Labor Day weekend is here, which for my kids means school starts next week. The beginning of the school year signals the imminent change of seasons, but also means a change in the household budget. It’s time to switch over to the school year spending plan which translates to buying less groceries since the kids aren’t home during the day and adding a “school lunch” line to the plan. It’s not an even exchange as school lunches tend to cost more than the extra groceries I buy for the summer. It might not be a lot, but it has to be accounted for!
Have your kids started school yet? What budget changes do you make for the school year?
Time to get your fists in the air for my favorite posts of the week…..
Posts That Make Me Fist Pump
- The Downsides of Grocery Convenience from Eyes On The Dollar
- 10 Habits to Develop to Get Out of Debt from Young Adult Money
- How to Stress Less About Money: 6 Simple Steps from Frugal Rules
- Budget Mistakes: Using Credit Card as an Emergency Fund from Couple Money
- 11 Questions To Ask Yourself Before A Large Purchase from Making Sense of Cents
- How We’re Teaching Our Kids Good Money Management Skills from My Personal Finance Journey
We are in the same boat with school lunches. We do try and have them bring drinks and snacks from home and only purchase the main meal as school. As the side items can really add up. Enjoy the long weekend!
I hear what you’re saying, Brian. We give our kids a certain amount of money for lunches……if they want extras it’s up to them to either pay for it themselves, OR they always have the option of bringing something from home.
Thanks for mentioning my MPFJ post, Travis!! We’re starting on Tuesday. Biggest budget changes during the school year is that we had several hundred dollars in curriculum to buy and sports activities start up again. Have a great weekend!!!
School sports are definitely a major expense, Laurie! Our son is a spring sports only kid, so we have some time to save up for that. Thanks for stopping by!