Kids “Make Your Own” Fruit Kabobs
Kids make your own fruit kabob bowl! Everything for the kabob is edible!
The other day one of my daughters had to bring a snack to an event. She wanted to bring fruit kabobs. The traditional fruit kabobs would need to be put together in advance plus they use wooden sticks.
My husband came up with an amazing idea! He put dry spaghetti noodles in a ziplock bag inside the bowl of mixed grapes. The kids loved making and eating their own fruit kabobs! They can even eat the spaghetti sticks if they want too! Super easy, yet fun for the kids!
Bag of dry spaghetti noodles for the kids!
Bowl of three different types of grapes for the kabobs!
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
1 Cool Kid + 1 Yummy Lunch = 2 Much Fun
The chalk board on the inside of the lunch boxes has been a huge hit with the girls. Most days when they take these lunch boxes to school they cannot wait until lunch time to check out their chalk drawing or message. Every once in awhile the girls will get a special treat in their lunch boxes. Today they got a Lunchable and a variety of vegetables with ranch dip.
Something “special” in the lunch today!
Lunch Box Meal:
- Chicken Nugget Lunchable
- Fresh Banana
- Fresh Carrots
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- Fresh Celery
- Ranch Veggie Dip
- Mozzarella Cheesestick
- Fresh Popcorn
- Chocolate Mint Swirl Marshmallows
- Sunrise Juice Bag
Lunch is packed and ready to go!
The girls love taking their lunches to school. I like that the girls get a few extra minutes at lunch to eat since they take their lunches to school. It is nice having not only their lunch but a snack already packed so they can eat on the way to the after school activities.
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
Lunch box goodies
About once a week I pack a special treat for the girls. This week in their little container I put two Hershey Bliss Milk Chocolate Meltaways and one of each color of M&M’s. The girls love getting these goodies and enjoy sharing with their friends as well. Here’s what they had today:
- Peanut Butter & Homemade Strawberry Jam
- Fresh Red & Green Peppers
- Fresh Strawberries
- Pita Chips or Quaker Granola Bar
- Yogurt
- Banana Muffin
- Juice Bag or Container
- 2 Hershey Bliss Chocolate Meltaways
- 5 M&M’s
Special treats in their lunch today
Fresh fruit & veggies
Recipe: Beach Bucket Cake
Beach Bucket Cake (with cake crumbs for the “sand”)
I made this recipe a few months ago for my Community Group and it was a big hit. As we get closer to the Spring / Summer season I wanted to share this one with you. It was easy to put together and has a fun presentation for get togethers with family and friends.
Beach Pail Cake:
- 1 Yellow Cake Mix
- 1 (8 oz) Cool Whip
- 1 (3 oz) Instant White Chocolate Pudding
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 cups Strawberries
- 2 cups Blueberries
- Clean beach pail, shovel and shells
Made the yellow cake mix according to directions. Cool and cut up into cubes (see picture below) and set aside. Mix together the instant White Chocolate Pudding and one cup of milk. Add the container of Cool Whip to the pudding and mix well.
Put 1/3 of the cubed yellow cake in the bottom of your clean beach pail. Next put half of the pudding and cool whip mixture over the cake layer. Add half of the strawberries and blueberries for the next layer. Then repeat saving 1/3 of the cake but using the remaining cool whip and fruit mixtures. Crumble the remaining cake cubes and sprinkle over the top. Add your shovel to serve the desert and favorite seashells for decorations.
1. Yellow cake cubed and put in the bottom of the beach pail
2. Layer cool whip and pudding mixture over cake layer
3. A layer of strawberries and blueberries comes next
4. Second layer cubed yellow cake
5. Second layer cool whip mixture
6. Second layer of strawberries and blueberries
7. Cake crumbs on top to make it look like “sand”
8. Decorate the top with seashells or beach items. Add the beach shovel and enjoy!
There are a lot of great variations to this cake. I used what I had on hand in our pantry but you could do it with a pound cake instead of a yellow cake or substitute vanilla pudding instead of White Chocolate or add in different seasonal fruits!
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of February 8 – 14, 2012
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. It is a great time to stock up on some Save A Lot deals. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Boston Round Roast – $2.99 lb
London Broil – $3.49 lb
Beef Sirloin Tips – $2.99 lb
Family Pack Cube Steak – $3.49 lb
Family Pack Stew Meat – $2.99 lb
Family Pack Chicken Wings – $1.59 lb
Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
$0.55/1 coupon from insert 1/14 Smart Source (Expires 2/26/12)
$0.45 each after couponBoston Butt Roast – $1.69 lb
Family Pack Chicken Drumsticks or Thigh – $0.99 lb
Chicken Leg Quarters (10 pounds) – $6.89
Carolina Ground Turkey (12 oz) – $1.00
Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Oscar Mayer Wieners (16 oz) – $1.00
Oscar Mayer Bologna (12 oz) – $1.00
Oscar Mayer Lunchables (4 oz) – $1.00
Banquet Dinners, Assorted Varieties – $1.00
Pillsbury Grand Biscuits (16 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 11/20 Smart Source (Expires 2/11/12)
Use $0.40/2 coupon from insert 12/11 Smart Source (3/3/12)
Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 11/20 Smart Source (Expires 2/11/12)
Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 12/11 Smart Source (Expires 3/3/12)
Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 1/8 General Mills (Expires 3/31/12)
Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 12/4 Smart Source (Expires 2/25/12)
Use $0.40/3 coupon from insert 11/20 Smart Source (Expires 2/11/12)
Use $0.40/3 coupon from insert 12/4 Smart Source (Expires 2/15/12)
Use $0.40/3 coupon from insert 12/11 Smart Source (Expires 3/3/12)
As low as $0.67 each after couponBuyers Best Crinkle Cut French Fries (32 oz) – $1.00
Save A Lot Today Chicken Strips or Meatballs (7 to 9 oz) – $1.00
Banquet Brown ‘n Serve Sausage Links, Maple or Original (6 oz) – $1.00
Budding Deli Cuts (Ham, Chicken, Turkey, Roast Beef) 3 to 4 oz – $1.00
Hormel Pepperoni or Hard Salami (3.5 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 1/15 Smart Source (Expires 3/15/12)
Use $0.55/2 printable coupon from Hormel
As low as $0.50 each after couponHinsdalel Corn Dogs (3 count) – $1.00
Fisher Boy Fish Sticks (6 oz) – $1.00
Fisher Boy Shrimp Poppers (4 oz) – $1.00
Tortino’s Pizza Rolls, Pepperoni or Cheese (15 count) – $1.00
Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza, Pepperoni or Supreme (9 to 10 oz) – $1.00
Produce
Oranges (4 pounds) – $2.99
Potatoes (10 pounds) – $2.99
Mini Carrots – $1.00
Head Lettuce – $1.00
Tomatoes (3 pack) – $1.00
Russet Potatoes (5 pounds) – $1.99
Onions (3 pounds) – $1.29
Red or Yellow Peppers – $1.00
Avocados – $1.00
Yellow Onions (3 pounds) – $1.00
Grocery
Betty Crocker Hamburger or Chicken Helper, Assorted Varieties – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups, Assorted Varieties (8 oz) – $1.00
Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta, Assorted Varieties (14 to 15 oz) – $1.00
Diane’s Garden Tomatoes, Whole, Petite or Crushed (28 oz) – $1.00
Nissan Souper Meals, Assorted Varieties (4.3 oz) – $1.00
Hormel Micro Cups, Assorted Varieties (7.5 oz) – $1.00
Wylwood Cut Green Beans or Whole Kernel Corn (28 to 29 oz) – $1.00
Progresso Vegetable Classic Soups, Assorted Varieties (19 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 1/8 Smart Source (Expires 3/3/12)
$0.75 each after couponLay’s Stax, Assorted Varieties (5.5 to 5.75 oz) – $1.00
Bud’s Best Bite Size Cookies, Assorted Varieties (6 oz) – $1.00
Knorr Sides, Assorted Varieties (4 to 7 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 2/26/12)
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 1/29 Red Plum (Expires 2/26/12)
As low as $0.67 each after couponChicken of the Sea White Tuna (5 oz) – $1.00
Kraft Mac & Cheese, Assorted Varieties – $1.00
Hawaiian Punch, Assorted Varieties (32 oz) – $1.00
Malt O Meal Cereal (10 to 12 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Malt O Meal
$0.67 each after couponBetty Crocker Flavored Mashed Potatoes (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Kool Aid Bursts (40.5 oz) – $1.00
Red Gold Ketchup (36 oz) – $1.00
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Tips on Making Lunch Box Meals Fun & Healthy!
School Lunch – PB&J, Chocolate Milk, Yogurt, Jello, Strawberries, Banana Pepper and Tomatoes
This year we made the decision to pack school lunches for the girls in effort to make sure they are eating a well balanced meal at lunch and to save a little extra in the budget. Since Jake and I have pretty much as taken lunches to work the girls thought it was a great idea. They now take their lunch bags to school every day but Friday, on Friday they eat the school lunch (usually it is a special meal like pizza or hamburgers or something else). Brina and Karlie have enjoyed being able to bring a lunch and most days they pick out the majority of the items they are going to take.
Here’s what I pack:
- Meat or Protein – PB&J, Soup, Sandwich or something easy to eat)
- Diary – Yogurt or Cheese Stick
- Fruit – Fresh Fruit or Applesauce
- Vegetable – Fresh Vegetable
- Snack – Pretzels, Teddy Grahams, Jello, etc…
- Drink – Water, Chocolate Milk, Milk, Juice, Box / Bag
School Lunch – PB&J, Cheese Stick, Jello, Fresh Strawberries, Juice Bag, Fresh Tomates & Banana Pepper
It is important to me that the girls get a well balanced meal at lunch time. One of the fun parts about packing lunches for your spouse and kids is you get to add in what our family calls a “special surprise”! Typically the girls / Jake do not know that the surprise has been added because they were not there when I was putting the finishing touches on the lunches or I put it in later that evening.
Special Surprises for lunch boxes:
- Something Sweet – about 1 or 2 times a week I will put in a homemade cookie, piece of candy or something sweet.
- Love Note – usually on a sticky note and sometimes written on a bag or sandwich container
- Random Shapes – sandwiches cut into shapes (squares, triangles, hearts, etc…)
- Special Drink – occasionally I will get a special drink (like one that fizzes when they add it to their water, chocolate milk, or something Jake enjoys)
- Mystery Smiles – I try to sneak mystery smiles into their lunches by using food, sometimes a random smile on a bag or other ways of sharing a smile (see picture below)
The key is to let your family know that you are thinking about them. Special surprises do not need to take up a huge amount of extra time. I keep a dry erase marker on the fridge and a sticky pad in the kitchen so they are handy for writing a quick note. If I make cookies I just bag some up when putting them away to stick in their lunches. Or if you find a special drink on sale stick that in the lunch box for them to enjoy. The girls express great joy in discovering and sharing their goodies. It doesn’t take me long to do it but it makes them feel loved and appreciated.
A banana pepper and two small tomatoes in a snack bag make the perfect mystery smile for a kids school lunch.
What items do you put in your spouse or kids lunches (food or special surprises)?
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
It was a wild week, our family has a lot of fun adventures coming up so I am trying to stop on top of everything. Hopefully I will be able to share a little bit more about our upcoming plans before long. I was not able to get to the grocery store until late on Friday but thankfully was able to pick up almost everything I needed this week even if I did got a little over budget. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Save A Lot | Rite Aid, Walmart, Ingles, and Walgreens
Save A Lot | Rite Aid Groceries:
- $7.90 at Save A Lot | Rite Aid for 2 boxes Blue Bonnet sticks of butter, 2 boxes Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, 1 container Butter Spread (3 lb), and 1 bag Carrots (2 lbs). (All the items were on sale or clearance.)
Walmart Groceries:
- $0.00 at Walmart for 1 bag Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls (on clearance), 1 bag Everything French Bread (on clearance), 1 bag Chocolate Chips, 1 box Popcorn (8 count), 2 liter Mountain Dew (price matched), and 1 box Idaho Potatoes (free product coupon). (Bought items on sale or clearance and paid with a gift card so the total was zero.)
Ingles Groceries:
- $42.84 at Ingles for 1 jar Peter Pan Natural Peanut Butter, 1 can Tuna Fish, 1 Starkist Tuna Fish, 2 boxes Pop Secret Popcorn, 2 loaves Laura Lynn Bread, 4 bags Laura Lynn Shredded Cheese, 2 blocks Laura Lynn Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 2 Laura Lynn sliced Cheese (16 count each), 2 boxes Breakfast Biscuits / Pancakes (on clearance, 10 count each), 6 containers Fresh Blueberries (on clearance), 3 bags Snow Peas (on clearance), 1 container Cherry Chocolate Covered Pretzels (on clearance), 1 container Roasted Soybeans (on clearance), 2 bottles Bare Naked Fruit Drinks (on clearance), 2 Laura Lynn English Muffins (6 count each) and 2 sweet Yellow Onions. Not pictured 3 bags of chips we purchased to take over to a friends house. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance. All the produce was marked down to $0.99 cents, I was able to pick up some more cheese on sale, and used some coupons for the items purchased!)
Walgreens Groceries:
- $0.65 at Walgreens for 2 dozen Eggs, 1 S6 Power Bar, 1bag Domino Sugar (4 lbs), and 1 two liter A&W Root Beer (everything was on sale, I used $9.59 in coupons, and I received $1.89 in Register Rewards back to use towards my next purchase.)
This week I spent $51.39 on groceries. Even though I was over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time plus I had a little extra to spend since I had come under budget in previous weeks. I was thrilled to stock up on produce (blueberries) and diary items as well as other great fridge & pantry items this week. I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget!
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
I am slowly adjusting to quieter grocery shopping trips, I miss the girls chit chat. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Dollar Tree and Rite Aid | Save A Lot Dollar Tree Groceries:
- $1.00 at Dollar Tree for a loaf of Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread.
Rite Aid | Save A Lot Groceries:
- $5.24 at Rite Aid | Save A Lot for a package of Cheese, fresh Peaches, fresh Plums and fresh Nectarines (the fruit was on sale and were great for the girls lunches).
Groceries from BiLo BiLo Groceries:
- $9.97 at BiLo for 2 gallons of Milk and 1 container of Country Crock Spread with Calcium (BiLo still has the least expensive milk on our side of town $3.49 per gallon and the Country Crock was on sale. I used two reusable bags and BiLo gave me 10 cents off my entire purchase, every little bit helps.)
Groceries from Ingles Ingles Groceries:
- $21.60 at Ingles for 1 bag Bananas, 1 container Red Raspberries, 1 container Grape Tomatoes, 1 bag Green Grapes, 2 containers Strawberries, 2 Turkey Lunchables, 2 Chicken Lunchables, 1 Sweet Onion, 1 package Cube Steak (about 3 pounds) and 1 package 93% Lean Hamburger (Everything was marked down on clearance or on sale except the Lunchables which were $1. The girls asked if they could have them at least a couple times a month as a special “treat” for their lunches at school, I decided to be extra nice and see how well they eat them, the ones I picked up don’t expire until Nov / Dec so we have a couple months to try them out).
This week I spent $37.81 on groceries. Even though I was only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I would like to see it even lower. This week I was able to stock up on several staple items as well as lunch bag items that we were needing. I wish the milk prices would go down because that is a large chunk of the amount we spend on groceries each week. Hopefully next week is an even better and we can come under budget for the week.
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Fresh & Healthy: Deep Freezer Goodies – Purple Grapes, Blueberries, Bananas, Green Grapes, & Strawberries
Freezing Seasonal Fruit - Blueberries, Bananas, Strawberries, Purple & Green Grapes This summer we were able to stock up on some fresh produce, including fruit. Thanks to friends sharing their goodies, time picking produce as a family, and clearance items at our local grocery store we have been able to fill up a section of our freezer with delicious fruit. The girls have been enjoying Smoothies the last couple of months and were super excited to stock up on some of these great items. They are already planning on having smoothies after school because they will not be able to share them with me over lunch.
Here is a great Smoothie Recipe:
There are many variations to smoothies, may be sharing a couple more favorites over the next few weeks. Add a handful of fruit you have on hand, a little cream (milk or yogurt), blend, and you have a smoothie. If you want a little extra sweetness you can add a touch of honey. Usually after adding the fruit that is plenty sweet for us but we have tried a variety of different ones.
Another great use for strawberries is as a healthy sauce! When we have pancakes or waffles we blend up a cup or two of fresh strawberries to use as a dipping sauce in place of the traditional syrup. It is healthier and fresher plus the whole family enjoys it.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. It was a busy week but I was able to stock up on some items, including hamburger. I mainly stocked up on non-perishable products this week because we have a few family road trips coming up that I need snacks / easy to prep meals to pack. Eating out for all the meals on a road trip will add up quickly. Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week
BiLo Groceries Groceries from BiLo:
- $13.19 at BiLo 3 packages of ground Hamburger (1.6 pounds or more each) and Soy Sauce (marked at $1.14 with 75 cent clearance stickers). In had a $5.00 off BiLo Meat coupon that I used as well. The amount was right $19.96 before coupons and discounts.
Bargain Foods Groceries Groceries from Bargain Foods:
- $50.62 at Bargain Foods for the following items
- 4 bags of Chex Mix
- 2 boxes of Elbow Pasta
- 2 Oscar Meyer Snack Packs
- 1 box of Hamburger Patties
- 1 HyTop Berry (6 pack)
- 1 bundle of Bananas
- 1 bag of Tater Tots
- 1 Lance Variety Pack
- 2 bags Reeses Pieces
- 2 packs Twizzlers
- 1 bag Raisinets
- 2 Bazooka Bubbles
- 1 Betty Crocker Gel
- 1 box of Mini Corn Dogs
- 1 bag of Andes Peppermint
- 1 bag of Nestle Dark Chocolate
- 1 bag of Brach Cinnamons
- 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 Dole Juice Packs
- 1 Earthbound Organic
- 1 Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
- 1 bag of Cherry Raisinets
- 1 bag of Planters Trail Mix
- 1 Wasabi Sauce
- 1 box of Betty Crocker Fruit Foot
- 4 cans of Green Beans
- 1 bag of Carrots
- 1 Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip
- 1 Salad Topping
- 1 Apple Juice
- 1 Betty Crocker Dora Fruit Snacks
- 1 Annies Cheddar Bunnies
- 1 Betty Crocker Scooby Doo Snacks
- 1 can of Planters Cashews
- 1 Canola Oil
- 1 Emeralds Chocolate Almonds
- 2 Breakstone Light Sour Cream
- 2 cans of whole Green Bean
- 1 bag of Oyster Crackers
- 1 Eve Juice Boxes
- 1 bag of Sea Best Tilapia
- 3 cans of Mushrooms
- 1 Natural Valley Trail Granola Bars
- 3 packs of Cheese Cubes
- 1 bag of shredded Two Cheese Pizza
- 1 Golden Bake Wheat Bread
- 1 Golden Bake Hot Dog Buns
- 1 Gold Bake Hamburger Buns
- 4 boxes Animal Crackers
Bargain Foods is a another great place to shop if you are in the area. We ran into 3 people that we knew just the short time we were in the store. It is a “bent / dent” store so some items are dented and you want to make sure to check the expiration dates. The items available will depend on what they receive from other places who have overstock or for whatever reason want Bargain Foods to move it for them. You can find some great deals but always check the prices when shopping. Bargain Foods is a discount grocery store so they don’t take coupons at their stores, some items you may be better off buying at a local store that takes coupons. I purchase 72 items and very few of them were over $1.
WalMart Groceries Groceries from WalMart:
- $0.00 at WalMart (I had a $5 gift card so didn’t have to pay anything for these items) for clearance French Loaf Bread ($0.90), Purple Grapes, and Strawberries.
I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again. This week I spent $63.81 on groceries. I went over the grocery budget this week and used up most of the extra cash I had in my “grocery wallet” to stock up on items. This week we had couple extra events that I had to purchase items for which I didn’t have on hand so that brought the amount up as well. Hopefully next week I will do better and keep it well under $40. Thankfully I had a little bit left over from previous weeks to cover the extra amount.
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
