OK, so I immediately go off track!  Having said earlier today that I am focussing more closely on making money online, I am about to write about something completely different.

I have had to live on a very tight budget at times and I found that there are very few ways in which to tighten one’s belt when you start looking at it.  Yes, you can turn off lights and yes, you can wash at a cooler temperature.  You can also turn your heating down by one degree – all are useful, money saving tips, but actually, they don’t seem to make much difference to the cash in your pocket on a daily basis.  When I needed to spend less, I needed to spend less NOW!

I worked out that by far my biggest bill in a week was food.  Part of the reason for this is that at the end of a tough day, when there isn’t much in the house, the idea of going out in the rain for groceries to then stand and turn them into a meal didn’t appeal much, so we had a take away.  This way of life can run into £££ or $$$ very quickly indeed, even if you are only doing it once a week. 

So, I could make sure that the freezer was stocked with reasonably “instant” meals – like pizza, but this weighed heavily on my mind as I want my family eating nutritious stuff.  Then I found the Frugal Mom and her OAMC (once a month cooking) and I started to save a fortune!  The idea behind OAMC is that if you spend a whole day cooking, once a month, you can fill your freezer with gorgeous, nutritious meals that you can feed your family, without hassle.  When you get down to it, the day you spend cooking is quite fun, if you either farm out your children or get them in on the act, depending upon their ages.  Stick your favourite music on and chop, peel and boogie your way through the day!

The real beauty of OAMC for me though, is that I have a menu planned for a whole month and I don’t have to think about it every night!  That, in itself, is a real bonus…

Click here to go and have a look at the Frugal Mom’s Site.