I know what you mean, it's hard to but I take advantage of sales. Sprouts throw really good sales on their veggie's and fruit. I have three kids plus myself and they eat differently than I do. I really do bargain shop, it can be time consuming but worth in the long run.

The short answer - prepare all of your own food, eating out every meal IS expensive.
The long answer......The first thing I do is only shop for one week at a time. You'll find that you don't go through stuff as quickly as you think you do or you end up wasting food. I also buy foods that 'stretch' any meal such as bagged frozen vegetables, canned beans, canned veggies, whole wheat noodles etc. which you can get pretty cheap and on sale. I also realized that I was 'over shopping' acting like I was going to cook something new every day..not! So, I now only purchase 1-2 dinners that need to be cooked. You mention tacos..ground turkey, seasoning and shells would run you $6 and last for at least 2 days (the shells can be frozen and last a lot longer for that next taco meal). Overall, I realized that in 7 nights, the majority of my dinners were left overs from these 2 meals, or something simple like cereal, the noodles with a little pasta sauce tossed in, a salad and turkey burger etc..simple creations from what I already have. Finally, once you get in a routine, you will find that eating this way is actually cheaper. Here's an example- I buy the following for $11: A large container of organic spinach, a bag of romaine, a bag of the coleslaw (which is just shredded cabbage), and my favorite dressing. All of that makes me multiple salads for at least 7 days! So, with a little thought and planning, you can eat healthy on the cheap. Good luck and I hope this helps!

If you have an Aldi store around definitely use it! They have a lot of weight concious favs like almond milk, egg whites, greek yogurt, all types of meat (including fish), and their fruits and veggies are pretty good depending on your location... If you're into protein Walmart has some great cheap options (Pure Protein) Other than that I agree with the posts above!

It has to do with type of restaurant too.The office got middle eastern food yesterday, I got a 1/2 serving of tabbouli salad that is going to last me two days for $3.75. I also agree with fedgal. I make soup on Sunday's that gives me 2-3 portions for current week and a quantity to freeze for later in month so I don't get bored with it,

I agree with all of the above. Also, try combining coupons with the sale items. By doing this, I've been able to buy items for more than 75% off the regular price. This is especially true for the steam fresh veggies, cereals, oatmeals, and soups. It is hard to find a sale on fresh veggies in my area but I try to look for fruit in the fresh produce area that has been marked down for quick sale because it has become "too ripe." I then go home, cut them up, freeze them, and use them in my smoothies. All of the suggestions take some time that you may not think you have but you are worth it. Good luck!

this is what i do,, i buy cans of tuna, fresh chicken breast maybe pack of 4-5.. i pack my lunch everyday due to the fact i work out side and dont have a office, i am a visiting nurse. my car is my office,lol. i make chicken salad a bowl of it, i make sandwiches, or just eat it with crackers, i make tuna eat ,, sandwiches or crackers, you can buy fruit cups from discount stores like aldis, etc for 1 dollar, thats 4 lunches, or buy melons from discount stores, cut them up with in 1 day of having them home , put in containers, the ket is to PLAN! PLAN PLAN!,, I buy Big bag of potatoes, and limit to 2 a week, baked, or roast them, that big bag will last pasta with mariara sauce= cheap, The money you would normally spend on soda, burgers , chips, BELIEVe me,, it will be cheaper to buy a bag of salad, and some chicken breast to last a week, good luck!

I always buy fresh veggies, chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Fresh fish is good. I DON'T eat fast food of any kind and have given up red meat except for an occasional lasagna (that I make from scratch). Bring your lunch from home. And when you cook your meals, set aside some for lunch. Another suggestion. Being its winter, it's the perfect time to make a stew. That would last you at least a week, and don't forget the cornbread. Boy chicken, cut it up add some onion, green pepper and sauté it in a pan. By itself or over pasta or rice stretches the meal for few days.

Buy 2 pieces of tilapia and bake it in the oven. If you're single, a pound or two of string beans should help. And they can be frozen.

Let me know how it works for you.

Lots of great ideas! I like many others make soups/stews, use frozen/fresh veggies, cook chicken/fish/turkey. I have not heard anyone mention bags of dried beans. They are less than $2 a bag. At the beginning of each week I cook about a half cup of the dried beans. I keep the seasonings to a minimum. Because I use them in every meal I make to help stretch the meal and keep you full longer.
Example: 1/4 cup kidney beans and 1/4 cup black beans soaked overnight, drain water and cook with fresh water.
-I use half of these beans in a soup or Stew with frozen veggies
-The rest I add 1 to 2 spoonfuls to: rice, sauces, refried beans, salads
The list is endless. Try different types of beans. Use them whole or mashed to hide them in meals.

All these were great ideas. I would like to add my family just completed a " Daniel Fast " with our church. We notice that the grocery bill decreased significantly without buying meat. We decided to have 3 day out of the week to not eat meat.