February 1st

There's a lot of bad news and dire warnings circulating about the economy. No one knows for sure what the future holds. The uncertainty can be frightening.
For many years when my children were small and we had only Danny's one small income, I trusted in the Lord to provide for our needs. The Lord never let me down. No matter what the future holds He is still in charge and He will be with us through it all.
During those years I learned many things from the "teachers" I encountered along the way. I learned how to stretch our grocery budget, how to garden and can the food we raised. I learned how to sew , how to crochet, how to clip and apply coupons for maximum savings, how to shop second hand and how to save. I also learned how to give and how to share.
If you are interested in saving money on food here are some of the little economies I still practice:
Make a list of what you need and stick to it.
Shop for what's in season-example don't buy lettuce in the winter instead buy sweet potatoes cabbage and beets.
Make a price book so you can spot a super deal and know when to stock up
Bake from scratch- I work during the week so I try to bake on the weekends. Sometimes I can squeeze in some cornbread or cobbler in the middle of the week.
Use up what you have. We do "Rubber Chicken"here a couple of times a month. You know first it's roasted chicken, then chicken sandwiches or maybe fajitas, then chicken pot pie then chicken soup if there's any meat left. I always use the carcass to make stock which I keep in the freezer. This same idea can be applied to beef or pork.( I don't make pork stock)
Always no matter how tight your budget have something your husband and babies like to snack on. I always buy Danny a bag of M&Ms. When the kids were home I let them choose 1 treat a piece each week.
You can cut your milk budget in half if you will mix your store bought milk with dry milk. My kids never complained even when the mixture was mostly reconstituted dry milk.
I like to give kids whole fruits rather than juice. I think it's better for them ( more fiber, less sugar) and the bank account. I always limited the juice. I like to get my fruit from the local farmers when I can.
Only use coupons for things you will eat or use. I keep an eagle eye out for coffee, cereal, shampoo-you get the idea.
I hope any one reading this blog will find these ideas helpful. More tips later