Eat better — for less money

If you're willing to look beyond the grocer, however, here are six ways to improve your diet while saving cash and time.

Buy direct
The number of farms offering individual food subscriptions (known as CSAs, short for "community-supported agriculture") has grown.

Make it automatic
Set up a shopping list at a site such as peapod.com or freshdirect.com in the East, or winderfarms.com in the West, and you can do a week's shopping in minutes and have it delivered.

Don't rule out warehouses
Filling the trunk of your car this Saturday is a good way to avoid shopping trips for the rest of the month.

Check the frozen-food aisle
You can save time and boost the nutrition factor by heading to the freezer case.

Know when to go organic
Studies have shown benefits for milk and eggs, largely because they have more omega-3 fatty acids. Organic costs more, but it's sometimes worth it.

Plant a garden
The cheapest, most convenient, most carbon-footprint-friendly source for healthful food is your own backyard.