If your child regularly brings their lunch to school, you've faced the "what to pack" dilemma. You want to pack something nutritious, but you also need to be sure your kids will eat it. A thrown-out lunch does nothing for your child's health or your wallet; it's basically cash in the … [Read more...] about Healthy school lunches kids won’t toss in the trash
Food
18 strategies for $4-a-day budget meal planning and grocery shopping
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The trend for extreme budget meal planning was popularized by Leanne Brown in her free online book Good and Cheap, developed primarily for those using SNAP (food stamp) benefits. At the time the book was written, the budget was $4 a day. When I heard about the project, I decided to try that budget … [Read more...] about 18 strategies for $4-a-day budget meal planning and grocery shopping
Simplify back to school with freezer meal planning
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The new school year is upon us! Kids are back in school, or about to be, and parents and kids alike are having to fall back into the often hectic hustle and bustle of school-day routines. Back to school activities can mean cramming more and more stuff into less and less time. … [Read more...] about Simplify back to school with freezer meal planning
How to save money on food without using coupons
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Groceries for a family of four with young children cost an average of about $1,100 a month in the first half of 2022, not including takeout and restaurant meals, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s a big chunk of change. But there are ways to spend less on food and still … [Read more...] about How to save money on food without using coupons
Restaurant deals by day
Looking for food deals near you? On the hunt for a cheap lunch deal today? Or are you searching for the best restaurant deals in the coming week? Look no further. Here we've rounded up the current food specials at Living on the Cheap, including free food, Monday night specials (and other weekday … [Read more...] about Restaurant deals by day
8 ways to save on Halloween candy
Ding-dong! It’s time to start building your stockpile of candy for the annual parade of trick-or-treaters Oct. 31. It’s estimated Americans spend approximately $1o billion (!) on candy every year for Halloween. Of course, bargain boogeymen can be frightened by the high prices on candy this time … [Read more...] about 8 ways to save on Halloween candy
Can Costco membership save you money?
Many people seem to have a love-it-or-hate-it attitude toward warehouse stores, but I am a proud card-carrying Costco member because it does save me money. Here's how I save money at Costco and avoid the (expensive) pitfall of overspending on bulk goods. With only two in our household, we … [Read more...] about Can Costco membership save you money?
Is Sam’s Club membership worth it?
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For families and those who have space in their homes to buy in large quantity, a warehouse store membership often makes sense — dollars and cents. But for many frugal people, the idea of paying to shop at a store gives them pause. How can you decide if Sam's Club is worth the membership price? To … [Read more...] about Is Sam’s Club membership worth it?
26 adaptable recipes and menu ideas for $4-a-day budget meal planning
My experiment with a $4-a-day budget has become a welcome and permanent adjustment to my menu planning and grocery shopping routine. It has saved not only money, but my time as well as some of my sanity. The $4 a day food budget was popularized by Leanne Brown in her free online book, Good and Cheap … [Read more...] about 26 adaptable recipes and menu ideas for $4-a-day budget meal planning
Slow cooker meals for busy families
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There’s nothing like getting to the end of an exhausting day and wondering what you’re going to do for dinner. Add hunger and evening activities to that scenario and you usually end up in a drive-through. Enter every busy parent’s best kitchen friend, the slow cooker (or good old CP as most of us … [Read more...] about Slow cooker meals for busy families
Make the most of your garden’s harvest
In midsummer it's exciting to see that first bright red, ripe tomato dangling off of its vine or pick and eat the first zucchini. At first, you relish in your harvest and your neighbors love your homegrown gifts. However, by late summer it's a different story — you're up to your ears in tomatoes, … [Read more...] about Make the most of your garden’s harvest
Easy recipes with cheap summer sweet corn
There’s something about fresh, sweet, juicy corn on the cob that just screams summer. You bite into those pearl-like kernels and taste a burst of sweet juice. It doesn’t get better than this. Except it does: Sweet corn, in season, is really cheap. It starts out at two for $1, then four, then … [Read more...] about Easy recipes with cheap summer sweet corn
How to shop and save at ALDI
You may have wondered what the big draw is to ALDI grocery store chain. Some say it’s a strange cult, a mecca for frugal shoppers. The store even has fan clubs with impressive numbers of followers. And I think it might be the only store that has a secret language. Stay with me and I’ll … [Read more...] about How to shop and save at ALDI
Got tomatoes? Recipes to make the most of your summer tomato bounty
It’s a fruit we treat like a vegetable, a nontoxic member of the nightshade family, born in South America but internationally famous. It’s the tomato, of course. And though it can be pricey in winter, in summer it’s indecently cheap at farm stands and markets. You can buy a whole basket for just a … [Read more...] about Got tomatoes? Recipes to make the most of your summer tomato bounty
How to avoid wasting food in a power outage
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The lights begin to flicker. You hear the regular hum of the refrigerator hiccup, then return. But then it all goes dark. Your power is out. Power outages are common when snow and windstorms take down power lines, or in the summer when power lines can't handle the increased demand. There are … [Read more...] about How to avoid wasting food in a power outage
