Some help with my grocery savings

I've been checking out websites, reading along for a while before deciding to jump in and do a freezer/pantry challenge of sorts. I've always kind of menu planned, but it was usually what we felt like eating and what recipes interested me, not necessarily what I had on hand. It's a bit different for me to to it this way. I thought I might list a few blogs that I've been using to help me. Eventually I'll sit down and get them migrated over to the side and actually make them as links too [once of the drawbacks of dial-up is that it takes so gosh-darn long to do things that it takes longer than Flylady's 15 minutes to do one thing sometimes].

http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/ I've just recently found this blog, and she mentioned earlier this week that she was going to have a thrifty recipe on Friday (last) which got me thinking. Thanks to Gayle and going through a pile of old recipes, I found two recipes that I loved and realized were thrifty (Lentil with Greens Soup and Curried Celery Soup).

http://orgjunkie.com/ This one not only helps with my clutter (like FlyLady but different) but it's the place for Menu Plan Monday. I've been reading it for quite a while now, but actually participated for the first time (as in sent in what I planned) today. It's a bit scary since they usually have over 200 people doing it! It's a good place to get ideas!

http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm This is the home for the Dollar Stretcher I had been reading their for a long while, and love the website and they even have forums now!

http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/ Because well, it's cheap, healthy and good food. What more can I say? :)


http://www.home-ec101.com/ I am lucky that I learned a lot of stuff from my mom, but I didn't get to take this in school, actually we had to fight for me to be able to even take band since I was on the college bound courses, which left me unable to take any other thing besides a foreign language *sigh*. I really wanted to take Home-ec even though I knew how to sew and cook and all that stuff anyway. I really wanted to take some shop classes and stuff, but there was no way that school would have let me do that. This site gives you some hints for lots of stuff!

http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm A great bit of everything really. I unfortunately am unable to have kids, but after reading how much Crystal has to do, there are days that I don't have to. I must admit, I wonder with my ADD how adding a child would make my life, would it force me to become or organized, or would I just deteriorate? Anyway, she's always got such great ideas, and I downloaded her Supermarket 101 Course and it's given me a place to start with coupons.

http://likemerchantships.blogspot.com/ I wish I had thrift stores around here like Meredith has! The ones around here aren't that great, and the consignment shops usually charge too much for me. But I still go in, trying to keep her tips in mind. She's got a great eye, and such great tips! Even if I do suffer a bit of the green-eyed monster while reading about her great finds, I always come away with a great idea to keep in mind while looking at what I want to do with my house while decluttering it.

http://www.tammysrecipes.com/ Tammy just had a new baby girl (Welcome Ruth!), so things are going to be a bit quiet on her site for a bit I'm sure, but she's had some great recipes! She's stocked up a bit before hand, and has a great treasure trove of recipes on her site already. I love hearing about how she teaches her two young sons to help her around the house, and how they enjoy helping her cook - or spray the dishes. ;) She always gives such great ideas on how to freeze or can those surplus foods (pumpkins or bananas anyone?). And one of these days we'll try her homemade pepperoni.

http://burbanmom.blogspot.com/ OK, this doesn't outright help with grocery savings, but in essence it does because it helps to keep me from buying STUFF. Because if I think about the impact of what I buy on the environment, then I think about do I really need this in the first place. Hubby and I aren't all "Hippy, crunchy granola" type people, but we are trying to be gentler on our world. After all- it's all we've got, and who else will?

OK, last one for now.

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/ I've been reading Trent for a while now too. He's another one that makes me think about STUFF. Helps me to keep me from buying it, and helps me to focus on where we want to go with it. He's also starting to get into cooking and I'm looking forward to when he comes out with his cooking blog too!