Let’s face it. We’re all going to be stuck at home for a while. The kids are out of school, you’re trying to work from home, and on top of everything else you’re trying to balance the uncertainty of what’s going on. So how can you keep yourself and your family busy, have fun, and still keep yourself socially distanced from others? Check out the list of fun things to do below and if you do any of them, tag us in your photos or stories on social! We’d love to see how creative you get!
Throw an Indoor Picnic
Lay a blanket down. Make some sandwiches. Pack up your favorite quarantine snacks and head to the living room. Put on some YouTube video of scenery and chow down! It’s a fun way to spend time together, and do something a little bit different.
Have an Indoor/Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Humans love to find things and this will keep your kids busy for a while. Come up with a list of things they have to find, give them clues, and let them free. Bonus points if you set up some obstacles or things to throw them off the trail. Even more bonus points if there’s a treasure at the end of the hunt.
Plant Seeds
Not only is this a good teaching lesson for kiddos on patience and the Earth, but it’s a fun little activity to get you in the Spring-season mood. It’s time to start planting anyway, so if you have a little space for a garden in your yard, go for it. If not, get some seeds from Amazon, or even a Chia Pet, plant those suckers and enjoy the process.
Film a Cooking Show
You’re likely cooking anyway, so why not film it on your phone? You can be the host, the kids can be the helpers, so get your Julia Childs – or depending on how the day is going, Gordon Ramsay. Just make sure you include the accent, too.
Invent Your Own Board Game
The obvious: play board games or card games, but let’s take it a step further. Invent your own board game. I remember doing this is school and it was probably one of the most fun projects we had to do. Come up with rules, make the cards, the money, and take pieces from other things or make your pieces! No cheating.
Bonus tip: Make cleaning the house into a game. Have the kids race and see who can clean their rooms the best and the fastest. Not only will your house be the cleanest it’s ever been, but the kids will have fun, too.
READ MORE of our blogs here and be sure to tag us (@datadriven208) in your Instagram posts while using the hashtag: #DataDriven208.
You have a new home! What an exciting time full of new ideas followed by a bunch of questions. The process should be fun the whole way through. Our tip to you is: keep things organized and accessible. This way, you’re able to stay on top of everything and always be prepared.
The tips we will outline are very simple and definitely something you’re able to pass along to your friends as they move into their new home. As always, if you need anything at all, we’re here for you.
Homeowners Binder
The process is just like when you started school. Grab a three-ring binder, some tabbed dividers, and even folders if you’d like. Have fun with the process as you’re creating your home’s go-to resource. In the homeowners binder will be your home information, your closing paperwork, any appliance manuals, neighborhood information, insurance, etc. Place this binder where you can always access it and you’re ready for anything.
Air Filters
Get several air filters. The cost of air filters is very reasonable so grabbing 5 or 6 at one time is very doable. On the side of each filter, there is a cardboard/paper surface where you can write the dates you’ll need to swap filters. – write the months on each one. You will avoid a lot of unnecessary furnace or clean air issues by staying on top of replacing filters. The thinner the filter, the more often you change it. Regular filter replacement is every 3 to 6 months.
Emergency Fund
Start an emergency house fund. Homeowners are responsible for any improvements or repairs. Tucking away money (even a little at a time) will take the stress and pressure off when it comes to replacing a roof or fixing a pipe down the road. Isn’t there a saying where if you prepare, you won’t have to use it? I’m sure there’s something like that.
Save on Energy
Save money by saving energy. Simple changes like swapping light bulbs for LED bulbs, turning your water heater to 120 degrees and moving the refrigerator away from the oven can cut costs on the amount of energy needed for your home. Daily habits also play a role in saving energy. The top energy-sucking things in your home are cooling and heating, the washer and dryer, lighting and the water heater. A full list can be found HERE.
Electrical Box Labels
Relabel breakers. Open up that electrical box and take a look at the labels for each breaker. Is it in pencil? Are they correct? Make sure you know what’s what and have labeled them permanently. There’s nothing worse than needing answers about your power and the label is impossible to read…or is wrong.
Maintenance Dream Team
Build your home maintenance dream team. Choosing the people you’d like to work with before something happens is a lot less stressful and less pressure than having to scramble to find someone in an emergency situation. A good list to start includes an HVAC company, a plumber, an electrician, a handyman, a roofing company, pest control, and a locksmith. We are more than happy to share our recommendations as well. Contact us for any of the above.
Change of Address
File a change of address with the post office. With everything going on with the move, it’s really easy to overlook the simple stuff. While you’re at it, changing your address on your driver’s license is a good idea. This should be done within 30 days of your move.
Looking for more tips for your home?
We’ve got a lot of organizational hacks and money-saving hacks just waiting for you to use!
There are two types of people: The “Planner” type who grocery shops on a schedule and preps their meals and the “Quick Trip” people who grab what they need when they need it. No matter your style, we found some quick money-saving hacks – without having to understand the coupon game.
Hack 1: Frozen Seafood
Items at the seafood counter are typically the same products you can find in the frozen section…for less. Making a trip to the frozen seafood section will save almost 40%. Even if you’re an on-the-go family, thawing seafood doesn’t take much time at all.
If you’re worried about how to thaw your seafood, Bon Appetit walks us through a simple way to not only save money on buying frozen but how to thaw it quickly and safely before dinner tonight!
Hack 2: Small Shopping Cart
Typically, there are three choices at the store. You can grab the basket (does anyone really do this?), you can grab the “I’m here for about 20 things” cart or you can grab the full-size shopping cart. Stick with the middle cart and only get what you need. Often, when the large cart is chosen, shoppers work to fill the cart and get unnecessary items which can mean unnecessary spending.
Hack 3: Look Up and Down
The items the supermarket is trying to sell or are paid to place at eye level are typically the higher-priced (and recognizable) brands. If you’re not a brand loyalist, go for the store-brand item.
Hack 4: Shop the Perimeter
Most of the things a shopper needs are on the outside aisles of the store. Simply put, don’t go to the inside!
Did you know there’s a psychology to how our grocery stores are laid out? Real Simple reveals the secrets grocery stores don’t really want us to know. It’s how we spend more money than we had planned.
Hack 5: Solo Effort
Go shopping alone (if it’s possible). Throw in some headphones and listen to music and get that shopping done without any distractions or little ones asking for things that are not on the list. A lot of extra spending is a result of impulse buys.
Hack 6: Clearance Section
This is Gabriel’s favorite section. When we came up with the name “Data Driven” it wasn’t just a catchy name, it’s quite literally what makes Gabriel the man he is. Looking at numbers and figuring out data is in his blood.
The clearance section is something we all do naturally do at every other store so this should be simple. There are several of them around the grocery store so keep your eyes peeled. There’s a meat section, a bakery section, a shelves section (often found near the yogurts and cheese.
Hack 7: Simple Math
For those who start to sweat at the thought of math, don’t worry, this is easy. Take a look at the tag on the food item you want. Your first focus is the price per unit. Often times, the price will be a bit higher but you’re actually getting MORE! Grocers are sneaky so zero in on this number before the price. Then take a peek at the price and decide if it’s something you’d like to spend on.
Hack 8: Shop Full
Ever notice that when you go grocery shopping while you’re hungry, everything you’ve ever even imagined eating ends up in your shopping cart? Eat a meal or even just grab a snack before you go grocery shopping. This super simple life hack will drastically reduce extra spending.
Did we miss any tips you’re dying to share? We would love to know your tips for saving money at the grocery store!
WANT MORE QUICK TIPS?
Are the kids still sick? Wanting to avoid whatever the heck seems to be going around? We have some quick cleaning tips to rid your home (and your family) of those nasty germs!
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