It's fairly easy to use traditional couponing methods to save money on packaged food, household products, and personal toiletries, but man cannot live on toilet paper alone. Check out our six-part series Saving Money on Real Food where I share how to save money on your meat, dairy, produce, and grains! Image credit: D Sharon Pruitt Keep Reading
How to save money on real food
What’s for dinner? This week’s vegetarian menu plan (3/11)
My husband and I just returned from an amazing kid-free weekend away. Coming back to reality is rough. Who are all these little people calling me "mama" and why isn't anyone doing the laundry? I find that having a solid menu plan is the best way to get my brain back in gear. I might not know what happened to the car keys, but at least I know what's for dinner. Here's what's for dinner at my house this week: Monday -- Burritos (using Refried Beans from the freezer), chips & salsa Tuesday -- Vegetable Fried Rice, fresh fruit Wednesday -- Leftovers Thursday -- Italian Stuffed Cabbages (I am going to use quinoa in place of the sausage), fresh Keep Reading
What’s for dinner? This week’s gluten-free menu plan (3/4)
Menu Plan by Laurie Have you picked up some whole chickens at New Seasons yet (sale price good through 3/5)? I did and am roasting one in the oven today to use the meat in a few different recipes this week. Simple Roast Chicken is a favorite in our house, and we make it often. I will remove the meat and then stick all the rest of it in the crockpot with a few random veggies and spices to make a stock for soup. A few years back I made a New Year's resolution to learn how to make a new soup each month of that year. I honestly think that resolution was one of my best, as I am now pretty confident turning random assortments of ingredients and Keep Reading
What’s for dinner? This week’s vegetarian menu plan (2/25)
This is the last week of our pantry/freezer eating challenge! My goal for February was to spend $200 on groceries. It looks like I'll end up coming in around $250 by Thursday. I'm still happy with this, as I was able to create the bulk of our meals around what we already had on hand. Last week I ran out of butter, eggs, and produce in one week. So I went over my goal but still ended up under my normal budget. And I found the strawberries buried at the bottom of our chest freezer! So overall, an exciting month around our house. Here's what's for dinner at my house this week: Monday -- Refried Bean Tostadas, canned fruit Tuesday -- Pasta and White Keep Reading
How to organize your coupons (Whole Insert Filing Method)
Looking for a way to efficiently organize your Sunday newspaper coupon inserts? File your inserts whole and only cut the coupons when you actually plan to use them! The Whole Insert Filing Method takes minimal time and investment to set up and can be maintained in under 5 minutes per week! Here are the supplies you'll need: File folders (20-ish) Hanging file folders (10-ish) Permanent marker File crate, file box, or space in an existing file cabinet All of these items can be used. You will reuse the file folders when you no longer need that particular date, so some return address labels or masking tape will be helpful to cover up Keep Reading
Win a $50 Walgreens Gift Card from Flatout Flatbread #FlatoutHot
Ready for a fun giveaway? Flatout Flatbread wants you to check out their new display at your local Walgreens and is giving one Frugal Living NW reader a $50 Walgreens Gift Card to do just that! ****************************** To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment! Entrants must be at least 18 years of age and live in the United States. Make sure you leave a valid email address (it’s only visible to us and is used to contact you if you win). Comments will close and one winner randomly selected at Noon on Tuesday, February 26, 2013. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to the notification email or another winner will be Keep Reading
What’s for dinner? This week’s Paleo menu plan (2/18)
Menu Plan by Melody of This Beautiful Frugal Life We are a family of four, including two toddler boys who eat their body weight in food every day. We eat a Paleo-ish diet, with the majority of our meals and snacks made with whole foods. We don't eat pasta, beans or grains of any kind and very little dairy. We are super busy during the week, with trips to the gym most afternoons, so are constantly on the lookout for meals that can be prepared ahead of time or thrown in the crock pot. Meal planning is very important for our family, as the last minute options we used to rely on (grilled cheese, PB&J, frozen pizza) aren't in the cards Keep Reading