"It's always bothered me that people say that healthy food costs more than junk food," says Rebecca Currie, a 41-year-old shopper who challenged herself to spend just $1 a day on food for a month. "I wanted to see what I could do with a dollar and show people that there are healthy foods that you can get for only a dollar." She ended up saving $60 on her monthly food bill, and discovered that by planning her meals carefully she was able to stretch those pennies a long way. "I know what you're thinking," she says, "with only a a dollar a day I must have eaten some not very good meals. But I actually made some really great stuff including stir-fry and stews!" How did she do it? Get her best tips below!

Buy seasonal produce. "You want to get the produce in season because that's what's going to be cheapest," Rebecca says. "I was able to get tangerines for 20 cents each, oranges for 25 cents, and when you only have a dollar that goes a long way." She also suggests looking for long-lasting vegetables, like cabbage and carrots, so you have time to cook with them before they spoil. "Anything you throw away, that's the most expensive food you buy."

Buy small amounts in bulk bins. You can often save on whole grains and rice by shopping by the pound, which allows you to purchase exactly what you need, even if that's just 50 cents worth of an item.

Frozen vegetables are cheaper and last longer. "I was able to get spinach for 99 cents," Rebecca says. "I used that in four or five different recipes throughout the next few days.

Shop around for the best prices. "I actually shopped in five different stores in this project," Rebecca says. "You're not necessarily going to get everything cheap at one store." And, while it's cost-effective to shop for meals that include what's already in your pantry, be flexible and take advantage of the supermarket's daily specials.

A stocked pantry will help prevent impulse purchases. "Something that I keep in my pantry all the time is powdered milk," Rebecca says. "I don't drink it, but the advantage of that is you can cook with it. How many times do you go to the store to get a quart of milk and come home $50 worth of groceries? ... this saves you that last-minute trip to get milk."

Related Links

Rebecca's Blog: Less Is Enough