On Friday, July 11, 2014 7:12:30 AM UTC-7, wrote:

> we make 98%
> of our food from scratch (the best we can...we don't have an
> oven or a stove--just the microwave, a grill, and an electric
> skillet).
>

> "If I'm going to be a responsible budgeter...I need to get that
> number down to $200 a month. I've seen other posts and perused
> blogs that boast they made this happen, but I'm struggling to
> believe it. Unless you get food stamps and don't count those,
> or you spent $1200 the month before...I just don't think it's
> really possible to spend so little on food every month. So just
> tell me...if you're not a big fat liar...do you really spend
> $2400 or less on food a year?? And if so...HOW?! Do you skip
> meals? Go days at a time without eating? Mooch off others? Hang
> out at food pantries in your shabbiest clothes?"

If I was going to prune our grocery bill:

No coffee, except on weekends, and then only one of the industrial
brands, on sale.

No quadruped meat, except for the occasional pork shoulder. Buy whole
chickens on sale, as many as they will let you.

Substitute eggs for main dish protein.

Canned tuna once a week.

Beans once a week.

Oatmeal for breakfast every day, with raisins for flavor and interest.

PB and J or egg salad for lunch. Once in a while, cook a roast beef or
turkey breast, slice thin and freeze, for lunches.

Carrots by the bag, for lunches and dinner vegetables.

Buy vegetables at an Asian or Latino grocery store. They usually are
cheap, but need to be used right away.

Frozen vegetables from Target.