Page 65 - Family Resource Guide Spring/Summer 2025

NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE SPRING/SUMMER 20235 FRUGAL FAMILIESHEALTH
Shopping seasonally means higher savings and nutritional value
Seasonal produce is often cheaper and fresher than out-of-season varieties. Seasonal produce is also much more nutritious than produce grown for shipping overseas from warmer climes or grown in a hothouse.
Limit convenience foods
Prepackaged and convenience foods might save you time, but they often come with a higher price tag. Choose whole foods and ingredients that you can prepare yourself, as they tend to be more budget-friendly and healthier. A simple search online for quick recipes including your chosen main ingredient(s) will yield dozens of recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.
Getting the kiddos to help with ingredient prep (cutting vegetables, measuring ingredients into separate cups or containers) to quickly add in as you cook may take some time and planning to train them to do. But kids pick up on helping with meal prep quickly and their help can be a real timesaver in the kitchen.
Shop from your fridge
Do a pantry and fridge check before a grocery run. A quick internet search for “pantry meals” will yield tasty recipes to use up those ingredients that have been languishing on your pantry shelves. Dig in the fridge and use up those food items in the back before they become science experiments.
Minimize food waste
Speaking of refrigerator science experiments, according to National Resources Defense Council, US household food waste accounts for 40 to 50% of all food wasted in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this amounts to about 26.5 million tons of food waste every year.
To reduce waste:
• Store perishables properly to extend their freshness (see below) so that leftovers can be repurposed into new dishes.
• Understand food labels and dates. The confusion around expiration labels leads more than 80% of Americans to discard perfectly good, consumable food due to fear that the food may cause potential foodborne illness. See the previous page for an explanation of what they mean for food safety and consumption.
• Adhere to the first in, first out principle. When you put newly purchased food away, bring all the older items in your cupboards and fridge to the front so you are sure to use them first before they spoil from old age.
To avoid being overwhelmed and experiencing budgeting burnout, try one or two of these suggestions at a time, adding more strategies as you master each step. Soon you’ll realize significant savings while experiencing exciting new home-prepared food adventures. Ó
Storing Food Properly
(from Good Housekeeping.com)
If food is not stored or handled properly, food spoilage can occur much faster. The easiest way to avoid food waste is storing your produce in ways that preserve freshness.
• Choose good food storage containers.
The best containers help keep your food fresh, don’t leak when traveling and hold up against stains and other life happenings. Goodhousekeeping. com has lab-tested suggestions for good food storage containers.
• If you only eat a small amount of bread, freeze the loaf by double-wrapping it and take out a few slices a couple of hours before you need them. Wrap slices, muffins and bagels in plastic wrap and then in a resealable bag, making sure to squeeze out as much air as possible without crushing the bread before freezing. Write the type of bread and the date on the bag so you don’t grab a multigrain when you were craving sourdough.
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CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT Budgeting & Financial Planning Assistance
taught in their children’s school. Sessions for grades 4, 8 & 11 at public, private and independent classes for a fee. facebook. com/PenniesOnPurpose. or financial- convergence.com/pennies-on-purpose. or instagram.com/penniesonpurpose. (530)806-5899.
CONSIGNMENT STORES
MULTIPLE COUNTIES
Clothing Revival. Bring in freshly laun- dered clothes and accessories. For items that are accepted you can use in store credit or receive cash. Brands preferred. theclothingrevival.com.
Chico: 2483 Notre Dame Blvd Ste. 110. (530)636-4018.
Redding: 1340 Churn Creek Rd. C11 (530)605-1101.
BUTTE COUNTY
Apple Blossom Baby; Chico. Find unique, locally crafted treasures, hard-to-find new items, maternity clothing and high-qual- ity resale clothing, toys, and strollers for infants and toddlers. “So much more
than just a store.” 1356 Longfellow Ave. (530)345-1617.
Bootleg; Chico. Buy sell trade. Exchange modern, vintage and classic men’s and women’s clothing for cash. facebook.com/ bootlegchico/. 126 W 2nd St. (530)895- 1426.
Four Leaf Clothing Co.;Chico. Small, local business with gently used clothing of latest styles & trends. Buy, sell & trade available. Diverse selection of clothes for men & women. fourleafclothingco.com. 152 East 2nd St. (530)570-0816.
CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT Consignment Stores
CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT FoodBanks,FreeMealsAndServices
For The Unhoused
CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT SurplusStores&ReconstructedGoods
CARET-SQUARE-RIGHT ThriftStores
BUDGETING & FINANCIAL PLANNING ASSISTANCE
ONLINE AND MULTIPLE COUNTIES
Financial Peace University. Through a 9-week course, learn how to pay off debt, budget and save for the future. Many local churches also offer the courses in a group setting to inspire and encourage partic- ipants to control their money instead of letting their money control them. daveram- sey.com.
Intuit Mint. Free personal finance software that assists with money management and financial planning. Set a budget, track your goals and more. Simple and streamlined, pulls all your financial information into one place to get a financial overview. mint.com. Life Happens. Insurance 101 and online calculators to help families determine how much life insurance they need for their situ- ation. Non-profit organization. lifehappens. org.
You Need A Budget (YNAB). Personal budgeting system with coordinating tablet and phone apps. Track your budget and expenses in one place, pay off debt and prevent overspending using the YNAB philosophy. Free trial, low monthly/yearly fee. youneedabudget.com.
SHASTA COUNTY
Pennies On Purpose; Redding. 60-minute sessions presented in school classrooms to develop fundamental knowledge of finances. Kids learn about paychecks, bud- geting concepts, types of bank accounts and using credit cards responsibly. Info on how parents can lobby to get the classes
Eagles Nest
RESALE SHOP
ADULT & CHILDREN’S CLOTHING
HOUSEWARES HOME DECOR FURNITURE
Your purchase supports student based activities & scholarships
123 Main St. • (530) 938-4663 Located Downtown Weed
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