How to Save Money on Groceries

Today we’re going to discuss how to save money on groceries. With the high food prices, it makes sense for you to follow strategic steps to save money on grocery costs. Here’s how you can cut back on your shopping bills.

The first step to saving money on groceries is to make a shopping list. Shoppers tend to spend too much money when they don’t have a shopping list and choose more food items they intend to buy. A grocery list makes it easier for you to stick to your budget.

The next step to save money on groceries is to plan your meals each week. This strategy prevents you from spending money you don’t need. Create a list of foods and snacks you need each week to avoid making impulse purchases.

Next tip, avoid large crowds. You can feel overwhelmed in a crowded or busy grocery store. Large crowds make it more difficult for you to save money on food brand items, which makes it easier for you to spend beyond your budget.

The next strategy is not to shop with family members. Shopping with family members or young children may cause you to buy something on impulse. You can avoid the costly risks of overspending by shopping alone.

Don’t forget to shop online to save money on groceries. Shopping online gives you the convenience of easily comparing prices across different stores, finding discounts, and helping you to experience a no-pressure sales experience. By shopping online, you also have the convenience to avoid large crowds and get same-day delivery.

Jump Rope's are Not Just for Little Girls!

The jump rope has served a multipurpose role in the lives of children and adults across the world. There are many benefits to be reaped from using the jump rope as a training tool. Here are a few reasons why you should add a jump rope to your arsenal of workout equipment.

Serves as a great exercise option for shedding those unwanted pounds.

Meeting your fitness goals doesn’t have to be limited to performing exercises at the gym. You can get a full body workout with a jump rope. Shedding one pound will require you to burn 3,500 calories. Depending on the rate at which you’re seeking to release weight, it can take you anywhere from one week to a month to shed one pound. If your fitness goal is centered upon shedding five pounds in 25 days, you’ll have to burn 700 calories per day. To maximize your results, you’ll have to combine your jump rope exercises with a healthy eating lifestyle. Jumping rope for 30 minutes a day for a 25-day period will help you burn close to 300 calories, while cutting out 400 calories from your diet will help you reach your 700 daily caloric burn.

Helps remove toxins from your body.

Jumping rope plays a fundamental role in maintaining a healthy lymphatic system. This system gets rids of waste and toxins from your body and works through the expansion and contraction of your muscles as you move your body. The up and down movements made during a jump rope exercise are ideal for kicking this part of your body into motion.

Gives you the freedom to exercise anywhere.

You can transform any outdoor setting into your personal gym. The portability of the jump rope makes it easy for you to carry to work or on vacation. After work you can head to the park and jump rope. Or if you’re on vacation, you can go to an open space that’s conducive to jumping rope. Having a jump rope in your possession at all times can significantly increase your motivation to exercise. There’s no need to be concerned about having to exercise in tight spaces, or driving to the gym to wait on the next available exercise machine.

Allows you to exercise on a small budget. There’s no need for you to break the bank with this form of exercising. Some jump ropes are available for less than $10. Start off with a lightweight rope with plastic beads. Jump ropes that are priced higher than $10 may be weighted or speed ropes. Such ropes are not necessary when you’re now starting out. Once you’ve developed your jump rope skills, you can upgrade to these types of ropes.

Increases your desire to perform different exercises. There are multiple exercises you can perform with a jump rope, so there’s no reason for you to get bored. Some of these include the side to side, double criss-cross feet, rope swing, double hops, heel to toe, high knees, one foot hops, scissors, running on the spot, forward and backward, butt kicks, and two at a time. You can also increase your creativity by incorporating tricks and variations such as release, bell, straddle, and full turn into your routine. Follow The Park Club on Twitter for great gym workout and health tips.

Why Kids Need More Educational Hobbies

Hobbies serve as a great way for you to bond with other people, and help you to relax and unwind from a stressful day. Hobbies for young kids are just as important.

Good hobbies such as playing educational games can help children develop interpersonal skills, nurture their creativity and intelligence, develop their cognitive skills, boost their confidence, and gain a sense of accomplishment.

As a parent, you want the assurance that you’re choosing the best games that will enable your child to gain the most knowledge that leads them into adulthood. If you’ve been noticing that your child is not engaging in healthy, educational hobbies, you must try to break their habit. Try the following suggestions if you’re confused about the type of games that may help boost the mental growth of your child.

Board Games

Does your child watch too much TV? Excessive screen time can prevent kids from learning new activities, studying, and playing with their peers. Start by introducing board games to your child, one of my all-time favorites to play on Friday nights!

Board games are simple and provide so much fun, especially when you’re indoors and need to engage in a constructive family activity to pass the time. Choose board games that are suitable for the age of your child. There are some cool games that I love to buy online from Target.com. Some of these include the Zingo Family and Kids Board Game, MindWare Alphabet Bingo Board Game, Jenga Game, and Hues and Cues Game.

I also learned that there are so many amazing benefits that kids could gain from playing board games. It is known that board games may help to increase a child’s focus, improve their language skills, soothe their anxiety, and improve their social skills. So, limit the number of hours your child watches TV and buy board games they find appealing.

Online Kids Cooking Games

If your child has shown an interest in helping you to cook meals, you can encourage them to play online cooking games. You should be aware that cooking games may also provide positive benefits for kids.

Cooking games are an effective way for kids to explore new cuisines and improve their knowledge about various types of dishes. Cooking games may also help to provide the following benefits:

teach a child kitchen skills

Improve mathematical skills

improve reading skills

help children learn about ingredients

build nutrition awareness

One particular website that I recently came across is Culinary Schools Org. This is an informative website that contains information to help culinary students find an appropriate school that is aligned with their career needs. While browsing through the website, I also discovered a selection of enticing online cooking games for kids. The website contains hundreds of games that help children become familiar with food, cooking, farming, running a restaurant business, and other types of fun interactive activities. I love that these games are designed to be fun for kids as well as adults. Here are some of the games that I enjoyed playing on the Culinary Schools website.

Egg Go

My young niece and I had a fun time playing Egg Go on the laptop. With this game, kids have to sort out bad green eggs from the good ones, and eggs that are nearly hatched. This game is very addictive and the points add up so fast. I also love that this simple game is suitable for first to second-grade students and designed with beautiful images to make them enjoy the game even more.

Can I Eat It??

This is a fast game that we could not pass up. I also like that it is ideal for preschoolers and kindergarten students. With this game, players click ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if they think a particular item is edible.

Kitchen Word

Kitchen Word is an educational word game that helps kids quickly identify kitchen appliances and utensils. With this game, players can connect pictures to the words that describe them.

Pizza Cafe

Another one of my favorites was the Pizza Cafe. This is a fun restaurant game where a player makes fresh pizza for customers. The players have to serve the customers quickly, place their orders on the conveyor belt, and collect payments.

Inspire Your Kids With Productive Recreational Activities

Educational games for kids is more than having fun. Don’t forget to make a list of the games that your child loves to play and encourage them to play these games with friends.

When you have free time on the weekends, you can also play cooking games with your kids. Playing online games is an essential parenting tool and an excellent way for you to bond with your child, solidifying your relationship. These games could also become an integral part of your loved one’s everyday life!

Home Repairs

How often do your put off your home repairs? Home improvements and renovations will make the environment more attractive and suitable for the family. However, when it comes to home repairs, homeowners may face difficult challenges if the job is too complicated or time consuming for them to manage. Although the job might be costly, hiring a professional is a way to remain stress free during the entire home repair process.

One of the main reasons why a homeowner might put off home repairs is the expense. Statistics have shown that approximately 64% of American homeowners do not have thousands of dollars to invest in home repairs. Due to the high costs, home repairs are pushed to the bottom of the priority list. Finding a trustworthy service to perform the job is also an issue for 39 % of U.S. homeowners. This is a concern for me as well because if the repair is done incorrectly, there will be greater damage to the house. More money will need to be spent fixing a house that was improperly repaired.

If the project is not difficult, a homeowner will attempt to perform the task instead of relying on a service. Fixing a leaking pipe, clearing clogged drains, rebuilding broken steps, and installing smoke detectors are repairs that can be easily performed.

Reviva Makeup Primer Review

A primer is an essential cosmetic base that helps makeup last longer. I was very pleased with the results from using the Reviva Makeup Primer. Due to my oily, acne prone, sensitive skin, I was concerned with breakouts from using the product. This was not the outcome.

I’ve tried a few brands, but this primer really worked for me. Once applied, it makes my skin feel smooth, silky, and helped to create a flawless matte finish. It absorbs quickly, and also feels very light on the skin. Even when I carried on with my regular activities throughout the day, my face remained non-oily! There was no need for me to keep reapplying face powder to reduce the shine.

This is a great transparent primer that I would highly recommend to women with oily skin, large pores, and to those who are sensitive to harsh chemical ingredients. Reviva Makeup Primer is odorless, and contains natural ingredients that promote skin health. Some of these consist of Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, and olive oil. This is a primer that I will continue to use for a long time.

Fight Colds with Olive Leaf

Did you know that olive leaf is very effective in fighting colds and increases the strength of your immune system due to its wonderful healing properties? Olive leaf is the leaf from the olive tree and contains active compounds that are oleuropein, polyphenols, and flavonoids. These compounds are helpful in fighting various forms of bacteria such as fungus, yeast, and parasites. Olive leaf is a safe and non toxic natural antibiotic. If your condition is severe, olive leaf liquid extract, which is more potent and concentrated than olive leaf tea would be most helpful for people who suffer from long term infections.

5 Budgeting Tips for First-Time Homeowners

Purchasing a home means taking on a large financial responsibility. Any first-time homeowner should have made good use of a house payment calculator to determine what they can afford.

Budgeting is key when it comes to owning a house, and there are many ways to do it that will make the process feel like less of a burden.

1. Monitor utility bills and usage

As a homeowner, you will most likely be taking on new utility bills, or seeing a drastic change in utility bills you’re used to paying, especially if you’re moving to a larger space.

Be conscious of your utility usage throughout the month, and make adjustments where needed. Make sure all windows and doors are sealed properly to help with the heat in the winter, fix any leaky faucets, and be aware of how many lights you have on at any given time.

2. Build up an emergency fund

You never know what might come up in terms of costs having to do with your home. Having a nest egg to pull from means you can address a problem without taking on debt or stealing the funds from another priority, like retirement.

A broken appliance or leak in the basement will feel much less stressful knowing the monetary aspect of it is taken care of.

3. Determine disposable income

Extra and hidden costs that come with homeownership can affect how much money is left over each month after all bills are paid.

This may mean having less disposable income. Be sure to assess and differentiate your wants and needs on a monthly basis so you can adjust your overall spending plan accordingly.

If, however, you find you have more disposable income, think of reallocating some of it towards that emergency fund or putting it towards home maintenance savings.

4. Regularly check in

You can spend a lot of time setting forth a budget, but if you aren’t actually sticking to it what’s the point?

Review your home’s budget and expenses at least four times a year. This can bring to light how utility costs are affected seasonally, where you may have unnecessary spending, or where you might be able to consolidate payments.

This will also help monitor your savings accrual. Regular reviews will aid in avoiding overspending and taking on debt.

5. Don’t throw it all away on housewares

Buying a new home is exciting. It’s a fresh start and a clean slate – and this includes décor, both in and outside of the home.

New homeowners may feel inclined to purchase things like furniture, decorations, and other housewares as a way to further personalize their new abode.

They may have also just discarded a lot of items in the packing process, trying to streamline what needed to be boxed up and oved.

While there’s nothing wrong with wanting new things for your new digs, be aware that these costs can add up quickly. You don’t have to buy all items brand new. Check out thrift shops, sales, and even free items friends offer up to furnish your new place.