If you’re already a thrifty person, sometimes it sees that there is no way to cut back on spending. You’ve ditched the cable TV, gym membership and quit those temping strolls through the shopping mall. You Christmas shopped at Good Will and put the villa rental in Tuscany on the back burner. You’ve traded the psychologist for a rosary and spend a lot of time at the local library.

Sometimes it seems like the only place you can cut down is on food. But you haven’t bought a steak in ages and lobster is a distant memory.

But you can save money on food.

Only buy what’s on sale.  We went for over a year without a good old-fashioned roast beef dinner. Then, the A&P had a sale on roasts for under $2.00 a pound! I bought four. We ate one and I froze the rest.

Even canned goods seem overpriced. I’m seeing tomatoes and beans for a dollar a can. Stock up when there is a sale or if you run into a store with low priced canned goods. Load up.

Coffee went through the roof after Katrina and has been going up ever since. Buy on sale. Buy a lot. If they restrict your purchase to 2 cans, take your significant other and a kid or two and stand in separate lines. Wear a reversible jacket. Go out to the car, reverse the jacket, add a baseball cap and go back in. Why save $1.00 when you can save $10.00

It doesn't matter if you are in the mood for something else. Control your desires. Once you get in the habit of cooking delicious home made meals, everyone will be in the mood to eat the food that's producing that tempting aroma.

• Learn to cook fresh, home – made food from scratch. Manufactured, processed foods are expensive and loaded with sugar, salt and unpronounceable chemicals. You can easily find quick recipes that use inexpensive,fresh ingredients. One of the highest and most stereotypical compliments on a meal is ‘just like grandma used to make.’ Grandma cooked from scratch using fresh, nutritional foods. (Except when she used canned stuff bought on sale)

• When you cook fresh, buy in-season local fruits and vegetables. There are cheaper and haven’t been dragged halfway across the world.

• Stop buying manufactured desserts. Once you bake your own cookies you’ve never be able to eat that crap from a plastic container again.

• Don’t eat carryout or fast food.

• Make your own coffee.

• Get creative. It takes no brains or creativity to pop a box of frozen lasagna in the oven.

• Eat dinner together. A big pot of stew is cheaper and better than if everybody grabs something different. Eating together is psychologically and spiritually rewarding and establishes close bonds. Your ego will get a boost when they compliment you on the delicious meal you’ve thrown together in 40 minutes.

• Make a quick soup with bullion and leftovers. If you throw in a handful of barley and a splash of wine your soup will be fabulous. Make more than you need and have leftover soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.
  

• Incorporate beans into your diet, they add fiber, fill you up and save money. Certain food combinations like beans with rice increase the protein value so you can have a delicious, satisfying meatless meal.

• Lose the soda habit. A large bottle of soda is up to $1.89 in my area. Soda makes you feel bloated and is a complete waste of your taste buds. Switch to tea and water.

• Buy in bulk. I buy a 25-pound bag of flour and store it in a food grade container. You can find large food grade containers at the bakery section of your grocery store for free.