My name is Melissa “Liss” Burnell, founder and creator of several sites geared towards helping struggling families make ends meet in a less than stellar economy. I created Budget101.com over a decade ago at the request of several rather lively ladies whom I met online, who were intrigued with my money saving methods and recipes.

At the time of its conception, my family, consisting of myself, my husband and our 2 very young sons were living on an income of less than $18,000 a year. Despite the low income we still managed to payoff our debts by reducing our monthly grocery budget to $200 per month and using the savings to apply to our back debts.  In an effort to make this information available to as many struggling families as possible, in 2001 I published a free eBook, “How to feed a family of four for less than $200 a month”.

Over the years our site has grown immensely from four chatty ladies looking for a bit of support to an active community of 23,000+ members offering more than 230,000 money saving tips, articles, recipes, freebies, printable coupons, gift ideas and more.

GroceryBudget101

This past year I took my passion for delicious food and photography to a new level and created GroceryBudget101.com; a site that offers our family’s weekly menu with one caveat, it’s based off a $50 budget! The menu encompasses breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and various beverages for two adults, two teenage young men and more often than not, at least 1 of their friends.

It offers a few of our tried and true favorite dirt cheap recipes with step by step photos, an eye opening view of the manipulation tactics retailers often use, as well as a few frugal Fails. (Let’s face it, not everything works out like you plan it!).

Getting and Staying Out of Debt

Although the economy has fluctuated greatly, new gadgets and technology have become available; one thing has remained the same- the ability to get out of debt using the resources you already have.  With that in mind, I released my latest eBook, the “2012 Family Guide to Groceries under $250 a Month" outlining little known manipulation tactics utilized by retailers on unsuspecting consumers in order to coax them into splurging sprees while shopping; as well as how to drastically reduce grocery expenses. For the majority of families struggling to reduce household expenses, the grocery budget is the only major monthly expense that can be notably lowered without any negative impact on daily lifestyle.

In my spare time, I’m likely to be found hiking in some oddly remote area with a camera hanging off my neck, waiting for the opportunity to snap an amazing wildlife shot, traveling, elbows deep in the garden with dirt buried under my (not so manicured) fingernails, or horseback riding. I currently reside on the South Eastern coast with my husband and our two sons.

For more grocery and budget tips and tricks by me, please visit Budget101.