Monthly Budgeting

A budget is the best way to save money. I've been on the same budget (with a little increase when it's just too tight) since 2005. I have two boys (6 and 9) and a dog with a special needs diet for food and meds (don't ask--it's embarassing--he's a lab who's allergic to water and regular food) and I manage to keep everybody well-fed and provided for for $1200 a month. There is money in there for an occasional movie or hot cocoa so it's not just the bare necessities.

I plan my meals for a month and buy most of the meat at Costco. My Costco budget is $250 for the month and I buy a lot of bottled water as well as healty no-HFCS bread plus string cheese and a round of veggies and milk.

I shop at WinCo once a week on a $100 budget. I usually have a few dollars left over for a latte break.... :) Shop the bulk bins at WinCo--they are INCDREDIBLE--I just bought about 3/4 c of garlic powder for 68 cents. You can't buy pre-packaged for that!

I do a lot of Crock pot cooking, as well, and that saves a ton because you can use cheaper cuts of meat and lots of root veggies which are cheaper as well. The boys generally love everything that comes out of it. As does the husband....

I also shop Target once a month with a $100 budget. Rarely do I get close to that unless I have to buy the hard-core cost stuff like razors. If the boys need new socks, whatever, it comes out of that budget.

On the topic of clothes, I buy the boys' shoes and pants at Sears. The boys were pleased with their Sketcher and Converse shoes this school year and I was able to buy the oldest Levis on sale and the youngest isn't old enough to care if he's in Toughskins or not but the bonus here is that you can return ANY KIDS' CLOTHES ITEM for an exact replacement. If they outgrow them it doesn't count but dang, in the meantime I spend maybe $30-40 on jeans for each kid a year and that's it. I return the jeans at least three times a year for brand new ones. It has saved me hundreds of dollars. Haven't had to return the shoes yet but it was worth the risk buying them at Sears rather than Target. :)

There ya go--it's a challenge but I know the first step to planning your own budget is going around for a week or two and see where you spend your money. See where you can cut back and see where to focus your efforts. Use the library for books and movies--free and you can keep the movies for a week--or renew for another week. Check the newspaper for free family events; our cities are starting to have more to get communities together. Take advantage of all the state and regional parks around us to go on family hikes or picnics. Check for a First 5 center near you for free or low-cost activities for your little ones. These centers offer great educational or fun classes/activities that help your child with brain development, socialization, etc. with great qualified staff. You can find a site near you by using this link: http://f5ac.org/regionlist.asp

Good luck and enjoy the sanity of a budget! M.

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Our budget is $700-800 a month (including Science Diet cat food, cat litter, and Advantage). We shop at Costco for things like ravioli, pasta, paper towels, toilet paper (we use some cloth at home, though, so this is usually every 2-3 months), organic chicken, HFCS free bread, Tillamook cheese, fresh tortillas (in the fridge section, you cook them when you want to eat them and they're free of trans fats!), fruits, veggies, oils, and organic milk boxes for lunches (they're actually cheaper than the Nesquik ones!), yogurt, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, single serve yogurts, and beans.

I have recently started avoiding Safeway because their service is so spotty in our area--but the one in Foster City isn't bad so I'll go there if there's a particularly good sale. I watch for good beef to be on sale (this week it's $2.67 a pound for sirloin) and get a big family pack and have it ground by the butcher. Many people don't know this options exists! Also, look in the clearance section of the meat area! Frequently they'll put packages that have been poked by little fingers for 30-50% off. Meat that has a use by day of that day or the next are marked down considerably. I take them home and freeze them immediately or use them for dinner. Yesterday I got 2 new york strip steaks for $7 total.

I stock up on beans (my kids eat them rinsed straight out of the can) when they're on sale (but Trader Joe's has organic beans for about $1 a can, so never overlook them!). I really do like TJ's for staples. If you look at meat and things there, it can add up quickly, but things like salsa, sauce, beans, and pasta you can not go wrong! They also have butternut and acorn squash for $0.99 each every day, which is much less than any other store!

I really think that if you stick with whole foods instead of processed stuff--you'll keep your budget down. You can easily be mislead by packaged stuff. If you get a coupon, sure it can be cheap--but the quality is shotty. I've found myself strapped at the end of a month and purchased a box of "Helper" and my 6 year old actually vomited on the the table (one two occasions!), so I can only imagine the stuff in those products! Ewww!

Ooh... in Redwood City (and other places) you can find the Grocery Outlet which can have some good stuff, or not. A friend says she knows which days they get organic milk and gets it every time (but wont' tell me when!!). You could look into that.

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I have recently gone through the process of tightening my food budget... here's how I did it. I found a farmer's market that is open year round that I really love~ it's 30 min away but I drag my daughter and I up early Sat morning and on our way we go. On the way, I stop and get $20 cash to shop with. Once the cash is gone, I'm done shopping. I scout out everything, then decide on a balance of fruits (for snacks) and veggies for meals. I always try to pick a few things that will serve as a main dish for several days (a big butternut squash for example) It's just my daughter and I, but we are veggie at home, so the $20 serves to buy a lot of our main dishes. Then I go to Winco 2 times month to buy our other staples~ they have healthy bread, milk without hormone treated cows, cheap yogurt (healthy ones, not ones with Dora and sugar as the main attractions), cheese, and some canned food like olives. The bulk pasta is very cheap there, and they whole wheat varieties. I budgeted $100 a week and was so suprised and happy to find I can get by on $75 every 2 weeks. So that brings our total grocery bill to less than $250 a month. We always eat leftovers and I'm not afraid to have fridge that is almost empty before I shop~ I think that means I'm using my resources well.

Winco and the farmers market saved me about 300-400 dollars a month compared to Vons/Savemart. Good luck!

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Honestly, I think its all about where you shop and portion sizes. My husband was at Carmax until mid last month, and we really felt the recession. I feel like I had to 'reteach' my husband how to eat. Without joking he would go through an entire box of cereal in 3 days. And he didn't share it with anyone. I pre-measured out his cereal until he learned to eat like he is going to have another meal.

As for where you shop, Wal Mart is without a doubt the cheapest, BUT, I refuse to shop there for personal reasons. So, we do one big trip to Costco at the beginning of the month and stock up on a lot of the essentials. We buy the value pack chicken and ground turkey, two types of fish, and occasionally the pork chops. We have cut out red meat, and that is a huge savings. It is just so expensive that we save it for special occasions. Also, we buy our lunch extras there, like granola bars and yogurt. I buy bread there (2 for $5), 4 at a time, and I freeze the extra loaves until I am ready for them, or one loaf a week. Cereal is hit or miss. Store brand is definitely the cheapest, but it doesn't always taste the same. I also buy it at Costco in the two pack. We spend between $200 and $250 a month here.

Once I get everything I can in bulk (and cheapest) then I head to Raleys. I only buy essentials at Raleys, like lunch meat, whatever is on sale 1/2 a pound and 1/2 a pound of cheese. I have switched to mainly frozen veggies and stick with the staple (apples, bananas, strawberries) fruits. So, I end up spending about $30 a week at Raleys. Just be creative with your meals. Look in your fridge and freezer and use up every single thing that you can before heading to the store. Some of the best recipes I have created come from the end of the supplies.

Also, the backs of Campbells soup's have great, cheap recipes. I am not an avid coupon clipper, I just buy what is on sale. I don't buy some of the stuff we enjoyed, like cookies or ice cream, and when we have people over it is potluck. Monotony is going to be your friend for a while.

I am guilty of going out to eat a lot. I have just learned where to go. Chevy's has half price appetizers during the week, and we can feed all of us for around $10 (and have left overs!) Old Spaghetti Factory is super cheap, and the portions are large, so you can share with the kids. I kind of get a high on finding the cheapest price for everything, so I have learned where I can get most things I want for the prices I want!

Good luck!

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First those people who save $700 per month with coupons do not live in Northern California. They live in the South where first most things cost less and second many of the grocery stores double coupons (if not all the time then on certain days) and some will even have triple coupon days. I have yet to find a store in the bay area that doubles coupons ever.
We look at the ads before we shop and as we're planning meals to see if we can take advantage of any of the best sales. Then we make our list. For us we have to shop at Raley's, Lucky's, Safeway, Trader Joes and Whole Foods for two reasons. One those are the closest stores at 30-45 minutes away and secondly we have food restrictions that some things we need we can only get at Whole Foods. I always compare brands and price per oz. on different sizes. Bigger isn't always cheaper. If something we use often is on sale and I can freeze it or it is non-perishable we stock up. For example awhile back Safeway had bananas for $.39/pound. We bought about 10 pounds and peeled and froze them for baking, smoothies and making baby food. We use our crockpot a lot to cook. That way dinner is started and we won't be tempted to do something quick but more pricey. We do a lot of chilis made from dry beans with a minimal amount of meat. We love a lot of the recipes on http://crocpot365.blogspot.com. You can change the meat on most of them to whatever you have on hand and there are several meatless ones. Whole chickens and chicken thighs are often cheaper than breast. If we cook with a whole chicken we will make homemade chicken broth the next day. We have a bag in the frezzer that all the onion, celery and carrot ends and peices go into. Then when we have chicken bones we throw the veggie pieces and the chicken bones into a pot of water with a little salt, pepper and a bay leaf bring to a boil then simmer most of the day, strain and you have yummy broth. We don't make all our own broth but it is made of mostly stuff we would throw out so it definately saves money.
I always check the clearance meat section and if a box is damaged ask for a discount. Also if you were looking for something on sale and they are out ask for a rain check.
Lastly we grow a lot of our own herbs, right now I have cilantro, parsley and mint. I am planning on adding oregano and rosemary.
I know I do a lot of other stuff too as we are a family of 7 living on a fairly tight budget.

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Hi W.,

I would love to figure out how to save $700 with coupons too! I use a lot of coupons, and Safeway is my favorite grocery store to get deals. I plan my meals for the week by what is on sale.

I like to make an extra large pan of marinara sauce. I freeze part of it for later in the week. I can make spaghetti on monday, eat leftovers for a few days, and use same sauce for lasagna at end of the week. A stir fry is always nice to use up misc. veggies in the fridge. Cooking up a little rice on the side is quick and easy. Every few weeks we have breakfast for dinner. The kids love that!

I hope that helps you. If you figure out the secret to saving hundreds with coupons...write me back!

J.

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We eat lots of casseroles, stews, beans, rice, and stir fries, which use small amounts of meat and almost no processed foods. If I cook a casserole or a stew for dinner, I cook enough to freeze for at least one more dinner.

I do at least one shopping per month at Grocery Outlet, mostly for stuff like kids' snacks, lunchmeat, juices, and spices that are so grotesquely expensive elsewhere. I have never been able to save any money with coupons, because I almost never buy any "brand name" packaged stuff--- I always buy the most generic, least processed products available. Grocery Outlet is great for off-brands. I have learned, also, that if I spend a little time while shopping, and compare prices carefully, I always save a lot. And I read everything I can find about marketing tricks --- there are so many tricks, and the food manufacturers are just shameless, the way they play on your desire to do what's best for your family.

Also, check out the site called "Everyday Cheapskate," which emails savings tips every day. Many of the tips and savings strategies are very helpful. They have a large archive of tips on different "cheapskate" subjects, too.

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The best thing we ever did was make a weekly "menu". This way we buy only the ingredients for each menu item, plus lunch and breakfast items, of course.

I also love that every night I have something to make and have all the items, rather than searching through the fridge for something to scrape together or having to run to the grocery store during the week. Also, I rarely find myself throwing out food at the end of the week. This has helped us cut back on the amount we spend each week because we are not buying extra food.

A staple menu item is bean and cheese burritos which are hearty and healthy (refried beans) with some type of veggie on the side. Also, Rachel Ray has a turkey chili recipe which is pretty easy to make and usually I have left-overs for lunch the next day. I'd say best way to save is to have a lot of veggies and beans and pasta in your diet!

Hope this helps....

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We don't eat out at all anymore. Also, I know some people do not like walmart, but I shop at our super walmart and I LOVE the savings! They also take coupons. I have started to make my own dishes from scratch as well. This also helps to save on costs. Since the cooler weather is here soups are a big staple at my house right now. You can really make them go a long way by adding potatos and rice. Another saving tip is to by a whole chicken instead of just the precut pieces. It is only around $0.94 a pound. I just put the whole bird into the crock pot and cook till the temp is high enough for chicken. Good luck with saving money as we all are looking for more ways to save these days!

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Greetings W.. Welcomee to the hardest part of family life --the budget--. In the 40 years of my husband forceing the issue I was never very good at it.
I have learned when we lost our income that he had a lot of wisdome in the things he wanted us to do.We first looked at our Needs then our Wants. We stay out of places like Target, WalMart,Costco,etc. unless we have specific items that we are looking for. Before we get to the checkout counter we look at what we have added to the carts and how badly do we need the itemswe have put in. Recently as I went through our budget trying to find more ways to cut down I realised that we really didn't need the extended cable and got only the basic- that cut $68.00 out of my expenses. Yes, we missed it for a short while but we appreciate the money more!
As for groceries. I have 5 children, so learned many things to do. Make fresh vegetables as often as possible. The canned are not as healthy and have addedtives. In the long run it is cheaper for frozen or fresh. I only make as much as 2 meals will allow. Anymore and it is wasted. I have a freezer and make sure that every 6 months it is all used up and then rotate items so that I am not wasteful in that either.
Recently Lucky's had boneless London Broil on sale very cheap.(Safeway has geat deals on meat, but I for personal reasons didn't like how I saw some of the disabled employees treated at the store near my home). I bought several and had them grind 3 for very lean hambugar, I used thin slices for stroganoff, and I made stew meat with the rest. Froze it in useable size containers. Now when I want to make soup the meat is there and ready and I spent 1/3 the price of stew meat. I have also learned that if I make a week's worth of meals at once then I have made myself time and energy eficient and I can stop thinking about it. Plan menus so that you use up all those left overs and vegetables into souponce a week. My children always knew that I made soup 2 days before garbage day. Because I cleaned out the frig. I stuck bread in the oven so it was warm, had platter with cheese and if the entire baseball team showed up or the guys on the wrestling team it was fine with me.
Look at Oriental foods- they are generally cheap to prepare once you have all the items to start and are very healthy.
The other thing that I do is buy at least 10 of an item if it is really cheap. That way I have plenty on hand in case of an emergancy and it keeps me out of the store where I might buy things that were not planned on out of impulse!!
I wish you luck in this. I know that yo can be a wise and healthy family by useing the wisdom that you will learn from the many suggestions you will get . Nana G

1 mom found this helpful

I am not a coupon cutter because we buy almost all fresh food. We stay in our budget by eating healthy - believe it or not. Each night our "main course" is a salad and our side plate has something warm on it. We eat a lot of tasty types of rice, lots of varieties of beans, and some chicken or fish. I budget for $400 per month and I am always right on budget. I shop 2 times per week so the fresh fruits and vegetables do not spoil. I also buy the large bags of lettuce, red peppers, etc at Costco once per week. Hope that helps!

A.

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Hi W., good for you. Years of a tight budget taught me a lot, and it can be a fun challenge. I don't believe coupons are going to help to the tune of 700 a month tho! If you have a warm spot on a patio or garden area, you can save a bundle by growing summer veggies. Even if you buy some inexpensive 25 gal containers, fell them with dirt. You can grow so much stuff, and its organic, green, and basically almost free. I grow lettuce, cabbage, squash, tomatoes of course, pumpkins, corn, peas, beans and more. I have a small lemon tree, an orange tree and apples tree. I rarely buy vegetables except bananas and melons. I roast all the leftover tomatoes etc. and freeze them for stews and stuff later. I could grow melons too, but I got lazy. I found in the lean years that chili's, stews, pasta are very economical. Don't buy pre-packaged if you can avoid it. Potato's can really stretch a meal. Beef is expensive, so I lowered the portions. We do not eat pork as we do not think it is raised or killed humanely, so that is out. We buy local range free chicken, but by watching the sales, I can even get that for 99c a lb. Rice by the 5lb package is very cheap. I buy juice, but real juice, not the corn syrup taste a-likes, and add 1/2 water. Cook at home! Buy local from fruit stands or farmer's markets. Fast food is very expensive for 4 or 5 people. Even a working woman can plan meals and cook from scratch. I honor your desire to save money and provide healthy meals. You can do it! I was so poor, I started gardening out of need, but it became a lifelong love. If you cannot garden, buy fruits and veggis in season and try and buy locally! PS I live in No Cal above San Francisco, inland about 6 miles from the coast. GOOD LUCK! mamma T.

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Hi W.- I'm not a big coupon person and I too wonder how anyone could save hundreds of dollars a month by using them. Our grocery bills are reasonable inpart because we don't eat meat. Occasionally I do serve fish but most meals are meat free. Whatever you'd make anyway try a meatless version instead. Pasta, mexican food, chili, lasagna and so many more dishes are less expensive and more healthy without the meat. We also don't buy many individually packaged foods which tend to be processed and more expensive. Trader Joe's offers tons of convenience type foods that are more healthy and cheaper. Farmer's Markets also have very high quality produce at low prices. I try to go there first and get ideas for meals by what's in season. Then I'll go to the regular market and fill in whatever I need. I too think our location has a lot to do with living expenses they are bound to be higher than other parts of the country but so are wages and CA is so great for Farmer's Markets and good old Trader Joes's.

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My mom has a degree in home economics - here's some of her tips I grew up with and a few of my own...
Don't' be loyal to a certain brand try the store brands - usually cheaper ( windex is my only exception to this rule). Check the bottom shelf for bargains, stores put the most expensive stuff at eye level. Coupons are usually for national brands - good for cleaning supplies sometimes but do the math - the genereic may still be cheaper.
Don't buy bulk if you can't use it up before it spoils. Get an "old school" cookbook with casseroles and meal plans to give you ideas - try Goodwill or the library to save $$ on the book too!
Casseroles are a good way to stretch a budget and you can make a double batch and freeze the rest for a night you're too tired to cook. lasagne is great too and tastes better after it has "aged" in the freezer for a few weeks .
Avoid packaged foods like Rice A Roni - you can make it yourself with rice and vermicelli or broken up bits of spaghetti or angel hair and a little herbs & chicken boullion or broth. Buy your kids good thermoses for their lunches and ditch the juice boxes. Any food that is individually packaged costs more than the same thing in normal packaging - look at what a big jar of apple sauce costs compared to the cute little Motts single serving packs.
My big discovery lately has been ordering groceries online - something I only did occaisionally before as a luxury.
We set up a shopping list in the computer so my husband can add things he needs like deoderant or his fiber therapy stuff. I print the list - got through the fridge & cabinets, add anything we forgot and then order online with Safeway. I do usually spend less than the minimum for free delivery but I choose a 4 hour time window and the fee is half of a 2 hour window. We are spending about $150 a month LESS in spite of the delivery fee. I also stopped going to Costco because most of the bargains are gone except for toilet paper and milk.
I live 10 miles from the nearest grocery store and I'm 9 months preggers so delivery is a necessity anyway.
Why do I spend less ??- easy - my 5 year old and hubby aren't along for the shopping trip adding treats, dougnuts and beer and expensive kiddie cereal to the cart. I stick to my list and am not tempted by the cookie aisle or bakery dept. Plus, there is a little savings on gas too. Also, NEVER go to a grocery store when you're hungry - you spend more!!

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Hi W.,
There are 5 people in our family. My daughters are 6 and 8 and my son is 3. We are vegitarians and I find that it saves us some money. I try to serve mostly organic fruits and veggies because the pesticides are really bad for children.
Join the club our food bills are really high too. I think I need to watch the portions because I throw a lot of food out when I clean out the fridge.

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Hi W.,
Dave Ramsey has a great book/work book you can get from the library called The Total Money Makeover. Also, menu planning every week or monthly using the weekly newspaper ads. I love doubling a crock pot recipe and freezing half.

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Hi W.,

If there is a Trader Joe's anywhere near by it is worth shopping there. I used to spend close to 200.00 a week on groceries shopping at Safeway and buying brand name products. A Trader Joes opened near my home and we began shopping there. I gave up my addiction to brand names and started using their products. The usually have one to three kinds of each item in the store but there is tons of variety and the products are great quality.

My average grocery bill now is around 100.00 for a week and we are still eating the same meals and snacks we did before. That adds up to 400.00 a month we are saving.

I would also suggest shopping at Target for other items. We buy diapers, wipes, all cleaning products, and paper products there. I buy the cheapest option every time which is usually their Up & Up brand. This has also saved us a tremendous amount.

Good luck, happy shopping and happy saving!
N.

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We are fortunate because we can shop the commissary which we do for fresh fruits, veggies and meat. We might spend $200-$300 every 4 weeks there (there is only two of us, but we both work) and then WalMart on the off weeks for things like deli meats, stuff for lunches and toiletries.

We buy lean hamburger and make spaghetti sauce and freeze it in separate containers so we can pull one out the night before. We use our crockpot for stews and roasts plus today we are trying a veggie soup in it... this should last for a few days. I do clip coupons and use them whenever possible. We also have two dogs so we need their food and it depends when we run out where we buy it.

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Hi W.,

One way that we save money is by buying our produce at the Farmer's Market. It's much less expensive than a grocery store and the quality is better. We will also make a universal breakfast or lunch meal to eat throughout the week. I'll make a big batch of granola for breakfast and beans and rice for lunch and that will last us through the week (if not more). Then your time, energy and money can be focused on making really healthy dinners. I'm making a lot of soups at the moment. For not that much money, you can make a giant batch of soup. We mostly eat vegetarian, and that helps. Our one main caveat to that are the salmon burgers at costco. They come out to about $1/burger and are a great addition to any meal.

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I cut coupons, but ONLY for things that are on my list. I don't have a second refrigerator or a freezer in the garage, so I need to shop once a week for my main trip and a second (and sometimes third trip) for milk and fresh fruits and veggies.

I find the biggest way to cut costs and stay on budget for groceries is to plan menus, portion control and buying fruits and veggies in season. The kids get the leftovers in their lunches the next day if there's just one or two portions left - if it's a whole meal, we wait a day and eat it then.

Shopping with a list also helps eliminate the impulse purchases. Although I do allow impulse purchase of things that were forgotten to be placed on the list - like an herb for the meal or bread for sandwiches, etc. I also limit some things and only buy them when they're on sale (or loss leaders at the grocery store).

We've also started eating vegetarian meals twice a week to add the amount of fruits and veggies to our diet and cut costs. Have you looked at the price of meat lately? Another favorite at our house is "breakfast for dinner" - pancakes or waffles for dinner with sausage or bacon (only purchase when it's on sale though).

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Hi W.!
You have a family of 4, so your average grocery budget according to the US department of _________ is $771. That includes eating out. Hmmm. For a family of not yet 3, we spend $200-$250 including eating out. BUT, if I plan the meals and do some freezer stuff that can be pulled out and baked, I save money. The only coupons I use are from target, buying the up and up target brand. I don't usually get coupons from anywhere else, and I do not have a computer at home with internet access- the dark ages, I know! But, I reccommend planning meals and snacks. And then only buying for those specific items.
For snacks, purchase a bag of nuts, a bag of dried fruit, and make single serve snack bags. (I like cranberries, pepitas, almonds, etc) You can also do this with mixed fresh veggies. I also like to keep apples and grapes, yo baby yogurt, and string cheese in the fridge. If I am hungry, then I will eat one of those. No junk food options. =) And for dinner, just pull out the meal for that day and cook it. It may last for 2 dinners (like a great lasagna or casserole- tonight is green bean casserole for us) or for a lunch at work for your hubby, etc.
For coupons, I do know there are websites- one lady started a business with it- where you can get coupons for almost anything, hit all the sales, etc. Don't drive yourself crazy, though. I believe the key is to organize, take a look at what you are throwing away, a look at what you are running out of, check a website or 2 to see if you can download coupons for your grocery list, and then make your lists. You could also have a night of the week where you and a couple of friends get together and do a "dinner my way" but at home. Cook up meals for the whole week and then freeze them- and take them out as needed.
Hope this helps! And good luck!
I hope this helps!

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