Eating (really, really) well on a budget

We are taking a small hiatus from our locavore experiment as we've recently had quite a sharp drop in income (hey, it happens.) While our job search continues one of the easiest ways we find to cut costs is in our food bill. But, knowing me, this does not exactly translate into ramen and canned soup for every meal, we still eat really, really well, even on a limited budget ( less than $40 a week for both of us is what we're aiming for).So here's how we do it; our 5 rules for eating (really, really) well on a budget.

#1 Never waste anything- The old adage "waste not, want not" fits really well here. This rule usually applies to us all the time, we try to do our best to manage our resources in such a way that food is not wasted. Stale bread is made into french toast or croutons, old veggies are transformed into soup stock, overripe fruit goes in the freezer for smoothies, cheese ends get saved for stock, etc.

#2 Cut down on the animal protein- Newsflash: Meat is expensive. Second newsflash: Americans eat way too much meat and its contributing to our health crisis. We can get quality protein elsewhere without all the added fat and for much cheaper, so we don't buy meat.We also cut down on dairy products.

#3 Bountiful baskets- cheap produce. This makes up the bulk of our diet.

#4 Make your own- Making your own is always cheaper, better for you, and tastes better. We do all our own bread, yogurt, noodles, and stock.

#5 Shop the bins- Grains and beans are great for you and really cheap. I love the great variety in Winco's bulk food section. Grains get baked into breads, boiled or put in granola for breakfast, put in pilafs, gratins, risottos, and soups. Beans get made into soups and curries, are marinated, top salads, are mashed into dips, and added to mixtures to top pitas, tortillas, and sandwiches.