Advice Needed on Budgeting Time

Get a crock pot. Put everything in there in the morning and set it for 7-8 hrs on low. It's the best thing I ever did.

wow. 7 children! There is certainly a little star waiting up in heaven for you! THe only advice I can give you is to cook in a crock pot (slow cooker). I make so many delicious dinners in mine...You can google slow cooker recipes and come up with tons and tons of sites for recipes.
Here is one of my favorites, buy a big pork tenderloin, put it into your crock pot with a full bottle of BBQ sauce and cook on low for 8 hours, you get a delicious dinner of pulled pork. Here is a site i reference alot. http://southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm

Hi and wow, 7 kids! Well, you've stated you have older children so get them involved! I also agree with planning out your meals for the week. I've recently started this (I have 3 kids) and my shopping bills at the grocery store are now less, and I also make less visits to the store also. Considering you are short of time, have the older ones help out with cooking and helping you keep the younger ones on a schedule too. Try to make things that can be prepared and then put into the freezer until you need them, like homemade vegetable soup, eggplant, tomato sauce, stews, etc. If you are home on the weekends, make a big pot a tomato sauce with meatballs and other meats (chicken, sausage, etc) and freeze it in separate containers. One night could be pasta with the sauce, one night meatball sandwiches, etc (I'm sure you get the idea). If you make something like chicken cutlets, I'm sure you can get your older one to start them before dinner time. But when you make them, make a lot at once. Keep whats left over in the refridgerator and the next time you make them, pull out that sauce you froze, add it on top and add a little mozzarella cheese, and then you'll have chicken parmasean. Or, cut up the left over cutlets and add them to pasta with either the sauce again, or try making a garlic and olive oil sauce which is simple and then add some parm. cheese on top. Chicken broth is also good for making pasta moist instead of olive oil if you choose not to use the oil. You could also make chicken by adding vegetables on top of it with some seasoning/dressing, wrap it in foil and bake it. Good luck with your choices, but the best advice is to plan ahead!

Go to www.flylady.com - it has everything you need.

Check out my responce to Cynthia V on Dec 4th. She had said her patience was running out and needed help.
I agree I am totally lost without my preplanning.

Hi, K. wow 7 Children

That is amazing, well lets get straight to it because I know you must not have much time, I am an administrator of a Mommy board called happy moms. We share our recipies there so I am sure you could find some quick and easy meals there, plus we also have a variety of mothers that might be able to help give ideas on how to budget a little better. This board is for Moms but we also have playdates with Children.

I think the key for me (at least for food) is to write a meal plan for the week. Then buy only the ingredients needed to prepare those meals. Then when it is time to prepare the meals it is easy because you already know what you are making on each day.

Here is the link if you are interested in the site
http://happymoms.proboards83.com/index.cgi

When my kids were all still home we would post a calender weekly, everyone needed to make a note of something they would be able to make during that week. And list ingredients. It also held a spot for them to note if they would not be there for dinner (helped with the prep. I get up early and before leaving the bedroom I make the bed and pick up. And do this all the way to the kitchen. By the time I leave for work I have picked up the house. Whoever gets home first vacs the whole house. Weekends we all strip beds and dust. With all doing their share its done in no time because it was kept up all week. And if everyone starts first in their room. I think you see what I mean. I grocery shop of Sat. after cleaning. And since the dinner list is there I just make a copy of the ingredient list. Im really lucky, my husband gets home at $:00 every day and I dont until 5:30. Everyone has a certain time of day when their body gets a boost. Find out when this is for you (keep a power diary) Use that boost time to your advantage. And by the way I have been doing this system for 12 years, even before my husband appeared. And I have a very neat and organized home. If you drop it pick it up if you use it clean it ect. that what my kids would say when they were little.

K.,

You've got a lot on your plate, not doubt! I find a couple of things help me out, and I also runb a home party business, so I understand what you're going through.

As for dinners, I agree with the plan to make a menu for what you are making each night, and then base your grocery list around that. I've been doing it for years, and I am lost if I walk into the food store without a weekly menu and a list. Cooking in batches is a great idea, but I'm sure with seven children in the house, a "batch" for most of us is a regular meal in your house! Take a look at slow cooker recipes. You get everything set in the morning, and just let it cook on low all day. When you areready to eat, it's all done for you! While you do still need to put the time in to prep the meal, it is done earlier in the day, and not in that after school rush time.

In addition to making a meal plan each week, I work with two other tools that help me to keep on track. I am a Pampered Chef consultant, and one of the things they give us each year is a planner book. It is a monthly calendar with boxes for each day. I put into it all of the outings, events, Dr's appointments, parties, etc I have going on, so that all of my obligations are written down in one place. All of my children's activities go in there, too. Then, each Monday morning I sit down and make a huge list of every single thing I need to do that week. Down to laundry loads and bathroom cleaning. I then start another list of what NEEDS to be done on each day. Anything that has to be done on a certain day, like a party, or a Drs appointment goes on that day's list first. Once all of those tasks are listed under each day, I have an idea of how much time I'll have each day for other tasks, like housework and paperwork. I then start to assign each of those tasks to the days when I'll have time to do them.

This really helps keep me on track, because I know in the morning exactly what I have to accomplish that day, and I feel like I'm making progress throughout my day as I accomplish each task and cross it off.

Good luck!

J.

K., you didn't mention how many kids are still at home with you. Off hand, regardless of who are with you, I'd suggest they all pitch in with all household chores, including making dinner - each of the older ones on their own, or perhaps supervising the youngest, so that you don't even have to think about it. In a perfect world it would mean getting together once a week to plan. I think the least painless way is to let the kids decide what jobs they want -- no need to have a rotation.
C.
PS: any husband/partner around to help out? Dose sound as though you have your hands full!
Good luck!

One word: delegation.
If your older children are old enough to help with things, they need to do so, ESPECIALLY helping you with the younger ones, and light housekeeping. I know you didn't have children to make them slaves, ha ha, but they can def help. I started setting the table when I was 5, and clearing and putting away leftovers when I was 6. You would be surprised at what kids can do with a bit of encouragement and appreciation. If you already do this, then great job, and I am sorry I couldn't be of more help. If not, give it an honest try. Good luck and God bless you and yours.