Article: Cooking food from scratch at home is a great way to save money on food. Even when cooking at home, many people buy pre-made meals. These are convenient but relatively expensive. Buy the ingredients and make it yourself. Buy staple ingredients instead of pre-made meals. You will be able to make much more food for much less money, for instance, by buying a bag of uncooked rice than by purchasing microwaveable rice bags. If you eat large portions, cutting down a little can save you money. Try to save part of the meal for later. Freeze leftovers if you won't eat them right away. Try new flavors and spices. A fish fillet or chicken breast can become a more exciting dish with a novel sauce or seasoning. Try a spice you are unfamiliar with, or a condiment from an Asian, African, or farmer's market in your area. Make a list of the food items you need. Buy only the items on that list. Your grocery bill can double or triple if you make impulse purchases or buy things you don't really need. Don't shop while hungry. If you make a weekly menu, use that to draw up your shopping list. Stick to the menu during the week. Use coupons. A great way to save money is to find store or product coupons and then plan your meals around them. If there is an excellent sale on meatballs, consider a meatball sub night. If you find a coupon for bread, it's time for bread pudding or French toast. Certain inexpensive and healthy foods make a relatively small meal larger. For instance, adding more potatoes to a beef stew will feed more people. Other examples include rice, pasta, quinoa, and couscous. Turns out that a vegetarian diet can be cheaper than a carnivorous diet Make sure you take your supplements, or you could get deficiency diseases. Buying non-perishable items in bulk is a great way to save money. This includes pasta, canned items, dry boxed goods, common spices, cooking oils, frozen foods, and household items like toilet paper and paper towels. In the U.S., you can buy bulk items from wholesale stores like Costco. Split a membership with a friend. Wholesale stores usually have a small membership fee, and if you split the fee with a friend, it will be worth the money. Another option is to start a food co-op with nearby families. You can save money by combining purchases and buying in bulk. See how to start a food coop for more information. The most cost-effective way to save on food, if you have the time, is to grow your own! Simple crops like lettuce and other leafy greens can be grown indoors by a window with little effort. Save even more by investing in perennial plants that keep on giving year after year. Examples include fruit, herbs, and berries. If you can't afford to buy food, there are programs to make sure you and your family don't go hungry. You may qualify for governmental assistance, or there might be organizations in your area that provide assistance without applications and income restrictions. If you are struggling, don't be afraid to ask for help, even if it's just short-term. In the U.S., you can apply for SNAP, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or apply for state assistance. Often income requirements are more lenient than you might expect, or there are sliding-scale options to provide partial funding.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Cook from scratch. Shop with a list. Buy meal extenders. Eat less meat. Buy in bulk. Grow your own food. Take advantage of nutrition assistance in your area.
Article: Choose a word or a short phrase that would be a good message to have on the mirror. Head to your local craft store and look for either individual letters or full word stickers that you can use. Place the stickers either at the top, bottom or along the sides of the mirror. This means that they won't get in the way while the mirror is in use, but they still add a fun and decorative touch. Choose an uplifting phrase such as, "Hello beautiful,", "Smile!", or "I love your style!" Try out different placements before you stick the stickers down so that you are happy with the location. Choose a favorite image or design from wrapping paper, a book or a magazine. Carefully cut it out and make sure that it's small enough to not cover too much of the mirror. Glue a wooden base to the back of the mirror to create a frame. Apply glue to the back of the image and arrange it so that it sticks onto both the mirror and the frame. This works best for small, round mirrors, such as a tabletop or makeup mirror. Try to place the image around the edges of the mirror rather than in the center to ensure that it won't block your vision. An example of this design is cutting out a floral pattern from some wrapping paper and arranging it so that it curls around your face when you look in it. Alternatively, find a picture of your favorite artwork and use this to decorate an edge of your mirror. Cut the stems off the flowers and arrange them around the mirror. Use a heavy-duty adhesive to stick the flowers onto the mirror. Use either identical flowers that all match or a pick range of different colors and styles. For a rectangular mirror, attach flowers down 1 side of the mirror, around a bottom corner, and across the base. For round mirrors, try attaching bigger flowers to 1 edge and frame them with smaller flowers. Head to a craft store and find small bits and pieces that capture your interests or imagination. Arrange everything that you want to include on the mirror first. Try to stick to decorating the edges of the mirror rather than the center. Then apply a small blob of glue to the back of each item and wait until it dries before hanging it up in the locker. Locker mirrors are a great way to add creativity and personalization to your child's locker. Other decorations could include feathers, photos, pressed flowers or small trinkets. Using mirrors in the garden is a creative way to open up the space. Either choose a variety of pebbles and small stones from your own garden or purchase a pebble mix from a garden center. Create an irregular mosaic effect by choosing interesting and unique stones in a variety of colors. Lay the mirror flat while you arrange the stones around the edge and then use a strong adhesive to attach each pebble when you are happy. Ideally the stones should be relatively flat so that they create a smooth, pebbled surround for the mirror. You can either hang this mirror on an exterior wall of your house or place it in your favorite spot in the garden to make it look bigger. This mirror can also work well close to a water feature. Not only can you use washi tape to liven up a mirror frame, but you can also use it to add a bright touch to the mirror itself. Choose a simple pattern for the washi tape on the mirror, such as 2 horizontal stripes across the bottom or 2 diagonal stripes across a corner. Measure out the length of washi tape that you will need and carefully stick it down onto the mirror. Try not to add too much washi tape as the mirror may look cluttered or crowded. There are hundreds of different styles of washi tape, so explore all of your different options for colors and patterns to get creative.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Add vinyl word art to the mirror to create an inspirational message. Place an image around the edge of a mirror for a quick, decorative touch. Attach fabric flowers around a corner of the mirror for a floral effect. Use shells, sports memorabilia, or beads to make a fun locker mirror. Create a pebbled edge around the mirror for a fun garden addition. Use washi tape to add a small, creative pattern to the mirror.