Eat Well, Spend Less: Wk. 3 Round-Up

This about wraps it up for the Eat Well, Spend Less series. I’m so proud to have been part of such an amazing group of women. I encourage you to check out the other contributors posts. I’ve certainly learned a lot from them.

I hope this series on grocery shopping and cooking for families proved to be a valuable topic worthy of discussion here on GoodLife Eats. Below you’ll find a round-up of the last 3 weeks of posts.

If you’re interested in this series continuing on a monthly basis, I’d love to hear from you. Please let me know if there are any topics you’d like to see addressed.

Don’t forget to check out the Grocery Gift Card Giveaway at the end of this post!

Week 3 – How I Grocery Shop to Save (on Time and Money)

How I grocery shop is probably a little different than the average person just by the nature of being a food blogger. I’m constantly preparing new foods, doing a little recipe development and research, plus feeding my family.

I can’t always “shop the sales” when I need an ingredient, but I can shop for my groceries at the places that give me the best bargain – both monetarily and time.

I’m not saying that the way I grocery shop is the ONLY way. My real message is that you have to shop the way that is best for your family. If you have time to run all over town to find the best deals each store has to offer, then so be it! Or if couponing is your thing, then clip those coupons. Look at your time, your resources, and your budget and find out what is best for you.

For more on how I shop for our family plus some smart grocery shopping tips, check out my Week 3 Eat Well, Spend Less post: How I Shop to Save.

Week 2 – Budget Recipes and Meals

I’ve found that I can be pretty resourceful when it seems that there is “nothing” in the house to eat. In reality, there’s quite a lot when you take a look through the pantry items. Very few of us actually have “nothing” in the house.

Really, what I think we mean by that is that there is “nothing” that we want to eat. Or “nothing” that is obvious to make. We just need to get a little creative with our meals.

For more Budget Recipes and meals, check out my Week 2 Eat Well, Spend Less post: 5 Favorite Budget Meals (5 for breakfast, 5 for dinner and a bonus 3 for dessert).

Week 1 – Pantry Staples

Why Homemade?

Homemade version offer unlimited customizations specific to your family’s needs and desires. I ventured into this realm out of necessity. Many of the items we love to eat just aren’t an option for Logan with his peanut allergy. I had to start making more and more from scratch.

And through that process, I found that Logan’s difficulty eating has been helped some (not cured) by encouraging him to help me prepare these homemade alternatives.

For more on DIY Recipes for Homemade Pantry Staples, check out my Week 1 Eat Well, Spend Less post. You’ll find ideas for how to get started and some of my favorite DIY Pantry Staple Recipes.