- my iParenting

- quick clicks
- grandparents today articles
- grandparents today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.

Frugal Tips
Save Money in the Kitchen!
By Tawra Kellam
For many people, cutting back on their grocery budgets can be an overwhelming experience. They know they're spending too much, but don't know where to begin to cut. Often, they fear that they will deprive themselves and their children if they become frugal. The good news is that there are ways to have your cake, eat it and save money at the same time.
The whole secret is to start slowly. There are countless ways you can cut, but if you need to, target just one thing at a time -- you will still be saving money if you do only one thing. If you are a frugal beginner, try these simple suggestions from my cookbook, Not Just Beans, for saving on your food bill!
- Cooking frugally is like changing your diet. You need to learn gradually how to save money and cook frugally. Don't expect that you will get your food bill down to $150 for four people in the first month if you are spending $600 a month right now.
- Try cutting just $25 or $50 a month. Even if you cut back only $50 a month, you will save $600 a year. If you save just $1 a day, that's $365 a year! You can then apply that $365 a year to paying off your credit cards. At 21 percent interest, you will save more than $70 a year. This will eventually cause a snowball effect since the more you pay off, the less you pay to interest. When you pay less to interest, you have more each month to apply to paying off your overall debt. This means that as you pay off the debt, the rate at which you can pay it off increases.
- Before you shop, take a tour through your pantry and your refrigerator. Be organized! Don't buy what's already hiding in your kitchen. How It Adds Up!
Want to see more?
- See what our experts say about saving money
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Try Tawra's recipes for Granola Bars
- Dinner As Easy As 1, 2, 3!
- Cook's Dictionary


