Post your recommendations for keeping grocery costs under control.

[Frustratedlady]

16. Eat less processed foods and cook from scratch.

There are many foods you can make and enjoy the leftovers in a day or so. Some dishes taste better as leftovers, such as casseroles, soups, etc. Homemade pizza is fun to make and you can be creative/experimental with it. I make flat bread pizza (which is fairly cheap at the store) and make my own sauce and toppings.

Buy veggies and fruits from farmers' markets. The quality and freshness is usually better, as are the prices. Stop buying convenience or snack foods. Pop your own popcorn at home. That's a filler as a snack. Buy cheaper cuts of meat. Pork is cheaper than beef. Chicken is rising, but not as fast as beef. Find creative ways to use leftover meat...casseroles and soups are good ways to do so. Check out Pinterest or the Net for recipes/ideas.

Every store has their draws. Watch for them and stock up if you can. You can freeze extra bread products and you'll be surprised how many times that saves a trip to the store when you realize you are out and have some frozen. Make a list of what your family eats the most and buy ingredients when on sale...cross out snack foods and pop.

I like to watch what families buy at the grocery. I'm amazed at how high they can pile those carts with worthless calories, sugared cereals, cookies, etc. I'm just glad I don't have to pay the bill.

Good luck!