M.O.P.S.

Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity to share and network with a great group of ladies. I am a member of a club called MOPS. It stands for Mothers Of PreSchoolers. We get to meet, learn, and visit about family and children related topics. The presenter wasn't able to make it, so I agreed to be the back-up and I talked about ORGANIZATION, mostly pertaining to grocery shopping and the kitchen. I had SOOOOO much fun doing this!

Here are some of the tips that I shared with them.

*Make a list at home, never go to the store w/o one! Decide what you will be making all week, and ask the kids and the hubby what sounds good. Keep track of what's in your pantry. This will save your pocket book and space.

>Did you know that 1/2 of your purchases are "unplanned" and impulse buying and the stores bank on it, especially at the check-out counter. DO NOT buy anything there. They are priced to hit your hard. Go specifically to that isle if you need batteries and candy. Magazine subscriptions will cost you LESS than $20, if you buy them at the store you will quadruple your debt.

*Buy off brands. Most of them are made from the same people and if they aren't, taste test studies are showing that people CANNOT tell the difference. Don't be a name brand snob.

*Did you know that the eye level items on the shelves are the most expensive ones? Look above, but mostly below on the bottom shelves for the least expensive items. They know you don't want to bend down and hardly look that direction.

*Plan according to isle if you can, and if you can't don't just paruse every isle. Skip the ones you know you don't need items in.

*If you have to bring your kids, don't forget the snacks in your diaper bag or purse. This will help alot. I let my kids play with the calculator. Ammorae has to use it to help add up items and she is learning something very valuable!

*Buy with cash. If you can charge or use your debit/credit card you are ALWAYS more likely to spend more. If you are on a budget, this is a big MUST. If you know that you can not overspend you'll stick to your list and bargain shop.

*If you are going in for just one or two things, DO NOT pick up a basket or cart. You will only have room in your hands for what you came in for. Why do you suppose they have someone standing there to hand you one of those LARGE carts?

*Put leftovers on the same shelf everytime. Your family will know what to grab first, especially if you have hungry teenagers after school. You will get rid of them faster, instead of throwing them away. Also, cut up healthy snack foods, such as cheese and veggies and put them in baggies or dishes and put them on the bottom or at eye level for your little ones and they'll know that's just for them. That's where we put the yougurt and jello, yummy!

Last week I bought one bag of potatoes and I utilized every single one of them and they didn't grow eyes! I know that my little ones don't a lot of them so it's easy to determine how many to use. One night I made homemade chips, thanks Tamara, then the other nights we prepared, baked, mashed, pot wedges, and pot salad for sandwiches after church.

My passion lately is that I strongly believe that women need to work on networking! The blogging world has opened so many doors. I met one of the ladies yesterday who's blog I was reading and using her tips and I had no idea that she was attending the same church. If we are able to visit or share our thoughts then we will all be able to utilize the blessings that God has given us and we can work together to make our households an easier better place to live. Some of can inspire others to try something different or be creative. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and need a boost. Most times you don't know when someone needs a pick-me-up or a good word and this is an easy way to serve and lend a hand. I can't emphasize how important it is to stick together and work together.

These are just a few things that I shared and I'll be back with some more soon! I'd LOVE to hear your tips! Send them my way!

Oh yeah, if you aren't involved in MOPS and want to be look online, email, or call me and I'll hook you up. It's definately worthwhile, if you are in that season of your life.