She looketh well to the ways of her household...Prov 31:27a

Gas over $4 a gallon! I was watching the news with Wade yesterday, something I rarely do 'cause it is so depressing, and the big story was gas is over $4 a gallon! One of the questions that was asked was "What are you doing to change to save money on gas?" I told Wade, I am not doing anything. We made the decision to have only one vehicle and I only take that vehicle one day a week. On Thursday we run errands, do all the shopping, lessons, whatever needs doing on the outside. It makes for a long day to be sure but it helps keep me on task with school and it "forces" me to stay home. I shop in quite a few different places but I organize it so I am not running from pillar to post on my Thursdays. We shop at Sam's, I get only certain things there, no meat...too pricey, not many prepared foods...way too expensive for what you get. I buy veggies, in season fruits, frozen fruits are a great deal and wonderful in smoothies, frozen veggies, toilet paper, some cleaners, some spices and seasonings. WalMart, some things are cheaper there than at the commissary even and they do have a large selection. I find their Great Value brand in certain things to be quite a deal and I love the Weight Watchers yogurt that I get there. The commissary is the bulk of my shopping definitely meats, they are much cheaper there. I also go to the health food store to buy grains and seeds in bulk and a place called "The Nut House" for all my raw nuts and dehydrated fruits. My dollar does not stretch quite as far as it used to so I am looking at more ways to stretch it. I was trying to clean out my chest freezer so I could start Once a Month Cooking again. Well the circuit breaker tripped on the freezer and we were "able" to clean it out very quick *sob*! One of my biggest problems is getting a good dinner on the table, the day seems to fly by and there I am again saying what am I going to make for dinner tonight?? I am trying to get back to making things from scratch which is cheaper. I make my own brownie mix which is yummy, we have all but cut out bottled water, chips, soda, cookies etc. If we want something sweet it comes from scratch most of the time. My family tends to be a bit on the picky side so meatless meals aren't really an option for us, not much with beans, tofu isn't going to happen, and if it is brown (i.e. rice, spaghetti etc) forget about it. We do eat whole wheat bread from the bread store and if you ask my kids why they will recite to you a saying that I always give them...the whiter the bread the sooner your dead. It is like my legacy to them :-)! We are trying to not eat out as much to also save money. I am going to post a bunch of different recipes soon that my family loves, some of which I am known for (which tickles me). I am also going to post on my favorite kitchen gadgets and helpers. I have a bunch of ideas for posts but I am trying to pace myself...