Hello from beautiful Montana:
Just have a few minutes until we go to a bar-b-que. Doesn’t that sound like summer to you. Can’t you just smell the onions and burgers on the grill? The hostess is our adult daughter Emily.She has 20 people coming, but she has been buying and planning for some time, so she stayed right on her food budget.
She learned her money, cooking and entertaining skills from the tip below.
Tip 8 taken from my book Kids, Chores & More
Give your older children (7-40) ten dollars (depending on your family size- it may need to be up to twenty dollars)and a calculator to go to a grocery store. His task is to buy and prepare a family dinner using only the basic food groups. (Hint, hint, try for at least four colors on your plate).
The first week, he must buy all of the dinner at the store; he may not use any supplies from home.
The second week, he can use staples from the freezer, cupboards and refrigerator. By prior planning, using coupons and shopping for sale items, he may spend less and pocket the difference.
After he has prepared the meal, he is to serve it to the family. Encourage him to set the table with linen, china and candles. This is a wonderful exercise to teach about impulse buying vs. planning, reading, using math, learning nutrition, budgeting, cooking, entertaining and shopping.
Plus, it is just plain fun.
If you are anxious to read the rest of the book 101Ways to Get Your Kids to Help at Home as well the other bonus items: Chore charts and a book for the whole family to read together; Who Does What to Make Our House a Home.which contains a full listing of everything that has to be done to maintain a house. Click on over to http://www.ResponsibleChildren.com for the full enchilada.
Remember, you are always invited to attend our free Thursday Tele-class on some aspect of family relationships. Register at www.ArtichokePress.com
Talk to you soon. Leave a comment or call with a suggestion. Love having you in the community.
Judy H. Wright aka Auntie Artichoke, family relationship author and coach
