While it is true that couponing takes time, effort and fair amount of work, to be a successful couponer, does not mean you have to devote every waking moment to it. If you haven’t read the first part of this post click here: Successful #Couponing: Part 1

Planning Ahead

1. Plan out your couponing shopping trip – to the penny if you can. Use coupon matching sites to help you know what the best deals are. The more you plan it out, the smoother it will go in the store, so be as detailed as you can listing product name (and variety if necessary), size/ct., retail price, sale price, coupon value, and price you expect to pay.
2. Look at your calendar and shop accordingly. After major holidays you can find items that might have holiday specific packaging, which will be marked down with the rest of the holiday items.
3. Understand the coupons and sale prices usually coincide for free or near free pricing only twice a year. So if you CAN, buy enough to last your household six months.

Opportunity Awareness

1. Never go into a store that accepts coupons without your coupon binder. You never know when a store may be putting an item on sale – due to overstock, or package damage – that was not advertised.
2. When you have time, walk the outer perimeter of the store instead of the inside aisles. These endcaps often have items marked at clearance pricing.
3. Expand your store horizons – shop for cleaning products at home improvement stores, or hair products at a pharmacy.

Niceties

1. While you are a customer – like everyone else – your transaction may be a little more involved than others. So be polite and patient to both the other people in line and the cashier.
2. Never take more than a few coupons that are available in a store – peelies, tear pads, hangtags, booklets, recipe cards, etc. It is rude and will ultimately result in stores not putting them out as frequently or requiring you to ask for them at customer service.
3. Be the coupon fairy sometimes – if you have more coupons for an item than you plan to use or they are expiring soon, place them on the shelf next to the product. It’s a nice way to share the wealth, and make sure that a coupon doesn’t go to waste.

Stockpile Management

1. Rotate your products regularly. If you have a large amount of something, write the expiration date on the part of the label that will be visible while stacked on the shelf with a big marker, this will make it easier to see which to use first.
2. Do not get a large amount of an item that your family would never ever use – even if it’s free – unless you truly and honestly plan to donate it. For example – don’t get 30 bags of cat treats, just because they are free, if you don’t have a cat! Also consider the life of a product. If you have worked out a deal to get 20 pounds of strawberries for free or close to it, you need to be sure you have a means to use them all or freeze them.
3. Store items properly – cool dry place for most items, and freeze all of the freezable items.

Successful couponing is not about having 90 tubes of toothpaste or 80 bags of dog food. Successful couponing is about having an adequate supply of the items your family uses on a regular basis, so that you will not run out and have to pay full retail for that product. It is also about stretching your budget, and being able to buy high quality items for less than the price of generic. Here are some more tips on how to be a successful couponer.

Clipping and Collecting

1. You can either clip each coupon and put them into a filing system or you can save whole pages/inserts, it is a preference issue, as well as a storage system.
2. You need to decide how many papers you want to get based on what you expect each to have in them.
3. When shopping you should always scan the shelves for coupon booklets, blinkies, peelies, hangtags, recipe cards and tear pads. You can usually find useful coupons all over the store if you keep your eyes open. If you have small children with you, give the task to look for coupons on the shelf – it will keep them busy and engaged.

Organization

1. Choose a binder with clear “baseball card organizer sheets” or an accordion filer.
2. Divide your coupons into categories. Choose categories that are right for you, as well as make sense to you. Suggested categories: Frozen Foods, Fresh Meats, Beverages, Cooking/Baking, Cereal, Snacks, Perishables, Non-Perishables, Medications, Personal Care (can be broken up into Dental, His and Hers), Cleaning Products, Paper Goods, Non-food Misc., Pet Food
3. You must attend to your coupons weekly, at the very least. You also want to purge your coupons at least twice a month – checking for expiration dates, as well as to ensure that use a coupon before it expires. But keep in mind that you do not have to use a coupon just because, it just means you look for a deal on that item.

Understanding Policies and Procedures

1. Carry a printed copy of your most commonly frequented stores’ policies in your binder. And check to see if things have changed at least once every few months.
2. If a checker performs the transaction in a way that conflicts with the written policy, refer to it. Be polite and ask for clarification, from a manager if necessary. While each store might have their own practices, they should at least honor the corporate policy.
3. Do your best to read fine print – on both manufacturer’s and store coupons. Some coupons list specific limitations on using multiple coupons in a singular transaction, others have limitations on scents/flavors or sizes.

Come back next Friday for part two with more tips on how to be a Successful couponer.

One of the top New Year’s Resolutions made by people is to lose weight and/ or eat healthier. Many people give up after the first day of working on this goal. There are so many excuses people give as to why they cannot eat healthier, but one I hear a lot is that it cost too much money to eat healthy. There are a lot of ways you can spend less at the grocery store and still eat healthy. Being a good example of eating healthy will help encourage your children to eat healthier too. Here are a few ideas to help you save money while still buying healthier foods at the grocery.

Plan Meals and Snacks

If you want to succeed at eating healthier, it will be easier if you have a plan to follow. Make a weekly meal plan of what you and your family will eat. Include all meals and snacks you will eat for the week. There are a ton of great websites to help you find healthier recipes. A few of my favorite are Spark People, Weight Watchers, Skinny Taste, Eating Well, Cooking Light, and Skinny Crockpot. Once you have a plan make a grocery list and stick to it.

Buy Fruits and Vegetables in Season

Fruits and Vegetables are really important in the diet if you are trying to eat healthier, but fruits and vegetables can cost more and be a little scary to add to your list. Look for fruits and vegetables that are in season, you will find that these cost less. If you find a really good deal on them buy more and freeze for later use when they are more expensive. I have done this with strawberries, blueberries, and green peppers to name a few. A few fruits and vegetables that are in season in January include broccoli, cabbage, grapefruit, oranges, and lemons.

Buying fresh is best but also check prices for frozen and canned. These can often be better deals when they are not in season. Buying from farmers markets and cooperatives can also save you money. Also consider planting a garden. This will not only save you money on fruits and vegetables, but can also help you get more activity in your day. You can also preserve garden food by canning or freezing to use when they are not in season. Visit the Ball Canning and Preserving website for more information on canning and freezing.

Buy Generic Brands

Generic brand foods have come a long way, so don’t be afraid to add those to your buggy to save money. Many generic brands taste really good, have the same nutrition, and are usually significantly cheaper. Make sure to check the nutrition label on the product to compare nutrition facts between the brand and generic. Recently I was buying low fat cheese singles and decided one day to look at the generic brand to compare. Not only was it the same in fat and calories, but it was also at least $1.00 cheaper and included more slices per package. So don’t be afraid to include generic brand foods in your healthy eating plan.

Shop at Convenience Stores/Pharmacies

Most convenient stores, like gas stations, and pharmacies sell food at a much higher price. However you will find some deals there too. Many of these types of stores will have items they sell for cheaper to get customers in the store to buy other higher priced items. One item you will find this true for is milk. Some of these stores will have milk for the cheapest around as well as other items. So don’t leave these stores out because you think they are more expensive. There can be at least a few good deals in these stores.

Shop Outlet Stores

Outlet stores are a great way to save money at the grocery. My biggest piece of advice when shopping at these types of stores is to look for dates on products. Some of these stores will sell items with really bad sell by dates that might not make it a great deal after all. One of my favorite outlet stores is bread outlets. They have lots of bread choices that are healthy, including whole wheat, which you can often get for as little as one dollar per loaf. Just be sure to stay away from junk food in the bread outlets. There are several outlet stores across the country. The one I have closest to me is United Grocery Outlet.

Many families are still struggling with the high cost of food.  Thanksgiving is one holiday that we spend more money on food than usual.  Being frugal does not mean we have to give up all that food we enjoy eating, it means that we just need to plan for this extra expense in our budget.  Here are a few ideas to make your Thanksgiving a little more budget friendly.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is one of the best pieces of advice you can get for planning a frugal Thanksgiving.  If you plan several weeks ahead, you will find that there are plenty of coupons and specials to help you get the most for your money.  Plan to spend a little each week on the extra items you will need and then you will not feel like you are spending so much money. You can also plan ahead by getting most of the food items cooked ahead of time.  This will allow you to spend more time with your family on the big day.  Here are a few recipes for you to try that you can make ahead of time.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Make-Ahead Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce

Freezer Apple Pie

Shop for the Cheapest Turkey

During the holidays, many stores will mark down turkeys.  There are also great coupons on turkeys and other Thanksgiving foods during this time.  Right now you can get a coupon for $3 off a Butterball Turkey when you buy 4 other products like Stove Top Stuffing or Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.  This is a great deal because lots of these products are already marked down.  Many stores also offer deals like buying so much in groceries and then you get a free turkey or a greatly reduced one. This can be a good deal if you really need the other items you are buying to get the great turkey deal.  While turkeys are marked down so cheap, consider buying a second one to place in your freezer for a future dinner.  This will save you money later. 

Bake Your Own Pies

If you buy a pie from the store you can easily spend $10 for each pie.  Why not make your own pies for Thanksgiving.  You spend a lot less money and get more pies since most recipes will make more than one pie. Here is a basic pie crust recipe that includes a video.  With a little practice you can easily make your own pies and save money. 

Choose Potluck

One great way to save money and have more time with the family is to have your guest bring dishes for the dinner.  Most family members will be more than happy to help you out.  This will also give you a good selection of different foods.

Use Leftovers

When planning your Thanksgiving meal, plan for leftover meals.  I can easily get two or more meals with my leftovers.  One casserole I love to make is the Thanksgiving Memories Casserole.  My kids love it and you can basically use what you have leftover.  This will also help to stretch your food budget and not make you feel like you are spending so much money on one meal.

It’s that time of year where many families start getting ready for their kids to go back to school. One thing every child will need everyday  is a lunch.   As a parent, you will have to figure out what you plan do about school lunches.  You want to feed your child a well balanced meal but one that won’t put a big dent in your budget.  Here are a few ideas to help you save money on those school lunches.

Compare Prices

Take a look at the school menus and decide if you feel it is a well balanced meal for your child.  Also consider the price of the lunch and how much it would cost for you to bring food from home.  It will depend on what school your child goes to and where you live to determine which one is the better value.    

Free/Reduced Lunch Program

If your family is at a certain income level, your child may be eligible for free or reduced lunches.  Every year, you will need to fill out a new eligibility form to see if your family qualifies.  If you qualify you would be able to save money and not worry about school lunches altogether.  So, take advantage of the school lunch program if your family qualifies.

Back to School Sales

If you decide to bring lunches form home, then you will want to stay on the lookout for items you will need.  Grocery stores place a lot of lunch items on sale during the back to school buying time.  This usually starts mid July through August.  You will also find a lot of coupons for lunch items during this time.  This is a great time to match coupons and stockpile on items your child enjoys for lunch.

Buy a Lunch Kit

During back to school time stores offer lunch kits (or boxes) at a great deal.  Buying one now will save you money later.  Many kits come with a thermos and plastic containers to store foods. Usually you can find one of these for under $10. You can also purchase extra plastic containers if needed.  These will help you save money by preparing items on your own.

Buy in Bulk

Buying foods your child enjoys for lunch in bulk will help you save money.  Some items that you should consider buying in bulk are puddings, yogurt, juice pouches, and canned fruits.

Use Leftovers

Buying your own lunch kits will allow you to save money by using leftovers.  Leftovers can be heated in the morning and placed in a thermos to eat later for lunch.  Leftovers will  stretch your food budget for lunch.

Consider Making It Yourself

Cooking from scratch may take longer but it will save you money on school  lunches.  If you feel like you do not have the time to cook from scratch, consider making weekly snacks on one day, like Saturday, for the whole week.  Making your own snack size portions  from larger cans and bags will also get you more for your money than buying the premade individual servings sold at the grocery store.  Here are a few items and recipes you can make for your child’s lunch to save money.

Air popped popcorn

Cut fruits and vegetables

Granola bars

Trail mix  (I just use whatever I have on hand like cereal, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, candies like M&M’s and mix it up)

Cookies (Use your favorite recipe)

Pudding (Make a big box of instant pudding and then make individual serving size to pack in lunch)

Cakes (Leftover cakes work great in a separate plastic box with a fork)

Homemade Fake GoGurts (Freeze these and place in lunch box by lunch time they will be thawed out to eat)

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/412013

Since so many fruits are in season during the summer, you can usually find them on sale at the store.  I like to wait until my berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) go to $1.00 a package and then I buy them up and freeze them for later use.  It’s so nice to be able to make a pie or cobbler in the winter with fresh fruit from my freezer, and I think they taste so much better than store bought frozen.  Another thing I like to do with those berries is make muffins with them and then freeze those muffins for later use.  This makes a quick and frugal breakfast for another busy morning.

Freezing Muffins

Freezing muffins is really easy.  After cooking the muffins according to your recipe, let them cool completely.  I like to wrap each muffin individually with wrap and then place enough for a family breakfast in one large freezer bag.  Make sure you get out all the air in the bag. I like to wrap them individually to prevent freezer burn. The muffins can stay in the freezer for up to three months, so make sure you label and date your bag.

Reheating Muffins

Reheating muffins from the freezer is really easy and quick.  First, you can get them directly from the freezer and place them back in the muffin tin and then place them in 350 degree oven until heated through.  If you have time to thaw them out before using them, you can just place them into the microwave for 20 second interval until you the muffin is as hot as you like.

Freezing Muffin Batter

Another way to freeze muffins is to just freeze the batter. In this method, all you do is make your batter as directed in the recipe and then place the batter as you would in the muffin tins.  Next, place the whole muffin tin in your freezer until the batter is frozen solid.  Then all you do is break the frozen batter from the tins with something, like a butter knife, and gently get it out.  Then place them in a freezer bag and get out all of the air. Make sure to label and date the bag.  Frozen muffin batter will last for about four months in the freezer.

Reheating Frozen Muffin Batter

To reheat frozen muffin batter, just place the batter back into the muffin tins.  You will then need to wait until the batter has completely thawed. Then you can heat the muffins as directed in your recipe.  This method is not one I choose for a quick breakfast.  If I know I’m going to have the muffins in the morning sometimes I’ll place some wrapping over the muffin tin and then thaw the batter overnight in my refrigerator.  Then all I have to do is place it in the oven in the morning. 

Berry Muffin Recipes

There are lots of berry muffin recipes that can be found searching online.  Here are a few of my favorite ones.

Berry-Smash Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Raspberry Muffins

Photo Credit: Dano

I used to think that buying a whole pre-cooked chicken at the grocery store was a great deal. The last couple of times I bought one it seemed so small. I think it was about 3 pounds, if that. It did not even feed my family of six one meal much less expect to have leftovers from it. I went to the grocery and found that buying a whole chicken and cooking it at home was actually less expensive. I was a little scared at first of roasting my own chicken, but it is similar to roasting a turkey and I have done that often. So I went online and found some information and recipes about roasting chickens. The whole process was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I usually get my chickens for $0.99 a pound unless I can find them on sale for less, of course. I try to get the biggest chicken I can so we can have leftovers. If you think you are too busy to roast a chicken during the week, consider making it on the weekend and then using the leftovers for meals that week. If you are wondering how to roast your own chicken, here’s how to get started.

Roasting Tools

You will need a roasting pan to cook your chicken in. You also want to look for a roasting rack., some pans already come with one of these. The rack allows the chicken to cook more evenly since the air circulates freely around the whole chicken. It also allows the chicken to sit freely away from its droppings, which will give you a crispier chicken. You can find roasting pans for pretty cheap at Goodwill stores. I found mine at Wal-Mart in the clearance section for $10. It’s been something I have used quite a bit. If you don’t have a rack, you can make a bed for your chicken with celery pieces, cut up lemons, and garlic. To allow for easy clean-up you can also line your pan with aluminum foil.

You will also need an instant read thermometer. This will help you make certain that the chicken is cooked to the proper temperature and under cooked, but also not overcooked either.

Preparing Your Chicken

Once you get your chicken home from the store there are several things you need to do before roasting. First, make sure your chicken is completely thawed out. Next, remove the neck and giblets. Then, wash the chicken with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and then rub spices on the chicken to season it. I personally like to place a small amount of olive oil on the chicken and then rub it with seasoning salt. After you complete these steps, you are ready to place your prepared chicken in your roasting pan.

Cooking Methods

There are two ways to roast a chicken. The first method is the regular method. With this method, you preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and then cook your prepared chicken for 20 minutes per pound plus 15 additional minutes. This method is the easiest, but sometimes does not give the appearance you want. The second method is the high heat method. This method leaves a crispy, darker skin. It is also my favorite way to roast a chicken. In this method, you preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Cook your prepared chicken for 10-15 minutes then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for 20 minutes per pound. Be sure to use your meat thermometer to check for doneness. Place the thermometer in the inner thigh; if it reads 165 degrees F, then your chicken is cooked.

Whole Chicken Recipes

There are a lot of really great whole chicken recipes to try.  These usually have different spices to rub your chicken with before cooking.  Here are a few I like:

Spicy Rapid Roast Chicken

Simple Whole Roasted Chicken

Chicken Leftovers

One of the main reasons I make a whole chicken is for the leftovers.  You can use leftovers in soups, casseroles, and other recipes that use chicken.  Don’t forget to save the carcass of the chicken.  You can make your own homemade chicken broth to use in other recipes later.  You can also make gravy out of the droppings.  So, don’t let any otf those things go to waste either.  Here’s a great tutorial on making homemade chicken broth.

Coupons can save you hundreds of dollars a month on your grocery bill, but they can be time consuming and they aren’t for everyone. If you are looking for quick and easy ways to save money on your grocery bill but don’t want to resort to couponing, check out these tried and true tricks.

1. Buy Seasonally. Produce is always cheaper when it’s in season and most fruits and vegetables freeze well so you can stock up while the price is low. My 7-year-old son loves mangoes but if you buy them at the wrong time they can be pricey. He learned a great lesson on saving money when we checked the price of mangoes over a period of several weeks. Mangoes started at over $2 each and I let him know that he could buy 1 now or wait and get quite a few more. He chose to wait. A few weeks later they were priced at $0.33 and we bought extra and stocked our freezer with sliced mangoes that lasted us for 6 months. Lesson learned.
2. Waste Less. No matter how much money you spent on your groceries, food that goes to waste is always going to end up costing you money. Save money by limiting food waste. Clean out your refrigerator and pantry often to stay on top of expiration dates and plan meals around what you already have as often as possible. Dinner leftovers can be used to pack a frugal lunch the next day or mixed into soups, stir fry’s or other great catchall dishes.
3. Shop Weekly and Make a List. Last minute shopping trips always end up being more expensive than you planned on. Every mom has run into the store to buy milk at one point or another and come out with a shopping cart full of groceries she didn’t really need. Limit impulse buying by shopping once a week and sticking to your shopping list as much as possible.
4. Eat Less Meat. Meat is often the most expensive portion of your meals. Limiting meat is not only good for your health, it’s also easier on your budget. Make meat go further by combining it with beans or cooked wheat berries (which can easily be cooked by throwing them in a crockpot for a few hours and refrigerated until needed).  When serving meat as a main course, supplement with several filling side dishes so that you can dish up smaller portions of meat. Recipes such as soups, homemade pizza, and stir-fry use less meat than serving meat as a main course and they are a great way to use up leftovers.
5. Shop at the Farmer’s Market. Seasonal produce can be purchased at extremely low prices from your local farmer’s market. After a few visits, you’ll start to become familiar with your local farmers and learn who offers the best value and the freshest produce.
6. Cook from Scratch. Processed foods can quickly max out your grocery budget, especially if you aren’t using coupons. Aim to cook from scratch as much as possible to save money and provide your family with healthier food choices. If you can find a bit of extra time in your schedule, you can save quite a bit of money by cooking basics such as bread, pizza dough, and granola bars from scratch.
7. Plan your Meals. Menu planning can save you hundreds of dollars a month on your grocery bill, but only if you don’t scrimp in the planning stage. It’s easy to rush through your meal planning and plan meals around whatever you happen to have lying around in your kitchen, only to have dinnertime roll around and the meal not sound appealing at all. We’ve all done it. Take the time to plan meals you actually want to eat and you’ll limit last minute trips to the grocery store or drive through window.
8. Cook Once, Eat Twice – Time is usually an issue when it comes to preparing meals. If you are rushing to get dinner on the table, chances are high that you’ll turn to your stack of pizza coupons or send your hubby through the drive through. Shorten the time you need to spend in the kitchen by cooking extra chicken, hamburger, or whatever meat you are serving and use half of it in a meal the next night. You’ll save time and money.
9. Stock up on Sale Items – You don’t have to use coupons to take advantage of sale items. Make a point of finding 2 or 3 great sale items during your weekly grocery trip and buying enough to last your family until the next sale. Stores usually run promotions on a 3-month rotation for non-perishables so if you estimate what your family will use during that time period you can avoid paying full price.
10. Plant a Garden – A garden may feel overwhelming if you don’t have much of a green thumb, but starting with a few easy to grow basics like tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans can give you a stash of fresh vegetables all summer long and make a good dent in your grocery budget.

Six years ago, I became a stay at home mom and had to learn to live on one income.  The biggest area I found to save money was on food.  I had to learn several new skills to help me save money on my family meals.  Here are a few things that really helped me.

Meal Planning

Meal planning is so important to saving money on the food budget.  I plan a monthly menu for my family because we get paid once a month.  Some people do weekly meal plans, so do what works for your family.  I like knowing I have everything I need for the month except milk, some breads like hot dog and hamburger buns, and fruits and veggies which I shop for weekly.  I don’t have to go back to the store to get the main items I need and end up spending more money later. When I have a plan, I do not have to worry and stress at 6 pm at night about what I am going to have or if my meat is thawed out.  Having a meal plan saves me time and money and removes some stress as well.  Check online to find free meal planner sheets.

Look for Sales and Stockpile

I like to check out the sales papers and see what is on sale before planning my menu.  I usually find ground chuck or chicken on sale.  When I find it on sale, I like to buy extra and stock up.  I then use the extra and make casseroles, chili and other things that can be easily frozen to use for another meal.  This saves me time when I go to make meals on a night I am tired and don’t feel like cooking.  I also like to stockpile items I know I will use often in my meal planning so that I can have it on hand.  I keep a price book so I know what the lowest price is for those items I use a lot of in my meal plans.  I often find items like canned goods, taco shells, ketchup, mustard, and even canned fruit.  Make sure you have a spot to store these and put the date on them so you make sure you use the oldest first.

Couponing

Using coupons is one way I add more money to my food budget.  I also like to match coupons to sales to save even more money.  You can find coupons in the Sunday paper, some magazines (“All You” is my favorite), and online.  I also joined a group called Vocalpoint that sends me samples and coupons to use for certain products.  I really like coupons.com to find my online coupons.  I also have found that I can sometimes buy brand name products for cheaper than the generic when I use coupons. I can add $20-$50 dollars to my food budget by using coupons or save that money to buy items on sale to stockpile. To make the most of your coupons, you need to find a way to organize them.  You can buy a simple accordian style organizer at a Dollar Store, make your own with a 3-ring binder or you can use a custom made one like the Coupon Organizer Pro which I really like.

Cooking From Scratch

I will admit that before I stayed at home I did not cook a lot from scratch.  I had to do this to be able to save money.  I found that finding some basic recipes on hand helped me make this easier.  I made a goal last year to make all the sandwich bread and I have saved money on my grocery bill just by making it from scratch.  It did take me awhile to find the perfect recipe for the bread and a few tries making it to get it right.  I also make most of my kid’s snacks like cookies, brownies, and granola bars. I like to make large batches of food items like waffles, pancakes, and soups and freeze them for later meals.  This saves me a lot of time later and I can just pull it out and heat it up.  Making things from scratch can save you money and I think the food taste better. I also like to look for recipes that are similar to meals we like at restaurants so we can save money by making them at home.  Here are some of my favorite recipes that I use for my make it from scratch recipes.

EZ Bread

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Taco Seasoning

Flour Tortillas

Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Low-Fat Bread Machine Itallian Bread

For the last couple of months, snow days have kept my kids at home more than at school.  My grocery budget has had to expand now that I am also fixing them breakfast and lunch, which they usually eat at school.  I have had to come up with some inexpensive meals to have on hand for the kids when they have snow days.  I also like things to be quick as my kids are ready to eat as soon as they get up.  I also like to use these quick, low cost breakfast ideas for the weekend.  Here are some of the breakfast ideas my family enjoys.

Cold Cereal

I like to find cereal on sale and match it with a coupon and sometimes even use the store reward card.  I can usually get a box of brand name cereal for under a dollar and have even found some for free.  That is the big thing that makes this meal seem cheaper for me.  I usually keep milk on hand for my kids to drink.  I also try to serve a fruit with my kid’s breakfast like a banana or apple.  There are several cereal coupon on Coupons.com right now that you could match with a sale or reward card deal.  You can also check the Sunday paper inserts for more.

Oatmeal

A whole container of oatmeal cost me about $3.00 for the generic brand.  There are 30 servings in a container, so that makes this a pretty cheap meal.  I usually add some brown sugar to the oatmeal and my kids seem to eat it better.   I also like to serve this meal with some bananas to help my kids get in some fruits.  I like to make the Old Fashioned Oatmeal and it takes about 5 minutes to cook, so this meal can be made pretty fast.

Pancakes/Waffles

Most kids love to eat pancakes for breakfast. I have a couple recipes my family enjoys.  I like to make a big batch on Saturday when I have more time.  I take the leftovers and place them on a long cookie sheet placing wax paper (I found the brand name at the Dollar Tree) between the layers of pancakes so they will not stick together.  I place the whole cookie sheet in my freezer.  This is called flash freezing.  After they are frozen, I place them in Ziplock freezer bags.  When you are ready for breakfast, you take them out of the freezer and heat them in your microwave.  These are very similar to the expensive frozen pancakes you can buy at the store.  You can also freeze waffles the same way if you want to make those instead. These will save you a lot of time in the mornings.  Here is my favorite recipe for bulk pancake making, I usually double the recipe.

Fluffy Pancakes

2 cups flour

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 tablespoon baking powder

1 large egg

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients with a fork.  Beat the egg. Add milk, vanilla, and mix well.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients mixture. Slowly pour the liquid ingredients mixture into the well. You may need to add more flour or water to get your batter to the consistency you desire.  Do not over mix.  The batter should be lumpy.  Place on a skillet (I like to use my long electric skillet) which has been heated over medium high heat and sprayed with butter flavored nonstick cooking spray.  I like to use ¼ cups of batter per pancake.  Those come out great for kids.   Cook until large bubbles form and then flip until golden brown.  Serve and freeze the leftovers.

 My kids go through a lot of syrup and sometimes I just do not have any in my pantry at the time. So I like to keep some homemade on hand. It is cheaper than the pancake syrup at the store and really easy to make. 

 Cheap Homemade Pancake Syrup

 4 cups white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 cups water

2 teaspoons vanilla or maple (I use whatever I have in the pantry)

Mix the sugars and water in a pot and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in flavoring. Cool and pour in a container.  I keep mine in the refrigerator, but you really do not have to do that.