Could you share your meatloaf recipe please? It's just two of us and we spend $400 a month...I think that's way too high but we buy partly organic and I'm stocking up...hopefully that will help to lower the grocery expense later on.

I try to keep my monthly budget for food to $250 for the 3 of us. I do this by planning a months worth of meals before I go to the grocery. Then I visit the grocery only when I need milk or anything that I can't buy in bulk due to expiration. (By a months worth, I mean 15-20 meals because we'll eat left overs, or be out of town. I always seem to have left-over meal ideas by the end of the month that can go on the next months schedule.) I am trying to do a good job of keeping my lists so I can reuse a month and save time.

I have also been trying to lower my food budget! I found a great cookbook and web site call "The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet". www.30dayGourmet.com. Although I don't cook an entire month of meals in one day, I have been cooking one large recipe at a time and stocking my freezer. I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to go grab something out vs: run to fast food! I am hoping it helps in the long run. As for budgeting, google "Family Budget" there are some great resources for helping to create a budget. The hard part is sticking to it!:)

I too budget backwards!. I love to cook, spends tons at the grocery and still eat out from either fatique or lack of planning. So I am missing that one key ingredient or more importantly didn't take out meat from the freezer.

I love most of your days, ( familys not big on califlower). I would love to start sharing short family friendly recipes with other want to be frugal moms. I'll start

Oven roasted potatoes

preheat oven to 425

1 bag fingerling or small red potatoes( what ever small, new or baby potates are on sale that week)
Olive Oil
1 to 2 heads of pealed garlic cloves
your favorite grill seasoning for steaks etc.
place potatoes on a baking sheet, I cut the larger ones in halves or quarters and leave the small ones whole. mix in whole garlic cloves to taste drizzle with olive oil to coat and sprinkle liberally with grill seasoning. toss on pan and place in oven for 15 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven when roasted to delicious golden color.

How's this going Amanda? This is the one area where I've always struggled to be more frugal. I spend somewhere between 120 and 140 a week for the 5 of us, which isn't bad, but I wish I could do better. What is with a head of lettuce going for 1.59 in my neighborhood? Crazy!