Money saving tips for a house full of kids?!?!?

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Instead of buying name brand stuff buy store brand or other generic brands. It is usually the same ingredients with a cheaper price.

Also, buy some items in bulk. Things like soap, laundry detergent, toothpaste and foods that will be eaten can be bought in bulk. If you can't use all of it though then don't buy it in bulk or it will just get threw away.

Clip coupons and/or print them off of the Internet. If you use coupons you can get some stuff very cheap or even free if you match them up with other coupons. Just make sure that the store will take them together if you use more than one at a time. Some coupons can't be used with other offers while some can.

Your parents can explain to the kids that they love having them around but it is getting expensive. Then tell them that when they come to plan and bring snacks for everyone. Have each kid bring a certain item when they come. One night one kid can bring soda or other drinks, another can bring snack packs and so forth like they do at school parties....Show more

Go with the stock market. At a younger age you can be more aggressive and so have more risk. Some people would say look into mutual funds, but even those aren't aggressive enough. Try looking into companies that you support that have a good product and room for growth. Research some companies by looking at their news and stock history. Pick out a few stocks so it will be diversified enough. Then get an account from Schwab or Scottrade to buy them. Reading up on the info may be a little time consuming, but it's very important. Learning is the best way to increase money. For your account, get a Roth IRA to save for retirement. If your underage, you'll need a parent to control your account....Show more

You have to start thinking S-M-A-R-T. What kind of cutbacks can you make? For example: I drink bottled water. Now at $1 a bottle on something that covers over 65% of our planet is not smart. So I bought one of those water filters that screw into your faucet. I have bottles that I refil over and over again. This doesn't take much time and you will reduce your carbon footprint as a bonus. Do you have a lot of small appliances around that house that are always on? Televisions, subwoofers, sterio equipment and microwaves use the most energy when they are left plugged into the outlet, even when they are turned off. Plug all your plugs from entertainment system into those 6 prong outlet plugs with the switch on them. When you are not using these items shut the switch off. I noticed a huge difference on my electric bill just by doing this. I also bought some of those florescent bulbs that look a lot like a regular bulb. These things use 80% less electricity than regular bulbs. Ave 60Watt incalescent bulb (old school) runs you 2 cents per hour. Ave 60Watt energy bulb averages 0.5 cents per hour. Wanna be creative? Find yourself leaving lights on? Buy a motion sensor switch, the lights will turn on when you enter the room and will turn off (by a set amount of time) when you leave the room. I have one, they cost $15 at HomeDepot. You would be surprised, but these small things add up. If you really need the money right away start cutting back on your food costs. Romain noodles cost a dime and they taste just as good as campbells chicken noodle that costs over $1 a can. Ok no chicken in romain noodles, but you are probably just missing about 4 tiny pieces of chicken. Adjust your toilet to use lesser water. If you don't know how to do this then put a brick inside your toilet 'chamber'. You will use a less water each time you flush, this adds up over time people. Before you know it you will be ahead. Need new windshield wipers for your car? Who says you have to buy 2? You only need the new one on the drivers side, leave the old wiper on the passenger side. Are you an impulsive buyer?? Listen here's what you do......always save the receipt. Find a place to save all the boxes, packaging, etc. Try to get obsessed with folding all the packing materials, making them neat and tape the receipt onto the box/package. Make a game out of it. And get yourself into a new habit called "impulse returning" I once bought a shampoo rug cleaner to scrub my carpets. After I was done I didnt need it anymore so I returned it to the store. I like to think of it as free rental. So remember you have to start thinking S-M-A-R-T! Yours truly seahorsehawrey....Show more

We lived at a lake when I was growing up so I know how summer brings out all the friends. If it were me, I'd steer clear of the Easy Mac and other processed foods. Per serving they are really expensive and not a good choice if you are trying to save some money. Food, beverages, and toilet paper are going to be big on the list of expenses for sure. Being on the water makes you really hungry so you may want to consider some things like making a big pot of sloppy joes that can sit in the crock pot all day and kids can eat when they want to. You can even make things ahead of time and put in the freezer to pull out when the kids show up. You can cook up some chicken fajita meat and put in the freezer. Cook up some onion and peppers add the frozen pre-cooked meat and you have a good meal in a few minutes. If your family tries to keep soft drinks on hand for everyone that can get pricey unless you buy a large quantity when someone runs a sale. You could tell everyone that you'll always have plenty of water, iced tea, and lemonade on hand and if anyone wants soft drinks to bring their own. Or, you could ask visitors to bring along a 12 pack or a couple 2 liters of pop (sorry, I live in Michigan, I know most areas of the country call it soda) plus some chips or munchies. It would also be nice if you could find some cute container to keep on the counter or the kitchen table marked with some cute saying about donating to help with food. That way kids could just put the money in. Lots of kids do have some cash on them, but if someone doesn't than they won't have to feel embarrassed if they can only put in a few dollars. If you think macaroni and cheese would be a big hit, I have a great crock pot recipe you could try. Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
1 16 ounce box macaroni, 24 ounces American cheese slices, 3 cups milk, 2 12 ounce cans evaporated milk, 4 tablespoons melted butter, salt, pepper, onion salt to taste. Cook macaroni according to box directions, using the least amount of recommened cooking time. Spray the liner of the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Pour evaporated milk and milk into the crock pot. Unwrap cheese slices and place whole into the milk. Sprinkle with seasonings. Add cooked, drained macaroni. Pour melted butter over all. Stir, cover. Cook on low for 3 hours stirring occassionally....Show more

Well you can also look up recipes that are great for large parties and have a lot of mouths to feed. 16 years old is old enough to spare some cash when going to someones house, especially if it happens a lot. Have your brother ask some of his friends to volunteer to bring something each time they come, like soda, snacks, etc. Also, if you want to save small things like dish detergent and soap, you can always water them down a little bit....Show more