It’s http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Cynthia

We’re all human, and we’re all gonna fall off the wagon sometimes. It’s wonderful to have a mentor that will freely admit to such things.

You’re also showing how to deal with inevitable shortcomings whether that was your intention or not. You’re not giving up, you’re getting right back up on that horse and carrying on. Fabulous!

Thanks for your awesome example!

I, too, break the budget in the eating-out category first! It’s so hard, in these running-around months, to remember to bring snacks, drinks and meals with us.

As far as eating healthy foods on a budget, I second the person who said check out farmer’s markets and even CSAs. Even if the produce is not organic, chances are they do not use nearly the amount of pesticides and preservatives as the big farms that ship nationally and internationally.

Also, pick-your-own farms can be some of the cheapest, especially if you plan on canning/freezing.

I’m sure June will be a great catch-up.

Take care

Good luck

I’m actually ahead of the game this month. I got my third (in 20 years!) child support check – wooohooo! So what if he still owes over $40,000!
My 17 year old is graduating this coming week, and has just started a new job. I can now afford to purchase his work clothes – and buy him a small graduation gift as well as pay a little something towards one of my bills.

For health reasons, I’ve been trying to buy more organic and whole foods. And it’s true that they are more expensive. I try to cook more from scratch, buy in bulk when I can, and we’ve put in a small garden.

I also use coupons whenever I can, and the following list is for companies that offer them.
http://farmfriends.organicvalley.coop/join/

http://ecards.stonyfield.com/subscriptions.cfm

http://www.mambosprouts.com/instantsavings/
http://www.mambosprouts.com/subscribe.php

http://www.horizonorganic.com/coupons/index.php

http://www.scojuice.com/

http://www.soydelicious.com/products/coupon.html

http://www.silksoymilk.com/SpecialOffers.aspx

http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons/

http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/

http://www.earthsbest.com/promos/index.php

http://www.knudsenjuices.com/p.....on=coupons

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/coupons

http://www.bobsredmill.com organic rice and some grains, available in bulk

http://www.healthvalley.com/contactus/index.php

http://www.alexiafoods.com/coupons.html

Check out this article – “Affording Organics in a Time of Recession”: http://www.organicconsumers.or....._12406.cfm

And this article: http://www.newdream.org/living.....rganic.php

Taste for Life magazine (Free monthly) has some great articles, seasonal recipes, usually has several coupons, and always has pages showing which organic and/or natural products are on sale for that particular month. Call your local grocers to see if they carry the magazine. A companion website is at: http://www.tasteforlife.com/default.asp

For those in the Portland, Oregon metro area – if you know someone receiving food stamps, there are now a half dozen or so Farmer’s Markets that accept food stamps. For low income parents with a child under 5, there is the WIC (Women, Infants & Children) program that supplements vouchers for milk, eggs, etc. with vouchers for fresh produce at the local farmer’s markets. There is a similar program in Oregon that offers fresh produce vouchers to low-income seniors who are 60 plus. And, nation-wide, there is the Free Summer Lunch program for kids ages 1 – 18. Many of the lunch sites are outdoors and offer activities, crafts, etc. as well. There are no applications, no questions about income, etc.

If you’d like any information about any of these programs, drop me a note!

Cynthia

I being a farmer’s wife totally agree about eating things in season and local vs organic. Very few people trust me but most pesticides here in America are so much safer than grocery store bought veggies from foreign countries. America hsa strict standards, that other countries don’t. Buying local and seasonal will guarantee you a supply of veggies and fruits of higher quality. Many of them us what we do goat manure, and chicken manure things that enhance the soil and the food.

Many write about high oil prices, one of the main reasons of high price is foreign oil. Any time you buy seasonal or local you are supporting Americans, which in the long run will allow us to a wonderful array of foods. Right now in Texas it is squash and zucchini season. In a few short weeks it will be Sweet corn and peaches. So plan ahead for those things.

Once a month Cooking is really a good read too, you might be able to find it at the library.

I still kick myself because I turned down boatloads of tomatoes last summer from peoples’ gardens because I didn’t want to take the time to learn to can. This year I am making as much canned spaghetti sauce and tomatoes as I am able, because those things make up a huge amount of our diet and are so much more expensive than making/canning our own.