Good morning! Today I want you to think about your refrigerator. Is it full of food? Leftovers, unopened expired yogurt cups that sounded like “a great snack” at the time? Every time you have to throw away old food, you are literally throwing away money. That was food you paid for and now it is in the trash!

Have you ever considered what you put into your shopping cart could lead you to financial independence, the freedom to travel, worry-free retirement, a debt-free education for yourself or your children, more time to spend with the people you love… doing the things you love?

Believe it or not, I have been able to follow all my dreams of travel, working only 20 hours per week and supporting all the charitable causes so near and dear to my heart, because of how I shop. Using a few simple techniques, I still feed a family of 6 along with frequent mealtime guests, for only $100 a week!

And, guess what, we’re not living on ramen noodles! I’m talking gourmet dining here… the kind of meals 98% of the population would pay hundreds of dollars for in a fancy, upscale restaurant to feed six people.

More importantly, this is all fresh, healthy food – no chemicals, no genetic modifications. And, I personally know thousands of people who use these techniques every day to reach their personal financial goals!

Sure, I could afford to eat at 5-Star restaurants for every meal, if I wanted to. But, how do you think I got to this place financially? And, why would I sacrifice all my other dreams just to eat an over-priced, over-processed meal?! If you would like to have this same financial freedom, then you can start with these simple tips:

1. Grate your own cheese: Pre-packaged, pre-processed foods cost you more per serving and contain all kinds of “mystery” ingredients. Those bags of already-grated cheese are overpriced and loaded with all sorts of “extras.” Steer clear of anything pre-portioned, pre-sliced or loaded with “extra” ingredients.
2. It’s all in the cards: Did you know the recommended size for an entree – read that as a piece of meat – serving is about the same size as a deck of playing cards? But, frequently, pre-portioned foods exceed this by double! And, not only are you teaching your body to overeat, but you’re paying extra for that labor, again, to “portion” your meat servings.
3. Plan Ahead: Plan your menu ahead of time and think in terms of yielding multiple meals from one chicken, pot roast, etc. Leftover broth can be saved and used to create amazing stock costing you several dollars to purchase at the store.
4. By the book: Invest in a couple of good, all-purpose cookbooks and you’ll be amazed at how far that whole chicken can go. Plus, you’ll learn all kinds of tricks and gain the knowledge, confidence and inspiration to go “off book” to begin creating your own dinnertime masterpieces!
5. Make a list and stick to the perimeter: We’ve all heard the advice to never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry and this one is definitely true. But, I would put another bit of wisdom right up there with it: ALWAYS have a shopping list! Grocery stores are designed to appeal to all your senses and to encourage impulse buying. Make a list and try to stick to the perimeter of the store! Think about it – all the basics, meat, dairy, produce are located in a U shape around aisles full of frozen or processed over-priced crap. If you need to grab pasta or something, grab it quick and don’t linger or walk up and down every aisle.

None of these techniques involves making huge sacrifices in your lifestyle or preferences and can result in hundreds of dollars in savings EVERY MONTH! Imagine putting hundreds of dollars every month back into your budget. What could you do with that kind of extra money? Pay off your credit cards? Save for a dream vacation? Increase your charitable contributions? Pay off your mortgage years early? Increase your retirement investments? This list is limited only by your dreams!

If I can do it, then you can do it! And I’m always here to support you, so leave me your comments below and tell me what you are planning with all your extra cash now. Don’t keep these great ideas to yourself, be sure to “Like” and “Share” these handy tips!

Are you ready to start the week out strong? Join us for lunch at 12 pm ET and again at 7 pm ET on The Dani Johnson Show. Regardless of the time, you can find the show on your TV or radio and please remember you can always stream today’s show right here on our website.

In great faith,

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