Also read the following related article by Business Editor Kabous le Roux:

• Bring home the bacon

The recession taught us a thing or two: firstly, not to over-extend on credit and succumb to the lure of high-interest loans and, secondly, how to live more frugally without compromising on your quality of life.

In fact, frugal living is a fast-spreading trend that is gaining popularity across the globe, most notably in the United States and the UK — both countries that were hard-hit by the financial crisis — and more recently in South Africa.

Yet, despite this, our saving’s rate continues to disappoint while our debt dependency rises.

To help you tackle your own budget and live a more frugal lifestyle, Capitec Bank, South Africa’s youngest retail bank, encourages South Africans to be creative with how they spend their cash – and save. Here, in the second in a series on "How to live frugally", Charl Nel, Capitec Bank’s head of strategic communications, takes a look at how you can save money on your meals.

"Eating is one of those things that is non-negotiable. Yet many of us opt for convenience food that is packaged like a Christmas present and requires just a few minutes in the microwave. Not only is this fast-food culture leading to widespread health issues, it is also packing on the financial pounds," says Nel.

Together with frugal blogger Ray-Anne Cahill, Nel shares 10 quick ways to cut down on your food bills — and increase your health at the time:

1.  Make it instead of buying it

While it’s one of the oldest tips in the book, this one is still relevant. Buying lunch from a city cafe or convenience store today can cost you up to R40 (think a sarmi and a cooldrink). It's quite ridiculous when you could make the same thing for under R10.

Consider a jacket potato and salad; quick cheese and tomato sandwich with a spread of pesto or a wrap filled with Cajun chicken.

And make it the night before when you’re cooking dinner. This way you’re less likely to run out of time to make it before heading off to work.

2.  Grow your own

Spring time is the ideal time to plant new veggies. So, whether you have a garden or a balcony, plant a range of fresh herbs (which cost up to R10 at the shops versus the same for a seedling) — such as rocket and lettuce; carrots or potatoes.

Not only will you have fresh veg on hand throughout the year; you will save on all that plastic that they get wrapped in at the shops.

Article continues on page two and three: eight more tips on how to save money on food...