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Family Management 101: The Finances Department February 21, 2009

Posted by Tonya in : Family Management , add a comment

As I was sitting down to write this my cousin called.  “Guess What?”  she asked me excitedly, not waiting for me to reply, “I got BLING” she replied giggling.  I had to laugh at her use of slang.  In honor of her and her husband’s upcoming tenth wedding anniversary she had decided that she wanted a “big diamond”.

She described the ring to me, “A princess-cut 1 carat diamond” she paused “‘nique” she finished again falling into the giggles.  We talked of what it would actually cost to buy a ring with a real diamond in it (anywhere from a couple thousand dollars up to five thousand.)  I told her that there is just too much practicality in me to ever buy a ring that expensive.

“Five thousand dollars!  That is a family trip or new furniture.” I told her.  We both agreed that “Diamond” (pause) “‘nique” was the way to go.  Especially, since with the advances of technology really make it hard to determine between synthetic and natural stones.  Besides, what is really important?  That you have two months’ salary on your finger or that you have a truly beautiful ring that symbolizes a priceless sentiment? Of course putting the current economy into perspective…I would think a “real” diamond rings are low on the priority list.

As family managers the stress of finances looms over us.  Money is a hot button topic, people fight over it and marriages have ended over issues related to money.  In my experience of my first marriage, my ex-husband made very poor choices when it came to the way that money was spent.  Because of this I was the one in charge of paying bills and managing our family budget.  I had failed at my attempts to make him understand the importance of not overspending and the evils of credit.  Though our marriage had much deeper conflicts that ultimately lead to our divorce, the way we fought about money definitely was a factor.  A couple months after we separated I sat down to evaluate my bills.  After paying all my bills for the month on just my salary I had more money left over than I usually did with mine and his salary combined.

As much as I felt stressed in my first marriage it pales in comparison to how I started to worry about money after becoming a mother.  Now there is the future to consider as well as just budgeting to meet the financial needs of growing children such as braces, medical bills, school cost, the cost of extra activities, not to mention sitters and transportation costs.

The Finances department is enormous all by itself, which why it is important to get control of it as soon as possible.  It is never too late to develop good communications about finances with your partner.  Ideally, there should be a discussion about handling bills before hand  about who is going to handle finances, budgeting, setting up savings, etc, but it doesn’t always happen that way.  The best way to avoid arguments about money is to talk about it before it becomes a problem.

Setting a budget is equally important; it will help to control spending when you know exactly what you have to spend.  Another important step is to track your expenditures this can be done in a simple ledger or using finance software.  I know for years I tracked my ex-husband and mine spending habit with Microsoft Money.  I was able to look at reports and find out where we were spending money and where we needed to pull in the reins a bit.  The best way to know where you can save money is to know where it is all going.

Along with budgeting your money and tracking expenditures it is important that you are a good consumer.  For example, with de-regulation there is not multiple options for utilities such as phone, cable, gas, and electric.  Bargain shop; know what each in your area is offering.  Take advantage of promotions that offer price freezing for a certain period of time; this will help you with budgeting as well.  Wait for the items you need to go on sale, the internet can also help you find the best deals on what you want. You can save money by clipping and using coupons on items that frequently use.

Avoid using credit when possible, in my current relationship we avoid using credit at all costs.  We rather put away money every week for a future purchase than have to pay additional interest.  Believe me that saving all that interest can really add up.  Credit cards and buying on time will cost you more money and keep you in debt longer.

Don’t forget to put a little away for a rainy day.  Put something aside into a savings account, even if it is a low amount.   If you put $20 away in a savings account every week for a year you will have over $1000 in the account over time that can grow into a nice chunk of money.

When it comes to money the best tool you can have is knowledge. The more time you take in educating yourself and your family on the best way to get the most “bang for your buck” along with keeping debt and the use of credit under control, will put your family in a good financial position!

Additional Resources:

Family Management 101: The Food Department February 10, 2009

Posted by Tonya in : Family Management , add a comment

You oversee 1,095 meals per year- not including snacks and parties. A few smart strategies can eliminate time-robbing, last-minute trips to the store and significantly reduce your food bill, too.”

~ Family Manager - Grocery Shopping Savvy

Each evening, I use to go from the fridge to the freezer, to the cupboard again and again looking for something to “jump out” at me as if it was going to dance and sing “Cook me tonight!” Just deciding what to cook for dinner use to take forever, of course the only input that I got from my family as to what they wanted for dinner was “anything”. Because I was so unorganized I usually did not have meat thawed out or all the ingredients for what I wanted to make, not to mention that I was not including all the food groups that needed to be included for a balanced meal. By getting my “food department” organized I was able to save time, money, and created more nutritionally balanced meals for me and my family.

There are several things that as Family Manager you can do to provide nutritional meal options that still fit into your schedule. The best place to start is to make a menu of meal options for the week. This will help you cut down on preparation time and also give you a very clear vision of what needs to be purchased at the grocery store. It will also give you the chance to make sure that you are planning balanced meals and snacks. An organized kitchen will also help you save time, make meal prep and clean up easier.

If you have a crazy schedule like mine then picking one day a week to do some advance cooking might work for you. I pick one day a week usually Sunday and cook several meals that can be reheated during the week.We make a family affair out of prepping and cooking. Logan loves helping and is very good at following directions (stirring is hands down his favorite). I love it when we cook together as a family, it gives us a chance to talk over our days and be together. Get your family involved in the menu planning and cooking!Food has a way of bringing families together, I feel that sharing in the responsibility of the whole process from planning, shopping, meal prep, cooking, serving, eating, and clean up are all important. Not only are they skills that they will need later in life, but it creates a good model where everyone is responsible to do their share, not to mention it is just downright fun to do it with your family.

I usually make a soup or stew (in wintertime I make a chili which is loaded with veggies), several main dishes like meatloaf, turkey ham, or a pan of lasagna. Make up scrambled eggs, pancakes, or french toast and then freeze them into individual servings can help you give your kids a hot, filling meal that can be reheated in minutes during the morning rush. Also, preparing a big batch of jello and pudding divided into individual servings make for great snacks that are easy for the kids to grab. A little trick that I discovered a long time ago is that the sugar-free low calorie puddings and jello taste almost exactly the same so I only buy the sugar-free versions and by making it yourself it is SO much cheaper than buying already prepared pudding or jello cups. Purchase reusable Popsicle molds and make frozen pudding pops for a great tasting sugar-free snack.

Having fresh and frozen fruits on hand are a great addition to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time! I often thaw frozen fruit and serve with low-fat whipped topping and call it desert. Fruits are a really great substitute for sugary snacks while still being sweet enough to feel like it is a treat. In our family we love snacking on raw vegetables; in fact we prefer raw veggies over cooked in many instances. A favorite afternoon snack of ours is a vegetable and cheese tray with fat-free ranch dressing – it makes for a very healthy snack, it is more filling and gives a nice boost of energy.

Make sure that you take inventory of what you already have on hand before meal planning and grocery shopping. I often plan my menu on items that I already have on hand to prevent food from expiring or going bad. For fresh produce buy from local farmers, utilize farmer’s markets. In the off season months I usually buy from the grocery store – if it is in your budget I highly recommend buying organic; if it is not an option or desire then make sure that you wash vegetables and fruits very well before eating.

When shopping read the labels, know what is in your food – good and bad. Sometimes with busy schedules “from scratch” isn’t an option. On my families busy nights we have chicken nuggets with a salad and fruit or yogurt. Crock pot cooking is another way to have a great family dinner when your schedule is jam packed. There are tons of great crock pot/slow cooker recipes out there, one of our favorite is homemade beef stew (recipe below), look in your grocery stores for soup packs (they usually include carrots, turnips, parsnips, celery, potatoes, and onions) that have all the veggies you need to make a great soup.

Make meal time a special time with your family, research notes positive effects on children that eat dinner with their family.  Teamwork can make meal time more enjoyable, less work, and a time for you and your family to connect, laugh, share, and grow.

Tonya’s Crock-Pot Veggie Beef Stew

Ingredients:

Directions:
Wash, dry, and cut vegetables.
In crock-pot/slow cooker combine meat, vegetables, beef broth, V8 juice, vegetable soup mix, a pinch of salt and pepper. Fill to the top with water, set on high and let it cook. An hour before you want to eat taste the broth of the soup – if you want more beef flavor you can add an evelop of beef stew mix or brown gravy (don’t add if you are happy with the beef flavor). Serve with warm bread.

(Note: if you can substitute chicken for the beef, just change the broth and gravy mix to chicken)

USDA Food Pyramid

What is a “Healthy Diet”? - The Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that

  • Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
  • Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and
  • Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

    • ~ United States Department of Agriculture

    Other Resources:

    Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

    Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & U.S. Department of Agriculture

    Dine Without Whine™ – Menu Planning Service for busy families