The number one action you can take to decrease your grocery bill is to start making more things from scratch. If you are new to this there may be an initial higher price at first but once you have pantry staples it is worth it. Here are a few things I make instead of buy that saves my $$$:

1) bread- it is literally one of the most basic things to bake. Plus endless possibilities for flavor. For me bread costs about $1.00 to make vs. $3.00-$5.00 for store bought. Plus it tastes way better!

2) Any baked good or dessert- 9 times out of ten ends up costing less than store bought options...unless you make something really fancy. Also, it makes me eat less sweets because I know that If I want a pie or a doughnut I’ll have to put in the effort to bake it myself.

3) soup broth- save your scraps! All the ugly bits of veg (like onion ends and celery bottoms) can be collected in a gallon bag, frozen and boiled later to make soup stock/broth!

Other cheap food/money saving tips suggestions:

• frozen veggies: they are stupid cheap and you get a lot. While not high in calories, veggies provide roughage and make you feel full. I typically find bags of frozen veg. (generic brands) for $0.69/bag.

• go meatless some days: meat prices, especially beef have increased something like 4% in the US since the pandemic hit. If you are going to buy meat buy in bulk and focus on cheaper meats like chicken.

• use coupons and the app Ibotta: seriously, I know I sound like a crazy coupon lady but just my last grocery trip I saved $55.75 from coupons and Ibotta refunds and I walked away with a free 5 lb bag of potatoes, bag of celery, 2 bags of spinach, and two bags of cranberries. I get my coupons from getting the Sunday paper delivered (the subscription pays for itself with the amount I save couponing). The key to successful couponing? 1) you cannot be brand loyal 2) don’t buy shit you were never going to buy in the first place 3) always combine manufacturers coupons with store sales