1.    Say No to Takeout
I admit it…I fell victim to the takeout trend when times got busy. Looking back at my bank account it is no wonder some bills went unpaid. Cooking for ourselves is easier than we think no matter how busy we are. My husband and I take turns on meal duty based on our schedules. I learn from his meals and he learns from mine. My husband teaches me that dinner doesn’t always have to be fancy and I teach my husband about herbs and seasonings to spice up his meals.  Taking a team approach to cooking has been fun and we look forward to having a night off when the other is responsible for the cooking. We’ve saved a ton with this approach and are finally sitting down to meals as a family which is priceless.

2.    Freeze Leftovers
I freeze everything and it comes in handy when you least expect it. I’m often asked what foods can be frozen and my answer is everything. I even freeze leftover deli ham if I think nobody will eat it in time. The frozen leftovers come in handy when meal planning during the week. When I’m  running late for work and desperately searching for a lunch I only need to look as far as the freezer.
    Right now I have all my leftover vegetables from Thanksgiving frozen in individual containers. I make muffins and pancakes and freeze them for the week I chop and freeze leftover fresh vegetables, I even freeze leftover rice.

3.    Inventory the Pantry Before Grocery Shopping
If you are the type with five mustards in your fridge or four containers of ground cloves then this resolution is for you. This     one little resolution will save you from buying duplicates and help you meal plan more effectively based on what you already have on hand. If you have a jar of  preserves see if there is a meat on sale you could pair it with. Sauces spices and condiments on hand are a great way to turn a simple protein into something inexpensive and delicious. Don’t  forget to check the freezer too. You may have meats on hand you forgot about, or several bags of frozen veggies you could turn into a side dish.

4.    Ditch the Juice and Soda
This is a tough one but my family has managed to do it and save so much money in the process.  My feeling is we should be eating our fruit…not drinking it. We have water and milk in the fridge…that’s it. I give the kids reusable water bottles for lunches. Yes they complained for a bit but it passes. Yes, I miss my Diet Sprite but it bloated me anyway.  We only buy juice or soda as a special treat for a party. Some moms think I’m crazy on this one but my two boys have grown accustomed to it and I’m glad I stuck to it. Juice boxes are out in 2009 because they are a waste of money and reusable water bottles are in.

5.    Ditch the Paper and Plastic
Why pay money to have this unnecessary post consumer waste? I stopped using paper towels almost a year ago and use good old fashioned dish rags instead. My great- grandmother always used     dish cloths. My mom makes a crocheted version and they are great! Paper plates and plastic cups are a thing of the past in my house unless we are throwing a large party.  I used to buy these out of convenience for the kids. Over time, however I began to see how wasteful and costly this convenience had become.  Nowadays, we pick one glass or mug in the morning and that is our cup for the day.  When we have plastic at a party, we label everyone’s cup in Sharpie to avoid confusion. I learned that trick from my sister-in-law Mary and it works.