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The Importance of Menu Planning

We save more money when I practice menu planning. I have to admit that far too often, I just wing it with figuring out what is going to be for dinner, and that tends to lead to more spending, either because we decide to go out to eat, we use up the more expensive convenience foods we keep on hand for emergencies, or we ignore our pantry or fridge and have more expired food. Since one of my goals this year is to stay on track with grocery spending, I am adding regular menu planning to the list of practices. … Continue reading →

Ask a Food Blogger: How Do You Create a Menu Plan?

I’m excited to answer my first food blogger question: I know I would eat healthier and we’d eat more meals at home if I had a weekly menu plan. But how do you go about creating one? You are correct on both counts: menu plans will help you eat healthier, stick to certain goals, and it will decrease the likelihood that you have to get take out for lack of preparation. One thing that can help with menu preparation is recipe software. Most recipe software has grocery list features as well as menu planning features. I have written before about … Continue reading →

One Strategy For Taming Your Household Grocery Bill

If you are looking for ways to trim your household budget, it might be easiest to start with flexible categories of spending, where you do not spend the exact same amount of money each month. Food is one area of the family budget that is flexible, and also an area that you can improve upon by implementing simple changes. Don’t worry, I am not about to suggest that you eat less, or that you only eat cheap food. I am a foodie, and I know that a “good deal” means more than just the price per pound, it means getting … Continue reading →

Grocery Shopping as a New Couple

I’m always amused when I hear young couples at the grocery store. I can tell which ones are shopping for the first time. They are always very careful to clear their choices with their spouse, to the point of self-denial. “Honey, do you like carrots? You don’t? Okay, I’ll put this back.” When you get married, you are taking two lives and melding them into one, and this is true on so many levels, right down to the grocery shopping. Suddenly you’re trying to decide what to eat—a decision that once was so simple, now made complex. How do two … Continue reading →

Health at School: Lunch Time!

Ah, the school lunch. The cafeteria has come a long way since I was in grammar school, where you had one meal option and one “alternate” Sandwich choice. Even by the time I was in high school, the cafeteria had stepped up to compete with the local eateries in town, offering multiple hot and cold meal choices. Still, your kids might not want to chow down on cafeteria food every day — or you might want to save money and send lunch from home. Here are some tips to help ease the lunchtime battle. Set a lunch allowance. My parents … Continue reading →

Three Ways To Save Some Money In The Kitchen

Food is one of our most expensive resources, and we have to have it to survive. It is certainly not a want, but definitely a need. So how do you save more money after using coupons, sales and other discounts? Easy, follow these tips. Eggs – This has got to be one of my favorite things I have learned to do in the kitchen. After starting to cook one night, I realized I was out of eggs. While I am sure I could have gone and knocked on my friends door to see if she had one I could borrow, … Continue reading →

My Recipe Collection Has Taken Over the Kitchen

I have a confession: I collect recipes. Some people like stamps, some people like dolls. . .me, I like recipes. I’ve been collecting recipes for over 10 years (since I’ve gotten married) and well, let’s just say they were in need of some serious organization. I also collect cookbooks but I have a rule that if I haven’t used it at least once a year. . .it goes out to the trash. Since I can’t stand to loose a cook book, I make a point to cook from each one at least once a year. But I digress. Getting Started … Continue reading →

Resolve to Be Frugal in 2007

Is 2007 the year that you will finally get your budget under control? Have you thought about being a little (or a lot) more frugal this next year? Here are a few ideas for frugal New Year’s resolutions, or goals for saving money in 2007: Set Some No-Spend days In a previous article, I explained that no-spend days are the days that you do not make any purchases. Generally, if you can discipline yourself to limiting the amount of times that you go to the store, the less money you will spend overall. Each time you go to the store … Continue reading →

Five Budget Busters

Once you sit down and right out your budget you should begin to notice that you have a few categories that are causing you a little bit of a problem. These categories are generally known as budget busters. Once you realize that you are overspending in these categories, it can be difficult to find ways to cut back. It may mean that you simply do not go shopping, or that you shop sells. You may choose to switch these categories to the envelope system, which will help to stop excessive spending. Here are five common budget busters and ways to … Continue reading →

Top 10 Grocery-Saving Tips

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The cost for feeding a family can vary from one household to the next by as much as hundreds of dollars every month. Why is there such a large spectrum in the amount that we all pay for food? Wouldn’t you like to be one of those people that pay the least amount of money possible on groceries? Anyone can reduce his or her grocery bill: check out these 10 tips for great ways to learn how. For more information, click on the articles listed underneath each grocery tip. 10. Take advantage of loss leaders In order to get you … Continue reading →