Well......my apologies for those checking my blog posts.  I have been absent for a while. 

When I gave this blog its title, I didn't anticipate what types of CHANGES were actually coming my way.  In mid-September, my entire office was closed and we all found ourselves unemployed.  This was the second time we had had such a layoff in the past nine months and I was totally shocked.  In the midst of this new development, however, I found that other changes that I had been making in my life were good.  Scratch that....they were great!

Planning Ahead 

Pinterest has become my new favorite thing.  After I got over my initial fascination for it all, I began to scout for ideas for receipes that I can make and freeze ahead of time or cook in my crockpot.  After selecting about twelve fun meals for my family, I make a grocery list and check my pantry to see what items I may already have.  This extra step saves me from buying unneeded items that not only clutter up my cupboards but also spend money I don't need to spend.  After I know what ingredients I need to make the meals I have selected, I start checking the sale fliers.  It is not uncomming for me to go to two or three stores to hit the sales.  Then I check my coupons.  Yes.....I'm one of "those people".....just not quite as extreme as some that have been featured on television recently.  Coupons help my family stretch our dollars and who can't use that these days? 

So, armed with my list, menu plans and coupons and fortified by an iced coffee, I head out to shop.  My grocery budget is set for each week and I try not to ever go over it unless there is a really great sale to stock up on something we use all the time.  Once home from the stores, I begin to cook ahead.  This is my favorite part.  I pre-cook and/or package enough meals for at least 1 week and typically 2 weeks at a time.  I also cook breakfast items ahead like waffles, breakfast burritos and muffins and freeze them so the kids can take something out of the freezer on a school morning and cook it up in the microwave for a quick, homemade breakfast.  I also make up lunches and pre-package snacks ahead of time so we can grab-and-go. 

My family eats homemade meals most nights (except the occasional pizza night) as well as breakfasts and packed lunches.  We save a lot of money by doing this ordinarily; but, we really noticed that after my layoff (going on 1 month now) we were able to continue to eat well from the freezer and pantry without having to skimp.

I hope to write more about the changes in my life in future blogs.......don't forget to come back to see what other changes I might be making around here!  God bless......