To begin frugal ways of cooking your meals, start into the swing of things by finding a discount, used or cook book on sale. Setting habits, early on.
Also, buying bulk foods has a tendency to prune back the cost of ingredients considerably.

• Low Cost Ingredients. Like oatmeal, for less than 15 cents per serving, with maple syrup and milk extra. That not only saves on the food bill, but forms a speedy breakfast for time saving as well when needed. Same idea for cream of wheat. Bananas are very inexpensive and stay freshion their own sheath for days.
  
  
• Re-use Where Feasible. And when it is still clearly healthy. The twice used teabag is but a single example.
  
  
• Non Brand Names. Now available from everything to cheeses to cooking and olive oils. Almost always show little change in quality.
  
  The grocery store brand of instant coffee. You might be surpised where it comes from. Its a fraction of the cost of the big name advertisers.
  
  For non-instant coffee, consider doing away with paper filters in favor of a permanent filter for your coffee maker assuming it it can take one. They only take a moment to clean, and are eco-friendly since they conserve on paper products at the same time.
  
  
• Second /Added Food Purposes. The casserole is among the more obvious, being passed through from generations, but be open to other possibilities. Take that uneaten piece of chicken with dinner, and help make another meal. Put it in the fridge and an the next day or so, make tearings of the meat, mix them in a bowl with your favorite barbecue sause or marinade, a little olive oil, layer atop a blank cheese frozen pizza for a savory experience.
  
  Which brings up the concept of frozen foods for prepackaged meals and dinners. Usually these take less cook time, and taste noticeably better, if they are first let to set and thaw at room temperature. They just cook better. Not only for the oven baked, but for being sent to the microwave. Just be sure to roll back the time.
  
  Too, it helps to plan ahead by cooking an extra portion ahead of time. The extra baked potato instantly solves the crisis of pre-cooking potatoes prior to slicing and frying for breakfast.
  
  
• Preservation. Consider a vacuum seal system for preserving your meals (though be sure it is a quality one, there are many-a-complaint for the cheaper ones).
  
  Preserving enables you to prepare larger meals at once, in-turn saving on the electric/gas expense, your time, effort and energy, and letting you enjoy the dish once more again.