Did you miss me? Internet problems. I'll tell you it about some day...but not today. Today is Works for Me Wednesday!!I was spending about $40 a week on snacks. Now these were healthy snacks, fruit, cheddar bunnies, yogurt. But the older children would begin eating the snacks immediately and within just a few days the snacks would be gone and the younger children hadn't had a cheddar bunny. (And we have scheduled snack times.) Or I would go to get an apple and they would all be gone and I hadn't even had ONE. So spending that much money on snacks, and they didn't even last the whole week, was getting old FAST.
Kati and Kori are always hungry and if I serve something they like they will eat until it's all gone. So I knew stopping snacks was not going to help with that any. I had to figure out another solution that would work. I also knew if there was food, they would eat, even if they weren't hungry or were mostly full.
So I gave everyone a snack budget of under $3. They could pick whatever they wanted as long as it was under $3. If it lasted a week, that was great for them. If it didn't, then they just didn't have snacks for the week.
Suddenly, Kati and Kori had snacks that lasted them for two weeks. Somehow their hunger was lessened somewhat when they realized that what they had was all they had.
I still buy fruit and yogurt and snacks for the little ones. NOW we can actually have the fruit I buy for desserts....and occasionally I'll tell Kati and Kori they can have one of "my" snacks for theirs. I still only buy healthy snacks, but they are picking things like peanuts, bagels and corn chips.
So this is working for us. I've reduced my snack budget by half and it's going twice as far. AND THE BABIES still get snacks.
What do you do? Maybe you have a neat solution? Money saving solution? Sanity saving solution? Please share!
11 comments:
Thanks for a great idea! I have four kids and hubby and I were just talking about this problem the other day!
great idea! And it puts the kids in control of their eating.
yahoo....she is back! :) good tips. I have some kids that would eat it all in one day, and not care that there were none left, and I have others who would nibble for ever until they were gone weeks later. Kids and their personalities...
No advice or ideas... I have to have so many snacks a day right now and you never know what the belly will want or not want, that the budget kinda goes away while i'm prego. :( BAD I know... but my daughter is picky and usually will only each dried fruit, or crackers... she does love apples... but yeah they all add up.
I say no. "can I have a snack?" "no" "can I get a..." "no"
well, sometimes. I know it is easier just having 2 little girls eating, and well, I have complete control of what Kevin puts in his- hold on, not shoes Kevin...- in his mouth.
I like your idea though, and will likely use it as the kids get older. Each their own set of snacks... brilliant!
Do you ever try to hillbilly housewife meals, Michelle? Some are very very good, and others are just very good.
oh and I was getting ready to call & check on you, I was worried! (zap me your number, by the way)
(thats why I didnt call)
and as I was reading your post, Lorelei asked
"who's that without glasses?"
"It's Kori." She seemed to think she KNEW Kati already : )
Great idea! Something else that works is offering snacks that are good enough to eat if you're hungry but not yummy enough to just eat for fun- for mine I use frozen peas or frozen corn- which they love (still frozen) but will stop eating when they're full rather than just munching like they would crackers or fruit. :)
I am so tracking with ya. Mine are all still babies, but I will file this away!
Great idea! For us... we have very scheduled meal/ snack times. So I plan snack time liek I do meal times. at 3pm everyday is snack time and we all have the same snack... on a take it or leave it basis just like meal time... served up like meal time too.
I offer an ample amount like at mealtime and if they are still hungry.. to dang bad...LOL
But I try and make enough for everyone at all mealtimes and snack times to be fullfilled.
Our mealtimes are as follows:
8am Breakfast
12 NOON Lunch
3pm Snack
6:30 Dinner
(an occassional bedtime snack around 7 pm)
But liek I said for us, snack time is like a mealtime... just smaller and more casual.
I do like your awesome ideas though too... as my preteen is starting to really dwindle the grocery bill... as is my hunk of a 6 yr old in size 8 clothing...LOL
What's a cheddar bunny???
love that idea and think I will try it with my teens makes them accountabile and also allows me to budget better
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