Freeze Cheese

Okay...So who knew that CHEESE freezes so well? We are big cheese eaters and my lovely husband enjoys a particular brand. Sometimes the cheese is $5.99, sometimes more...and sometimes it is on sale for a bit less. But Halls Market right on Park Rd sometimes has it down to $2.99 a lb. Now that is a crazy deal.

A good friend of mine, (DC) who has a large family told me that she often freezes her cheese and it stays well. I just had to try it.

SHE WAS RIGHT!!

CHEESE FREEZES SUPER WELL.

Now when the cheese is on sale, I buy at least 4 lbs!!. I then put them in the freezer until I need them. Then I just take one out, put it in the fridge and within a few hours, it is defrosted and ready to go.

I have also found that shredded cheese freezes well. Again, being such big cheese eaters, we enjoy homemade pizzas, taco's, etc. How frustrating is it to be all ready to throw your pizza's in the oven, when you realize that you do not have cheese!! So I buy a large bag, then separate it into smaller bags and voila! (and seriously it takes almost no time to separate the cheese!)

If you have any other tips, please pass them along!!

LivE Wisely

Grocery Shopping is SO Expensive...Is This Why??

If anyone has been grocery shopping within the last 5 years, I am sure that you have noticed an increase in the price of food. So If you are like me, you pay a bit more attention while food shopping... with your two screaming kids, phone ringing, oh and late for a meeting...thank you for those wonderful car shopping carts. I have been known to follow people who have just left the store with a full car shopping cart, just to ensure that I can have one for my shopping adventure.

Unfortunately coupons do not cover many of the items that I purchase, especially if you shop at a store like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

So here are some of the things that I have done to keep my grocery bills lower...:

-I do not buy as many snacks. I try my best to make things. Not a baker? Try things like buying frozen fruit when it is on sale. Tastes great and less expensive than the fresh kind, (blueberries, strawberries, etc). Great for yogurt, smoothies, baking, etc.
-I do my best to not get sucked into ..."wow that looks so good, I must buy it!" moments.
-If something is on sale that I like, I try to stock up...But stick to what you really need and only allow yourself, 2-3 TREATS.
-Sometimes I buy my paper goods at places like Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens. And many times I will have a coupon for these items.
-I do my best to either write down or keep a mental note of some of our favorite items prices. So for example, my eldest daughter loves applesauce. I find that the small packages are less expensive at Target, so whenever I make a run there, I try to stock up.

Here is one IMPORTANT thing that I have realized. Sometimes when I go to stores that are very inexpensive, I tend to buy more. Target is a good example. The prices are sometimes great. So you actually end up buying more than you actually need. Just because it is a good price, does not mean that you really need it! Refrain and focus in on what you actually need. Do you need 4 bags of chips just because they are $2 cheaper at this store than your normal store? Do you really need to buy those pretzels, just because they are so much cheaper here?

If you shop at a store that offers WHAT YOU NEED, as opposed to offering steep discounts, you may actually save yourself money by not buying things that you really do not need!

If you have more shopping tips, PLEASE SHARE!!

LivEWisely