Ahhh, October.
The time of year I like to play a little game called…try not to turn on the heat until November 1.
I don’t always love that game, but my wallet does. 😉
One thing that makes winning the game easier is having hearty, steamy foods that warm you up from the inside.
Yum!
So the meal plan is full of them this time.
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We had another one of those weeks here. I had various sons sick at home all week long. We also had pretty crumby weather, although I can’t really complain since we were only chilly and wet. (No danger to our home or loved ones here! We’re praying for those of you who live in hurricane troubled areas.)
It’s Friday! Ready to get your 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week fix?
Confession time…we’ve had a rather expensive week. Our 10 year old son had a terrible migraine that required 2 hospital trips and an additional stint in the emergency department. That’s not going to be cheap. I also wound up spending money on food and drinks since I didn’t have time to plan ahead (we wanted to get there and relieve his migraine ASAP).
These cheap kids costumes keep Halloween affordable without asking too much of your DIY skills (or lack thereof…hey, no judging here!).
Do you dread the thoughts of dropping $20 (each!) on a costume for your kids again this year? Despite the fact that they come in children’s sizes, most costumes are made of flimsy paper thin material that won’t hold up to kids.
Well, don’t worry! We’ve got years of costume ideas under our belts here. All it takes is just a little creativity (don’t worry, I’m terrible at DIY and even I can pull this off!).
One of our favorite traditions in the early fall is to have a big family camp out. I love camp food! Especially bacon. (That’s a camp food, right?)
As usual, I meal plan 2 weeks at a time. I also try to keep it simple and double up on our favorite foods. We have a freezer full of a half of a hog and a quarter of a beef, which is just wonderful.
Here’s our 2 week meal plan for October.
It’s time again for another 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week post. This post is always fun. I try to fill it with tips that are not too difficult to do, but aren’t necessarily in every other saving money post you’ve ever read. If you want to see ideas from previous weeks, click here.
I’ll admit that I also enjoy this weekly post, because it challenges me throughout the week to rethink the not so frugal decisions I might be making! It doesn’t always work, but more often than not I can find a cheaper way to do what needs to be done.
Since we already talked about 10 Reasons to Have a Big Family, today we are going to talk about reasons you should NOT have a big family. I’ve heard them all!
Please keep in mind that this is a rather tongue in cheek style post. I realize that big family life is not for everyone, and each family must decide what is best for them. But… when you have a large family, you hear these comments rather often. Amirite?
Feel like clothes are swallowing your entire house? These simple tips for clothes storage for small spaces will give you the room you crave.
With six kids in the house, sometimes it feels like you can’t turn your head without seeing clothing everywhere.
Someone is always dropping a hoodie or socks in some ridiculous place.
And the bedrooms…yikes.
Learning some tricks to manage all of those clothes wasn’t really optional for this Mama.
Here are the simple things I do to tame the clothing mountains in our small space.
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Our weather has been so beautiful, and the weatherman says we will get another nice week. So I’m going to continue to try to get some outside time in while we can. And as usual, I need improvement on my own personal goals…
Today we are continuing the Friday series called 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week. You can find all the previous posts in this series right here. There are also some great tips in the comments, so be sure to check those out, too!
Here are the ways we saved money this week.
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. Learn more. 
