Reduce the fat content of hamburger meat

To aide in my efforts to become frugal, I'm reading a book by Jonni McCoy called Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy. I was turned on to this book after it was referenced in one of my favorite blogs - http://www.thesimpledollar.com/.

I've recently been buying the cheaper hamburger meat at Kroger because it's the cheap hamburger meat that is on sale, though I've felt a little guilty about the increased fat content of the meat. She writes, "Some people are concerned about the fat content of the cheaper hamburger. To tackle the fat, cook the beef, then rinse it with hot water. This gets the same results as buying expensive lean ground beef...and will cost you less."

Beginning Blogger

This is uncharted territory for me, but I desperately need an outlet to document and share my new hobby - being frugal! It began in January when my husband and I enrolled in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and I think my interest grows as the days go by. My frugal efforts began by researching couponing extensively in an attempt to learn to save a little extra money each month. I've saved more than $1000 in the 4 months that I've done that and had so much fun with it that I held a class on couponing at our church to share it with others.

A couple of months into couponing, in an effort to sharpen my skills, I started reading various blogs like A Thirfty Mom (http://athriftymom.com/) and Saving and Giving (http://savingandgiving.blogspot.com/). These give great tips about couponing and where to find the best deals and sales, and I've saved a hundred dollars or more by using the information on their website in my shopping expeditions.

In addition to that, I subscribe to a daily email from a blog called "The Simple Dollar" (www.thesimpledollar.com) that is focused on personal finance. He discusses a wide variety of topics and what I read in those emails encourages me to think about frugality and how I can do more and more.

So, that's where I am. I'm trying to learn to be frugal, not only at the grocery store, but throughout all that I do. It has become much less about saving money, but rather more about how I can get by on less. It's become a game, and I'm VERY competitive.

Let the game begin!