the basic colors (blue, red, yellow, purple, green, orange, white, brown, black)

Physical Skills

• Care for personal needs (Use restroom, wash hands, fasten clothes, wipe nose, etc.)
• Catch item tossed underhand
• Walk up and down stairs
• Use pencils and crayons
• Use scissors & glue stick
• Stack blocks
• Put toys and class items where they belong

Social Skills (These are always a work in progress!)

• Shares and takes turns
• Sits quietly and listens in group setting
• Follows directions
• Demonstrates good manners while eating
• Respects other students and adults
• Respects other’s belongings and class items
• Expresses thoughts and feelings clearly

And a Note About Reading.

Depending on your local school system, children now begin reading in either Preschool or Kindergarten. It is very important that your child be familiar with the letters of the alphabet and if possible, even the sounds each one makes. Knowing the letters will make the transition to reading much easier.

Throughout the early school years, teachers will often remind you how important it is to read to your children every day. You can make it a special time by letting the child choose the book to be read, and ask them questions about the story as you go – this will also help them develop good comprehension skills, which are needed throughout life.

Enjoy these early years together, they grow up so fast!

Copyright 2004 by Michelle Jones

About The Author

Michelle Jones, author of Dealing with Debt and publisher of Living a Better Life: The Money-Saving Tips Ezine, is a frugal mother of 4 who’s dedicated to helping families live a better life, not by spending more money, but less! If you’d like a free subscription to her monthly Ezine please visit www.BetterBudgeting.com for more information.
editor@betterbudgeting.com

The Internet is a great invention for many different reasons. But, did you know that it can be a great resource for saving you money when shopping? You no longer have to clip coupons out of the Sunday paper; you can find them right at the tip of your fingers just by knowing where to look!

Coupons

One of the easiest ways to save money on the Internet is by printing online coupons. All you have to do is type the search criteria “online coupon” in your favorite search engine and you are on your way to savings! Here are some examples of great online web sites that help you save money:

CouponSurfer CouponSurfer has almost 300 coupons from over 100 stores on their web site. Do you need new brake pads on your car? You can save up to 50% just by filling out the free registration form at CouponSurfer and printing their coupon. Other recent savings at CouponSurfer were a 40-cent coupon from Tropicana, a 50-cent off coupon from St. Joseph’s aspirin, and coupons from Pampers.

Hot Coupons Hot Coupons lets you type in your zip code or city name to find discounts offered in your area. You can find savings for local restaurants, automotive centers, health centers, retail stores, and businesses including real estate, lawyers, hotels, and doctors.

Also, pay attention to television commercials. Many times, companies coming out with a new product will advertise on television and list a web page where you can print a money saving coupon. A recent commercial from Febreze listed their web page address. By going there, you can fill out a form and have Frebreze mail you $20 in coupons for many of their products, including their latest electronic air freshener, NOTICEables.

Coupon Codes

There are also web sites that offer a percentage off online purchases. Ultimate Coupons is a great example of this type of online savings site. Ultimate Coupons constantly updates their site with the latest in online savings. A recent search showed coupons for 10% off at http://Target.com, 15% off Pet Supplies at Petco, and $5 off $20 on Digital Photos & Gifts at Snapfish. Many times, if you search online, you can also find codes for free shipping to places like Macys, Sears, Amazon, and Old Navy.

Freebies

Many web sites have user forums where people can share online savings and free offers with each other. Big Big Forums is an excellent place to visit to find coupon codes, freebies, and reward programs. Members (there are over 31,000) post different offers they have seen on television or found online. There are folders for each particular type of offer, so it is very easy to find things here. Once you register for free, you too can post coupon codes and freebies. You may even be lucky enough to get in on a free subscription to a magazine such as TV Guide or link to a free Schick Quattro razor.

Comparison Shopping

A great feature of many Internet web sites is that they will give you price comparisons of items for which you are looking. Froogle is Google’s shopping search engine. All you have to do is type in the name of what you are looking for and Froogle does the rest! It will find web pages selling the item you are looking for and lists the price. That way, you can find the best deal available. There are several other web sites that will help you to do comparison shopping such as MySimon and Bizrate. Letting these sites help you find the best price can make every online shopping experience enjoyable.

Other web sites can save you money online too. You can refinance your home loan and find the lowest interest rates by searching at Ditech or search for the cheapest car insurance at Geico. How do you learn about all the sites available? The best way is to pay attention to the media. Commercials, newspapers, and magazines are always listing web sites. Also, join a forum such as Big Big Forums. When people share ideas and resources, it can be great for your pocketbook. Remember that every coupon and savings opportunity adds up!

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