I love to eat. I'm not picky, but I want the food to be good and healthy. Because I'm frugal, I don't want my appetite to make me broke. Therefore, I plan when, where, and how I eat. It may seem boring, but I consider it wise. Keep reading, and I think you will too.

Plan Your Lunches:
My husband makes our lunches. Every day he packs our daughter's lunch for school and my lunch for work. He packs a sandwich, carrots, celery, fruit, yogurt, and water. Not only is it good, but it saves us about $45 a week or around $2,340 a year.

Plan Your Home Cooked Meals:
Home cooked meals are great, and cooking them doesn't have to be an unpleasant task. My secret is taking two hours on a Saturday or Sunday, cooking three main dishes and three vegetables. Then I section the food into different microwavable containers to make separate meals. It's usually enough to last three days. In the evenings instead of cooking or eating out, we put a container in the microwave and within seconds we have a home cooked meal. You end up cooking about two or three time per week. You save time, money, and get variety.

Plan Your Road Trip Snacks:
When we go to the park, visit friends, the movies, church or just away from home - We bring our own snacks. It saves us an average of $20-30 a week or $1,040 a year. Also, when visiting family and friends we don't inconvenience them, and we know our food was prepared with clean hands in a clean place.

Plan Your Dining Out:
When we eat out we like to go to nice restaurants, so we plan those occasions. We probably eat out 2 to 3 times per month, spending around $25-$45 each time, so dining out is in our budget. Plus, a meal is more enjoyable when you don't have to pay for it a month down the road.

Use Specials When Possible: When dining out look for restaurants that offer early bird specials, the menu selections are usually very good, and the savings are fantastic. Usually, the savings can be as much as half off if you get there by 5:30 p.m.

* Research restaurants that offer kids eat free on a certain day. Usually an adult has to purchase a meal, and the child or children's meal is free.

* Use buy-one get one-free coupons. The goal is to not pay the full price of the meal. Therefore, using these coupons allows you the opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal and pay half the price.

* Ask if there are any daily specials when you go to a restaurant. Sometimes restaurants have specials each day for a discounted price. If you don't ask you won't know.

* Use coupons or buy-one get one-free specials when you go grocery shopping. If the coupons aren't for junk food only -- use them. Again, using discount specials can help double the amount of food you bring home.

Other Ideas: When you are thinking of having a dinner party, have a potluck party or plan a progressive dinner. Both are fun! You get to sample a variety of foods, enjoy different people at the same occasion, and it will put less of a strain on your budget and time.

Join a food co-op! A food co-op is when a group of like-minded people get together and order food in bulk, which can include meat, poultry, vegetables, fruits, and dairy. The food is divided amongst all the participants based on what you ordered. This approach can save money, and the food is fresh because it usually comes directly from farmers. My Mom purchased our food through a food co-op during my childhood.

There are probably hundreds of ways to eat more for less. Your appetite and eating habits do not have to put you in the poor house if you plan and make a few adjustments. As I stated earlier I love to eat, but I want to be wise in what, when, and how I eat. A healthy lifestyle is about balance and being able to make plenty of choices. Therefore, think ahead about your choices, and what price you are willing to pay for them.

Is food costing you too much money? Not a problem. Now you know how to eat more for less!