quick clicks

recipes today articles

recipes today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Cooking For a Large Family

Keep the Cupboards Full and the Plates Empty

By Amy Rawson

Saving at the store with coupons can be an oxymoron. Usually the coupons are items you would never buy and they tend to be the most expensive brands. If you look at coupon shopping a little more creatively, however, you can save money. There are email lists online that focus on coupon swapping. You can request the brand and quantity of coupons you use, swap with someone with the coupons that you normally throw away and you both save money. A link for more information is: http://startpath.com/couponswap. Combining coupons with local store sales (see if they double the coupon's value) and you may end up saving more than 50 percent on each item.

When asked for money saving ideas, Shellie, mom of three, writes: "I use coupons and ALWAYS make a weekly shopping list. Going to the store once a week, rather than daily, helps resist impulse buying and saves time, too."

Be sure to check all sales flyers at your local stores. Most discount grocery stores offer the same foods with their store brand label instead of the higher priced brand. Linda, mother of four, agrees. "I buy discount or store brand for things like noodles, sugar, flour, etc.," she says. "In my opinion, these type of items are only selling the brand name for another .20 cents."

Cooking for a crowd doesn't have to be a discouraging chore. You can conquer your food responsibility and make it less of a dreary, time-consuming task, and more of an adventure to find the best food for your money.