A Homemaker is one who chooses the high-calling of making a home for her family with joy! There are many nuances to this important job, not simply cleaning and cooking. One area that is often overlooked or dreaded is budgeting. Many groan as we imagine an envelope system and spreadsheets. But I prefer to think of budgeting in terms of what we allow into our home and what we let leave our bank accounts.
I recently moved back to the United States after four years abroad. In a new, practically empty home, I found myself scrambling to choose new decor, kitchen items and organizational systems for closets. I was buying things I didn’t even like to simply fill space. Seeing me in this state, my friend challenged me with this question… “Are you guarding the threshold of your home”? Her question caused me to pause– If I fill my home with cheap toys and random decor I don’t even like, what kind of environment am I creating for my family?
This perspective of “guarding the threshold of my home”- what goes in and what goes out, especially financially, has brought a powerful shift for me. As mothers and stewards of our home, we honor God and set an example for our children by how well we accomplish this. Budgeting our time, finances, and resources is one of the main ways we guard the threshold of our home and steward what God has given to us.
7 Keys To Stewardship In The Home:
Don’t have time? PIN IT and come back later.
Self-awareness
How can you work to improve spending habits and intake without first knowing where you stand? Take 1-3 months to analyze your spending habits. Chart what you spend, on what products and how frequently. You can’t get healthy without first diagnosing how sick you are. Food is the number one place that most families overspend. Understanding your eating and grocery shopping habits can help you better stick to your budget.
Food is the number one place most families overspend.
The first month I started charting my grocery habits I realized that without accountability and awareness I’d spent $1000 on groceries for a family of 3! I was shocked and alarmed by my unrestrained habits. There was no one to blame but myself; I was the one out shopping for my family’s food.
Becoming aware was the key that unlocked my ability to change and chart a new course. A bullet journal is a great place to chart your spending habits, become aware and build a plan for the future. Check out 5 Reasons Why You Should Start A Bullet Journal TODAY!
After two months of tracking my habits, being intentional in my planning and creative in my search for savings, I went from spending $1000 a month to spending $750 in my second month! My new goal is to keep our budget under $600 and I’m excited to learn and grow as I work towards this goal.
Look For Savings
Although the days of rummaging though newspapers for coupons are less common, there are still savings for the person who wants to find them. With some effort and planning, you can be intentional about what you buy, when you buy it, and what savings you find to make sure you’re getting the best discount.
Ibotta is a free mobile coupon and cash-back shopping app. How does it work? Before a grocery trip, I check the app, which works at almost all retailers, to find out what items are on sale. Then I shop and if the items are in-line with what my family’s needs, I buy them. After purchasing, I upload my receipt and earn cash-back for the items I purchased. For example, last month there was a $.50 coupon for bananas. Any brand, any store. I buy bananas every week. By the end of the month I’d gotten $2.00 back just from my normal banana purchases. Ibotta will cash you out after you earn $20.00.
Home Grown
One of the first places I knew I could find some savings was on an expensive little kombucha habit my husband and I had. We loved to start our mornings with the yummy fermented tea that’s great for gut health. But “booch” isn’t cheap and we spent $42 a month on it. That’s more than a dollar a day. When you break it down like that, the booch had to go! The day after I ran the numbers I met a friend at the park who just happened to mention she had a kombucha starter to give away, would I like it? Just like that, I was off and began the fun and creative journey of brewing our own Kombucha. My first batch was a yummy Ginger Pear flavor. New to Kambucha? Check out this recipe at Live, Eat, Learn.
A few days later I planted a fall garden of spinach and kale a healthy but costly staple in our house. When the garden begins to yield it will save me $20-$30 a month.
Look at the staples in your family’s diet and find out if there are any ways you can save money by doing it yourself. Maybe it’s an indoor herb garden, cloth diapering, baking your own bread or using essential oils to make your cleaning products. With a little time, effort, and creativity, the options are endless.
Buy In Bulk
While not everyone has room in their home to store a 3-month supply of paper towels (hello, New Yorkers!), buying in bulk can be a great way to save money. Stores like Costco and Sam’s give steep discounts for people who stock-up on the staples. In a comparison study at Cheapism.com, Costco outscored a chain grocery store, with prices up to 70% cheaper on 43 of the 50 items! The first time I shopped at Costco, I thought there was no way we’d be able to eat all this food. However, with a little planning and intention I was able to freeze food I wanted to ration and adequately use produce before it spoiled.
Pro Tip: If it’s hard for your small family to get through a bulk box of blueberries before they go bad, consider teaming up with a friend. Shop together then split the produce to better meet the needs of your family.
Meal Planning
Every mama knows the familiar feeling of the late afternoon’s arrival when you have no idea what’s for dinner, much less what ingredients are in your bare cupboards. Meal planning is not my favorite things to do, but it can help us avoid spontaneous and expensive eating out and stick to our financial goals.
Cooking a meal at home costs $4 per person on average. In contrast, a meal in a restaurant will cost 5 times more than a meal at home! That’s BIG savings!
If the thought of meal planning is intimidating and you don’t know where to start, check out the beginner guide at Budget Byte. They recommend you start small, with one or two meals a week, and then slowly integrate more as you develop a rhythm that works for your family. Meal planning will allow you to save money and also eat healthier.
Look For Alternative Shopping Options
As the steward of your home, you have great control over what comes in and when you budget, you control what goes out of your bank account. Choosing alternative shopping options can help you save money, support local businesses and be certain you are eating healthy and natural ingredients.
Imperfect Foods is an amazing organization that prevents food waste by taking the oddly shaped carrot, oversized eggs, or mis-shapen apple and delivering it to your door. Foods that taste perfect but look imperfect are saved from being wasted. Each week you login to their site, find out what’s in stock, then check what you want. It’s delivered to your door at a designated time each week. There is no minimum order requirement and if you want to skip the order, you can! Meal plan, save money, and prevent food waste all at the same time! This service has been a big win for our family!
Farmers Markets are a great way to shop local, save money and get the freshest produce from local farms. I always find that produce bought at farmers market lasts much longer than the store bought produce.
Another option to consider is finding a local farm that sells meat direct to the consumer. There are many different ways to do this: some go-in on a whole cow with a few friends and once butchered, store the meat for the year, or others buy meat periodically. This alternative way of sourcing your protein takes time and planning but allows affordable access to some of the highest quality organic meat. In addition, you support small local farmers in your area.
Shop Second Hand
While not everyone enjoys rummaging through the racks of clothes at Salvation Army there are some amazing options today that allow you to shop secondhand from the comfort of your couch.
Poshmark is an app that allows sellers to shop secondhand then post their finds online for you to buy. The prices are great and you can always negotiate with the seller for an even lower price. Its one of my favorite ways to shop for shoes for my toddler!
UpChoose is a unique company with an amazing mission. They focus on making sustainable living easier and more accessible to all households and families. Their smart baby wardrobe service helps new parents dress their babies in high-quality organic clothing at a fraction of the cost. They do it by partnering with premium organic clothing brands and organizing a circular model that enables resell and reuse. Parents get all the essentials in one easy set at each phase of their baby’s growth and return them after use to declutter and avoid waste. So excited to try this with my next baby.
Lastly check your local area for consignment events like Just Between Friends which is hosted in more than 100 cities in the US and Canada. These sales allow you to sell your child’s gently used clothing, toys and gear and then buy for the upcoming phase of your child’s growth! These sales are huge and well organized!
Pro Tip: On the last day of the sale, most items are discounted to 50% off!
Budgeting Can Be Fun and Bring Freedom
Budgeting doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be fun and bring freedom to your family. Don’t wait until a financial crisis to get a grasp on this area of your life. You take your role as Homemaker seriously and work hard to build an amazing home life for your family. Let that stewardship spill over into another area of your life— budgeting, and see your family thrive in a more holistic way.
Originally Written For: www.Momma Love.Org
