Home Budgeting: Time to Cut Back:

How much do you spend on food on a day-to-day basis? For most people, the simple answer is too much. It's not just the extra bag of chips or the impulse trip to the diner. There's also the cost of gas, electricity, and production time involved in getting food to your table. But saving money on food doesn't mean going hungry or giving up nutrition. Often, it only takes a few simple tricks. Here are five you can try today.



Make a weekly menu:<EM> </EM>Knowing what's ahead for the week will keep you from buying things that aren't on your shopping list. Or if you do buy stuff on impulse, you'll be able to keep it under control. It also saves those quick trips to the store for last-minute ingredients, which cost you time, gas, and money.



Take advantage of sales:<EM> </EM>If something's on sale, go ahead and stock upbut not more than you can consume before it goes bad. Get vegetables in bigger packs, bigger cans of broth, an extra pack of meat. You can always use the extras to liven up other dishes or even make a new dish altogether.



Use that crock pot:<EM> </EM>Slow cookers are great for budget cooking because they let you choose cheaper meats, use up less energy, and offer more creative meal options. They're not just for pot roast; there are lots of crock pot recipes for breakfast, soups, and even desserts!



Do some DIY:<EM> </EM>Whenever possible, make a batch of your own commonly use ingredients. Use meat drippings to make gravy or sauces, pre-cook your meats and save the broth for soups, or make a large batch of your kid's favorite dip. In the long run, you'll save a fair deal since you won't have to buy pre-mixed stuff anymore.



Switch off as you go:<EM> </EM>Don't leave appliances running longer than they should. Set your cooker to turn off automatically when done, and wait to the dishwasher to get full before turning it on. When you're done cooking, make sure everything is turned offeven that little blinking light in the microwave.