I am 5 feet tall and according to Science Daily I should weigh no more than 125 pounds. That is something that I can understand. And next time I take the dog to the vet’s I will find out how much I weigh (come on admit it we all use the vet’s scale).

“It’s a very simple calculation that most of us can do in our heads,” he explained. For men and women, there is a baseline height and weight. For men, the baseline is 5-feet, 9-inches tall and a Maximum Weight Limit of 175 pounds, meaning that a 5-foot, 9-inch tall man should weigh no more than 175 pounds. For women, the baseline is 5-feet tall and a Maximum Weight Limit of 125 pounds.

“These are nice round numbers that people can easily remember: 5-feet, 9-inches tall, 175 pounds for man; and 5-feet tall, 125 pounds for a woman,” explained Fernandez.

From that starting point, you simply calculate how much taller or shorter you are, in inches. Then, if you are man, you add or subtract 5 pounds for every inch you are taller or shorter than 5 feet, 9 inches. So, if you are 5-feet, 11-inches tall, you are 2 inches taller than the baseline of 5 feet, 9 inches. You add 5 pounds for each of those 2 inches, 10 pounds, to the baseline Maximum Weight Limit of 175. So, your Maximum Weight Limit is 185 (175 pounds plus 10 pounds). Women add or subtract 4.5 pounds for each inch they differ from the baseline height of 5-feet tall.

– Science Daily 21 September 2009.

Because I lived in Austin, Texas and near Lebanon-Hanover, New Hampshire I was used to shopping in Central Market, Whole Foods and the Co-op. I purchased excellent quality foods that were good value for the dollar for the most part. And I splurged as needed.

I started commuting to Shreveport, Louisiana and had to find a local grocery store to feed me. I began my reconnaissance of the local grocery stores.

Store A is a smallish grocery store conveniently located ¾ mile from my house and serves a mixed socio-economic neighborhood of historic homes. No matter what I would go in there for all I ever come out with was a can of Folger’s and a bag of dog food.

This store specializes in fat, starch, sugar, alcohol and over-priced fresh orange. I was going to starve to death shopping here.

Next I test drove Store B which is 4 miles from my house. This is a grocery store for what was the Shreveport everyman. I began my exploration of the store and was immediately disappointed. There was no variety, no organic foods, no bulk, no nothing. I was so damn depressed. I consulted some locals and they directed me to Store C.

Store C is located 3 miles from my house and serves a higher end socio-economic group. In this neighborhood the houses are beautifully massive and the squadrons of giant flying cockroaches are called water bugs.

I made my trek to Store C to see if this grocery store was going to meet my needs. It has fruits and vegetables, some imported items, organic meat and vegetables and my staples. There is produce that I would consider a staple in Austin that is 3 times the price in Store C so I do without. But still out of the three, Store C was the best suited to my needs.

So you would think the post would stop there:

• Explore your grocery store options
• Pick the grocery store best suited to you
• The End

I thought that was the end too. But a friend, who lives 4 blocks from Store C, told me she was shopping in Store B. I was floored as I had seen what was in her fridge and it looked nothing like what I had seen at Store B.

So BACK I went to Store B. It was fabulous. They had been undergoing renovations for months. I walked into a beautiful produce section immediately hitting a wall of organics that were only pennies more expensive than the regular produce.

Green peppers were $0.99 each at Stores A and C, ORGANIC green peppers were $0.99 each at Store B. I try to stay away from the bakery but they had fresh baked cheese biscuits 3 for $1.00.

The prices are cheaper than Store C, the quality and selection are better than Store A. I was so happy I damn near burst into tears.

I now firmly believe that the choice of grocery store should be revisited annually.

The grocery chain marketing departments are constantly reassessing: what should be sold at each store, improvements and renovations, the pricing strategies, specials, etc. You never know when something is turning to your advantage in a different store.

A potato chip (American English chips, British English crisps) is a thin slice of potato deep fried or baked until crispy depending on the company it originated from. Potato chips serve as an appetizer, side dish, or snack. Commercial varieties are packaged for sale, usually in bags. The simplest chips of this kind are just cooked and salted, but manufacturers can add a wide variety of flavoring (mostly made using herbs, spices, cheese, artificial additives or MSG). Chips are an important part of the snack food market in English-speaking countries and many other Western nations.

Back in the day when I was a starch-eating-type-of-girl I loved potato chips. Whenever I went grocery shopping I would usually pick up a bag of salt and vinegar or sour cream and onion. Occasionally, as a treat, I would buy ketchup chips.

I would get the normal grocery-store-sized-bag. Which, as you know, is like buying in bulk for a single person. But it was cheaper than getting individual potato chip bags. So I was saving money – yeah, me.

The problem was once I opened up that bag of chips I was obligated to eat them and fast. Otherwise they would go stale and I would waste money. So instead of wasting my hard earned dollars I was eating 16 servings of potato chips in 4 days. That is a lot of potato chip calories. Especially considering I didn’t slow down eating anything else.

I rarely eat potato chips these days so naturally now is the time I finally find the solution to the stale potato chip dilemma. I was speaking with an old friend and she told me to do the following:

After opening your bag and have a serving of potato chips. Close up the bag and toss the bag into a Ziploc bag and put that bag into your freezer. When you want a handful of chips you grab them from the freezer and they defrost in a minute or so. And the amazing thing is the frozen chips taste even better than the unfrozen serving of potato chips.

I asked her how long chips would stay fresh in the freezer and she didn’t have a clue. So when in doubt I always say 6 weeks. I may be wrong but it keeps my freezer rotating.

I wandered over to the Snack Food Association website (you just knew there had to be one) and read their 2009 State of the Industry Report that they had posted. According to the report:

A changing definition of affordability has brought about significant changes in shopper rituals.

· One quarter of consumers have actually reduced snacking frequency.
· Again, stretching products surfaces, with one-third of consumers trying to make their snack purchases last longer.
· And, about one-half of shoppers are spending less on snacks and/or purchasing whatever is on sale rather than their preferred brands.

I am definitely a consumer that has reduced my snacking food to next to nothing. And I have become obsessed with food waste. I shop at Big Lots so I am buying whatever was on sale in another country. Love me some chocolate covered licorice from Australia.

So try it. Freeze your potato chips and see if they really do last longer and taste better than fresh out of the bag.

More good news is that it may be easier than you think to make healthy changes to your diet without sacrificing your favorite foods and drinks. For instance, try these calorie-cutting tips:

• Substitute steamed veggies for heavy sides like mashed potatoes or creamed spinach.

• Choose brown rice instead of white.

• When eating out, simply ask your server to hold the cheese on your sandwich to save up to 130 calories.

• Forgoing the bun on a burger will save even more.

• At the office, reduce your calorie load by making your own snacks instead of hitting vending machines or office candy jars. You can create your own trail mix out of a handful of peanuts, almonds, walnuts and raisins and you instantly have a filling, low-cal snack that’s packed with protein and fiber. Or try a cup of blueberries for a tasty snack packed with antioxidants and a mere 56 calories.

• Happy hour can be another major calorie-consuming culprit. When grabbing drinks with friends, opt for a lower-calorie beer such as MGD 64, which, as its name suggests, has just 64 calories. Unlike other beers and cocktails that are loaded with calories, it lets you enjoy your time out while saving the extra 250 calories you would have downed from, say, a daiquiri.

By making small changes to your diet, you can successfully cut calories all year long without really giving up things you love.

1) Loyalty Cards: If you don’t have one, sign up for one. It’s one of the easiest ways to save money on groceries on sale each week. Never leave the store without swiping your loyalty card at checkout.

2) Electronic Coupons: Online coupon sites such as www.Shortcuts.com let shoppers load coupons onto their store loyalty cards for savings without printing or clipping. Just click the coupons you want and they’re automatically redeemed when you use your loyalty card.

3) Buy One, Get One Free: These buy-one-get-one sales are great on their own, but you can also use one coupon for each item. So if you get two items, make sure to use two coupons.

4) Printable Coupons: Check out coupon Web sites such as www.Coupons.com and www.SmartSource.com, which let you select the coupons you want to print.

5) Favorite Brands: Frequent the Web sites of your favorite brands. You can often find money-saving printable coupons right on the site or you can sign up for special offers by mail or e-mail.

6) Coupons for Sale: If you spot a great sale and want to double up on your savings, go online to a site like www.TheCouponClippers.com, which lets you order coupons for a few cents each.

7) Stack Coupons: Some retailers offer coupons that can only be used at their stores. You can use these coupons along with manufacturers’ coupons on the same product for extra savings. By doubling up, you can sometimes get products for free or nearly free.

Double And Triple Coupon Deals: Some grocery stores double or triple coupons and sometimes only on certain days of the week. Check the newspaper for which days they’re multiplied.

9) Rebates & Free-bates: Look for rebates and free-bates, which refund you the full purchase price. You can make money in some cases when you use a coupon and then get a full-price free-bate. Just don’t forget to send in the forms.

10) Money-Saving Blogs: Check out money-saving blogs that share with readers shopping tips and advice as well as coupons, free samples and round–ups of the best deals at the grocery store. Two to check out are www.MoneySavingMom.com and www.CouponCravings.com.