One of the things we’ve noticed in our family is that the more advertising we see, the more stuff we are likely to want. This is especially true with our children. We try to minimize the amount of advertising they are exposed to which helps to alleviate some of the “I wants”. It is tricky though because advertisers are constantly trying to woo our kids.

One of the ways we attempt to keep marketing material away from the children is to minimize their tv time and their exposure to commercials. We have a rule in our house, “when the commercials come on, the tv goes off”. They are trained to shut the tv off for a few minutes while the commercials play and then turn it back on when the show they are watching resumes. We are usually close by to enforce this rule. The kids have limits on the shows they are allowed to watch as well as the length of time per day.

Another way we minimize their exposure to advertising is by throwing out all the toy catalogs and magazines that are sent their way. American Girl is one of the worst offenders. We have never purchased anything from them, but somehow they got our daughter’s name. They faithfully send her their latest catalog so she can see all the dolls she simply must have, at a cost of $100 or more per doll. Yikes! Now we sort through our mail before bringing it into the house, and toss any catalogs or sales flyers directed at the kids.

For myself, I don’t browse catalogs or stores where I know I will be tempted with impulse purchases. I have come to recognize that simply removing these things from my line of vision helps me to see more clearly our goal of saving money and living within our means. When I am feeling particularly emotional, I avoid advertising like the plague. No TV, magazines, online shopping, etc.

Now we don’t tune out all advertising. That would be impossible to do. However, we find that by keeping it to low levels, everyone in the family is not focused on the next “thing they have to have”.

If you’ve looked around at Easter baskets, you may be surprised at their cost. I’ve seen quite a few in Target priced anywhere from $14.99 to $19.99. Ouch! I always make my children’s Easter baskets myself which saves quite a bit of money. Plus, I can make a basket emphasizing the items I want (i.e. less candy).

Many years ago when I was in college, a friend who had young children told me that she saved her kid’s baskets from year to year. She would store them in her closet, and bring them out the following year where she would fill them with some plastic eggs that she filled with candy. I thought this was such a great idea and I remembered to do this when we started our family. Every Easter I use the same baskets and gift basket bags, but fill them with different treats.

If you are starting out without the basket, then head on over to the dollar store where you can find a nice assortment. The first year you’ll need to purchase the basket and a bag to enclose the basket in. Save the basket and bag for next year and you’ll only need to purchase the items to fill the basket. If I need to buy a new basket because one is getting worn out I buy it at the clearance sales after Easter. The clearance sales are also a great time to purchase the plastic eggs, grass, or the gift basket bags.

I like to theme the Easter baskets. Craft kits, scrapbooking, or outdoor fun are some of the favorites in my home. I usually place 5 items from the dollar store in each basket. This year the kids are each getting a stuffed bunny, color book and crayons, bag of jelly beans, sidewalk chalk, and bubbles. I place all the items in the basket, place the entire basket in the decorative cellophane gift bag, and secure the top with a ribbon.

To get some ideas for creating an Easter basket just check out the ones available in your local grocery store or discount store. Keep notes of which ones you like, what type of items they contain, and then hit the dollar store to find inexpensive substitutes. As always, you’ll have better luck finding items if you go early rather than waiting until the last minute.

Thought I would put together a quick review of some of the major ways that we save money in our household.

1. Drive a used vehicle with no car payments. We drive our cars ’til the wheels fall off. It really has saved us a lot of money and we are currently saving up for a replacement vehicle. Our emergency fund covers the maintenance costs which so far, thankfully, have not be high.

2. Cook our meals at home from scratch. I spend a lot of time cooking but that’s okay. We also save a lot by eating our meals at home. I have collected lots of favorite recipes that are easy and quick to fix. I try to always cook two meals at once so that I can put one meal in the freezer.

3. Save money on clothing through garage sales, second hand stores, freecycle, or clearance sales.. I’ve detailed my strategy for saving money on clothing for our family.

4. Reduce our home energy and water bills with some simple strategies.. We listed 6 steps that help us keep the expenses low.

5. Keep an emergency fund. Our emergency fund keeps us financially solvent by allowing us to weather the budget bumps that come along.