I have my own blog and I’ve been participating in the blogosphere (if you want to call it that) for over 7 years. My blog is located at http://itsreallyjustme.net, and its mostly focused on technology and my day-to-day musings.

I feel that even though a lot of the advice given here is good, it could be better. If you look through the posts on this blog, a lot of people give advice, provide links, and give feedback. If the creator(s) of this blog did not want to spark a dialog with their readers, they would not allow commenting at all. I think that you should read other comments and realize that I am not the only person contributing additional references but also a different point of view.

I am very concerned with the state of the environment, and a lot of my posts reflect that. There are a lot of little things that we as Americans can do to not only save money, but help to slow climate change, reduce our waste, and have a positive impact on the environment. I think a lot of what I have written will allow people to not only save more money, but also be better consumers by making better choices rather than opting for the cheapest items available.

On this particular thread I advised that you can save a lot more money by eliminating soda, or at least eliminating individual bottles. They cause damage to the environment, kill animals, cause cancer, and drive up the price of gas. I am astounded that someone could take issue with something that is pure common sense. Furthermore, it is sound advice from a health standpoint because soda has no nutritional value and contributes to obesity in children (who are the ones that generally want it the most).

If you are going to mock what I say or disagree with me, I would appreciate it if you had a real counter opinion or at least had the courage to tell the readers who you are. Then I would be more than happy to engage you in a debate on any of the subjects I have commented on.

Justelise you need to get your own blog and leave Amy’s alone.

I could not agree more with you than when you said it is important to you that you and your family don’t feel deprived. That just nails it! I feel that way as well! I think that is one of the keys to being satisfied with a frugal and thrifty budget and life.

Keep up the great work!

I try to pack hubby’s lunch while we are cleaning up dinner. One thing that I do is pre-cut the meat. It takes less time for him to re-heat and then he does not have to take a knife with him.

My husband takes leftovers to work as well. I will sometimes buy deli meat for those weeks I know leftovers will be sketchy (taco night, spaghetti etc), but he ends up not taking deli. Often times he takes leftovers and supplements his lunch with dessert. It doesn’t save as much but is cheaper than nothing!

The best way to pack drinks on the go would be to get a reusable drink container (a metal one rather than a plastic one) and pour drinks that you have mixed or purchased and have around the house into it. Iced tea (or any cold tea), sports drinks, lemonade, and juices all work well.

You should avoid plastic drink bottles at all cost. Since they are made from petroleum products, they help to drive up the cost of gas. Furthermore, a lot of them end up in the garbage when they should be recycled after use. Just because you recycle at home doesn’t mean your husband’s office does. Furthermore, some plastics leak chemicals into the liquids they are containing. These chemicals have been associated with a number of things including reproductive disorders in women and various cancers. Bottled water (however useless it is) and individual bottles of soda are pervasive in this country, and cutting back on them can help both the environment and your wallet.