Ministry of Community Affairs.

Get more for your food dollar by buying ingredients and putting them together yourself. There are exceptions to this practice but such exceptions are rare.

It stands to reason that it's cheaper to cook and eat at home.

Use it all. A large proportion of your food budget may be going into the garbage can. Cook only what you need unless you have plans for the leftovers.

Give each person as much he or she will eat.

Use skim milk for baking (it's less than half the price of whole milk). Filled and 2 percent milk are perfectly adequate for your family's normal consumption.

Buy shoulder or chuck roasts, which are cheaper than rib and loin roasts and can be just as tender and nutritious if they are pot roasted, braised or stewed.

More frequent use of meat alternates is probably the single most money-saving change we can make in our present eating habits. At the same time, meat alternates (poultry, fish, peanut butter, dried peas, or beans, cheese) will add variety to our meals. They will take us to our cookbooks to find new recipes.

Refrigerate or freezing bread will make it last longer.

You get far more breakfast cereal for a dollar when you buy it uncooked.

Cheese is not cheap, but it is cheap compared to most meats, for which it may be used as an alternate, and there are ways to get more for your cheese dollar.