Most of us enter the supermarket with only the best of intentions. You have your list (If you don’t customarily bring a shopping list, do not take a cart or even step into the supermarket — return to the inaugural Food & Finance column immediately!). You have your cash. You’ve planned for a shopping expedition with the kids and have a backpack full of snacks, projects and distractions. And then you walk through the supermarket door and are confronted by the produce section. The beautiful gleaming grapes, strawberries and mangoes are beckoning. Peppers in a multitude of colors, lettuce, 10 varieties of mushrooms – fiscal prudence goes right out the window and you start filling those little plastic bags with everything in sight.

You’ve got to know the rules of the game in order to succeed. So here are my rules….

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Hi readers! Welcome to my inaugural Food & Finance post. While the mere arrival of the New Year is cause for happiness, the current economic situation is not. Since my role at Food Network is to save the company money, I wanted to share some handy tips on reducing your food bill. Get money-saving tips here.