I agree with IC.
easy child and I each planted gardens this year. Nichole was in an apartment until late summer (2nd story), still she planted a container garden of fresh veggies they use often. I just got 1/4 a bushel of green beans out of my "experimental plot" as it was planted really really late in the season, obviously didn't hurt it a bit with a little tending......and I discovered they like the spot I picked out really well.....because there are really not that many plants there. My carrots have gone wild..........since easy child's had failed completely I thought they wouldn't even grow. My grandkids have been munching on fresh broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries most of the summer.......and still are. (they unusual kids, they like it like candy lol ) I grew my tomato plants in 5 gal buckets with a hole punched into the bottom for excess water drainage......worked pretty well considering the weird weather we had this year. I've got cabbages and peppers too........did zucchini that easy child made into bread. Grandson Darrin is all puffed up because he managed to grow pumpkins at Nana's house from seeds that were left on the ground from last Oct's pumpkin carving......and he has his first pumpkin now the size of a melon, when he just really got them started the end of July beginning of August. easy child did potatoes and onions in her flower beds because she ran out of room in her garden plot.
The cost of living is going to go up....and keep going up for quite a while due to the drought, wild fires, ect..... If you can plant some of the fresh fruits and veggies you love to eat, it saves a ton of cash. You can learn to can them too and store them away to eat later, or freeze them. Best of all, it's good for you, all the way around. There are tons of resources on container gardening and regular gardening online, complete with videos to show you how. I wasn't sure how to know my carrots were ready......I found a video about it, so now I know. Simple. (never grew carrots before)
I walk in to the produce dept and nearly want to faint.
Also, before trimming the grocery budget.......look over the rest of the budget to make certain it can't be trimmed first. Look around the house to see if there aren't ways to reduce the monthly utility bills. Make it a habit to turn off lights when walking out of a room, don't use them unless you have to. I'm currently sitting at my computer desk and the rest of the house is totally dark. Unplug appliances when not in use. Buy a water savor shower head. Turn the thermostat down a few degrees, or up a few degrees if using AC......better yet, get used to the heat and skip AC all together. Check the weather stripping on doors and such.
Hmm. Maybe we need to start another ways to be frugal thread.........