After a summer spent sleeping in, waking up early can be a tough adjustment for parents and children alike. A hot, nutritious meal may be the furthest thing from your mind as you throw a cereal bar in Junior’s face and wish him a happy school day. The following recipes rely on basic staples, which are often the cheapest items in the grocery store, and basic nutrition to create easy homemade breakfasts that will give kids the energy they need to do their best in school. Pancakes The great thing about pancake batter is that it can be stored in the fridge for several days. Whip up a batch on …

  Here are some tips for saving money on your back-to-school needs:1) Know what you already have. Designate a storage bin or box and go through your house, placing everything in the container that could potentially be used for school. Pencils, pens, paper, rulers, glue sticks, crayons, paper clips, folders, binders, etc., should be gathered together in one place so that you may determine what you actually need to go out and buy. We can also call this process “getting organized.” And by the way, it is the most effective way to save money in most areas of your life. 2) Stick to your budget. …

The home office is a black hole of waste, eating up paper, pens, tape, staples, folders, ink cartridges, electricity; the list could go on forever. How can you eliminate this waste and reinvent your office space? Start by de-cluttering your office space. This will make it so much easier to determine what supplies should go and what needs to stay. Recycle your old papers, file away financial documents, and pay your bills. As you look through your belongings, think about the impact of each item on your wallet and your environment. For example, do you need to have 30 pens, or can you purchase …

As Labor Day weekend approaches, we may reflect upon how much of our life is spent working, and how much is devoted to so-called free time. For many of us, the holiday means a three-day weekend. While there are some of us who will have to go to work on Monday, a large portion of our country is planning to spend their free time with friends and family. This post will address a topic that is not exactly about frugality of money or things, but something less tangible: your time. Your time is precious and fleeting, often zipping by like a dream. For some of us, time management comes easily. List-…

Hey, you can be frugal and fashionable. How to host a successful clothing swap:1) Plan ahead. People need time to sort through their unwanted clothing and organize their stuff. Invite your friends 3-5 weeks ahead of the intended swap date. 2) Be a gracious host. Provide snacks, drinks and other items that will make your guests feel comfortable. To make things easier, ask guests to bring something. 3) Invite lots of people. Tell you friends to invite their friends. The more people you have, the more sizes and styles of clothing you will have to choose from. 4) Give it a theme. Tell guests to …

Packing your lunch for work or school, rather than eating out, is a great way to be frugal. You save money and eat healthier when you bring food from home. But after you have finished eating, there is usually a pile of trash to be thrown away. The typical lunch packed for a child consists of the following:Sandwich in a plastic bagPre-packaged cookies and crackersJuice BoxPlastic spoon or forkFruit or veggies in plastic bagsYogurt or applesauce in a disposable containerAll of this can be eliminated and replaced with reusable containers. Yes, it will take more time prepare the lunch and wash …

We would all love to live Debt-Free. But cutting up credit cards and dealing only in cash is a reality in which very few Americans participate. This week’s Frugal Families can show you some simple math to make this dream a part of your reality. By finding your magic number, that is, the amount of expendable income you truly have (not just what you wish you had), you can begin to live within your limits and eradicate your debts. By living in ignorance of this magical number, you are setting yourself up for a life of over-spending. So, let’s find your magic number!First, add up your fixed …