You can do this….

Buy the store brand whenever possible.  The store tries hard to have the same quality and taste you’re used to in the name brand products, but at a cheaper price.

Stop buying bagged snacks and candy. They’re costly, and can add $10. – $15. to your total bill with just a few bags. A bag of popcorn kernels you pop yourself is cheap and gives bowls and bowls of popcorn. Buy carrots, celery, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash etc., add your favorites, mix it up. Wash, slice, and enjoy as is or with a dip…better for you health too.

Stop buying soda.  Water is very refreshing.  Swap out a soda, opting for water, and make that two the next day, three the following and so on.  Tap water is great.  Fill a bottle and put it on the door of the fridge where it’s handy.  You can also add a slice of lemon and or lime to it.

Cut back on meat, you don’t need it every day. To get enough protein less expensively by adding more eggs, lentils, black/white/kidney beans to recipes.  Eat more vegetables, they can be cooked in various ways, adding spices to vary the taste, most can be eaten raw.  A bonus is that they’re low in calories.

Some grocery stores go through their produce each day, package up those that are no longer  ‘up to their standard’ and put them on a shelving unit at the back of the store.  This produce is now about half the price per pound of what is in the nearby produce bins. If you don’t see it, ask the manager if they do this, and go shopping around the time it’s usually put out.

The same holds true for the bakery department.  The sell by date is the previous day, so setting it out a treat, even for guests, is fine.  Put it on a pretty plate, toss the packaging, and enjoy.

Scan the internet for new recipes.  Make up your own.  Be creative,  Cooking your own meals is far cheaper than eating out or ordering take-out. Oftentimes restaurants add a lot of salt or salt type spices.  If you’re watching your blood pressure, watching salt intake is a must.  Processed foods are also high in sodium.  Cooking at home can alleviate this problem.  Just don’t add salt.

Even if you think you can’t cook, you’ll find that it is so much easier than you think.  There are numerous easy to prepare recipes online geared to a ‘new cook’. A hint to the clean up… Once you’re through with a bowl, spoon, etc, wash it.  Get used to doing it that way and you won’t have things piled in the sink.  Clean up as you go.  If something does need soaking, fill with soap and water and while you’re enjoying your meal, it’s soaking and will be ready for easy clean up by the end of dinner.

Enjoy!