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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Back to School Give Away : Saving Money on After School Snacks


Thanks to Nestle, I am doing a series of posts about keeping your sanity while heading back to school. For some households heading back to school can be hectic and costly. Of course you'll be buying school supplies, and most will buy school clothes or uniforms, and then there are extracurricular activities and all the gear that is involved with those things. But, you can't forget the "extra" costs that add up, like those runs through the drive thru when you just can't seem to make schedules work with dinner. Or, those stops at the convenience store to grab a coffee or a midday snack.

Well, as you know it is back to school for me - as a teacher of course and I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve for keeping things sane on the home front and keeping as much money in my pocket as possible! I'm sharing these tips in a couple of posts and giving you guys the opportunity to win a $500 Walmart gift card thanks to the nice folks at Nestle! This post is all about:

Save Money on Back to School Snacks

Those of you with school aged children know that weekday afternoons are slam packed with activities. You've got to pick the kids up from school, run a few errands, and more than likely your children are involved in one or more after school activities that you are rushing back and forth to. These include sports, dance, band, music lessons, gymnastics, etc. To keep more of my money in my wallet here are a few things I like to do:
  • Package your own snack size snacks in ziploc bags. Buy the larger items at the store and bag them yourself. You'll save a ton - because the mark up on those snack size packages are tremendous. Even worse is what they charge for individual items at the gas station.
  • Which leads me to, keep some of these snacks and a few juice boxes, like Nestle's Juicy Juice or a few bottles of water in your car. You'll always have something on hand and you'll be less likely to run through a drive thru or stop at a convience store for a quick snack.
  • Keep a snack basket in your pantry or a snack cabinet in an extra cabinet in your kitchen. If there are items that have to stay in the refrigerator dedicate a shelf down low where your kids can reach them and get them thereselves. Ideas for this shelf include carrot sticks, fruit, jello, cheese sticks, pickles, yogurt, etc. Ice cream like Edy's Dibs and fruit bars are also great after school snacks in these hot months. Put a note in the snack basket to remind children of the items in the fridge and freezer.
Last chance to get another entry in for the $500 Walmart card!

Here's what you need to do:

Fill out the form with your name, email, and your favorite after school snack (either for yourself or that you like to serve to the kidlets).



For extra entries you can:
  • Tweet about this give away (up to once per day!). Grab this and post it on Twitter: @CentsibleSawyer is giving away a $500 Walmart Gift Card thanks to Nestle! Go enter HERE: http://tinyurl.com/pywat2
  • Grab my button and post it on your side bar or add a text link to this blog on your side bar - then come back and leave a separate comment.
  • Blog about this give away and leave a link in the comments section here.
  • Post it on Facebook with a link back here then leave a comment here with your Facebook link.

Come back next week for more ways to enter! This Contest ends August 21 at 11:59 EST. The winner will be chosen via random.org and will be announced August 22.

58 Comments:

Anne said...

My favorite after-school snack is something my mother used to make for us. Spread peanut butter on two saltine crackers. Place a marshmallow on one cracker and toast it all in the toaster over. When the marshmallow is squishy put the two crackers together. Yum!

Leslie M. said...

LeslieVeg left a Tweet
http://twitter.com/LeslieVeg/status/3388325797
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/

Leslie M. said...

Your Button is on my scrolling sidebar!
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/

Leslie M. said...

Leslie Mayorga added this to her facebook profile
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/leslieveg?ref=profile



Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/

Cheryl said...

I must be blind but I do not see a enter button to click to enter?

so will leave info here and hope I do this right

Snack would be apple slices already sliced and packaged,they are great and kids love them!

Cheryl Webb
ashestar@gmail.com

Sashafras said...

I tweeted! sashafras

Sasha
sashafras @ yahoo .com

Anonymous said...

I make homemade zucchini bread and fruit jelly. We grow the zucchini and I only put good things in this recipe. We all love it and it is very inexpensive.

Dianne
Valencia@post.com

Nelsby said...

Tweet: http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/3391058445
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Nelsby said...

Facebook post: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/posted.php?id=841241519&share_id=116857634860&comments=1&ref=nf#s116857634860
Thanks!
Aimee
sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

Nancy W. said...

My children are grown now but their favorite after school snack was doritos type nacho chips. I always bought the "generic" chips to be frugal.

Anonymous said...

Tortilla chips & salsa...Yum!

Mary said...

The form isn't working for me either.

My favorite after school snack is apple slices or celery with peanut butter.

mfalcon13 (at) hotmail (dot) com

BusyMom said...

Daily Tweet.

http://twitter.com/ABusyMomofTwo/status/3394458074

BusyMom said...

I have a text link to your blog in my blog roll.

www.abusymomoftwo.blogspot.com

The Deal Fanatic said...

I tweeted this giveaway
http://twitter.com/thedealfanatic

judybrittle said...

I tweeted
http://twitter.com/kewpiedoll04/status/3395716591

Anonymous said...

My favorite snack is homemade chocolate chip cookies...yummm!!

Denise
pugmom@hotmail.com

Lynette Nickels said...

I posted on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/lynette.nickels

Nicole said...

form not working. Favorite after school snack is a banana with nutella.

Dani said...

My favorite after school snack is apple slices with peanut butter.

Michelle said...

cookies and choc. milk :)
couponfreak@ymail.com

BusyMom said...

Daily Tweet

http://twitter.com/ABusyMomofTwo/status/3402710062

Ashley said...

Apples!

Leslie M. said...

LeslieVeg left a Tweet
http://twitter.com/LeslieVeg/status/3407249332

Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/

Barbara P said...

I have your button on my blog

http://never2late2save.blogspot.com/

barbara_powella at yahoo dot com

Ginny said...

Tweeted http://twitter.com/momof2dancers/status/3409242819

Comic Ref said...

They Love apple slices with peanut butter.. And I can't help to steal a few of their plates. :)

ScoringDeals said...

I twittered about this! :)

Sarah W said...

I like pizza rolls or a piece of ham with a little mustard around a cheese stick.

Pricousins said...

Here's my Tweet: http://twitter.com/pricousins/status/3417485859

Pricousins said...

Your Button is in my blogroll: http://angiemarion.blogspot.com

Night Owl Mama said...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/tfandrey?ref=name
Posted on Facebook
hope this is how to link to that

Night Owl Mama said...

added your button to my sidebar at http://nightowlmama.blogspot.com

swore I posted this already hmmm

Night Owl Mama said...

I tweet
http://twitter.com/Nightowlmama/status/3421849128

BusyMom said...

Daily Tweet.

http://twitter.com/ABusyMomofTwo/status/3424736035

Unknown said...

I can't get the form to work so here's my entry:
My favorite after-school snack was (and still is) Granny Smith apple slices with peanut butter. YUM!
Thanks for the chance to win!
proudyaya04 {at} yahoo {dot} com

Leslie M. said...

LeslieVeg left a Tweet
http://twitter.com/LeslieVeg/status/3427094793
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/

judybrittle said...

8/20 tweet
http://twitter.com/kewpiedoll04/status/3431474420

Pricousins said...

Daily Tweet: http://twitter.com/pricousins/status/3435105556

Shelley Frady said...

Posted a link on my site
www.savorthesavings.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Grapes, apple slices and cheese. Yummy!

Anonymous said...

My kids love apples with peanut butter.

Kim said...

I don't see an enter button either so I will enter here.

I have always loved cheese and crackers.

Kim
moneysavingkim at aol dot com

BusyMom said...

Daily Tweet

http://twitter.com/ABusyMomofTwo/status/3447983805

Leslie M. said...

LeslieVeg left a Tweet
http://twitter.com/LeslieVeg/status/3449970784
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/

judybrittle said...

8/21 tweet
http://twitter.com/kewpiedoll04/status/3456416087

julie p said...

my kids love chocolate chip cookies and milk for an after school snack and so does their mom!!

Snowberry Creek said...

My favorite after school snack is fresh fruit - pineapple, strawberries, grapes and melon.

I twittered about your great giveaway today.

seaside44 said...

peanut butter and jelly

Sarah said...

I tweeted about this giveaway.

elaine demkl@yahoo.com said...

we usually like to have cheese or cookies

Gina said...

8/22 Tweet: http://twitter.com/wrestlingaddict/status/3483727017

Unknown said...

tweeted http://twitter.com/annedoggett/statuses/3534328409
jedoggett@embarqmail.com

Anonymous said...

Favorite snack is yogurt and fruit!

Annmarie Weeks said...

I tweeted! http://twitter.com/amweeks/status/3623782473

PalmettoStateSaver said...

My little guy loves chocolate and peanut butter - what kid doesn't? His favorite after school snack is what he calls "Super Bowl Crackers and Slushies" (the first time I came up with this idea was during the first Super Bowl he was allowed to stay up and watch until the end. He LOVES football!) Super Bowl Crackers are whole wheat crackers smeared with chunky peanut butter, and drizzled with chocolate syrup! He would pick these over candy bars or milk shakes! Slushies are his favorite juice boxes stuck in the freezer about an hour before he gets home, just long enough to get "slushie"!

Susan said...

almonds or mixed nuts a good to hold me over until dinner

Thao said...

I follow in twitter.
http://twitter.com/twinpowells/status/3793478040

member(dot)thao(at)gmail.com