1 mama. 1 kid. 1 life. Go Big or Go Home.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Do you know Homeopathy?
Wow, I have been so busy with writing my book, and home work and mom stuff I have not blogged in a while! I am proud to say that I will be soon holding homeopathy study groups. During these studies we will learn how to take care of simple illnesses at home and reduce the amount of trips made to the doctor. They will be empowering, and educational. If you are interested in studying, please contact me! I can't wait to hear from you! :)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Being healthy on a budget
Budgeting is a huge deal in my household. If you have ever met my husband James, you would know he tries to get the absolute most out of his dollar. Sometimes he seems a little extreme but he is a man with a plan and he knows what he is doing. Everyone has a budget, some a big and some are small. We are just your average family, with average income so it works for us to stay on task and not stray from our monthly budget.
Grocery shopping has become a sure focus when it comes to the budget. I have really mastered getting what I want for a great price. I will tell you, I never shop at Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, ext. There is the occasional stop in to grab something special, but never any big shopping trips. Why is this? Well, my family is just too small for trips to Costco so therefore we do not have a membership. As for Trader Joes and Whole Foods, lets face it, it is too expensive. So what do I do? I have shopped around and have based my shopping trips around- Winco, Grocery Outlet and the bread store.
Winco has a great variety of organic dry food in the bulk section. I can get all my cous-cous, whole grains, rice, beans, quinoa, pasta, granola, raisins, nuts, cereals and oats all organic for a GREAT price! That's the majority of my list right there. Then we move on to produce. Winco has a pretty good produce section. There is surprisingly a good amount of organic produce that you can get good deals on. Produce I am not able to purchase with the label "organic" on it, I am sure to clean it well with some vinegar and warm water to remove any dirt or film. (I recommend doing this will all produce). I also get organic tofu. They have a great selection on tofu. Preston's favorites are coconut and banana flavored tofu. You will be amazed at some deals you can get. I highly recommend hitting up the bulk section, I am always amazed at price differences as opposed to boxed items on the shelf.
Grocery Outlet is another one of my favorites. If you have never been, I recommend checking it out. I buy the majority of organic, natural foods for Preston. They have a great selection of Tofu-nuggets, natural baby shampoo, Aunt Annies brand snacks and cereals, organic crackers and broths for soup. Grocery outlet can be kind of hit or miss. Some months are better than others. I do not buy any meat or dairy from this place. I can usually find great deals of Seventh Generation brand paper towels and such. So if your ever on 4th Plain and are in the mood for bargains, Grocery Outlet is a great place to check out.
The Franz Bakery Outlet store is amazing. I can get really good loafs of bread that typically cost 5 dollars a loaf for $1.86-$2.00. They have a great variety of healthy breads. This store also has a stamp chart and managers specials. I find that the best deals can be found on Saturdays. I buy all of my bread that we use here. I typically buy about 6 loafs. My husband eats the majority of bread because he makes his sandwiches for work and refuses to buy lunch. It's that frugal thing I was talking about earlier. Check them out at http://www.usbakery.com/
Other things that help my monthly shopping expenses are making a list. List are a great way to stay focused. The big rule in our house is...if its not on the list its not in the basket. Always keep track of whats in your kitchen. If you have never been a list maker before, start out by first writing down all the meals and snacks you tend to eat the most. Then write the ingredients down. I always check each and every cabinet and the fridge while I am making my list. Another thing to keep in mind is that generic is not always a bad thing. Big name brand companies make generic products and can sell it for a cheaper price just because the logo is not on it. SO if you see something organic or healthy but are not sure because it's "generic"...give it a try. You might be surprised. You know what works for your family. You will save a ton of money if you get on a routine shopping schedule, so you don't catch your self running to the store every night for dinner. Every dollar you spend adds up, so spend wisely!
Hope this helps!! Have fun shopping! And don't forget to eat before you go...you will be less likely to make poor food decisions.
Grocery shopping has become a sure focus when it comes to the budget. I have really mastered getting what I want for a great price. I will tell you, I never shop at Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, ext. There is the occasional stop in to grab something special, but never any big shopping trips. Why is this? Well, my family is just too small for trips to Costco so therefore we do not have a membership. As for Trader Joes and Whole Foods, lets face it, it is too expensive. So what do I do? I have shopped around and have based my shopping trips around- Winco, Grocery Outlet and the bread store.
Winco has a great variety of organic dry food in the bulk section. I can get all my cous-cous, whole grains, rice, beans, quinoa, pasta, granola, raisins, nuts, cereals and oats all organic for a GREAT price! That's the majority of my list right there. Then we move on to produce. Winco has a pretty good produce section. There is surprisingly a good amount of organic produce that you can get good deals on. Produce I am not able to purchase with the label "organic" on it, I am sure to clean it well with some vinegar and warm water to remove any dirt or film. (I recommend doing this will all produce). I also get organic tofu. They have a great selection on tofu. Preston's favorites are coconut and banana flavored tofu. You will be amazed at some deals you can get. I highly recommend hitting up the bulk section, I am always amazed at price differences as opposed to boxed items on the shelf.
Grocery Outlet is another one of my favorites. If you have never been, I recommend checking it out. I buy the majority of organic, natural foods for Preston. They have a great selection of Tofu-nuggets, natural baby shampoo, Aunt Annies brand snacks and cereals, organic crackers and broths for soup. Grocery outlet can be kind of hit or miss. Some months are better than others. I do not buy any meat or dairy from this place. I can usually find great deals of Seventh Generation brand paper towels and such. So if your ever on 4th Plain and are in the mood for bargains, Grocery Outlet is a great place to check out.
The Franz Bakery Outlet store is amazing. I can get really good loafs of bread that typically cost 5 dollars a loaf for $1.86-$2.00. They have a great variety of healthy breads. This store also has a stamp chart and managers specials. I find that the best deals can be found on Saturdays. I buy all of my bread that we use here. I typically buy about 6 loafs. My husband eats the majority of bread because he makes his sandwiches for work and refuses to buy lunch. It's that frugal thing I was talking about earlier. Check them out at http://www.usbakery.com/
Other things that help my monthly shopping expenses are making a list. List are a great way to stay focused. The big rule in our house is...if its not on the list its not in the basket. Always keep track of whats in your kitchen. If you have never been a list maker before, start out by first writing down all the meals and snacks you tend to eat the most. Then write the ingredients down. I always check each and every cabinet and the fridge while I am making my list. Another thing to keep in mind is that generic is not always a bad thing. Big name brand companies make generic products and can sell it for a cheaper price just because the logo is not on it. SO if you see something organic or healthy but are not sure because it's "generic"...give it a try. You might be surprised. You know what works for your family. You will save a ton of money if you get on a routine shopping schedule, so you don't catch your self running to the store every night for dinner. Every dollar you spend adds up, so spend wisely!
Hope this helps!! Have fun shopping! And don't forget to eat before you go...you will be less likely to make poor food decisions.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)