Cut the hidden cost of after-school activities

re: Cut the hidden cost of after-school activities

CreditMom — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:31:00 GMT

You really have 4 choices

1)Plan ahead and bring all of your own meals

2)Plan ahead and bring some snacks and allow a small budget for outside treats

3)Bite the bullet and deal with the cost of these activities

4) Curtail the activities

You're the boss!

re: Cut the hidden cost of after-school activities

astrid vasquez — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:54:47 GMT

School activities are too expensive and i love to be in then! but my parents don't have that much money so they defiantly need to lower the cost of school activities!!!!!

re: Cut the hidden cost of after-school activities

Breccia — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:57:18 GMT

like Carole (above) I DEPEND on my freezer.

When I turn my oven on all 3 of my sheet cake pans are used: one for cornbread, one for carrot cake, and one for hummingbird cake.

In less than 3 hours (including shopping time) I have a months worth of nutritious snacks. [actually 72 servings and with my oven it could be 96. that would give 4 sheet cake pans worth but we're a 3 person family....with friends only 70+ treats are needed.]

This is WAY LESS time than driving thru a DunkinDonuts/fast food snack place....and much better health-wise. If it were simply a $$$ consideration I would go to McDonalds/Starbucks/Dunkin....but The Time! The Nutrition!

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I don't use cake mix (it saves no time! just buy the baking soda, baking powder and whole wheat flour). From "scratch" is, at most, 5 minutes more and you can use : Whole Wheat flour, substitute applesauce in a 50/50 match for oil and decrease the sugar by 1/3.

It will be more expensive than DunkinHines because you'll add real fruits and vegetables.

some of the simple and delicious recipes at epicurious.com that I regularly use:

boston brown bread [buy the various flours, cook it in the oven with many tins as opposed to on stove top, serve with cream cheese]

pumpkin pie

pumpkin cheesecake (use1/3 less fat cream cheese--it has all the calcium of full fat)

mince meat pie

5 apple pie

ginger bread (it's made as a cake, serve with lemon curd)

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Giving my husband one of the above for his week day breakfasts keeps me (sleeping) in bed, him happy, his cholesterol way-in-the-good-range. Giving these to the kid---well his friends all want to come over.

re: Cut the hidden cost of after-school activities

carole — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:09:07 GMT

Make and freeze plastic bags of your own, home-made oatmeal cookies "enhanced" with chopped apple and nuts. A cooler with milk or juice cartons and you're good to go.

re: Cut the hidden cost of after-school activities

RobertD — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:54:25 GMT

This is no different then anything else in life, if you have children involved with activities then you will have to deal with it. Unless you are not very bright you should have decided if you can handle the activity level before they get started not after they are in it, as parents we have to think ahead, kids do not. It is part of your life and budget planning process and it should have been budgeted for. Next if my seven year old can understand the concept that mom and dad have limited resources to spend then older children should as well, but if you do not discuss things with them openly and honestly then they won't.

Never do I ever fall for I am starving I have to eat now game we can last quite some time, dying of thirst will take a couple days, dying of hunger takes much longer. They can wait and you can tell them to stop whining and suck it up they will live. It does not hurt to point out to them that over half of the kids their age in the world are living on less then they eat in one meal.

Having everyone take turns never works, the reality is 20 % will supply 80% of what is needed 10 % will provide their 10% and the other 70% of the people will do good if they supply the last 10%. I ave been involved in sports, service groups, charities and churches, and I have never seen number any bette then those most people are one or more of: to lazy, to cheap, to isorganized, or just do not care. There are only two choices one everyone looks after their owned or everyone pays extra to have someone (it has to be someone that will do it properly) actually supply what is needed .

This should never be an issue if you planned for it, so be prepared.