Given the economy's dominant position in the news and in our homes, I want to encourage folks to avoid "penny wise and pound-foolishness."

Subtracting veggies and fruit from your diet, for example, isn't as cost-effective as it might seem. Produce can be more expensive than many packaged, processed foods, but fruits and veggies are invaluable for your health. (Europeans spend more money on quality food than we do, and A LOT LESS on health care, highlighting the long-term, real costs of "cheap" and non-nutrifying foods!)

So…here are Ten Thrifty Tips to benefit your health and your dollars:

1. Bulk up. Besides sparing the earth extra packaging, bulk foods generally offer better prices and freshness than packaged stuff. Keep bulk items in non-plastic containers for optimum benefits.

2. Bean there. I love beans! They are inexpensive, fabulous sources of protein and fiber. They fill you up, and they are incredibly flexible, appearing in savory and sweet, breakfast and dinner, and most kinds of cuisine. We all ought to be eating them regularly anyway, even if they weren't the bargain of the pantry!

3. Rice is nice. Second to beans, I make a lot of yummy food with that ever-popular, kid-friendly grain: rice (NOT WHITE RICE, of course). I like to cook brown basmati rice in my crock pot, and usually keep extra in my fridge for soups, stir-fries, and even breakfast! Try this recipe as a great way to introduce kids to brown rice.

4. Plant a garden. Even if you just grow herbs in a pot (they can be so expensive at the grocery store!), you'll be able to not only save money, but you'll become part of your own food chain, which is a great place to get on the Good Better Best Path. My kids are now so fond of their broccoli sprouts that we replant right after "harvesting."

5. Don't buy your water. At the risk of becoming a broken record, bottled water is probably not as "safe" as the stuff that comes out of your tap. Besides, it's expensive: if you generally drink one bottled water each weekday, investing in a stainless steel bottle and taking your own water with you could save you about $235 each year!

6. Home made. Instead of buying coffee or tea at a coffee shop, make your own and take it with you. My husband drinks shade grown and organic from Costco, and loves it. Depending on your beverage preference, this could save hundreds of dollars a year!

Ditto lunch. Besides consuming far less salt by dining on your own delicious midday meals, you'll save the planet a lot of unnecessary packaging. I send my family's lunch in thermal lunch bags, and since we don't eat much bread around here, I use stainless steel, insulated containers for healthy and yummy for soups, stews, rice and beans, etc. Far from being seen as "cheap," you're sure to be the envy of any lunch-from-a-greasy-bag diner, especially when you show up with something like this in your bag!

7. Farmer's market. Besides supporting the local economy, your food is likely to be more nutritious (not having to travel so far), and less expensive...three fabulous traits in food! Find a farmers market near you here. You'll discover that even though many of these farms aren't "Certified Organic" (that's expensive), they are often completely chemical-free! Plus, it's a joy talking to the people who grow our food (much more personal than pulling a box of processed-who-knows-where-stuff off the shelf).

8. Freeze, please. This is one of the best tricks I know to make the most of your cash and your time in the kitchen. It will require glass containers (and no, I've never had one break on me in the freezer: just leave space for the food to expand as it freezes, and NEVER put boiling hot foods in glass…let everything cool before putting it into a glass container, and before putting it in the freezer). Instead of labels, I write directly on the glass with a marker. When you buy in bulk, it's easy to cook and freeze in bulk! (This is an idea that sounds harder than it is, especially when you start enjoying the benefits of freezer dinners on nights when you're WAY too busy to cook!)

9. Cold cash. Washing your clothes in cold water uses a lot less energy and therefore saves you money. Unless I have a poopy reason to go ultra-hot, I clean all my clothes in cold water. For stains, I make a paste of oxygen-based powder and let it soak into the stain before washing it.

Also, I've found I don't really need to dry clean all those clothes that tell me to "DRY CLEAN ONLY." I just use a mild soap and wash and dry carefully. (Besides, most dry cleaning is NOT healthy for us or the planet!)

10. Meat retreat. Even if you're a huge meat fan, there are lots of good reasons to reduce your consumption of beef. If you eat even one less meat meal a week, your heart, your wallet, and the environment will all thank you! When you do eat meat, use it more as a condiment for vegetables, like Thomas Jefferson did! (When we serve beef at our house, it is always grass fed.)

As always, I'd love to hear your ideas for healthier and less expensive, so feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it them with me!

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