Proverbs 31:14

10)  An excellent wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels.  11) The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.  12) She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.  13) She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.  14)  She is like the ships of the merchant;  she brings her food from afar.  15)  She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.  16)  She considers a field and buys it;  with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.  17) She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.  18) She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.  Her lamp does not go out at night.  19) She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.  20) She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.  21) She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.  22) She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.  23) Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.  24) She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.  25) Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.  26) She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  27) She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  28) Her children rise up and call her blessed;  her husband also, and he praises her:  29) "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." 30)  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  31) Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.  

A merchant ship is a cargo ship that was used to bring goods from afar to a different area.  I imagine it is quite a profitable business to be in, as if you were in charge of a specific ship, the cargo would be quite foreign than the goods that were readily available to the communities you transported them to.  So if this virtuous woman is like the ships of the merchant, she is not only seeking to find quality goods that are usual, but she is willing to work at bringing goods that are unique.  She brings her food from afar.  She must be quite disciplined in her behavior to not only seek out these phenomenal items, but also to bring them into her home for her family.  
I suppose as the woman in charge of my home, I need to be conscientious of how I spend money on groceries, what I can grow myself, and what I can travel for.  For instance, buying fruit in Colorado, or in Washington, and bringing it home and canning it myself for use throughout the year, rather than waiting for the season that my local grocer will be putting it on the shelf, is quite apparently what the virtuous woman in this passage would do. 
My sister is in charge of a much larger household, with many well-behaved children, and a very supportive husband, I am constantly thinking of her while I go over this passage of scripture.  She makes her own household cleansers, and has graciously shared them with me, as you may see in my earlier posts.  It seems so amazing to me to see her family of 8 (almost 9) living on one income.  She is not limited to being thrifty, but she is also dedicated to making her house a home, a clean and organized home at that.  I am so proud of the example she lives, not just for me, but also to those around her.  
Here are some ideas, (in no particular order) that I have started, and intend to, put into practice, so as to live a life more familiar to the verse I'm contemplating:

1. Buy whole grains and legumes in bulk, and use them to prepare my own breads and beans.  This in turn is a much healthier alternative than that of purchasing from a retailer.
2. Avoid commercial, boxed cereals (even when prepared with whole grains). They are so low in nutritional value, and that's not really what I want to be feeding my family.
3. Spend the money I would have used on cereals and breads and canned foods, on quality oils.  The Omega-3 oils and the Extra Virgin Olive Oils make better salad dressings, and are better overall in all cooking endeavors.
4. Make stocks for soups, rather than purchasing them.  It seems silly, but as a society we are so wasteful with our foods.  Using the stock from your Christmas ham for meals down the road, seems like an especially good idea.
5. Pray more, complain less.  Obviously this isn't something that has to be done only in my house, but I do believe that this will make things go much more smoothly in and outside of my home.

Some great websites for recipes~

www.justapinch.com

www.bettycrocker.com
www.epicurious.com

Dear Heavenly Father,

As I read of this virtuous woman, I am so grateful for the women that you have put around me.  You have given me amazing examples, in my grandmothers, in my mother, in my sister, and in many of my friends.  You knew I would long to serve You, and You took certain measures in setting me in a place where I would be able to follow wonderful examples.  You are truly amazing, and I am in awe of Will.  Lord, I ask that you help me to become more like you.  I want to be the woman you meant for me to be, not the woman it is easiest to be.  You gave me daughters, please let me be a shining example of the kind of mother and wife that you desire.  

Your chosen bond-servant.