Budgeting the summer snack attack!
School is OUT! Can I get an amen?? My minivan and I are so relieved! (Don't tell her, but we actually have a lot of miles planned for the summer too.) Daily trips to and from...and to and from school are on pause for a while. All the kids amazed me with their achievements and now they are on to 3rd, 6th, and 10th grade! But first, we summer! The pace slows down as the temperatures go up. We decide when and where we go! No one can tell us what time to wake up or what time to go to bed! It's all YouTube and Nintendo from sun up to sun down! The kitchen is open 24 hours and money grows on trees! Wait. Hold up. I don't think so.
This summer includes theater camp, braces, a student driver, and church camp x 5 among other things. We must have a budget...and a designated snack time. All you mamas of boys can attest to the insanity of unstructured days. I'm sure a bunch of girls can be crazy in their own way, but my boys are enough craziness for me. They not only have insatiable appetites, but they are so rowdy and l-o-u-d. I've actually considered buying earplugs. Would that be a form of neglect or would it fall under the category of self-care? (Just something to ponder.)
As we float into another summer vacation, I have a few tips for not breaking the budget while feeding a family of 6. My first tip is Aldi. Seriously. This is my favorite store. If you haven't tried it, what are you waiting for? Your wallet will thank you!! Secondly, even though Aldi has amazing prices on pre-packaged snacks, it is even more cost effective to make your own. For example, you can buy "buttery round crackers" (aka Ritz) for a little over $1 and make a bunch of peanut butter crackers to have on hand. I'll admit though, peanut butter is one of the few things I prefer to buy at Walmart. Aldi's peanut butter isn't bad, but a big spoonful of it is not as good as a big spoonful of JIF (ask me how I know). Here is a list of other snack ideas I like to have in our snack box (or refrigerator drawer):
Colby Jack sticks
Graham crackers w/hazelnut spread (aka Nutella)
Fruit
Yogurt
Cheese and crackers
Boiled eggs
Pretzels
Animal Crackers
Granola Bars
And if my kids liked veggies, I might add celery with peanut butter (and raisins), cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, and celery washed and prepped for a quick snack perhaps dipped in ranch or hummus, or celery filled with cream cheese and wrapped in ham or turkey. I guess I’ll just have to enjoy all of that by myself!
When budgeting, I find that eating out breaks our bank faster than anything else. I do schedule one night a week as pizza night and we have a "fun money" budget for spontaneous restaurant trips or other fun stuff, but lately I have been so tempted by the half price desserts after 8:00. I try to eat healthy, but that sugar bug is hard to kill. So, even though I've never been one to keep sodas, cookies, and candies in the house, that didn't stop me from craving it. Then, before I know it $10 turns into $100 and our budget goes out the window. So, in the spirit of "all things in moderation" I have decided to plan desserts throughout the week and include them in the grocery budget. We're not going to have dessert after every meal, but knowing we have a treat coming up soon helps curb the impulse. (For all you Trim Healthy Mamas out there-don't judge me. One day I'll post about how I conquered this addiction and I'll list all my favorite sugar free desserts. One day.)
So, we've talked snacks and we've talked sweets. Now we need to address lunches because ain't nobody wanna see a cold sandwich on their plate for a long time. Here are the things I have planned for our kid-friendly summer lunch rotation:
M-Quesadillas (cheese, beef, chicken, or bean and cheese)
T- Pepperoni rolls/Garlic Bread Pizzas/Tortilla pizzas
W- Chicken (nuggets, strips, sandwich)
T- Sloppy Joes
F- "Fun lunch" (salami, summer sausage, or lunch meat with cheese, crackers, fruit, etc...)
As far as a designated snack time goes, they can generally have one snack between breakfast and lunch and one between lunch and dinner as long as it isn't too close to meal time. They get to pick when and what they eat, but once they eat their snack if they get hungry again they have to wait until the meal. I also don't let them drink anything but water unless it is with a meal. I honestly love water and about 90% of the time I prefer it over any other drink, unless I'm eating pizza or popcorn, then I think I need a soda. Oh, and it is a sin to eat barbeque without a bottle (not a can) of Big Red. (Trim Healthy Mamas, help!!)
This summer includes theater camp, braces, a student driver, and church camp x 5 among other things. We must have a budget...and a designated snack time. All you mamas of boys can attest to the insanity of unstructured days. I'm sure a bunch of girls can be crazy in their own way, but my boys are enough craziness for me. They not only have insatiable appetites, but they are so rowdy and l-o-u-d. I've actually considered buying earplugs. Would that be a form of neglect or would it fall under the category of self-care? (Just something to ponder.)
As we float into another summer vacation, I have a few tips for not breaking the budget while feeding a family of 6. My first tip is Aldi. Seriously. This is my favorite store. If you haven't tried it, what are you waiting for? Your wallet will thank you!! Secondly, even though Aldi has amazing prices on pre-packaged snacks, it is even more cost effective to make your own. For example, you can buy "buttery round crackers" (aka Ritz) for a little over $1 and make a bunch of peanut butter crackers to have on hand. I'll admit though, peanut butter is one of the few things I prefer to buy at Walmart. Aldi's peanut butter isn't bad, but a big spoonful of it is not as good as a big spoonful of JIF (ask me how I know). Here is a list of other snack ideas I like to have in our snack box (or refrigerator drawer):
Colby Jack sticks
Graham crackers w/hazelnut spread (aka Nutella)
Fruit
Yogurt
Cheese and crackers
Boiled eggs
Pretzels
Animal Crackers
Granola Bars
And if my kids liked veggies, I might add celery with peanut butter (and raisins), cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, and celery washed and prepped for a quick snack perhaps dipped in ranch or hummus, or celery filled with cream cheese and wrapped in ham or turkey. I guess I’ll just have to enjoy all of that by myself!
When budgeting, I find that eating out breaks our bank faster than anything else. I do schedule one night a week as pizza night and we have a "fun money" budget for spontaneous restaurant trips or other fun stuff, but lately I have been so tempted by the half price desserts after 8:00. I try to eat healthy, but that sugar bug is hard to kill. So, even though I've never been one to keep sodas, cookies, and candies in the house, that didn't stop me from craving it. Then, before I know it $10 turns into $100 and our budget goes out the window. So, in the spirit of "all things in moderation" I have decided to plan desserts throughout the week and include them in the grocery budget. We're not going to have dessert after every meal, but knowing we have a treat coming up soon helps curb the impulse. (For all you Trim Healthy Mamas out there-don't judge me. One day I'll post about how I conquered this addiction and I'll list all my favorite sugar free desserts. One day.)
So, we've talked snacks and we've talked sweets. Now we need to address lunches because ain't nobody wanna see a cold sandwich on their plate for a long time. Here are the things I have planned for our kid-friendly summer lunch rotation:
M-Quesadillas (cheese, beef, chicken, or bean and cheese)
T- Pepperoni rolls/Garlic Bread Pizzas/Tortilla pizzas
W- Chicken (nuggets, strips, sandwich)
T- Sloppy Joes
F- "Fun lunch" (salami, summer sausage, or lunch meat with cheese, crackers, fruit, etc...)
As far as a designated snack time goes, they can generally have one snack between breakfast and lunch and one between lunch and dinner as long as it isn't too close to meal time. They get to pick when and what they eat, but once they eat their snack if they get hungry again they have to wait until the meal. I also don't let them drink anything but water unless it is with a meal. I honestly love water and about 90% of the time I prefer it over any other drink, unless I'm eating pizza or popcorn, then I think I need a soda. Oh, and it is a sin to eat barbeque without a bottle (not a can) of Big Red. (Trim Healthy Mamas, help!!)
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