Meal Planning, Differently

I cannot figure out how to meal plan traditionally
 I have read/watched lots of mom-bloggers and vloggers and many seem to plan out a week or more of meals, then hit up Costco or Sam's Club and buy all the things needed to have said meals.  Some do a wonderful job of stocking up on meat or staples on sale, and keeping multiple pantries or freezers full of things to use in future weeks.

Here is my struggle:

First off, I don't belong to any warehouse clubs.  I have never been able to justify the membership fees, or the drive to the nearest one (20 miles), nor do I have multiple pantries or a deep freezer.

Second, I have a rather poor selection of grocery stores near me (no Aldi or Trader Joe's or discount groceries!)

Third, I refuse to coupon.  I don't have the attention span/patience for that, and I don't subscribe to a physical newspaper.

So I spend an arm and a leg on groceries?
Nope.
I quite literally don't buy any food items that aren't on sale.

Essentially, I meal plan in reverse.

I get my weekly grocery store ads on Wednesday.  During nap time, I sit down and make a grocery list by seeking out the food we eat that is on sale or store coupon.  I am looking mostly for meat, produce, and dairy, as we don't really eat processed food. (Personal preference, we actually don't like the taste of most processed food.  We are not food snobs.  We eat a lot of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and M&Ms, okay?)
Neither store I have available requires me to actually cut out coupons, so I just take my ad to the store with me and they scan whatever coupons apply.  I do not clip coupons from anywhere.  If the store has a hanger-coupon-thingy by an item, great, I'll pull it off and take it with me to the checkout.

I make my list for each store, then I get out my list of dinners.  I compare the dinners list to the fresh foods on my shopping list, and decide 5 meals I can make to use the produce or meat that is on sale this week.
Then I plug them into my weekly planner based on amount of prep time, my husband's after-school schedule, and events going on.

That's it.
We shop on Saturdays, together as a family (free activity!) and my husband makes Saturday dinner (so I don't plan it.)  On Sunday, we tend to make a large meal like roast or a whole chicken, which we use as leftovers if we need more food for lunches or if we will be very busy one afternoon.  I usually have the freezer space to freeze half a roast if necessary.


Speaking of, we have leftovers for lunch.  Everybody, every day.
And we eat cold cereal, toast, or oatmeal for breakfast.

Done.

It's not fancy.  Sometimes it gets repetitious because of seasonal vegetables or dry spells in meat sales.  Some weeks we have precious little meat, or the same meat every night.
But that's okay!  We eat mostly whole foods, mostly healthy, and it gets done on a budget.  Goals accomplished.

Keep a lookout for my list of dinners!  I'll link it here when it's finished.
Also something about my planner.  Which might be my second-best friend in the world.

Souvenirs for Kids

...that aren't garbage.  Or toys.

When I was a kid, my dad traveled a few times a year for work.  He always brought back souvenirs for my sister and me, which was ridiculously exciting to my little hoarder self.  Postcards, t-shirts, stuffed animals, plastic travel mugs, tiny statue replicas... You name it, I had it.

I love what my dad was trying to do - generate a fun surprise for when he got home.  And it was wonderful!  

But the stuff.  

Oh my.

Going on a trip, and wanting to buy your children/grandchildren/nieces and nephews/nanny charges something? Great! Here's some suggestions on how to do that without clogging up their room with stuff.

Washcloths or towels.  Especially those kind that come all compressed into a little brick and then revive when you wet them.  It's super fun to make them grow, but then you have a very useful item left over.  Those washcloths are actually really soft and big!  Bonus: easy to fit in your suitcase!

These adorable washcloths are from Grandma and Grandpa's trip to Hawaii.  I don't know what "A Coconut Named Bob" is about, but it's SO CUTE an SOFT.  Big L enjoyed wetting them and watching them "grow."

A pen/pencil or eraser (for school aged children.). They can can use it at school and tell their friends about their cool relative who went cool places.  And it is consumable.  Rulers and folders are also good possibilities!

Candy/regional snacks.  Does your location have a particular packable food item that kids would like?  Saltwater taffy from the coast? Fudge from Michigan?  Maple sugar candies from Vermont or Canada?

1 T-shirt, 1 size too big.
Because they are already wearing their current size, so obviously mom and dad have dealt with their current wardrobe and they have enough clothes.  The shirt will get more wear if it is an intentional part of their next wardrobe.

A book.  Now, I am a softy for books - it is the one area of my home I have yet to purge.  That being said, a book about the cool place you went (at an appropriate reading level, of course) might be a perfect souvenir.

A useful item they can grow into.  For example, if your special child is almost ready for a water bottle, or a plate, or a baseball cap, or their own cocoa mug.  That way is not an extra of that item, but  it is the one the child uses daily because his/her parents know they already have one.

Any other great ideas for souvenirs for minimalist kids?  Leave them in a comment!  Happy travels.

Where the rubber meets the Road

So you have your plan, now how do you put it into place? For me it was a realization that no matter what plans I had in my head or on paper, the follow through was the toughest step. So here's what I did:

1) I started using cash. In a world where plastic is just as easy as cash to use, using cash may sound like an extra step to complicate things. It is limit setting though. I knew exactly how much money I have for food, gas, or personal items each month and have to think about the cash that is being handed over as I pay for each item. If I buy these things would I have enough  cash left for groceries before the next paycheck? How is my husband going to get to school or me to work if we drive to this event and needed more gas? Using cash helped me to see the limits that needed to be set in order to not overspend  and put more money on credit cards.

2) I started recording my spending. One would think that if I had a set amount of cash for various things I would no longer need to track where my money was going. Not true. It was even more important now that I track where my money was going. It gave me a record to look back on if I did overspend. It let me say, as much as I like this or that, it isn't a necessity so I can't buy it next month. It also helped me to set the amounts needed. It helped me realize that some of the amounts I had set in my budget were unrealistic. I either needed to find more money for a category, or I found that I didn't need as much money toward a category as I had originally set aside.

3) I found websites to help me. There are so many resources on the web, from alligning with you bank and credit card accounts to allowing you to manually enter your information for easier tracking.  My favorite website for this right now is everydollar.com. It is a Dave Ramsey established website which has a free and premium side. I currently use the free side of the website. It allows me to enter amounts into categories along with transactions so there is less math work on my end. I can go in and see how much is left in each category so I can double check my envelope amounts. The premium side of the website connects with various accounts so you can click and drag transactions to categorize them instead of entering them manually. There are other websites that do this such as mint.com. My advice, find one that works for you.

4) I haven't stopped learning. I'm still refining and tweaking my budget. I am constantly on the search for reading material or classes to learn more about money. How to save it, how to make it work for me instead of me working for it. I recently started tracking food prices. My grocery budget has been maxed out and I love finding ways to find even an extra dollar or two in the money allotted. Tracking prices though time consuming has shown me already that I really don't know the cheapest price that I'm able to get products at. Look for a future post on how to start if you are interested.

Any other ways you've found in helping rubber meet the road? Please leave a comment below.

Chores Your Toddler Can Do

A dual-post from both of us!

2-year-old (happens to be a boy)

• Wipe up spills. This was the first "chore" he learned.  We keep a kitchen towel hanging where he can reach it, and he takes care of his own spills, dog water dribbles, and wet shoe prints.

  

  About halfway through
  learning to set the table

• Set the table.  We didn't specifically teach this chore, we just started asking him to "put this on the table."  Gradually he picked up on where things "belong" and now does a pretty good job!
• Put away clean silverware.  It doesn't end up in the right compartments, but that is only because he's too short to reach/see.  He just takes it out of the dishwasher and puts it in the drawer as best he can.
• Sweep. We purchased this broom set when he showed interest in sweeping. He is best at sweeping into the dustpan, because it's a target to aim for instead of flinging dirt around the room.
• Feed pets.  Scooping stuff from a big container and pouring it into a smaller container? It's a toddler's dream job!  We only have a dog, but I'm sure this would work for cats. rodents, reptiles, etc.  Of course, make sure your toddler and pet are both safe during this process.  Some dogs get aggressive in regards to their food bowls, and some small pets could bite little fingers.  Also monitor how much your fish are fed.
• Throw away non-gross garbage.  He loves picking which garbage can to throw things in.
• Fetch needed items from another room.  Kleenex, diaper & wipes for himself or the baby, his own coat and shoes.
• Help with laundry.  Another favorite - he loves shaking out the clothes and towels and stuffing them into the dryer, or handing them to me to be folded.  He could also put them away in his drawers if I wasn't so into Konmari drawers.  (I let him put away his socks.)

  

  Stirring.  Or licking.
  Same thing, right?

• Help with baking/cooking. It's a mess, but it's a joy to behold.  Age-appropriate tasks include scooping and dumping, sprinkling spices or toppings, crushing crackers, and laying out bread slices/pepperonis/cupcake liners.  (We use those washable reusable liners - I imagine paper ones would be too difficult since they're difficult for me!) 
  
  

Yes, many of these chores are "done" quite messily.  And not the way I would have done them. And take a long time to complete.  But building life skills is so important!  And it's pretty cool to watch the look of determination and learning on a toddler's face as he tries to place dishes at the table, or measure something, or choose matching socks from a basket.

Creating a budget

I was at the bank the other day as part of my paycheck, budget routine and the teller made a comment about the amount I was withdrawing must mean that I budget. She continued by saying I should teach her how to budget. This took me by surprise because my assumption has always been that if you have a job working with money, you must be pretty good in dealing with it. So I thought I would write down some different ideas in how to start creating a budget.

The first thing to do is put pen to paper, even if it just writing down all the ways you spend money in one day. If your married or in a relationship this next step should be done together and continue to be a topic of discussion throughout your lives together. If your single you get to be your own designer.

Step 2, talk about your goals, your dreams, your priorities, what you like to buy, what you would like to buy, etc. Lay it all out there. My husband and I have this conversation probably at least once a week. We've talked about different goals and dreams we have. One short term goal we have is to pay more to one debt we carry every month to pay off the debt quickly and not go into debt again. A long term goal we have is building our own retirement home complete with outlying guest houses.  The decisions we make today affect whether we will be able to make that dream a reality or not. Talking about these things and coming to an agreement on these things makes it easier to have a united front when it comes to the really tempting things you may want to buy today, but can't afford or don't really need.

Step 3 for an amount of time record every penny you spend. I say amount of time because you need to decide which is going to be easiest for you to organize. I do our budget monthly because paychecks come in on scheduled days, due dates of bills fall nicely within those paychecks boundaries, and our cash categories are easily divided between the paycheck days. Some people may find it easier to do this for a week if they get paid every week or by six months if that works. But you need to track every cent even if it is a cash purchase. This recording will come in handy as you start to be the director of your money instead of the actor for your money.

Step 4 write down every debt. These are debts you owe such as student loans, credit card balances, or personal debts you owe to maybe family members or friends. Make this list from the smallest amount owed to the largest amount owed. Also take note of monthly payments and interest rates. 

Step 5 create the budget. First write down all the bills you pay every month include your minimum payments on outstanding debts. Even if you pay more towards a debt only list the minimum payment at this point. Then the money left over needs to cover all those all expenses you have been tracking for the amount of time. Categories may include food, gas, eating out, viewing movies online, etc. The list is limitless.  Here's where the belt may need to be tightened in some areas. Here is where those priorities you have laid out for yourselves helps you to set up how much you would like to spend in different categories to achieve those goals you have set for yourself. There you have it you now have a plan. You can use this plan to direct your money instead of allowing your money to direct you.

Today

Today is the kind of day when putting together a lasagna took 25 minutes and most of my brain cells.

I literally cannot remember how many times the baby woke up last night, only that he ended up in my bed at 4:30 with me curled all around him so my husband wouldn't roll over too far.

I almost started this post with "Today is the kind of Monday..." It's Tuesday.

The toddler moved like a sloth this morning when I tried to take everyone to library storytime in 15° F weather.  Even though it's his favorite thing all week.  The baby got cold, which made him wake up, and didn't take a morning nap.

That's the truth of being a mom to multiple littles.  It isn't easy.  It isn't always fun.  Sometimes it is frustrating and emotionally taxing and you feel like you're quite bad at it.

I'm going to go tickle my toddler (who is up too early from his nap, mind you) and swallow my cold coffee and find the joy in being home with my kids.  There is always some to be found.  Usually in a giggle or a shared spitty cracker or a silly face or a new word.

Wishing you a joyful today, even if it's a hard one.

Gifts and Souvenirs for Minimalist Moms

... or people about whom you say, "They're hard to buy for!"

One word.  UPGRADE.

This has been my shopping philosophy for myself, anyway, since going all KonMari on my household.  Consider replacing something the recipient already has, but getting them a fancier/better quality item. This can be a little tricky if you don't know them well (it could come off as judgy) so be careful that what you're replacing is not an heirloom or favorite old battered item.

Examples?  Better oven mitts.  The kind that fit on either hand.

Fancy hand soap or hand cream

A high-quality spill-proof Thermos-like coffee cup

Longer charging cord for laptop, cell phone, etc.

A really lovely pan, or dutch oven

High quality knives

Two words. USEFUL SOUVENIRS

No, a keychain is not really useful.  It is clutter.  It might look cool, and the recipient might actually put it on his/her keys, but it is clutter non-the-less.

Examples?  Kitchenwares.  I have received and loved potholders from Hawaii, and a rolling pin from Disney World.

Clothing items, IF you know the recipient's style well enough.  (Chances are if they're a minimalist, they have a carefully cultivated wardrobe.  Perhaps loungewear pieces.)

Food items from that locale (fruit or coconut products from tropical vacations, sourdough from San Francisco, cherry preserves from Wisconsin, apple butter from Vermont...)

Three words: STUFF TO EAT

I love food gifts!  Trying to live simply also generally involves a budget (and you know we love a budget here on MCM!) so I don't usually splurge on "fancy" food items.  Homemade foods are often wonderful, as well.

Examples I have actually received:

Home-canned pickles

Local honey

Artisan bread

Jams/preserves

A ham

Good quality wine or spirits

"Fancy" soda