Organization in the Home: Gearing Up for a New School Year

With the school year approaching, the prevailing thought that goes through most mothers' minds is, "Oh no, I'll be packing school lunches soon!" Moms are always trying to develop quicker systems to make the most of their time. I personally don't think I will ever feel that I've mastered this part of my life, but I must try for the sake of my family. I believe that most mothers strive for the same goal: peace within the home.

The following is a list of books that help me to develop systems for a well managed home and a well managed budget. I look to them often for inspiration, especially when I start gearing up for the school year again. All these books can be found at your local library or bought cheaply on Amazon.

Cleaning is a family thing! It offers helpful tips on organizing the minivan, getting your kids to get involved in the housekeeping, and much more. If you are looking for a way to systematize your home and car than take a hard look at Housekeeping with Kids.

              

What a gem! If you are tired of spending $5 on 6 pack box of granola bars then take a look at this book. If offers numerous recipes and systems for packing healthy, affordable school lunches as well as developing dinner menus. I am always looking to make packing school lunches easier and more affordable. This is an excellent read for feeding your family for less.

Love it! This book offers meal plans and ways to stretch your weekly grocery bill. For example, it offers recipes for a pot roast on Sunday, then various other recipes for the left overs. I have stretched a roast for three or four meals when using this book as my guide.





Finally, one of the best things any mom or dad can do who is trying to gear up for a new school year is create a food budget. I love the envelope system. If there is only one envelope for the family budget it should be a grocery envelope. Let's say I decide that the grocery budget for the week will be $150 including dinners out. Then, I would take the cash out of the bank and put it into an envelope. Once it is gone, the family must eat what is already in the kitchen. Period. When I am diligent with the system it is always a winner for the family pocket book. This idea came from reading Dave Ramsey.

I hope these books will be as helpful to you as they are to me in working to create a happy home.