Ideas to Save 10% to Help End Childhood Hunger

Update: I'm honored and a little giddy to have this, and other stories from Change Becomes Change featured on Oprah.com. Find great holiday ideas at Oprah's Deck the Blogs Roundup.

Earlier this week I challenged all of us to cut our food budget by 10% one week this month for Share Our Strength's Share Your Season campaign to end childhood hunger and am pleased to see a lot of interest around supporting this worthy cause. I've also had a lot of requests for suggestions on how to cut 10% from our food expenses which is not always easy to do. Some of us have already cut food budgets which makes further trims the hardest.

But...it's possible. Times are tough but, believe it or not, if you're reading this than there's likely many others with even less (or nothing) to spend on feeding their family. I promise you.

I hope that you'll find some new ideas here to get as close to 10% as possible (some of these are easy, especially if it's just for a week). I know that we'd all really appreciate additional ideas that you have to add in the comments section below.

• Buy in season - It costs a lot less to buy fresh produce that's in season than produce that's been shipped in from South America or has been stored for months.

• Brew your coffee at home - or better yet, at the office. With a medium flavored latte running about $4, enjoying your cup of joe home brewed just a few days a week really adds up. If you usually get those $4 coffees every day, save the treat for the weekend and brew it at home during the week. There's about $20 right there!

• Eat out less - It's pretty rare that eating at a restaurant costs less than eating at home.

• Drink less - Really, drink less alcohol, especially out. This is where restaurants are making their most margin. While you might be saving a lot of money with happy hour food, don't give it all back to them by indulging in a couple full-priced cocktails. Check out Costco, Trader Joe's and Cost Plus for great deals on wine and beer to enjoy at home before going out.

• Buy less expensive protein - Nuts, beans, lentils and vegetables like broccoli, beets, carrots and squash (which is in season & can store for 4 months!) are high in protein but tend to be less expensive than most meats, dairy and eggs. Think chili, vegetable soup with beans, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread.

At the end of the week the most important thing is that we collectively saved something and made a donation to Share Our Strength. While 10% is a good goal (and we'd love to see some give more), every dollar helps feed a hungry child!

When you're week is up and you're ready to give, CLICK HERE. And don't forget to let us know how you saved money in order to help feed hungry children.

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