Frugal Tip: Don't Let Your Menu Control Your Budget! Learn How to Control Your Menu!

Make your weekly menu around what is in your pantry and the weekly sales. Instead of making your shopping list around a menu. 

The normal thought process is to make a weekly menu , then make your shopping list and go out and spend alot of money.

You can really save some money changing your thought process:

First go to your pantry and make a list of items you have you could use for the week.  Keep in mind to look for items that might be close to expiration. Check the freezer as well.

Next you will want to see what special sales are going  on at the grocery this week. 

Put these two together and make your menu around this list..use a website called RecipeMatcher to help you formulate recipes.

On this website you enter ingredients you have and it will give you a list of recipes that you may want to try.

You will be exposed to new recipes as well.

You will really save some money using this method. 

RecipeMatcher is a website that you can input ingredients and it will give you a choice of recipes that you can make.....VERY USEFUL TOOL!

Frugal Tip: Know The COST of the Items You Buy Most

Frugal Tip for the day: In order to save you have to know what things cost normally....

Many stores mark up to mark down-and your sale isn't a sale at all. 

 Keep a notebook, chart prices and then you will know the cheapest an item will run and the most expensive and you will discover where is the best place to get certain items!

To help you get started here is a "Buy Price" List   that may be helpful in helping you understand. 

I would also note what store the price is...

Hope this is helpful

 

Blogging: A Way to Share and Help Others Save Money!

I have  been so bad about my blogging lately and really got discouraged to be honesty.  There are some many folks blogging and I just thought that nobody really needs the help.
Well the recent news about the economy and predictions of an increase in our basic cost of groceries made me rethink. 
While I am frustrated in trying to make my blog look good...I realize I have put alot of work into this already and if I can help some folks save money then I should try.
So here we go again.