My friends at Ultimate Bundles just made the Stuck at Home Survival Bundle. It includes 21 resources, worth over $490, that will give you activity ideas for your kids, self care routines for you, and how to organize your home while you’re spending more time at home.
We’ve had birthdays on top of birthdays around here and tomorrow is my birthday! Normally we take advantage of a free birthday dinner from a local restaurant, but that’s not going to happen this year because it’s closed. We still have some local restaurants offering takeout, so I think we’ll do that instead! Support local! I’m not sure how useful this list is right now, but here’s my great big list of Canadian Birthday Freebies.
Here are the interesting links I came across on my travels around the web this week! Enjoy and have a great weekend!
It seems each of us has prepared for the world's pandemic in different ways. There are many items that average consumers are having difficulty buying, such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer. With the thought that the pandemic may cause a complete quarantine or lockdown of our world, it’s important to know what you should have stockpiled at home. In fact, taking action can actually soothe your fears.
Schools have already shut down and many areas are on restrictions for social gatherings or even dining out. This is simply how our life is right now. It’s been said that if any area is about to go on complete lockdown you’ll have 1-2 day notice so that you can be fully ready. That’s why I wanted to share some tips, as it sounds like you’ll have 1-2 days to get that stockpile prepared.
Tips for Stockpiling
Take inventory
Take look in your cupboards, fridge and freezers to see what you already have on hand. You may actually be surprised at what you already have! It may not be exciting, delicious food, but it will keep you fed! To help you out, I have a Freezer Inventory printable here and a Pantry Inventory printable here.
Stock up your family's Essentials
The first step is to make sure you have the essentials. By this, I mean to stock up on what your family regularly eats. Families have been advised to stockpile at least two weeks’ worth of food. I highly suggest you get food that can be frozen or has a long shelf life to keep the food healthy longer. Prioritize those items you really can’t live without like baby formula or foods for special diets. When this all blows over, you don’t want to find you have spent a fortune stocking up or be stuck with food you don’t like. Focus on buying a few extras of what you normally consume. Make a list to keep yourself on track at the grocery store or when you're placing a grocery order.
Make a Meal Plan
Sit down in the near future and make a list of meals you can create with your essentials. Make sure you account for drinks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and of course, snacks. With a meal plan in place, your food won't go to waste and you'll spend less money.
Planning a menu is simple. First, print off two copies of this weekly menu planner. This resource will allow you to plan breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. Next, start writing in meals that you know you like, based on foods that you already have and what can last awhile. If you need some meal ideas, here are our family's favourites.
Focus on pantry meals
By this, I mean meals you can create using canned goods like beans, tomatoes and even canned tuna or chicken. Rice and pasta are excellent for pantry meals. Items like cheese and milk can even be frozen. Basically, focus on items with a long shelf life. Some fresh produce like apples, carrots, oranges, and celery have a longer shelf life compared with other counterparts like fresh berries. I also like to purchase some canned and frozen fruit like peaches, mangoes, and pineapple for when we run out of fresh fruit.
These are just a few tips for stockpiling that will ensure you’re prepared to keep your family happy, healthy and fed for an extended amount of time. I’ve seen a lot of people out there panic buying and will have too much stuff after the fact or perhaps are going too deep into the financial hole due to panic. The key is to make sure that you’re able to financially afford your stockpile and be smart about what you spend money on for your stockpile.
Well, I think it’s Saturday! To keep some normalcy around these parts, and because I’ve heard that you love the Links Worth Sharing, I’m going to keep them going!
On that note, here are the interesting links I came across on my travels around the web this week! Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Alright, I feel like I need to talk about money for a minute. 🙂 Most of us will be financially impacted by the global events. It is affecting Simply Frugal too.
On that note, here are three things I would encourage you to do to protect your family financially:
1. Stop spending money. How we are feeling about the events (anxious, bored...etc) is a huge trigger for needless spending. Don't shop needlessly. Just don't do it. Unsubscribe from emails and social media accounts that entice you to spend.
2. Go through your bank statements. Take a look at all the money you spent on "extras". Dinners out, that new pair of jeans, movie tickets... Stop spending money on those items and find alternatives. Cancel any monthly subscriptions that are not essential. (Prime, Disney+, Spotify, for example.)
3. When you have time, put Pinterest to use. Use Pinterest as a search engine to find recipes using your pantry ingredients, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Create a special secret board to hold all the ideas you find.
Finally, I will not be promoting things that will entice you to spend needlessly. It doesn't feel right. However, when you visit SimplyFrugal.ca and read the articles I have available, you are supporting Simply Frugal without spending a dime. <3
If you do 'need' to purchase something, the links I have on the site are mostly affiliate links so I do earn a small commission with your purchase at no extra cost to you. (But please only buy if you need!) I will not be posting new deals for the foreseeable future though. <3
One final thing, I'm always looking for ways to help you, so if you have any suggestions for articles or resources, I will gladly try to tackle them!
I'm so very thankful for you and the visits you do make to Simply Frugal! We've got this!
