The first culprit is most cases is junk food. Don't take the kids to the grocery store with you or even your spouse if they are junk food junkies. Do the grocery shopping by yourself and you will find that all of those junk food items no longer mysteriously appear when you get to the checkout line.
Buy water, milk, and natural juices instead of colas and other soft drinks. You can splurge when you go out but at home you should eliminate these costly non nutritional items. Milk isn't just for kids, everyone needs it.
Always buy fresh fruit when you can, if you have a produce stand nearby go shop there for your produce and buy large quantities that you can freeze and put away when that fruit isn't in season.
For your protein consumption you will need meat and beans, lean meat is going to be more expensive than meat that is fatty. Lean hamburger costs three times as much as regular hamburger meat. Canned beans are a bargain giving you a good source of protein for low prices.
Occasionally, you should use beans in place of meat for meals to cut back on fats and cholesterol. Since there are many varieties of beans you can do this quite a bit without repeating the same types of beans. The best thing to do is to put them cooking on a low temperature in a crock pot while you are working, that way by the time you get home they are done.
According to the US. Government you should have beans for part of your meals at least four times a week for the protein and finer benefits they offer. If you suffer gastric problems with beans try washing them before you cook them, then cover them with water, boil, drain the water off, and then refill the pot again. If this doesn't help you may want to try a product such as Beeno.
If you are lucky enough to live in a coastal area and I am. Take advantage of the abundance of fresh fish and make them a staple in your diet planning. If you catch them yourself they cost you nothing and even if you have to buy them they are fairly inexpensive if you live close to the source.
Another great budget saver is peanut butter. Peanut butter with jam on wheat bread is the food I ate as a young bodybuilder. It was cheap, gave me my protein and carbohydrates, and I didn't have to cook!
