But really,
1. Plan a menu.
By planning a weekly or monthly food menu, you get an accurate overview of the groceries you’ll need for that time period. Use a calendar and plan from the day you go shopping until your next shopping trip. Peruse your
[COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]recipe[/color][/color] file and write down each menu item on the day you will serve it (including the cookbook page number or where the recipe is located helps). On a separate sheet, write down the ingredients you need for each menu item.
If your local stores frequently have good sales, plan your menu around those sales. For example, if one grocery store has chicken on sale that week, you can plan to have roast chicken on Sunday and use the leftovers for chicken soft tacos later in the week.
2. Keep a running list of things you use often.
If your family adores peas and green salad, keep lettuce, tomatoes and frozen peas on your grocery list. Milk, cheese, eggs, bread and vegetables are other grocery items you may find you consume regularly. By keeping a list of things you use most often and adding it to your weekly grocery list, you may never run out of the “necessities” again!
3. Use what you have.
If you find your freezer or cupboards becoming overloaded, spend some time going through them and writing each item down, including the quantity. Six cans of beans in the cupboard? Add taco salad to your
[COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]menu [COLOR=blue ! important]plan[/color][/color][/color]. Ground beef in the freezer? Make meatloaf (be sure to make extra so you can have open-face meatloaf sandwiches later in the week, or add leftover meatloaf pieces to spaghetti sauce for instant meatballs)!
4. Buy in bulk.
Buying in bulk may not save you a lot of time initially, but it will save you a lot of money! If your family enjoys Mexican foods like tacos, burritos or enchiladas, purchase a 5 pound chub of ground beef. You can either divide the raw meat into one-pound packages (using aluminum foil and freezer bags) or take 30 minutes to cook all of the meat at once, add taco seasoning and then freeze the seasoned meat. In a hurry for dinner? Pull a bag of cooked, seasoned meat out of the fridge, throw it in the microwave and you have a delicious meal in under 20 minutes.
5. Take advantage of sales.
When milk goes on sale, stock up. Empty about 1 cup of milk from the gallon, replace the cap and freeze (standing up) in a deep freezer. Milk keeps well for up to 6 months in the freezer. A few days before you need it, pull it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to defrost.
Canned goods are another item you can stock up on cheaply, especially if you have storage space. Beans and tomatoes can make a variety of delicious meals – from chili to spaghetti to almost any kind of soup – at much less than the cost of the “convenient” version of these products.
6. Make double of everything.
Whenever you make
[COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]casseroles[/color][/color], soups and other freezable items, take a few extra minutes to double the recipe. You’ll more than recoup your time investment when you can remove a frozen lasagne to the refrigerator in the morning and cook it in the evening. Doubling works well for just about any recipe (except those containing eggs as a key ingredient).
You can also stretch your breakfast budget by making triple batches of pancakes and/or waffles and freezing them in heavy duty freezer bags. To reheat, remove as many as you like and heat them in the microwave for 1-3 minutes.
7. Designate at least two “meatless” nights per week.
Meat is expensive these days. You can stretch your grocery dollars by incorporating two meatless days into your menu plan. Meat-free doesn’t mean taste-free, however! You can have spaghetti, black bean chili, lasagne, ‘breakfast for dinner’, bean and cheese burritos. In the winter, you can make soups, in the summer,
[COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]pasta [COLOR=blue ! important]salads[/color][/color][/color], even vegetarian pizzas!
8. Make your own groceries.
Many “convenience foods” can be made at home for a third of the cost of the store version. If your family likes fresh cinnamon rolls, you can make and freeze
[COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]bread [COLOR=blue ! important]dough[/color][/color][/color] in advance, or use the “dough” setting on your bread machine to make fresh dough. Keeping frozen goods, such as quick breads, frozen cookie dough and other homemade treats, readily available in your freezer can cut down on the need for convenience foods and desserts.
Mixes are another convenience food that may quickly eat into your budget. By making your own mixes, such as pancake mix, taco seasoning and other mixes, you can shave dollars off of your grocery budget. Check your local library for recipe books that feature mixes or mix alternatives.
You can find additional tips on stretching your grocery budget at your local library. Look for books on thriftiness and frugality; these books often provide a wealth of information about ways to save on groceries and other household necessities.
Budgets 
