Happy Mother’s Day!

Giving gifts on Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be a great expense.  Especially if you can tap into what really matters to that special woman in your life.  According to Gary Chapman, author of the Five Love Languages, there are different ways that people receive love.

1. Does mom respond well to words of affirmation, praise, and compliments?  Try decorating a jar and filling it with paper hearts, each one listing a reason why you love her.
2. Does she appreciate quality time together?  Plan a day together doing her favorite things.
3. Does she need a gift to hold in her hand and feel loved?  Homemade gifts can be real treasures.  Use your talents to create something unique and personal.   
4. Do acts of service fill up her love tank?  Maybe there is a project around the house that she’s been on her mind, but needs help with.  If not, plan to cook or clean while mom puts her feet up today. 
5. Does physical touch help her feel adored?  Create a warm water footbath out of a plastic dishpan and Epsom salt.  Then find the nicest lotion in the house and give her a foot massage.  Not sure how to do that; check out a book from the library. 

Knowing which language mom best receives love can help you tailor a gift that will be really meaningful to her.  Keep in mind, the language she receives love may not be the same language you give love.  So if by doing something different this mother's day you do not feel filled up; remember the focus is to be on her, not you.  It is better to give than to receive.  Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

What's in the Pantry?

Here’s another spring-cleaning tip for your home and finances.  Something we do about every 6 months is clean out the pantry.  By this I mean, we eat everything up from the freezer and cupboards.  We meal plan around the items that are stored and only buy what is needed to complete a meal based on what is in the house.  

As winter turns to spring, all those canned beans I stocked up on for chili can now be in mexi wraps or salads.  I also like to make pizzas and banana bread to use up the flour so it does not sit in my pantry during the hot, humid summer months when baking is banned from our house.

Old or spoiled items (rare) get thrown out.  If we will never use it, the food pantry donation bin gets it, along with a few other things.

If you bring the family together on a Saturday, planning meals around what you have can be a fun and creative game.  I did a similar exercise this week in my Financial Peace class.  I held up a can of great northern beans and a bag of rice.  The participants were in teams and had to come up with as many recipes using the beans, rice and two other ingredients (not including water and spices).  My winning team came up with 8 recipes!  Answers ranged from a stir-fry, soup, casserole, wraps even rice pudding with refried beans!

It was a fun exercise, and amazing to see the possible combinations.  But what does this have to do with finances?  Living off the excess we have accumulated lightens our budget. It allows us to get a little more intense with my student loan payments.  Or we can set the extra money aside for a fun summer trip so we don’t have to diminish the amount we already put toward the loan.   

Having discipline with money and making lots of little changes really pays off in the long run.  Do you have a favorite inexpensive recipe or kitchen tip to share?