I never gave it a thought until my then teenaged son bragged to someone that I was a gourmet cook since I only bought ingredients. Ha what does he know. Nothing pre-packaged. We don't use food in cans or boxes - chips on occasion - like chili... I buy meat at a slaughter house. Very limited eating out. I shop at the thrift stores with a list - no new clothing except underwear and socks. I buy fabric at the thrift store. We do our own lawn care, home repairs & snow shoveling. I don't have a clothes dryer - everything gets hung. If I need to know something I look it up at the library or on line. I donate hair when I need a haircut - it's free. Someone mentioned shampoo. I use citric acid instead of rinse - it's cheaper. Mix a 1/2 tsp of citric acid in about a quart of water - pour it on, rinse it off. I repair my own sewing machines - I've done it for years.