More Great Ways to Save So You Can Give

Please visit the other featured blogs at Oprah.com's Deck The Blogs holiday roundup for new ideas and recipes. New articles are added all the time and we're all so excited to be a part of this program!

I'm pleased to introduce you to guest blogger Kate Miller, founder of Cooking During Stolen Moments. She and I met through Share Our Strength and immediately connected. As you read her story, you'll see that we share a strong passion around helping hungry children in our country. Welcome Kate. I'm so honored to have you join our little community here at Change Becomes Change.

Several years ago, my husband and I found ourselves in dire financial circumstances. We had three small children at the time and we were trying to grow our newly-opened small business. My husband took on a part time job in addition to the work he did for our business, but it still wasn't enough. At the end of the day, we had to decide between paying our mortgage or putting food on the table. It was a difficult time, to say the least.

But we persevered. We learned to let go of pride as we quickly realized that pride came from getting the job done, not by how the job was done. For us, that meant we relied on our local food pantry once a month. As humbling as it was, we felt blessed by the generosity of others.

We cut every single possible expense. We made do with one car. We canceled cable and the internet. And I learned to shop on a very tight budget while still putting wholesome, well rounded meals on our table.

Times have changed for the better as the years have gone on. However, my grocery spending habits have not changed. During that lean year, I learned to stretch every dollar.

We used to have to save to live, now we save to give.

Our experiences with our local food pantry changed me. They made me see the importance of helping in any way possible. I felt first-hand the pain of wondering where my children's next meal would come from. Now, I want to do whatever I can to alleviate that pain for others.

That is why I passionately support Share Our Strength and their ambitious but admirable goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015. If I can do even a little to help further their cause, you better believe I'll do what I can.

When I read about Gina's fantastic idea to save 10% from our grocery bills for a week in order to donate that money to Share Our Strength, I knew I had met a kindred spirit. Her idea is so powerful. Think of the impact we could have for furthering Share Our Strength's mission if we all did that once a month or even just once a year.

Gina has already shared some fantastic tips on how you can painlessly save 10% on your grocery bill. Now I have five new ideas to add to her list.

1. Menu Plan. Take a few minutes to plan out the meals your family will eat for the week and write a grocery list based off of those meals. Then, shop with your list in hand and stick to the list. I'm always amazed at how much I save when I have a plan and stick to my list.
2. Opt for the store-brand. The quality of store-brand products has really improved over the past few years. In my experience, there is no discernible difference on most products. If you're hesitant, start small. Some of the store-brand products I've had the most success with are pastas, frozen vegetables and baking items.
3. Clip coupons, but only for the things you really need. You can save a huge amount of money on your grocery bill with coupons when you use them wisely. There's no sense in buying something you don't really need just because you have a good coupon for it though. Take the time to compare coupons to your grocery list from step 1 and use what you can.
4. Don't be afraid of manager's specials. These are the items that are marked down for a quick sale because their expiration date is approaching quickly. I most often find manager's specials on meats and bakery items. And when I do, I grab a few to stick in the freezer. The same goes for produce. Those bananas that are marked down to 15 cents a pound because they're just the other side of over ripe will make great banana bread. And even those can be frozen.
5. Think outside of the box. There are so many creative and unique ways to save money at the grocery store. Think of your family's eating habits and your spending habits. What seems extraneous? Do without for just one week and share the savings.

Choosing to do just one or two of these things will easily save 10% on your weekly grocery trip. It truly is a painless way to do something good. I challenge you to do your part to help Share Our Strength reach their No Kid Hungry by 2015 goal. As for my family, we'll definitely be doing ours!

Kate Miller cooks frugal and delicious meals for her family of six. She has been cooking on a tight budget for over a decade. Although she has no formal culinary or financial training, she considers her kitchen education as trial-by-fire, with five of the toughest critics eating at her table every day. Kate shares recipes daily on her blog, Cooking During Stolen Moments.Additionally, Kate is the founder of Stolen Moments Menu Planning, where she creates personalized menu plans to help families save time and money in the kitchen.

Comments

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

Fantastic post... I really love the idea of cutting the grocery bill and donating the difference. What a beautiful way to give back and teach others at the same time.