The lazy days of summer are winding down, and it’s time to welcome back the alarm clock, soccer practice, ballet classes, homework, scout meetings and your over-scheduled life! Start the school year off right with these tips to help you make the most of each day.
Get Organized – Wouldn’t it be nice to start the school year with a method to the madness? Wouldn’t it be nice to have one place for all rosters, schedules and school information? Learn how to make a family notebook and simplify your life this year. If you love lists, check out hundreds of printable lists to put your world in order
Pack Healthy Lunches for the Kids – You’ll save money if you put a stop to packaged, prepared foods that are full of preservatives. If you’re too busy to make lunches, why don’t you teach your children how. Take it a step further and put together a list of healthy choices for them and buy a thermos so they can enjoy leftovers and soups.
Offer Healthy After School Snacks – A homemade smoothie is a healthy treat! Learn how to make your own fruit smoothie or use up overripe bananas in a Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie.
Eat out Less – Is it time to break the cycle of doing the drive thru for dinner? You’ll save money if you try meal planning made simple and eat at home. The Budget Diet specializes in Frugalicious and Fast dinner ideas like Quick Macaroni and Cheese(not from a box) or Pizza Poppers. Even easier, try my no recipe required dinner ideas.
Don’t Over-Schedule Kids – Slow down, enjoy life! It’s so important for children to have free time, so please don’t schedule every waking moment! Likewise, make sure to build in some free time for yourself! I set aside each Friday morning to go to the movies with friends – it’s only $5, and it’s a great way to kick off the weekend. Resolve to have a little me time each week.
Make Time For Family Fun on a Budget – Family fun doesn’t have to mean going out to an expensive dinner or taking the family to the circus. Try to come up with 10 ways to have fun on a budget and dedicate each Saturday night as family night. You could start a tradition of homemade pizza and a movie on Friday nights or how about sundaes on Saturday?
Exercise – The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to jump start your exercise routine! Get in the habit of walking or riding bikes with your children to school, you’ll save gas and burn calories! This is the year to put the brakes on the mom taxi!
Related posts:
- Back to School Traditions
- Get Organized This School Year!
- Planning Ahead = Saving Money on Back to School Shopping
- The Back to School Countdown Game!
- School Year Resolutions
Great information! We rarely eat out during the school year — who has time or money? Our school year Saturdays find us roaming throughout the great state of North Carolina to visit small town festivals. It’s so fun to visit towns all dressed up for their one big day a year.
I love that you go to the movies every friday with friends! That is such a great idea. I also think having down time for kids is so important too. It’s great to be active but it’s also important to know how to sit still and re-energize. Great tips!
So true! Kids are stressed because we’ve over-scheduled them.
What a great way to spend a Saturday with the family!
I am a frugal mom in training. I love your smoothie ideas. I have a picky eater but healthy food in a glass seems to work for him. I think I will buy a bunch of the bananas while they are still really cheap and peal and freeze them for smoothies all winter long.
We only think our lives as adults are busy, what is expected of our kids these days with school is over the top. We’re raising a generation ridden with anxiety, stress and ulcers. You’re tips are awesome!
Parents need to group together to put a stop to all these over-the-top extra curricular activities!
Please come back and rate the smoothie recipe! We have an immersion blender, and my kids love to make their own smoothies.
This is a wonderful list. Going to the movies once a week sounds like a great way to relax!
Thanks for sharing,
Kristina
We call our movie group the “Groovy Movie Gals,” and it’s so easy to organize! I just send everyone an email a couple days in advance with the name of the movie & the run time.
I love how you get the kids to help with their lunches – may get them to eat it more often… Good luck with the crazy back to school time – but with these tips maybe not so crazy?
Leigh
We have a “lunch” shelf in the pantry and refrigerator with lots of choices! Even leftovers that they can put in a thermos!
I like the idea of not over scheduling our kids. We allow our teens to have one extra curricular hobby, ‘unfortunately’ (not really) our girls chose drama and they are gone every afternoon until late evening with play practice…but, we love it!
Wouldn’t it be nice if more parents had that rule! Our children are growing up in such a competitive society, and there’s a lot of “keeping up with the Joneses” going on!