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  • What's in your fridge?

    Posted Jan 09 2008, 09:22 AM by Donna Freedman
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    Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

    Americans spend almost half their food dollars on meals and snacks away from home, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Division. Sociologists have many theories about why this is so: single parents, two-career couples, after-school activities, the demise of cooking in America.

    My own theory? When you get home at 6:45 p.m. with a cranky toddler, the last thing you want to do is start peeling potatoes.

    Be proactive, the frugal types say. Buy a slow cooker, or prepare and freeze meals on weekends. You might even do these things, at least some of the time. But sometimes you don't. Sometimes life throws a monkey wrench (or a flat tire, or a sick kid) into your plans. And yeah, sometimes you forget to plug in the slow cooker on your way out the door.

    Stephanie, a mom of four who writes the Stop the Ride! personal-finance blog, has an ultra-simple solution.   Read More...

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  • Commodifying the family dinner

    Posted Nov 02 2007, 09:12 AM by Donna Freedman
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    Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
    Americans not only need to be reminded to eat with their families, they have to be told how to do it. At least that’s the impression I got from radio spots touting “Family Dinner Night” as a way to, among other things, keep our kids off drugs . Then there's the print ad for a brand of frozen entrees: mom, dad and two kids enjoying lasagna from what looks like a glass dish, not a microwave tub. “Real dinner and great conversation any night of the week,” the ad copy exults. It goes on to say, “Get your family talking!” – and provides a Web site to help the conversation along. Let’s see: We don’t seem to know that families are supposed to eat together. Once at the table, we need cue cards to help us talk. Oh, and a frozen dinner is helpful, too. Yes, I know we’re all busy, busy people and that nuking a lasagna floe may seem like the only way to get food into our mouths. But let me throw out two reasons to find time to cook. • You’ll save a lot of money on food up-front. • Over time, you’ll   Read More...
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