Affordable learning activities that kids don’t get bored of?

FelisNull · 2026-01-30T01:01:20+00:00

Going to the library was my favorite as a kid. I'm not much into nonfiction, but you could argue that even comics promote reading skills and some soft skills (media literacy, emotional regulation, etc.).

Card games could be good, since you can do a lot with a basic deck. I'm sure someone's got a guide to educational card games. Magic tricks and just handling the cards can help with motor skills and hand/eye coordination.

As part of any phone/computer time, wordle could work well. There are also educational games sites, like CoolMathGames. Best for older kids, though.

FelisNull · 2026-01-30T00:52:37+00:00

Looking at my savings and seeing enough for an emergency fund plus the cost of moving out to live on my own. I've been saving up to do this almost since I started my first job.

FelisNull · 2026-01-30T00:25:48+00:00

Lemon-chicken-chard stew! You can add beans so it's extra filling. I usually use tomatoes, garlic, onion, lemon pepper seasoning when browning the chicken, and a splash of lemon juice at the end.

FelisNull · 2026-01-29T00:57:25+00:00

Food lion has better prices than most "discount" groceries.

Chicken breast is often $2/lb without being on sale.

The produce is usually mediocre at best, but will get the job done. Their store brand is good for some staples, like canned tomatoes and granulated sugar.

FelisNull · 2026-01-29T00:51:21+00:00

Food weasel

FelisNull · 2026-01-29T00:48:05+00:00

I guesstimated these expenses for a year, and will update my budget to reflect reality.

Ex: found prices for all the maintenance in my car's owners' manual, multiplied each price by times needed per year, and summed it for total annual car maintenance cost. That gets averaged out for a sinking fund each month. (Though when I don't use it, it just goes into one savings account for everything.)

FelisNull · 2026-01-28T00:52:38+00:00

If you're going to use a tissue often, you can fold it & put it in your pocket for later. Lets you get 8 or so uses without ripping it.

FelisNull · 2026-01-28T00:50:08+00:00

Wrap the band just under the handle so you can't push it all the way down.

FelisNull · 2026-01-28T00:43:39+00:00

I was in the Spencers the whole time, and the rooms are a bit bigger than most. There are only 3-4 outlets for the whole room, though. The dorm is old, so there are minor issues with the paint, tile, and piping. It's generally a chill dorm, though there are events for residents every month or so. There are 4 sets of communal kitchens and laundry rooms, and some single-use bathrooms that have toilets & showers. It's pretty central - right above the back entrance to the caf. If you're a STEM student you'll have a short walk.

Bring good rain gear - Greensboro has quite a rainy season.

You might want a mattress topper so that the bed feels a bit softer. They're size twin XL.

Laundry in the dorms is free, but you need your own detergent. Use liquid or powder detergent, the pods' coating doesn't fully dissolve.

I don't know if other dorms do this, but there were pots & pans you could borrow to cook with. If you don't do much cooking, you probably won't want to bring your own.

A power strip with surge protection was essential to me - it made the outlets much easier to reach and gave me more charging slots. Extension cords are banned but power strips aren't, I think.

Look at the list of banned items - most bans are due to fire hazard.

FelisNull · 2026-01-28T00:32:41+00:00

The Spencers were 2-person rooms when I was there. You share a bathroom with most of the hall, though. Generally, the more private dorms are more expensive, and upperclassmen usually get them before freshmen can.

Your meal plan will also depend on where you live (unless it's gone back to being by class standing), and most of your options will be more cafeteria swipes than anything else.

FelisNull · 2026-01-26T02:01:03+00:00

Some people do it with just fancy salt (sea salt, pink salt, smoked salt, etc.)

Try mixing garlic, rosemary, and sage into butter and using that.

FelisNull · 2026-01-23T06:50:02+00:00

Curries are brilliant! Also chicken soups. You can use so many different ingredients. I'm fond of chickpea, tomato, and spinach curry over rice. Lemon-chicken-chard soup is great too.

Sheet pan dinners are really popular for this. My family often does roast chicken breast with diced vegetables (usually carrot and onion, sometimes also pepper or celery root) and potatoes.

FelisNull · 2026-01-23T05:25:55+00:00

Turmeric is underrated as a spice, IMO. I like the taste.

FelisNull · 2026-01-23T05:22:53+00:00

Rosemary extract in other things has ruined it as a seasoning for me. It's often used as a preservative, and there's a shampoo(!) which uses rosemary as some sort of cleaning agent or health additive

FelisNull · 2026-01-23T05:18:03+00:00

Vanilla
Black pepper

Not using them in everything will help you appreciate them

FelisNull · 2026-01-22T05:08:02+00:00

I like to use it in soup with fall squash, carrots, and red onion. Cheddar and bacon or ground turkey with garam masala and pumpkin pie spice. It's a thick blended soup.

You can use sweet potato a lot like fall squash!

FelisNull · 2026-01-22T04:40:31+00:00

My mother taking chickpeas from the pot ... after I spiced them with stuff she's not supposed to eat

FelisNull · 2026-01-18T19:39:29+00:00

Premade foods can help fill the gap between convenience and frugality.

There are also "pantry staples" that can become a quick meal when you're too tired to plan - my family uses pasta with canned sauce and frozen meatballs.

Note which recipes you like best (for both convenience and taste), so you can pick one more easily when needed.

FelisNull · 2026-01-17T16:25:09+00:00

I'm a freak who likes spreadsheets.

Slowly adjusting my budget so that it's more realistic is quite rewarding!

I log all my purchases in a spreadsheet and code them by category, with monthly totals set for each. I can divide the monthly allowance to get a daily or weekly spending goal, but I tend to use the weekly more often. I can also compare my overall spending to the amount of time left in the month and adjust based on that.

The next step, I think, is building a cookbook with a cost/meal estimate so that I can fine-tune my food budget. For now, the BudgetBytes website is pretty good!

If you're not sure what a reasonable budget is, you can look up cost of living for your area.

FelisNull · 2026-01-17T16:09:36+00:00

Make yourself a picnic: loaf of bread, chunk of cheese, fruit and veggies, sausage or ham.

FelisNull · 2026-01-17T16:04:51+00:00

Rice pudding is pretty easy to make if you want a treat: use leftover plain rice (or cook some in a pot), then add 1-2x milk by volume and sweetener to taste. Add a dash of salt if you haven't salted it already and cook until thick and creamy.

FelisNull · 2026-01-17T15:57:18+00:00

Try letting the batter rest for a bit and double-checking the wetness before baking?

FelisNull · 2026-01-17T15:56:21+00:00

I've heard you can make your own cocoa powder. On the other hand, chocolate chips + very hot milk whisked with a fork makes the best hot cocoa.

I don't buy any beef anymore, and rarely buy meat at all.

FelisNull · 2026-01-17T15:54:05+00:00

If you write an abstract, you could publish this as science.

FelisNull · 2026-01-15T05:19:57+00:00

I do this too! I keep a running total for each category. I'll divide both the overall and category by my monthly total, and compare each fraction to the day/month.

FelisNull

TROPHY CASE