I consider myself pretty frugal, and when I saw your notice looking for frugal tips, I though I should write.

I try my best to cook healthy meals at a reasonable cost for our family of four. My husband, and two teenagers and of course, myself.

I have always been a coupon/rebate lover. The rebates don't come by as often as they used to (although I am printing out a coupon for a $20 prescription rebate right now) but I do clip my coupons weekly. My mother-in-law saves me her coupon flyers too, and I keep an envelope for the coupons that I try to find the time to file in a coupon organizer.

I do a weekly shopping at the grocery store with coupons in hand, but also go to BJ's Wholesale Club a few times a month. I especially like the prices on some of their produce. We eat a lot of salad, so I buy a large bag of romaine lettuce or organic baby spinach for our nightly salads. I usually buy two large pizzas at BJ's to keep in the freezer for quick nights, so we don't have to order out from a pizza parlor. I buy the large bag of Jenny O turkey burgers and we have those on the grill year round with light whole wheat Stop & Shop brand hamburger buns. I buy my beans on sale wherever they are on sale. I check the flyers every week to see where I can get the best deals. I get a weekly e-mail from Job Lots and check out their online coupons, of which some are for food items. I stock up on items that aren't perishable, because I have an extra fridge and a freezer in my garage and two very large shelving units for canned goods etc.

I usually have about 10 detergent bottles ahead at all times, so that way I don't have to pay more than $3 or so.

I make soups or stews often especially in the winter (we are of Portuguese descent, so we like our kale soup especially), and I use a 20-qt. pan and keep a good amount for the next day in a casserole, and freeze the rest in containers for quick nights with a loaf of bread from my bread machine.

I make lunches for the family every night. We have always done this to save the cost of buying lunch out. My teenage daughter, who is now in college, tends to buy some of her food out, but then she is paying for it since she works. She complains about the cost of things because of how I raised her and because she works for Stop & Shop and sees how expensive food is. She tells me how foolish people are about buying food. An example is a certain size is on sale at a better price, but someone will buy the size not on sale that is more expensive. She is learning.

I save old bananas and freeze them in a container to make my banana chocolate chip bread which makes three loaves and freezes nicely. I peel all my garlic and keep it in the freezer in a container so I just have to pull out a clove or two when needed.

I answer surveys in order to get gift cards (I received a $10 gift card from Cheesecake Factory for a survey I filled out, and I did one for BJ's Wholesale Club and got the same), buy gift cards where I get a bonus restaurant gift card, etc. Getting lots of e-mails is a pain, but you get coupons etc. from them. I love the www.wowcoupons.com site for grocery and retail coupons.

Because we eat healthy, I do love going to Wholefoods Market, but it is just so expensive there. I pick and choose certain items and go back once in awhile. It is to me what a toy store is to a child. Everything is so fresh and good for you and the store smells so good.

As for restaurant eating, we save that for special occasions. As a family, we get take out usually on Friday nights. If we do go to a restaurant, it is something like Gregg's or Chelo's or where you can eat reasonably with a family of four. Better restaurants we save for birthdays, etc. We love eating out, but wouldn't be able to save as much money if we did.

All this I have been doing since we first got married, but find it even more necessary with the high cost of food in general. I have so many things I do to just save money in general, but I think I could write a book on it!

A Frugal Saver,

Cheryl Lucena

Cumberland