I’m single and cooking is sometimes hard, but one thing I do is make big batches of chili and soup and then freeze it in individual containers. This weekend I made butternut squash soup and tonight I’m making the chili. Very easy to take to work for lunch or heat up for dinner when I don’t want to cook.

Each year, my family and I go in on purchasing a cow from my cousins. You can do this with a lot of farmers, actually. My share was about $200, but that was over 70 pounds of ground beef, steaks, ribs, roasts and stew meat. $2.85/pound for organic beef is nothing to sneeze at and I’m pretty much set for most of the year.

This summer I started doing all my shopping for produce at Eastern Market in Detroit. It’s a huge farmer’s market and there’s always great produce for good prices. Plus, it actually tastes how it’s supposed to, unlike the stuff in grocery stores that is picked way too early and shipped across the country. It’s a fun way to spend a Saturday morning.

I’ve also been perusing DIY blogs for decor ideas. I recently made a really cool starburst mirror out of wooden skewers, a floral ring, and a plain mirror. Total cost, including paint, was about $10, but it looks much more expensive. I also scored a gallon of paint for my bathroom at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $2.78 (brand new, it was donated to the ReStore only because someone accidentally mixed the wrong color), plus rollers, brushes, and paint guides for pennies on the dollar. Craigslist is a good friend of mine too, since I just got a cute barrel chair – in perfect condition – with cane sides for $20.

Lastly, I sign up for e-mailing lists with the ReStores in my area so I get alerts on new items and special sales. I also signed up for birthday clubs at area restaurants because they send you coupons for discounts and free items. I think I signed up at http://www.freebirthdaystuff.com.

Looking forward to more great tips!

I saw the article about money saving tips and think they are all great. I love the fact that lots of people are sharing their ideas like this, it means we can try and save money. I think with all the financial worries going around at the moment, we all need to be more aware of our spending. I thought I would share my new tip with you, I have now recently become a bit of a fan of electronic greetings cards. I have spent ages on the internet and have found a really cool free eCard greetings site. I think this is such a great idea as a money saving technique! I dread to link how money I have spent over the years on papers cards, and postage! I like this particular site because it always seems to have new designs to choose from, so I have never become bored. They also have a great application called ‘Face It’ where you can upload your own photos to add that extra personal touch, which is a great idea. I hope this piece of information helps, let me know!

I’ve also signed up for word of mouth marketing organizations such as http://www.bzzagent.com, Psst from General Mills and First Taste from Kraft (Google to find their Web sites). Every so often they send me coupons and/or new products to try and give feedback on, which is fun.

And I’m a huge fan of reusable grocery bags (http://www.rumebags.com) and CFL bulbs, especially the new ones that enclose the coil in a frosted glass globe so they look more aesthetically pleasing. Thanks for all of your tips and ideas!

Hey Lindsey,

Very good question indeed! We have yet to make some calls to determine which ones offer the service here in Chesterfield, but we do know that Duck’s doesn’t (we checked them out a few weeks ago). But we’re sure in this economy we’ll be able to hunt someone down who’s happy to get our business! Stay tuned…

xoxo,
Sherry

http://newlifeasnewwife.blogspot.com/2009/04/5-more-way-to-save-it.html