Eat at Home savings not as big as expected

[KKB]

I know our schedule this summer had us eating out WAY too much & I am trying to get back on track as well.
Luckily in the last month there have been a lot of good sales so I have really pumped up my pantry & freezer. Stocking up on items you frequently use when they go on sale will save you a lot of money in the long run (pantry/freezer items--only buy as many fresh items as you will use in a week)
I have researched many crock pot meals...ran off the whole year of eatathome.com (thanks, Tiff!) BUT I base my weekly menus on what is in my freezer/pantry/fridge & possibly what is on sale. Yes, we, too, have some specialty items that we could drop & save a bit more, but they are the items we would miss if we gave up. (I do recommend dropping the fruit snacks...they are no better than candy...oh, maybe some vitamin C but you could get that from a mulitvitamin cheaper & w/ fewer calories) You mention Fritos, etc. This week our store brand had Doritos for $2.49/bag, but their own corn chips for $1/bag! Stocked up on those babies! Store brands are almost always very good. Check them out!
I, too, would drop the water. If your home water is poor, get a Brita or something; buy a water bottle for each member of the family & refill.
Planning meals is KEY. I don't live & die by my menus, but they guide me & keep us from eating out as much.
Also, keep your kitchen stocked with items that you can always use as go-to meals (my kids are old enough to make meals themselves, like they did tonight when DH & I had our Open Houses) Eggs & bacon/sausage & homemade pancakes/waffles (yep, they made their own waffles in the waffle iron tonight), quesadillas, hot dogs w/ mac & cheese, tomato soup & grilled cheese, nachos, ramen noodles--we always have fresh fruit & carrots.
Yesterday I took out sirloin...pulled out my crock pot cookbook tonight & have everything laid out to throw in in AM...
I usually only buy chicken breasts or burger...BUT I watch for great sales/mark downs in meat department, and have picked up pork loin, sirloin, roasts, stew meat--all for under $2/lb.
Good luck!!!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

OP, here.

WOW - thanks for all the great responses and the encouragement!

After having a special needs child who wouldn't eat anything but the food item of the week (currently fruit loops in milk), my husband getting home 2 hours after the kids have eaten and sometimes when they are already in bed, and having to take care of my Alzheimer's mom for the last year of her life (she passed in Feb) - our eating habits got very off track.
Hubby would grab fast food on the way home from work or heat up a frozen dinner (healthy stuff--not!). I would make some kiddie food for my older son and whatever the younger would eat. And I grazed...all day due to stress and lack of organization. When I was out and about with the kids, we would stop for fast food often because I knew I had nothing in the house that would please everyone. This has led, obviously to unhealthy habits and I gained 50 pounds over the years which I am not proud of.

----
Now that the youngest is starting Kindy next week and needs to learn to broaden his food and the kids stay up later so we can all eat dinner within an hour of each other, and I am not dealing with my mom's care, I have the time and energy to get back into the swing of preparing meals.
My mom wasn't a good cook and relied on easy meals - spaghetti, hamburger helper, fish sticks, beans, etc. So I haven't learned much beyond boiling water, though I can make decent Italian food, lol.

I think we will focus on making eating at home the norm, learn new recipies that the family will actually eat and enjoy and work on the budget part later as I learn how to master the kitchen And get my butt to the gym instead of the drive thru!

Thanks again for all the responses!

If you can do all that you can learn to cook!!! Really you can. Go out and get yourself a good cookbook. Not a trendy one but an old fashioned one like Betty Crocker. It will have lots of little tips and information about cooking from scratch that you didn't have the chance to learn at home. Keep trying to stay on track with planning and trying new types of foods. It will be fun for you and for your family. Think of it as an adventure. Keep us posted about how it is going!

 

[amshowers]

Like previous posters have stated, shop the sales, buy seasonally, use coupons and cut down on the expensive snacks. I'm a big couponer and shop different stores to get the best deals. Check out some coupon saving websites, really very helpful. Look at the ads of a few stores and plan your grocery list around what's on sale.

 

[neatokimmo]

OP, since you are just starting to learn to cook, I'd suggest making out your meal plan in advance and trying to match things up. Days 1 and 2, use the same meat with different sauces. Example, instead of buying chicken nuggets, buy boneless skinless chicken on sale. Wash it, salt it and stick it in the oven. Then you can chop it up and put it in a hamburger helper that is cheese based. Then the next night you can put it spaghetti sauce. You'll save a ton of time and take away some of the processed stuff.

Steamer bags are so easy too.

Think about what you are paying per pound. Example, lunchmeat. It might just be $3 for the pack, but you are getting 8 ounces. That is $6 a pound. I can buy almost 4 pounds of boneless chicken on sale for that amount. You can bake it, slice it and put it on sandwiches. You can add mayo, bbq, italian dressing - lots of good things to break up the monotony.

Good luck!

 

[figaro2tigger]

OP. What stands out to me is that you are just starting out with coupons/sales shopping. What REALLY saves is when you can buy on sale with coupons and STOCK UP at the cheap/free prices. When you buy 4-6 weeks of something on sale for 1/2 or less of the regular price, then the next 4-5 weeks, you aren't buying that item and can spend that money on other items to stock. Once you have a stockpile of items bought on sale and don't HAVE to buy that item every week, your costs go down.

This is the cereal/breakfast stock up time of year. Look at the expiration dates on those cereal boxes-Mar thru May of 2011-next year! When cereal is on sale for $2 or less per box, print coupons from the internet/use the clipped coupons from the inserts/coupons from the boxes themselves/mail in for rebates from the boxes and STOCK UP! Your son is fixated on Fruit Loops, don't buy ONE box when it is on sale.

When Fruit Loops go on sale for 1/2 price, don't buy the same weekly amount, you buy more and hopefully have coupons to reduce the stock up price. 2 Weeks ago, Fruit Loops were $2 a box and on the Kelloggs coupon website (I can't put the link in yet-only have 7 posts) you can print a coupon for $1.50/2 boxes of Fruit Loops. Coupons on websites can normally be printed 2 times per computer. Get family and friend to print you coupons also-you can print other Kelloggs cereal coupons for them. A single box of Fruit Loops here is usually $4.29, at $2/box minus $1.50/2, you can get 4 boxes for $8 minus $3 in coupons, so $5 out of pocket for 4 boxes that would cost at non-sale price $17.16. You will save $12.16 over the amount of time that it takes to eat 4 boxes and spend very little more than the price of 1 box.

What kind of oatmeal are you buying? Steel cut oats go on sale, but don't have the coupon/low cost of the other oats. If you are buying Quaker, the Quick oats canisters/pre-mixed packets go on sale with the dame scenario as cereal. The same for pancake mix/syrup, breakfast bars etc. The expiration dates on these items is normally 6-9 months out.

Insert coupons-normally (there are exceptions) the coupon items don't go on sale for 1-2 weeks or longer after the coupon comes in the newspaper. There are many websites that are free that have lists of coupons/where they come from-including the dates they were in the paper/internet links. It doesn't take long to take a list and look up the items/print.

CVS has a drink special for the month of August-Powerade/Smart Water/Vitamin Water/can't remember the others are $10/10 with a $5 ECB.
On the coolers are coupons for $1/3 Smart water when you buy any item. The first time you buy them, you would pay $7 for 10 ea and have $5 ECb to spend on the next 10. Sobe is buy one get one free this week, play the Sobe IWG -the most common win is a BOGO coupon printable. you are allowed one free play per day and if you have a winning black Sobe "Tails you win" cap, then you can play more. CVS will only charge you tax for the Sobe for every 2 you buy with one BOGO coupon.
Look at the items that are FREE after ECB-if you use them, you are throwing money away. Since I started buying at CVS and Walgreen (Rite Aide also does this), I have only paid tax or made money buying toothpaste/mouthwash/shampoo/razors/etc. They have pretty good diaper specials also. One CVS card per family member is the official amount allowed.

Finally, sales seem to go in cycles. Some items go on sale monthly, some every 6 weeks, some 8 weeks, some quarterly. After you coupon/sale shop for a while you will see a pattern, even if you don't go to the websites for help. You'll see a little improvement at first, after 3 months, you will be AMAZED (there's more, like rebates etc. but I think you're probably overwhelmed if you've made it this far.

CONGRATULATIONS for starting this, many TALK about it, but don't try

 

[quasar4legs]

Lots of great suggestions and congrats to the OP for working hard to improve spending in this area.
If your family will eat legumes they are cheap and nutritious, think vegetarian chilli or curried lentils, veggie patties etc. It might help cut spending on meat and seafood.

Best wishes and keep working at it!!!
Quasar

 

[disneymom2one]

Do you have a comparison shopping list of an eating out week vs an eating at home week? From what I see on your list, many of the items are things you were probably buying anyway while still eating out.

For example, did you still buy snacks to eat at home? Probably yes. Did you still buy beverages to drink at home? Probably yes. Did you still buy pull-ups? Most likely yes. So you need to cross those things off of your list and then look at what you are buying that is extra. Compare the extra groceries to what you were spending eating fast food every day and you will probably see that you are saving more than you think.

Others have also pointed out that the processed and pre-made foods are more expensive. So just know that initially you may see a spike in your grocery bill as you stock up your pantry and freezer with things that you will be able to make meals from later on. One week the bill might be higher, but the next week you may only need to get fruit, milk, and bread.

The other thing I see that is costing you more money and time and has inhibited you from cooking "family" meals is that you are a short-order cook for your family. You are trying to please everyone and by doing that, it's costing you way more money and time. I don't mean to sound harsh, but don't give your family excuses for not eating what you cook. "Borderline autistic?" Either your son is autistic or he isn't. I've been a teacher of special needs kids for 18 years and trust me, he will eat what you cook him if he gets hungry enough. If you cater to him by fixing him special things, you are hurting him more than you are helping him. If he ends up being a diabetic or something you would have to change his diet and he'd adapt. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but you CAN do it.

Good luck with your endeavor! Just the fact that you are keeping track of your spending is a great start. You will get better with the shopping and the cooking over time.

I have another point of view on the autism issue. As the parent of an autistic child for the past fifteen years, I don't necessarily agree that her son will eat other foods right away - it may take years. Our daughter doesn't have food issues but we've seen that extreme resistance in other situations. There are simply times when an autistic child will not budge and there's not much you can do about it other than to attempt very gradual changes. I've never seen anything like it and it is maddening at times but you learn (hopefully) to pick your battles and accept that change will happen - when they're ready - not you. That doesn't mean we give up around here. We will try something literally thousands of times.

 

[JamesMom]

I have another point of view on the autism issue. As the parent of an autistic child for the past fifteen years, I don't necessarily agree that her son will eat other foods right away - it may take years. Our daughter doesn't have food issues but we've seen that extreme resistance in other situations. There are simply times when an autistic child will not budge and there's not much you can do about it other than to attempt very gradual changes. I've never seen anything like it and it is maddening at times but you learn (hopefully) to pick your battles and accept that change will happen - when they're ready - not you. That doesn't mean we give up around here. We will try something literally thousands of times.

OP here.
Thanks for all the responses again.

Wanted to clarify my son's issues. He has Sensory Intergration Disorder which is on the spectrum, yet not considered truly austic. It's a lot of words that most people wouldn't understand without a lot of explanation so to make things easier when speaking to new people (like a mesage board) I resort to the 'borderline austic" and most people get my son has issues without alot of fuss.

Sensory kids are big on, well, sensory things -touch, taste, texture. This obviously involves food in a huge way. My son prefers things that go crunch, but not juicy, hence a cracker is perfect in a way that an apple isn't. Additionally, he has some rigidity and is resistant to changes in environment and schedule, therefore, doesn't like change in diet too much. Just yesterday I switched out his regular Tyson Dino chicken nuggets with a new brand I found that included a high fiber breading in his beloved dino shapes. Didn't fly. He rejected it straight away. My older son loved them and at least they got eaten. I'll try them again and cook them longer to get a more crunchy texture to hopefully offset the breadcrumb feel. He often complains of soggy or mushy food.
He has progressed hugely in the last 2 years. At the age of 3 he spoke 10 words. He said Mama finally at 3.5 years and I love you at 4.5 years. Also during his 4th yr he has developed a sense of others and empathy and seeks out interactions with peers instead of just family. He finally was #2 potty trained 2 months before his 5th birthday. He's entering Kindy full-time next week. I cringe when I think of lunch battles there, but that is for another thread.

Thanks again for the responses.

 

[Nik's Mom]

OP here.
Thanks for all the responses again.

Wanted to clarify my son's issues. He has Sensory Intergration Disorder which is on the spectrum, yet not considered truly austic. It's a lot of words that most people wouldn't understand without a lot of explanation so to make things easier when speaking to new people (like a mesage board) I resort to the 'borderline austic" and most people get my son has issues without alot of fuss.

Sensory kids are big on, well, sensory things -touch, taste, texture. This obviously involves food in a huge way. My son prefers things that go crunch, but not juicy, hence a cracker is perfect in a way that an apple isn't. Additionally, he has some rigidity and is resistant to changes in environment and schedule, therefore, doesn't like change in diet too much. Just yesterday I switched out his regular Tyson Dino chicken nuggets with a new brand I found that included a high fiber breading in his beloved dino shapes. Didn't fly. He rejected it straight away. My older son loved them and at least they got eaten. I'll try them again and cook them longer to get a more crunchy texture to hopefully offset the breadcrumb feel. He often complains of soggy or mushy food.
He has progressed hugely in the last 2 years. At the age of 3 he spoke 10 words. He said Mama finally at 3.5 years and I love you at 4.5 years. Also during his 4th yr he has developed a sense of others and empathy and seeks out interactions with peers instead of just family. He finally was #2 potty trained 2 months before his 5th birthday. He's entering Kindy full-time next week. I cringe when I think of lunch battles there, but that is for another thread.

Thanks again for the responses.

I have 2 autistic sons, so I know the issues with foods. I try to keep my grocery budget to around $75 a week. There are definitely ways to feed your family on a budget, and still make it healthy. Having a special needs child with food issues will make it more of a challenge. Hang in there. You will eventually find things that your child will eat. I did just flat out stop buying all of the junk. I found that my kids ended up gravitating toward healthier snacks. It took time though.

I was always concerned that my sons weren't eating enough. Our pediatrician finally told me to stop worrying about it, just make sure they are getting their vitamin every day. You can only do so much. Provide the healthiest meals that you can, and eventually your child will try new foods.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

OP, it really does take time to get good at saving money and cooking at home. I grew up cooking, but only really started making an effort to eat at home in the past 3 years.

Everyone has suggested couponing, stockpiling, and watching sales. All of those work well, and once you get going with it, it gets much easier.

Someone else suggested getting the old Betty Crocker or Fanny Farmer cookbooks, and I totally agree. The older versions seem to be much simpler, and have recipes with everyday ingredients. Some of the new ones have tons of recipes with all these fancy ingredients I would never have in my house.

Another idea for saving some money is to figure out how to make some of the more common snacks in the house yourself. If your kids like applesauce, learn to make it. It's really easy, and way cheaper than buying the individual packs of it. Cookies are easy to do yourself, and your kids will have fun making them with you.

I can relate to having a kid with dietary issues - my son has diabetes, and we try to cook as low carb as possible. It does throw my budget off, but I'd rather spend a few dollars more than to feed him things I know are going to mess with his blood sugar later in the day.

Good luck - it sounds like you're working really hard on this. It will pay off for you.

 

[csharpwv]

WOW I never realized that budget grocery shopping was controversial!


My wife and I just cut down out 'eating out' budget and are cooking a lot more.
My wife grew up in a home where dinner came out of a box or bag that ultimately was stored in the freezer until needed. Both of DW's parents worked full time jobs.

I grew up in a home where nearly all meals were prepared from fresh ingredients. My mom worked 2 days a week - and Dad worked full time - so Mom had a little more time to fix meals from fresh ingredients made from several ingredients.

Mom was an OK cook - but the older lady I grew up next to was an old fashioned cook - and had the 'down home' taste 99% of the time. So she actually taught me how to cook.

DW is great at cakes, pastries etc etc - she has actually made a few wonderful wedding, shower, and birthday cakes. but when it comes to cooking - she doesn't - it is reheated from the freezer - and I get tired of frozen food fairly quickly - so I do most of the cooking - and it kind of drives her crazy - because when I grocery shop - my list is in my head - and that literally drives her crazy! But it's what works - the same for you OP.

If you don't have time to cut coupons, compare sales, and run all over town to get your groceries - do it your way. Will you save more money if you cut coupons, compare sales, and run all over town to get the best sale prices - YES - you will save more - but it all boils down to is what you value more - time or money.

We are members at Sam's Club - so we do a lot of our 'staple' shopping there - like spaghetti sauce - we buy three huge jars for what we would normally spend on 1.5 or 2 jars half the size. Same with Ketchup - we buy three huge bottles at a time - and buy it a couple times a year. We buy our cat litter there - our laundry soap, our dishwasher supplies (tabs and jet dry), and we also buy some of our medicine items there like allergy meds for me, tylenol, supplements etc etc etc.

We don't usually buy much frozen food there - but one thing that we have started doing is each time w go we will buy a whole cooked chicken - and that will be dinner one evening and lunch the next - with some left over - and the chicken is around $5.00 - GREAT price - especially considering we are usually REALLY tired after a day of grocery shopping LOL

But something else to remember is this - If something is 'cheap' as yourself 'why?' cheap food is usually that - very cheap - made cheaply - and not of a really high quality - OR it isn't branded. Non-Branded food is much cheaper and usually fairly comparable. Between Save A Lot, Sam's and Aldi - we usually save a fair amount.

BUT - set a budget - and stick to it - you will be surprised at how quickly your restaurant taste changes! Home cooked food it so much better - you control your cost - and the taste!

Finally - this is a pet peeve of mine - invest in your kitchen. The right tool for the right job goes a long way in making cooking very enjoyable! That includes your utensils, stove/range, your cookware, even the cleanliness of your kitchen. Keep your kitchen counters clear of unnecessary items - and you will find yourself to be a much happier cook! Also - put a radio in your kitchen and see how it improves your mood in the kitchen.

When we remodeled out kitchen, we thought about how we use it and I insisted in installing built in speakers in the ceiling - and installed a jack in the wall to connect an iPod - and WOW what a difference it makes - I can be as happy as can be any time of year - and there isn't a radio or TV on the counter taking up space. LOVE IT!

Food is necessary for life - why not make preparing it an enjoyable experience!

Oh - and the Bosch Dishwasher for 1/8 of the retail price really makes me smile every time I look at a superbly clean dish right out of the dishwasher!

 

[Soben]

Oh - and the Bosch Dishwasher for 1/8 of the retail price really makes me smile every time I look at a superbly clean dish right out of the dishwasher!

I'm saving up for a Bosch. My maytag went kaput, and I've been handwashing eek. I can afford another cheaper DW, but I am handwashing until I can afford the Bosch (6 months?) Did you get lucky with the price or do you have a tip to share??

 

[Amandaj0831]

You have a good start. I would just start stocking up on sales. We cook Hamburger helper here too but I wait until it goes on sale for ,99 and get a few so we are not paying the regular price. Same thing with meats. We do coupons too which also helps but if you are new to this I would try stocking up on sales and then add coupons. I know with 2 kids and a full time job sometimes coupons are just too much to deal with. You may just have saved 10-20 this week but before you know it you will be saving much more AND eating healthier.

 

[NHWX]

It's taken me a long time to learn but I have also learned to squeeze in some prep or batch cooking during some down time. If you're watching TV, you can cut up some peaches onto a foil pie plate or a baking pan and then freeze them. Use them on the weekend of crisp or cobbler. (They're really easy to make - just stick with simple recipes!)

If you have to go to a meeting in the evening or a soccer practice or whatever, see if you can't put something in the crockpot to cook in that time. I've been known to put a bunch of chicken breasts and a jar of salsa in the crockpot. (enough to over the chicken plus some) Then you have shredded chicken for tacos, enchiladas, etc. If you like sweet salsa, add some peach or apricot jam to the mix. It'll be done when you're back and you can just stick some of it in the fridge for the next day and freeze some of it in a ziploc baggie for another day.

I've liked this cookbook http://www.amazon.com/Cheap-Fast-Good-Beverly-Mills/dp/0761131760 along with others by the same duo.

If you can grill, grilling extra chicken breasts, burgers or boneless pork chops isn't any harder than making just enough. The extras go into the same freezer bags. If you have time, chop the chicken or pork into pieces for another time.

Extra rice freezes too. Making extra rice is really easy.

Unfortunately, freezing cookies doesn't work in our house. People just discover them and eat them anyways.

It'll work out - just give yourself time. If you were teaching a new person a job at work, you wouldn't just toss them in with no preparation, would you?

NHWX

 

[csharpwv]

I'm saving up for a Bosch. My maytag went kaput, and I've been handwashing eek. I can afford another cheaper DW, but I am handwashing until I can afford the Bosch (6 months?) Did you get lucky with the price or do you have a tip to share??

We bought ours at Sears - I worked at Sears for a number of years (about 5) through college) so I know where to find the bargains.

1) Sears has items that they mark with the SKU of 991 in their system. It is an item that was either returned because a customer didn't like it - or the item had a part flaw that had to be taken care of before it ever left the store - but because it had been opened and altered from factory condition, they could not sell it as new. For instance GE had a fridge a few years ago that had a flawed part on the 'brain' board - and the board had to be replaced on the ones that were in stock - so 3 brand new appliances hit the floor at 25% off - and were still eligible for sale prices (10%-15% off) and promotions like 0% financing.

But our dishwasher was returned because the lady that bought it didn't realize that Bosch Dishwashers don't "DRY" the dishes (not heating element)- she returned it - and because it was such an expensive dishwasher, and people don't think to shop the 'defect' section when shopping for high end appliances - it just sat there! So we got it for an amazing price. if I remember correctly we bought it for around $200 - and it was a $1,300 appliance at the time. We've been using it totally problem free for almost 3 years now - so it certainly wasn't defective!

Then on to #2

Sears has Appliance Outlets - SHOP THEM! I once saw a $1,800 double wall oven for $150 - and the ONLY think wrong was a missing knob on the front. I check on the cost of the knob - and it was a $15.00 part!!!!!!!!!! Too bad we didn't need a wall oven!

I would NEVER buy anything from Home Depot - we had a HORRIBLE time with them when we remodeled our Kitchen - we buy ALL of our appliances from Sears. Often times people overlook Sears - but it is a great place to shop for Appliances and Electronics. They are one of VERY FEW places that still do very intense training for Appliance and Electronics sales staff.

Plus we usually buy extended warranties on our big purchases - and Sears has the best warranty on the market. I know all of the consumer magazines say warranties are a 'DO NOT BUY' item - but so far we have totally recovered the cost of the warranty on our Washer/Dryer - and our Fridge. To me, a piece of mind is worth more than money.... Having sold warranty products while I worked at Sears, I know what repairs can - and DO - cost.
The more important a part is to the function of your appliance - the more expensive it is to replace.

One repairman simply replaced a water pump on our washer because he had been on several warranty calls lately to repair the same pump and it was beginning to 'hum' - so he replaced it. That is great service!

 

[csharpwv]

A few weeks ago I spent the entire evening in the kitchen cooking ahead - here is how my evening went -

breaded and browned cubed steak for baked steak and gravy -
once I got that into the oven, I started making chili sauce -
you can use chili sauce for -
Hotdog chili/sauce
Add spaghetti sauce for spaghetti
add taco seasoning and beans for:
Tacos
Burritos
Taco Salad
Or Chili (soup) - just add V8 a can of crushed tomatoes and more chilli powder and a chopped up green pepper.
SO it has tons of uses!

Then once I got that on the stove - I started making meatballs - and by the time the baked steak was ready, I put the meatballs in the oven, and then we ate dinner, and then I browned hamburger for dinner the following evening.

So I have frozen Chili sauce for a month or so (with several uses!)
And
Meatballs frozen in spaghetti sauce for 5-6 more meals! (we've had it once already!)

So in an effort to try to keep the house cooler in the summer - I make stuff up ahead of time!

Plus it makes a GREAT meal so much easier to prepare!

 

[TLuvsD]

You might try Coupon Mom. I like it, just use the list for the store where I'm already planning to shop. I also check Walgreens (I pass there on the way to the store). Right now Walgreens has Arizona Ice Tea 2 gallons for $5---and my family LOVES Arizona Ice Tea. So I stock up. They often have progresso soups on sale, too. We like the clam chowder, I serve it in bread bowls if I get them on clearance.

 

[lisam427]

one thing i started doing is cvsing and couponing. you can get a lot of stuff really cheep at cvs. i have been telling my mom about cvs. she didnt believe me until i took her there last night. armed with coupons i helped her shop. she saved $55 dollars last night after all of the coupons and extra care bucks. she is now hooked!!!

there is a weekly thread about cvs here in the budget board. it is very helpful. coupons and cvs really will help take a chunk out of your grocery budget. i usually save anywhere from $30-$50 a week.

as far as meals, there are two websites that i really like for meal planning. one is http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com. this website has tons of recipies that are delicious, inexpensive, and easy to prepare. another website is kraft. com. i really like this website as well.

another thing i do to save is buy a 10 pound bag of chicken quarters when they are on sale at 49 cents. some of them are used for baked or marinated grilled chicken. others are cooked in the crockpot and the meat is taken off the bone and frozen. i then take the frozen meat and use it in casseroles, chicken salad, etc..

have you ever tried shopping at aldis. their prices are really good compared to other grocery stores and you save quite a bit of money there!

a free website that helps you get deals with coupons that i use is coupon mom. www.couponmom.com. the website lists the best deals each week for many grocerystores and where to get coupons to make the deals even better. all you have to do is click on what you and your family would use, print out coupons from the links she gives you and you are all set.

i havent ready many of the previous posts. if others have given the same tips, sorry about the dupplication.

 

[MrsPete]

Finally - this is a pet peeve of mine - invest in your kitchen. The right tool for the right job goes a long way in making cooking very enjoyable! That includes your utensils, stove/range, your cookware, even the cleanliness of your kitchen. Keep your kitchen counters clear of unnecessary items - and you will find yourself to be a much happier cook! Also - put a radio in your kitchen and see how it improves your mood in the kitchen.

When we remodeled out kitchen, we thought about how we use it and I insisted in installing built in speakers in the ceiling - and installed a jack in the wall to connect an iPod - and WOW what a difference it makes - I can be as happy as can be any time of year - and there isn't a radio or TV on the counter taking up space. LOVE IT!

I agree in investing in your kitchen. If it's a space you enjoy, with good appliances that make cooking a pleasure, you're likely to cook more often.

LOVE the tip about the ipod jack. We're compiling a list of details for our retirement house, which we plan to build in five years when our youngest finishes high school. That just made the list. A similar topic: We plan to put a small TV inside a cabinet, where it can be viewed from the kitchen island or closed off. We're going to have an outlet installed inside the cabinet.

 

[MrsPete]

I would NEVER buy anything from Home Depot - we had a HORRIBLE time with them when we remodeled our Kitchen - we buy ALL of our appliances from Sears. Often times people overlook Sears - but it is a great place to shop for Appliances and Electronics. They are one of VERY FEW places that still do very intense training for Appliance and Electronics sales staff.

Home Depot was horrible to me when I was replacing my countertops /backsplash, and I will NEVER set foot in their store again. First, they didn't want to talk to me -- I should've walked away, but I liked the product they had. FINALLY I got someone to come over to my house and measure. FINALLY I got someone scheduled to come over and do the installation . . . and on the day it was supposed to happen -- after I'd cleared literally everything out of my whole kitchen -- the installer said, "Oh, these products won't work in your space." MONTHS WASTED on them. They didn't even apologize when they refunded my money.

NEVER AGAIN.