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Here's What's New  
Every week for 52 weeks, I'm sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you'll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you're already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.
One very simple way to save money is to skip shopping for a week or two and use what you already have on hand. We call this Eating From the Pantry at our house and it’s something we try to do at least once a quarter. Here’s how it works for us: Make It a Game Instead of approaching eating from the pantry as a difficult thing, we make it a game on occasion to see how long we can survive without going to the store. When you view it as a fun challenge, it makes it exciting and interesting. And it can help bolster your spirits when you find yourself eating some rather interesting meals.  Set a Goal Set a goal not only for how long you’re going to try to go without stepping foot into a store, but also set a goal for what you’re going to do with the money saved. Maybe you’ll put it toward paying off some debt, or use it to pay cash for an item you’ve been saving for, or even put it toward your Vacation Savings fund. You could also consider donating the money to charity — which can give a lot of extra purpose to this challenge! Inventory Your Supplies Look through your cupboard, refrigerator, and freezer to see what you already have on hand. Dig really deep and make sure you’re pulling out all the possibilities. Once you’ve inventoried what you have on hand, use the ingredient search feature on AllRecipes.com to get some recipe ideas for using up what you have in your pantry. I love that you can type in what you have on hand and what you don’t have on hand and it will generate a list of recipe ideas for you! Go For It! Once you’ve set a goal and inventoried your supplies, it’s time to dive right in and start using up what you have on hand and staying away from the grocery store. And remember: even if you end up breaking down and going to the store before you your goal date, you’ve still saved money and used up a lot of what you already had on hand. Also, you probably learned some valuable lessons in the process — or at least were challenged and stretched in your creativity a little. 
My Friend Kelly wrote a guest post on her family’s one-month experiment with Eating from the Pantry and the lessons they learned back in 2010. Here’s part of the post: At the end of November, I embarked on my own challenge to clean out my pantry and freezer. I am proof it can be done even if you're not a master baker or planner. If this pantry month seems too difficult let’s start with a new perspective. This is not a challenge, it’s an adventure! Adventures are fun and exciting, full of surprises and exploration. Here's just a taste of what you might learn on this adventure: Re-discover Creativity Remember the days when an empty plastic container and cardboard from the paper towels could entertain you for hours? Or times in college when you made pasta in the coffee pot and grilled cheese sandwiches with an iron? It’s time to get creative again! Whether it’s breakfast for dinner to finish up some pancake mix, using stale bread for croutons, or finding substitutes, cooking is about enjoying the process and breaking out of the mundane. Creativity comes when you have seventeen cans of tuna and need a new recipe. Creativity is testing new sauces on pasta and trying new recipes, ingredients, and styles of cooking. Discover Thankfulness As we settle into our routines, grocery shopping can become a tedious chore. Take this month to focus not on what you don’t have in the pantry but what you do. Instead of focusing on the deals you might miss, enjoy the ones you found already! It’s simple to grab chili on sale and celebrate a great deal but it’s a little harder to make chili and cornbread or chili on a baked potato three times a week to use it up. Look at all the opportunities we have to buy food and utilize discounts, coupons, and rewards. It’s easy to take that for granted. When was the last time your family gave thanks for having a local grocery store, fresh produce, and the funds to pick up a treat or two? Discover Usefulness Once you embark on the Eat From the Pantry “Adventure”, try a little trick I call ‘spelunking.’ Simply dig through your stock and find something you can use in place of going to the store. Crunchy salad toppers can be used in soup. Top macaroni and cheese with the last tablespoons of bread crumbs. Turn mushy apples into applesauce and juice into popsicles. Try Amy Dacyczyn's Universal Casserole Recipe. Or, if you get stuck without an "essential" ingredient this site on substitutions is one of the easiest to reference. I know my great grandmothers would be ashamed to see the amount of food I let spoil each week. They didn’t waste; the mantra was to ”use it up!” In that spirit during my Pantry Month I rescued a ham from the work potluck that was to be thrown away. Ham omelets, sandwiches, added to beans and soup helped stretch many meals. If you’re thinking your stock can’t possibly last 31 days give it a shot and find out how long it WILL last. The worst that can happen is you’ll find your answer. Read the full post here.
Have you ever tried an eating from the pantry challenge? If so, how long have you gone without going to the store? photo credit; photo credit 
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At the end of the year, just shoot us another email if you're still cranking away on your schoolwork, and we'll send you a new license key that's good for the entire next year. Many of my readers have highly recommended this program! If you’ve used this program, I’d love to have you share your thoughts and experiences in the comments. 
A testimony from Colleen A little over a year ago, we decided to pay cash for our vacation. I was especially excited since it was going to be the first time I had taken my mom on vacation… without her spending a dime. I began setting aside whatever leftover money we had in our checking account. Thinking that I was already close to our goal, I asked my husband to guesstimate how much we would need to cover the cost for our family of 7. His total was $2800 — without doing anything fun! Unfortunately, I hadn't even come close to saving enough and it was May! Then, I got creative… Lodging After endlessly searching for somewhere to stay, I was discouraged. Everything was just too expensive! However, my husband was pastoring a church at the time, and I remembered that many places offer a clergy discount. I looked again and found a whole house in PA! It was a B&B at $580 for 5 days! Check the memberships you currently have: belonging to organizations like USAA, AAA, and Knights of Columbus can have an add bonus in travel savings! Meals Eating out was normally one of our biggest vacation expenses. To help with these costs, I cashed in some rewards I’d earned and got gift cards for restaurants in the area. We also tried to max out the value of each card by eating a big, later lunch getting the same items we would at dinner for half the cost… AND, several weeks before the trip, I signed up for restaurant loyalty programs that gave coupons for free items which extended our savings. Gas To save on fuel, we mapped out our route and got gas cards to stations on the way. It didn't cover all our fuel costs, but it certainly helped! Entertainment I ordered a guide for my family members to choose things they were interested in, and then found deals for them. Then, at rest stations, we gathered free guides with coupons for other discounted activities. I also did some internet research for free or discounted events in the area. I discovered that it was National Ice Cream Day (free ice cream), Dress like a Cow Day at Chick-fil-A (free meals), and 7/11 Slurpee Day that week! Just like our B&B, meals, and fuel, I looked for ways to extend my buying power. I used Daily Deal sites to buy deals that included Food and Entertainment. We also weren't afraid to ask for discounts. We discovered that on taping days, certain seats are discounted at Sight & Sound. We were able to take in a circus, visit a petting zoo, see a Broadway-quality show, watch trains — big and small — plus so much more! Our grand total was $1600 dollars for a fun-filled, 5-day vacation for our family of 7! It took some planning and a little ingenuity, but we definitely made a memorable, family vacation on the cheap! Colleen is a homeschooling mother of 5, former pastor’s wife, and avid couponer. She enjoys reading, writing, and baking gluten-free goodies. Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
Aldi 2 packages Carrots – $0.99 each 1 bag (3 lbs) Gala Apples – $2.99 1 package Roma Tomatoes – $1.19 1 bag (5 lbs) Potatoes – $1.99 1 package Radishes – $0.99 1 package Celery – $1.19 1 package Green Onions – $1.19 1 gallon Milk – $2.68 3 Cucumbers – $0.59 each 2 cans Green Beans – $0.49 each 1 package Rice Cakes – $1.29 1 dozen Eggs – $1.24 3 Lemons – $0.39 each 1 carton Sour Cream – $1.29 Total with tax ($1.57): $23.51 
Dillons Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 5, Save $5 instantly): 1 Post Cereal – $1.88, used $1/1 coupon from the March All You magazine – $0.88 after coupon 1 Lays Chips – $1.99 2 Breyers Ice Cream – $2.49 each, used $1.25/2 e-coupon - $1.86 each after coupon 2 Kraft Block Cheese – $1.99 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 3/9 SmartSource insert – $1.49 each after coupon 2 Dove + Men Shampoo – $2.49 each, used 2 $2.50/1 coupon from the 3/23 RedPlum insert – Free after coupons 2 Dove Shampoo – $2.49 each, used $3.75/2 printable (no longer available) – $0.62 each after coupon Other Deals: 0.62 lbs Broccoli Crowns @ $1.59/lb – $0.99 4 Navel Oranges – $0.69 each 2 Barilla Pasta – $1 each, used $1/2 printable - $0.50 each after coupon 1 Kroger Unbleached Flour – $1.99, used $0.40/1 e-coupon - $1.59 after coupon 1 Cheerios – $3.19, used Free e-coupon - Free after coupon 0.53 lbs Organic Kale @ $1.99/lb – $1.05 1 Hamburger Buns – $0.99 1 lb Ground Turkey – $2.99 1 Kroger American Cheese – $2.39 1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99 1.97 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $1 Used $1 off next shopping trip e-coupon (Dillons definitely sent me some nice e-coupons this last week! ) Total before coupons: $53.13 Total after coupons and sales: $25.56
Total for all grocery items: $49.07 Menu Plan for this Week Breakfasts Cereal, Homemade Granola, Homemade Veggie/Fruit Juice Lunches Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Cheese Quesadillas, Cheese/Crackers/Veggies, Leftovers, Macaroni and Cheese Dinners Hamburgers (Using ground beef that my parents gave to us a few weeks ago), Corn (from the freezer), Chips Apple Turkey Picadillo, 30 Minute Rolls, Tossed Salad Braided Pizza Bread, Steamed Broccoli BBQ Meatballs (using venison), Banana Muffins, Green Beans Baked Chicken Fried Steak (I’m using deer steaks and tweaking this recipe a bit), Homemade Bread, Tossed Salad Crockpot Chicken and Veggies, Biscuits, Fruit Salad Sour Cream Enchiladas, Fruit Salad, Steamed Carrots 
Keeper of the Home is looking to hire a Part-Time Advertising Manager to help manage their advertising needs. This job is a work-from-home position that allows for flexible hours. Here are more details on this position:
- This job would consist of: Responding to advertiser requests, maintaining the Keeper of the Home media kit, helping to set the direction of their private advertising program, switching ads from month to month, maintaining advertiser records and monthly calendar, running weekly giveaways and the Christmas Gift Guide, helping manage and promote affiliate programs and products, coordinating with the Social Media Manager for sponsor shout outs, and seeking out new advertisers.
- This work-from-home position has flexible hours, but requires email to be checked at least once per weekday (Monday—Friday).
- This is a contractor position, not an employee position. You would claim your own taxes and expenses.
- This position requires someone able to work independently, as well as someone with a desire to learn who has a self-starter attitude.
- Previous blogging experience is nice, but not necessary.
- Position is available immediately. Training will be provided.
- Pay is a combination of hourly wage plus commission based on ad revenue.
To apply for this position, please fill out the Keeper of the Home Job Application Form. 
Today's questions is from Michelle: Your blog has inspired me to start saving for something that I really want to do, and feel like it’s just way too expensive: a Disney World vacation! I have coworkers who travel there all the time, but our budget makes a vacation like that a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us. However, I have NO IDEA what my saving goal would/should be! I live in Pennsylvania, so we would need airfare for 3 plus a hotel, park tickets, and whatever else you have to pay for when you’re there (food, a few souvenirs, etc.) So I’m wondering what a practical budget with be for this type of trip… and I’m looking for frugal tips for taking a trip like that without breaking the bank. Also, I have a couple years to save as my daughter is barely 2, and I think she’d need to be 3 or 4 for it to be worth it. I just really want to be able to do this for my family! -Michelle
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