this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

So, apparently the sky is falling.


photo by GilbertoFilho .

The economy is not in a great spot right now, and though I don't know exactly what it means for my family, I do know that saving what we can is probably a good thing because that rainy day might come sooner rather than later.  Every little bit counts and can add up to a significant amount over time. One way I feel like I can save a bit more is with groceries.  Monkey is starting to eat more real food, and I'm noticing it when I go grocery shopping.  Instead of increasing the budget, I've thought of a few ways to counteract that so I can keep spending the same at the store - or maybe less.

First off, I did some stocking up last month, so I really want to try and eat the food we already have.  I'm making a bigger effort to use up all of our leftovers.  This takes some creativity, but I haven't been to the store in a week and a half (except for a milk run), so something is working!  Another thing I'd like to do is cut down my milk consumption.  I can easily drink a gallon in a week, just on my own.  If I buy milk for myself just every other week, I'll save around $5 a month.  I'd also like to encourage Buggy to drink more water and a little less milk.  The third thing I've thought of is to bake some snacks to keep on hand, so I'm not having to buy so much at the store.  I've thought of muffins, any other ideas for healthy homemade snacks?

While these changes aren't monumental, they should cancel out the fact that I'm starting to spend more a little bit more on groceries on account of a growing 15 month old.

What are your ideas to save just a little bit more on groceries?