INTRODUCTION

“Mottainai is a Japanese word that expresses regret regarding wastefulness. It manages to not only capture the shame of wasting a precious resource, but also hold onto the gratitude for what a gift (food, time, money, etc.) it was in the first place.”

–– Lindsay-Jean

This website mainly introduces 3 eBooks that are tools for vegans and meat eaters alike. Yes, it is possible to smash your grocery bill in half, outside of recipes or couponing, because I have done it for many years. I don't concern myself much about rising food prices, because there is usually a workaround to help me stay on track.

Hello, I appreciate your visit. I love food and I am one that love strawberries, that can be pricey, especially when purchased out of season in my area. So in response to this, I have a multi-functional strawberry container garden that serves as a hobby, landscaping, as well as an awesome grocery budget stretcher because I'm into frugality big time when it come to stretching those food dollars, which can eat up a large chuck of cash. How to stretch a grocery budget, as well as to eat healthy as much as possible, is also a goal for many. 

Please check out my Kindle eBook “7  Strategic Methodologies To Stretch Those Food Budget Dollars When Dining In Or Out”, my YouTube Channel “The Frugal Table”, and my Pinterest Board “Home Budget Stretchers” below.

WHEN GROCERY BUDGETING COMES TO MIND, A LOT OF TIMES THE WORD DEPRIVATION POPS UP.

Actually saving big on groceries can and does exist without depriving oneself. By putting lesser known strategies to work outside of recipes, or coupons do exist in putting economical, as well as nutritious meals on the table for half the price, or even less.

It only depends on you being true to yourself, and what you are willing to learn, and implement. First and foremost, to work well the savings strategies must be a good fit for you. For example, some like grocery couponing, and some don't. Others like couponing, but not to the extreme, while others wouldn't have it any other way. It's all about what's a good fit for you. When you elect to do more, you save more.

That's not to say that ten strategies that are well suited to you, and that you enjoy, would work less for you than twenty that are not good fits. While implementing many strategies can be effective in reducing your food cost, in all likelihood the strategies that fit your specific needs will work the hardest for you.

In my eBooks you will see me demonstrate working strategies, and sometimes doing workarounds for a better fit for my specific needs. There are times too where you just don't know if a strategy will work until you try it. So, on the other hand, it could be important to keep somewhat of an open mind, because I've had strategies that I didn't think would work that absolutely rocked for me. In addition, even though my eBooks are jammed packed with ideas, I think digesting and implementing a little at a time is advisable.

Furthermore, being a former extreme couponer myself, I realized first-hand that you can save a lot of money on groceries when couponing smart, while possibly wasting money when you don't. So for example, even a popular strategy like grocery couponing may not be a good savings strategy for you, while being an awesome fit for someone else.

To be on the same page, these eBooks will touch on, but will not cover grocery couponing in any significant way. Even though these eBooks do not cover recipes, or couponing, hopefully they do honor the goal in conveying that there exist other hard working grocery budget stretching tools, often seldom addressed, that are up for the task.

For instance, you may, or may not be aware that there are popular unconventional ways to stretch those food dollars like for example, using what might be labeled food scraps. I freeze citrus zest for other applications, make my own vegetable broth, so on and so forth from leftover scraps.

I think the proper usage of scraps are critical in what I call saving on the back end. I am absolutely in love with the book Cooking with Scraps. For more information click below. I found this resource helpful for many reasons, but mainly because I am a big believer in saving on the front end as well as the often neglected back.

Isn't it interesting that even the greatest, or at the very least, among the greatest countries in the world, there exist food hunger? So many people work hungry, attend school including college hungry, even though there exist tons of food being discarded every day, for reasons too numerous to count. One reason being, in today's world it takes knowledge to put together nourishing meals, reading labels, that kind of thing. And it's not always about money either, because nutrients don't care about price. In addition meal planning has to be specific to your nutritional needs, like breast feeding, anemia, or diabetes. 

I have written eBooks, a part 1 & part 2 among others that are presented here on the website containing workarounds that could drastically reduce your grocery bills. Because I'm one that realize too, that you can only stretch those food dollars so far, well then perhaps some workarounds are definitely in order. However make no mistake that this is still work that requires a labor of love, and continuous effort. Because when the work stops, the savings stop bottomline.

The information presented in my eBooks are budget changing and will, in all probability, serve you well as long as you use them. Some are hard working tools, like for instance practicality, that have stood the test of time, with rare demonstrated examples to enhance learning. I think that these unique food budget stretching tools, and concepts will be tools you will be excited to add to your grocery saving repertoire.

WHEN I STARTED ON MY FOOD BUDGET STRETCHING JOURNEY, I STARTED WITH THE ISSUE THAT I WAS EATING OUT TOO MUCH.

Like a lot of people, I enjoy takeout, or dining out on occasion, but I learned to budget for these types of food expenditures as well. So, a great place to start for me, in sharing my experience was to become a big fan of budgets, and I strongly believe in budgeting eating out dollars, but not to the point of deprivation.

At home I oftentimes enjoy a strawberry in unsweetened plain water. However, when eating out at a restaurant, I drink plain water, which is still nice. So, if you like water, then by all means have water, because having water is definitely an awesome dining out budget stretcher. But on the other hand, if you feel deprived having water, it might be a better option to eat out less, and have whatever you want to have within budget of course, when you do go out. 

If you have kind of a habit of eating out a lot, you could consider creating a new habit, with the realization that we create habits and not necessarily the other way around. So, to entertain creating a new habit where you are better served in the now, you might entertain the idea of going out at the beginning of every month, and dining in the remainder of the month. Some stock up a few freezer meals to have on hand, or they implement a meal kit service. With a meal kit you can select what type of meals, whether vegetarian or meat, and it gives you another option of enjoying meals in the privacy of your home. To learn more, see the Hello Fresh meal kit link below.

Over the years I have discovered many ways to stretch those dining out dollars, in which many are discussed in my eBooks presented here. A few are talked about in the Part 1 eBook. One workaround I'm particularly fond of is making homemade mock restaurant meals at home. For more information click below. The print is small on some devices, so as a suggestion, you might want to use the text-to-speech. Another game changer, in my opinion, which is shared by many, is the Instant Pot.

For “out of the box grocery stockpiling,” you may download as a free gift my eBook entitled “The Grocery Stockpiler” by providing your email address. Or, you may purchase the eBook below.

To be upfront and on the same page, this eBook is not a recipe or grocery couponing kind of read per-se, but focuses mainly on some “in the box, as well as some out of the box” ways to stretch those food dollars further. You might be one that stays abreast and heard in the news that food prices once again are going up. If you decide to give it a go, this eBook could be a timely read, as well as a valuable resource. To purchase eBook 1 click below.

There are quite a few workarounds that I presented, for example, if you have a need to reduce your cost of eating out you may be interested in some workarounds to stretch those dining out dollars. Or you may be one that seldom eats out, but have an interest in reducing the amount that you pay for food. People ask this same exact question all of the time, online as well as offline, but I have yet to see the answer to the question:

CAN I STILL EAT HEALTHY ON A $200 MONTHLY BUDGET OR ANY BUDGET THAT'S STATED?

Finally, I think this very question is answered in eBook 1, taking into consideration family size, food choices, and the like. You or anyone else can assign a dollar amount, however what has to be determined is can you make it work. For instance, if you only have $200.00 per month to spend on food, I for one believe that it is possible with tight budgets being relative to make it happen. There exist a multitude of inexpensive, as well as nutritious options available that are not hidden, but unknown just the same. A lot of things you might have to give up, do some workarounds, but good nutrition on an extremely low budget, for the most part, I think is doable.

I THINK A POPULAR PREMISE OF BUYING A LOT OF FOOD IS HEALTHY, IN AND OF ITSELF, WHILE BUYING LESS FOOD IS CONSIDERED NOT AS HEALTHY IS FALSE.

To be honest, eating healthy has little, in my opinion, to do with available budget dollars. There are small budgets that are healthy, and large budgets that are not, realizing that it is possible to spend a great deal of money on nutrient deficient food. Let me say too, that while I do understand tight budgets, however my focus in my eBooks are on any food budget, because I am a big believer that inexpensive nutritionally dense foods can be had on almost any budget. I am one that believes that thrifty habits are a good thing when not overdone, and is always in season for anyone who has an interest. My mantra is, regardless of your food budget, if you can get good nutrition for less, why not?

I think that after reading these eBooks, in all likelihood, not only will your food dollars stretch, but you the reader may be transformed in viewing savings as the noun, as well as the hard working verb that a lot of us are already experiencing.

You may have noticed that some food manufacturers, as a workaround to raising prices, are perhaps reducing the content, the packaging, or perhaps sometimes both. I for one, can appreciate efforts in keeping prices low.

However, as a consumer you also have workarounds that are available to you to help you save too. It's my thinking that there is almost always some unidentified stretch to be had. For instance, there is mention in one of the eBooks that talks about meatless Mondays, and how you can actually spend additional money without being abreast of how to maximize the potential savings when using this awesome tool.

You might be surprised just how hard the meatless Mondays budget stretching tool can work when using some seldom presented information, and how expensive it can be when you don't. Furthermore, you might be familiar with the saying that it is not as simple as it looks. This could definitely be the case when applied to meatless Mondays, as well as many others. It is my thinking as well, that it is almost always some probability that there is more to know about what we know that could translate into more stretch. To purchase eBook 2 click the link below.

JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE IS USING, AND SAVING A DECENT AMOUNT USING SALES CYCLES, AND PATRONIZING OFF-PRICED STORES, DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD.

If you don't like using any given grocery saving strategy, keep looking for the ones that are a good fit for you. What tools you enjoy implementing to get you to your savings goal, as well as keep you there, matters much. We also as consumers, in my opinion save money when we put ourselves out there, being open and receptive to new learning, because from my experience, everything worthwhile has a price, and in all likelihood starts with a seed.

In addition, I think it's a good idea to be proactive in selecting seeds, because as you probably already know, we as consumers are selective and don't all plant the same seeds necessarily, even in our own personal gardens. 

For example, I might like planting a few chickpeas in my backyard, with their awesome nutritional profile. Whereas you might like to plant heirloom tomatoes, which taste absolutely delicious, whether from your garden or the farmers market. With this being said, I think it's very important to not overlook what we are personally trying to create in our very own unique savings experience as we start with the seeds, or savings vehicles of our own choosing. 

ALSO GROWING A LITTLE FOOD SECURITY CAN BE AN AWESOME FOOD BUDGET STRETCHER, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MUCH.

I love having a small backyard garden, but that is just one option. Another option could be to consider a window seal herb garden. A lot of us use herbs and know firsthand that fresh herbs are not cheap. They also can invite waste if not stored properly. However, growing your own fresh herbs can be a game changer in stretching those food budget dollars.

A small kitchen herb garden can be wonderful for those who like to save, and also are willing to put in the work. We all know that even the food we buy at the grocery store doesn't just appear. Some of the beginnings of food starts out with the hard working farmer planting seeds in the ground with the anticipation of a crop.

So, with food being a necessity, I feel that we too as consumers whenever possible, have the option of growing for ourselves some type of food source that is a good fit for us.

I'm a frugal girl in love with hard work that I wholeheartedly enjoy. Make no mistake saving is hard work that doesn't necessarily seem like the hard work it is, when it is a thing that is nurtured, enjoyed, and valued. Bottom line, like the farmer planting seeds, be prepared to work.

In summary, these frugal eBooks caters to anyone interested in stretching their food budget dollars, whether being vegan or a meat eater. Some saving tips are universal, and some are not, so my eBooks cater to vegans and meat eaters alike. I have been both, and speak from experience. These are frugal tools in my frugal tool box that I have acquired and used over the years that did not disappoint. Let me say too that when I first started my frugal journal, frugality was new and strange, like it may be to you now, but was something I needed to explore, because food which a lot of us take for granted, was not going to put itself on the table. 

Yes food budget stretching is work, but the work has become a part of me now, so I oftentimes don't see it as work per-se. However I know it's present, because work is a necessary ingredient in stretching those food budget dollars. Furthermore, let me also say it's not all about the work, it's actually fun too, and exciting. Over time like most skills, it gets easier, but bottom line when the work stops, the savings does too.

I am a home economist, and former home extension volunteer. I am in love with the frugal lifestyle. From my experience however, frugality has not come cheap, but has taken hours and hours of research, hard work, and life experience. Being frugal however, is my lifestyle. In addition to food, some other consumer goods such as prescription medications, and eyeglasses are also on the rise. Warby Parker has excellent prices on eyeglass frames that can be sent to you, to try out prior to purchase, for a shop at home experience. For more information click below.

As for as prescription medications there are qualifying programs that offer medication assistance as well as non-qualifying that you can have and use with private health  insurance with or without a drug benefit, or Medicare. If interested click above.

Anyway, I appreciate your visit, and it is my hope that you find in my eBooks, that nugget of information that will assist you on your frugal journey of always learning and sharing. If you are interested in learning about more grocery frugal tools that are seldom addressed, but nevertheless I think are important to know about, let's keep in touch.

It is my hope that you plant whatever seeds from my eBooks that are a good fit for you in helping you stretch those grocery dollars, with the realization of paying less for more.

“True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own.”

 – Nikos Kazantzakis

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