Now is the time to start planning for your holiday food needs.

Start by sitting down with a calendar, pen and paper. First, consider if you are going to be hosting a party. If so, write down needed ingredients, food items etc. Next, list the parties and events you will be attending and what food items you will be bringing to these activities.

Having a method for organizing your pantry or food storage is crucial.

Having the right equipment is an important facet of keeping organized. You will probably find that you will need additional shelving when you use the Savvy Shopper Expanding your Pantry program.

Last week's Savvy Shopper column discussed the importance of organizing your pantry. Equally important to organizing your pantry is rotating the items in your pantry or food storage.

An easy first step is to print a pantry checklist, a freezer checklist, a recipe favorites list, and a shopping list from www.organizedhome.com/printable/showgallery.php/cat/506.

How many of you are extremely conscious of current gas prices -- including where the cheapest place is to purchase gasoline? How many of you drive past one or more gas stations on a quest to find the cheapest price per gallon?

Have you ever considered your true savings when you take into account time and gas spent looking for the best price on gas? For instance, if the price of gas at your neighborhood gas station is $1.95 versus the gas station

Does the Savvy Shopper grocery saving program really work? Does it help you save money at the grocery store? Does it help you save time? Does it help you build up a usable food storage or pantry?

The principles of the Savvy Shopper grocery saving program have changed my life.

Healthful eating seems to take on a renewed priority with many people at the beginning of the new year.

I noticed the other day my scale was broken -- it is adding 5 pounds of weight now when I weigh myself. The holidays were a wonderful time full of great food and parties, but now it is time to recommit to eating well.

The Savvy Shopper grocery saving program shows you how to make a well-rounded grocery trip.

I highlight not only the best coupon deals, but all the good deals at the store, including meats, produce, dairy, non-foods and beverages in a bi-weekly e-mail.

Preparing your weekly grocery list does not need to take a lot of time or be a dreaded chore. A little pre-planning and preparation will help make the weekly process efficient and pain-free.

An important and time-saving method I recommend involves sitting down and listing those meals your family enjoys and prepares often -- try to list between 15 and 20 tried-and-true recipes.