Ways to Save Money Without Skimping on Quality Food

I always see posts about "how to save money while eating healthy" or "eating healthy on a budget" or whatever...and, quite frankly, most of them don't apply to me/mine because our idea of "healthy" is different and, oftentimes, more strict. I can't tell you the number of times I've opened and immediately closed links because nothing (and I mean nothing) on them was helpful for me. "Buy in bulk" is out due to cross-contamination. The normal cheap "base foods" (wheat, rice, oats, potato) are out because of the Celiac's disease and my son's cross-reactions. There's almost nothing that I can store long-term in the cupboard besides maybe tomatoes, oils, vinegars, and tuna; being grain free cuts out a lot of the items most people stock up on and the "normal" things suggested just don't generally apply to me/mine.

So...what CAN I do to save money? Is there just no hope for others in my situation? These are the things I started asking myself when I decided to come up with the following list of what I personally do to save my family money. Most of them have nothing to do with food...but because we save on these things, we're able to afford the exorbitant amount of money we do spend on our food without going into severe debt. The following might also be helpful for those who already spend as little as they can on food and still need to find ways to save money (whether they're a one income family like us, a single parent, or whatever).

So...here are the things that I've done to save money...in no particular order... 

1. Minimize electronics and the monthly costs of electronics.
   We have a basic cell phone plan with no texting, no data usage, nothing that costs extra...and we don't upgrade our phones unless they just flat out don't work anymore...or we lose them. We just have a regular line with the minimum amount of minutes. We don't have a home phone and have cheap-ish (one of the lowest "decent"-quality) internet.
   We also don't have the newest/best tv...or stereo system...or camera...or anything else you can think of. We do have some good/quality items...but we don't buy them when they first come out (we wait for the price to drop after all the hype wears off) and we don't (generally) update them until they break. 
2. Cars.
   We don't buy new vehicles...and don't replace vehicles that still run/work well. We keep it until it breaks and/or becomes cheaper to replace than bother fixing. We try to also not have a car note...but that doesn't always work out (depending on what we need/want), so if we do have a car note, we try to get it as low as possible...and then always pay it off as soon as we can. 
3. Get rid of disposable products (or at least try to minimize them).
   This might seem like an insignificant one...but can add up if you go through a lot of these products (paper towels, paper plates, plastic cups, plastic bags, etc.).
   I never really used paper plates much, but a few years back, I switched from paper towels to washable, cotton kitchen towels for everything. It was an easy switch that equated to a savings of at least $20/month from what I used to spend on monthly toiletries. Plus, I'm helping out the environment by having less trash.
   I also try to reuse the disposable items I do have multiple times before recycling or tossing them out. For example, I take old plastic bottles (like milk jugs or those large vinegar bottles) and cut/re-use them for starter pots for my garden. 
4. Related to #3, Cloth diapers.
   This one might not apply if you don't have children...and might not be for everyone...but it has definitely saved us money in our household. Those disposable diapers add up. It also helped that I made most of our cloth diapers myself. It's actually really easy to do...and I mostly used leftover fabric and thread...so I saved money that way too. Here's a good link to pretty well anything you could ever want to make... https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0ArEKq5v645hhdGxVTk9rckdGMHA5RzhCbFEwTlRSOGc&hl=en
   Also, if you're feeling extra brave, you could also use cloth baby wipes. 
5. Shop Sales.
   This one's pretty "duh"...but still worth mentioning. I always try to wait to get something (or get it before it's really needed) when it's on sale. I shop the clearance racks at Target and such for clothing long before my children are actually in that particular size. I stock up on meats when they're on sale and freeze them until they're needed. Also, fruits/veggies that are in season are generally cheaper than when they're out of season...so, if you can, stock up when they're in season.
   
                     
   
   This doesn't mean that I buy things just because they're on sale though. If my child already has enough of a particular size of clothing, I don't go out and buy more just because it's on sale...even if it's super cute.
   
   On related note, I generally only buy clothing for myself as it's needed. I very rarely have any occasion to dress up for (I'm a stay-at-home mom of four and my husband doesn't have any work-related functions that we have to attend)...so most of the things in my closet are things that I rotate through on a regular basis. ...and I don't splurge much...not even on shoes.
   ...and when I do buy clothes for myself, I try the clearance racks first...and/or look for the cheaper items at places like Ross or when they have those big sales at Kohl's. 
6. Make your own soaps and detergents.
   Again, this one might not be for everyone...but there are lots of different items out there that you could simplify and save money using. Here's a post about some of the ones I've tried... http://beeve04.blogspot.com/2013/04/homemade-products.html
7. GARDEN.
                          
   Digging out a spot in the yard to garden in is one of the easiest ways to save on your grocery budget. Yes, there are hiccups you'll run into along the way (from pests to plant diseases and other things)...but having a garden IMO is WELL worth the trouble you might have...and there's nothing quite as satisfying as growing something yourself.
   For those who have no yard, try container gardening on your patio...or even in a deep windowsill if you have one. 
8. No cable or satellite tv.
   You honestly don't need 50 million channels...so get rid of it. With Roku, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc., I really don't see the point of having cable and satellite anymore....though I'll admit that we're not sports fans...and don't mind waiting for the "newest season" of whatever to come out. As in, there's nothing that we really feel we NEED to watch as soon as it comes out. Even then, I feel like you could buy most of it online if you really wanted to...as opposed to keeping a cable/satellite subscription just to see it ASAP. 
9. Don't have debt and have (and stick to) a BUDGET.
   Don't overspend. Stay within your means. I realize we live in a digital society...so saying to pay for everything in cash is pretty well not going to happen...but you should keep track of the purchases made with your credit card(s), only buy things you know you can afford, and pay them off as soon as the bills come in. Preferably, you'd pay off your credit cards in full every month...though I realize that sometimes things happen. Point being, don't let credit cards (or your creditors) rule your life. Creating a budget where you have your main bills (and their general amounts) written down will help you to know how much "extra" money you have (or at least *should* have) every month...so you'll know just how much (or little) you can spoil yourself. 
10. Minimize eating "out".
    This includes restaurants, fast food, taco stands, and even Starbucks. You really can *usually* buy/make it for cheaper yourself...so it's an added expense that you really don't need. ...and when trying to eat healthy, you have much more control over what's in the food (what oils were used, what spices were used, etc.) when you make it yourself. 
11. Hair cuts and makeup.
    If you don't have someone willing/able to cut hair for you, try finding the cheapest salon you can and/or buy some scissors and try cutting hair yourself. We used to just go to the cheapest places...but, even then, we were paying $10/pop for my husband to get his hair trimmed every few weeks. We decided a few years ago to invest in a WAHL hair clipper kit (with scissors and multiple length options)...and now, I cut everyone's hair.
    Also, to save, I don't dye my hair. I just turned 30 last year and already have quite a few grays...but I don't really care. It's a monthly expense that I can definitely do without.
    As for makeup, at the very least, minimize it. Stick with neutral colors (you don't need a ton of different shades). Pick colors that can go with any outfit. Personally, I go without...except on very special occasions (like weddings). I don't work...so don't really have anyone to impress on a day-to-day basis...and I really don't like the way it makes my skin feel anyway. I think I last wore makeup to a friend's wedding in 2010. lol 
12. Make your own broths and grow herbs. It's definitely cheaper to make/grow your own.
    Even if you don't have a full garden in your backyard (or in containers on your patio), you've surely got some room in one of your windowsills for some herbs. Herbs are super easy to grow...and can be picked/dried fairly easily for long term storage.
    Broths/Stocks are also super easy to make...and you can choose your own spices/flavors to add. For a "how to", visit here... http://beeve04.blogspot.com/2013/02/homemade-brothsstocks.html
13. Grocery shop less often and plan for your meals and stick to them.
    This one's pretty basic. The less often you visit the grocery store, the less likely you are to buy something that isn't particularly "needed". How many times have you said, "Well, since I'm here, I might as well get... (ice cream...or candy...or soda...etc.)"?
    I buy meat every 2 weeks...and generally buy the fruits/veggies weekly. If there's a sale on the meats, I'll stock up and store them in our deep freezer (if you don't have one, I'd suggest getting one...the savings in the long run are worth it). I also have a dry erase board on our freezer to quickly let me know what's in there and how much of that particular item are in there. It makes meal planning a lot easier for me...telling me what I've got plenty of, what I could use more of, etc.
    As for meal planning, I plan for 2 weeks at a time. I make a list of everything that I need (taking into account what might already be in the freezer) and I shop accordingly. Making a list keeps me from forgetting things AND from adding on things we don't really need (stick to the list).
    Also, DO NOT shop while hungry. Make sure you eat before you leave for the store as you're much more likely to add items you don't need (and items that aren't particularly good for you) if you shop while you're hungry. 
14. Don't sweat the small stuff.
    Do the best you can with what you've got. If you can't buy everything organic, don't worry about it. If you can't afford all grass-fed beef or organic, free range chicken, that's okay. In the end, just do the best you can with what you're given. ...and if you need to take baby steps getting into a healthier eating habit, then by all means do so. 

I'm sure there are plenty more ideas out there about how to save money without skimping on food...but these are the main things that have helped my family to be able to afford the way of eating we've come to enjoy. I hope some of you have found at least a few of them helpful.