Food Waste Challenge

Don’t be one of the average families that throws away anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of the food that they buy! Think of all of the money that you will save by buying less and using what you have. I propose a challenge. Aim to waste as little as possible each week. I have to confess that I just threw away a handful of lettuce. We just didn’t get to it before it got all brown and wrinkled. That is a shame, especially when you consider that it was the more valuable organic lettuce. Such a small amount, at … Continue reading

Avoiding obesity in the teen years

By the time your kids get to their teens years, they have taken over control of their schedules, and keeping them active is a feat of monstrous proportions. With today’s’ technological advancements, they are much more content to stay inside than we were at their age. They are attached to their computers, video games, and cell phones. There is no need to visit with friends or to go outside and play. Back when I was a teen, I walked two miles to the library, or a half mile to my friends house and then took the stairs to her fourth … Continue reading

Ways to Avoid Fruit Waste

Do you want an easy way to reduce your food budget by half? Stop wasting food. Believe or not, the average American household throws away half of all of the food that they purchase. It is easier to do than you might think. In a previous blog, Ways to Avoid Food Waste, I shared some ideas for reducing the amount of food that gets thrown out in your household. Now, let’s explore even more ways. Pretty soon, you can have an efficiently run food budget that will naturally reduce the amount of money you are spending on food. My children … Continue reading

How to Build Up a Stockpile

Having a stockpile of basics and favorites really helps you save money in the long run. You can prevent extra trips to the store; you can have plenty on hand to serve for dinner and avoid take out costs; you can get your food items at the lowest prices. The best way to build up a stockpile is usually slowly. This way, you never spend too much money at once, and you can have a plan in mind when it comes to storing your stockpile. concentrate on building up just a few items per week until you have a good … Continue reading

Throwing a Green Birthday Party – Part 1

My son recently had his sixth birthday and we had the party at the local bowling alley. However, it wasn’t very green. The bowling alley supplied paper plates and cups, but I doubt they were recycled afterward. If you are having a child’s birthday party soon and would like to green it up, check out some of these tips: Earth-Friendly Birthday Party For some reason, when I plan my son’s birthday party, I think of Chuck E. Cheese, the bowling alley, or the local laser tag place. But, he’s 6 – what does he love most in the world? Bugs, … Continue reading

Inventive Meals on the Road

After traveling and lodging, food is the biggest expense while traveling. But you can get in some great meals for $10, $5 or less when you cook them yourself. How can you cook while traveling? There are a few fun and inventive ways to be frugal here. Bring the slow cooker While many hotels don’t allow cooking in the room unless you have a suite that includes a kitchen, you can still use your crockpot in your car! If you have a long trip, at least four hours, then you are all set for a great meal. Add a liner … Continue reading

Smaller Garbage Equals More Money

We have been smug. I admit it. When we look at all of the garbage that our neighbors have out, we tend to feel that we are on the right track. This is because we know that the smaller our garbage is then the less money we are spending. While the neighbors can have three or more extra large trash cans a week, we have trouble just filling up half of our can per week. Once we are past disposable diapers (we just don’t want to do cloth), we may even cut that little bit in half. There are so … Continue reading

Managing Your Stockpile 2

Do you have a well-organized stockpile? It doesn’t take too much effort to maintain a stockpile if you know a few tips. Yesterday, I started talking about how to manage your stockpile and avoid waste. Now, let us continue with the tips, including some recipe secrets. When you have a stockpile, it is important to be flexible enough to adapt when there are dietary or taste changes. For example, my husband used to take lunch meat as his lunch to work almost every day. Now he prefers soup. So, I have a couple of jars of mayo and salad dressing … Continue reading

Frugal Living Week in Review: July 28th Through August 3rd

Do you want to save money? Check out the past week’s articles about frugal living. July 28th Frugal Living Week in Review: July 21st Through July 27th We have a lot of articles on food this week, from saving money on cereal to the best time to grocery shop. Please check them out and let me know if there are any particular topics or knowledge that you would like to read about. Ways to Avoid Fruit Waste Do you want an easy way to reduce your food budget by half? Stop wasting food. Believe or not, the average American household … Continue reading

Frugal Living Month in Review: July 2008

July went by so quickly for us! There were so many fun and frugal activities and events for us to explore, from a science camp to free movies and sand sculpting. I hope your July was equally fun and frugal. Summer is a busy time, I know. Did you miss any frugal articles last month? If so, here is an opportunity to catch up on what you missed. There are new ways to save money on food, clothing, kids, gas and more. Feel free to leave a comment on any frugal post. I read all of the comments myself, no … Continue reading