Back To School With Ease
Summer seems to fly by so quickly these days, doesn’t it?
Your kids’ vacations are coming to a close and you are preparing for the coming semester at school.
Is there an end to the things that you have to pay for? Clothes, supplies, lunches, athletic equipment – the list seems to get bigger each year. Not to mention the extra curricular activities that your kids are involved with like sports and dance. (Too many schools are actually cutting these programs due to cost!)
Add the current economy to the mix and your life as a parent gets very interesting.
You are, no doubt, a master of juggling multiple schedules to get everyone fed and where they need to be, plus take care of yourself. (Don’t forget the important time with your other half as well).
You cannot do anything about the cost of gas, food and the various school supplies & fees. And, you only have so much time in the day.
So, what can you do to have more money for your obligations & things you want to do, plus have more time for the important things, like being together as a family?
The solution is a simple one, and it is right in front of you, right now.
It’s your dinner table.
Your expenditure on groceries, restaurants and take outs are one of the largest line items in your budget, after your mortgage / rent.
If you haven’t tracked your expenses in this department, try writing down everything you spend on groceries, drinks and eating out/take out in a week.
Meal planning with effective meal solutions allows you to significantly trim your food bill, with the added bonuses of saving you time on your meal preparation and giving you the satisfaction of knowing you have served your family a nutritious meal.
The real beauty is that meal planning is a simple art to learn and does not require any major investment of your precious time. When you start applying some of the concepts you will wonder how you managed for so long without it.
The right meal solutions give you easy to prepare meals, with a minimum of ingredients and preparation time. Most of them can be prepared ahead of time and stored in your freezer.
They can then be baked in the over, grilled or, prepared in the most time-saving gadget ever – the slow-cooker.
To get started, connect with your meal planning expert and get familiar with the solutions that are available to you. Acquire the solutions that you know your family will like and then plan when you want to serve the home-cooked meals.
Get your grocery list together and make one trip to the store. (Major time-saver right there). When you get home, prepare your meals in the Ziploc bags and store in the freezer.
And you are in business. You know what you are having for dinner each evening. Have you ever got home late, had nothing prepared and a hungry family making faces at you? And then you go out to eat or order in?
Not any more. In the morning, you take your meal out of the freezer and either put it in the slow cooker, or in the fridge to thaw.
When you get home, dinner is ready in a matter of minutes!
The real gift is that you get to enjoy a home-cooked meal together as a family. Many experts say that the family meal time is one of the most important elements of the family unit and goes a long way to your children’s well-being.
With meal solutions, you don’t need to worry about boring. There is quite a variety and many of the solutions can be fixed several different ways. Your family are sure to have their favorites and you can make the meal planning process a family fun event. Everyone gets something they like on the meal plan.
With a simple shift in your planning, some insights into the art of meal planning and versatile meal solutions, you save time, you save money and you spend fulfilling time together as a family.
And you have a smoother transition back into the school routine.
Doesn't that sound great?
Cheri Semple
Meal Planning Strategist/Culinary Coach
Director, Homemade Gourmet
Family Meal time important? - watch this 2 minute movie
http://www.ezmeals4u.net/mealtimemovie.html
Tags: Easy Recipes Homemade Gourmet Smoosh Meals Crock Pot Healthy Dinner F
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