Buy plain rolled oats instead of flavored instant oatmeal. They cook in less than five minutes, you can mix in what you like and you can use them for baking and to stretch meat loaf. Plus, a half-cup serving costs about 16 cents. Instant flavored oats cost roughly 38 cents per packet, are useful only as cereal and have at least 12 grams of sugar per serving.
Potential savings: $114 per year, assuming two servings of oatmeal for breakfast, five days a week.
