by no one in particular

Created on: June 06, 2008

Living on less is an art form. This may sound silly, but attitude is everything. It is a challenge to survive in our economy today. In a climate of rising fuel costs , food prices, utilities, and the shrinking dollar, creativity is a must. There are many things that can be done to reduce costs and by taking steps to find less expensive solutions, you are empowering yourself.

Reusing simple things such as bread bags, frozen vegetable bags, and other plastic bags sounds silly but it can save money. When finishing up the item in a bag, simply invert the bag and wash it out, allow it to dry and you have a freezer bag. By doing this simple thing you are helping the environment and your budget. Plastic wrap, freezer bags, and aluminum foil used to store leftovers or break large packages of meat into serving sized portions is an expense. Though not a huge one, why spend money on products that are unnecessary. Paper napkins, sponges and old cloth will save money on paper products every month.

Reusing plastic margarine tubs, coffee containers, cottage cheese containers and the like are also a way of saving money. Why purchase plastic food storage systems when you have a supply of plastic bowls with lids available free of charge. So many things can be reused, with a little imagination you can find many other things that ordinarily discarded that can be put to good use.

Purchasing your meat in large family packs and breaking them down to the sizes needed for meals is another way to cut costs. Meats are regularly fifty cents to a dollar less per pound in the larger packages. By packaging your meat into meal sized portions you are also avoiding waste by cooking more than is needed. Research other food options that will provide you and your family with protein is wise as the price of corn increases for farmers meat will only become more expensive. Beans, tofu, peanut butter, eggs, cheese and seeds can provide needed protein and save you substantially.

Buy generic or store brands, though the packaging is less attractive generally the products are comparable and the savings can be significant. Prepared food is always more costly, it is full of chemicals and much of the nutritional value is lost in the process. By purchasing basic food items and taking the few extra minutes to prepare the food from scratch you are saving money and benefitting your health at the same time. Most areas have farmers markets, locally grown produce does not have the added cost of shipment over long

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