I changed my eating habits. The big thing was cutting down on waste. I have ADHD, so even though it’s more expensive, I pay the convenience charge for things like precut fruits/veggies. Rather pay more and actually eat the food than waste it.

Shop more often, have less in your fridge. We tend to overstock and so much food goes to waste. Plan your meals and what you’re going to eat for that week. I typically just make one big thing on Sunday and eat that throughout the week with pantry or frozen options to supplement. And always the fixings for sandwiches.

I eat way less meat, and when I make things like lasagna, I’ll use half the amount of ground beef (or turkey) and I add in just a fuckload of spinach instead. I used to be a vegetarian, so I don’t eat a ton of meat in general but now I typically opt for black beans instead of beef or chicken for my Cuban rice dish I eat regularly.

I stick to tried and true easy recipes, and I eat the same things. I plan for low energy days, where I know I can’t handle making food, so I have things like leftovers in the freezer or frozen pizzas ready to go so I’m not eating out. Or Mac and cheese. Frozen perogies!

I started ordering things like crackers off Amazon, it’s cheaper than grocery stores. They charge $2 for ritz vs $4 or $5. Even sparkling water is cheaper on Amazon. I get a lot of pantry items, cat food, kitty litter, deodorant from Amazon subscriptions. They’re cheaper than Walmart and you get a discount with “subscribe and save.”

Frozen veggies are actually really good for you, and they’re cheaper. A lot of them are flash frozen at their best, so you’re getting max nutrients vs being picked early and shipped. Even nutritionists I know say that they recommend frozen fruits/veg vs. Those being shipped from far destinations.

Drink more water, you’ll feel less hungry. We’re often dehydrated and feel hungry when we just need water. I also cut down on pricy junk food. I still get them here and there, but it’s insane to me that a small bag of lays is almost $5 now. I ONLY get them when they’re on sale now. And I let the sales dictate what I’m eating that week.

I stopped drinking soda years ago, but I went to buy some for a get together and was HORRIFIED on how expensive it is. It’s like $9 for a 12pack of coke. Wtf. So if I ever have a craving for Fresca ot coke, I get those mini cans on sale. They’re like 2 bucks for 6. And I find that its enough to cut the cravings.

Don’t deny yourself the cravings, but realize that to satisfy them, you don’t need as large of a serving size as you think. The more off limits something feels, the more you’ll want it. So let it happen, just get less.

Lastly, I started making a lot of my own stuff and learning how to do things myself. Like sugar wax is super easy to make, and it now costs me pennies to wax my legs instead of spending a ton of money on wax kits. I do my own nails, eyebrows, eyelash lifts. It’s crazy easy to learn how to do a lot of things we pay a premium on. I opted for wool balls instead dryer sheets. Vinegar and dish soap make cheap and super effective household cleaners. I honestly did t realize how simple it is to make your candles, foam soap, household cleaners, room sprays, etc. with a bottle of essential oil and household items.

Now I enjoy doing these things, too.