Something I've started to do that has been surprisingly helpful with our budget: I go grocery shopping once a month. For our family of four, we save $150-200 a month over what we used to spend ($500-600.) We don't have a Costco near us, so we don't even do the warehouse club thing, just the regular grocery store. We make 75% of our meals from scratch, the remainder comes from Trader Joe's (no preservatives, less salt, made from whole ingredients rather than chemical concoctions, surprisingly inexpensive.) I don't particular do meal planning, I just buy the ingredients we usually use to make the meals we usually make. It did take me a month or two to really get the hang of which ingredients to buy and how much, but it's gotten really easy now. We also have a deep freeze, which is essential for this to work - but even that is surprisingly inexpensive, if we'd bought that in order to accommodate shopping once a month, it would have paid for itself in two or three months.
Near the beginning of the month, some evening, I go shopping by myself. Between Target and Cub, it takes about 2-1/2 hours. (TJs is a separate trip, about an hour.) Mid-month, we usually need to make a quick trip for milk, yogurt, and fresh fruit and veggies - usually no more than $50.
I think part of the reason this works is because you all but eliminate the "impulse buy" factor - when I go once a month, there's not enough room in my cart or my car for anything but what is on my list. When I go mid-month, I usually have the kids, and I'm in a hurry, so again, only get what's on my list. I didn't particularly consider myself much of an impulse buyer, but I guess I was (and, well, frankly, my husband is.) It also means that when you run out of something mid-month, instead of running out to get it, you just make something else with what you have. I never have to worry about cans expiring in my pantry because they've gotten lost in the back - at the end of the month, my pantry is pretty bare. I guess it sort of enforces creativity and flexibility.
And yes, cooking from scratch is actually cheaper in the long run. Spices and other long-term buys get amortized over lots of meals, and you always have leftovers - instant lunch! The deep freeze makes a big difference, too. Stock up when the chicken breasts are buy one, get one free or when other freezable ingredients are on sale.
Consider the crock pot, too. There are surprisingly great things you can do with it - we crock pot at least once a week. Try crockpot365.blogspot.com (she's also written a couple of cookbooks) and "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker" (they even have a "cooking for two" version: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Mothers-Slow-Cooker-Recipes/dp....
Good luck!