Buy in bulk. I can get cheese for $2 a pound or less all year (no sales needed) by buying the 5 pound block of cheddar or mozzarella at Sam’s Club. If you won’ use it all before it goes bad, you can shred it and freeze it for usng in something else.

I buy a 25lb bag of rolled oats for $7.50. That makes a LOT of cheap breakfasts!

The other thing: Garden! For $1, you can buy a packet of lettuce seeds. Even if only have of them grow, you’ll get 50 heads of lettuce. For $1.

Other things we grow that make a huge difference, cost wise: tomatoes, artichokes (we harvested 100 last year), pomegranates (one tiny tree gives you quite a lot!), swiss chard, and fresh herbs.We grow more than that, but those in particular yied us back the most for our money. We don’t have a large yard, either.