Why I save.

Last Friday, I delivered two meals.  One to a family in our community who lost a loved one, and one to my sister-in-law and her family.  My nephew had surgery on Friday and I just wanted to make it a little easier on them. 
Thanks to shopping when things are on sale and stocking up, I was able to pull together three meals for under $15.  I made baked spaghetti with garlic bread and salad.

Here's the breakdown:

2 bags pasta $2
2 pounds ground beef $4
2 bags my sauce $1
1 cup cheese $1
cottage cheese $1
2 eggs $0.13
lettuce $1
shredded cheese $0.50
salad dressing $0.50
3 garlic breads $1.80
butter $0.25

Grand total:  $12.18

Here's how I did it.

Pulled meat, sauce, and 2 loaves of french bread out of the freezer before bed on Thursday.
Made meat sauce and layered 3 dishes of baked spaghetti before co-op on Friday.
Baked all three pans after co-op.  When finished, I made homemade garlic bread using Walmart clearance French bread.  Each half loaf is more than enough to serve five people generous portions.  Simply spread one stick of butter mixed with a heaping spoon of minced garlic and sprinkle with parsley.  Broil until browned. 
Chopped up a simple lettuce salad with homemade Italian dressing

Packed it up and delivered two meals, one stayed home for us.

I have no doubt that I would have spent much more if I had to run to the store at the last minute to make these meals.  Everything I used was purchased on sale and set aside for another time.  Each pan of baked spaghetti was more than enough to feed eight hearty portions.  It works out to a little over $0.50 a portion.

This was a good reminder for me that saving money isn't just for our own purposes.  It allows us to reach out to those around us who have a need. 

And that's the best reason to save money.