Quick Money/Planet Saving Tips

We are all trying to save our earth as well as saving money, so below are some quick and easy tips to do both.

• Use cloth kitchen towels – cloth is recyclable and will save you money, but if you need to purchase napkins and paper towels choose the recycled products that are now available.

• Reuse shopping bags – many are using cloth and reusable bags for groceries, but you can also reuse the plastic shopping bags.  You can reuse as grocery bags or as trash bags at home or if you are handy you can use the plastic bags to make reusable bags.

Saved over $50!!

Yes, it’s true I saved $58 dollars on my grocery bill yesterday!!  Yep, you can close your mouth now, well not you..but that is what I told the cashier.  She was shocked after first seeing me stroll in with 2 grocery carts filled with food, thankfully my hubby joins me on these trips.  Then of course, I handed her my cloth bags to place all the items in, she was not too pleased about that, but I am doing my part in helping the environment.  I had to giggle each time someone would stand behind me in the checkout line and then do a complete u-turn to find another register.  I giggle because I only go to the grocery store one time a month to do this major shopping spree.  I will go to the store one other time during the month and that will usually be for milk or eggs.  So, as I was saying, the cashier was totally shocked after ringing up all my groceries and then running all my coupons through and noticed that I saved $58!!!

You Can Save During the Recession

Let’s face it…times are hard and may just get much more difficult.  You may not have lost your job, but you are still feeling the crunch because of the prices climbing, everywhere you look.  This may be the perfect time to begin saving if you haven’t begun already.  People may think that it is near impossible to save money during these hard times but don’t be fooled there are still ways to save.

In order to save money  you need discipline.  Yes, you read it correctly discipline, which is something that we are not used to practicing.  If you are committed you can accomplish anything, by simply squeezing the wallet and still have enough to put into your savings.

My 2-Week Menu

Wow!! This was difficult to do today.  However, I managed to pick 2 weeks worth of dinners for my family.

Each week we pick new favorites and rotate them in the menu.  I also go through my coupons and check out the circulars before deciding on my final menu.  So here’s my menu for the next 2 weeks, if there are any that may entice you, let me know and I will post the recipe along with photos.

Week 1

Monday – Shrimp Velveeta Pasta Dish (Cowboy Wife’s Recipe)

Tuesday – Lemon Chicken Casserole

Sharing Some of My Tips

With this crazy economy it seems that many more people are adapting the savings and coupon clipping philosophy. Well, with a large family that is something we have always done. I am the first to say that it has not been easy but with consistency it has saved us a lot of time and money.

So, although my tips are not new and amazing, they have helped our family of 7. We eat healthy meals and have clothes to wear and still have some money for the occasional luxury. However, we have taught our children the importance of savings and they have begun to help clipping coupons too.