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Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2462 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 How To S-T-R-E-T-C-H Your Food Dollar by Heidi Diller, RD Albertsons Corporate Nutritionist (NAPSA)—According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a family of four spends $80 more a month on groceries than it did two years ago. Yes, it’s the worst case of food inflation we’ve seen in 20 years. Try having two teenagers at home that drink more gallons of milk than I use in gasoline. Funny that a gallon of milk is currently the same price as a gallon of by Heidi Diller, RD gasoline. Gives new Albertsons meaning to the Nutritionist phrase “food is fuel.” I’ve never been much of a coupon user. And I rarely watched the ads. Not anymore. The challenge I now face is still providing my family with healthy meal options but at a price I can afford. Some simple tips like not shopping hungry and using a list have helped keep unneeded items out of my cart. But this journey has taught me to find ways by which I can stretch my food dollar without my family even noticing the difference. Here are my tips: • Use the weekly food ads to create a weekly dinner menu. I create a five-day menu that uses the meat that’s on sale along with fresh and frozen produce. I never use coupons for items I don’t regularly buy. Remember, fewer store visits equals fewer dollars spent. • Herbs and spices are expensive. So I add flavor and moisture to my cooking by using healthy salad dressings. For example, you can saut chicken breasts in a tablespoon of Italian dressing and add veggies and rice for a flavorful but low-cost dinner. • Know how to shop the produce department. Buy apples, oranges, grapefruit, potatoes and onions by the bag—not the piece. It’s cheaper and will fill more lunch bags and cover more meals. • Did you know that frozen turkey and eggs are the most economical sources of protein per ounce in the store? Yes, eggs are at an all-time high, but at only 50 cents per serving, they are still a protein bargain. • Two nights a week, save money by trying meatless alternatives. Canned beans provide a good source of protein, fiber and nutrients without the added fat. Add beans to salads, casseroles and soups. • Use private-label brands and save 15 to 25 percent compared to name-brand labels. Tex Mex Dinner Salad A perfect meatless meal for a hot summer night for less than $15. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 (15-ounce) can Wild Harvest pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15-ounce) can Wild Harvest black beans, rinsed and drained 11⁄2 cups shredded Cheddar and Monterey cheese blend 1 head of romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped 3 tomatoes, chopped 1 ⁄2 cup Catalina Free salad dressing 2 cups corn chips (optional) Directions: Drain and rinse the beans. In a large bowl, combine the pinto beans, black beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Add 3⁄4 bottle dressing and mix well. Add corn chips before serving. Nutrition Info (per serving) Calories 450; Fat 12g; Cholesterol 22mg; Carbohydrate 59.5g; Fiber 17g; Protein 26g Recipe adapted from www.all recipes.com. Note to Editors: This story is most relevant to the following states: CA, WA, OR, ID, NV, UT. Quicker Trim (NAPSA)—When it comes to do-it-yourself lawn care, the results are generally reflective of the tools you use. The easier they are to start and the more comfortable their operation, the more likely you are to take them out of the shed and do the work that’s required to keep the grass green and looking great. One example is the Straight Shaft String Trimmer from Ryobi. In addition to a wide cutting swath and long shaft for hard-toreach areas, this lightweight unit features a clean and powerful twocycle engine with advanced design New outdoor power tools with electric starters are easier to use due to more efficient operation. for optimum power and low emissions. Plus, the exclusive Electric Push Button TouchStart provides 12-volt electric start technology with onboard charging and recoil backup when needed. Ryobi power equipment is available exclusively at Home Depot. For additional information and to browse the online catalog, visit www.ryobitools.com. Helping Homeowners Stay In Their Houses (NAPSA)—Even though the current economic climate is making it a buyer’s market, many potential homeowners are wondering if they should commit to making what’s considered one of the largest purchases in their lifetime. The loss of a job, a reduction in work hours, unexpected illness, divorce or a sharp rise in adjustable mortgage interest rates are all potential scenarios that could put a homeowner’s ability to make mortgage payments in danger. A Solution Just as homeowners insurance protects against disasters such as fire, some families are now taking advantage of a free service available to help them when financial difficulties might put their home at risk. Many who used mortgage insurance to buy homes with low down payments have access to homeowner assistance programs if they fall behind in their payments. The programs offer loan modifications, repayment schedules and other scenarios designed to remedy or “work out” the problem so as to avoid foreclosure. “Our goal is to keep the homeowners in their homes and mitigate the losses that both homeowners and lenders suffer in a foreclosure situation so that everyone comes out a winner,” said Kevin Schneider, president of Genworth Financial’s U.S. mortgage insurance division. Over 90 percent of the nearly 8,000 workouts his company approved last year helped families avoid foreclosure. Homeowner assistance workouts have helped avoid foreclosure in as many as nine out of 10 cases. “The very first thing we tell homeowners when we make contact is that we are not calling in an attempt to collect money; that our service is free because it’s a feature that comes with the mortgage insurance they already paid for,” explained Schneider. How It Works Mortgage insurance helps homebuyers with a down payment of less than 20 percent qualify for a mortgage. By protecting the lender if the borrower defaults, it helps make low down payment possible. It is also tax deductible, like mortgage interest. In today’s environment, protection against financial disasters is something every homebuyer needs to consider. Like any form of insurance, there is a chance that you will never need to take advantage of the extra benefits of mortgage insurance, but the extra security it provides is one reason homebuyers are increasingly turning to this safe, low down payment mortgage option. Learn More To learn more, visit www.smartermi.com.
