OKE now offers free online resources for families

Many groups and institutions approach OKE to hold financial literacy and planning seminars for the families and teachers we serve. While these types of seminars are valuable, they don’t help most of our families with their current daily needs. The most pressing concern for many of the families we work with is getting enough groceries on the table for this week.

Aside from our families, we also know many of our teachers and volunteers have taken pay reductions or reduced hours. In our current economy, everyone is looking to stretch their dollars.

As part of OKE’s mission to provide school day supplies, including books, hygiene items and food, to local kids in need, we realized we could do more to help the community at large. That’s why we decided to provide resources for our website visitors to take their often limited funds and stretch them as far as they can go to adequately meet the needs in their households.

Today, we’ve introduced the Family Resources section on our website. OKE families, teachers, volunteers and anyone who wants to maximize their spending can take advantage of these valuable resources.

One of the ways to do this is through coupons, education and tips for frugal living. We also added a Coupon Savings Center to our site, and we will be adding other free resources in the days and weeks ahead.

We know many families don’t realize they have options when they shop. When funds are tight, they resort to choosing the cheapest option, which isn’t always the healthiest. They don’t realize they can get a larger quantity of healthier foods for less.

I did an experiment this morning just for fun. I looked at the sales that appeared in my local grocery store ad. There were about 10 food items on sale that I buy on a regular basis. If I had saved my weekend coupon circulars for the three weeks prior, I would have paid 40 cents for all of it. It would have normally cost more than $8. I would even settle for paying $2 for 10 different food items. I think one box of a dozen donuts costs more than $2.

Yes, my savings is probably an extreme example of “beginner’s luck,” but this experiment proves that cost saving opportunities are available with a little thought and planning.

We also plan on sharing different community seminars to offer tips and ideas to help our families and friends learn how to maximally live within their current means.

Using these resources, we can enable families to better provide for their household needs…and the school, hygiene and other bare necessities of their children.

What do you do to lead a frugal but healthy lifestyle? If you have suggestions of what you would like to see in this new Family Resource section, let us know in the comments.

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