This has been one of those years where I got more than enough reminders to “seize the day” . It’s also been a year that made me see that sometimes you really do have to tear it all down to rebuild it the way you want it.

My life changed so drastically at the beginning of the year when I lost my brother that I had to reevaluate everything in my life. No promise of tomorrow …. no kidding!

With that in mind of I’ve stripped Thrifty Foodies bare, re-imagined what it is and how it will evolve and decided on a slightly different approach.

Right now I’m in the renewal phase and putting all my ducks in a row. I’ve spent the last few months getting back up to speed on what’s in demand and what’s needed in the blogosphere and am ready to really “seize the day”.

One of the first things I’ll be doing is blogging EVERY DAY. I get so caught up in the actual daily LIVING, that I forget to share the things I’ve created, discovered, or to which I’ve been introduced. But that’s going to change starting today.

I’ve also decided that every time I win a giveaway, get a free sample, or  get a coupon to try a new product I’m going to review it. Got to build up the credentials to get companies to send me goodies so I can do giveaways at a point not to far into the future.

So without further adieu, please check out my next post, which is a review of a box full of True Lemon products that I received a few weeks ago when I won a giveaway on  Cookistry. This Cookistry link is to the actual page for the giveaway that I won so you can get an idea of all the goodies I received.

In the coming weeks I’ll be doing a series of posts on the topic of getting what you pay for. It may seem obvious that you always want to get what you pay for, but far too often companies either accidentally or purposefully take advantage of naiveté in consumers to get the economic upper-hand.

First in our series is “Baby Carrots” and other lies our produce man has told us..

Thrifty Foodies know that to be sure you get the most from your grocery dollars you need to do your grocery shopping with a plan.

Recently some friends and I were discussing that teaching “Home Economics or Domestic Science” should be reinstated in schools where it is no longer a part of the curriculum. Learning meal planning and how to shop wisely has saved me thousands of dollars every year and in these times every penny counts.

Spending half an hour a few days before shopping day to walk around the house and check on the supply of staple items (things you use almost daily) and also those odds and ends things like the spice rack and the condiment shelf will save you a fortune in both money and time.

In the past I have wasted so much money buying things I did not really need and forgetting to get the things that were key ingredients to a particular dish I wanted to make. Often I’d have to make a special trip to the more expensive but closer store to grab that one item I overlooked. That one more expensive addition then throws off the per serving cost in a huge way.

Many grocery stores offer Blank Lists broken down by aisle or category, but I prefer to make my list according to store and then the layout of the store. That also helps me to spend less time shopping, and after all time is money.

Of course, everyone has heard “Don’t go shopping when you are hungry” at least once in their life. Remember it! Failing to heed that warning can and will cost you money and time (on the treadmill).

Here are some things I have learned that have saved me a lot of money over the years.

1. Make a general meal plan for the week before you make the grocery list.
2. Set a budget for the week for food and for essentials and stick to it.
3. Know the prices of items you  buy often, in specific stores.
4. Don’t stock up on something just because it’s on sale unless it’s something you use VERY often.
5. Buy family packs of meat even if you are only one or two people and portion it into meals and freeze it.
6. Don’t buy everything in one store unless you have no choice.
7. Don’t assume warehouse stores are less expensive just because they sell bulk quantities.
8. Don’t buy bulk unless you’re going to use bulk!
9. Check packaging and sell by dates on everything!
10. Know the coupon policies of each store where you shop. Some allow coupon stacking and that can save you tons of money.
11. Don’t be afraid to buy “reduced” meat if you will use it or freeze it right away.
12. Carry coolers or at least cool bags and ice packs with you when you shop. Keeping vegetables and fruit temperatures even helps them last longer.
13. Spend the money for some of those Fresh Bag or Green Bags
    they do work. (more on this later)

Welcome to the first day of Thrifty Foodies adventures.

Alright so this is not the first online adventure I have ever had but it is my first food adventure and I want to invite you to come along and share it with me.

I’m off and running with a few words about who I am and where the vision for this site first began.

Visit our About Us page and then stop on over and get to know Lori as an individual.