Bambi, it can be more expensive to cook at home if you are trying to duplicate the processed stuff that you are used to and if you are buying your ingredients in the standard grocery store. I used to do this. We rarely buy anything at the "regular" grocery stores anymore. We go to the butcher for bulk meats (unless we go out back to the field or to the freezer!) and buy at the discount grocery store....just shopping produce, basically, and skipping the aisles.
We shop at farm stands all summer and look for bulk bargains to put up, unless we are shopping in our gardens. I forage constantly while walking the dogs (almost daily.) Today I got enough berries and grapes for three pies, which will be frozen for future pies tonight unless it cools off enough to make one pie.
I got a grinder and now get the best organic wheat flour for 44 cents a pound. You can't beat that. Lard from our pigs to cook with, or what I used to do is render it myself from fat purchased for a small amount at the butcher. Almost all flavoring herbs are grown and processed here. I bought a five gallon pail of honey for $1.50 a pound.....it keeps forever and is the best....local and raw wildflower honey that normally sells for $10 per pound or more. I make all of our drinks.....soft drinks, iced teas, kombucha, wine, etc.
When we lived in an apartment (not so long ago) I actually got a phone sales guy to hang up on me. He was selling that meat delivery service. I told him our grocery bill was under $20 a week. He said we must eat out a lot. I said we order take out less than twice a month (it is much rarer now). He hung up. Even in an apartment we grew and gleaned and foraged a lot of stuff. This happened about 15 years ago. Our grocery bill is a bit higher, but not by much. We eat a LOT better now, too. And are older but MUCH healthier.
It can be done. Stick around here and you will learn some wonderful stuff!
Oh, and I haven't used a coupon in years. That has saved me a LOT of money, ditching coupons.
