"10 servings of hot and sour soup made quick with mostly items i already had"

Probably the biggest money saver the past few years has been meal prep. I personally love cooking and would find myself running to the grocery store or local Cafe for a pre-made meal or snack. It really added up. We switched to buying in bulk when we can and preparing our work meals at home. Even if that means making a double batch of dinner and freezing the leftovers (which we did with a slow cooker meal too).

Only fresh things bought were the tofu and bok choy. Rest was dried (mushrooms) and