Change in Grocery Shopping Habits Since Recession

This is the first time since I left my job in 2004 that I have had to really watch what I buy at the grocery store. I have started planning my meals better and cooking in batches and freezing meals. I try to buy no name items as much as possible and find that most no name items are just as good as brand names. I am also making a lot of homemade soups and baking from scratch. I no longer buy packaged cookies or rice krispie squares. I still buy cereal but I look for sales on brand names or I buy the store brand name which is usually a lot cheaper. Today I will be making a chicken dinner and will be making a stock out of the bones which I will turn into chicken soup with the leftover chicken. My husband loves taking soup in his lunch with a sandwich. When I make his lunch, it saves us about $10 a day. I no longer buy juice boxes for the kids' lunches. I now put juice in the plastic drinking box containers.