1. Plan your meals for the week before you go to the grocery store.
If you go in with no idea of what you will be eating, it’s hard to buy the right amount and types of food. You will either come out of the store with too much or not enough. Buying too much food means you’ll spend more than you should have, while not buying enough will make more trips to the store necessary. So write down what you will prepare for each meal, and make your list from that.

2. Add snacks to your list.
Make sure they are things that your family will actually eat, and realistically figure up how much of them you will need. If you fail to do this, you could end up buying a lot of unnecessary junk food.

3. Stick to what’s on your list.
This is a rule with few exceptions. If you get to the store and see a great unadvertised sale on something that you use frequently, go ahead and stock up. Otherwise, buy only what you’ve written down. If you’ve properly planned your weekly menu and based your list on it, you won’t need anything else. (On a related note, always eat before you go to the store. If you’re hungry, you’re more likely to buy things you don’t need.)

4. Cook in bulk, and use the leftovers to make different dishes.
For example, if you roast a chicken, you could use what’s left after dinner is over to make soup, chicken and rice, or some other dish. Alternatively, you could cook meals in large batches and freeze them in individual portions to eat later. Either of these techniques will yield several meals at a low cost.

5. Combine coupons with sales to get items you will use at very low prices. When you get your hands on a valuable coupon, scour the papers to see if any local store has the item on sale. As long as it has a long shelf life, it doesn’t matter if you’ll use it right away or not.

Simply shopping smarter can save you lots of money on food each week. So don’t go in the store with no list and no idea what you actually need. Plan ahead, and keep your budget in mind. By following these simple guidelines, you can spend your money on the right things and avoid ending up with a cart full of expensive junk.

Originating post: 5 Tips To Slash Your Food Bill

5 Tips To Slash Your Food Bill is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

While looking over my family’s budget, I noticed that we do a pretty good job keeping our food expenditures down. That savings, however, isn’t accomplished without a lot of effort. We use a lot of different methods to keep the family fed without spending more than we have to spend. A few things that have worked for us are…

Keep dining out to a minimum. I don’t want to say that we never eat out. We don’t do it a lot, though. Eating at a restaurant, even a cheap restaurant, is always more expensive than eating a meal at home. So, unless we’re celebrating a special occasion, we don’t eat out.

Give leftovers a second (or third) chance at the table. Leftover hamburger from last night’s taco night is great for using with today’s Hamburger Helper recipe. Likewise, leftover lasagna heats up wonderfully in the microwave for a lunch that you’ll look forward to. Saving money on your groceries means getting the most out of the items that you buy, so make every scrap of food count.

Stock up on your favorite groceries when they’re on sale. If pasta is a staple in your home, you know you’re going to be buying many jars of your favorite sauce over the next year. You can enjoy deep discounts on items like these, though, if you buy lots of them when they’re on sale at your local grocery store. Any item that is shelf-stable is perfect for buying in large quantities and storing for future use.

Purchase meat in large portions. Although it doesn’t always make sense, meat usually gets cheaper when you’re buying bigger packages. (I don’t understand it, since it all came from the same cow or chicken, but go figure.) If you’ve got enough freezer space to store it, you can buy these large packages even if you don’t need it all right away. When you bring it home from the store, split it up into more user-friendly containers and place them into the freezer. They’ll be there waiting when your next recipe calls for them.

Plan your meals out ahead of time. Not knowing what to fix for dinner on any given night will only lead to your making unwise grocery purchases or defaulting to going out to eat. If you plan your meals, though, you can take advantage of grocery items that are featured in that week’s sales ads.

Originating post: Tips For Feeding A Family On A Budget

Tips For Feeding A Family On A Budget is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

Potato Salad – Who can imagine a picnic or family gathering without potato salad? Since the main ingredient in this picnic staple is potatoes, you know that it will be inexpensive to make. There are tons of recipes available for different potato salads, including mayonnaise-based recipes or mustard-based recipes, so experiment until you find one that your family really loves.

Hot Dogs – Hot dogs are perfect for eating at backyard cookouts. They’re easy to make and can be really cheap, if you shop your local grocery’s store sales. If cooking on a grill isn’t your thing, you can simply boil the hot dogs. You can choose to offer a wide selection of toppings for your hot dogs or stick to the basics, mustard, ketchup, and relish. Either way, your guests and family will be happy.

Lemonade – Providing soda for everyone at a family cookout can get pretty expensive. Why go to all that extra expense when lemonade is such a popular and convenient alternative? Lemonade mixes make it easy to make several pitchers of this tasty refreshment, enough for everyone.

Corn on the Cob – This quintessential classic is easy to prepare and inexpensive, too. Late in the summer ears of corn are very plentiful; you may even be able to buy them at roadside stands. Simply remove the husks and boil. Your family and guests can add butter and salt to taste before eating.

Jell-o – For the perfect hot weather dessert, be sure to add Jell-o to your cookout plans. Best prepared the day before you plan to eat it, Jell-o comes in many different flavors. Your more finicky eaters will enjoy classic flavors like cherry and orange. More adventurous families can try out one of the less traditional flavors like lime. For something really special, you can prepare your Jell-o in layers to create a striped effect. Health-conscious folks can even choose to make sugar-free Jell-o.

Originating post: Five Inexpensive Foods That Mean Summer

Five Inexpensive Foods That Mean Summer is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

Tortillas
Lettuce
Tomato wedges
Thin sliced ham (deli ham or leftovers)
Sliced American Cheese
Mayo
Potato Chips, crumbs or crushed

Instructions:

Spread a thin layer of mayo on tortilla. Layer lettuce, tomato, ham and cheese on top of that. Top with crushed potato chips. Roll, fold, or tuck into any shape you like your torilla for easy handling. Another great sandwich substitute for the lunch time blues.

Originating post: That’s a Wrap! Ham n Cheese

That’s a Wrap! Ham n Cheese is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

Ingredients:

1 standard-sized bagel, cut in half (for each person)
tomato sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese

Toppings of your choice:
tomatoes
mushrooms
diced green pepper
onion
ham
pepporoni
pineapple
seasonings as desired (oregano, pepper, basil, etc.)

Instructions:

Cut bagel in half and spread tomato sauce on each half. Add cheese over the top of both halves. Top with favorite toppings and seasonings or let each of the children top their own for more fun. Bake on low heat for about 5 to 8 minutes, just enough that the cheese starts to bubble and edge of bagel browns.

Originating post: Teeny Pizza Just for Me

Teeny Pizza Just for Me is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted shortening

Instructions:

Mix dry ingredients together in mixing bowl. Stir in buttermilk and egg. Grease muffin tin or loaf mold with shoretning or oil. Pour batter. (fill muffin tins about half full each) Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees F.

Originating post: Cornbread Southern Style

Cornbread Southern Style is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

1 can refrigerated biscuits
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 can sloppy joe type sauce
1 can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
8 slices American cheese
1 small green bell pepper chopped *optional

Instructions:

Separate dough into biscuits. Press or roll each one to be between 4 and 5 inches around. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes. This will become your pizza shells. Brown ground meat in skillet, drain as usual and return to pan. Add sloppy joe sauce and corn and pepper, stirring until well mixed. Simmer until heated through. Spoon meat mixture into your biscuit pizza shells. Top with slices of amercian cheese. Return to hot oven for a few minutes to melt cheese if needed before serving. If you’d like a large pizza or need to save time try buying premade pizza shells (like Boboli) at you local grocery store and spread the ingredients on one of those and bake according to package directions.

Originating post: Pizza – Sloppy Joe Style

Pizza – Sloppy Joe Style is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
8 ounces medium pasta shells
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons butter
salt and ground pepper

Instructions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper to your liking and grill until juices run clear and chicken is done. Cut grilled chicken into chunks. Boil water and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add in the chicken, tomatoes, cheeses, parsley and butter. Toss to coat and distribute ingredients evenly.

Originating post: Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella

Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 cup pizza sauce or leftover spghetti sauce
1 cup shredded or grated mozzerella cheese
pepperoni slices

Instructions:

Roll out pizza dough on lightly floured area. Cut out 3 inch circles (use a cookie cutter or glass turned upside down) Place a dollop of sauce in the center of each circle. Add some cheese and a slice or two of pepperoni. Wrap dough up around the filling and pinch shut. Line up on cookie sheet with the “seam” down. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 – 18 minutes until golden brown. These are a fun movie night or slumber party snack that the kids can help make.

Originating post: Pizza Roll Puffs

Pizza Roll Puffs is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!

Ingredients:

4 ounces cooked turkey breast (sliced, cubes, ground … etc… whatever is on hand)
Lettuce shreds
1 tomato, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped up
1 cup shredded or cubed cheddar cheese
Low fat ranch dressing
4 pita rounds

Instructions:

Divide turkey into 4 portions and fill bottom of pita shells. Mix tomato, peppers and cheese in a bowl and toss with the ranch dressing until well coated. Use this mixture to finish filling each pita.

Originating post: Pita-rific Turkey and Veggies

Pita-rific Turkey and Veggies is a post from: The Family Wallet.

SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
Download your free copy of my Chicken Crockpot Recipes Ebook for a limited time. Make sure to save a copy!