Hello, in this post I will be going over our accounts to help save. Having multiple accounts will help in saving. This will help with vacation and trips but also for emergencies.
Our first account we have is a checking account. Our main checking account is for the necessities. Our bills come out of our main checking account, which all have a certain time frame spread throughout the month that comes out of this account. Examples of bills for this account are rent, insurance, electric, phone and such. We also take the money from this account to pay for our daily/weekly needs. Things such as household items, pet items, food and more.
Our second account is also a checking account. This checking account is also linked to our debit cards besides our regular account. The second checking account is called rainy day. This account is where we save money for our vacations, small trips and last minute getaways. We add to this account when ever we can with extra money and so much out of each pay check. You can do 5% , 10% or higher out of each paycheck , depending on what works best for your budget. This does add up quicker then you think.
Our third and final account is a savings account. This account is for emergencies. We have used this for car repairs, medical issues, job loss and more. Don’t touch this account unless its for an emergency. Deposit a percentage of each check in this account also. We also put extra money here and there in this account. This is nice to have incase something happens. Especially helps if you run into car issues on a trip, so that way you don’t have to take from the trip money.
Having multiple accounts does help you save. Just remember to deposit some of each check into all three accounts. What you deposit into your vacation and emergency account is up to you and your budget.
We decided to take the kids out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and go on a last minute trip to St. Louis Zoo. Yes you can take last minute trips on a budget. One thing great about this last minute trip, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to go. The Zoo itself is free to get in. There are some things you can pay for, but are ways to do the zoo for free or minimum cost.
St. Louis Zoo is a free zoo, only thing you pay for is parking. Well you can avoid paying parking by parking on the street instead of the parking lot. If you park on the street may have more of a walk. We have also gotten lucky by getting there about 15/20minutes before open and got in the parking lot for free. That has only happened like once or twice. Parking is $15 dollars in their parking lot, which is cash only.
Make sure you arrive to the zoo early, well right about open time . Reason I say that is cause during the first hour the zoo is open, the sting ray exhibit and the children’s zoo is free. Head to the sting ray first as that line gets long fast. In the sting ray exhibit, you get to touch the sting rays, which is fun for all. After you get done with the sting rays, head to the children’s zoo if the first hour isn’t up yet. Long as you get in the area before the first hour is up, its free. The Children zoo can also get a little busy but so much to see and do from sea otter, petting goats, rabbits , funny bird that makes noise and more.
Yes, the zoo is a free zoo, but its huge. Make sure you bring good walking shoes, as you will need them. There are plenty of different animals from grizzly bears, penguins, monkey, reptiles, big cats, rhinos and more. This time we packed our lunch to save some money. You can bring outside food and drinks. Also bring a refillable water bottle as there are refill stations throughout the zoo. The evening before , I got our lunches ready and packed them. Also got our drinks and refillable water bottles ready. I also filled up our SUV with gas. We do a quick breakfast before we leave, I also had a quick dinner picked for the day.
We left about 5:30 am and got home about dinner time. The zoo is about a 3 hr. drive for us. Our out of pocket expenses for this trip where $40 to fill SUV, $15 for parking(can find a free spot on the street), $25 in gas on the way back. Also around $20in the gift shop to replace a figure of mine that broke. You don’t have to go into the giftshop. So our last minute day trip cost $100 for 10 people. Could have been more if we didn’t bring our food and drinks. Also saved money by getting there early to visit sting rays and children zoo first. This is do able with a large family on a budget.
In this post we will go over a little about each child. We will start from oldest to youngest, remember there are eight children. We have five boys and three girls.
Christopher is the oldest, he is 16 as of June 2019. Christopher is a sophomore in high school and is in drivers education at the moment. So we are in a new stage in life with teaching Chris how to drive. Chris loves anything to do with history, especially the world wars and Germany. He can amaze you on what he already knows about history. He has recently developed the love for politics and wants to continue his education in Political Science, who know we may have a mayor or president one day. He enjoys videogames, anything to do with history, star wars, harry potter, and traveling. Chris is a soft hearted soul .
Zoey is our oldest girl, she is 14 as of March 2019. Zoey is in her final year of middle school. So yes in August we will have two high schoolers. Zoey has been involved with band all through her middle school career, playing the clarinet. She enjoys band and looking forward to high school band. This year Zoey tried a new activity , she decided to run track. She did well being her first year and improved throughout the track season and plans on going for track in high school. Zoey has the passion for baking and cooking , she wants to be a chef . Zoey said to watch out Gordon Ramsey, she is coming for your spot. Zoey enjoys music, anime, cooking, and being with her friends. She is a typical teenage girl.
Andrew is our 3rd oldest, he will be 13 October 2019. Andrew has enjoyed the sport of wrestling this school year, until he broke his elbow right before regionals. Next year he is determined to make it to state championship. Andrew is more of the protector of the boys and more of the one to push the limits also. He loves being outdoors , especially BMX, skateboard, fishing, and more.
James is the oldest of the twins, he is 11 as of May 2019 . Jimmy is a twin, but they are nothing alike. He also enjoyed wrestling this school year. Jimmy is a lot like Andrew in being protective and pushing limits. So, yes we have our handful with the both of them. Jimmy also loves being outdoors and doing the same things as his big brother Andrew.
Jerrold is the youngest of the twins, he is 11 as of May 2019. Jerry has adhd and has Asperger’s form of autism . Jerry has been involved with the special Olympic the past two years in basketball and track. He loves being in both and I believe both have helped him a lot. His basketball team has won gold in state the past two years. Jerry loves monkeys, I wouldn’t be surprise if he wanted to work with monkeys one day. He is a happy go lucky boy.
Patricia is the middle girl, she is 10 as of April 2019. Patricia loves to paly with her younger sister, as they both have a lot in common. She loves to play with dolls and all still. Patricia is a little sweetheart. A little about her name, she is named after all her grandmas. Her first name is both of my grandma first name, reason we went with that as her first name is, I lost my one grandma a few months before I had Patricia.
Makayla is the youngest of the girls, she is 8 as of May 2019. Makayla is more girlie of the girls, but she can be a tom boy at times too. Don’t let her sweetness fool you, she is a tough little girl. She is also one of my more adventurous of the kids. She enjoys playing with her bigger sister Patricia.
Last but not least is Samuel, he will be 4 in September. Sammy thinks he is the boss of the family. But I think all younger siblings think that. Sammy just started preschool this year and loves it. He loves being with his brothers and sisters. Sammy loves being outdoors. He loves trains, cars, paw patrol, animals, and dinosaurs. Sammy is a loving but silly little guy.
Well now you know a little info about each of the 8 kids in the family. Yes we are done, there will be no more kids. We maybe busy but our heart is full with love and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Chris, Andrew, Sammy, Jimmy and Jerry. December 2018Zoey, Patricia and Makayla. December 2018
In this post, we will go over a little about each parent. So that way you can get to know each parent a little better. The next post, we will talk a little about each child. So lets go ahead and get to know the parents.
Dalys Menk is the dad, and was born and raised in Illinois. Dalys works 5 days a week from early morning till mid afternoon as a machine operator. He has also been a volunteered fireman early on in his adult life. Dalys is a country boy, that loves the outdoors and traveling with his family. Who believes it is important for his children to know different areas of the country and the world. Dalys believes spending the time and making memories with his family is more important then all the extra material things. He also enjoys country music, baseball, camping, star wars, superhero fan and relaxing.
Beth Menk is the mom. Yes she did give birth to all eight children, she does gets ask that a lot. Who was born and raised in Indiana, she moved to Illinois around 2007. Beth is a stay at home mom, but has started a photography business about 2yrs ago. The photography business is slowly growing. She also attends online schooling for her photography. Beth is always running the kids to sports or activities . As you can imagine the household is a busy house. Beth also believes spending the time and making memories with her family is more important then all the extra material things. She also enjoys country music, baseball, camping, photography, and cooking.
Beth and Dalys have a lot of the same beliefs and ideas. Especially when it comes to raising their family. They both believe exploring the country and world is educational for their children, as they will learn some things exploring that they won’t learn in school. Dalys and Beth meet each other at an old job that they both worked at together. They were friends to begin with. Beth later on went somewhere else to work and then they reconnected online and the rest is history. Now you have a little insight on the parents, you will learn more about them in our future blogs.
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Hello, We are a crazy big family of ten. Who Love to travel, welcome to our blog.
We are a family of ten. Yes I did say there are ten of us. Our family includes, my husband, myself and our eight kids. We have five boys and three girls, between the ages of 16-4 as of 2019. My Husband is a machine operator. I am a stay at home mom who started a photography business and attends online schooling. All the kids are in school.
On our blog you will find budgeting tips, packing tips, advice, adventure, family fun, and memories in the making. Our adventures will include beaches, theme parks, resorts, camping, cruises , last minute trips and more. All to show you how big families can travel to without breaking the bank and that you don’t have to be well of to travel.
Menk's Large Family Travels 