Thanks for the read. Practical, real-life advice. Regarding the food thing: I would only suggest that buying only what you need in the short-term is a real cost savings.

Since I decided that my family and I would eat only what was purchased (in terms of fresh foods) until it was consumed, I have been going to the store less frequently and I have not had to throw out spoiled food because it sat on my counter or in the refrigerator longer than it should. A budget plus.

Eating out? Left overs are transferred to refrigerator containers and consumed within 1-2 days of bringing them home. The great thing is that now my refrigerator is not a huge confusing mess of cardboard boxes containing small morsels of a chicken dinner or some Mexican food where the crispy tortilla chips are now soggy.

It is a "feel good" moment when we know that we are not wasting both food and money.