Funds for entertaining yourself and your Family

Family entertainment is important, especially if you have children. That's why it's so important to include family time in your budget planning. Set aside funds for entertaining yourself and your family. Your Saturday savings challenge is to think of a number of ways to entertain your family on a budget. Budget a family movie night, a weekend local trip, a sightseeing tour of local attractions, or a dinner out once in a while. Plan for it and you'll have the finances available to do it! I know it can be difficult to plan entertainment if you're on a really tight budget. Here are some ideas for family fun that could help you save money.
Bringing in a tradition of family nights at home is a great way to save money on family entertaining. Designate a night each week for family games, crafts, movies, and even cooking. Some of these are also great ways to sneak in quality time with your kids! On game night choose games that are suited for the age range of all children, or have two game nights if ages vary drastically. Dedicate one family game night to younger children, the other to older children. Adults, of course, should participate in both.
Family cooking night is a good time to practice math skills, as well as have loads of fun and yummy treats. Whether you cook desserts or bake bread (which is great fun for the children!), children get a lot of practice using fractions in measuring. Here's a family favorite that children love. Your children will think their at the carnival!

Funnel Cakes (Makes 4)
1 Egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 & 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powdervegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar for dusting cakesOne Funnel

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, lightly beat egg into milk. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix well, until smooth. Place about 1 inch oil in frying pan or electric skillet. Heat to 350 degrees F. Note: Adults should always do the actual cooking when hot oil is used. Use a ladle to scoop one full ladle of batter into funnel (be careful to hold one finger over hole of funnel to prevent leakage) Hold funnel over oil. Starting at center, release finger from hole of funnel, and moving around in a circular pattern dispense batter until all in funnel is gone. Turn over with tongs when light golden color is achieved. Cook other side to lightly brown and remove to drain. Shake or sprinkle on dusting of powdered sugar. Serve warm.
Family Crafts can be not only entertaining, but could provide lasting family treasures and decorations. During holidays create holiday specific ornaments and crafts, Children's homemade crafts can be displayed and then stored for their future enjoyment. Children love going back and looking at items they created during younger years. Scrapbooking is becoming a popular family pastime that you may consider for a craft night.
Going to the movies today is cost prohibitive for many larger families. Even a family of four can break the bank it they enjoy the snack bar. But, you can enjoy your movies at home and have your snack too! Rent movies for a family movie night. Enjoying movies at home can prove to be cheap entertainment for the entire family. Pop your own popcorn. Don't use those little microwave bags. They cost tons more than investing in a good popcorn popper and regular popping kernels. Bake goodies on your cooking night in preparation for family movie night snacking.
Besides enjoying family nights at home, you can enjoy some low cost entertainment out. Many bowling alleys and roller skating rinks have family night where entrance and game fees are reduced. If you choose to dine out, look for family nights at restaurants, and/or use restaurant coupons to save money on the bill. You may have historic landmarks in your area that your children would enjoy visiting. Use your imagination to cut costs on family entertainment. Have some family fun and save money too.

Enjoy lower Utility Bills

Reducing monthly bills is just one more way to save money on your household budget. While air conditioning and heating are responsible for a good portion of utility costs, there are other areas where you can take measures to conserve energy and save on utilities. Here are some additional conservation tips to help reduce utility bills and save money.

Hot Water Heater:

1. Blanket your water heater with an approved insulation jacket
2. Set hot water temperature at 120 or lower (unless you have a dishwasher, follow recommended guidelines)
3. Insulate hot water pipes
4. Use cold water in washer rinse cycle
5. Clean and maintain water heater. Drain water from bottom of water heater tank to remove sediment, at least one or two times per year.
6. Take showers instead of baths
7. Reduce wasted water. Fix leaky faucets promptly

Small Appliances and lights:

1. Use florescent bulbs
2. Turn off small appliances and lights when not in use
3. Install and use dimmer switches to reduce energy used by lights
4. When buying new appliances, look for ones with auto shut offs to reduce wasted energy
5. Unplug TV, cable box, computer, and other electronic devices while away from home

Large Appliances:

1. Use the energy saving cycle on the dishwasher and wash full loads only
2. Clean drains and / or filters regularly on all applicable appliances to increase efficiency
3. Only wash clothes when you have a full load
4. Use the smallest pan possible when cooking, and cover pots to retain heat
5. Reduce stovetop and oven use. Use a crock pot, toaster oven, or microwave whenever possible
6. Turn off burners and oven just before cooking is completed
7. Reduce oven heat loss. Avoid opening oven door during baking
8. Avoid excessive opening of refrigerator door
9. Let hot items cool before placing in refrigerator
10. Make sure door gaskets have a tight seal on refrigerator
11. Ask your local utility company to do an energy assessment on your home

If you are on a low or limited income, you may qualify for assistance in replacing or repairing furnaces and refrigerators. The Weatherization Assistance Program is designed to assist limited income families with reducing their energy usage by providing installation of energy conserving measures, as well as offering furnace cleaning and tuning. Eligibility is based on Energy Assistant Program guidelines. Contact your local Department of Housing and Community Development to see if you qualify. Also, inquire about income guidelines for other energy assistant programs like utility bill payments. Many families qualify for energy assistance and do not take advantage of this service.
Use as many energy conservation tips as possible to complete your savings challenge and reduce utility bills. Then, practice these tips year round to conserve energy and enjoy lower utility bills. Add insulation products as can be afforded in attics, basements, crawlspaces, around windows and doors, pipes and hot water heater to reduce heat and air loss. Each little savings will add to the cumulative value of your conservation efforts and mean more savings on your energy bills.

Conserving our Resources

Energy consumption is a big concern for many families. Your savings challenge today is to conserve as much energy as possible. Heating and air conditioning can take a big bite out of your budget. Since you're not likely to negotiate a lower rate with the utility company, energy conservation is the best way to lower utility bills. You'll not only save money, you'll be conserving our resources. The type of home you live in can play an important part in determining how much energy you use. Other factors, such as health and lifestyle, can also play a major part in energy consumption. Here are some heating and air conditioning tips that will help your save on energy and trim your utility bill.
Very old homes may not be insulated sufficiently and could benefit from added insulation. When these homes were built, conserving energy was not a big concern and was not given priority during construction. Newer homes have addressed energy concerns during construction and may be sufficiently insulated, but you can still save energy through conserving.

People with certain health problems will almost always require the use of air conditioning in the summer. When you are at home, and have no health problems aggravated by heat and humidity, eliminating the use of air conditioning will save substantial money on your utility bills. Most of us seek some period of relief during extremely hot summer days. If you live near a mall or department store, you may find some relief from the heat by taking a stroll around the mall. Just be careful not to blow your savings on compulsive purchases. Using a dehumidifier can greatly reduce humidity in your home and consequently provide a cooler feeling environment. It will use less energy than air conditioning, which also dehumidifies the air. Use fans (ceiling, floor, window, etc.) for ventilation and increased air flow.

Don't cook during the hottest hours of the day if it can be avoided. Do all baking, if your must bake in the summer, during cooler evening hours. Reduce oven usage as much as possible to avoid putting additional heat in the home. Plan no cook meals, such as sandwiches and salads, during hottest days. When you do cook, use the microwave or barbeque, instead of stove top or oven, for cooking. Avoid or limit usage of any heat producing appliances during hottest hours.

Since we need heat during winter months, it would be hard not to use the heat at all. However, you can save money by using conservation efforts everyday. Home insulation will go a long way in conserving if your home is lacking. This can mean a major home improvement for some families to achieve proper and effective insulation standards, depending on the age of your home. These types of home improvements are tax deductible for most individuals. But, even if you can't afford a major home improvement, you can reduce energy consumption through smaller conservation measures. Window insulation, outlet and light switch insulators, and storm windows are just a few measures that can improve your home's energy efficiency. Prevent heat loss by finding and fixing air leaks in the home.

Wear warmer clothing, layers of clothing are best, during the winter months and reduce the thermostat as low as is tolerable. Bake at night and dry clothes at night, during colder periods, to take advantage of heat from heat producing appliances. Clean furnace filter once a month for best performance. Maintain furnace and air condition units on a regular schedule to keep them operating efficiently. Don't make your furnace work harder than it has to, you'll pay for it. While these are great ways to save on heating and air condition, there are lots of other ways to conserve energy and reduce that bill. More tips to reduce your utility bills on Frugal Friday!