Lessons from the Economy
Recently our economy has really taken a hit. Everyone is feeling the crunch these days, and I have to wonder how the economy has affected your experience as a homeschooler. Are you doing anything differently these days as a result of the economic downturn? Are you concerned that the economy will affect the way that you home educate? Are you talking about the economy with your children?
The place that we feel the most crunch with our finances is with grocery shopping. It has been a family project to find ways to save money on food. We have gone back to cutting coupons. We are looking closely at the prices of similar products. Now we write a shopping list these days, too. We are also shopping mostly at a wholesale club because it is so much less expensive. We have found that shopping together as a family helps us all be vigilant about the cost of certain items, and the children learn how to be careful shoppers.
You can use the high price of food to your advantage in your homeschool. Little ones can cut coupons out and categorize them. You can create a visual grocery shopping list with pictures from the sale paper, too, so that kids who are not reading yet can help load the cart. Older kids can read the sale paper to find the best bargains and create a shopping list that stays within the budget.
Teach your children to be savvy about marketing in the grocery store. For example, foods that the store wants children to beg their parents to buy are right at a child’s eye level. Kids appreciate being in on the “secrets” that adults know, which might increase your chances of ending the whining and constant complaining that you do not buy certain foods.
What a great opportunity you now have to talk about nutrition and meal planning! The more you plan ahead, the less likely you are to make impulse buys. It will increase the chance that the family will eat healthier, too. Have everyone help create the menu for the week. The little ones can help out with the menu, too, and they might even be more likely to eat those foods that have been rejected in the past. Mom can get a break from food preparation duties by working out a rotation for the chef or the sous chef of the day. I also love cooking with my kids because it is such a wonderful opportunity to make memories and teach them math, science, reading, and culture.
Use the economy as a means to improve your family’s health, teach your family about meal planning, and get everyone involved in cooking! Working as a team will make the task less daunting!
One Response to “Lessons from the Economy”
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We have always made menus & lists before we go to the store, it keeps us from looking at things that catch our eyes & keeps us focused on what we need instead of what we want.