Introducing Save Money and Eat well.

Hello readers!

Well, after a conversation with a cousin of mine, when we were talking about swapping money saving recipes and ideas on facebook, the idea for this blog was born. Saving money is something that is on everyone's mind these days, what with the economy and all. So I thought, why not start a blog dedicated to that sort of thing. Who knows how many people will ever read it, but I'll be happy to share my ideas with anyone willing to listen.

Most of my recipes I find online, so many of these won't be original recipes. I do tweak things from time to time, either to make it vegetarian for my husband, or change taste and texture to my liking.

I became a stay-at-home Mom again, after several years back in the workforce. All three of my girls are in school, so that leaves me some time on my hands during the week to do some of the more labor/time intensive stuff. But with proper planning, a lot of things can be made ahead over the weekend, to use during the week. So really anyone, regardless of situation/time management issues, should be able to use these tips and tricks. All it takes is a little planning.

I will also, on recipes, try to post info on where I bought and what I paid for ingredients. Obviously, prices where you are may be a little different, and feel free to comment if you need help working out the unit cost of something, but I have found that I spend a lot more on groceries when I don't pay a great deal of attention to the prices. A little work and planning is all it takes. It may seem like a lot of work at first, but trust me, just like keeping a food journal is essential to losing weight, keeping a log of what your food costs, is important to saving money when you're cooking.

Another amazing thing I'm learning is how much cheaper it is to make things from scratch than it is to buy pre-made, pre-packaged stuff. Many people say they can't afford to eat foods made with fresh ingredients, but it really is cheaper. Some things I do buy canned, like diced tomatoes or chick peas and beans because I don't like cooking dried beans. But buying fresh vegetables, as long as you use them right away (again planning is key) can save you a ton of money, especially when things are in season.

It's also a lot healthier to make things from scratch, because you know just what is going into it, unlike pre-made things, which are full of preservatives (the main one being sodium) and all sorts of dyes and chemicals that we can't pronounce. And I have come to believe these things can't possibly be good for us. So that is another advantage to cooking as cleanly as possible.

I'm only just starting out with all this so I hope whoever reads this finds it helpful and I am always open to suggestions if anyone has a better idea about something than I have. Goodness knows I don't know everything.

So lets enjoy this journey together and save money too!

Eat well!

Dawn