| If you are like our family, you are considering lots | | | | lunch-snack packs - these are sure convenient, |
| of ways to "tighten your belt" and save wherever | | | | but you can save a lot by buying a box of |
| you can. Some things seem like too much of a | | | | store-brand crackers, and whatever lunchmeat |
| sacrifice. Other suggestions seem impractical for | | | | and cheese is on sale that week. How long does it |
| your lifestyle and your busy schedule. We have | | | | take to grab a few crackers and meat and |
| found that the environmentalist slogan "Reduce, | | | | cheese slices and toss them in a baggie? Buying in |
| Reuse, Recycle" is a helpful tool in saving money | | | | bulk and skipping the packaging expense is one |
| on the grocery bill as well. | | | | way to re-use.Another way is to wash containers |
| REDUCE - Think of the things you purchase at | | | | out and use them again. This is easiest with water |
| the store on a regular basis. Then consider how | | | | bottles. Unless you've driven over them with a |
| you can reduce and buy less of this item or stop | | | | car or melted them at a beach bonfire, it is |
| purchasing it altogether. For example, we like a | | | | pretty easy to clean them out and use them |
| certain specialty beverage. It isn't something we | | | | again. We have a water purifier at our sink. It |
| purchased every week, but on occasion, we | | | | doesn't take long to refill a water bottle and use it |
| would spend $20-$30 to stock up the fridge. | | | | over a few times before getting rid of it. |
| When we thought about our budget and what we | | | | RECYCLE - Why not recycle your food? |
| can and cannot afford anymore, that was one | | | | Seriously, how much food do you toss out |
| thing that we found was relatively easy to cut | | | | because you forgot you put it in your fridge? Get |
| out. What can you skip? Do you really need to | | | | organized or develop a system to remember |
| drink that much soda or other sugary drinks? Are | | | | what is in there. If you go out to eat, try to plan |
| energy drinks something you can avoid? How | | | | it so you can take the leftovers home and eat |
| about snacks? What can you comfortably reduce | | | | for lunch the next day. There are tons of recipes |
| (or cut altogether) to save on your weekly bill?It | | | | online that can help you make tasty meals out of |
| is also easier to reduce when you are not hungry | | | | what you have leftover in the fridge.But probably |
| when you go to the store. And if you can't go to | | | | the easiest way to save money by recycling is |
| the store alone, make sure your spouse or your | | | | actually to earn money by doing it. We sort out |
| kids are on the same page as you - have a | | | | glass, cash-redemption plastic, and cans in our |
| common goal to figure out together how you can | | | | garage. A lot of our friends and family members |
| reduce the purchase of expensive, un-needed | | | | want to recycle but don't know how to do it |
| items. | | | | conveniently in their area or just don't want to |
| RE-USE - A lot of what we spend each week | | | | spend the time. They know that we recycle on a |
| goes into convenience and packaging. Lunch and | | | | regular basis, so almost every time we get |
| snacks for the kids are packaged into convenient | | | | together, they hand us a grocery bag full of soda |
| single-use servings. You can save by re-using | | | | cans or beer bottles or other stuff to recycle. |
| bottles and by using washable plastic containers | | | | They want to do the right thing for the |
| for these types of purchases. Here are a few | | | | environment, and they are happy to let someone |
| examples: Pudding is a yummy snack and the | | | | else get the money as long as their stuff is |
| single-use containers sure make it convenient. | | | | getting taken care of. We earn an additional |
| However, a 4-pack of pudding costs around | | | | $20-$30 a month by just volunteering to clean up |
| $2.50, and a box of pudding is usually $.99 or less | | | | at parties and at work. With fuel getting more |
| on sale. Pudding is really easy to make. You just | | | | expensive, food staples will continue to rise in |
| mix the box of pudding stuff with two cups of | | | | price. |
| milk and put it in the fridge to set. Even if your | | | | Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle is an easy slogan to |
| kids lose the plastic containers now and then, you | | | | remember and will save you money on your |
| are still spending half as much. Or take the | | | | grocery bills. |