Jerry the Blogger

Like most people these days, my wife and I have been trying to live more frugally and find ways to save where we can.

One of the biggest chunks out of our monthly budget is groceries. All those items in your cart can really add up! Also, a lot of folks think eating healthy adds even more dollars to the total bill. But we've found that it's absolutely possible (and not too difficult) to stick to a nutritious diet and keep grocery costs down to a reasonable amount.

Coupons are one major way to save. Sounds obvious, but you might be surprised how much savings you miss out on when you don't clip (or click) to get lower prices on your favorite products. Using coupons, I sometimes save up to $50 on my grocery bill. That's no small change! I get coupons from lots of places, including the newspaper, websites, packages, store shelves. Don't forget to check the Coupons page on Start Making Choices -- you never know what deals you'll find.

Making a shopping list ahead of time (and shopping on a full stomach) helps save money, too. When you're organized and prepared, and not desperately searching for anything and everything to eat, you tend to make healthier choices. Whenever I go with a list in my hand and food in my stomach, I leave the store with more nutritious foods, less junk and a lower grocery bill. Try it for yourself, you'll see.

Buy in bulk when your top picks on are sale. Of course, it doesn't make sense to buy 40 cans of beans if you don't like beans. But if you use a lot of Hunt's tomatoes in your cooking or eat Healthy Choice meals for lunch every day, stocking up on those things makes a lot of sense. And saves lots of cents when your store has great deals on them!

Do you waste a lot of food because you buy too much at once and it goes bad before you can eat it? We used to do that. Now, we try to limit ourselves to only the perishable items we can consume in three or four days. That way, we don't have fruits and vegetables wilting in the produce drawer. They're fresher, we eat them sooner, then we buy more. It definitely cuts down on food (and money) waste.

These are just a few ways we've been able to keep our healthy grocery costs down. What are your favorite ways to save?

It seems like every time I turn on my TV, there's some new health scare or medical study or miracle diet that's getting touted by pundits. Whether it's the news, talk shows, or reality programs, all that noise has made me more than a little suspect of the health "information" I get from television.

But a new TV show debuting in September gives me hope that perhaps I can trust what I see and hear -- and even get inspired to improve my own nutrition and health. The Dr. Oz Show premieres nationally on Sept. 14. (Check here to find out when and where the show will air in your area.)

If you haven't seen him on Oprah or read one of his best-selling books, you might not be aware of just how down-to-earth and practical Dr. Oz is. He may be a world-renowned heart surgeon with a list of professional accolades a mile long, but he's also very easy to relate to. Dr. Oz offers sensible advice, dispensed with just enough medical explanation to help put things in perspective for the average Joe.

What I really like about him is the lack of hype and fluff. Dr. Oz is all substance, no doomsday. He gives you actual tips you can use in your real life. And what he says is backed by proven scientific research, not some fly-by-night theory or half-baked study.

Visit his website to get a taste of what's to come on The Dr. Oz Show. He's got ideas for grab and go snacks, how to tell if you're dehydrated, a beginner yoga routine, and an anti-aging checklist. From what I've seen, I'm looking forward to what I'll learn from his daily show. Hopefully, it will be some healthy food for thought -- a nice change of pace from the usual TV fodder.