Meals for a Steal/Coupon Conference Recap

This is a recap of what we talked about at Wendy's house a few weeks ago. If you have yummy recipes that you've tried that you'd like to post, please email them to me and I will post them. I will be posting more menu ideas and recipes for meals and snacks later on today.

My Motto: “It doesn’t matter how much you make, but how much you spend.”

Tricks of the Trade
1. Be Prepared, Make a Plan, Organize!
2. Write down your expenses and decide on food budget
3. Save the weekly ads and coupons in a “coupon corner” (take the entire stack of paper and write the date on the front)
4. Look in your pantry and fridge and the ads (and your calendar)
5. Plan a menu
6. Write a list of items needed (best deals around perimeter of store)
7. Check on couponmom.com for the coupon dates for the items that you want for the store that you’re going to (for Winco, check the coupon database for items you are already planning on getting)
8. Take cash only to the grocery store
9. Buy items you regularly use when they are on sale (and buy extra to have for the future)
10. Sign up in the store for “club cards”, online for sales e-mails for stores that you regularly shop at (food, clothing, shoes) and join birthday clubs for family members (Toys R Us, yogurt and ice cream shops)

Websites
1. Mealsforasteal.blogspot.com (my new blog with tips to saving money and recipes for yummy meals and snacks)
**Feel free to email me at kristinakessler@hotmail.com with your taste-tested yummy, healthy, and inexpensive recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
2. Couponmom.com (matches up sales for stores that double coupons and their weekly specials, also has a coupon database)
3. Moneysavingmom.com (inspiration for spending less money, menu ideas)
4. Babycheapskate.com (deals for diapers and formula for the week and other children’s things)
5. Hillbillyhousewife.com (low cost home cooking from scratch)
6. Caregiversmarketplace.com (rebates for huggies, cottonelle wipes, other items)