As lame as it is, check grocery ads and try – as much as possible – to buy things only on sale. I probably go to the store every two weeks with $40 and get as much as I can with my cash. I only buy soda if it’s on sale. I save Coke points (not sure if you drink Coca-Cola or Coke products, but if you do, this is a huge help!) and use them toward coupons toward Coke, ha. Also, it helps to buy more of something and portion it out for one person.

Like you, I live alone, so I buy about a pound of chicken tenderloins, then portion them out to three or four tenders per bag (depends where I shop for them), and I have that many meals out of the one chicken purchase. It certainly helps to think ahead and plan, especially if you’re okay with leftovers. For instance, if I decide I *really* want to order pizza, I only do it if I’ll be able to eat the leftovers for at least one meal the next few days. I get my money’s worth better that way.