Double duty

Two of the things that I like to focus on when planning my grocery list is my budget and buying healthy items when possible. Now I have slipped some in the healthy area. For awhile we were really trying to cut down on our processed food, trying to avoid things with HFCS and extra preservatives. But as life has gotten hectic we seem to have slipped back into old habits of buying more for convenience. Not only that, but it seems that when money is tight it is easy to buy less healthy. I would like to get back to healthier shopping while still saving money where I can. So I have decided to start making small changes that I hope will add up in the long run.

The first change I am making (and I told you I was starting out small) is to stop buying jarred spaghetti sauce. I have read a zillion times from Rachel Ray that all you need is some crushed tomatoes, olive oil and seasonings to make your own sauce that is more cost effective and has less salt than the jarred version. So the other day I finally did this and realized how it is just as easy to prepare and really is cheaper. Plus you cut out any unnecessary preservatives or extra sodium. I also like that you can add whatever ingredients you like to make it your own.

Here is to small changes!!