Welcome back to Frugal Family 2013, where my sweet friends, Kelli (Adventurez in Child ‘Rearing) and Sam (Sam’s Noggin), and I share our tips and tricks for saving money in your home and homeschool. We are excited to share ideas for frugal meals, upcycling, travel, entertainment, and of course, cheap or free homeschooling.
Each Thursday, we are sharing our frugal ideas with a link-up where you can share yours. Our goal is to encourage you and each other. We’ll also be pinning our ideas to Pinterest — where you can find plenty of frugal solutions for saving the family money.
For this week’s installment, I’d like to introduce you to my sweet friend, Jennifer. She is guest posting for me this week while we are on vacation. Check out her bio at the bottom of the post and be sure to stop by her blog. You’ll love it there!
From Jennifer’s home . . .
I know, I know. The title may make you roll your eyes, but believe me it does apply. If you are like me, then you not only enjoy the convenience of eating out, but also eating some of your favorites from different restaurants and yes, some fast food locations too.
You see, I use to eat out all of the time. The convenience of a drive through and the luxury of being waited on were too much to give up, but then my pocket book began to suffer. It was not able to keep with my appetite and the rising food prices, so I had to make a change.
I had never been much of a cook, but grocery lists and interpreting recipes soon became the norm in my kitchen. Surprisingly, cooking at home has become something I truly enjoy. I really like the food that I make. I know what ingredients are being used, it is healthier because I go fresh and cook from scratch and the fact that I am saving money is a definite plus.
With my new way of eating, I found that I had to sacrifice some of my favorites. I missed the snickerdoodles I use to pick up at Whole Foods after each prenatal visit. I craved the Taco Bell chalupas that helped carry me through morning sickness. I wanted to eat lemon ice box pie whenever I wanted to eat it.
So, I decided to google for recipes to make my favorite foods. After trying three different cookie recipes, I found one that matched the taste and texture of the delicious ones I use to unashamedly buy for $6/half-dozen. I discovered that it was not the chalupa, but rather the Baja sauce that eased my queasy stomach, so I googled, found a recipe and made a big batch ready to put on everything I ate whenever I felt nauseous. I googled and found a quick and easy pie recipe and now I make lemon ice box pie whenever I want it and can eat as many slices as I like.
All it took were some Google searches, the testing of a few recipes and I was able to continue eating at home and enjoying my favorite foods. Obviously, cookbooks are always a great resource. I have found plenty of recipes to step-in for dishes I use to pay ridiculous prices for, but going online, I was able to do a quick search and find a specific recipe with a large listing of variations to choose from and try. My finds eliminate any temptation to head to a local eatery and pay unbudgeted money for a quick fix.
Your favorite foods can taste just as good (and sometimes better) at home. Google (or use your preferred search engine), find a recipe for your favorite food item and make it at home. Just a few minutes online can help you stay within your budget and save you some money.
Although Jennifer now lives in Small Town, USA on the southern part of the map, she will always remain a California girl. She is a Christian, wife and homeschool mother, who has been blessed with three beautiful children (a.k.a. the ‘Wild Bunch’). Her homeschool style is still being determined and Jennifer is just thankful that she and her children are able to stay-at-home and learn together. Jennifer is a writer, who enjoys reading (as do her children), running, too much time on the computer, sewing and taking lots and lots of pictures (just ask her children). She is also a lover of food and can be found in her kitchen whipping up something delicious and vegetarian. Oh, she never forgets dessert. Jennifer blogs at Milk & Honey Mommy.
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