Latest news with #budgeting
CBS News
21 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
As food prices climb, South Florida families look for smart spending strategies
With inflation driving up the cost of nearly everything, especially groceries, working families across South Florida are feeling the financial squeeze and adjusting their spending habits just to keep up. Experts warn that relying on credit cards can lead to long-term debt, and shoppers are looking for smarter ways to stretch their budgets. Kiana Powell, a Pembroke Pines mother of three, said rising food costs have forced her to change the way she shops. "I love grocery shopping. That's like one of my things that I really enjoy doing and I'm always looking at like, oh my gosh, X has increased," Powell said. Powell, who handles most of her family's food shopping, said she's now relying on social media groups and store apps to track deals and compare prices. "I'm looking at different groups on social media and seeing what other moms and other wives are talking about and what stores has the deals and I've also learned that I'm doing more bulk shopping, so Sams sees me a lot nowadays," she said. This fall, her two oldest children will attend public school in Broward County, where lunch will no longer be provided for free. She's already factoring that added cost into her family's grocery budget. "Even when I don't pack lunch, the $3, the $2—they're gonna start adding up especially with two kids and then of course you still want to send your kids with snacks," Powell said. Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate, said that while back-to-school spending has dipped slightly from last year, the broader inflation trend has many Americans relying more on credit cards. "You think about back to school, the National Retail Federation has some new numbers that the average K to 12 back-to-school shopper is spending $858 this year — that's down about twenty dollars from last year," Rossman said. He warned that this behavior can be dangerous, especially when debt grows quickly from everyday expenses. "We found in our survey that the number one cause of credit card debt is emergency expenses, some kind of unplanned medical bill or car repair or home repair. Second place is day-to-day expenses, things like gas and groceries," he said. Powell said she and her husband are working to avoid using credit cards by being more deliberate with how they spend. "We're all in the same boat of being more intentional with our grocery shopping and then also making sure that we're buying things that are still going to benefit our family. We don't want to hurt our family just because we're trying to save money," she said. She also recommends downloading store apps, which often include coupons, bonus savings, and cash-back offers. Economists note that some consumers are taking on second jobs to help manage growing debt but caution that short-term sacrifices are often better than paying 20% interest on purchases.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
I'm a frugal mum – there are 5 things that you won't see me buy & the common household product that's a waste of money
WHEN it comes to stretching your family's budget, every penny counts. And for one savvy mum, her simple approach to saving has struck a chord with thousands online. 3 Forget complicated financial spreadsheets or extreme couponing - this TikToker is revealing the surprising everyday items she never buys, and her reasons why might just change your shopping habits for good. The mum, known as Octoberonabudget on TikTok, shared a candid video revealing five common household items and food products she simply refuses to spend her cash on. And it turns out, saving money can be surprisingly simple once you know where to cut back. First up her number one hate is buying kitchen rolls. 'What an epic waste of money, just use a cloth,' she says. This seemingly small swap is a common thread among those looking to reduce both waste and spending, highlighting how daily habits can truly add up. Next on her hit list are familiar names from the supermarket aisles. She recommends that people opt for non branded sauces and soups, as she thinks the cheaper ones 'are just as nice'. Her third point is to avoid ready-made cake mixes. I'm a mum-of-2 and was a broke teaching assistant on £840 a month - now I've made 46k doing a side hustle anyone can do "The only one I'll use is a ready-made pastry mix because pastry is a pain in the a**e to make," she admits. "But if I can bake something myself, I'll bake it rather than buy a ready made mix." Her fourth no-go item follows a similar logic: ready meals. "So much cheaper to just make your own and portion it up. Plus you know what's going in it," she explains. 3 3 Finally, Octoberonabudget calls out a common snack that's often seen as convenient. "Lastly, these single use jelly pots. What a waste of plastic for starters," she says. 'But also, buy a block of jelly, get some ramekins and make your own jelly pots for much cheaper." Her video gained 15.1k views and 18 comments after just one day of it being shared, and many people's opinions were mixed. One asked: 'What do you drain fried foods on?' To which the frugal mum replied: 'A clean tea towel if I need to get grease off.' Then someone else asked: 'How do you clean it off a tea towel? Do you have a frugal hack?' And Octoberonabudget replied: 'Put it in the washing machine?' Money saving challenges Here's some of our favourite money saving challenges. Weather saving challenge - Save the amount equal to whatever the highest temperature was that week. £1 = 1C. 1p challenge - save 1p a day for everyday of the year, but it increase the amount by 1p each day. So day one you save 1p, 2p on day two and 3p on day three. When you reach 100 days you start adding a £1 coin each day too, while this increases to a £2 coin each day plus pennies at 200 days, and £3 each day on top of pennies at day 300. 20p a day challenge - Start by putting 20p in savings, then increase the amount by 20p every day. For example, the first week will look like this: 20p, 40p, 60p, 80p, £1, £1.20, £1.40. £5 a week challenge - Like the 20p challenge, put aside £5 a week and increase it by a fiver each week. Eg £5, £10, £15, £20 Round-up challenge - Every time you buy something, round up the purchase to the nearest £1 and put the difference in a savings account. Eg. You pay £2.60, so you put 40p in savings. You can use an app such as Monzo or Starling to do this. Bingo challenge - Here you have a bingo card with different numbers on it and you tick them off when you've put that amount in your savings account. It can be ad hoc but you have to tick them all off by the end of the month. Monday to Sunday challenge - With this challenge, you simply save £1 on Monday, £2 on Tuesday and so on until the weekend where you don't save on Saturday or Sunday. 365 day challenge - Every Sunday you put aside £1, followed by £2 on Monday, £3 on Wednesday and so on. On Saturday you'll put away £7, and then the process repeats and you'll put aside £1 on Sunday as the new week begins
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dave Ramsey Caller Says Her Husband Makes $156,000 But They Can't Afford Groceries. He Spends $700 Monthly On Vices. Ramsey Isn't Having It
A pregnant stay-at-home mom recently called into 'The Ramsey Show' to ask whether she should pay off a $20,000 car loan. But what started as a budgeting question quickly turned into a deeper discussion about addiction, money control and safety in the home. Ramsey And Warshaw Press The Caller To Face The Real Issue The caller explained that her husband, who earns their household's entire $156,000 income, spends about $6,000 a year on tobacco and marijuana. She added that recent family deaths have caused his usage to spike to about $700 last month alone. 'Things are super tight,' she said. 'I'm afraid if I do cut a check, pay off the car, and we gain the $600 monthly to help with groceries and other bills, it's just going to go out the window.' Don't Miss: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Many are rushing to grab $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. Host Dave Ramsey didn't dance around the issue. 'If I was to say that my wife was an addict, that would mean that our marriage was either getting ready to end or she was getting help next week,' he said. 'But you use this like it's part of the budget.' He challenged the caller's description of her husband as an addict, pointing out that she allows him full access to their joint account where his paycheck is deposited. 'If you're going to call him an addict, you're going to have to act like it,' he said. 'If he drinks a six-pack of beer or whatever ... and he's not drunk and it's not affecting his work life, but you don't like it, that's different than an addict.' Co-host Jade Warshaw jumped in, asking whether this is a budgetary thing or an actual addiction? The caller insisted that her husband says he wants to get help, but 'the come to Jesus talk happens about every two weeks.' Trending: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — When the caller shared more numbers—a $3,400 mortgage, a $600 car payment, and two $3,900 paychecks hitting their account each month—Ramsey wasn't convinced by her claim that they couldn't afford groceries. 'You are not out of food because he spent 750 bucks,' he said. 'Now, you are going to be out of food if he loses his job because he stays drunk all the time.' According to Ramsey, the bigger issue wasn't whether or not to pay off the car, but whether her family was in a safe and financially stable environment. 'You're either going to have to reclassify this in your mind or you're going to have to take some more severe action than you have been willing to take so far,' he said. Warshaw and Ramsey both urged her to seek marriage counseling and make a straightforward decision: either treat the problem like an addiction and act accordingly, or stop labeling it as one. Ramsey ended the call bluntly: 'I can't tell what the flip's going on here.' Read Next: This AI-Powered Trading Platform Has 5,000+ Users, 27 Pending Patents, and a $43.97M Valuation — Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die."UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Dave Ramsey Caller Says Her Husband Makes $156,000 But They Can't Afford Groceries. He Spends $700 Monthly On Vices. Ramsey Isn't Having It originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
I'm a money-saving expert, here's every place you can feed your kids for £1 and under over the summer holidays
IT'S no secret that the summer holidays can be extremely pricey, especially when it comes to feeding the kids. With three meals and snacks to contend with, budgeting will be the priority for mums and dads across the country. 1 And while taking the kids out might seem like an unnecessary expense there are plenty of restaurants where there is such a thing as a free dinner (if you're a child anyway!) Across the country, there are plenty of pub restaurants, cafes in shops/supermarkets/garden centres, and popular chain of restaurants that offer affordable kids meals and tasty breakfasts in the school holidays. It's worth remembering you usually can't combine the offer with any other promo, deal or discount, and sometimes T&Cs apply, so click through to read all the details before you dine: The best in-store cafe cheap eats: Where: ASDA Cafes What: Kids eat for £1 (kids hot meal deal or cold pick and mix selection) with no adult minimum spend. When: All day, every day, for the year. What: Kids eat for £1 (free children's breakfast with any adult traditional or full breakfast or a free child's hot meal or pick n mix lunch box) with an adult main meal, £1 supplement applies to kid's Sunday roast at selected restaurants. When: Daily, breakfast until 11:30am and then 12pm-3pm. Where: Morrisons Cafes I spend £400 on a weekly grocery shop - and that's cheap for my family What: One free kids meal with one adult's meal costing £4.50 or more, including The Breakfasts, The Classics or The Chippy excluding extras. Child must be under 16 years old. When: All day, every day. Restaurant chains and Pubs kids eat free/for £1: These familiar chains offer great deals for kids meals during the school holidays. Where: Angus Steakhouse What: One child aged 8 and under eats free per full-paying adult with a main course from the a la carte menu. When: Every day, 12-5pm (except Saturdays in Bond Street and Oxford Street branches). Where: Bella Italia What: Kids can enjoy three delicious courses & a drink for free or £1. When: On Thursdays, one kid (2-11 years old) eats free all day with every adult meal; until 6pm on Sundays to Wednesdays, one kid eats for £1 with every adult meal. Where: Bills What: Up to two kids aged 10 and under can eat free per one adult main dish (breakfast, lunch, or dinner - excludes set menu). When: All day from Monday 21st July to Friday 29th August (excluding Saturdays and Sundays). Where: Brewdog What: Pre-book and one child can eat free from the kids menu when an adult is eating too. When: In England and Wales, from 19th July to 31st August 2025. In Edinburgh, from 26th June to 31st July 2025, in Glasgow from 26th June to 13th August and in Aberdeenshire from 5th July to 17th August. Where: Burger King (selected sites, not valid at motorway service locations, airports, train stations and holiday parks) What: One child can get a free King Jr. Meal per qualifying adult burger meal when ordered via the Burger King App at a participating restaurant. When: 28th July to 31st August 2025. What: One child (12 and under) eats free per one paying adult. When: Every Sunday. Where: Franco Manca (selected pizzerias) What: One kid (aged 12 years and under) gets a free individual kids pizza for every full-priced adult main meal. When: Monday to Thursday. Where: Farmhouse Inns What: Up to two kids eat for free when you buy one adult main plus get a free scoop of ice cream with every meal. When: 18th July to 5th September 2025. Where: Gordon Ramsay Restaurants What: One child (aged 10 and under) gets a main course free from the Ramsay Kids Menu for each adult ordering two courses from the A la Carte (one course must be a main). When and where: Selected UK restaurants only. All day, every day at selected restaurants (e.g. Bread Street Kitchen Liverpool, Pizza East). Every week day at selected restaurants (e.g. Bread Street Kitchen City, Heddon Street Kitchen). Where: Heathrow Airport What: One free kids meal for children under 12 (from the children's menu) with each adult main course costing over £14.95 (maximum of four free children's meals per table) at participating restaurants, such as Big Smoke, Leon, Giraffe, Gordon Ramsay Plane Food, The Commission and more. When: 18th July to 2nd September. Where: Hungry Horse What: Two children can eat selected kids' mains for £1 (larger meals for £1.50) per full-paying adult (excludes starters, sharers and the lunch section of the adult menu). When: From 12pm on Mondays. Where: Las Iguanas (selected restaurants only) What: One kid (up to 12 years old) gets a free meal from the Niños menu when an adult orders a main course from the a la carte menu, when you download the app and join My Iguanas. Maximum one app perk can be redeemed per table. When: Every day (lunch menu is not included). Where: OK Diners What: One child under 10 eats free (from the children's menu) when an adult purchases a main course from a la carte menu (at all OK Diners except those on the A1). When: All day, every day. Where: Preto What: One child up to 10 years old eats free per full-paying adult (once you've filled in your details on the website and downloaded the voucher). When: All weekend, and every weekday from 4pm. Where: Purezza What: One kid under 10 eats free (mini pizza with one topping) with every full paying adult. When: Every day. Where: Sizzling Pubs What: One kids main meal for £1 per adult main meal (excludes breakfast). When: From 3pm-7pm, Mondays to Fridays (from 12pm during school holidays). Where: S.A. Brains Pubs What: One kid (up to 12 years old) Little Dragons main meal for £1 per full-priced adult main When: Every Wednesday, All Day Where: TGI Fridays What: One free kids meal (excluding dessert) for 12 year olds and under per full-price adult's main, for Stripes Rewards customers. When: All day, every day (excluding bank holidays). What: One free kid's meal (from the kids menu) for every £15 adult spend, for children under 12. How to save money on your supermarket shop THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop. You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they've been reduced. If the food is fresh, you'll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time. Making a list should also save you money, as you'll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket. Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too. This means ditching "finest" or "luxury" products and instead going for "own" or value" type of lines. Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they're misshapen or imperfect. For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50. If you're on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too. Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund. When: Sundays. Where: Zizzi What: One free Bambini meal (for kids under 12 years old) per adult's main course. Max 6 codes per table, show your code before ordering. When: Every day, 21st July to 5th September (excluding Saturdays). Breakfast freebies for kids: Get the day off to a delicious start at a great price with these restaurants. Where: Beefeater What: Two kids under 16 eat breakfast free for every adult unlimited breakfast costing £10.99 When: Until 10.30am weekdays and 11am weekends Where: Brewers Fayre What: Two kids under 16 eat free with every adult breakfast, plus you can get a 3 course kids menu for just £6.49 When: Breakfast is 6:30am-10:30am on weekdays and 7am-11am on the weekend. What: Up to two kids under 16 eat breakfast free with an adult's full Premier Inn Breakfast or a Meal Deal When: Breakfast is available at most Premier Inn's, every day. Where: Table Table What: Two kids aged under 16 eat breakfast free with every adult breakfast purchased. Kids can also get two courses for just £4.99 When: Breakfast times vary depending on hotel Where: Travelodge hotels with an open onsite Bar Café What: Kids under 15 eat breakfast for £1 with every full paying adult. When: Breakfast times vary depending on hotel What: Two kids under 16 eat breakfast free with every adult full breakfast. Adult breakfast costs £20.99 per person. When: 6:30am until 10:30am Monday to Friday, and 7am until 11am Saturday and Sunday
Arabian Business
5 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai expands financial literacy drive to 75,000 students with young investor program
Dubai is educating students in the importance of financial literacy and monetary principles such as budgeting and saving. In a major step towards creating a financially savvy generation, the Knowledge Fund Establishment (KFE), in collaboration with National Bonds Corporation (NBC), has launched a new phase of the Young Investor Program—an initiative aimed at enhancing financial literacy among school students in Dubai. The latest rollout will reach more than 75,000 students across 50 private schools, marking a significant expansion of the pioneering programme. Young investors in Dubai The initiative, the first of its kind in the region, introduces young learners to core financial principles such as saving, budgeting, and long-term planning through interactive and engaging content tailored to school curricula. Aligned with the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to build a knowledge-based economy, the Young Investor Program supports both Dubai's Education Strategy 2033 and the Dubai Social Agenda 33. The initiative reflects the city's broader ambition to become a global hub for education, innovation, and sustainable development. Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of the Knowledge Fund Establishment, said: 'The Young Investor Program reflects our strategic focus on advancing quality education and supporting initiatives that equip students with essential life skills, particularly in financial literacy. 'We believe that investing in our children's education is an investment in Dubai's future, and we take pride in the leading role KFE plays in fostering innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors to realise this vision.' Mohammed Qasim Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of National Bonds Corporation, said: 'We are proud of our partnership with KFE in implementing this unique programme, which reflects our commitment to building a financially aware generation capable of making informed decisions. 'Early financial education is fundamental to creating a stable and prosperous economy over time. Given the rapid pace of technological advancement in students' lives, we believe it is essential to equip them with the financial skills they need both during their education and in their future careers, so they are well prepared for a world that requires awareness, adaptability and smart decision-making.' With this expansion, KFE continues to lead efforts in integrating financial literacy into education, reinforcing the UAE's commitment to nurturing future-ready talent and supporting long-term economic stability through youth empowerment.
