** You should never have to pay more that $1.99 for a box of cereal. Cereal is one of the biggest rip offs in the store. With the coupons we use, we never pay more than $1.99 a box and often less – for name brands. But the generic brands are really good, too! Hot cereals are healthier. We eat a lot of oatmeal, farina (Cream of Wheat) and grits in our home. Check your local health food store for bulk purchasing these cereals. At our store, farina, which is the same thing as the box of Cream of Wheat, costs only $0.45 a pound!
** Never, ever, throw away left overs. And don’t let food go rotten in the fridge! Make sure leftovers are used up. Before cooking, take an inventory of what needs to be used up. In our house we use everything. Even the juice in the canned fruits. Our children must eat everything on their plates. If they don’t, they do not get dessert. If they are truly full, they know they are welcome to finish there leftovers for the next meal before eating what we have prepared for the next meal. Since we are consistent on this, we never have a problem. We also don’t allow snacking between meals (except on occasion). This ensures they are hungry when they sit down to eat. And for the most part they clean their plates at every meal. We have also taught our children to eat all their potatoes, including the peel, as well as eating their crust. People are always amazed at how well our kids eat!
** Plan what you are going to buy before going to the store.
** Buy bread at your local day old bread store. You can find loaves of wheat bread for as little as $0.25 a loaf!
** If you live near a salvage food store, shop there routinely. Great deals on dented cans and speared boxes. Canned goods are safe unless bulging. Check for leaks and broken seals before buying.
** Shop at wholesale warehouses where you can bulk purchase items. But as with any other type of store, compare prices. Bulk items are not always the best deal! Be aware of what you are spending.
** Don’t impulse buy!!! If you are really craving something, drink a large glass of water and resist the temptation.
** Become a vegetarian. Think of all the money you will save not buying meats!
** Plan to eat dried beans two to three times weekly. At as little as $0.89 cents a bag, a pot of bean soup is a fantastic way to feed your family cheap and healthy at the same time!
** Grow a garden and freeze or can the excess. Gardening can save you lots of money on fresh produce. If you find a source of inexpensive produce (free is best!) spend a few days canning and freezing for later. It is easy enough and although it can be time consuming, is well worth the effort. We canned 50 lbs. of tomatoes this May. We would have canned more except that we had to go out of town. Someone gave us enough peaches to make a few jars of peach jam. And my mother in law gave us 15 flats of strawberries! Boy, were we busy canning them! But the jam and frozen fruit is so nice to have on hand. And they make nice gifts for Christmas! Add a loaf of homemade bread and it’s a great gift.
** Keep a record of how much items cost and how much you spend each week. Note how much you are spending on WANTS (chips, soda, etc.) and how much you are spending on NEEDS (beans, produce, soy milk, etc.). The first time I did this years ago, was I amazed. That very day I determined to no longer buy junk that I didn’t need anyway.
