Welcome to Gaia! ::

Some frugality tips from Zen Habits.

1. Don’t buy plastic wrap, tin foil, sandwich bags, etc. For everything that you could think of needing - a sandwich baggy, tin foil, or other disposable nonsense - there is a non-disposable alternative. Use tupperware instead.

2. Buy in bulk. Certain things like rice, beans and grains are much cheaper when purchased in bulk.

3. Don’t buy in bulk. Sometimes when you buy in bulk, you’ll have a tendency to eat things faster. If you have a 400 count box of twinkies, you’ll likely eat them much quicker than one with only 4. Try to buy things in bulk that you know won’t tempt you to binge on.

4. Don’t buy pre-made. If you cook something often, you’ll save a lot more buying the ingredients and cooking yourself, than buying it frozen.

5. Shop at farmer’s markets. Often local farmers can match or beat supermarket prices because they don’t have to pay overhead and transportation costs. Check this site out to do a search for a farmers market in your area.

6. Grow your own. I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t have the time or space (I live in an apartment) to grow much of my own food. Little things like herbs or indoor tomatoes, however, can be easily grown in your kitchen without much hassle. Basil, oregano, cherry tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts and mint are easily grown in your kitchen window.

7. Eat leftovers, instead of eating out. The convenience of eating out is often hard to resist. One way to avoid this temptation is preparing meals that can be eaten more than one day. Try making casseroles or lasagna that will last 2 or 3 days.

8. Eat out intelligently. Take advantage of restaurants that have 2 for 1 buffet, or lunch specials. Or make eating out a ritual on a certain day of the week. My wife and I only eat out on Fridays. Having a set day that we only eat out

9. Use coupons. It never hurts to do a little old fashioned coupon clipping. Now, however, you don’t have to clip them, you can print them.

10. Don’t shop hungry. If you don’t follow any of these tips, follow this one. Every time that I have spent way more than I expected at the grocery store, it was because I went there hungry. When you shop hungry, everything looks good and you want to buy everything. After you get home and eat, you’ll probably find yourself wondering what you’re going to do with all of that food. And much of it inevitably spoils and goes bad. If you do nothing else, don’t shop hungry.

I use coupons ^^

And i also learned not to shop hungry =S
I buy a crap load of sweets when i do, and i rarely ever eat them. I end up giving them away.

And we dont buy baggies and such, but my dad reuses our bread bags.
Like the plastic bags bread comes in? He uses those to take his lunch to work for some reason >_>

Great list! Here are two more tips that I use:

Always take a list- and stick to it- it will help you keep from making impulse purchases.

If you're only buying a couple of items, don't take a shopping cart or basket to avoid the temptation to buy extra stuff. I figure, if I can't carry it all, I can't afford it all.

-Halo Fauna