Mom’s Musings

The prompt this week for Give Me Five Monday
is: What are five tips or tricks for keeping your house clean and clutter-free? Here are my suggestions:

• Start out with an uncluttered home. To get to this point, you may need to give away or sell items you never or rarely use. If an item isn’t in your home to begin with, you won’t need to dust it, or feel guilty about NOT dusting it! It won’t be taking up space, so your home will be more spacious.
  
• It’s a good idea to think before you buy new items for your home. Do you really need the item, or will it contribute to clutter?
  
• Clean as you go. I’m particularly thinking of the kitchen with this suggestion. As you cook, clean up messes and put ingredients away. You won’t be left with a huge mess afterwards. Also, put leftovers away right after the meal, clear the table nicely, and do the dishes.
  
• Share the wealth. Each member of the home should contribute to the comfort of the home. Children and adults alike can learn to clean up what they mess up. In our home, we decide together on who will handle certain chores. As school or work schedules change, we rethink the responsibilities. Many hands make light work, right?
  
• Choose one day a week to focus on deeper housecleaning. For our family, that day is Saturday. Some chores do require more time, but if you do those on a regular basis, the job remains manageable.
  

The prompt this week at Give Me Five Monday is “Give me five tips and tricks to save money or cut corners to stretch your budget.”

Five Tips to Save Money (List 1):

• Make a master list of tried and true meals you know your family enjoys. Of course, change the list whenever you desire, to avoid boredom. Keep the staple items on hand for making these meals, and purchase any fresh items you’ll need for preparing them the week you plan to make them. In this way, you won’t be running to the grocery store every day, and won’t be tempted to buy other things while you’re there!
  
• Eat most of your meals at home. If time allows, you can also bake your own breads, cookies and desserts. Restaurant meals are EXPENSIVE, though they are a lovely, once-in-a-while treat.
  
• Don’t go window shopping. You are putting yourself in temptation’s way. Only go shopping when you need some specific item. Make a list, and try to stick with it.
  
• On a similar note, try to opt out of receiving catalogs. If that’s not possible, simply recycle them. But, whatever you do, DON’T look at them, unless you’re prepared to want something, and eventually to purchase it.
  
• MAINTAIN your clothes, your furniture, your home, your vehicles, your appliances, etc. They will last longer, and save you the cost of replacing them too often.
  

Five Tips to Save Money (List 2):

• Take advantage of FREE entertainment in your community. Go to the park. Hike and bike local trails. Enjoy hobbies with friends.
  
• Before purchasing books, first check them out from the library. Only purchase those of high interest, which you will refer to or reread.
  
• Before purchasing a big ticket item, do your research. Avoid expensive impulse buying.
  
• Better yet, purchase reliable USED items. We found one of our vehicles on Craig’s List, as well as a “new-to-us” oven to replace our oven which would have cost too much to repair.
  
• If you use a credit card, purchase only what you can repay immediately. It is so easy to overspend when using a credit card. If you use one, it’s nice if it offers a rebate of some sort.