I recently saw a show on Dr. Phil about a woman who hoarded a ridiculous amount of food that she and her family never ate. 

She had food in numerous refrigerators in her home.  She also had food stored in many other places that had spoiled.  While I know that her case was an extreme one, I couldn't help but think about how much food is wasted on a regular basis.   

Half of U.S. food goes to waste ... not only is edible food discarded that could feed people who need it, but the rate of loss, even partially corrected, could save US consumers and manufacturers tens of billions of dollars each year.
-- Food Production Daily

If you look around at other people’s grocery carts during these lean times, you will notice several things. 

One thing you may notice is that carts have just one or two different items in them -- such as 10 boxes of Frosted Flakes and 4 bottles of Hawaiian Punch.  Why is that?  Probably because the prices on those items are good, and the smart shopper take the time to stock up on the best deals.

Another thing you may notice is that grocery carts are seldom overflowing anymore -- even when the shopper is stocking up on groceries for the family.  Not to mention the fact that it's quite rare these days to see people with two grocery carts! 

These new trends in budget shopping, make people who purchase large amounts of bottled water, paper towels, and other luxury items seem out of place.  It’s enough to make me stop and wonder what these people do for a living that makes loading up on bottled water seem like a good idea.

Here are some supermarket luxuries that most people can do without, as well as tips to make forgoing these items seem a bit easier.

Cutting back on expenses and saving a little money here & there doesn't mean sucking all of the enjoyment from your life. 

You can still get ice cream treats with your family.  You can still have the occasional shopping spree. 

On those days when I feel that I will burst if I cannot spend some money, here's what I do...

My dad had an old saying that I find is true in many circumstances:  “They always 'get you' in the drive-thru.” 

Whenever he said that, he was specifically referring to fast food restaurants’ drive-thru window where you would order, pick up your food, then often find an item missing when you got home. 

In reality, this type of scenario shows up in many other places, as well.  In effect, any time you are in hurry, or not paying attention, then you are likely to be cheated on something. 

This past month or so, I have noticed a lot more “drive-thru” moments. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, we should all be stockpiling foods to ensure that we won’t run out when store shelves become empty.  They claim that stockpiling food is a smart economical move in the event of lean times ahead. 

Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons to believe prices on the shelves are about to start rising a lot faster. Source

But for those who are accustomed to only buying what you need when you need it, how do you know what kinds of foods to stockpile? And exactly how much should you purchase?

I live within walking distance of a factory outlet mall.  It was built the year after we built our home and the entire time it was being constructed, I waited in excitement for the day that it would open. 

For several years, the factory outlet mall and I were great friends.  I would go there to “relax” and I would always leave at least $100 poorer and loaded down with all kinds of great buys.  Fortunately, the novelty wore off. 

Being frugal has caused a bit of a side effect for me.  I seem to have developed a standard uniform for everyday dress. 

I am sure other frugal people can attest to this. 

For me, the frugal uniform consists of dressing primarily in comfortable black slacks and black or white shirts.  For others, it may mean wearing jeans and t-shirts.  I know a few frugal men who stick to gray and navy slacks with white shirts.