The Rachel Cruze Show - Tips for Navigating Routine Changes as a Busy Parent

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

📈 Are you on track with the Baby Steps? Get a free personalized plan. If you’re someone who thrives on structure, changes to your routine can totally throw you off. In this episode, you’ll learn five practical tips to help stay on track with your time and money, no matter what season you’re in. Next Steps: 💵 The simplest way to budget. Download the EveryDollar app for free! 🎥 Watch my video Parents Are Spending How Much on Kids Birthdays?    Connect With Our Sponsors:   Learn more about Christian Healthcare Ministries. Get 20% off when you join DeleteMe.   Explore More From Ramsey Network: 🍸 Smart Money Happy Hour 🎙️ The Ramsey Show   💸 The Ramsey Show Highlights 🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show 💰 George Kamel 🪑 Front Row Seat with Ken Coleman  📈 EntreLeadership   Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, if you are a parent that thrives on structure, it's always a tough season when your routine is changing. So whether it's summer break or holidays, it is so easy to get caught up in the chaos. So today we're going to talk about five simple tips to keep you sane during those times, even if your routines are changing. But before we begin, make sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a friend. All right, number one, make sure to create consistent rhythm. So this could be with your health. This could be with kids, schedules, this could be with your money, but have consistent rhythm. So think about like your money. Continuing to budget, even if it's a summer month and like every week looks different, be budgeting.

Still have a budget. If you're still saving and investing, be doing that. If you want to still be working out, still have those consistent times that you're doing it. Think about meal planning too. Like when you think about family dinners or having lunch at a certain time, like whatever you can do to minimize the chaos and have some rhythms is so, so important. All right, number two, be more financially conservative. So when you are out of your normal routine, you're going to spend more money. And this is true if you have like a day in the summer

and you're not doing anything. You're like, kids, let's go do something. Usually that ends up costing money. Or you're out of your routine with food, right? And you're like, okay, what's our plan for dinner tonight? And if you don't have a plan, usually you end up going and picking something up or going out to eat. So you spend more.

Even from an income perspective, it can change in full. fluctuate. So if you're in a season, you know, if you're a teacher, for instance, and in the summer, you know, you're not working. So it's like, okay, what is that going to look like? So whenever you are in a season where it is crazy and it's so different than your normal routine, be more financially conservative. This is so, so, so key. All right, number three, be organized. So if you have kids that are out of school, things can get hectic so quickly. So organization, it is so, so important. And if you don't have a plan for every day, right, don't stress about that. And enjoy. And it, but also like, again, have an idea and a direction because sometimes I do find if we go like

two weeks or so and there's really nothing happening, they start to fight and bicker and you're like, oh my gosh, what are we going to do to fill our time? So if there is a way to say, hey, let's have a direction on which we're going for our time. That's really important. And the same is true with your money too. Stay organized with your money because if you just know, hey, here's our budget, here's what we have to spend. It's going to help. I mentioned food earlier, but it is so true. We overspend on food always if we don't have a plan. So making sure that you have a plan in place for these big things is very helpful. And if you want to check out my meal planner and grocery savings guide, I can put that down below.

So make sure to check that out. All right. Speaking of your budget, one expense, I always keep in my budget no matter what time of year it is, is delete me. Delete me is incredible, you guys. As a service, they go in and remove your information from data broker websites because now scams are getting so much more sophisticated. And there's a lot of fishing out there, even harassment that's happening,

because they can be so personalized to you and your phone number and your email and all of that because our information is out there. So Delete Me goes in and removes your information. So you can get an annual Delete Me plan for 20% off, which comes out to just $9 a month. Go to join deleteme.com slash Rachel or click the link in the description.

All right, number four, there's a love of all of this too, that I just want you to embrace it. Like embrace the chaos. If the routine is not perfectly in line, it's okay. Just stop and breathe. Just like everything else, the season is temporary. And it goes really fast.

So remember, you don't want to just wish things away. And I know with the chaos and like all of it, it can be easy. Like, oh my gosh, I can't wait for this stage or that stage. When you can't embrace it and sit in it and be present with it, life is just more enjoyable. It is because we can so often live so futuristic in like, okay, the future. What's the next milestone? So be in it. Just be in it.

And number five, leave margin. And this is true for your time and your money. So for your time, like, things are going to come up. And if you are so maxed out and if stuff is so planned out so detailed, then you're not going to have the flexibility to do the unexpected things. And sometimes the unexpected things is what brings the most joy to life. So if you are so tight on time, you sometimes won't be able to enjoy that. So remember that.

And then also with your money, too, where you can have margin is so key. Because if things do come up, you want to be able to enjoy it. So those are kind of five things that I've been walking through, especially when it comes to the summer and when my kids are home from school. And again, it's pretty short. It goes really fast. But when you're used to something for, you know, nine, ten months out of the year and it changes.

Sometimes I need those reminders. So there's things that come up every year that you can start prepping for now. And I'm talking about things like back to school, the holidays, and even kids' birthdays, which we all know can be an unexpected budget buster. So go ahead and learn how to celebrate your kids next birthday with. without totally going overboard. So watch this video, and parents are spending how much on kids' birthdays?

You can click there to watch, or if you're listening on podcasts, click the link below. All right, you guys, remember to take control of your money and create a life you love.