Since I started reading personal finance and food blogs about a year-and-a-half ago, I’ve tried dozens of new dishes, learned an obscene amount about index funds, and discovered that no topic on Earth drives women into a commenting frenzy like overpriced bridesmaid dresses. Yet mostly, I think more than anything else, I’ve realized how to save money and eat well at the same time.

For this, I owe tons of thanks to destinations like Money Saving Mom and Like Merchant Ships, who have long advocated things like grocery lists and menu planning. This kind of stuff never occurred to me in my early ‘20s, and The Boyfriend and I are much better for it now. We eat like the dickens and haven’t had to sell any major organs to finance peanut butter purchases (lately).