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Your FREE personal organizer (that’s me!) is here to help you plan ahead with calendar tips and shopping tips for the busy month of November!

Attention Military:

If you’re active duty military or a veteran, make sure to take advantage of Veteran’s Day Freebies…lots of free meals! Also this year, enjoy a free night stay at a participating Bed & Breakfast Inn on Monday, November 12th…hurry to make reservations because it’s based on space availability.

Plan Ahead for Birthday Gifts:

Check your calendar for upcoming birthdays, so you’ll have time to find a great gift at a great price. If your weekend social calendar is filled with children’s birthday parties, consider starting a gift closet since November is the best time to buy toys.

Plan Ahead for Parties:

The Christmas party season will soon be in full swing, so start shopping now for a party dress at a pretty price! Have you ever shopped a consignment store or thrift store in a nice part of town? You’ll be amazed how many fabulous dresses you will find, and the prices can’t be beat!

Plan Ahead for Christmas Gifts:

Christmas is a wonderful (& busy) time of the year. Avoid overspending by setting a budget and making a list before you hit the stores. If your family draws names for Christmas, don’t delay! The Budget Diet girl has all sorts of variations on drawing names for Christmas that will work with any budget. If you want to spend less this Christmas, my article on 7 Simple Ways to Save Money is a must-read!

Plan Ahead for Holiday Travel:

Now is the time to plan ahead and start researching airfares, hotels and rental cars. The Budget Diet’s Top 10 Budget Travel Deals is a great source for all the best travel bargains, and it’s updated weekly.

Shopping Calendar – Best Time to Buy

Thanks to my friends at FreeShipping.org for reminding us which items are typically on sale in November!

• Electronics – especially black Friday
• Kitchen Gadgets
• RV’s
• Toys
• Produce – citrus and squash

Your free personal organizer, aka The Budget Diet girl, is always at your service with gift ideas, party ideas, organizing tips and more!

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Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Aaahhhhhh…the first cool, crisp days of fall have arrived!

It’s a new month, and it’s time to tackle a new to-do list! Here’s your October planner…

Check your calendar and plan ahead! Any October birthdays, parties or special events coming up? Do you need to find an outfit for a party? If you plan ahead, you’ll have time to find a bargain!
 
Halloween…you have until the end of the month, but now is the time to be thinking about costumes, decorations & Halloween parties. If you need Halloween ideas, The Budget Diet girl has devoted an entire section to inexpensive Halloween ideas, from costumes to decorations to parties – BOO! Click here for all the great ideas!
 
Closet Organizing…the change of season is a great time to organize your closet! Need an incentive? Don’t allow yourself to buy new clothes until you’ve finished the closet cleaning project. Even better, sell your unwanted clothes and accessories at a consignment shop and use the money you make for new outfits. Check out these 5 easy steps to an organized closet!
 
Fall Cleaning…the change of season is also the ideal time for house cleaning projects like pressure washing, window washing and garage organizing. Don’t wait until it’s too cold for the outside chores on your to-do list.
 
Thanksgiving or Christmas Travel Plans? Now is the time to start researching airfares, hotels and rental cars.
 
Christmas Gifts If your family draws names for Christmas, don’t delay! Once you have your shopping list, try doing a little Christmas shopping each month…it’s easier on the budget! Have fun with your gift exchange and try one of my 5 variations on drawing names for Christmas!
 
Lists, Lists, Lists – You’ve got to love lists especially during this crazy time of the year! If you need help making lists, you’ll love ListPlanIt.com where you’ll find hundreds of printable lists to put your world in order – lists for Christmas shopping, grocery shopping, meal planning,travel planning, party planning and more!
 
New Month, New Coupons – At the beginning of every month bunches of new printable coupons are released, so make it a habit to check The Budget Diet’s Coupon page!
 
Best Items to Buy in October
Thanks to my friends at FreeShipping.org for sharing this list!

Air Conditioners – The temperatures are dropping, and so are the prices!
Appliances - The new models are arriving this month, so you’ll find great deals on the older models.
Cars – The new model year has begun, so buy an ’09 and SAVE! Always buy a new car at the end of the month when dealers are trying to make their quotas.
Gas Grills – The gas grill section at Home Depot & Lowe’s is shrinking! They are clearing out the grills to make room for Christmas, and the savings are huge!
Fruit – apples, cranberries, grapes & pomegranates.
Veggies – broccoli, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, sweet potatoes & winter squash.

 
You’ll save time and money by planning ahead! Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark!

Now…go out, be organized and tackle your to-do list this month!

Make breakfast,

pack lunches,

drive kids to school,

recharge with a cup of Starbucks,

run errands,

pick up kids from school,

grab an afternoon snack at the drive-thru,

drop off Johnny at soccer practice,

drop off Susie at dance class,

grab a pizza for dinner,

pick up Johnny from soccer,

pick up Susie from dance,

rush through dinner,

help with homework,

get everyone to bed.

Your husband asks, “what did you do today?”

hmmmm….

Welcome to life in the mom taxi lane!

This school year go from frazzled to fully in control with these time saving tips! You’ll be able to get your kids to all their activities, cook a delicious dinner, have a clean house and even enjoy a little time to yourself! It really is possible to simplify your life.

1. Schedule Your Day – The best way to get everything done is to have a schedule. Pencil in time for cooking, cleaning, errands, etc. Learn more about Time Management for Moms
2. Make a Family Notebook – Add an extra 3-ring binder to your school supply list and put together a family notebook. Your notebook should include school calendars, team rosters and schedules, Scout rosters and calendars, etc. It’s a wonderful resource that the entire family will use, and it’s one less piece of paper you’ll have to hunt for!
3. Establish a Cleaning Schedule – It’s nearly impossible to dedicate an entire day to house cleaning, so don’t! Learn how to put together a house cleaning schedule and clean your house in 15 minutes a day!
4. Take Advantage of Hidden Pockets of Time – Life in the mom taxi requires a lot of waiting…waiting in the carpool line, waiting for practice to end, waiting in the doctor’s office, waiting, waiting, waiting! Don’t waste these hidden pockets of time…always bring along some busy work like bills to pay, school forms to fill out, thank you notes to write or Christmas cards to address. You’ll be amazed how much you can accomplish while waiting!
5. Unclutter Your Life – Stop wasting time sifting through piles of junk mail or an inbox full of junk! Right now, go to DMAchoice.org (it’s free), and remove your name from credit card mailings, catalogs and other junk. Don’t worry, if there’s a catalog or two you really like, there’s an option to choose which catalogs to eliminate. Get in the habit of clicking “unsubscribe” on unwanted emails…you’ll find the unsubscribe button near the bottom of most unsolicited emails.
6. Start a Gift Closet – If you have toddlers or elementary school age children, your weekend social calendar likely revolves around birthday parties. Eliminate last minute running around for birthday gifts by starting a gift closet. You’ll stock your gift closet or gift shelf with bargain gifts. Take advantage of sales on board games or pick up a great toy for about half the cost at discount stores like T.J. Maxx.
7. Eat Out Less – If the fast food lane is your idea of dinner, it’s time to get back to a home-cooked family meal. Cooking a family dinner doesn’t mean you have to dedicate hours to slaving over a hot stove, instead you just need to know some quick and easy recipes! Take time today to put together a notebook of quick and easy recipes, and you’ll have a great resource for your family dinners as well as some extra cash in your wallet. Why don’t you start with The Budget Diet’s Frugalicious and Fast Recipes?
8. Make Time for Frugal Family Fun – Don’t over-schedule your kids this school year and enjoy less stress and more family fun. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Saturday with nothing to do, and you could all go to the park? You’ll love having free time to enjoy these frugal family fun ideas.

Ahhh…don’t you feel less frazzled just by reading this? You may even have a little time to yourself now!

What are your favorite ways to be less frazzled and more in control?

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Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“It pays to plan ahead, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”

The Budget Diet girl (a.k.a. your free personal organizer) is here again with a checklist to help you plan ahead for September, so you can save time and money!

New School Year, New Routine
This is the month we transition from the lazy days of summer to our hectic, over-scheduled lives. If you’d like to spend less time rushing around, I’ve got some great tips for you in Time Management for Moms. If back to school means back to the drive-thru for your family, make an effort this year to eat in, not out! You’ll save money when you try these 5 ways to ditch the drive-thru.

Check Your Calendar
Check your calendar and start planning ahead for any big events this month like birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. Take a moment and order discounted gift cards to buy these gifts, and you’ll save up to 30%! Remember, discounted gift cards take about 1 week to arrive, and you can find them for just about any store or restaurant! Last month I saved with discounted gift cards to Office Depot, Best Buy, AMC Theatres and American Eagle.

If you don’t have a gift closet, this might be a great month to start one especially if your weekend social calendar revolves around children’s birthday parties!   Learn how to start a gift closet, and you’ll be prepared for birthdays.

Closet Organizing
Take time this month to clean-out and organize your closet, so you’ll be ready for fall. Check out 5 easy steps to an organized closet.

 
Shopping Calendar
Do you know that you can save hundreds of dollars simply by knowing the best time to buy? September marks the end of the summer season, and items like lawnmowers and patio furniture are marked for clearance.
 
September is a great time to buy…

• bicycles
• china & flatware
• lawn mowers
• patio furniture
• swimsuits
• wine
• fruit – apples and melons
• vegetables – carrots, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, peppers and tomatoes

 
Thanks to my friends at FreeShipping.org for keeping us up-to-date on the best buys each month!

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Image courtesy of: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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!

Leaving homework, dinner schedules, and bedtimes to chance has a tendency to create chaos and frustration during possibly the only family time of the day. Establishing a routine does not have to mean never allowing for flexibility, but it gives parents and children alike the feeling of comfort that comes from knowing what is expected.

Children may begin to receive homework assignments as early as Kindergarten. Oftentimes in these early educational years, it falls to the parents to motivate children to finish their homework. Even in the later part of a child’s education, he or she may need structure and guidance. Some families choose the time directly after school to get homework done for the day. Others feel it may be better to allow children to decompress after a long day of concentration and constant social interaction. Should a child complete homework before or after dinner? The answer to that question depends upon the dinner, extracurricular activities, and bed times for each family. Determine which times are best for your child to sit down to homework. Once a routine is established, there should be less fighting about getting it done, fewer homework assignments turned in late, and happier parents and children.

A dinner schedule that works for the whole family is beneficial to everyone. Predictable meal times will encourage children to refrain from ruining their appetite with snacking. Children and parents should work together to put dinner on the table for a family meal. For some families that might mean one person either cooks or picks up food on the way home. Someone else then sets the table, and another family member fills drink cups.

Bedtime is another aspect of the afterschool routine that should be consistent. Younger students require more supervision and earlier bedtimes. Whether you incorporate a time for reading together or alone, children will benefit from an opportunity to lie quietly and cultivate the habit and skill of reading for pleasure.

Afterschool routines may change from year to year and from family to family as there are many factors involved such as age, siblings, and parents’ work schedules. Maintaining a consistent and reliable routine will give your child a feeling of stability during the formative years of his or her youth.

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Jennifer Tankersley is the creator of ListPlanIt.com where you can find over 400 lists and planning pages including a Back to School Planner, Homework Schedules, Calendars and many more and also of List Mama Blog: Lists for List-Lovin’ Mamas.

It has been said that moving is one of life’s most stressful events and is up there with divorce and losing one’s job.

Even though most of us move by choice, the process of saying goodbye to your home and opening your heart and finances to another is a process that can either be bearable or incredibly stressful as well as being expensive.

Here are the top three tips to ensure that your move is as stress-free as possible.

1. Be Prepared

It’s very easy to look around your house and underestimate the amount of stuff you have. Everyone’s made the mistake of thinking that a few well-chosen black bags will suffice; well, not quite! To move in a calm and stress-free manner you need to make sure that you have a moving van booked at least two weeks prior, and make sure you have your packing boxes sorted and labeled. There are a lot of good packaging companies around who will sell moving house packs that cater to these needs.

Your movers will need to know:

· How many journeys they are likely to have to make.
· Where your new house is – clear and detailed directions will be very useful.
· Timing – when they should arrive etc.
· Which – if any – bits of furniture will be difficult to get up or down stairs.

2. Keep a Checklist

These work really well, even if you think you have all of the information in your head. Stress does funny things to people and can make you forget the essentials.

3. Transfer Your Bills and Address Details

It’s a headache but you need to make sure institutions like your bank have your new address and know the date you will be moving in.

You need to also transfer your billing for the following services:
· Water
· Energy – gas and electric
· Tax
· TV

Also, make sure you have set up a new standing order/direct debit for your rent if applicable and that you have cancelled the old one.

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This article is brought to you by Salisbury-based packaging manufacturer Wessex Packaging. Find out more about the services they offer at http://www.wessex-packaging-salisbury.co.uk

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Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net