I have been eating cheaper cuts of meats as well as using the bones to make stews. I am also eating more casseroles and stir frys that use a lot of vegetables and a cheap carbohydrate. These efforts are causing my grocery bills to go down and allows me to continue buying things like paper towels, expensive brand toilet paper, and Starbucks coffee beans.
Cooking your own food in general is a great way to save money – not only do you end up eating healthier, the cost of the food is way less than going out to a restaurant. I regularly cook balanced dinners (a meat, veggies, and carb of some type) which average $2–3 a portion. Soup and casseroles make so much and cost so little that they average 50 cents to $1 a portion, especially if you use leftovers. I make desserts which either use leftovers (rice pudding is delicious) or that are simply small portioned enough to keep the cost down to 50cents-$3 a portion (50 cents is Jell-O with a canned fruit mixed in, $3 is Gordon Ramsay’s mascarpone based tiramasu).
Even if you just save money on lunches, this is a great contribution. Invest in a good quality lunchbox that you want to use. Mr Bento containers are great. I have a similar one with three containers, as well as a more traditional one compartment container. Both are great for putting leftovers in and reheating or eating cold. By bringing in a lunch you can save a lot of money, since the lunches are only a buck or two cost for you compared to your usual lunch price. If you save $6 a day by bringing your own lunch, this is $30 a week, more than $1400 a year.
I am also being content with the things I own, and not spending money on things in general. Once a week (today in fact) a group of friends gets together for a roleplaying session. These evenings don’t cost much money at all, and are very fun. When by myself, I am enjoying watching DVDs I already own (I’m rewatching Arrested Development while I sew) and am using the craft supplies I have to create my sewing projects instead of spending money and buying things willy nilly. Hopefully I will be able to sell these products, thus giving me money to buy more fabric and keep the process going.