Search Results for: blog 3 meals that feed your family for 150 or less

Eating Healthy On A Frugal Budget

Too many people tell me that the reason they eat such unhealthy meals is because healthy food is expensive. I tend to disagree with them, but converting these spendthrifts isn’t all that difficult when I tell them that our family of four eats pretty healthy and my food budget is half of the national average (according to my online research). I’m not a health nut by any means, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that junk food makes you feel terrible and it doesn’t cost less than healthier foods. Not to mention you’ll have fewer trips to … Continue reading →

The Importance of Family Time

Numerous studies have shown how important it is to children to have quality time with their parents and siblings. From research that shows that children who have a regular family dinner time are less likely to be involved with drugs, to surveys of children that say that the one thing they really want more of is time with their parents, there is no doubt in my mind that family time is very important. There really is no time that is too early to establish the routine of family time. You can start with eating together at a meal. If you … Continue reading →

Can You Live on One Income? Calculating Food Savings

In the first part of this article, Can You Live on One Income? Food Costs, I talked about the statistics for eating out versus cooking at home and did some initial calculations. Now lets take a look at calculating the savings from being able to cook at home and through smart food shopping. We’ve now spent $270 a week on eating out, or $1080 for the month. Remember that this a conservative number and doesn’t include meals for the times you aren’t eating out. Analysts tell us that eating at home costs 50 percent less than eating out, on average, … Continue reading →

Avoid These Foods

All over the country, people are starting to pay more attention to the food they buy. The price of groceries has climbed to record-breaking heights, forcing people to get creative on budgeting on this very necessary expense. You really have to be a smart shopper to make your food dollar stretch far enough to feed your family. But, let me make it a little easier. If you can cut out or at least reduce the following food items, you can make a significant difference to your grocery bill. Soda Soda is basically, water, high fructose corn syrup, caffeine and carbonation. … Continue reading →

Do You Need “Green Bags?”

Have you seen those new “green bags?” So far, I’ve seen them only on commercials and info-mercials. They are plastic bags that are meant for keeping produce fresh. The bags appear to be made of a lightweight plastic and are tinted green. In the commercial, the smiling lady offers examples of fruits and vegetables that have been in the bag and those that have not. The ones in the bag appear fresh and crisp, while the ones that aren’t in the bag are slimy, soft or moldy. Hmm, I thought. That could be something. Until I looked at the time … Continue reading →

Foods that Don’t Freeze Well

Freezing meals and ingredients for meals can be a smart idea when it comes to frugal living. Meal planning and having dinner ready to just pop in the oven on busy nights certainly makes eating out less desirable, and that immediately helps your budget. Buying food in bulk and then freezing the excess can also save you money by reducing your grocery bill. One thing to keep in mind, though, is not all foods freeze well. You can wind up losing money if you freeze something that winds up being thrown away. Here then, is a guideline on foods that … Continue reading →

Conquering The Grocery Waste (1)

Recent studies estimate that Americans waste approximately 25 percent of their groceries instead of consuming them. If you factor in an average cost of $7,000 a year on groceries (this is the number for a household of three, so it will vary according to your location and family size), you get a waste of $1750 a year. That is money that is just going into the garbage! Think of what you could do with all of that money! You could donate it to charity; you could pay off bills; you could afford a vacation or maybe even give up a … Continue reading →

Crouching Chicken, Hidden Leftovers

Leftovers are one of the absolute best ways to save on your food bill. By planning leftovers, you’ll cook less and spend less energy on clean up, too. But sometimes your family just doesn’t want leftovers. Other times there just might not be enough left over to make an actual meal. You can always try saving the leftovers for freezer soup, but I bet by now that you could use some more ideas. When either of these things happen, or when you or your family get so sick of leftovers, you can try performing some slight of hand to turn … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Week in Review: October 15th Through October 21st

From saving money on meals to free flowers, it has been a mix of different money saving tips here in the frugal living blog, where you’ll find all sorts of ideas to make your money go as far as it can. That is important, especially now when oil prices are going up and the cold weather will be setting in for good in the next few weeks. And you really won’t want to miss our guest blogger at the start of her mission to save on groceries. October 15th Keeping Warm with Blankets Using blankets is a very frugal strategy. … Continue reading →