If your life is anything like mine, every dollar you spend matters… and every morning, you need every spare second you can get to get the kids up, dressed, fed and out the door. Want to know how to save money everyday AND find an extra 10-15 minutes every morning too? This simple morning tip will get you both!
My Crazy Mornings
As a stay-at-home mom to 3 kids 5 and under, my morning goes something like this… Set my alarm for 5AM with plans to shower before the brood wakes up. Only after being woken up a few times in the middle of the night to tend to bathroom trips and ejected pacifiers, I turn it off and go back to sleep, only to wake up to my one year old chattering in his crib.
I tiptoe downstairs to grab his milk, and (if I’m awake enough) I remember to turn on the coffee maker. Thirty to sixty minutes later, I head back downstairs with three kids – all of us dressed, hair done, and everyone clamoring for breakfast. If I remembered to turn on the coffee maker, I now hopefully brew a cup while their frozen breakfast of choice cooks in the toaster… if not, I have to wait for it to warm up now.
Throwing Good Money Down the Drain, Out the Window
While the kids eat, I never actually sit down… I’m grabbing utensils, napkins, refilling milk cups, grabbing seconds, cutting up fruit and packing lunches. I might remember to actually make and drink my coffee. If not, I throw the cup in the microwave, with the hopes of drinking it before we leave. More often than not, I dump half drunk cups down the drain, or worse… dump the whole thing when I find it still sitting on the coffee maker or in the microwave hours later before dinner.
I estimate brewing a cup at home costs me about $1… when I don’t get to drink it at home, I spend another 10-15 minutes and another $3 or more driving through a drive-thru to get coffee on the go. Because, let’s face it, surviving motherhood is all about coffee by day and wine by night.
[bctt tweet=”Surviving motherhood: coffee by day, wine by night #momlife #parentingishard” username=”PGPBMeghan”]
So essentially, I’m pouring $1 down the drain at home, and throwing another $3+ out the window to fuel my coffee needs. And let’s be honest – it’s usually more, because you can’t make it through the drive-thru without getting the kids something too!
How to Save Money Everyday
Dixie® To Go cups solve all my morning coffee drama and save me money everyday. I can make my coffee directly in the cup, and it stays hot – whether I can drink it now, or an hour later when it has to walk out the door with me. With the leak-resistant lid, I also don’t have to worry about the kids (or me) spilling my coffee in the hustle of our morning chaos. And since it’s disposable, no more coffee dregs science experiments in travel mugs after weeks in the car… because who can remember to bring in one more thing on top of 3 kids and their gear???
As an added bonus, I’m no longer pouring money down the drain, and my $3+/day drive-thru habit keeps $100s in my pocket every year. Better still? I have an extra 10-15 minutes in my morning routine… an extra hour each week of less racing around. Save money, find more time – isn’t that every parent’s holy grail?
What mom couldn’t use a few extra bucks back in their pocket everyday and an extra hour every week? No matter your flavor preference, Dixie® To Go cups are an awesome solution for both. If you enjoyed this post, find more money saving ideas in our Family Financial Savvy series. You might also enjoy these tips to save money this winter from Adventures in Wunderland or how to find enough savings in your lifestyle to live on a single income from The Soccer Mom Blog. You can find all of these and all our favorites from around the web on my Family Financial Savvy board on Pinterest.
Remember it! PIN THIS!
I was selected for this paid opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.