Virginia's Toolbox

"There is food for everyone on this planet, but not everyone eats" - Carlo Petrini Did you know that the average family in the USA throws out $1,600 worth of groceries every year? That's more than $408 BILLION dollars in one country alone! I'm certainly guilty of finding wilted spring mix and moldy bread laying around. I wanted to find a way to keep track of everything I have on hand to be able to remember it all and plan meals around what I've already got. I came up with this super simple PDF solution that has been helping plan meals, save money, and reduce waste. It's also great for those times when you're too tired to think about what to eat, and end up turning to takeout instead. I keep my fridge inventory in a plastic page protector so I can make it reusable with a dry erase marker. Things like produce, dairy, and meat go into my perishables section, and I always take a look when I'm planning my meals. I also have a spot to jot down healthier snac...

"It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.”  - Benjamin E. Mays If you have any large goals that you'd like to work on, such as starting a business or running a marathon, it can seem very daunting to even begin. Most of the time, we keep these lofty goals in our head, but we don't know when or how to begin working on them. Many people never even start some of the things they'd like to do because they simply don't get started.  One of the best ways to conquer a large goal is to break it down into small pieces. It may seem obvious, but it can be hard to visualize for a lot of people. By using this year long planner, you can map out an entire year of self improvement in one page. This way, you can slowly but surely move from where you're at to where you want to be, and there will always be a clear next step for you to take. At the top, you can fill out your "what...