I make my shopping list from the Wed. Sales Flyers and go to Wal-Mart since they match sales price (Saves in gas trying to travel to each store--they are 30 min away) and decide what I'm going to cook that week according to what is in stockpiles and on sale.

Good idea on freezing the onion. I actually buy the already chopped frozen onion in a bag. It's only 79 cents which is cheaper than an onion here....and I use 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups to equal one onion. I'll be able to use the bag 3 or 4 times!! When making Chicken Spaghetti, I buy the "Season Blend" frozen veggies too. It has the onion, bell pepper, and celery in it. WAY cheaper this way!!

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Formerly Mommy2Ryan

So many great ideas!

I do some of the things previously mentioned but here's some of the other things I do:

buy broccoli and cauliflower when it's practically free (Target before xmas), chop it up and freeze it. Works great!

I do once a month cooking which has helped cut down our bill quite a bit. We don't eat out nearly as much as we did before. Not to mention we're healthier.

If milk is on sale I buy extra and freeze it. We drink skim milk and once it thaws and it's shaken up we can't tell it's been frozen.

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Jenny, wife to Brad, mommy to two crazy little kids with one on the way!

I also do several of the things listed here. I also bake my bread and buy in bulk baking ingredients (yeast, flour, baking soda, sugar,etc.). I keep the yeast in the freezer and it lasts and lasts. I keep 2 different containers in the freezer for leftovers, one for soup, for chili (like beans and hamburger) and when they're full I make a big pot of chili or soup and homemade bread to go with it. I cook from scratch, freeze chopped celery, onions, bell peppers and overripe bananas, canned and fresh peaches (bought in season or on sale), blueberries, stawberries and raspberries. I also make big batches of pancakes and then freeze for quick morning breakfasts. I use the juice from canned veges in my freezer container for soup rather than pouring down the drain. I make my own iced coffee's from leftover coffee from the morning. I buy whole chickens and cut them up myself. I also make my own chicken broth for seasoning and soups.

queenboxtop - I would love to know the book as well.

Kim

I cook from scratch as much as possible.

Use left overs.

Buy & stock up on lost leaders and use coupons.

Make double batches & Freeze. This has helped me so much because when I am so tired some days instead of calling $20 worth of pizza in I just take something out of the freezer. Today, we are making ahead waffles, spagetti sauce & hotdog sauce. Next week I will make turkey & chicken casseroles ahead of time.

Do you make dumplins??? If you do NEVER throw out the dumplin base. We do old fashion drop dumplins. Once all the dumplins are gone you are left with a huge stockpot of thick creamy chicken flavored gravy but thicker. GUESS what I do with that???? I use that instead of using Cream of chicken soup for my casseroles. It is so much better!! I freeze it in 2 cup containers. I use 1 1/2 cups when a recipe calls for 1 can. It is worth making dumplins just to get the cream of chicken OR turkey that is left over.

Cookbook tip....I have a cookbook collection like 200. Yes I know I need to declutter them and I have been but I look at it like my job. And they save me loads of money. Most of the cookbooks from before 1950's are cook by scratch recipes...especially the cookbooks in the 40's which were WAY scratch because of the war...they were cookbooks that you used no eggs, meat, etc because everything was rationed. Some of my favorite recipes are recipes from early America thru the early 1900's because it was all from scratch AND a waste not want not society....it was survival!!! If you went to bed having left over stew and cornbread guess what you ate for breakfast and supper? If you had enough beans for 3 days you ate beans for every meal until they were gone. Back then people ate 2 meals a day IF they had it. They ate as big as a meal that they could make for breakfast and then they ate around 2 - 3:00 if they could get away from the field long enough to eat. Lucky for us we can save our left overs in the fridge (which they couldn't) and eat them for lunch & dinner. it amazes me when people tell me that they don't eat left overs at their house..they just throw it away....to me that is so much money wasted..I would at least give it to an elderly neighbor.

I also do many of the ideas listed here. I am a full-tmie working mom ( I teach and my DH works nights & weekends) It is hard for me to find time to cook, but I refuse to spend $3-$5 for processed muffins when I make them for alot less. We just don't have the extra $ for things like that.

I cook from scratch as much as possible.

I try to use up as many leftovers as possible.

I stock up on loss leaders, & reduced for quick sale meats & freeze them.

I buy almost all store brands & shop at Aldi.

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~*~ Angie~*~
Wife to Brian
SAHM to Sarah & Andy 2/11/2000

This is us as well

Last month I worked on eliminating duplicates. Do I really need Krustez AND Bisquick?

I'm now at the point where I'm purchasing some items at 'third tier' locations. I shop farmers markets, dented can stores, Cash n Carry, and other suppliers. I'll be contacting some wholesalers, including meat processors, to see what deals they can give us.

I'm trying to 'save the harvest', too. We're planning a garden for this year and I plan to can or freeze much of it. I'm looking into doing an early spring garden of foods that are more cold tolerant. I'm experimenting on what I can grow indoors or in homemade greenhouses. A friend who raises chickens is still giving me eggs - yeah! I saw the price of eggs in the store the other day - WOW!

A price book really helps. I haven't given up on that. Now that I'm shopping at different locations, the price book really comes in handy.

Just to be fair, I should mention that I still spend money on certain high-priced items. I still buy expensive mail order coffee, for instance. It is all about balance.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

My blogs:
Oh!: http://oh-cookie.blogspot.com/
The Foundation Club: http://thefoundationclub.blogspot.com/
12 Months to a Homemade Christmas: http://12monthstoahomemadechristmas.blogspot.com/
Experiences, Not Things: http://experiencesnotthings.blogspot.com/

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I never thought about making my own syrup! Duh!

I am way behond most of you - I am proud if I make meals for every night of the week. I haven't managed the time (or the space) to freeze meals but am working in that direction.

Would love the name of that cookbook with "from scratch" recipes!

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HeatherMama to TWO lovely children
4 year old boy
2 year old girl