saving money

Trips and tricks for saving money on your next car purchase…

Abby H.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe had to replace Mr. C’s 14 year old Pontiac last year.  It was time. Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of friends talking about replacing their older cars that aren’t as fuel efficient or that are starting to need some pretty costly repairs.

We knew the time to replace the old, creaky Pontiac was coming, so to prepare for the new car I did the following step

  • We made a list of cars that met our qualifications: price, specific gas mileage, features (safety & comfort). With a price range in mind, we could make sure that we had enough saved for a down payment.
  • We made sure that we had room in our budget for a car payment. We paid my car off last year (an entire year early!! I rounded up payments each month to the closest $10 and when we had extra money from rebates or bonuses, I sent a few extra hundred dollars to the finance company- those things really do help!).
  • I had been saving money each paycheck for a down payment.  It wasn’t a lot of money each month, but we’ve known for about a year that the Pontiac was on it’s last legs.
  • We filed our tax returns as soon as we were able- We wanted to use the majority of our refund toward the downpayment.
  • We looked online for vehicles that fit our qualifications, we used connections (that would also provide us discounts) through our credit union, insurance carrier, and through sources like UPromise to find vehicles within our price range.
  • We went into the dealerships pre-approved for a loan through our credit union.
  • We knew what was on our credit reports and our scores (Thanks to using CreditSesame), so we knew that we could leverage that if needed to try and get a better APR.
  • I checked with our insurance carrier prior to purchasing the new car to see what the insurance premiums would look like on several cars on our list.  We needed the premiums to stay pretty much the same.

In the end we purchased a 2011 Prius from Toyota of El Cajon. The process was easy, fast (4 hours, but if you’ve bought a car, you know how long it takes), and our sales consultant, Jason Mongold, was awesome. He and his managers helped us find a car that met our criteria and budget, and they gave us a great amount for our trade-in.

Take your time and make sure you review all of your options when buying a car. Whether you buy new or used, from a dealership or private party, do your research!

Carfax Reports– learn all about the car you are about to buy (accidents, title status). Most dealerships that sell pre-owned cars will show you the CarFax report before you purchase.

KBB.com– Find out the value of your trade-in, and the value of the car you are about to purchase.

Little Man sitting in Daddy's Pontiac one last time!
Little Man sitting in Daddy’s Pontiac one last time!

What are your tips and tricks for purchasing a car?

Big Sale Weekend!

Abby H.

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Memorial Day is the 25th (this upcoming Monday), and that means there are going to be all kinds of really great deals and sales.

I try not to post a lot of sales and deals, but this week I’ll be posting 1-2 per day when I find some really great deals that I personally think are worth taking advantage of.

These companies are all ones that I shop at regularly, and really like.

So hold on to your hats, It’s about to get crazy and frugal.

 

Why I cancelled Our Sunday Newspaper Subscription

Abby H.

IMG_1248For years I’ve preached that since 80+% of the coupons are available only in the Sunday Newspaper, everyone should get at least 2 Sunday papers each week, so that you can get multiple coupons, and stock up on sale items to avoid paying full price.

Well, no longer. I called and cancelled our Sunday only Union-Tribune subscription yesterday.

WHY? Well, if you have been getting the Sunday paper, you’ve noticed that the value and variety of coupons each week has dwindled. For example: This year, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce has had a $1/3 coupon available in the summer about this time of year. In previous years, the value was $1/2 or even $1/1, just 3 years ago.

And as prices on food continue to increase, when coupon values decrease…. Well, That’s not a deal.

Another super annoying thing that some of you may have noticed: While the inserts are the same thickness as in previous years, instead of being jam-packed full of great coupons (or any coupons), there are more full page ads for products, or advertisements for checks, gold coins, wigs, or other “stuff” that you can mail order. UGH!!

So where am I going to get my coupons? Well, as the Sunday paper becomes less of a great resource, the internet opens it’s arms to us! It’s cheaper for companies to make coupons available for print on their website, or via social media channels. That means the values can be higher sometimes than what as in the paper previously! I print a lot of coupons from the sites I mention here. I also save money by using smartphone apps (since I don’t have a smartphone, I use them on my iPad). I also trade coupons with local friends who still get the paper. I print coupons for them, and they give me newspaper coupons I need. I also get unwanted coupons from family and friends.

Since I start my weekly shopping at 99 Cents Only, I am using less coupons than previously. 99 Cents Only doesn’t accept manufacturer coupons, but their prices are crazy low. So by shopping there I am saving at least 60% off grocery store prices. That means our weekly grocery budget is able to go farther.

After that, I shop at whichever store has the most items we need on sale. Sometimes it’s a mainstream grocer like Albertson’s or Ralph’s that accepts manufacturer coupons, and sometimes it’s a discount grocer, like Grocery Outlet that doesn’t accept manufacturer coupons.

Lastly, in addition to the dwindling values and coupon availability, there is one last reason I cancelled our subscriptions. Every Sunday about 4:30am, Our little buddy came running into our bedroom crying about scary noises. Yeah, the newspaper delivery guy would stand downstairs and fling four large Sunday papers onto our 2nd floor balcony, hitting the kiddos bedroom window, knocking over plants, and scaring my pour sleeping four year old.

By canceling our subscriptions, we’re saving a few hundred dollars a year, which I can use to buy printer ink and paper, and print coupons which will save me thousands of dollars.

 

 

 

Save $75 off summer camps at Digital Media Academy!

Abby H.

I posted about Digital Media Academy a few weeks ago, but I wanted to remind you that there is still time to sign your tween/teen up and save $75!

Founded at Stanford University, Digital Media Academy is ranked as one of the ten best summer camps in the world.

Save $75 off summer camps at Digital Media Academy with code TECHSUMMER at www.DigitalMediaAcademy.org. Sign up for multiple weeks and save big! Campers save $125 for each additional course they register for. Register by May 31 to #CreateTheNext best-selling app this summer!

Kids and teens learn computer programming, app development, 3D modeling, robotics, graphic design, filmmaking, and much more. DMA summer camps are one or multiple week experiences taught by industry experts and tech professionals. Campers get hands-on experience creating projects using the latest hardware and software from Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more.

Digital Media Academy is also proud to introduce Made by Girls, a new program dedicated to empowering girls and closing the gender gap in the tech industry.

The DMA Experience from Digital Media Academy on Vimeo.

Give your teen a pre-collegiate experience or build a child’s confidence through project-based learning. Learn at some of the most prestigous colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Questions? Call 1(866)656-3342 to speak with a Guest Service Representative or email info@digitalmediaacademy.org and mention the US Family Guide Special Offer.

#CreateTheNext this summer at Digital Media Academy!

Cutting down on food waste in 30 minutes!

Abby H.

One of the ways that we save money is to cut down on food waste. For me that means once we are home from the store and all of the perishables are put away, I pull out the cutting board, a sharp knife, the spiralizer, some zip top bags, and reusable storage containers.

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This was last weeks fresh fruit and veggies (plus 3 bags of baby carrots and a cantaloupe- not pictured).

I set to work, chopping, packaging, and spiralizing.  In less than 30 minutes I had all of the fresh fruits and veggies prepped and measured into small bags to be dropped into lunches, or packed into plastic containers.

This of course is only for the fruits and veggies that require prep. The oranges, apples, and bananas require no prep to eat, so they just go into the fruit bowl.

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Fruits and veggies all ready for a week of healthy lunches!
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Cantaloupe chopped up and ready for my belly!! The bottom container has 3 spiralized Italian zucchini squash, ready to be made into “pasta” salad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By spending a little time each week getting veggies and fruit ready to eat, you’ll cut down on food waste, because the food is all ready to eat. No scrambling to cut up cucumbers for lunch early in the morning, no putting off eating something because you are short on time in the evening.

You will also be saving money over purchasing pre-chopped and pre-packed vegetables and fruit. All of this produce was purchased at 99 Cents only for less than $12.00. So you can eat well (and healthy) on a budget!!

And if it turns out atthe end of the week that you aren’t able to eat all of your veggies and fruit and they can be frozen (pretty much anything except melons), toss the bags in the freezer and you now have veggies for a casserole, or fruit for a smoothie!

The average American family of four throws away $25.00 in food a WEEK!  Here are a few more tips to help your family curtail food waste!

Eat your leftovers:  this seems like a no brainer. When you divvy out your portions for dinner, make yourself your lunch for the next day.  If you won’t eat it right away, pop it into the freezer- label it, so you don’t forget what it is.

When it looks like your fruit is about to go south, freeze it. This includes bananas!  You can use defrosted bananas in banana bread or frozen bananas are great in smoothies.  Other frozen fruit can also be used in smoothies.
Citrus fruits can be juiced and frozen or the juice can be consumed for breakfast or put in smoothies.   Apples can be peeled cooked into applesauce or made into apple butter.

When I buy fresh tomatoes and they get just a little too ripe- I freeze them whole, then I bake them with chicken breasts and herbs and top with fresh parm- Yummy!

Buy less. I know it seems like a strange concept, especially with all of the really great deals you will be finding, but, the one proven way to waste less is to bring less home to waste.

Infused Water: Adding flavor to Hydration without adding Calories!

Abby H.1 Comment

Recently the awesome people over at Tomoson and Big Easy Brands gave me the opportunity to try out the FlavFusion 26 Oz Infuser Water Bottle with Flip Top Sipper Lid. Most of you know I love water, but sometimes I need a little flavor. I’m over the powdered packets of drink mix- with my amazing pregnancy super taster status, they all have a weird aftertaste, and even my formerly beloved Mio!

When the bottle arrived, Lil’ Man and I washed it, and set to work. He chose raspberries to infuse our water. He grabbed a ziploc baggie out of the freezer, and told me he was going to, “Little Chef cook the waters.” Ok. Being the cool mom I am, I stood back and let the 4 year old do it. And I took photos.

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Step one: Disassemble the bottle (assistance from Mommy required)
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Step 2: Load fruit of your choice (fresh or frozen) to the little infuser basket.
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Step 3: Re-assemble the infuser basket into the lid, add water, and shake. We stored ours in the fridge for the fruit flavor to infuse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I love about the FlavFusion 26 Oz Infuser Water Bottle with Flip Top Sipper Lid is that it’s 26 ounces- more than just a few sips.

It’s BPA & Lead Free and made of PET Plastic – the Safest Plastic in Drinkware. No worrying about Toxins and Chemicals Seaping into your Drink. The bottle isn’t as rigid as some of the double walled water bottles in our collection, but this bottle is perfect for packing in our snack bag when we visit the zoo (I just toss a few ice cubes into the bottom of the bottle to keep the water cold).

So far we’ve enjoyed raspberry, strawberry, and pineapple. Tomorrow we will be enjoying green apple! It’s a great alternative to flavored waters that contain artificial flavors and colors. Plus, you can eat the fruit when you are done! You can use whatever fruit you have on-hand! It’s a great way to use up the last few lingering berries, orange segments, or mango tidbits.

I want to thank the great people over at Big Easy Brands and Tomoson for the chance to review this product. I was not financially compensated to review these products, however I received a FlavFusion 26 Oz Infuser Water Bottle with Flip Top Sipper Lid free to facilitate my review. I only recommend products and services that I feel may be a good fit for my readers.

Military Families: Save money by shopping at the Commissary!

Abby H.

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For those who do not have a close friend or family in the military, the commissary is the on-base grocery store. The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) operates the military Commissaries throughout the world. Active duty military, guard and reserve members, retirees and qualified family members may shop there. Authorized shoppers need only show proper military ID to use the commissary.

There are 5 commissaries in San Diego:

MCAS Miramar (Mira Mesa/Miramar), Naval Base 32nd Street (Downtown), North Island NAS (Coronado), Imperial Beach, and Camp Pendleton. There is a Commissary withing 30 minutes of where ever you live in San Diego. There is also a small PX/snack shop/gas station in the military housing up at Murphy Canyon (off interstate 15 at Aero Drive).

If you don’t live in the San Diego, CA area, don’t fret there may be a commissary close to you! To find the commissary closest to you, visit here.

Commissaries charge the wholesale price +10-20% for goods sold in the commissary, and there is a 5% surcharge at the end of your order. What this means for military families is that you can buy food and toiletries for much less than you can at the civilian grocer. The surcharge covers the payroll for cashiers, the electricity bill and other administrative costs.

Without using coupons, the average commissary shopper saves 30% over civilian grocery prices. When you combine the lowered prices at the Commissary with coupons, you will be saving 60-70% over civilian grocery prices. To learn about the coupon policy for the commissary, visit this page.  It also includes a lot of great FAQ and some videos.

If you are new to base shopping, here are some things you need to know:

  •  There is no sales tax on taxable items at the commissary: Toilet paper, cleaning supplies, dog food, etc.. There is no tax on food in CA.
  • The commissary gets crazy busy the weekend of payday. As in you’ll wait in line for upwards of an hour to check out. It’s seriously insane. Try to go a few days after payday to avoid the craziness.
  • The baggers do not make an hourly wage. They work only on tips. Keep that in mind. There are tip boxes at each checkout stand. My mom generally tips $5-8 for her monthly grocery trip, but she pushes her own cart to the car and loads her car up herself.
  • There are a large number of tear pad coupons available. They usually have a long expiration date, and are only good at the commissary. Usually, these items that have a pad of coupons next to them are on special, so when you combine the sale price with the coupon, it’s a steal. In that case, buy a couple extra of the items that you find to be on your list or that you know you will use.
  • You can use manufacturer coupon (from newspapers and printable coupons) at the commissary.   State-side locations only accept valid, in date coupons.  Overseas locations accept expired coupons, up to 6 month after their expiration date.
  • Right inside the door of most commissaries is a newsstand type rack with coupon inserts and circulars. Take a minute to pull your cart over, and flip through them. There are always great coupons in them. Don’t forget a tiny pair of scissors!

The commissary has a website. DeCA’s website has a lot of great info, including sales information, shopping lists, and did you know that the commissary also has a savings card that you can load e-coupons onto? You can pick the card up in the commissary, and register it online, load coupons and you’ll be saving even more in no time.

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The commissary is a full service grocery store. Most larger locations have butchers and grind their own hamburger/ground beef several times each day, a full produce department (with limited organic produce), a bakery, and a service deli where you can get meats and cheeses sliced, and even a deli sandwich made to order! Most commissaries have organic food, gluten free food, various ethnic foods (South American, Pan Asian, European), and a large variety in name brands. There is no generic brand as DeCA does not manufacture food.

Most commissaries are very large. At MCAS Miramar for example, if you are to walk up and down each aisle in the entire store, you will have walked 1 mile at the end of your trip.

Most Commissaries have a case lot sale each year. Commissary Case Lot Sales are held during both the May and September timeframe each year. The sale dates for each store will be available at least a few weeks prior to the sales commencing. Check your local store during the April and August timeframes for more information.

If you have never shopped at a commissary before and you have base privileges, I recommend that you go at least once. You’ll be surprised.

Oh, one last thing… Don’t forget the scratch and dent section! The one at MCAS Miramar is pretty big.

How do I know so much about the commissary? I grew up in a military family, in a military town, and I grew up shopping on base with my mom. Occasionally when she has a large shopping trip, I go with her as her guest and push the cart (it gets really heavy too!!). I can’t buy anything, as my military dependent ID card has long since expired, but I get a good insight to prices, deals, and sales.  It’s a very fun store to coupon fairy at!

Shopping for healthy food with coupons: It can be done!

Abby H.

One of my goals for this blog is to show you all how to save money and continue to eat the same healthy foods you already eat, or give you new avenues for saving so you can afford more of the healthy foods you like that you can’t find coupons for.

Today I went to Ralphs. For $7.30, I bought all of this:IMG_2850

That’s 10 1 lb. packages of Driscoll’s Strawberries and 3 cartons of Dream Blends nut milk.  I used ten Driscoll’s coupons I earned from the Driscoll’s Advisory Panel and three Dream Coupons that I printed from a recent Facebook Campaign (they are no longer available). 

The Strawberries were $1.48 on sale and I used a .75 off coupon on each package, for a total of $.73/each.

The nut milk was marked down to $1.79/each and I had $2.00 off coupons. Because the coupon price was greater, the cashier adjusted the amount of the coupon on her register, so I received the nut milks for free.

But, what am I going to do with 10 lbs of fresh fruit? I’ve already chopped up 5 lbs and put them into snack size Ziploc bags. They are chilling in the freezer, perfectly portioned for smoothies or to go into yogurt.

Henry is taking two pounds to school tomorrow to share with his class (his school has a no baked goods/candy for birthday celebrations rule).

One pound we will eat tonight, and the remaining two will be served at Henry’s birthday party on Saturday. Ten pounds of fruit doesn’t go all that far when you have two guys that LOVE fruit!

If you follow a healthy diet and are looking for more coupons on the products that you regualrly purchase, here are a few suggestions:

  • Check the websites of the products you like. You’d be surprised how many have printable coupons on their websites! That’s how I found out about the Driscoll’s Advisory Panel!
  • Don’t forget to check websites like Coupons.com, Redplum, Smartsource, CommonKindness, and Hopster for healthy printable coupons. Common Kindness and Hopster specialize in “whole” food coupons.
  • Don’t skip out on the money saving apps! This article has a pretty comprehensive list of money saving apps.

Saving Money with your Smartphone

Abby H.27 Comments

Mobile-Smartphone-iconUPDATED January 2018

Every time someone asks me about coupons and saving money, the #1 objection is: “But I don’t want to carry a bunch of coupons with me all the time like a crazy person.” (BTW, I am that crazy person, I always have my little coupon wallet in my purse.) There are several ways you can save money with something you probably already own: A smartphone.

Almost everyone has a smartphone these days! There are a lot of apps available that can help you save money or even earn money.

Here are just a few of my favorites:

Fetch Rewards: The newest app! It’s not store specific, which is great. You can learn more here. I’ve been using it for a little over 2 weeks and I’ve cashed out $12 in Amazon Gift Cards!

Find & Save: Earn cash back when you shop at stores like the $.99 store, target, multiple grocery stores, and lots of stores at the mall too! No need to buy anything special at these stores, just hit the pre-tax purchase amount to score cash back (either a flat amount or a percentage). It’s a great way to save money by shopping just like you normally would.  Use Code 62CQ when you first open the app.

Ibotta: Ibotta is an App for Smartphones. Available for both iPhone and Android phones, Ibotta is an app that helps you earn cash back every time you shop! Just check iBotta when you are shopping to see what products are available for rebate, buy them, perform simple in store activities and earn, earn, earn. You’ll take photos of your receipt and upload them through the app.  I just did it today, it was easy peasy. Once your account balacne reaches at least $5.00, you can transfer the money to your paypal account!

You can use Ibotta at the following stores: 7-11, Food4Less, Ralphs, Rite-Aid Wal*mart, Walgreens, Target, Vons, CostCo.  I only included stores in Southern California. However, Ibotta works at over 27 different Grocery and Drugstores. What I really like about Ibotta is that you can use it with a paper coupon!

SavingStar: What makes SavingStar different is that you don’t receive money off at the register.  The savings in held in your SavingStar account, and once you reach at least $10.00 in savings you can transfer it to your Paypal Account, buy a gift Card, or even donate your savings to charity!

SavingStar is the first national, fully digital, grocery eCoupon service, available for free at www.savingstar.com and on iPhone and Android mobile apps. There’s nothing to clip, nothing to print. Chose offers, shop, and save! SavingStar is currently available at over 100 retailers!

Checkout 51: Checkout 51 is a new program that’s so easy to use, and no Smartphone is needed! It’s an app on your iPhone or Android phone, or you use your computer. Just purchased specific products (and these products change each Thursday, so make sure you check out the app/website before heading out to shop), scan and upload your receipts weekly. Checkout51 is NOT store specific!

BerryCart: Great deals and rebates on natural/organic shoppers, works just like Checkout51! They always have produce rebates too! BerryCart is not store Specific!

Receipt Hog: This one is fun, and easy.  Just snap a photo of your receipts and upload them via the receipt hog app. Earn points for each receipt, and redeem points for gift cards (like Amazon) or cash. I’ve been using Receipt Hog for over a year and I’ve earned $50, just by scanning my receipts!

Target:: If you are a Target shopper, this app is for you.  Instead of the traditional dollar or cent off coupons, Target’s app offers savings in a percentage.  You choose specific offers, based on what you buy, and there are new offers all the time! The best part is that you can use Target App, a Manufacturer Coupon, and a Target Coupon all on the same item!

Mogl– This site/app is a little different.  Sign up and register your credit/debit cards.  When you eat out at participating restaurants, you’ll receive 10% cash back!  You can use this in addition to any other cash back offers your credit or debit card offers. We don’t eat out very often, but we usually earn about $50/year.

What I really like about these apps like BerryCart, Ibotta, and Checkout51 is that you can double, triple or quadruple dip deals when the stars align and there are the same (or similar) deals on each app. Perfect for those of us who are on an ultra tight budget!

*Disclosure* Most of those links are my personal links, so if you sign up I earn a few cents. When you sign up, you can share your links too and earn a little bit of green!

Small changes can add up to big savings!

Abby H.1 Comment

chaulkboard_bkgrnd_506x575 I get asked a lot, “How can I save money besides clipping coupons, using store club cards, apps, and shopping sales?”

Well, ok. Hmmm…. How do you save money without actively saving money? It’s easier than you think, in fact, you probably already do a few of these things, or could with little effort.

Drop the daily Starbucks habit. Seriously. How easy it it to set up your coffee maker before you go to bed and flip on a switch when you crawl out of bed in the morning? It’s so incredibly easy. Like iced coffee or something a little foo foo? The extra ingredients are pretty cheap and last a while, and it takes the same amount of time in the morning to make it yourself, minus the line at the drive-thru.

Supplies you probably have on hand: Coffee/k-Cups, Coffee maker (or french press or Kuerig), creamer, milk, cream, sweetener, flavored syrups, chocolate syrup (if you like a mocha), double walled tumblers with lids and straws for cold drinks, and insulated hot beverage cups with lids for hot drinks.

Don’t know how to make your fav. coffee house recipes? Check out this article, or this one,  for some ideas on how you can do it at home. Oh, and don’t forget Pinterest.

Ditch the Drive-Thru. Again, it’s so easy to spend 10-15 minutes before bed packing your lunch and snacks (not to mention healthier) for the next day. Do it while you are setting up your coffee maker! If you aren’t a sandwich and chips fan, there are tons of yummy lunch alternatives, even if your work place doesn’t have a microwave or method for re-heating your lunch.

Just a quick googling of Adult Lunch Ideas came up with tons of yummy ideas, and Pinterest is full of them too.

And if you’ve got space in your pantry, consider making an area where you can store all your shelf stable lunch and snack components together. We have one shelf called that is the designated snack shelf. I tend to stock up when snacks that we like are cheap or free. I hide them and only put out one or two boxes at a time. That way they last longer. My two go to stores for inexpensive healthy snacks are Costco and Grocery Outlet.

Supplies you probably have on hand: An insulated lunch bag (I have two: One from Thirty-one that looks like this, and an Thermos brand one that is bigger and better for packing lunch and snacks all in one), Reusable containers to hold lunch (I like the Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid sets, they snack together and the lids nest. Not to mention that they are durable), blue ice (here is a list of great DIY hacks), an extra set of silverware, a reusable beverage container (like a water bottle, or even a reusable juice box if you like juice in your lunch). If you like salad, consider getting a salad container like this one that has a dressing container and silverware that snaps on.

Meal Plan: it’s totally easy. I promise you that meal planing is so easy, anyone can do it. Lemme break it down:

  • Inventory your pantry and freezer (You can use forms here to make it easier)
  • Make a list of dishes you can create with what you have on hand.
  • Make a list of dishes you can make with 1 or 2 additions that you don’t have on hand.
  • Put the missing ingredients on your shopping list and pick them up on your next few trips
  • Post the lists of dishes on fridge.
  • Don’t freak out when it’s time to cook, you’ve got a cheat sheet on your fridge!

You can even do some freezer/batch cooking when you have a few spare hours and you’ll have a few yummy meals at your fingertips for meals that you don’t feel like cooking. Here are a few free Kindle books from Amazon about freezer/batch cooking. I’ll be posting some batch/Freezer cooking recipes in the near future.

Eat fruit and vegetables that are in season. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating.  Right now we are eating a lot of  of apples, citrus, and winter squashes. Eating food that is in season and inexpensive means I can get more for my buck. We also shop for our produce at 99 Cents Only first to pick up quality name brand products, then fill in with a trip to Sprouts as needed.