On reducing the food budget

1. Make a pantry! make a list of the foods you use on a regular basis, and stock up on them when they are on sale or you have extra money. I did that this summer, and it has saved us from eating nothing but beans this winter. I made a list of food I consider to be staples, and stocked up. This winter I have only had to replenish things I was low on and buy produce and milk.
2. Buy a deep freeze! I have three, and I buy beef (organic, grass fed, cut and wrapped. Averages out to about 2.50 a pound!) grains, frozen veggies, and meat on sale. I love being able to really stock up, and I like knowing that I have plenty of food on hand. Honestly, this has also saved us from a winter of beans!
3. Consider the food you actually eat! I was given a coupon for some cereal that was on sale, and by using the coupon, the price was brought down to .75 cents a box. Great! Except, my kids hated the cereal! We don't actually eat sugar sweetened cereal (nothing wrong with it, my kids just don't like it), and so it was really just a waste of money. Coupons are great, but if the savings are not for something you would buy anyways, it is not saving you money. What is the use of having 10 bottles of barbeque sauce that you don't use because it was cheap?
4. Learn to cook from scratch! Now, I know this one takes a lot of time and effort. Sometimes our lives seem so busy and complicated, and cooking is the last thing we want to do. I have found though that taking the time to cook a really good meal once a day is actually simple, and so good for us. It is good to slow down, good to spend the time making something that everyone will enjoy. It is also cheaper to make your own food. I am making bread for about 30 cents a loaf, and my family loves it. My granola costs about two dollars to make, and it is a huge jar. Soup is so cheap to make, and served with a pan of cornbread or freshly baked bread, it makes a great winter time meal. 
5. Plan. This one is so important! If you don't know what you are making, you are more likely to eat out or buy some pre-packaged food in a panic.
6. To be continued! Stuart is trying to go outside to survey his snowy world. I need to get him outside for a while!