Pinching pennies is tough, and where there are some areas in your household budget where you just really cannot save another dime, there is one area where you can squeeze a little tighter.  This area is in your family food budget.  It is no secret that if you eat rice and beans type meals rather than steak and potatoes that you can save a dollar or two.

The following are some sure fire ways to save some cash in the area of meals.

Cut out the meat. We all know that meat is the most expensive part of any meal.  Eliminate the meat a few nights a week and you are sure to save some cash.

Stretch what you have. Last week I purchased a large pack of split bone-in chicken breasts.  A quick search online showed me that I could truly stretch these breasts out into several meals saving me some money for sure.

Use leftovers. Far too often we throw away our money by throwing away our leftovers rather than using them, whether you reheat them the next day or night or you use them to create a new meal using leftovers is definitely a way to save.

Photo credit: jbloom