Food Budget

I read a blog post today that said that during the Great Depression food took up 30% of people income. This month that would be a lot, I think we spent d quite a bit on food at almost 16% (based on this months income). Not sure where we fit in on a larger scale but I do try and keep food expenses down. It is a constant effort.
When i first joined Simple Savings I was throwing out quite a bit of food. I would buy great looking produce but fail to consume it and it would end up in the compost. We had a great compost but were throwing montey away.
I got the food bill under control & then I began to focus on my health & weight, so the type of food I ate changed & I had to spend more money. Recently I have been zeroing in on the food budget & have spent under budget for the first time last month. The beginning was an exact food budget & once I was a little under one week it became a game. I have lowered the budget this month but have begun menu planning, with the kind help of my 7 year old son (gotta love that kid). Menu planning means I buy food for meals & am not left wondering 'what's for dinner'. That question starts early at our house as DS5 is uite food obsessed, in a good way.

So what do we do to keep the grocery bill down?
I grow some of my own food. I have a constant supple of green leaves to eat as I love them. I have lettuce just starting , silver beet and rocket on the go at the moment.
We keep our own chickens for manure & eggs. Chooks have great personality, so it is partly for pleasure too.
I compost everything I can. I have a 3 bay compost system and I love composting & can't understand peoople that don't.
I check the price for unit or weight, not just the shelf price. Sometimes the smaller one is cheaper, but not always.
I look for home brand or generic options. They are not available for eveything but I use the flour, sugar, snack & cracker biscuts, lollies, and nappy stuff and have not had a problem. They are just cheaper items.
I keep scarps to use later. Like I do for Molly stew but I also ave the crusts to make breadcrumbs, use up every last little bit of something and make the best use of my freezer. I do try.
I drink hot water as I like it and it is way cheaper than tea or coffee. It is always a cheap option when out too & sometimes it is even free. I have got od looks when I drink special tea or felt limited when I only drink decaf but hot water makes every host feel good and I get a drink I like, perfect!
I try to reuse some of the packaging.

Today I; was disappointed to see DH got a $239 speeding fine; was likewise disappointed to drive somewhere to buy an item at a market stall that wasn't there; the kids all played with cardboard xes that I had saved the last few weeks; tidied my desk but didn't find what I was looking for; used a 4cent voucher to buy fuel and saved $1.30 (I think); was tired & crabby in the afternoon & ate too much sugar.

I have no set plan tomorrow for the boys but I hopeit is better than today.

I'll jump start that with an early night!