The Refreshed Coupon Clipper

OK, anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE a good deal. However, you won’t see me buying something based only on the fact that it is a good deal. I LOVE a good deal on the things that we need and use. I can consistently save about 30% on my groceries with coupons. I would like to bump this up to the next level. As I try and research new methods, I will let you know about them. Currently I am reading on www.moneysavingmom.com, I saw her at a conference two weeks ago. However, I am trying to live life with less expenses, and realize on a whole new level, that this will not come without some hard work. Hardwork until it becomes a habit. We, my family, are earning movie rentals on HitBliss, and as a family we are trying to cut other expenses as well.

Grocery prices are going up. The challenge, I am finding, with my grocery shopping is that I am trying to eat healthier and to establish a healthier diet for my family. There aren’t many coupons out there that exsist for produce. My first goal is to find a place to have a garden. My second goal is to find a healthy breakfast. I am going to have to tackle this a little at a time.

I have been blessed with a wonderful home, but my back yard doesn’t get six hours of sun, except in a very small area. Thinking of the box, literally, will be required for this one. My church’s main campus has a community garden but it is 30 minutes away. Finding land closer to home would be the best option. Does anyone know of a plot to rent locally?

Breakfast – this is a challenge all its own. I grew up eating homemade biscuits and gravy, or toast, eggs and bacon, or oatmeal (with butter and sugar of course). So we are on the hunt for breakfast recipes that will stick with us in the morning. Especially Logan, who thinks he needs to eat every 30 minutes. :-) Two successes that we have tried and found to be a good fit for our family is pancakes and breakfast tortillas.

The pancakes I make are homemade with not mixes. I try to cook an extra batch and put them in the freezer. These will not last but a week or so in the freezer but have been great for KK on school mornings. Plus these pancakes are great to eat by themselves. You don’t have to have the syrup. This works well for Brandon who will usually grab a couple on the way out the door.

The breakfast tortillas are scrambled sausage and eggs in a tortilla with shredded cheese. When I make these, I wrap them in wax paper and place them in a zip loc bag in the freezer. These are ok in the freezer for up to two weeks. Again, these are easy for the two early birds in our house to have a good breakfast in a minimal amount of time.

Again, we would love any tips you have to share as we start this new journey.