|
Saving money while raising a family can be a serious challenge. Research shows that most parents will have spent over $280,000 by the time their child reaches the age of 18. Building savings while paying for family essentials is by no means an easy task, but there are lots of ways to lower your expenses. Every family can benefit from considering ways to reduce their monthly costs. On that note, here are some simple money-saving tips for families.
Focus on food costs Food is a large expense for most families. According to thestreet.com, the average four-person family spends almost $11,000 on food every year. This makes it one of the biggest monthly costs for families. Luckily, there are countless ways to slash your food costs whilst still enjoying a healthy and nutritious diet. Switching to a more budget-friendly supermarket is a simple way to lower your grocery bills. You can also save significant amounts on your weekly shop by choosing store-brand food and looking for deals in the discount section of the supermarket. Another simple way to keep food costs low is by not eating out at restaurants. Preparing food at home is far cheaper and tends to be healthier as you know what is going into your meals. Choose low-cost fun Popular activities like going to the cinema or visiting a theme park can be expensive, particularly if you have a large family. However, being frugal doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on family fun. There is a fantastic selection of free and low-cost activities to keep your family entertained. You can go on a family walk, have a picnic in your local park, or arrange a family board game night at home. Swapping expensive activities for low-cost alternatives will help you stick with your budget and save more. For instance, have a cozy movie night at home with snacks instead of going to the cinema. Become coupon savvy Becoming coupon savvy is another great way to save money on family expenses. You can use coupons to cut the cost of various everyday items including food, clothes, and activities. Vouchers can also be used to gain discounts on treats (i.e. a Sephora discount code can save you money on cosmetics and beauty products). Search on coupon websites to find the latest discounts and vouchers. In most cases, you can download the discount code for free or sign up to have coupons sent to your email. Keep celebrations simple Birthdays can become a huge expense for families and cause stress for parents who are worried about money. It is important to celebrate birthdays as a family but try to keep celebrations simple. Instead of going out for an expensive meal, cook a special family meal at home and spend quality time togetherinstead. Remember to focus on making memories rather than spending money. Sleepovers and themed parties at home are low-cost ways for parents to celebrate their child’s birthday without spending lots of money.
0 Comments
A good barbecue can be a brilliant way to relax, but there’s little else more therapeutic than a Korean barbeque, prepared with Korean philosophy in mind. In South Korea, a predominant cooking style involves patience, care and acceptance that making good things can take time. This approach is influenced by Buddhist ideals, as well as some Taoist influence from China. Cooking a Korean BBQ doesn’t have to be therapeutic, but when you use the cooking process to immerse yourself in the present, you’ll enjoy the act of making the food just as much as eating the food. BBQ basics You can use charcoal for an authentic smoky flavor, but many people prefer to use gas. You should be ready to take your time. With some recipes you slow cook the meat for a whole day, if you wish to. Find out how long does a propane tank last and just make sure you have enough gas or charcoal for the whole cooking process. You want to be as calm as possible throughout, so you want to avoid any panic at a later stage. Chicken Chicken is a favorite ingredient in Korea, though if you can try to get broiler chicken; it’ll be a bit tougher than the chicken you’re used to, but Koreans find it has a better flavor. You can cook dak gui, as it’s called, with any chicken cuts of your choice, some garlic and scallion (although true Buddhist cooking rejects the use of pungent ingredients like garlic and scallion, as well as meat as a whole – use whatever you feel comes naturally to you). Smash the garlic, dice the scallions (if you’re using them), slice a piece of ginger up and put it all in a bowl with ¾ cup soy sauce, ½ cup Korean malt syrup, 6 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons sesame oil and 1.4 teaspoons black pepper. Flatten the chicken with a meat mallet and then marinade it in the bowl for 2 hours. When you cook the chicken, you can cook it slowly for 20-30 minutes on a low heat or on cook it on a high heat for 10 minutes. Make sure you use the marinading process to make some Kimchi potato salad or prepare some japchae. Bulgogi Bulgogi is a style of dish most popularly made with beef, but it can be had with pork or tofu. You need 6 scallions, a thinly sliced onion, 4 crushed garlic cloves, a thinly sliced piece of ginger, half a cup of gochujang, ¼ cup toasted sesame seed oil, ¼ soy sauce, 3tbs Korean red pepper powder, sugar and sesame seeds and 2 tbs mirin. Dice everything up including your preferred amount of beef, place into a bowl and stir before marinating it for any amount of time over 1 hour. Put your BBQ on high, pull out the meat and then let all the marinade drip off. Then slap it on the grill, watch it cook and then turn it when it gets lightly charred. While preparing and cooking, think about the dualities of life. Korean food is designed around the concept of eum yang, a concept describing how forces that might seem completely opposite or conflicting are actually interconnected and interdependent. Light and dark, high and low, water and fire are all eum yang concepts; think of how the flavors interact with the cooking process; for example, spiciness and the metal of a BBQ are traditionally said to contrast, affecting the lung and the colon. You can make almost any home into a family home with the right focus and investment. Family homes take quite a beating, so they need to be robust, functional, and allow you to keep everyone healthy and happy. It’s a lot to ask out of a building with four walls and a roof, but it is far from impossible.
You would be amazed at what can be done in even small spaces with the right ingenuity and commitment. Improve Insulation Replacing your windows isn’t always necessary when you first move in, but if the house is old, you cannot even trust your double-glazed windows Insulation The actual insulation in your home will make a huge difference. You may need to upgrade or renovate if your home is particularly old (and especially if there is asbestos in your property, which could be deadly), or you may just need an update, like insulating your attic. Windows Double or triple glazingcustomsolarandleisure.com/ is effective because of an inert, non-toxic gas that is trapped between the panes of glass. Over time, especially in older windows, this gas leaks out. It’s not harmful; it just means that your windows become drafty and unable to hold in heat the way it used to. If your windows are old and ineffective like this, then it’s time to update your windows. Doors Doors can also be huge issues when it comes to keeping your home insulated. Replace them with an insulated, durable option to improve the safety and insulation of your home. Decoration Carpets, rugs, tapestries, curtains, and even door cushions that sit along the floor are all very easy, budget-friendly options to improve the comfort and insulation of your home. They are also some of the oldest. Castles weren’t just decorated with tapestries for decoration; they are one of the oldest wall insulators available. Add Solar Solutions You could go for a full solar solution. You could go for a solar water heater or solar pool heater. You can get all three from one of the best solar companies in Tucson, and with government subsidiaries and tax credits, your smart solar solution is more than within your reach. Once installed, you can save around $90 per month, every month, or be able to enjoy a long pool season for practically nothing. Solar solutions are best to install when you first move in to benefit from the savings over the years. Go Custom with Your Storage Small homes, big homes, and every home in-between – the thing you need most is custom storage. Custom storage allows you to own everything you need as a family, but to have a spot for it all to go. By adding a wall of storage, you can easily put items away instead of needing to carefully store every little thing like you are playing a game of household Jenga. With custom storage, you can keep your home tidier without using bulky storage units. Perfect for growing families who are looking to get more out of the home that they have. Go Smart with Your Home System The final tip to help improve the efficiency and utility cost of your home is to make it smart. Smart home systems can connect to almost every aspect of your home, though the most common ones control your heating/cooling and your security. A fully smart home, however, can turn off unnecessary appliances, wake you up with coffee, and even remind you when food is about to expire in your fridge. All you need to enjoy such a smart home that will help you save and give your family so much support is to switch over to smart appliances and features slowly. One smart hub is all you need, but choosing the right one is key; otherwise, you could lock yourself out of options in the future. Bathroom Renovation You will know if your bathroom needs an upgrade. If they are always busy, rotting somewhere, or just generally feel ineffective in a family home, then it is time to upgrade the space in its entirety. Sometimes the best upgrade, however, is a full-scale renovation that works to include an additional bathroom in your home, even if it’s just a toilet and sink on the ground floor. This will help your family live in harmony with one another and is also very good for the overall value of your home. K Kitchen Renovation The heart of the home is where stomachs get filled, which is why if your kitchen feels cramped, then a renovation is in order. Many people find open-plan kitchens so much more useful and sociable, allowing them to cook and spend time with their family all at once. Attic or Basement Renovation If you have an unfinished basement, then consider it an entirely unfinished floor that is full of possibility. You could save a lot by doing DIY projects down there, like laying down flooring but remember to bring in the pros if you want to do anything concerning the structure, plumbing, or electricals in the room. By converting these areas into functional spaces, you can add more value and purpose to your home. Add another bedroom in the attic, create an entertainment space and laundry room in the basement. There are so many ways you can change your whole home Extension Extensions can add upwards of 20% of your property’s value. This could mean tens of thousands back to you when you finally go to sell your home, and before that, a much-needed increase in the footprint of your property. This option is ideal,particularly if you don’t have a basement or an attic as an option, or if you specifically want to extend outwards to upgrade your kitchen so that it is larger. Your family home is enough; it just needs to be upgraded. You can save space, improve function, and cut down on costs with every single one of these tips in one way or another. Upgrading your family home will always be cheaper than trying to move up to a larger property, so be creative with your options. |
Archives
May 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed