Saving With Family

[techsavvy]

Spoiler: Thread summary

Commenters on an online forum shared how having family around can help with saving money. They cited several advantages, including shared household expenses, childcare, and the possibility of organizing cheap or free activities together. Many families also saved money by cooking and eating together. This included arranging potlucks where each family contributed a dish, cooking in bulk, and taking turns cooking. Additionally, multiple cooks in the house meant everyone got to showcase their culinary skills occasionally while also getting a break from kitchen duty, and leftovers ensured meals for the next day. Living with family members, including older relatives, was described as beneficial, with shared expenses and joint meals creating financial savings and quality time together. Family members helping out with household chores, childcare, and elderly care also contributed to significant cost savings. Lastly, having different specialized cooks in the family added variety to mealtimes and created a natural division of labor in the kitchen.

Family can help you save in numerous ways! Whether it's sharing household expenses, childcare, or just having built-in people to enjoy low-cost or free activities together, there are many financial benefits to having a strong network of family around. How do you save money with your family?

I'll go first! My sister is currently living with my husband and me, rent-free in exchange for childcare. This has been such a huge help as we're able to save a lot more each month on both expenses - we don't have to pay for full-time childcare and she gets free room and board! We also plan cheap (or free!) activities together like game nights and picnics in the park. It's nice to know that we're not alone in saving; having family around to share the fun makes it even better!

How else do you save together?

 

[sunflower]

Another way we save as a family is by organizing potluck gatherings! Each family cooks and brings their signature dish to share, so it's an enjoyable and budget-friendly way to have a delicious meal together without the cost or fuss of eating out. It's also fun to sample each other's favorite foods and discover new dishes!

 

[melissa.koh]

Family time can definitely help save some money! We often organise potlucks where everyone cooks a dish and meets up to enjoy the food together - saves us all the hassle and expenses of eating out! Plus it's a great way to bond and catch up too without breaking the bank.

 

[sunnybunny]

My mom lives with us, so we split household expenses and save a bunch on groceries since we can buy in bulk. We also take turns cooking, which saves time and effort too. Plus, it's nice to have someone to eat with and share meals.

 

[bookworm]

My mom lives with us, so we split household expenses and save a bunch on groceries since we can buy in bulk. We also take turns cooking, which saves time and effort too. Plus, it's nice to have someone to eat with and share meals.

That's great that your mom lives with you and contributes to household expenses! We also save a lot by buying groceries in bulk and splitting the cost - it's always better to have someone to share the costs with, isn't it? Having someone around to eat with is a nice bonus too.

 

[sunnybunny]

That's great that your mom lives with you and contributes to household expenses! We also save a lot by buying groceries in bulk and splitting the cost - it's always better to have someone to share the costs with, isn't it? Having someone around to eat with is a nice bonus too.

My auntie shares groceries with us too! She doesn't like cooking anymore, so it's a real help to have her share meal expenses and effort in preparing food.

 

[luciana]

My grannie also lives with us! She's in a seniors' home but comes over daily for lunch. TS and my mom cook lunch together everyday so it works out well for all. My mom even helps her with transportation to doctor appointments and such. It's a great help cos grannie doesn't have to pay for food or the nursing home's additional services.

 

[stargazer]

My mom does the same too! She cooks in bulk daily so there's enough food for my elderly grandmother as well. It's a win-win situation because it's also easier to prepare larger portions than to cook two separate meals.

 

[bananarama]

My mum does the cooking too! She prepares huge meals that we all share. It's so good because there's always some left over for the next day - or even two.

 

[luciana]

My mum does the cooking too! She prepares huge meals that we all share. It's so good because there's always some left over for the next day - or even two.

Cooking in bulk and sharing meals is a wonderful way to save money and spend quality time together! It's heartwarming that your grandmother also joins you for lunch daily and your mom assists her with her appointments. ts has a great setup too, with shared meals and family living together.

 

[koala]

Our family has different strengths and skills in cooking. When we cook and eat together, we also share what we're good at and it's fun! We learn new recipes and kitchen hacks from one another. It's quite an efficient system - some days I'll cook a big pot of soup and my sister will do dessert or a one-dish meal. Grandparents get to enjoy home-cooked food and everyone gets time off from the kitchen too.

 

[bananarama]

Our family has different strengths and skills in cooking. When we cook and eat together, we also share what we're good at and it's fun! We learn new recipes and kitchen hacks from one another. It's quite an efficient system - some days I'll cook a big pot of soup and my sister will do dessert or a one-dish meal. Grandparents get to enjoy home-cooked food and everyone gets time off from the kitchen too.

Having different cooks is fun and efficient - and it means everyone gets a break from kitchen duty. Your meals sound delicious, especially the soups and desserts! In our house, we also enjoy sharing mealtimes and the preparation too - my mum's huge meals are always a treat, especially when there's enough for leftovers!

 

[bookworm]

Our household benefits in the same way from having multiple cooks! There's no awkwardness about who's doing the cooking or cleaning up; it's just naturally divided amongst everyone. It's also fun for the cooks to showcase their specialities and skills every now and then, and we all get a tasty variety of meals. TS mentioned enjoying huge meals - that's my mom's specialty too! And yes, the cost-splitting is a big help; especially when it comes to bulk groceries.

 

[musical]

Our household benefits in the same way from having multiple cooks! There's no awkwardness about who's doing the cooking or cleaning up; it's just naturally divided amongst everyone. It's also fun for the cooks to showcase their specialities and skills every now and then, and we all get a tasty variety of meals. TS mentioned enjoying huge meals - that's my mom's specialty too! And yes, the cost-splitting is a big help; especially when it comes to bulk groceries.

Techsavvy, that's awesome how y'all naturally divvy up the household chores. And it's so cool to have different specialty cooks! Does your sister ever cook too?

 

[bubblyfish]

techsavvy mentioned that their sister doesn't cook much, but she helps out in other ways - doing house chores and looking after the kids. A win-win situation where everyone benefits!