Saving $$ Through the Year

With grocery costs skyrocketing, I am constantly looking for ways to cut those costs. With a family of 8, it is sometimes difficult to keep our grocery bill low. But, it is possible. First, ask the Lord to give you wisdom in this area. God has shown me many resources and put me in the path of many people who are looking for the same things as I am. I specifically look for frugal ways of living and but added to that, I want to feed my family un-processed, low sugar, whole foods.

frugal + healthy = LOTS OF $$$ reasonable budget

Here is one of the many ways to cut costs in your grocery bill. Stock up when produce is in season! This is KEY!! If you want blueberries right now, you can get a great price, because they are in season. What if you want to make a blueberry dessert or add blueberries in your fruit salad in February? You pay 3 times as much (or more!) But if you plan ahead, you could throw in some blueberries for your healthy smoothie in November without breaking the bank.

There is a wealth of information out there, so I am not going to try to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. I am just going to give you a few pointers and ideas of what to look for at various times of the year. Most produce can be easily frozen. You can get tips for preserving food here.

• January-Citrus fruits and pears
• February-Chocolate
• March-Frozen veggies
• April-Broccoli and cauliflower
• May-Asparagus, buns, ground meat
• June- Strawberries
• July- Blueberries, peaches, plums, watermelon
• August- Corn, tomatoes, peppers, beans, zucchini
• September-Apples
• October-Pumpkins (if you wait until Nov 1, you can get them FREE), sweet potatoes
• November-Turkeys, baking items
• December-Citrus fruits, cranberries, ham

These are just to name a few! Here is what I did with my blueberries this week.

Wash berries

Lay flat on a cookie sheet and freeze overnight.

Put frozen berries into gallon bag, seal, label, and freeze! "Fresh" blueberries until next July :o) If they (grocery stores) can freeze and preserve foods, then you can too; at a huge saving to you!