Budgeting: Food Shopping

I am not a coupon-clipper. First of all, I don't subscribe to a newspaper, and second, I often feel like coupons are for things that I wouldn't buy anyway. I know that's not always the case, but I usually can't be bothered to use them.

However, here are some tricks I have been trying to save some money on the grocery bill:

1. Make my own bread. With my new cookbook, this has been pretty simple, and has saved $1.50/loaf (at least). I just bake it, slice it, and freeze it.
2. Buy in-season produce as much as possible.
   
3. I've started buying dried beans instead of canned (when practical). It's a 50% savings.
   
4. Shop at Trader Joe's. You can find some really awesome deals at TJ's. I think the tofu is like $1.50 cheaper than what I get at Target.
   
5. I always make a list.
6. Buy store-brand when possible.
   
7. Don't buy processed food (I still need Morningstar Farms sausages, though!).
8. Join a CSA farm.
   
9. Tony and I eat less. Really.
   

I tried shopping at Aldi once, which is REALLY cheap (22% cheaper than Wal-Mart), but the experience was pretty tragic, and I can't bring myself to go back. If things get worse, however, I might just suck it up.