The Good Life For Less: Hungry Kids? Feed Them On A Budget

Finding food your family likes can be a full-time job for some moms and dads. Children play hard and when they get home from school are always scrounging for snacks. (Sunny D commercials anyone?)

Because you want you to save as much money as possible when going grocery shopping, I've found some great online coupons sites, inexpensive recipes and basic tips before you hit the food aisle.

Coupons And Deal Finders

GroceryGuide.com - lets you search for the best deals neat your area.

Coupons.com, Valpak.com, Smartsource.com, RedPlum.com - These are the companies that you may have gotten real mail from (I know I do). They give you manufacturer coupons and most let you search by zip code to see local deals online. They're the bigger coupon sites and what may appear as junk mail really can save you some dough. Sign up online with a junk e-mail account if you prefer searching for electronic coupons.

MamboSprouts.com - If you are all about organic and living green this coupon site is for you.

CouponMom.com may be the site for you if you are into 'extreme couponing' (the people who go into a store with coupons then walk out with bags of goods they paid little or nothing for by using them). I haven't personally done this, but the people who do have claimed it has helped them eat for free and stay out of debt. It takes some effort and really is a way of life for many.

Recipes

If you're looking to keep the kids entertained and get a helping hand when putting together some meals, check out this article by Delish.com which includes 16 recipes under $3 a serving. I must say that pasta noodles, a can of tuna, and some veggies can go a long way -- and look pretty tasty too.

Tips

The best advice I can give for using coupons at a store is not to be ashamed in using them. In this economy, if you can save 20 percent off your grocery bill by going through the store circular before you walk around the store, it is worth the little bit of effort.

You would likely stop to pick up a $20 bill on the street outside the grocery store (and probably think it was a pretty good day if you found that flying around the parking lot), so why wouldn't you take 5 minutes before shopping to rip a few coupons out that could save you that same amount?

Know of any other deals, share them with other 'Good Lifers' in the comment section. You can also read more money-saving blog posts here and text WCCODEALS to 84816 for a 'deals of the week' reminder.