Schedule your family’s dinners just as you would your kids’ after school activities.

(ARA) – Think it’s tough managing your grocery budget and making the most of family mealtime? Meet Kathryn Sansone, a St. Louis mother of 10 who, along with her husband, puts dinner on the table six nights a week. If anyone knows the value of stretching the dinner table dollar, it’s the woman who sets a table for 12 almost every night of the week.

“Cooking for my family is not just about feeding them — it’s another way my husband and I express love to our kids,” says Sansone. “We’ve always used our dinners as a special time for being together each day. The same is true even in today’s economy; we just have to get a little more creative.”

While most families don’t have a table full of 10 Sansone children, ages 3 to 20, they are still faced with the same challenge at dinnertime: finding something that everyone likes while not breaking the bank. Sansone says that her recipe for success isn’t really all that complicated.

“Everywhere you look, Americans are seeking value,” says Sansone. “As we dine out less and watch our pennies more, we’re becoming bargain shoppers who want our dollars to go as far as possible. But even in this new ‘food economy,’ it’s important that people understand they do not need to compromise on taste, quality or convenience when living on a budget.”

Sansone’s tips include:

* Plan Ahead — Between the soccer practices and piano lessons, dinner is often an afterthought. Instead, schedule your family’s dinners just as you would your kids’ after school activities. You’ll save money by making just one trip to the grocery or club store, and when you go, try buying in bulk and take advantage of the many coupons available. Even at the regular supermarket, buy in larger quantities, like when there is a 10 for $10 sale on Rice-A-Roni or Pasta-Roni.

* Turn Sides Upside Down — Typical side dishes, such as rice and pasta, are ideal for stretching your grocery budget because you can quickly turn them into main courses. Use holiday leftovers such as chicken or turkey and combine with a pre-packaged dish and add leftover veggies. You’ll end up with a nice, well-rounded meal for a family of five that costs about an additional 64 cents per serving.

Here’s one of the Sansone family’s favorites using leftover turkey to make a delicious Wild Rice Risotto:

Turkey and Wild Rice Risotto

Ingredients:

1 package (4.3 ounces) Rice-A-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice
3/4 pound ground turkey
1 2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon margarine, butter or spread with no trans fat
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups fresh mushroom slices
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

Preparation Steps:

1. In large skillet, brown ground turkey until thoroughly cooked; drain. In same skillet, combine 1 2/3 cups water, 1 Tbsp. margarine, rice mix, seasonings and turkey. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low.

2. Cover; simmer 20 minutes. Stir in soup, mushrooms, celery and bell pepper; return to a simmer. Cover; simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Let stand 3 minutes. Stir before serving.

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Time to Table: 40 Minutes
Recipe Yield: 6 people

Rely on a good source — Finding fun and unique dishes to prepare doesn’t mean starting from scratch. Sansone notes that a favorite Chipotle Rice and Chicken Chili recipe actually came from the Rice-A-Roni Web site. She often visits sites such as www.ricearoni.com to see what other meats and veggies can be combined to create a variety of dishes as well as find exclusive coupons.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Cool off in the summer without using the air conditioner.

(NC)—Have you ever been involved in a family thermostat-war – a situation where you find the temperature in your home to be tropical, while other family members argue the temperature is closer to that of the North Pole? You’re not alone. Fortunately, there are certain measures you can take to find a happy temperature medium, and reach a family temperature truce. This summer, consider the following tips provided by Direct Energy.

Family members who are warm even when the air conditioner is running might consider taking off a layer of clothing or wearing clothes made with breathable fabrics before turning up the air conditioner. Another way to help cool the home without turning down the thermostat is to use ceiling fans when the air conditioner is not on. Doing so will help circulate the air and create a cool breeze while saving energy. Ceiling fans are actually quite energy efficient.

Install a programmable thermostat and set it so that the temperature increases slightly at night, when outdoor temperatures decrease. By programming the temperature ahead
of time, family members won’t be tempted to decrease the temperature on a whim. To save on energy costs, set the temperature above 25 degrees; every degree below 25 degrees will add an extra three to five per cent to your energy bill.

There are plenty of ways to cool off in the summer without using the air conditioner. Rather than hibernating inside a refrigerated home, get outside and experience all that summer has to offer like going for a swim or going for a walk by a lake.

More information on this topic is available online at www.directenergy.com or toll-free at 1-888-334-8221.

-News Canada

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“The key to cutting the grocery bill is not about changing the way you eat, but about changing the way you buy the foods that you like to eat,” says Stephanie Nelson of www.CouponMom.com. She offers three simple principles to help everyday grocery shoppers become “strategic shoppers” who can save big at the checkout.

Know How to Get Low Prices: Strategic shoppers learn the price ranges of their most common grocery items by starting a “price book” and stocking up when favorite items hit the lowest prices. By taking this approach, shoppers can save an average of 50 to 70 percent off of these items.

Store loyalty cards are another key strategy for saving at the grocery store. Some loyalty programs send extra coupons in the mail and even offer discounts on the food bill once a certain dollar amount is spent in the store.

Know How to Use Coupons: When it comes to coupons, it’s important to know when to use them, where to use them and where to find them. As a strategic shopper, be sure to recognize when favorite brand name items hit their lowest prices and use the coupons at that point to save the most money on the grocery bill.

Many grocery stores offer shoppers even more savings through “bonus” coupon programs. This means that these stores will double or triple coupons up to a certain amount, such as 50 cents. Shoppers can also use the free grocery deals lists for 41 stores in 50 states available at www.couponmom.com to save money by combining sales and coupons.

Know Where to Find Coupons: Strategic shoppers seek out coupons from traditional sources, like the Sunday newspaper, as well as from online coupon Web sites, like http://www.Shortcuts.com. A few coupon-collecting strategies include:

* Buy more than one copy of the newspaper when it is a high-coupon week.

* Sign up for store loyalty cards to receive special coupon mailings and coupons at checkout.

* Use free online coupons that can be linked to loyalty cards at http://www.Shortcuts.com.

* Review the weekly ads for local grocery stores for extra savings coupons and specials.

* Look out for coupons in the store: red coupon shelf boxes, tear off pads on store displays, at the customer service counter and on product packages.

Log on to http://www.Shortcuts.com for a free e-book called “Shortcuts and The Coupon Mom System Show You How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half.” Full of tips to help shoppers take full advantage of coupons, this e-book offers tips that can help anyone see significant savings on their receipt, every time they shop for groceries.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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