The following is a number of tactics that you can use to lower your food bill. Pick away at your food bill each month. Every time you incorporate one of these tricks into your lifestyle the more natural and easy having a bare bones food bill will become.

• Eat less if you have pounds to spare.
• Don't eat out.
• Eat oatmeal or toast for breakfast.
• Eat a lot of rice.
• Make your own bread.
• Don't buy prepared meals.
• Cook from staples rather then mixes and cans.
• Learn to cook.
• De-diversify your diet so that you can buy more in bulk.
• Eat fruit for snacks.
• Eat beans and legumes instead of meat.
• Preserve food during the harvest season.
• Buy things as unprepared as you can. For example, buy wheat instead of bread or dried beans instead of canned.
• Invest some time into food preparation and preserving. You'd be surprised how much you can save per hour.
• Don't give your children the choice to be picky.
• Eat less cheese.
• Don't use expensive spices (most are).
• Learn to cook well with cheap spices, homemade seasonings or with none.
• Buy food on sale.
• Buy staples in the largest size bag you can find and make space for it.
• Don't let food go bad in your fridge.
• Grow a garden.
• Use every last bit of your food. (don't peel carrots, eat the broccoli stalks, scrape out the peanut butter tub, etc.)
• Make your own baby food.
• Shop in produce stores. They are cheaper and there is less to tempt you.
• Don't shop hungry
• Try using cheaper substitutes for items in a recipe.
• Don't buy name brand products.
• Avoid regular supermarkets like the plague.
• Learn to only need produce, dairy, legumes and grains.
• Try finding local ethnic markets.
• Try processing your own food. (eg. make your own yogurt, tofu, etc.)
• Look for sources of free food.
• Eat leftovers
• Pack your lunch rather than buying it. Remember, a peanut butter sandwich on homemade sourdough can cost as little as 8 cents. Store bought bread would make it 10-20 cents. A five dollar lunch is 62.5 times more expensive then the cheapest option.
• Get your spouse on board.