Can't believe that, until A Perfect Fit , I had not written new blog post in over a year. Time flew, life was lived, and lessons were learned. Most noteworthy is that I've assumed a more relaxed posture towards housekeeping. I found that keeping up with the standard of clean and tidy I had become used to, having household help overseas, is unmanageable. I still clean thoroughly, if not as frequently, and we still endeavor to have a place for everything and everything in its place. Still, with three young children, I spend much of my day tidying. We attempted to ease the burden of cooking by enjoying takeout out a few more times a month but quickly realized that eating out more than a handful of times per month, even at inexpensive restaurants, has a significant effect on our food budget. For a family of five, the only way to stay under budget, $5 to $7 per person, per day, is to prepare the majority of meals at home. To put things into perspective, what we can reasona...

Ah ha! I have been had. I have been, for a few months now, a huge fan of Costco Same-Day (Instacart) and I still am but... Costco Same-Day (Instacart) and Costco 2-Day pricing are not the same. I was so overcome with joy about being able to get my Costco fix on the same day that I never looked closely at the 2-Day service.  You will probably get the the best bang for your buck ordering non-perishables via the 2-Day service unless there is a sale on the Same-Day side. Try to fill your Same-Day and 2-Day shopping carts at the same time and compare every single item before you checkout. I bought the following items and saved $4.30.  Unfortunately, I failed to cross check my carts and accidentally missed out on sale prices for almonds and cereal. I would have saved an additional $3.50 if I put those items in my Same-Day order. It is just a few bucks but we are penny pinching, remember? Costco 2-Day vs. Same-Day Service Kirkland Signature Minced Garlic in Wa...