You’ve seen pictures of my pantry. It is a leftover bookshelf and a leftover desk in corner of my basement. I also don’t have a deep freezer.
But I still do stock up when prices are good for items my family uses. The space we have available gives just enough wiggle room for extra groceries.
Hillbilly Housewife [...]

Are you annoyed at using coupons to save money at the grocery store?
Coupon Shoebox has a post on Saving money on groceries – even without coupons.
A snippet:
Avoid buying non-food items at the grocery: You’d be surprised at how non-food items can add to your grocery bill. Before you purchase toilet paper, shampoo and [...]

If you live in or near Monroe, Mich., here is the next opportunity to see the budget blogger in person …
6 p.m. Tuesday March 23, Dorsch Memorial Branch Library, 18 E. First St., Monroe MI.
Buying groceries for a family can be difficult in today’s economy. If you would like to improve your finances by [...]

From time to time, there are people who get on a “food stamp” diet or a $1 a day diet and write about their experiences. Sometimes, this is done for an awareness effort. Sometimes, it’s done out of necessity.
The 365 Dollar Year blogger, who was featured this week at MSN Smart Spending, made the choice [...]

Do you get frustrated with grocery plans that focus on matching coupons to sales? That technique does work for some people, but it can take a lot of time and effort.
I do  include couponing in my 8 Week Plan, although readers and those who take my grocery class quickly realize that coupons are not my [...]

Bob, who blogs at All Things Green and is one of my Internet neighbors at BlogsMonroe, is starting a series on starting seeds at home based on a community education class he recently taught.
Personally, I can barely keep our house plants alive (ask my husband!).
But if you are looking for cheap or organic veggies, it [...]

This article is making the rounds among the Michigan coupon bloggers:
Wall Street Journal asks the question: Are coupons worth it?
The conclusion: It’s time worth spent.
I’ve shopped with coupons since my college days, but that’s not my only money-saving trick. If you’d like to get going as fast as possible on grocery shopping on a budget [...]

My discussions on coupon policies have focused on basic information such as which stores in Monroe County, Mich.,  do double coupons vs. single coupons vs. no coupons. I’ve also talked about coupon restrictions that have gone into effect during special promotions.
But if you get into advanced couponing, you will want to know a few more [...]

Both the Meijer and Kroger ads for this week in Monroe, Mich., are featuring 10 for $10 sales.
Now while one can pretty much consider the Kroger deals to be a “dollar menu” – buy whatever you want, each item costs a $1; the Meijer ad has this buy 10 items get 11th item free special. [...]

When I give my grocery shopping on a budget classes and public appearances, I’ve been taking along my coupon box. It’s an index card box, with index cards as dividers. I’ve organized my coupons that way for more than 20 years.
After seeing what my friend Candy does with her coupon binder, I made a sample [...]

Several southeast Michigan frugal living and bargain-shopping bloggers had a get-together Friday in Lathrup Village near Southfield. We were chatting away for about two hours – long enough to close down Panera Bread for the night!
One of the ladies I met was Courtney Bellanti of Brighton, who hosts 1-2-3Save. She was one of the shoppers [...]

OutOfYourRut.com takes on this common topic with some eye-opening numbers: How much money can you save by not eating out?
In addition to the numbers, there is some discussion on this post and in the comments as to whether eating out is food money – or entertainment money.
In the Crown Financial Ministries household budget, which is [...]

Here is some more reporting about the food pantries in southeast Michigan and the new wave of clients they are seeing from families who formerly were getting by on their own. The following article is on page 3A of today’s print edition of The Monroe Evening News.
By Dean Cousino
dean@monroenews.com
FLAT ROCK, Mich. — The Helping Hands [...]

Since we’re on a food pantry thread today, the following article is on page 3A of today’s print edition of The Monroe Evening News and is intended for my local readers in Monroe, Mich.:
By Michelle Swartz
mswartz@monroenews.com
A mobile food unit provided food for thousands of Monroe County families this past year.
Through a collaborative effort, a mobile [...]

The Detroit Free Press has this report today: Metro Detroit pantries struggle to feed hungry.
This isn’t the typical “demand is going up” story about Michigan food pantries. The focus of this article is on the gaps in locations and convenient times for southeast Michigan families who are new to the social safety net.
A snippet:
More than [...]