A Little Bit of Money Saving Strategy for You

Happy Friday kids! I know the long holiday weekend is now behind us, but every Friday is a reason to be happy in my opinion.

I thought it might be a good idea to let you know how I'm doing what I'm doing, and a little of the why. First off, speaking as someone with limited monetary means, eating well is fun challenge I take on every day. So how am I managing this task??

1) Costco. Yes, I buy in bulk. Mostly canned items and frozen meats. These items will last a good long time and save you a lot of money in the process. For instance, Mike and I will do a Costco run every couple weeks, and just get NECESSITIES. Meaning, we don't get the monster pack of beef jerky or 40 Snicker's bars. I have had a bag of frozen chicken breasts from Costco for over a month. You just have to make it stretch.

2) Check weekly sales. I'm a huge fan of Stater Bro's grocery store. Their prices are almost always lower then most big chain stores. Their weekly mailers tell you what's on sale, and if it's something that won't go bad immediately, STOCK UP! Like that 2/$3 on bread? Get it, and freeze the extra loaf. Saving money is always in style.

3) Look at local markets for produce. I no longer buy any produce at the major grocers. I completely refuse. There is a local market here, and the prices are insanely cheap. Last time I went, I bought 4 big cucumbers for $1. Yes, you read that right. At the major stores, you might get 1 cuke for that price. It's worth spending the extra time looking at both the mailers and online to find the deals. I'm lucky, Staters and my cheap-o produce place are less than a mile from each other. But I'm sure most people can find similar places without going far out of their way. 

4) Menu-planning. I cannot stress this enough. Planning in advance will save you time and money in the long run. This topic is worthy of a post all on it's own. I'll get to that later.

All it takes to eat well is a little effort and some creativity. I'd say, conservatively, I cook about 5 nights a week. And I'm not talking about Top Ramen here people. Normal kitchen and pantry staples can be turned into delicious, and nutritious meals. 

Got a bag of potatoes? Sounds like Gnocchi to me! Get cooking!