Reply #18: We make menus and only buy what we need for a specific meal [View All]

Rather than doing this, a better way would be to shop the sales, use coupons and start building a pantry by cherry picking the loss leaders. Right now, several stores are selling eggs for 98 cents a dozen

Plan your menus around the sales, and as you build up your pantry, you will have many more choices as you've previously bought things on sale. We've cut our grocery bill by about 40% using this method, but we have convenient access to a number of different grocery stores. And I've also been able to buy more organic products as the options expand.

Also, why not try a garden this year. Even if you don't have a lot of space, you can grow quite a bit in containers. Farmer's markets also are a great source of bargains and you can freeze extra for later. A small freezer is a good investment.