As frugal SAHM (stay at home moms), getting ready to send our kids back to school for another school year, there are a few tips that I recommend that can make the transition smoother, while saving money and even teaching your kids a thing or two about tightwad living.
1. Stock Up on Supplies
Late July and the month of August are the best times for a SAHM to get school supplies for literally pennies on the dollar. Most SAHMs get what is on their child's supply list and are happy with their savings. But then, most moms also run out of sharp crayons, filler paper, notebooks and scissors (anyone here actually remember where their scissors are?) by mid-year. Be a frugal SAHM and spend a little extra money now to stock up on supplies to last you through the entire school year.
2. Color Coordinate
In our house, each child has his or her own color. It makes life so much easier! The red backpack, lunch box, pencil box, folders and notebooks belong to one child, while the blue belong to another. Now when someone leaves their notebook in the middle of the floor after school, I don't have to dig around to try to figure out whose it is!
3. Butter Up the Teacher
Remember all those cheap school supplies you got? Well, with the economy as it currently is, more and more parents are not able to provide what their children need to be successful in school. Usually, it is the teachers that end up picking up the slack, at a great expense to their already tight funds. Consider donating extra supplies to your child's teacher directly.
4. School Food
In our frugal SAHM house, we pack our lunches and snacks instead of purchasing them from school. Sunday is our preparedness day. We bake cookies and other treats to last the week (well, sometimes they get gobbled up early; we've learned to hide things from Daddy!) We also prewash, peel, and cut up veggies and put them into sandwich baggies for the week, such as carrots and celery. Juice boxes are stored in the freezer to keep lunch (and juice) cool until lunchtime everyday.
5. Money Management for Teens
The frugal SAHM tips above work great for elementary-aged kids, but what about teenagers? There is a whole different set of rules when it comes to teens! First, they should be given control over some of their own finances.
Offer to give your teen the same amount of money you would pay each month for school lunches. Your teen has the option of buying school lunch or using the cash to buy food at the grocery store to take a sack lunch, and pocket the difference. The rule here is that lunch must be eaten. Your teen will surprise you!
Hopefully these SAHM back to school tips will get you off to a great school year!
Rayven Perkins is an expert at saving money. She has spent more than 10 years finding and implementing unique cost-cutting strategies that allow her family to live comfortably off one income in a two-income society. Visit her site to learn how to stretch your dollar, easiest ways to save money and supplement income in order to stay a stay at home mom.
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