Look at the typical prices for vegetables, usually around $1 per can on sale and check the price of a 6 pound can of corn, green beans, or mixed veggies is usually around $3.50 in my area. You get less than half for double the price when buying small cans, because you are paying for just the packaging. You don't eat the can and label so you don't need to pay double for it. As far as what to do with all of that corn, buy some cheap quart sized ziplock bags and fill them up to about an inch from the top and stick them in the freezer. Not only will they be convenient when cooking, you have saved half of what you usually spend on just one kind of vegetable. When buying meat, buy in bulk and cheaply. Many stores have pick five packages for about $20. Or you can go to a meat shop which sells different meat packages in bulk for a pretty cheap price. Buying turkey burger is cheaper than beef also. Ground turkey usually runs less than a dollar up to a $1.30 per pound, and they come in the pre-rolled packages for easy measuring. Buying noodles, cheeses, pasta, and sauces whether it's spaghetti or alfredo can always make a cheap meal because these items are inexpensive. Don't rule out off brand food, try it and if you don't like it that's another story. Buying large amounts of all of the above mentioned will save you money and keep things around to make something quick.
Another good way to save lots of money is to have abundant storage in your kitchen. You mostly just have to make use of the space that you have. My kitchen is very small, with little counter or drawer space. I am a big believer in using plastic storage units everywhere you can. You can get these from Wal-mart from between $10 for a small unit to $15 for a large three drawer one. They are stackable and very useful in making areas organized when putting away items. You can store canned goods, dry goods, cereals, drinks, utensils or anything else in them you need to. In addition to your refrigerator, I also suggest getting a chest freezer in any size that you think you need, or a mini refrigerator. This is so that when you catch things on sale, you can freeze them for later. Plan a day ahead at least for meals because you will be putting meats, cheeses (you can freeze them and they will last twice at long at least), breads, vegetables, or beans in your chest freezer. Small refrigerators can be bought at Wal-mart for usually around $150 or cheaper depending on the size you want. They will pay for themselves as you can use them for drinks only, it saves the energy dollars wasted when anyone is in and out getting drinks. Personally, I use our small one in our little apartment turned all the way down to freezing for frozen items since our refrigerator's freezer is so small. Once you use these tips and come up with some of your own, you will consistently save more money and get a set budget for food each month as well. You can put these small savings into some type of account, and soon it will become a big savings.
