This article in Monday’s New York Times is getting some buzz in the blogosphere:

Recession Diet Just One Way to Tighten Belt

A snippet:

Spending data and interviews around the country show that middle- and working-class consumers are starting to switch from name brands to cheaper alternatives, to eat in instead of dining out and to fly at unusual hours to shave dollars off airfares.

Though seemingly small, the daily trade-offs they are making — more pasta and less red meat, more video rentals and fewer movie tickets — amount to an important shift in consumer behavior. …

Burt Flickinger, a longtime retail consultant, said the last time he saw such significant changes in consumer buying patterns was the late 1970s, when runaway inflation prompted Americans to “switch from red meat to pork to poultry to pasta — then to peanut butter and jelly.”

The Simple Dollar posted some follow-up comments to this news article:

If you want to “cut corners” when buying food, don’t turn to the junk food aisle and don’t “settle” for middle-of-the-road inferior versions of other foods, either. Instead, make a sensible plan and stick to it.

Simple Dollar then lists some very excellent tips.

And I did have a post last week linking to an American Consumer News article about a month of groceries for a family of four under $150.

Now, I know darn well what all the CHEAP foods are. My family has been on tight budgets from time to time as well.

But you know, there are options.

• When you get in the habit of paying attention to the sales fliers and coupon promotions, as Simple Dollar explains, you know when the good prices are in effect. Stock up as much as you can on whatever is on sale or discount that week – as long as you’ll use it up before the product goes bad. Yes, you might have to make room for two months’ supply of whatever item in your pantry. So what? It may be that long before you see a decent price again.
• Get some frugal recipes into your kitchen routine. For example, I like Oreo cookies. But it’s been a long time sine I bought any. I’m making homemade cookies without expensive ingredients and buying cookie mix for free or very steep discounts with sale + coupon. And have you checked out The Aldi Queen and the USDA Recipe Finder?
• Participate in Angel Food Ministries. One of the first blog articles on Monroe on a Budget linked to a Monroe Evening News story about that program. Well, now I’m participating. I started with the March food box and on Saturday I got my April box. We’ve been eating roast beef, chicken fingers, tasty hamburger patties … much better quality food than is possible at a supermarket for the same price. There is no delivery site in Monroe. But there are delivery sites in nearby cities – so bundle up that drive with another out-of-town errand or carpool with another customer. Round out the rest of your pantry with coupon queen tactics and you’re eating quite well for living on a budget.
• I’ve got lots and lots more grocery tricks at my grocery sidebar.