I have a 'game' I play. I plan my grocery shopping carefully and use the store coupons, online sites to sign up such as just4you specials at Safeway. Kroger stores also have this service. I only buy basic foods we use, (around the outside of the store) never mixes, boxed or frozen dinners, etc. I cook everything from scratch. I stock up on special items when on sale. My reward? I count the money saved as my quilting kitty. Had I shopped differently I would have spent lots more money in the grocery store. I keep an accounting record of my 'savings' and my quilting expenditures. Last year I broke even. There is only so much income and only so much of the costs of living is under my control. I want to quilt so I need to carve out the cost some way. As mentioned before other hobbies and activities are also expensive.