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It took me a few years to get my grocery budget going and to this day I am still working on my recipe box to get it even lower. I have a family of four and my weekly budget that I allow myself is $75.00-$100.00 for grocerys and $25.00 for household goods. We eat good foods, fresh foods, wholesome foods & we entertain a lot. I have heard of others getting their bill down to $50.00 a week.

 

We live on a small farm so we have plenty of eggs, honey, pecans, and I barter a lot. Soon we will be having more meats of Chicken, turkey, rabbit and lots of fruit and veggies. I hope to get a cow someday too for the milk, cream, butter and hopefully my grocery bill will go even lower.

 

 

I have this sectioned off as Click on one or scroll down the side here

Grocery, Menu's,   Coupons and Recipes, I hope it helps you as it has helped me through the years.

 

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I have a list of hints to help you save on your grocery shopping. It may seem like a lot but after a few weeks you will become an expert.

 

"Click Here" Here is a list of money saving ideas for grocery pdf file

 

"Click Here" Here are more moneys saving ideas on for Food savings pdf file

 

"Click Here" for Food programs pdf file to join or other ways to find fresh food including coops and other organizations around you. I wanted to add another one without adding to the pdf file its called Angel Food Ministries anyone can get it no matter what your income. They are popping up everywhere. http://angelfoodministries.com/

 

I would also make a price book. If you want to know what a price book is or how to make one try

Dollar Stretcher article on price books

http://stretcher.com/stories/03/03mar10b.cfm or

 

Including Local farmers market in your area

 

Tip: Grocery list: I found out the best thing for us is to have an index card posted to our fridge and when we run out of things then we write it on the card then I take it a long with me on my grocery trip.

 

We also have a grocery premade list of everything we usually buy for our house pre-made from Donna's site that you can alter to fit your foods/goods and when its time to go shopping I will name stuff off the list and daughter will see if we have any left and how many. "Click Here" to download her grocery list.

 

 

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Coupons:

 

Yes I have heard of the coupon queens that have saved hundreds of dollars on grocery with double/triple coupon deals and rebates. One of the tricks is too go when they have double/triple coupon days and use your coupons the same time, you really have to have time to do these but it can be done if you get organized. They follow the sales in the paper and match it up with the coupons to get even better results.

 

Well, I live out in the boonies we dont have much choice of grocery stores around here especially one that will offer these double/triple coupon days and they wont allow to use one with a sale most times though I do try.

 

I do check out my local coupons at the store and the Sunday paper and trade with family and friends. I save an average of $7.00-$11.00 biweekly which averages $264.00 a year without even trying.

 

Every Sunday I get the city paper in it I cut out coupons I use and exchange it with neighbors and family.

 

I have also heard of coupon trains but have yet to try this you can join it on the yahoo groups. People have coupons they dont want and send it to the next person on the list in envelope and so on. To learn more check out the groups below these have the most members in it is the reason why I listed them.

 

Online coupons:

Another great place because of computers now a days are the online coupon printing places

 

 

And yet another way is to go your favorite products website and request coupons. Make a list of these so you can call them regularly. Most love to give them away. Sometimes they wont offer it on website you will have to call them and ask. Most the time when I call them with a questions they will right away ask me if they could send me some coupons. You can't beat that

 

Examples

 

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Rebates can be good if you have the time and know how to follow directions to the T! A lot of the rebate offers give a list of things they want sent to them, and if you dont get it right they wont give you your rebate. Once you get good at this it will be a snap. Don't let yourself buy something that say's it will give you a rebate and you don't follow through with it, its one of the number one tricks out there for the vendors because they know deep down no one has time to do these. Show them they are wrong and ask for your rebate!

 

 

Drug stores-

 

Online accounts

 

 

www.officedepot.com or

 

 

 

www.best.com or

 

 

 

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I had a lot of trouble of figuring out what to cook for dinner. As much as I would love to make a weekly menu its just not possible with my work schedule around the farm and family life. Someday I hope to have it in order a few menu's for a few weeks. I rely a lot on the crockpot for when I am going to be gone all day, the other is my menu box. In my menu box I have catorgorys like Chicken, Beef, Fish, Side dishes etc... that I use a lot.

 

When I look in my fridge I will see I have a certain meat/veggie I want to cook so I will look through those cards for that meat/Veggie and ideas will come to me. In those cards I dont write down the recipe but I will put down example

 

Under Chicken I is this food card:

 

Chicken stir fry with orange sause

Cookbook: Betty Crocker

Page: 32

Ingredients: Chicken, orange slices, etc...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I don't have any recipes online to download I am hoping in time one of my favorite places to print out recipes will allow other people to look at my recipe box but here are my favorites:

 

 

Frugal Family recipe sites

 

 

 

 

 

Country cooking-http://www.recipeladies.com/countrycooking.html

 

Country cooking webring- Find lots of personal sites here

 

Country living-country skills-http://www.kountrylife.com/kitchen.htm

 

Country Living Magazine-http://magazines.ivillage.com/countryliving/cookbook

 

Taste of Home Country Magazine recipes

 

 

 

Country life recipes and forum

 

 

 

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