Since my No Ramen Here post about grocery shopping, I have made some adjustments to the way we shop for food. I increased the frequency of our Costco orders to weekly when I realized that we were visiting the local grocery store very frequently and spending significantly more for basics - eggs, milk, juice, and fruit. I determined that it was better to order in bulk and get more bang for our buck. For example, a tray of 1 dozen eggs at our local supermarket costs about $3 but I can get 2 dozen eggs for $4.29 from Costco . We are at the end of the third week this month and still have about $60 left in our $700/month food budget. The fridge, freezer, and pantry are stocked such that we won't need to go to the store for groceries through the end of the month. Under budget months are my opportunity to stock up on baking supplies, canned goods, and bulk snacks. Here is a breakdown of our shopping trips and spending: 3 x Costco - $436.82 3 x Whole Foods - $126.52 1 x Trader...

A well organized home should also be a clean home. It is important to grasp that clearing clutter and removing dirt are not the same. For optimum results, tidy first then clean. No matter the size of your home, cleaning will overwhelm you if you approach it haphazardly. Determine what needs to be done daily, weekly, or monthly, then create a cleaning schedule. If you are fortunate to have household help, this approach makes your expectations clear. It is easy to rate the performance of a domestic employee if your housework requirements are reasonable and do not exceed that which you could do yourself. I plan for two days of heavy cleaning and three days that are less structured. Here is an abbreviated version of my weekly cleaning plan: Monday - Laundry (clothing), general tidying and dusting Tuesday - Kitchen deep cleaning Wednesday - Laundry (clothing), general tidying and dusting Thursday - Laundry (sheets and towels), Bathroom deep cleaning Friday - Laundry (clothing), g...

Even though the D.C. area is teeming with activities for children, we don't get out much. We don't cannot do a lot of events, activities, shows, play spaces and such. The reality is that many of these activities are cost prohibitive. Keep in mind that were are a family of five so a $10 admission fee translates to $50 just to get into a venue. For instance, our family recently enjoyed a movie at AMC Theatres and the tickets cost $60. A stop at TGI Fridays  for a treat for the kids, and an early dinner for the adults (one appetizer, one entree, and three desserts) was another $40. Just like that, and not including the cost of transportation, we blew $100 on a fairly ordinary outing. Thankfully, we were using AMC gift cards that we received for Christmas. When we do get out, we seek out free activities that are close to home, because we have no car. Weather permitting, we take long walks around the neighborhood or spend time at nearby playgrounds. We are new to the area and...