Each week I will be sharing a round-up of all the different ways I saved our family money. The purpose of this series is to highlight the fact that there are SO many different methods you can use to lower your overall budget that don’t involve mad-crazy coupon shopping.
I will even be mentioning those methods that may seem insignificant to you. I truly feel that anything that saves time is saving money in some form or another.
The most expensive diagnosis EVER
Sometimes, hours, days and even weeks don’t go quite as you had planned. I was so busy getting ready to go to Seattle for the Mariners home opener and my to-do list was a mile long, with play dates scheduled every day for the kids and a zillion errands to run. Our oldest son was mostly recovered from a double ear infection, so things seemed to be on track.
Monday morning comes around. Our youngest son slipped off a wooden stool and landed himself squarely in the Emergency Room. 3 hour wait, 3 X-rays later. No broken nose, but a nasty case of pink eye. This was quite possibly the most expensive way in the world to find out your son has pink eye. I don’t recommend it, but I wouldn’t have done it differently. Not much money saved here.
Homemade coffee creamer
As we are trying to get rid of all hydrogenated oils from our diet and traditional coffee creamer is full of them, it’s been on my list for quite some time to make my own. I finally went through what was left in my fridge this week, so gave it a shot. Super easy and VERY delicious. I accidentally bought half and half instead of heavy cream, which has basically meant I’ve had to use a little more than I normally would to get the consistency I want in my coffee. Traditional creamer doesn’t expire for several months and the homemade stuff only lasts about 10 days, so I will just need to stay on top of it. However, it was SO easy to make and barely took any prep. This was a very quick and easy switch in our diets.
I’d love to do a cost comparison between homemade and store-bought. I honestly think the homemade will win out, plus I don’t have to think for one second about chasing down the next best deal on creamer. This will save me time and a little stress, which is just about as important as saving money.
Being prepared for everything
A friend of mine mentioned to me the other day that she loved how I always brought snacks with me where ever we go. I honestly thought everyone left the house prepared for war everyday, even if they are just going to the grocery store. We don’t go anywhere without snacks, water, wipes and more snacks. Sometimes even lunch if I know we’re going to be out for awhile.
I started thinking about it and I realized not only does this help save my sanity, but it most likely saves us money as well. I’m very rarely in a pinch with starving children and having to pick up the nearest full-priced snack. I usually pack a banana and some raw almonds for myself as well, so I’m never tempted to swing through the nearest drive-thru, which is good for all sorts of reasons.
I would LOVE to hear how you saved your family money this week. What methods do you find are the most efficient and effective?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I only use homemade creamer now. I can’t get dh to make the switch yet but I’m wokring on it. I toss 2/3 cup of half and half in a small jelly mason jar, add 2 teaspoon vanilla, seal and shake. I’ve also cut back on how much i use. I use to drink my coffee “white” as my mom would say. now I only let myself use 1 tbls spoon and a pinch of sweeter.
I’ve started making my own homemade “Vanilla Syrup” as well to flavor my coffee. I put 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. I slice 2 vanilla beans in half lengthwise and put them in a large heatproof container. Once my sugar/water mixture has boiled I pour it over the vanilla beans and let soak for 8-12 hours. This yields about 25 FL. OZ. which is the same amout as a large bottle of Torani Syrup. I’ve been buying the vanilla beans at Cost Plus for $2.99 for a package of 2 beans. (The big bottles of Torani are $6.99 at Cost Plus.)
Our money saving was pretty much a “cheat” this week, we found a Safeway gift card in one of our drawers…$200 on it! On our $30/wk grocery budget that makes for a lot of budget unused and available for saving!
I’ve been meaning to make the homemade creamer so I’m glad to hear that you liked it.
We saved money by NOT having to go to urgent care. My son fell at Mariner’s Opening Night and got an ugly blood blister on his ear. We were debating if we needed to take him to urgent care, but decided to start by taking him to the first aid room at the stadium and having him checked out by the paramedics there. Some ice packs and a little neosporin and we were back in our seats. Luckily, no urgent care visit required.
Hope your boys are on the mend!
I’m definitely going to try the creamer recipes! Thanks for posting these!!! I also love the Teecino that the recipe link mentions, I have gotten it in “tee” bags before, it’s tasty when you’re craving coffee at night but don’t want the caffeine.
Maybe a silly question … but why 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup cream in the recipe – why not just 2 cups half & half?
I actually have no idea, it probably doesn’t matter. I have been using 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup half & half and it is a little thin. I think I’d prefer the thickness of the heavy cream. I’ll report back once I try!