Bake your own bread. If you bake your own bread, it costs just pennies on the dollar. Sure, it's hard to perfect the techniques, but it's well worth it. If you don't want to go through that much trouble, try buying a bread maker. It's an initial investment that will pay off in the long run.

Grow a garden. If you grow some of your own foods, then you'll have a great supply of healthy foods available. Make sure that you work out a plan to store any extras for the winter.

Reduce the amount of meat that you eat. Meat is fairly expensive and the more you eat, the more you have to pay. Eat some vegetarian meals and save some money.

Use a crockpot. Most crockpot meals are inexpensive and they free up your time to do other things. It's a good way to start cooking at home if you have a tendency to buy fast food because of the convenience.

Make a double batch and freeze it. Ready-to-eat meals are convenient, but expensive when you buy them from a store. Instead, make your own ready-to-eat meals so that you can get the benefits without any of the consequences.

Make your own sandwich meats. If your family loves their sandwiches, then it's probably more cost effective to buy a half-ham or turkey. Cook it in the oven, then slice it into thin pieces to use for sandwiches.

Plan your meals and shopping ahead of time. If you already know what you're going to cook on a particular day, then you'll have all the ingredients. Frequent stops at the grocery store cause you to spend more money than you really wanted to.

Get an extra freezer. This will allow you to stock up on frozen foods, freeze leftovers, or shop at a warehouse store for better deals.

Use starchy staples. Base your meals around rice, pasta, or potatoes. These starches are both inexpensive and filling.

Parents should always shop alone. Kids ask for things and sneak them into your cart. If parents shop alone (with a list), they can make sure to only buy the things that they want and need.

By following these handy tips, you'll start to see a drastic reduction in the cost of your grocery bill.

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