Saving log - $0
Spending log - $3.25 bagel, coffee + $3 iced tea, apple + $17 groceries

I can't say whether this is the most cost effective or cost saving, but this is how I've altered my shopping habits.

What I have:
"Easy" public buses - I regularly take the 5, 355, 15, 28, 48
Willingness to walk; expanded my sphere of what constitutes easy walking distance to 1-3 miles.
Experimented with routes and walking, noting the grocery stores along the way.
I have 7 grocery stores - 4 of which are along my long (over 1 mi) nightly summer walk - what I was asked to do nightly for cardio. 1 of which is the new downtown supermarket.
Always carry one cloth bag.

Right now I:
Look at the flyers
Note what I absolutely need for dinner that night. Concentrate on using everything up and not having to toss slimy stuff.
Hit the grocery store on my nightly walk for what I need. No more than 4 things, or what can comfortably fit into cloth bag.
Lug home.
Keep the refrigerator about 1/3 - 1/2 full. Use the stockpile a bit.

What we used to do:
Look at the flyers.
Saturday afternoon was weekly grocery shopping. DH and I would make a car circuit and hit 3 or so produce stands and grocery stores. Keep the refrigerator 3/4 full and stockpile.

In other words, I'm now starting to shop like a European. I'm shopping nearly every night for small amounts of fresh stuff and let the refrigerated stuff ride until its eaten. If we barely make it through something, its time to give our taste buds a rest and not buy more.

Noticed that Paris really tied common shopping with the Metro. The really big stations had shopping marts connected with them where you could pick up a little something at your Metro stop. Otherwise, the sub-neighborhoods in each arrondisement had a grocery, a bakery, a day market and a late-night market connected with them.

I'm probably not doing as well as I could be, or am I? Right now, I'm still a bit overweight and I'm trying to eat less. That represents locked-in energy that I'm trying to tap. The buses will run their routes and burn their fuel whether I take them or not. I'm trying my darnest to avoid waste.

Eating the stockpile seems to make the least sense, because it represents stored food at its cheapest. When I eat it, any replacement of the item is going to cost more. Still, this stuff doesn't keep forever, and if you are saving food for high cost "emergencies" ... this is the time.

So far, its costly in terms of time. 30 extra minutes/day walking and european grocery shopping works out to be 3+ hours extra.