Bank It or Plank It: Financial Bingo

They are a powerhouse of nutrients and antioxidants. I cook them as directed on the package. I prefer to buy them sprouted or split but whole mung beans are just as easy to make. Add them to boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. I like mine a bit crunchy so I reduce the cook time. I add them to broccoli, chopped tomato, mushrooms and roasted walnuts for a simple salad. Use half mung bean and half split peas when making pea soup. They are great to add to soups and stews. I love the nutty flavor and prefer them as a side dish to my veggies adorned with chopped avocado, cayenne pepper and fresh lemon juice.

We've been debt free for over a year, so no more mortgage or car payments to others. Since we had budgeted for these expenses, we continued making payments, but to ourselves by putting those 'payments' into a subaccount at the credit union.
We are really close to the $$ goal we had set to save for our kitchen remodel!

Jokes of the Sea
Q: Why don’t pirates shower before they walk the plank?
A: Because they’ll just wash up on shore later.

There are many free apps that offer coupons, discounts, or store rewards. What are your favorite apps and why?

When I have to shop at Target, I use Cartwheel. I just tried the drive up option this weekend and not only did it save me time, but there was zero risk of items that weren't on my shopping list sneaking their way into my cart. 🙂

I shop a lot at Once Upon a Child to purchase almost all of my children's clothes and they have a rewards app called Fivestars. I save 50% or more off retail by buying gently used clothes/shoes/Halloween costumes and earn rewards that save me even more money on clothes!

Great idea, gives a little variety for lunches too! I'm using this system!

I love using Cartwheel, I have just shy of $200 saved using it. One of the employees at Target showed me that you can scan items and it will automatically update your Cartwheel (rather than having to scroll through the offers and finding them). Scanning on demand saves time and guarantees you aren't missing out on a savings opportunity!

A couple years ago, my two kids ate school lunch most days. It was convenient. I admit it. When they stopped, we knew we were saving money, but I never calculated the actual cost until this morning. For two lunches and two milks every day, it's $8.00. That's $40.00 a week. Over the course of the 180-day school year, that is equivalent to $1440.00! Over 12 years of school, that's $17,280 assuming prices remain the same.

When we made the transition to home lunches, my husband and I made their lunches, but that soon changed. The kids weren't eating everything we packed and so much was going to waste. They now prefer to make their own lunch and appreciate the effort it takes. Plus, they choose what they eat each day. (That part still requires some parental oversight from time to time.) As a result of the change, we contribute more to their 529 plans, the kids eat healthier meals and learn valuable lessons about meal planning and finances, and they like home lunches more.

It was a small change that is making a huge difference.

It's great that you're teaching the kids these valuable lessons! Lessons learned at home and learned early will stick with them as they grow into adulthood.

Love this Tina! We pack lunches too. Now we need to get them involved with assisting in making them.