Ten ways to stretch your food budget and your creativity in the kitchen.

1. Be thankful for what you've got. Take an inventory of what I have in my pantry and freezer BEFORE I go shopping.

2. Use online circulars to price check. I check the local ads online to see what's on sale and what will go
with what I have without breaking the bank. Use coupons for sale items and things you buy regularly.

3. Get creative. Have left over bacon, greenbeans and carrots, adds tons of flavor to potato leak soup.

4. Don't get carried away. Plan out meals and stick to them. Don't be afraid to change things up if you find a great bargain.

5. Have breakfast for dinner. We had Malt-o-meal with sides of toast last week. Use leftovers to spice up scrambled eggs.

6. Think like a kid. Have a smaller dinner of ham and cheese sands and serve Ice cream with leftover fruit for dessert.

7. Reduce waste. We use less hamburger in our sauces and mixes than we use to and in some cases have been able to stretch to two meals.

8. Leftovers make great lunches. Burrito filling and cheese makes for great casadillas and cut in pie shaped pieces offers an interesting lunch or lite snack.

9. Let your garden grow. Fresh basil and other herbs spice up plain jane meals like goulash. Add
a shaving of parmesian cheese and you won't feel that you've been scrimping.

10. Go back to the basics. My family absolutely love corn muffins in cupcake papers. Another idea might be hot biscuits and strawberry preserves or slices of cheese with hot tea.